books Archives - lo-wren

Cheap Reads: Book Outlet Coupon

2016/01 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

To use an incredibly overused term, I am a voracious reader. As in, I read nightly and have been devouring 2-3 books a week lately. My reading tastes have changed a lot over the years — as a child I loved science fiction, and began reading Stephen King and Ray Bradbury in elementary school (I think I was 10 when I read King’s Pet Cemetery).

Save $5 off your first order with this Book Outlet COUPON.

My teens and twenties found me cultivating a taste for literary fiction, and then my publishing career had me reading young adult titles for work. In essence, I went from a pretty picky reader to one with extremely varied tastes. I love the beauty of Asian writing, and the rock solid elements of literary fiction, but have a soft spot for dystopian and zombie fiction (especially now that I’m a mom — I find that I prefer lighter pieces that don’t require me to navigate the intricacies of language and nuance as much). These days I’m reading a lot of science fiction, as in real deal science fiction (spaceships, galaxies, you name it!), as well as some paranormal fiction. If it’s entertaining, I’ll read it!

I firmly believe that readers make excellent writers, which means I’m working my craft even in my down time. But where am I going with this? Reading can an expensive hobby, but it doesn’t need to be! I’ve gotten creative with building my family’s library (my son has an extensive library of children’s books that goes from board books to middle grade books). I talk about some of my favorite ways to build a home library on a budget HERE.

I purchased a Kindle Paperwhite this past summer, and paired it with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, which is how I do 85% of my reading (no need to worry about running out of books…and that is a legitimate worry of mine!). The other 15% is comprised of a combination of library books, used books and new books. What if I told you that you could buy new books at just a fraction of the retail price?

I literally stumbled upon Book Outlet last month, while looking for a hard to find title for my son. I was like Alice down the rabbit hole once I came across Book Outlet’s site, and my shopping cart was quickly overflowing with titles (despite only arriving at the site to purchase ONE book)! Honest to goodness — I purchased over 20 books! Several writing books, a marketing book (Twitter Is Not A Strategy), and a lot of books for my son (these days I’m purchasing classic leveled readers).

Last week I was able to buy 20 books (for myself and my son) for only $30! I’m sharing my referral link so that you can save $5 off of your first purchase (you can thank me later)!

Posted by Lo-wren on Monday, January 11, 2016

While I purchased 20 books, I only spent around $30. THIRTY DOLLARS, my friends, for twenty books! Ah-mazing. I have to be careful though because I can quickly find myself buying books I won’t ever read, just to have…books, and because Book Outlet has an immense selection of inexpensive books. They even offer sidelines at steep discounts — journals, notebooks, baby books, photo albums and more. And, if you’re an Ebates user (it’s free to join), you can save even more, earning 5% cash back on your Book Outlet purchases! So, what are you waiting for? Click the Facebook link above, or HERE, and use this Book Outlet coupon to save $5 off of your first order.

*This post contains referral links.

Fun Stories For Kids

2015/08 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I remember shopping for books when my nieces were little, navigating the children’s book section of the bookstore was like navigating a war zone without a map. I had no idea what to buy, other than books I remembered from my own childhood and the books featured prominently within the section (publishers are genius about that kind of marketing, by the way). Even when I managed merchandising for a bookstore, I hated the chaos and confusion of the children’s section, so I handed off the merch responsibilities to our resident children’s book specialist.

Then, I found myself working for one of the top (if not THE top) children’s publishers in the world, and was thrown into the world of children’s books headfirst. Educating myself on a HUGE backlist catalog was definitely a challenge, but it came in time. Eventually, I found myself serving as the go-to person for children’s book recommendations — I had come a long way!

I’ve been out of the children’s publishing world for three years now, but still have a pretty good grasp on what’s hot in the children’s book publishing world with a little help from my son. I was thrilled to get this topic from Care.com, and I knew just the people to consult for the best children’s books picks — my former colleagues and clients!

Knowing that the children’s book world can be daunting for many, I had children’s book industry experts give me their best picks — fun stories that will breathe new life into your reading routine (we all need a break from reading the same books 500 times over) and continue to instill a love of reading in your kiddo. With selections ranging from birth to grade school, there’s something here for everyone!

