Karen

MyOneWord 2017

December 24, 2016December 24, 2016 by Karen, posted in my one word

As has happened in the past, I have had my one word for 2017 picked out since about October: COMFORT. I was happy, comfortable even 🙂 , with my choice. Thinking ahead, I could see all sorts of ways that I could be welcoming my new word into my life. Comfy clothes! Comfy shoes! Comfort foods! Warm in front of the wood stove in the winter! Only putting myself in comfortable situations!

And then a different word snuck into the periphery of my psyche. Actually, snuck isn’t really the right word…slammed is more like it. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when it hit: CHANNEL.

Channel.

I don’t know. It’s kind of growing on me.

I think that comfort, although a very nice idea, wouldn’t push me to grow in ways that channel, like 2015’s brave, might.

I just have a feeling.

Because this year’s word, grace, although lovely, didn’t push me like brave did. As a matter of fact, there have been reverberations of brave all throughout 2016, even though it was the prior year’s word.

Maybe you’ll choose one word to focus on for the entire year this year. There is a word finder to help you choose on myoneword.org.

Disclaimer: Nothing is set in stone. I reserve the right to change my mind at the last minute. I work best under pressure. 🙂

On the radio with Megan Brady

December 16, 2016December 19, 2016 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food

**UPDATE: Here is the link to listen to the interview!**

http://www.edgeradioarchives.com/audio/121916creameronbravething.mp3

I was just interviewed about my book by Megan Brady for her show “The Morningline with Megan Brady” for EdgeRadio (an online streaming station through Seacoast Media Group).

How wonderful it is to be interviewed by someone who is great at it (thank you, Megan). I felt comfortable right away, like I was having coffee with a friend. Which, I sort of was. I mean, I did bring my coffee, my current favorite, Spicy Eggnog (was that wrong?). And Megan was very friendly. 🙂

We talked about how I wrote the first draft of my book, One Brave Thing, during NaNoWriMo in 2010, and my blog, kwrites.com. I mentioned how people can ask to join the One Brave Thing Private Facebook Group for readers and purchasers of my book, and about how I interview one reader a month about ‘one brave thing’ that they’ve done in their own lives. Click here for the current list of The BRAVE Interviews. We also talked about my upcoming book, which is related to One Brave Thing. The working title is: What if Bebe Stays with Steven?

I know, right?!

And we talked about the Stephen King trick of putting the draft of your manuscript away in a drawer for a while to give you some perspective on it. Megan reminded me of Joey Tribbiano’s trick of putting Stephen King’s book in the freezer! So I leave you with this clip, to leave you with a laugh today:

My talk with Megan Brady will air Monday morning at some point between 6AM-10AM.

Click here to listen on Monday morning for my interview (not sure what time yet!) or anytime, just to listen! After it airs, I will be posting the audio clip on my blog, so if you miss the show you can still hear the interview.

The power of one

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, author, book reviews, books, family, friends, Holidays, local fun, writing

I have been giving a lot of talks at local libraries. For my most recent one, I personally invited and Facebook invited a lot of people.

A lot.

Plus, it was a full moon in Gemini (my sign)! At 7:05pm! And my talk started at 7:00PM!

I know this is a busy time of year for us all, but I was expecting at least 10 people or so.

When it 6:59pm and still no one had come, I began to consider that maybe I had saturated my geographic location.

If no one came (as I have heard sometimes happens, but thankfully had never happened to me), my Plan B was to have my husband make a video of me reading so I could post it on my YouTube Channel (still evolving–don’t judge it). At least this would be time well spent, right?

What I learned: Don’t accept a time slot that starts when the library is CLOSED. Duh. I’m not sure why they even did that… oh, wait. Yes, I do. I took the slot because I was hoping to sell a lot of books before Christmas, and this was the only December slot they had. They had one slot available in January, but I thought people might not come out in the cold when they weren’t possibly out already, shopping for the holidays (books make great gifts!). Note: the temperature was in the 20’s last night.

And then, at 7:05pm, one person came into the room.

My audience had arrived. She probably didn’t really feel like going out, but she wanted to support a fellow writer/author, and guess what?

SHE DID.

Thank you again, Katherine. ❤

For some reason, this song was in my head on my way home from the event, so I am including it here for your listening pleasure:

The BRAVE Interview #5 December 2016: Jeanne Emerson

December 10, 2016December 31, 2016 by Karen, posted in Adult children, Angels, family, friends, Interviews, The BRAVE Interviews

Here is #5 in The BRAVE Interview series! It’s the Who, What, When, Where, How, (and sometimes Why) of YOUR ‘one brave thing’! December’s interview is with Jeanne Emerson!

Who: Hi. My name is Jeanne Emerson. I’m a grandma, gardener, artist, yogi, retired social worker and grieving mother. I’m fortunate to live in a peaceful and cozy home in southern Maine…it is my sanctuary. I am calm here, reflective, often tearful and recently, joyful…again. And, I’m about to celebrate my 65^th birthday. WOW.

