Posts by Karen DeBonis

Why expose myself like this? Because when I share my truth, other women (and an occasional male) reach out to me to tell me they feel heard, that they learn. It’s why I wrote my memoir. It’s my purpose.

Dear Friend, Last month, I stopped at CVS to pick up a script. My favorite pharmacist there has supported my writing since 2016 when I wrote a blog about a lovely conversation she and I had. She subscribed to my mailing list (Hi J!) and recently joined my book launch team. When J saw me at…

Dear Friend, Last month, I told you I sent my final manuscript, “my really, really, REALLY final manuscript” to my publisher. Then a couple of weeks later, I woke in the middle of the night wondering if an important paragraph I had moved had made it back into the final manuscript. It hadn’t. I knew this…

Dear Friend, I’ll make this short and sweet this month. I sent my final manuscript (my really, really, REALLY final) manuscript to my publisher a few days ago after five 16-hour days of revising. The week before, I attended my first writer’s conference–in Lancaster, PA–and met many virtual writing friends IRL. Any lingering imposter syndrome…

July 2022 NewsletterDear Friend, After every mass shooting, after each political bombshell, after horrific acts of nature or war, I practice gratitude. Some people have formal practices involving journaling or meditating. Mine is more of a gut reaction that I tune into at night. I get in bed and thank God (my higher power, not to assume…

Dear Friend, It feels almost pointless to write about my memoir journey with the turbulence going on in this country and our world. But that is why you and I are here, so that’s what I’ll do. I hope this newsletter gives you a moment’s escape from bad news (although–full disclosure–I do talk about painful memories). With my…

Dear Friend, I’m sitting on the couch icing my knee as I write this. Recovering from joint replacement surgery has been slow but steady, and I can almost taste the freedom of walking without pain, gardening, and doing a little yoga again.  Did you notice the fresh look of this newsletter? I’ve updated my website,…

Dear Friend, You’ve taken the time to subscribe to my mailing list and have allowed me to pop into your inbox from time to time. For that, I’m truly grateful. As a thank you, I’m giving you a sneak preview of my memoir–my first chapter!  Chapter 1. A Reckoning  I hope reading this chapter entices you…

Dear Friend, As soon as the new year rolls in and the days start getting longer, I get Spring fever. In March, even with patches of snow still on the ground here, I feel the change of seasons in my body and my psyche. This year, the feeling of change is profound, perhaps because of…