Click here to discover 17 Fun Stories for Kids on Care.com

Curious to know what we’re reading almost EVERY DAY right now? See below:

Wordless Picture Books To Inspire Reading

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

I’ve shared how I amassed a large children’s library on a budget, and even attempted to share our current favorite reads (not enough time to keep up with, I’m afraid), but I’ve not really compiled any suggestions for children’s books, apart from an odd book here and there.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to read. I studied English in college and even got my MA in English. My studies in English helped me build an impressive library, stocked full of titles that were more fun than work to read for classes. I loved to analyze great works of literature and I also read “fluff” as well. I distinctly remember a semester where I had four Literature courses, but still had a hankering to read something for myself. For the first time in my life I found myself reading romance novels, not for great storylines or deep characters, but because a.) I didn’t own a TV, b.) I had a coworker who had Rubbermaid tubs FULL of romances, and c.) I needed to give my brain a break from required reading every now and then.

I still use reading as a “brain break” in addition to entertainment. When I’ve been writing a lot and my brain feels fried, I pick up a book and give my brain a break from creating words by reading the words of others. In fact, I read every night before bed, at the very least. I love using my nap time break to read in the quiet of the house — a little mid day break from work and being a mom.

I found myself working in bookstores after graduating, and even while pursuing my Master’s full time. There’s something comforting about the shelves and shelves of books, the quiet, muffled sounds of people shopping, and the smell of coffee brewing. I’ve moved often in my life, and my books have always been the first things I unpack, as they are what make new digs home for me.

Imagine my delight when I began working for a major publisher, selling children’s books to independent bookstores. I loved the strong lineup of authors we had each season, the wide range of books we published, and most of all, I loved that I was paid to read books and essentially talk to booksellers about them.

Working in children’s publishing gives you insight into reading statistics pertaining to children, statistics that were as important in my conversations with booksellers as they were for my memory bank. Ironically, I worked in children’s publishing before having children, so I had yet to test my picks on a kiddo.

Despite being childless, I amassed a library for my someday child, hoping against hope that that child would develop a love of reading similar to my own. While my son is only three years old, he already has a passion for books (and bookstores), preferring books over toys. When my son excitedly opens a book, I come alive inside, hoping that he will maintain his love of reading. The statistics say that it’s very likely that D. will lose interest in reading in later elementary school, but I’ve already built a library to help keep him interested, with popular series and multiple genres represented.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to consult some of my former clients and colleagues for a Care.com article listing books to inspire young readers. More importantly, this list is comprised solely of wordless picture books, so readers of all ages, levels and abilities will be able to enjoy the adventures and illustrations inside.

You can read my article on Care.com: 13 Wordless Picture Books to Inspire Your Child

If you’re wondering what I’ve been reading this past month, here are my favorites (I’ve been in a Sci-fi/Dystopian/Fantasy phase):

5 Things I Learned from Bringing Up Bebé

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

When I found out I was pregnant, shortly after making a huge out-of-state move for my husband’s company, I also found myself out of work. It was just one year after the publishing world collapsed and mass layoffs abounded; independent bookstores were closing at insane rates across the country, and big box store Borders abruptly closed all stores. I found myself going through multiple rounds of interviews with Philadelphia publishers…only to find that I didn’t get the positions. Here I was, with only a handful of years in the publishing industry, going up against publishing veterans with 10+ years of experience who were willing to take a pay cut and a position beneath their experience to remain in the industry they loved.

When my pregnancy test came out positive, I knew my days of serious job hunting were over. There was no way I could lie about my pregnancy and let’s face it, no one was really going to hire me if I disclosed my pregnancy, especially with the abundance of qualified applicants in the market. In an effort to bide my time and make a little money while pregnant, I took a part time job in a bookstore, working as a children’s book specialist.

The outer shelves of my section were filled with pregnancy and parenting books, and I came across an interesting title while shelving books in the section. That book was Bringing Up Bebé. As a soon-to-be parent, I was intrigued by this seemingly different parenting wisdom, so I grabbed a copy (well before it hit bestseller lists). I think Bringing Up Bebé was so popular is because it didn’t read like a parenting book, and the success of the “groundbreaking” ideas in Frenchwomen Don’t Get Fat were still resonating in America. The French were apparently doing life right, and we Americans wanted a piece of it.

