Make yourself seen.
Don’t slip into invisibility
like shade in the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments have been turned off,
but I wanted to wish you all
a beautiful weekend and offer some
words to ponder. Some of you may
have also seen this on Instagram.
Hugs, Lauren 💞
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
Dear Orange,
I am…
Overwhelmed jubilantly by your
Radiance relieving uncertainty
Along the path of unknowns
Not once drifting off-course
Giving unselfishly of your essence
Emotions shift in your presence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, how you delight with your happy state
Reliable in your everlasting contribution
Awe is a natural reaction
Never taken for granted
Growing from your vibrant message
Effervescent way of spirit-lifting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I…
Observe soft petals that grin
Raining positivity on passersby
Ambience to daily reside in
Noise silenced so peace becomes the
Glue for a healthy well-being
Elixir from nature’s gift basket of magic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have a favorite? The 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, or all 3? 😊
Does ‘orange’ make you feel the same?
If not, what is your spirit-lifting color? 🧡
Thanks for gifting me with your presence today,
and please keep the families affected by the
Texas tragedy in your hearts. ❤️
__________________________________________________________
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
I’m not good at this. It’s a bit uncomfortable. However, it’s a vital part of an Indie Author package. So, the moment has come to do a promotional post for my book, Cora’s Quest. I don’t have the backing of a publisher (not yet), so every little ounce of promotion makes a difference. Are you still with me? I hope so! And just so you know, I don’t publish books for money. My expenses outweigh any profits. 😳
I publish books as my legacy for my family, but there’s another reason. ..Sharing my writing regardless of the genre gives you a glimpse into my heart and soul, while hoping that my experiences will touch you in some way.
“Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it, no other virtue can be practiced consistently,”
~ Maya Angelou
We all have goals that we list in a journal or on our computers, and as we complete those goals, we check that box off which gives us a great feeling of accomplishment. So, publishing Cora’s story that has sat patiently on the back burner for years feels incredible! Currently, I’m working on another children’s story that I plan to submit to an agent or small kid-lit press mid year. Cheers to 2025 goals and meeting them! 👏🏼
Now, one tidbit of valuable information I learned at the San Francisco Writers Conference is that even if an author has an agent and a conventional publisher, the author is still expected to promote that amazing, best seller book! Thus, authors need to step out of their comfort zones to promote their own work!
“If you’re not getting outside of your comfort zone, then you’re not growing.”
“Life begins outside of our comfort zone.”
I’m writing this from the heart…if you have little ones, if you know someone who has young children ages 2-5, or if you’re a grandparent with grandkids in this age range, I hope you’ll consider inviting Cora into your family. Or if you’re an adult and the weight of the world is bogging you down and you need an uplifting quick read, Cora would love to spend time with you. 🥰
I’m also thankful for the awesome 5-star reviews Cora has received on Amazon and Goodreads!! 🙏 I’m sharing a couple from D. L. Finn and Pete Springer to hopefully entice you. Please click on their names to visit their wonderful blogs and learn more about their books. Additional reviews can be found on my page, or on Amazon and Goodreads.
D.L. Finn
5.0 out of 5 stars You’ll want to read this to your younger children!
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
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.
Pete Springer
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Lesson for Children
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Cora is a curious fawn who loves to explore but sometimes is easily distracted by things in nature. When she get separated from her parents, Cora is first overcome with fright. One’s imagination can play tricks and at first it’s hard for her to act. Even though Cora is lost, she remembers the lessons her parents taught her that size doesn’t determine anyone’s courage. It is the ability to keep a calm head and to be brave which allows the the fawn to find her parents.
Poet Lauren Scott has written a wonderful picture book with an excellent lesson reminding children to think clearly in a crisis and not to become prisoners of fear. Scott’s nephew, Chris Mendez, adds to Cora’s story with his delightful illustrations. There is an inspiring note in the illustrator’s notes about how he has used art therapy to help himself and others to overcome issues with anxiety.
If you’re captivated by now and would like to purchase a copy, simply click on either the front or back cover image that will gently carry you over to Amazon. For another option, the B&N link is https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coras-quest-lauren-scott/1146540878?ean=9798218408756.
I highly recommend the paperback so that your little ones can experience the full magic. 💖
And lastly, if you love Cora’s Quest, please consider sharing a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. You’ve heard it before, “Book reviews are like hugs to authors.” And who doesn’t like a hug? 🤗
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY,
AND FOR SIMPLY SPENDING YOUR PRECIOUS TIME
WITH ME AT BAYDREAMERWRITES, 💜
AND I WISH YOU A HAPPY MONTH OF MARCH! 🌻
© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! ❤️
Today sparks many thoughts, mostly happy and loving, but for me, there is more to this day than chocolate and roses. So, I’m combining two posts from the past, and if you remember these, I hope they resonate again…❤️
Valentine’s Day is an exciting day for couples to celebrate their love for each other. I also show my love not only for my husband, but for my family and friends who hold a special place in my heart. But we need to keep in mind that today isn’t joyful for everyone. Some people grieve the passing of their spouse or partner. Some hearts hurt from a breakup. Some people have chosen to be single, so today may not hold a huge significance for them. Some live on the streets. Some live with daunting diagnoses. So, let’s be mindful of the different scenarios that play out. If today is a joyful day for your heart, I implore you to take a moment to think of those who struggle in some manner…
Unseen Hearts
Candy hearts say Be Mine
Red roses represent forever
Fancy dinners for two in love
A lifetime of together…
Ahh, the joy…
but my thoughts drift to the old man on Anderson Drive
who wears his gray hair long,
surrounded by treasures divine,
and sits outside his raggedy, faded blue tent
that balances on damaged poles,
an office of esteem used to house the chair
that wobbles beneath his body of bones
and I wonder about the young woman
on Lincoln Avenue
who burrows into a weathered, pea-green bag
on the old bus stop bench –
the scratched enclosure keeps her dry
when raindrops fall on cue,
buses pass by, heading to their next hub
by the curb lies an old shoe
and the poor mutt curled up beside his master,
ribs defined – who doesn’t know
why he only gets crumbs to lick up
from the unwashed hand,
but no leash keeps him bound –
he knows not of despair, but loyalty he comprehends
So, I browse over the valleys of my pondering and wonder,
do your thoughts also drift to defeated souls
where hopelessness betrays faith, where life has taken a toll?
