March 2023 Newsletter
| Dear Friend, I’ve never been a type A personality, I’m seldom competitive, and I savor my quiet life. But I feel like an adrenaline junkie during these final pre-book-launch months. Actually, we’re down to weeks now–less than 5. Gaaah! It’s the marketing–something I thought I’d hate but is actually fun. When it goes well. Every time I make a connection–the local journalist who agreed to look at my ARC (thank you JS!), the library system director who agreed to share my book information with member libraries (thank you SD!), the acclaimed memoir writer who recommended her book in my newsletter–I get that rush. As soon as it dies down, I crave another hit. Of course, rejection is part of the package. I had a run of essay rejections recently, and that old “obviously I can’t write” voice takes up residence in my head. Then, I get another win and I’m back on track. It’s exhausting. And exhilarating. And surreal to think I’m truly going to be a published author. A recent win was this essay about being an HSP–Highly Sensitive Person–and finding a balance between noise and quiet. (It posted in December, but the editors forget to tell me!) It’s more of a researched article than I usually prefer writing, but I’m happy to have it in the Highly Sensitive Refuge publication. I also was interviewed for this essay, When’s the Best Time to Write a Memoir? Over 50, of Course. I love the cheeky title! That’s all the new news for now. Here are some reminders: Growth is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop, or you can call your local bookstore and ask them to preorder it. Growth is also posted to Goodreads, and if you click “Want to read” on that page, it helps increase my page views! I ordered another batch of book business cards, so if you’d like any to share with family, friends, or a book club, just let me know!  If I listed all the people here who are helping me spread the word about my book, you’d be reading until next week. So I’ll say a global and sincere THANK YOU. I would not have gotten this far without you. Just knowing that you are reading these words gives me a positive hit. It’s habit-forming but completely healthy. May 2 is my launch day, and I’ll have some virtual festivities I hope you’ll join. More to come… In the meantime, here’s to growth. Karen |
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| Growth: A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived. When her eight-year-old son begins to exhibit increasingly bizarre behaviors, a happily married mother of two must meet the overwhelming demands of motherhood and wrestle with her fear of conflict if she and her son are to survive. Forthcoming from Apprentice House Press, May 2023. |
| Karen is a happily married, slightly frazzled working mother of two when her eight-year-old son, Matthew, develops a strange eye-rolling tic. Gradually, her high-energy kid becomes clumsy and lethargic, her “Little Einstein” a gifted program dropout. Karen knows something is wrong. But she can’t get anyone to listen and lacks the backbone to crack the resistance. After three exhausting, desperate years, finally, an MRI reveals the truth: a brain tumor, squishing Matthew’s brain into a sliver against his skull. Following a delicate surgery, doctors predict a complete recovery. But the damage from the delayed diagnosis prolongs Matthew’s recovery, challenging Karen to grow in ways she never imagined. A fast-paced page-turner told with candor, insight, and wit, Growth takes you on a rollercoaster of painful truths and hard-won transformations. |