If I’m honest, many of the ideas I gleaned from Bringing Up Bebé were forgotten in the throes of being a new parent, but quite a few resonated with me and “stuck”. I was delighted when the opportunity arose to write about a book that was a big part of my own pregnancy for Care.com!

You can read some of my thoughts in this piece, **5 Things I Learned From Bringing Up Bebé,** on Care.com.

*This post contains affiliate links.

What to Expect® When You’re Expecting: Bestseller Milestone!

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I’ve written about a myriad of parenting books, but have yet to write about great prenatal books…until now. What to Expect® When You’re Expecting was on my radar long before I even knew that I wanted children. It wasn’t because I owned a copy, though many of my girlfriends did, it was because I was a merchandising manager working in a bookstore. Each week, I would arrange the books on the bestseller list in the front shelves, and each week What to Expect® When You’re Expecting was on the list. The rank didn’t remain the same, so I found myself shuffling the title’s position on a weekly basis, but What to Expect® When You’re Expecting always remained in that top ten. What to Expect® When You’re Expecting has spent over six-hundred weeks (over ELEVEN YEARS) on the New York Times bestseller list; in fact, if you check the New York Times bestseller list this week, you’ll find that What to Expect® When You’re Expecting is on the list. Pretty impressive, eh?

So why does What to Expect® brand remain a top seller in pregnancy and childcare books? Timeless advice and continual word-of-mouth recommendations. If you come across a copy of What to Expect® When You’re Expecting from the 80s, and even the 90s, you’ll have a great laugh at the illustrations within. Moms wearing muumuu-type maternity wear will have you giggling throughout, but guess what? The advice will still be spot-on for your pregnancy. In fact, when I first told my closest girlfriend I was pregnant (about 10 minutes after getting my positive pregnancy test result), the first question she asked was whether she could buy me my (notice I used “my” instead of “a”) copy of What to Expect® When You’re Expecting — it’s a rite a passage.

When I finally married and became pregnant, What to Expect® When You’re Expecting became a nightly ritual for me. The anticipation of one’s first pregnancy is killer and I found myself rereading the same passages each night before bed. I wanted to know what was going on with my body, how my baby was developing, and the small asides in the books about all of the strange and fascinating things happening to my pregnant body. Dark nipples, heartburn of hellfire proportions, aches, pains and swollen ankles – all of these things (and more) were covered in What to Expect® When You’re Expecting.

I loved the What to Expect® brand so much that I purchased What to Expect® The First Year, just before my son was born. There I read about the fourth trimester and breastfeeding, and then read ahead to see what I could expect month to month. With an entire line of prenatal, postnatal and baby care books, with trusted advice, I can understand why the What to Expect® brand remains a top pick and why What to Expect® When You’re Expecting has been on the bestseller list for over 11 years.

I’m curious to know how many of you read What to Expect® When You’re Expecting during your first pregnancy! Chime in in the comments section below!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls, the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

*This post contains affiliate links.

How To Raise An Adult

2015/06 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

By now you know that I really enjoy parenting books, especially those dealing with the psychology of parenting (and early childhood). So many of my recent parenting reads have dealt with the toddler years, so it was refreshing to receive a review copy of former Stanford dean, Julie Lythcott-Haims’ How To Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.

You might be wondering why I’m reading a book about raising and adult, with my son not yet three years old. The beauty of Lythcott-Haims’ book is that it applies to parents of babies through college students. It’s never too early — or too late — to tweak your parenting practices. Lythcott-Haims provides a bevy of research in How To Raise An Adult, but the research doesn’t bog down your reading because it’s presented in a conversational tone.