What: I never really thought that I would feel brave about this but I do. My one brave thing is to allow the feeling of joy back into my life. My son Scott died three years ago. He was 35 years old, funny, handsome, loving and very artistic. His death came as a shock, no preparation…but even if I had been expecting it, it still would have been a shock. No mother could prepare for this.

When: The call came at 8:45 on a Tuesday night. (Tuesday has become my least favorite day of the week ever since).

Where: I was home, the phone rang and the police officer had the nerve to say, “I’m sorry to inform you that your son is dead.” How could he say something like that about my child?? I hated that officer at that moment. I couldn’t spare any compassion for him then, no ability to care about how awful that call must have been for him to make. Compassion could and would come later.

Why: I’ll never know. I won’t know why Scott died at such a young age, with so much more to offer, so much more to experience. (please believe me, I have driven myself to extreme exhaustion trying to understand). But here’s what I do understand…healing can happen, life does in fact go on (as much as you may not want it do)…joy can enter again.

How: This part of the interview is perhaps the easiest to explain. My joy has come back because of trust. My husband, Tim, my son Matt, family members and very precious friends believed in me. They trusted me when I was a wailing mess on the floor, they trusted me when I couldn’t get through a conversation without crying, they trusted me when I couldn’t eat, sleep or get out of my pajamas, they trusted me when I would sit and stare, unable or unwilling to talk. Somehow they trusted my process, that I just had to go through this my way (albeit dramatic and probably frightening to witness), but trust they did. AND, miraculously, bit by bit, I started to live again without my son (well, without him in the way I knew him before his death….this is another interview but I KNOW that he is still with me, guiding me, encouraging me in my artistic pursuits, laughing with me and still loving me). I feel very brave for laughing, running, playing, creating and loving. This is my most important brave thing….so far.

Jeanne, thank you so much for your brave, powerful words. ❤

Check out Jeanne’s designs at FOUND in Kennebunk (42 Main St; 207-604-5009) and on her website: emersondesigns.net

One week ONE BRAVE THING Kindle Sale!!!

December 9, 2016December 9, 2016 by Karen, posted in books, Brave books, shopping, writing

For one week only, One Brave Thing will be for sale on Kindle for only 99 cents! If you have already liked my book, please consider sharing this post with any of your friends who prefer to get their books on Kindle.

This special price is in effect only from December 9th (TODAY!) through December 16th, 2016. Click HERE!

Thank you!

Look what I FOUND at FOUND!

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, books, Fashion Sense, quest for the best, shopping

I followed the articles in the local papers about the evolution of FOUND, a shop that is the vision of FOUNDer 🙂 Pamela Bennett. Pamela wanted to showcase the talents of Maine women (and some men!) who create from the heart and give them a venue in which to make their products available to people who might not otherwise find them.

For example, Amy Rose of Amy Rose Made in Maine makes lovely jewelry. One of my favorite pieces is her silver charm of the state of Maine on a silver chain. Find it at FOUND, as well as at her ETSY shop: Amy Rose Made in Maine. Below in the slideshow are some photos of her products.

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Also, Jeanne Emerson has some of her designs at FOUND. This is her process (paraphrased from her website): Eco-printing, sometimes known as botanical printing, uses the natural dyes in flowers, leaves and other natural materials to produce one of kind, magical and beautiful designs on paper and fabrics. Check out the slideshow below to see her scarves and cards.

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FOUND also has books! Kathy Eliscu’s wonderful book is there, Not Even Dark Chocolate can Fix This Mess! Kathy’s book is about Tink, a woman in midlife who is so busy saying ‘yes!’ to everyone else that she starts to lose track of herself. She becomes overwhelmed, and then makes a mistake that turns into a big (you guessed it!) mess. Once you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down!

My book, One Brave Thing, is also at FOUND. Bebe wants to get married some day but keeps picking guys that are wrong for her. She learns from her mistakes, however, and in the process, learns how to stand up for herself and trust her gut about how to live her life.

Find signed copies of both books at FOUND!

I have given you just a small sampling of the amazing gifts at this great shop. Have some Christmas shopping left to do? Stop in at FOUND in Kennebunk, Maine! You will be able to find a beautiful gift for everyone on your list.

You’re welcome!

Humble

December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by Karen, posted in books, Grace, local fun, writing

Today I was so excited to get a copy of the York Weekly newspaper that my husband and I braved the ice and snow and rode down to the York Hannaford to pick it up before work. After I ascertained that the article did, in fact, run this week (there was a photo of me and of my book cover right there on page B3 of the Living Section!), I folded the paper back up. I didn’t read it on the way home.

This was a do-over chance. The first article that was written in the newspaper about me publishing my first novel had many errors (including the name of the main character! Her name is NOT Bebe Kristen Davis!) and so was very disappointing.
I had high hopes for this time around.

When we got home, I had to go right to work, so my husband started reading it. “I found something that you’re not going to be happy about,” he began.

Seriously?
Here is the line: “…she is a registered nurse, a health coach, weight gain teacher and author.

