Do you feel like the world is out of control?
Do you need a smile?
I found an old poem that might just cheer you up…

Bananas

Swinging from the chandelier
I’m overwhelmed from toes to ear
I know it’s time to walk the frog
Can’t just sit, type, and blog
I’d love to dye my hair bright red
I’d love to go right back to bed
Reaching for the coffee cup
Time to fill and pet the pup
In the wind, I feel so free
Would you like a cup of tea?
I’d love to swim and read a book
It’s five o’clock, what shall I cook?
Staring at the vacuum cleaner
I wonder why the fish are meaner
Planets aren’t aligned at all
Let’s go shopping at the mall
Don’t be bothered by the styles
I could talk and talk for miles!

Are you smiling? I hope so!

Along with smiles and laughter, we need to remember that each day is a gift and worth celebrating. I was recently reminded of this when I visited Steve’s blog, Song of the Day, where he shares a new song each day, writes about its history, then shares his thoughts on the meaning of the lyrics. On a recent post, he reshared the 1971 hit song, “I Just Want to Celebrate,” by the American rock band Rare Earth. Steve asked, “Every day is a good day to celebrate something, right?”
When you listen to the song, you’ll definitely feel like getting outa your chair and groovin’ to the movin’ and celebrating! By the way, if you haven’t met Steve, pay him a visit. Not only is he a nice guy, but if you’re a music lover, you’ll enjoy learning about songs and bands you’ve never heard of or listening to your favorites again!

I mentioned a lot going on, and there is!
Yes, it’s me again,
promoting the release of Cora’s Quest ,
and celebrating the wonderful reviews rapidly coming in!

I can’t begin to thank enough the friends who have helped spread the word about my first children’s book – a collaboration with my amazing nephew, Chris, who created the enchanting, vibrant illustrations. So, this is where ‘a lot going on’ comes into play…below are several more examples of the awesome support I’ve received:

Carol Anne at therapybits.com blogs about her life, focusing on therapy and the process of going through psychotherapy. She is also a wonderful writer of poetry that touches the heart, and she was gracious to post about my book here to help with the promotion.

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Denise from dlfinn.com is the author of Miracles and Ghosts: A Christmas Collection which I highly recommend! A collection of short stories perfect for the holiday season. She included Cora’s Quest in her post: Books that Changed Me: 2024 Winter Edition where she highlights a fraction of the books that she enjoyed by sharing her beautiful reviews. The other fabulous authors spotlighted are Joan Hall, Staci Troilo, Jan Sikes, and Linda Broday.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
D. L. Finn

Cora’s Quest is a sweet story about a deer’s family outing. Cora is enjoying the forest until things change quickly, and now she needs to find her courage. A fantastic story to read to your little ones or for young readers to enjoy. The illustrations are beautiful and full of color, and the story is woven into a lesson that will resonate with children and their families. Here is an engaging passage: “An owl hoots/from its lofty perch./ The wind howls,/swirling around Cora./Grunts and growls/in the distance/steal her courage!/ They act like thieves!” I can easily recommend this story for young readers and those who read to them.

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Cindy at uniquelyfitblog.com is the author of Celebrating Poetry, a companion guide to her book, Re-Create and Celebrate. I read her first book and highly recommend it, and I have her second book on my bookcase waiting to be read very soon. I already know that I’ll enjoy it as much as the first. She has a generous heart when it comes to helping fellow authors, so she shared an amazing group of book releases here in her blog post, while celebrating the success of Celebrating Poetry. The other fabulous authors featured are an anthology by Aspiring Blog , Dawn Pisturino, Pamela S. Wight & Neville N. Hill.

Cindy’s book is on sale for the holidays:

Links For Purchase:

Ebooks are now only 2.99 on Amazon

Paperback is 9.99 available on Amazon.

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Darlene at darlenefoster.wordpress.com is the author of the delightful Amanda Travel Series, and her recent book is Amanda in Scotland. I am almost finished and have truly enjoyed traveling to Scotland with Amanda. I’ve read a few of the other Amanda adventures, so I can highly recommend this series. She posted her 5-star review for Cora’s Quest on Amazon and Goodreads while celebrating the success of Amanda in Scotland.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darlene Foster

An adorable book about a young deer who questions her courage. The illustrations are delightful and the story has a lovely message. A perfect gift for a little one in your life, one that would be fun to read together too. I can see a child wanting to read this story over and over.

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Dr. Vicki at victoriaponders.com is the author of Surviving Sue: An inspirational survivor’s story about a daughter and her life with a mother who was riddled with alcoholism, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression, and Munchausen’s. I have the paperback and look forward to reading this powerful and emotional story. I love Vicki’s writing and the way she thinks just by reading her blog posts, so I know her story will go straight to my heart. She recently wrote an inspirational blog post that is a balm to the soul. She wove her inspiring message into children’s literature in which she included my book, Cora’s Quest, and Goldie A. Poligee & the Three Bears by Joanie Becker Goldberg. Check out her blog post here!

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Dawn Pisturino at dawnpisturino.wordpress.com is the author of Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine, which I will begin to read soon. I’ve read several of Dawn’s books and love them all! Her evocative poetry draws her readers in deeply. She shared her beautiful review of Cora’s Quest here, so check it out, and you’ll also find out more about Dawn’s books!

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn Pisturino

This charming new children’s book by poet Lauren Scott tells the story of a little fawn who gets lost in the woods, finds herself vulnerable and alone, and discovers her inner strength and courage. Written for children ages 2 – 5 years old, this story teaches children the importance of remaining calm and focused when faced with uncertainty. The illustrations by Chris Mendez will delight any child. If your child or grandchild likes Bambi, he or she will adore this book.

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I mentioned Diana Wallace Peach at mythsofthemirror.com in this blog post because she read my book the day it was released and reviewed it right away, gifting Cora with a 5-star review! But I want to announce that she has a new book on preorder now which will go live on January 2nd: Tale of the Season’s Weaver. Diana writes incredible fantasy books, and she is the fantasy writer who converted me!

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All of the authors mentioned in this post are talented, beautiful, and amazing writers! They know how to weave words that appeal to all senses. I am honored to be included in the mix and to receive such warm support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤️

I know this post is longer than usual, so if you’ve read from beginning to end, I appreciate you taking the time. I also encourage you to visit the posts I highlighted and peruse around the blogs I shared!

All of the blog links and anywhere you see ‘here’ are clickable. WP was acting snarky, but they all work. I conclude with a poem from my latest poetry collection, Ever So Gently, that ties in with gratitude:

7 am

The sun slowly opens
its sleepy eyes
The neighborhood
still breathes
soft breaths

Not a soul
Not a sound

We own this morning
this moment is ours

Tranquility flows
through our veins
We exhale gratitude
Another miracle
reveals itself
in the creation
of a new dawn.

🔆🔆🔆

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And don’t forget to add books to your shopping list! You can click on all images to purchase your copy! Poetry, Fiction, Adventure, Travel, Fantasy, Memoir, and Children’s Literature! It’s all here! 💝

I look forward to some quiet time with a cup of tea or coffee and diving into the wonderful books waiting to be read. What a great problem to have, too many books! 💖

Thank you for spending time with me, and I wish you a wonderful weekend and a peaceful holiday season! 💞

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.