I ventured into the world of book (and blog) writing to fulfill a promise to my beloved mother-in-law. Sue's bright light was extinguished on December 2, 2010, after a valiant 13-year battle with breast cancer... just five month's after her first grandchild (my daughter) was born. Now as a mother, entrepreneur, friend, sister, daughter, wife, and torch-bearer of a legacy, I paddle my boat, one wave at a time, toward that promise to her—and now to myself. In death as in life, Sue continues to motivate and inspire me. Follow me, and I'll do my best to pass the inspiration along. To life!
Okay. Now that we’ve covered the very first step, Logistics, it’s time to talk branding. And these days, you can’t talk branding without talking social media. As I detailed in Step 1, it’s best to register yourself as a self-publishing company that’s publishing your book. The same reasoning goes for social media. Make profiles for your … More Self Publishing and Branding
Please note that the following info is particular to print books. I’ll get to ebooks in a future post, I promise. So, you’ve weighed the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus doing it yourself, and you’ve decided to self publish. Now what? Decide which kind of self publishing you want to do. That’s right. There’s … More Self Publishing Logistics
Can you imagine what it must be like for most people (and even some household pets) to tower above you? Add to that a toddler’s limitless imagination—unencumbered by years of practical knowledge and assumptions—and they practically live in a whole other world than our own. One of the kids’ book I’m working on explores this perspective, so I’ve been keeping my eye out for glimpses … More Child’s-Eye View
Occasionally a friend comes to me with a grief story so powerful I ask them if I may share it here with you. Wendy is one such friend, and her story offers a wonderful example of a new kind of memorial… one of celebration and ongoing conversation. When my mom’s Cousin John fell ill, we kind of … More A Word From Peter Pan’s Wendy
Did you know the brain “geotags” memories based on location? When you encounter a familiar place, according to a recent study, “It opens up these memory boxes and triggers a flood of old memories in vivid Technicolor, like they happened yesterday.” In other words, memory and place are intricately linked, on a biological level.
Part of being creative is absorbing the best of the world around you and discovering how you’ll radiate it back out. Here are some of the best books that have inspired me and my kids in such a way. I hope they’ll fill you to overflowing with imaginative possibilities. BONUS IDEA: Sure, it’s nice to give gifts … More 8 Books to Inspire Creativity
This is one of my family’s favorite Christmas presents, and this year Von got to enjoy it with us, too. I know some of you out there who’ll enjoy it as much as we do. So, may I present my gift to you… Sue’s voice, grandbabies, and spirit, all in one hilariously adorable little video… … More My Gift to You
The holidays are an emotional time, full of joy, thankfulness, wonder … and, yes, often the resurgence of grief. It’s okay to feel sorrow amid all the merriment. As a matter of fact, you can take the fuel of that emotion and use it to propel you toward something constructive for you and your kids: a … More 5 Holiday Traditions in Memory of a Loved One
In this week’s installment of book progress: building a beta reader dream team. What is a beta reader? A person who reads a book before publication and offers feedback. Although beta readers can be professional editors or writers, they don’t need to be. More importantly… Pick someone who is: 1. Interested in your project, whether as a friend, … More Building a Beta Reader Dream Team
Nine months ago, I teased that I’d be revamping my site to better focus on my human and book babies. Nothing much has happened on that front. Until now. I guess I was just feeling idle with only taking care of two kids, the holidays, three family trips, two books, a new blog partnership, and a potential new illustrator. Or maybe once you … More “Free Seattle,” New Travel Partnership, + Category Pages
My Castle Heart Publications 