Where is their place on this Valentine’s Day?
© Lauren Scott
And now for a mixture of love poems from the past…
In Technicolor
A distant memory
in technicolor…
I want to rip the page
from my mind’s
photo album
because my heart
was foolish
to fall for that man,
our skies different
our dreams astray,
but the heart’s pulse
beats to a tune
of its own choosing,
logic holds no leverage.
Though this man
wasn’t a cockroach,
I never wished
to stomp on him.
And so, I’m grateful,
for without that page
I wouldn’t have
stumbled
upon the path
that lead me
to my love at last.
If the Universe Would Share
I whisper to him,
“Do you see that blue
luminous star?
I choose it for you.”
If the universe would share,
I’d pull the gleaming beauty
from the constellations
and place it in the palm
of his hands.
We would sit upon
a slow-moving cloud
and dangle our legs
into freedom.
I’d touch my lips
to his, tenderly,
then hunger would
reel through our veins,
tumbling us into a
pleasant intoxication,
watching moonbeams
pierce our private night sky.
Belonging
Do you trust me? Will you
take my hand and let me
lead the way to a place
transcending boundaries
of our reality? Let us get
lost in tranquility –
dancing to the majesty of
the surroundings, feeling
rhythm vibrate through our
bones. For as long as our
hearts desire, this is our
destination. Time is but
a memory. Its existence
leaves no trace on the path
where we tread.
There is only you, me,
and the intensity
of our belonging to each other.
© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
Do you feel the same as I do? Which poem resonates the most?
From my heart to yours, I wish you joy and love every day!
Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
teardrops slowly fall
petals catch their emotions
nature’s consoling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Photo: Abutilon from our yard.
Thank you for stopping by, and I wish you a wonderful day! ❤️
My latest collection of poetry, touching on nature, love, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image for your copy. Thank you! 💚
We’ve had a lot of rain this winter, but then it felt like spring had arrived last week with several sunny and warmer days. It was wonderful! But now showers are due to return this afternoon through tomorrow, and then again, later next week. Well, it does no good to argue with Mother Nature, so we’ll roll with the rain!
But I was in the mood for spring, so I’m bringing it on!
One of my poems from my book, Ever So Gently, makes me wish we were back at the lake (hence, my blog header), keeping company with nature and enjoying those magnificent sunrises and sunsets…
The Sun Knows
Evening advances.
The shore wears nothing
but a few rocks
scattered on its sand.
In their quiet space,
a father and son hold fishing lines
hoping their luck will lift.
A lone sailboat glides by
pausing for the unfolding.
With hair the color of an egret,
an older man leans against a stump.
Clouds understand why we wait.
A fine yellow highlighter
has delicately outlined
their smooth edges.
Occasionally, trout jump
out of the still water,
only a few ripples
show their excitement.
Then suddenly the sky explodes
in tangerines, salmons, canary yellows –
brighter with every second.
It’s as though a painter swished
her brush back and forth
on the immense backdrop,
to the left, to the right,
repeating with the grace
of an orchestra leader.
Can the sun slipping behind
downy clouds
be more spectacular?
Happy Friday! Happy Spring! And if rain is heading your way,
revel in its melody and do some dancing! ❤️ 🎶
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch,
how love shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
A few days ago, a friend of mine surprised me with flowers and a card with such beautiful and thoughtful sentiments. I was truly touched, and the first thing that came to mind was gratitude…for so many things in my life. So, I’m sharing the flowers with you today and a poem from one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver. Her words will give you something to think about…
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean –
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up
and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and
complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly
washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through
the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
© Mary Oliver
Thank you again for all the love, hugs, and prayers. Please know that your kindness means a lot to me. The pain has either been silent or less intense this week; it’s so unpredictable, but I’m starting treatment soon, so I pray it will make a big difference.
Happy Friday, and I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead! There is no way to go but forward!
Love and hugs, Lauren ❤️
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
A collection of poems about nature,
love, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy.
Thank you! 💚
bloodshed abundant
unfathomable for hearts
we all bow our heads
© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Photo: Abutilon in our backyard.
I am touched by those who enjoyed my book
and who have written beautiful reviews. 🩵
And a friendly nudge… if you enjoyed my book,
please consider sharing a review on Amazon
and Goodreads. The best gift for authors! 🙏🏻
Thank you for visiting today,
and here’s hoping that hope stays strong
and love and peace prevail.
~Lauren ❤️❤️
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 