Book Reviews, Magazine Launces and A Fire Festival ... OH MY!

There are going to be fireworks in 2012!

Sometimes life jumps up and surprises you from time to time. Today is no exception. It is only 10 am and so far, FANTASTIC DAY!


It started a couple of days ago when I found this heartfelt review of my book, The Best For You. I wasn't looking for it and had no idea that she planned on doing it but there it was shouting out to me in my google alerts. I say a hearty Thank You to Cat for sharing her thoughts with all of her readers. Even more so, I am grateful for her kind words of admiration for the book. What a delight for me to find!


Then last night I responded to a friend, one of the first people I met in online adoption land, who asked me to come to the LA area to speak with her group. Angela is an amazing woman who's interest and research in adoption are a passion that she lives, and her heart is as wide as the Grand Canyon! She has a great blog and site with beautiful voices she has found. For more information please visit her at Adoption FYI. Thank you Angela for keeping me in mind and for your wonderful invitation! (Oh, she also said that I was becoming famous which will get her everywhere with me ;)

But the best part about all of this info is that I spoke to Jane Ballback again this morning, discussing the launch of her new publication AdoptionVoicesMagazine.com for which I will be a contributor. Jane is great to talk to, has a wonderful outlook on life and just makes me want to get out there and go, go, GO! Other people feel the same way about her because there are many, many fabulous people in adoption who have been coming out of the woodwork to show an interest in her magazine and connections. I have a good feeling about this magazine and an even better feeling that I am moving forward in my goal to be a voice that people can connect with, feel my story and learn from what I have to say. I cannot recall the last time I felt so optomistic about my book, my writing and my message. Wooooo Hooooo!


The CHERRY ON TOP is this horoscope that I found in a paper I picked up this weekend. Called The Ventura County Reporter, it is a local paper that is published in Ventura, California. Now I am not a real close follower of horoscopes, but I will read them if I see them just because I am curious as to what they have to say. Well good for me for reading this one because it just coincided with what is really happening in my life right now.

It's going to be a GOOD 2012!!

Leo ~ January, 2012

Free Will Astrology by Rob Brenzsy

I love the way they celebrate the New Year in Stonehaven, Scotland. A procession of revelers swings big flaming baskets around on the ends of long chains. I recommend that you carry out a comparable ritual as you barge into 2012, Leo. Symbolically speaking, it would set the perfect tone. The coming months should be a kind of extended fire festival for you ~ a time when you faithfully stoke the blaze in your belly, the radiance in your eyes, and the brilliance in your heart. Are you ready to bring all the heat and light you can to the next phase of your master plan? I hope so. Burn, baby, burn.

Adoption Crush, Her Words Not Mine

So, since my journey into blogging began, I have been witness to a wide array of voices in the adoption world. I came across The R House early on and was impressed with the humor and humanity with which Mrs. R writes. The first post I came across and read was about a scammer, a first hand very insightful look at heartbreaking deception from the eyes of a hopeful parent. I read all the posts and then added her blog to my daily list. I came to love her sense of humor in so many ordinary every day things. (Her disappointment in Conan O'Brien's departure from NBC was one of my personal favs! I LOVE COCO TOO!!!) So when I reached out to her and asked if I could be included on her blog, perhaps a giveaway or something, her response was fantastic. She called me her Adoption Crush. She gushed how she would love to read my book and gladly do a giveaway. I was honored and thrilled that she was interested.
And without further gabbing, here is her view of The Best For You...and you can enter to win the giveaway!!



Mrs. R's Fantabulous Giveaway/Review/Public Display of Affection

This Review Left Me Speechless

I was moved to tears with this review. Why? Because this author's adopted daughter's reaction was so touching for me to hear. It was this reaction and understanding that I hoped for in writing the book, and just hearing it makes me feel worth while. If one child can see what this book has to offer, then I am sure that there are many more who may embrace this point of view and know that they are thought of both near...and from afar!

I thank you Judy for your wonderful words and amazing review. I am one very grateful author!
http://theinternationalmom.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/the-best-for-you-2/

Mother's Day Comes and Goes

I have always struggled with Mother's Day. First, I'm a birth mother and have been for a long time so the day has it's own history of tremendously sad days while other years are beautiful days that only real peace can produce. This year, was by far the best. It was not necessarily what anyone did or gave me. It was not the flowers and homemade cards, although those were a definite highlight! It was not any monumental thing that happened, it was a culmination of a year of discovery that I never would have thought could happen in my lifetime.

