Happy 2026 & Life Update!

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Awards, Poetry
Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

I hope this month has been a great start to your new year! January has been a whirlwind of new projects, getting back into a routine after the holidays, and varied emotions. I have my share of worries but there is so much to be grateful for! I’ve also been busy working on two books: my second children’s book, Carlie and Charlie Go Camping, and a new collection of poems. My intention was to publish Carlie and Charlie last year, but then Copper received his angel wings, and you know the rest. So, I’m excited about this book that is inspired by my family’s camping adventures with Steph and Michael when they were little, and it will include an educational element, stressing the benefits of spending time in the great outdoors with discussion questions at the end. I plan to pitch Carlie and Charlie at the San Francisco Writers Conference in two weeks, so I’ve been racing with the clock, editing, editing, and editing!

On another note, I received an email from Spillwords this morning, and my poem “I Am From” is nominated for Publication of the Year! Asking for your support is never easy, so it feels even more uncomfortable since I’ve been absent, but being nominated from Spillwords is always an honor, so all I can do is ask. I am grateful to Dagmara K. and her staff for publishing my work and for this incredible opportunity!

This poem was inspired by “Where I’m From” written by George Ella Lyon…

I Am From

I am from my mom’s emotions
that had a mind of their own
so wild at times emulating a summer storm
I am from my dad’s humor
where smiles bloomed
but his temper too in my less patient moods

I am from flower petals I did not plant
Mom’s were nurtured – my thumbs weren’t green
yet the petals’ beauty is always seen
I am from butter, sugar (granulated and brown),
vanilla, baking powder and soda,
and nuts, yes, sometimes this is the case,
and chocolate chips in their tantalizing ways

I am from the moon in her mystery
The sun in his radiance
The lake in its serenity

I am from the well-liked and the shunned
the self-doubt lodged on my shoulders
the redwoods standing tall
I am from planned and spontaneity
clarity and ambiguity

You can read the full poem here.

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I also offer a Huge Shout Out to my good friends who are amazing writers, Maggie Watson and Mike Utley, for being nominated for Author of the Year! Maggie’s poem “The Forest” is also in the running for Publication of the Year. I’m happy for Maggie and Mike and wish them the best of luck!!!

If you find the time to cast your vote, thank you!

Photo by u0158aj Vaishnaw on Pexels.com

Voting is officially scheduled from January 26th to January 30th at: https://spillwords.com/vote/.

Congratulations to all nominees, but as nominees, I feel that we are all winners! 🎉

Thanks for stopping by! Be well, Be safe! ❤️

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© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Spillwords images: Credit to Spillwords

Author and poet, Lauren Scott, is a recent Pushcart Prize Nominee who enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their daughter and son live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, this family of four remains close. Lauren has published four collections of poetry: New Day, New Dreams (2013), Finding a Balance (2015), Ever So Gently (2023), and King Copper; our dog’s life in poetry (2025). In 2021, she released her memoir, More than Coffee. Her first children’s book, Cora’s Quest, was published in 2024. Lauren has been a guest on several podcasts, and her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is showcased on LatinosUSA, and Gobblers and Masticadores. She is currently working on her second children’s book and fifth collection of poetry. Lauren’s muse discovers inspiration from family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life. 

Click on the image to purchase your copy.❤️

131 thoughts on “Happy 2026 & Life Update!”

  3. Lauren, I am made up for you and Mike too ❤️

    It is an honour for me to have my name mentioned alongside two of WP’s finest 🌟 so thank you very much for the mention.

    It sounds like you have a lot going on with projects.

    I wish you the best for 2026 dear friend.