We’ve all heard the term helicopter parenting, but how many of us have ever explored how and why this parenting trend came about? I’ve often wondered, especially when I read articles reporting parents sitting in on their children’s job interviews or negotiating benefits packages for them, but I’ve never really explored the hows and whys (and knowing these can help me avoid becoming a helicopter parent). Lythcott-Haims provides a wonderful, research-backed, explanation of how the overparenting trend began. My favorite passage is something my husband and I have often laughed about when talking about childhood:

Look, today’s grandmothers were raised in completely different times. And they weren’t exactly watchful as parents. In fact between their smoke and drink-filled pregnancies, leaving us home alone while they were at work or out “finding themselves,” and record-setting divorce and remarriage rates, many of us who were born in the ’60s and ’70s fended for ourselves to an extent that today might be called neglect. (45)

Lythcott-Haims suggests that the overparenting trend may be in reaction to the laid-back approach our parents took towards parenting. I can’t say that I disagree, as she makes a solid case.

So, how does this relate to me, the parent of a toddler? Lythcott-Haims provides many examples of how overparenting ‘looks’, as well as illustrating how overparenting effects our children into adulthood. If we truly believe, as Lythcott-Haims says, that “One of the key life skills our children must develop…is the ability to live without us,” then we must do everything possible to avoid becoming helicopter parents (86).

So, why do so many women lose themselves in parenting? I’ve held this theory for a long time, and have even spoken about it, but Lythcott-Haims shares Psychotherapist Beth Gagnon’s take on this phenomenon: “Highly educated women pour their skills into parenting. They become experts at parenting in their mind” (121).

What is the key to nurturing your children and not crossing over the line into overparenting? Lythcott-Haims provides a beautifully simple mantra, developed by her friend, Stacey Ashlund. Are you ready for it?

first we do it for you,
then we do it with you,
then we watch you do it,
then you do it completely independently (166).

Brilliant! These are just a few of the many nuggets of parenting wisdom Julie Lythcott-Haims shares in How To Raise An Adult. A highly enjoyable read, I’ve learned a great deal from the research and examples provided in the book. If you’re interested in finding out more about raising your children for success without overparenting, pick up your copy today! How To Raise An Adult is available in bookstores, or you can purchase through my Amazon affiliate link HERE.

You can learn more about the book and glean useful parenting tips from HTRAA on Facebook and Twitter.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness: By Mothers, For Mothers

2015/05 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Every so often I see a call for submissions that forces me out of my usual routine in an effort to get something else written. When I saw the call for the second edition of Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness, I knew I had to submit an essay for consideration (even though it meant I had to wake up at 4am to write without distraction).

My son was not a good sleeper, in fact, he rarely slept. By the time he was 8 months old I was up with him an average of 3 times a night, after my husband and myself had exhausted ourselves by cajoling him to sleep. Daytime was difficult, as D only napped in 20 minute clips, 30 minutes if I was lucky. I was beyond exhausted, crying often, my mind in a constant fog. I tried to read books about sleep, but in my overtired state the books seemed as though they were written in a foreign language and when I could actually make some sense of them, they often offered contradictory advice.

When I wrote this popular piece, 10 Signs My Baby’s Not Sleeping Through the Night (so don’t ask!), I was making a stab at humor, but the reality was that many of these were scarily true for me. Thank goodness for Facebook, as I was contacted by a Pediatric Sleep Consultant after posting a cry for help on my blog page. After a quick phone call with the sleep consultant (Jennifer from Gift of Sleep Consulting), I talked things over with my husband. Money was incredibly tight for us but I was desperate. We decided to hire Jennifer and the rest is history!

I still maintain that hiring a sleep consultant was the best investment we made in our son’s first year; you can check out our experience in this one year check-in piece, A Year of Sleep, Thanks to Sleep Training. While sleep training can be a controversial subject, I’ll be the first to say that the people being sleep trained were my husband and myself, moreso than our son. D began napping during the day and sleeping through the night at around 9 months, and I began to regain clarity (and my sanity).

So, yes, when I saw the call for submissions for Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness, I knew that I had to write something. I’m happy to say that my essay, The Long Road, was accepted for inclusion in this wonderfully funny and sweet anthology by mothers, for mothers. I just finished the book last night and I loved every moment of it; I actually forsook sleep two nights in a row to stay up reading these delightful stories by a bevy of talented writers. The best thing about Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness is that it is perfect for sleep deprived parents! You can easily pick MMCD, read a story or two and then put it down to be picked up again when you have the time (or the mental clarity) to read.

