It is 2024 and the new calendar year has begun.
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Rocket is a cute little puppy with lots of energy! He just joined our web designer, Lisa Scott Jones' family! We are looking forward to lots of play dates! I am so happy to have a new friend. Speaking of friends. . .
Did you know...The United Nations declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship in 2011 as a way to promote peace and promise rather than division and destruction between peoples of all cultures. Friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. July 30 is the official day, but every day can be a Day of Friendship. Will You Be Friends with Me? would make a perfect gift or read-aloud on the 30th.
A few of my favorite Bible verses on friendship:
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. (Proverbs 27:9, MSG)
I have called you friends. (John 15:15, NRSVU)
Therefore, encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:11, NRSVU)
Did you know...The United Nations declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship in 2011 as a way to promote peace and promise rather than division and destruction between peoples of all cultures. Friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. July 30 is the official day, but every day can be a Day of Friendship. Will You Be Friends with Me? would make a perfect gift or read-aloud on the 30th.
A few of my favorite Bible verses on friendship:
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. (Proverbs 27:9, MSG)
I have called you friends. (John 15:15, NRSVU)
Therefore, encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:11, NRSVU)
This September: A Raffle For a Marvelous Gift Bag!
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Since the Baby Came as well as a copy of Arianne Braithwaite Lehn's book of beautiful devotions, Ash and Starlight. Also included are a few special treats for a baby and mom. The raffle will. only be open to subscribers of my newsletter, so encourage your friends to sign up! You'll get a raffle point for every friend who becomes a new subscriber, so let me know when your friends sign up so I can save your points!.
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Traveled to Savannah, GA for the Books & Such Literary Agency Retreat. I got to spend time with my wonderful agent, Rachel Kent, and met her husband and new baby boy, too!
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We visited friends in Atlanta and South Carolina, and found two my books (The View at the Zoo, and Count Your Blessings) in a Publix grocery store in a small town along the road.
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SOPHIE SAYS. . .
Guess who is a character in my mom's new book??
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Ellie was the family dog before I came along. Cat Owens did a great job bringing her to life from Janet Samuel's perfect illustrations! Maybe I'll be in a book one day, too!
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Have you seen the fabulous resources for parents that go along with the book?
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I'd love it if you left a review on your favorite book website!
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What would you like to hear about in the next Kathy's Musings?
Leave a comment with your suggestions and ideas!
Leave a comment with your suggestions and ideas!
I'm thrilled my new new "baby" is about to arrive in the world! Even though it has over 50 siblings (my other published books), this one is extra special. From the first inkling of the idea to holding the completed book in my hands took eleven years! It was worth waiting for.
Illustrator Janet Samuel used our beloved dog, Ellie, as a model for the main character's dog. The publishing team came up with the idea when Ellie died during the creation of the book. I will never forget their kindness.
I'll be writing more about the creation of this book, but for now, I simply want to share my joy and invite you to spread the news by pre-ordering the book.
Illustrator Janet Samuel used our beloved dog, Ellie, as a model for the main character's dog. The publishing team came up with the idea when Ellie died during the creation of the book. I will never forget their kindness.
I'll be writing more about the creation of this book, but for now, I simply want to share my joy and invite you to spread the news by pre-ordering the book.
MY AUTHOR COPIES! WHAT A THRILL!
Great reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal
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While I was out, Greg put copies of my book all over the house!
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Our sweet Ellie, captured in Janet's beautiful illustrations...
Since the Baby Came: A Sibling's Learning to Love Story in 16 Poems arrives in bookstores May 2, and can be pre-ordered now! This is a perfect gift for Mother's Day, just around the bend. If you pre-order you'll have your copy in time to celebrate! The book isn't just for Mother's Day, however: It can be for Father's Day or any day a family prepares to welcome a new baby into their lives.
Happy Gotcha Day!
 |  HAPPY GOTCHA DAY! March 26, 2003 Happy Gotcha Day to our precious Sophie Grace! We've had her for one year now, which is hard to believe. You can see how much she's grown in a year, although she still curls up in her original bed. She's gone from 6 lbs. to 21 and is full of joy and zest for life. We can't imagine life without her! |
ORDER BY APRIL 1 TO RECEIVE BOOKS IN TIME FOR EASTER!
Website sales only
Website sales only
Hi, everyone! It's me, Sophie Grace, answering that question for my Mom. She and Dad started January with COVID, then rebound COVID, and they isolated together (with me!) for several weeks. Then, I turned ONE YEAR OLD on January 29. That was a fast year! I am (in Mom's words) a lovable, cuddly, clown with my own mind! And my mind says, "Play with me! Throw the ball! Snuggle with me!" I love my family so very much and I know they feel the same way. We are all very lucky, aren't we?
Thanks, Sophie! I'll take over now. Once healthy, I flew to Alexandria, Virginia, to spend a week with my beloved Uncle David who is almost 92 years old. He's the youngest of my mom's 11 siblings and the only one still living. His short-term memory is gone but his long-term is still excellent. I loved listening to him tell stories about his life, and about my mom. I brought lots of old photos to share with him, and that led to more stories. What a treasure to have this time with him. After a wonderful week, it was great to return home to Greg and Sophie (photo taken around midnight after a long day of travel, can you tell how happy I am?).
Here's My BIG news:
My new book, will be released May 2 and I can hardly wait! It tells the story of a child adjusting to a new baby in the family, with all the roller-coaster of emotions. I wrote it using 16 different poem forms, which was difficult but immense fun; and my hope is that this will invite children into the world of poetry in its many facets. Click here for a sneak peek!
Our sweet Sophie Grace is 9 months old, 18 pounds and been part of our family for 7 months. She is a complete joy. Her tail wags constantly when she's awake, beginning with her first greeting of the morning when she runs and gets a toy to share with us. She keeps me company while I write, watching over my shelves of books and inspiring me (also making sure I get out for walks!). We can't imagine our lives without her. Sophie loved hosting our grand-dog, Emmie, while her mom and dad finally got to go on their honeymoon.
Look at that winning smile on this beautiful little girl, Reina. Reina and I have never met but her mother reached out to me on Facebook to share that her daughter, now 5 and who has had some challenges with learning delay, recently read her very first book and is now reading at first grade level. The book? What About Heaven? one of my early books that recently went out of print. I'm so humbled and honored that the first book she read was one that I wrote. Reina's Grandma found a used copy at a Goodwill shop and bought it for her granddaughter. It's wonderful how God's word finds its way into the hands of children in so many ways. I had been feeling a bit down at the declining number of children's books I've published in the last few years along with the number of books that have gone out of print, but this unexpected gift lifted my spirits. It filled my heart with joy to know that books first published over 20 years ago and now no longer available are finding their way into the hands of children who love them. if you are interested in getting What About Heaven? for a little one in your life I do have a few copies available as part of Easter Stories and Prayers (four books in one).
And now for more good news. . .
COVER REVEAL for my next book, available in May 2023: Since the Baby Came, published by Waterbrook & Multnomah, a division of Penguin Random House Books. More info to come in my next newsletter! You can pre-order now on Amazon.
Awards
2013
Distinguished Alumna of Princeton Theological Seminary
2014
David Steele
Distinguished Writer
The most prestigious award given by the Presbyterian Writers Guild
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