    So much love xoxo

    Reply

    1. Maggie, you and Mike are two of the finest also! And you are welcome, my friend! I’m thrilled for the 3 of us, and wish you and Mike the best of luck! As I wrote on his blog, your poetry and his goes straight to the heart and soul. So much love flowing your way too, dear friend. ❤️

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  4. You’ve been busy! Good to see you back, Lauren. The book projects sound intriguing, and I’m delighted that we Three Amigos are among the Spillwords nominees this year! You and Maggie are brilliant writers and well deserving of the nominations. Wishing everyone the best of fortune in the voting. 😊

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the warm welcome, Mike! I’ve missed you! I love “We Three Amigos” and am excited that we made it as nominees. Aren’t we all winners already? And ditto about your writing and Maggie’s. I just came from your blog post and wrote the same there too. Good luck to you and Maggie! ❤️

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  8. WOW, this year is truly off to a FANtabulous start for you my dear Lauren! CONGRATULATIONS are in order on so many levels for you my friend. So very happy for you! Sending you warm hugs and smooches! 🤗💖😘

    Reply
  9. D.L. Finn, Author's avatar D.L. Finn, Author

    Happy to hear your new projects are going so well, Lauren:) Congrats on your nomination! I headed over and voted 🙂 Rooting for you. Xo

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      1. I’m plodding along. I have had a health issue but I’m recovering. Thanks. I’ve got to write up my review of your latest poetry book. I’m getting through the pile slowly. I have 2 left, yours and one other.

      2. I’m glad you’re doing better, Robbie. Good health is not to be taken for granted. I’ll be 65 this year, and when I turned 62, all hell broke loose. Well, it felt like that at the time. 🙂 But I’m managing and doing fine now. Always taking one day at a time. I hope King Copper touched your heart. Thank you! Hugs!

  18. Many congratulations, Lauren, on both your books and the nominations, and all the best wishes for the new year in your lovely projects! 💖😊 As I was telling Eugi too, in a comment a bit earlier, Spillwords is still quite a mystery to me. I probably don’t seem to get how it all works there, at least for me, being from Romania, I suppose. It seems it all very much depends on the readership here… really no exact idea. Even though I sent to them too regularly, despite the long while it takes for a poem to be published, and tried to understand the rhythm and rhyme for the past 2 years somehow… there must be other mysterious aspects yet to be unraveled. 😀

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    1. Thanks for your wonderful support, Nicole! I think the popularity on the posts at Spillwords is what determines the nominations. And then of course the votes following the nominations. Or at least this is my perception. As far as the timing from submission to receiving a notification and getting published, I’m not sure of any specific system. Sometimes I hear soon after I submit a poem. But a few times, it’s taken longer. I’m sorry I don’t have any other information, but I hope this helps. Thanks again and happy new year! 🎊🩷

      Reply

      1. Oh… then it must be my poetry. 😅 It must be not that convincing most probably, who knows. In my case… it has always taken at least a couple of months, never less, but in fact more, for a submitted poem to get through, which is the odd part to me. While waiting and waiting, I even tried to inquire about it, but still no relevant answer sadly, just the formal one. Anyway, thank you very much for giving me a few more details, Lauren. I would really wish my work and efforts for submitting to publish a few of my poems there had not been in vain after all. I will try again this year only, hoping to find the motivation for it, so… time will tell. Wishing you a lovely and fruitful end of January! 💝

      4. That is interesting, Lauren. I thought Spillwords is somehow also part of WordPress. Thank you very much for being so helpful and considerate, I am very grateful 💕

      6. Oh… I only supposed it was part of WordPress simply because I can see the Admin bar of WordPress.org in the upper side part of the window, when I am logged in on Spillwords 🤔 🙂 Thank you for your patience, Lauren! 💖

      8. Prompted by your explanations, I have read a bit myself too, and saw what you said, precisely, thank you! Spillwords is an independent literary publisher and platform for writers and readers. However, it is built on and heavily utilizes WordPress for its website, and you can log in to their site using a WordPress account. 😅😊 A lovely day to you too, Lauren! 🌷

  21. It sounds like a busy and fulfilling year for you, Lauren. Congratulations on your nomination. And you are off to the SF Writer’s Conference. It’s always inspiring. Good luck with your book! I did a post on dogs today. I think you will enjoy it. I thought of Copper. Dog are so important to our lives.

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  28. That’s fantastic news Lauren! Well done on the nomination and on the publications to come. I love this poem, it’s a beauty. All the best for 2026 and the many projects you have on store! 💗😊

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  29. Happy New Year! It’s a wonderful poem, and I voted—good luck. The new project looks fantastic, and I really like the educational part about the benefits of spending time outdoors.