The second edition of Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness is now available for purchase! Give yourself the gift of laughter and camaraderie by purchasing your copy today! If you purchase the book through my Amazon link HERE, I’ll actually receive a few cents from each purchase (because I’m not exactly ‘raking it in’ by having my essay published). I hope you’ll purchase a copy for yourself AND for all of your mom friends. Let me know what you think, and thank you for your support!

How Toddlers Thrive

2015/04 By Lauren B. Stevens 2 Comments

I’m not a parenting expert, I just play one on my blog. Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth, but I do share about my foibles as well as my successes in parenting.

Now that my son is in the throes of toddlerhood, much of my parenting is about guiding and teaching him to become a well-adjusted, emotionally healthy being equipped to deal with whatever curveballs life throws him. I’m fascinated by child psychology, especially that which deals with parenting.

I’ll be the first to admit that parenting throughout the toddler years can be a challenge. In fact, it has been a challenge for me, which is why I am constantly in search of materials to better educate my parenting techniques. I learned very early on that I needed to take a ‘choose your battles’ approach, but after reading Dr. Tovah Klein’s How Toddlers Thrive, I’ve found that I really don’t have any ‘battles’ to choose these days.

You may be wondering how it is that I, with a two-and-a-half-year-old son, no longer have any battles of will with my toddler; it’s not that there aren’t difficult parenting moments, it’s that I understand the reasoning behind the behavior and am better equipped to parent through what used to be incredibly trying toddler moments. I have Dr. Klein to thank for my new parenting skills (and outlook)!

Dr. Tovah Klein is the Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, and is often referred to as “The Toddler Whisperer”. Klein’s twenty years of toddler research, and complete immersion into the world of toddlers, translates into her veritable handbook for [successfully] parenting through the toddler years: How Toddlers Thrive.

Klein’s How Toddlers Thrive is a fluid read, devoid of the heavy use of clinical terms that often weigh down many psychological texts. Parents will appreciate the organizational structure of How Toddlers Thrive, clearly divided into different topic areas (read: concerns), making it easy for parents to flip through to pertinent sections. Most importantly, Klein provides real-life examples of situations parents of toddlers often encounter; she discusses how parents were handling the situation, the causes of that particular behavior, the adjustments the parents made in how they treated the situation, and the outcome after altering their approach. These scenarios, with scripts, are extremely valuable for someone like myself, as probing and acknowledging my child’s feelings isn’t something that comes naturally to me.

Perhaps the greatest wisdom How Toddlers Thrive imparts is for parents to put themselves into their toddler’s shoes, armed with knowledge of the emotional, cognitive and physical abilities of this age (2-5 years old). Understanding that your child’s brain is still developing and is incapable of approaching and dealing with daily life situations in the manner we adults are accustomed to, is the key to parenting through the toddler years. In How Toddlers Thrive, Klein states:

Children are not mini adults. They don’t think like we do. They don’t see the world like we see it. Toddlers are not thinking ahead of themselves. They cannot. They are beings tied amazingly to the present tense, thinking only about themselves and wanting to feel safe, loved, taken care of, and yet independent all at once. (7)

Simple, right? I needed Klein to remind me of this, and explain in greater detail what is going on with my toddler, so that I could (and can) slowly adjust how I approach [what used to be difficult] situations with my toddler. Armed with the knowledge Klein provides in How Toddlers Thrive, I’ve found myself gradually becoming a more patient and understanding parent. I no longer attempt to engage in a ‘battle of wills’ with my toddler, instead, I purposely connect during times of frustration, probing and acknowledging my son’s feelings and [re]actions. And guess what? Temper tantrums and other behaviors one would label as acting out are few and far between.

When my son told me that he hated me last week, I knew he was navigating his newfound emotional independence and testing out a new word in his vocabulary (I’m not sure where it came from, though). His next statement, after I expressed no alarm and probed his reason for making such a statement, was “I love you, mom.” The incident, if you could even call it that, was over before it ever really began. What I was left with was a verbal indicator of how my son’s brain was piecing together information, making sense of the world around him, and asserting his independence in a new way.

