Tell us a bit
about yourself
Presently, I am a high school counselor and have been in
education for 22 years. Prior to counseling I was a special education teacher
at both the elementary and middle school levels. I have a bachelors, masters
and educational specialist degree, all in various areas of education. I am a wife, step mother of two, ,aunt to 10
children, a daughter and have three
sisters. I enjoy golfing, skiing and
working out. My mission in life is to
motivate and inspire children to overcome obstacles and challenges: To be
resilient!
When did you
first get bit by the writing bug?
After I realized I couldn’t pursue my doctorate degree due
to contractual roadblocks, I still wanted to help kids become resilient. I knew
kids needed to BELIEVE in their possibilities,
RELAX often, LAUGH at playful experiences, DREAM about inspiring
futures, and LOVE those they encounter in order to be resilient. I had wooden
decorations around my house reminding me to Believe, Love, Laugh, relax and
Dream. I felt that children should have
cute decorative reminders to do the same.
I came up with the book idea about five years ago and had my niece help
me brainstorm during that summer. I let the book idea go when school began that
fall and forgot about them for about 5 years. I revisited them last year and
within 8 months I had created Mind Over Matter Books and had the five books
pretty much completed and Believe in print!
Why did you
decide to write for children?
I have been intrigued by resiliency since I began teaching
and felt the skills needed to be taught to children early in life. I feel that
all people face adversity or challenges in life and the earlier and child
learns to be resilient, the better off they will be when faced with life’s
challenges. The book idea seemed like a
natural way to get the message to them. Creating the book in a decorative form,
allows the books to be a constant reminder to children daily!
Do you believe it
is harder to write books for a younger audience?
No. I think the language and concepts are simple and
because I have worked with kids from ages 18months to 18 years, I feel very
comfortable communicating to young children.
What is your
favorite part of writing for young people?
Believing I can inspire and motivate them because they are
impressionable at young ages. Also, the ability to use whimsical illustrations
and simple wording to get the message out to children makes the project fun and
exciting! Watching the children light up when the see the illustrations really
makes it special, too!
Can you tell us
what your latest book is all about?
Believe is a whimsical picture book which gives children
ways to believe in various components of their lives including believing they
can win, believing in heaven, believing in good luck, believing in high hopes
and Believing the storm will pass. The book also offers a parent page giving
them advice on how to help children believe in themselves. The size and shape
are unique and allow the book to stand on
its own as a decoration for a shelf or nightstand, thus constantly
reminding children to “Believe!”
What inspired you
to write it?
My mother always encouraged me to write. She saw the
creativity in me and also saw that I was driven. She is also the one who taught me resiliency. Last year I
was feeling a little concerned about my position in education as there are many
changes occurring in my state. I wanted a back up career in case anything were
to ever happen to my job. I just revisited the books I had brainstormed 5 years
earlier and went forward without second guessing my mission!
Where can readers
purchase a copy?
Halo International-Believe:
MOM Website
Amazon:
Do you have a
website and/or blog where readers can find out more?
MOM Website
MOM Blog:
Facebook Page:
YouTube (Children’s Authors Show
Interview):
LinkedIn:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/kaseyc7
What is up next
for you?
After I get all five of the Mind Over Matter Books printed
and out on the market successfully, I would like to continue the trend with
additional MOM books: Mind over Maturing for tweeners and teens, Mind Over
Medicine for anyone exposed to illness or ill family members, Mind Over
Motherhood for moms, Mind Over Marriage and Mind over Menapause.
Do you have
anything else to add?
My goal is to have these books in every preschool, school,
church and child’s house so kids everywhere are constantly reminded of the five
resiliency skills.