Guess which part is wrong? Was it that stupid autocorrect?

Now the irony here is that I was just commiserating with a friend yesterday about how I had lost 30 lbs on Weight Watchers several years ago and then gained some of it back–talk about adding insult to injury!

Also, lesson learned. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I should have asked if I could give it a once over before the story ran.

And then I remembered myoneword for 2016: GRACE. I could just accept this with grace. I have made plenty of errors in my own writing, and have always felt terrible when I noticed them (or they were gracefully pointed out to me by others) after the fact.

Here is the article (it has since been corrected): Wells Author will Speak at York Library

This came to mind after the events of this morning, so I’m sharing it with you all:

Fashion Plate

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 by Karen, posted in Fashion Sense, friends

So many people have said, “Hey, where’d you get that blouse?” to me lately that I felt compelled, for the first time ever, to discuss my clothing.

Yep. This blog is about my blouse.

I first saw this blouse about 4 years ago in an online ad. I loved it! I thought, it would be the perfect thing to wear for Christmas!

I followed the link over NorthStyle to see how much it cost. And that’s where my love story ended. Seriously? Sixty bucks for a blouse?

I didn’t get it.

The following year, the same thing happened. I admired it from afar. I didn’t buy it. I wore my Wal-Mart Santa Sweater for Christmas instead.

Year 3, same old story. Saw it. Wanted it. Talked myself out of it. Wore the Wal-Mart Christmas Tree Sweater for Christmas.

The fourth year, I said, that’s it! I’m buying it! It was December. I followed the link over to discover my blouse in my size was backordered…until frikkin’ February! That wouldn’t do! No Plaid Georgette Blouse for you!
This year, I was ready. The first time I saw that sucker pop up on an online ad in October, I was decisive! I wasted not one moment! I figured if I wanted this blouse for 4 years, that counted for something, didn’t it? I bought it and I’ve never looked back.

I love it! Everyone else loves it, too! It’s got long-ish sleeves but is lightweight, so when you start feeling the heat, no one can see you sweat! It covers my bum! It really is floaty and swirly! You can throw it in the washing machine and don’t have to iron it! I’ve already worn it more than I’ve worn half of the clothes in my closet, so I am sure I will be wringing every dime of my money’s worth out of it. It’s every bit as awesome as I hoped it would be.

Moral: If you want something for four years, it’s probably okay to buy it.

I won NaNoWriMo 2016!!

December 2, 2016December 2, 2016 by Karen, posted in books, Brave books, NaNoWriMo, writing

So, this was not my first NaNoRodeo, as many of you loyal readers already know. This was my 7th consecutive NaNo win. I am so proud! I don’t always know what I will be writing, but this year I did.
I almost never write an outline prior to starting, but this year I did.

I always build in a buffer of five days in case I something comes up and I have to take a day off from writing, but that didn’t happen this year. I finished five days early!

I didn’t really look at my outline much as I was writing, but when I finished I discovered I had covered everything!

One thing that was the same this year is this: once I started writing, the words flowed out in a smooth (mostly) stream. I remembered not to edit as I was going and not to over think it, which is the death of all good “shitty first drafts” (nod to Anne Lamotte’s Bird by Bird).

Success!

Top 10 tips (I think!) for having successful author reading

November 29, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, books, local fun

As I mentioned in my prior blog post, there is a definite learning curve to this whole ‘promoting your book’ thing. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is this: assume nothing! (Remember Felix Unger’s lesson on what happens when you ASSUME?!).

Anyway, here are what I think are the top 10 tips (in no particular order) for having a successful (eg: well attended) author reading.

Create a Facebook event (you can figure it out; it’s not hard) and then share it on your own page, your author page, and the pages of any friends that will have you.
Make an author page on Facebook, if you haven’t done that yet.
Design some flyers (this can be as simple as a photo of your book, the date, time, and place of your event) and put them up around the town where you’ll be speaking (grocery stores, hairdressers, health food stores…any place that has a community bulletin board).
Ask the person with whom you book your event to send out a press release to any and every newspaper that they can.
Write a press release, so it will be ready when you need it. This can be as simple as your (short) bio, your book title and a little about it, and again the date, time, and place of your talk.
Word of mouth is your friend: tell people and ask them to tell people: their friends, their families.
Make sure you bring business cards, book marks, and any other promotional materials you’ve got to every talk and/or signing you do.
Consider offering a ‘free gift with purchase’ to your book buyers. This doesn’t need to cost you much at all. In my book, there is an Italian grandmother who makes the best gravy in the entire world, so I gave out a recipe for it (from my own Italian Nana, whose recipe really IS the best in the entire world) as a bonus gift.
It doesn’t ever hurt to have chocolate spread out around your book. As people reach for the chocolate, you are also drawing their eyes (and hands!) toward your book!
If you are doing a library talk, they usually will have a sidewalk easel to put out to alert people about your event. Make sure they use it for you!

That’s all I have for you today. Please comment below if you have any additional tips that have worked for you!