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      2. Yes, it has been cold! Our daughter and son-in-law live in Tennessee so they’re in the heart of the ice storm, but they’re safe, which is most important. It’s good to hear that the year is starting out well, so stay warm and stay safe. 🙏😊

  30. Willie Torres Jr.'s avatar Willie Torres Jr.

    Congratulations …. What wonderful and exciting news 🎉So happy for you and your well-deserved nomination.I loved the poem, and I voted for you … Cheering you on all the way.Wishing you continued inspiration and success with both books 📚

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Willie, and oh my gosh, I appreciate your vote and support very much! I’m glad you loved the poem! I’m also grateful for your wonderful wishes. And I hope this year is off to a great start for you. Thanks again, and I’ll visit you later today. 🙏❤️

      Reply
      1. Willie Torres Jr.'s avatar Willie Torres Jr.

        Aww. Are you kidding? It is my pleasure and you deserve the Recognition…

        Be Blessed and Be a Blessing…

    1. Thanks so much, Eugi, and your support means a lot! Please know that! I’m so happy for you too and will visit SP to read the spotlight! Congrats back to you! These moments are like winning an Emmy! I’m glad you stayed safe through the storm! Our daughter and SIL were in the heart of it in TN, but they also stayed safe. So thankful! Take good care! Love and hugs! 🥰

      Reply

  36. Wow, Lauren! What a wonderful start to 2026! Congratulations on the nomination and heading over to vote. The poem is beautiful and evocative. Good luck with the pitch and how exciting! Enjoy all your projects this year and wishing you all the best. hugs xx

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    1. Hi Annika! It’s great to see you and thanks for your lovely words and wishes. I’m so glad you love the poem and I really appreciate your vote. I hope 2026 is treating you well so far. I hope you’ve been writing too. Lots of love and hugs. 🤗🩷🌷

      Reply

    1. Aww, I’ve missed you too, Resa! But I think my online time is going to be less this year. And the email from Spillwords was unexpected, so it was a good time to share an update. I’m so glad you love the poem and thanks so much for your vote. You know how much I appreciate your support. Big hugs and lots of love to you. ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply

  40. Okk, honestly, this felt like catching up with an old friend. I smiled at how you talked about both the wins and the everyday bits. It made me pause and think about what I’m actually excited for this year (and what I can quietly let go of). Glad you shared this.

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  41. Pingback: Blog News – Spillwords Press Awards 2026 🏆 – Poesy Perspectives

  43. It sounds like quite a start to the year for you, Lauren. The poem is a delight to read. It’s so creative – we are certainly made up of what’s around us, what we can’t see and feel but impacts us in big and small ways.

    Two books sounds like a lot of fun to be working on. The camping one sounds like it will be a nice trip down memory lane. Hope editing goes well. I normally like the editing stage of writing – it makes me feel I’ve done some work and now have something to work with.

    By the way, I read King Copper recently. What a brilliant book and tribute to Copper. Thank you for writing 😊

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    1. Thanks for your kind words about the poem, Mabel. The form was fun to try, and it was a nice walk down memory lane. The book editing is coming along and I agree with you, but then sometimes I feel that the editing will never end. 🙂 But it has to because I’m pitching this book at the conference next week. No expectations but trying is the most important part of success, right? 🙂 And thanks so much for reading King Copper! I saw your beautiful review on Amazon and am so glad that Copper touched your heart too. I really appreciate you taking the time. Since I wasn’t blogging at the time, I shared your review on Instagram. But I’ll share it on my blog soon too. Thanks again, and I hope all is well with you! xoxo

      Reply

      1. ‘I feel that the editing will never end’ This is me a lot of the time when I’m editing. It’s endless! It’s good you have the conference to motivate you – sometimes what’s done is not perfect, but done nonetheless and the moment will carry you 🙂

        You deserve the great reviews for King Copper, Lauren. It is a pleasure to read your writing, and I hope to read more soon 😊💞

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