 Writing The Best For You was a gigantic labor of love. I had that book in me for over 15 years and I knew what I wanted to say but not HOW I should say it. I thought long and hard about how it should read, how it should look. Then I had my own boys. My whole world changed and I came to the realization that children are a true gift from God. I always knew that, but once you begin to care for one...hold it in your arms as they cry...hold them in your arms as they laugh...they are a miracle to say the least. With this epiphany I had to rethink some things about the book. More years passed and I could not really wrap my head around how to convey the journey that I had been through, after all...it is forever evolving and everyday is a new challenge. So once I finally wrote it, the words actually flowed out of my fingers and with little editing I had the perfect manuscript that was both informative yet compassionate. Now ... the illustrations were a whole other bear! I do not consider myself an artist so this undertaking of putting what was in my head onto that paper, well, let's just say that I eventually went out and bought the very best eraser that I could find, pure white. It was a year and a half later that I was finally satisfied with the final outcome and ready to share it with the world. So I sent it out, but ...
 Others were not so happy to see the book and I got the feeling that people were scared of this kind of voice, this kind of honest point of view directed at children regarding such a sensitive subject. Of course some are going to say that it is too much for kids, they do not understand the complicated web that is adoption. They could not see that this book, whether it is the story of that particular child or not, could help anyone understand a little better the real life reasons a woman might choose adoption for her child. I know it is a touchy subject for some, but I also believe and advocate for those little voices who have so many questions about themselves. I think they want some honesty for a change, I know I like honesty as a character trait. So I said thank you very much to the doubters and just moved on. I decided that I was the only one who was going to get this book where it needed to be, so I self published two weeks after my 39th Birthday. It was a dream come true! It was an accomplishment that was so personally satisfying to me. It had been years since I had just done something for me, something that I had been wanting to do for over a decade was finally a reality in my warm little hands.

 What has followed has been nothing short of amazing! I have been contacted by so many who read my words, find comfort in what I have to say and tell me they feel they have found someone who understands the complications of this particular heartbreak. My voice has been able to make those that feel so alone and helpless hear a positive story that has been growing strong for two decades, and continues to get better. But the best part of releasing my book is the love I have received from my children, all of them, and my husband. What support I have, what love surrounds me, what encouragement I receive from them. Every step of the way they have been behind me, pushing me up the hill that is self marketing, reminding me that I am the best mom ever (words from Bodde and Chase directly), smiles and hugs when they read a review of the book and endless bragging that I am now an author.


My daughter has told me time and time again that she is so very proud of me and thinks I am the strongest person she has ever known. And in releasing the book, well, it was the opening to my twin sons finding me then reaching out to me to say..."Hey, we think you are pretty great." What a wonderful feeling to hear your adopted children say these things, it is enough to make my heart skip a beat as a perm a-smile spreads from ear to ear. This book was originally written just for my children whom I placed as they embarked on pinnacle points in their lives. I did not want any more time go by without them knowing just how hard it was to let them go, how much I thought about them on a daily basis, how much I really loved them but just could not care for them when I was younger. What I wrote for them opened up a flood of thoughts that has turned into a blog with followers, a fan page that grows everyday with more who just want to connect to others who share a sisterhood like no other, and an abundance of new friends. I have been so very blessed this past year and I thank all of you for hearing me, listening to what I have to say. I thought about it all on Sunday, then I smelled my flowers and smiled.



So this past Mother's Day was a very sweet reminder that no matter what kind of mother you may be, there is something to be said for just embracing who you are and loving the woman you've become.

Such a beautiful review of my children's book...

The Best For You Book Review

Thank you Deanne for this amazing review. I am oh so very grateful and humbled by your description. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift to me!!!

The Best For You Giveaway...from the Author!

That's right, I have decided that it is time to do a giveaway to all of my readers, and perhaps some new ones, just in time to celebrate Mother's Day.

However, I have to make room for another giveaway, so I will now end this on Sunday, April 18th @ 11:59pm EST. So, I am reposting and inviting you to come and enter and pass along, it has had so many wonderful posts so far!

I wrote The Best For You  as a gift to my adopted children, and once my daughter read it she encouraged me to share it with the world (I think she just may be one of my biggest fans ;) and that is exactly what I did. So, now as the day of all days when we celebrate Mothers comes near, I think it is time that I send it to two lucky readers. Here are the ways to enter and win:


1. Take a moment to read some of the Happy Thoughts series, easy to find in my label section. Come back and leave me a comment on this post and let me know which one you liked.


2. Comment on this post telling me why you would like to win.


3. Become a fan of Kelsey Stewart on Facebook. Come back and comment here that you did so. If you are already a fan, leave me a comment on this post telling me so.


4. Let your friends, family or blog buddies know about the giveaway and have them reference you, and I will add your name once for every person you tell about this.

More ways to win the book:

Become a Blog Follower - 1 entry

Tweet, Blog or FB about this giveaway - 1 entry a day (please leave link of your daily post)

(Remember that all additional entries should be left as separate comments)

 

This giveaway will end on
Sunday April 18 @ 11:59pm (pst). * New Date!

The winners will be announce on April 21st.