Perhaps my biggest reason for reading as much as I can about child development, and learning healthy parenting strategies, is because I want use every tool I can to help my son develop into an emotionally healthy individual. Klein speaks about the importance of this early in How Toddlers Thrive, and it remained in my mind throughout the remainder of the book:

Indeed, how we interact with our toddlers now plays an enormous role in how they develop later. Set a strong foundation during the toddler years, and ongoing development has a firm base. Weaken that foundation during these crucial years, and the consequences are seen for years to come. (9)

Think about the enormity of that statement. If you find yourself struggling to parent through your child’s toddler years, are engaging in daily battles of wills, or are interested in preparing yourself for your baby’s next stage of development, I wholeheartedly recommend picking up a copy of Dr. Tovah Klein’s How Toddlers Thrive; I guarantee you’ll find yourself parenting differently after reading.

For more information about Tovah Klein, her work with toddlers, and more parenting tips, visit www.howtoddlersthrive.com. How Toddlers Thrive is available in major bookstores, or you can purchase through my affiliate link on Amazon HERE.

*I was sent a copy of How Toddlers Thrive for review purposes; all opinions expressed are my own.

Curious to learn more about toddlers and their emotions? Check out this article by The Brain Flux.

I’m In a Book: Surviving Mental Illness Through Humor

2015/04 By Lauren B. Stevens 5 Comments

I’ve been candid about my struggles with miscarriages and postpartum depression (PPD) on my blog and in other media outlets (Scary Mommy, Honest Mom, etc.). Last fall, I was having a Facebook chat with Jessica Azar (Herd Management), whom I had met through a blog conference and as a fellow NickMom Ambassador. Jessica and I were talking about the insanity of the upcoming holidays, and I was joking around about the fact that I felt pretty good…now that I was on medication. At the end of our exchange, Jessica asked me if I would be willing to submit a couple of essays about my experiences with PPD to be considered for an anthology about mental illness she was editing with Alyson Herzig (The Shitastrophy). I jumped at the chance (why not?) and was delighted to hear that one of the essays I had submitted was selected for their Surviving Mental Illness Through Humor Anthology.

Today marks a pivotal date in my writing career, as Surviving Mental Illness Through Humor (SMITH) is finally released and available for purchase! While my own essay is about PPD, you’ll find a montage of essays about many types of mental illnesses: panic disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, agoraphobia and more. You’ll read stories of struggle, and humorous accounts, but will be left with an overwhelming sense of hope in the end. Each contributor to the Surviving Mental Illness Through Humor Anthology illustrates that it is possible to live a fulfilled and meaningful life despite battling often crippling and debilitating mental illnesses. And, each contributor is sharing his/her story in an effort to destigmatize [mis]conceptions surrounding mental illness.

Not only are we, as contributors, attempting to share our [often insane and zany] stories to provide levity and comfort for others, but we are each contributing a portion of our proceeds to a charitable foundation close to our hearts. While most of the SMITH contributors are donating to a local foundation, I was adamant that my contributions go to a foundation that specifically dealt with miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss. I searched far and wide, but was unable to locate an organization, with such a specialized focus, in the United States (where I reside), so I have chosen to contribute to The Miscarriage Association, based in the United Kingdom (where I grew up). While The Miscarriage Association works to promote awareness, perhaps their greatest contribution is through the support they provide families who have suffered the loss of a baby in pregnancy. From their website:

“Those experiencing miscarriage often feel isolated and ignored, and understanding and sensitivity from friends and family can help enormously. It is much easier for people to give this when they have some knowledge about pregnancy loss and the impact it can have. The Miscarriage Association works with the media to raise awareness of these issues.

The Miscarriage Association works to raise awareness and sensitivity amongst health professionals through lectures, workshops and articles in professional journals. Their attitude and care can make all the difference in coping with the loss of a baby in pregnancy.”

I did not have this kind of support after my miscarriages, nor was I treated with sensitivity — these were all contributing factors to the development of PPD after miscarriage. My hope is that more support will become available for the many women who suffer the devastating loss, or losses, from miscarriage each year.

I share my story, freely and often, in hopes of destigmatizing the silence surrounding miscarriage, and letting other women and families know that they are not alone. I truly hope that you will take the opportunity to read my story, originally entitled Prozac Parade, and those of the 35 other contributors to the SMITH Anthology! Without further adieu, here are the links to purchase your copy:

Amazon Paperback ($12.99)

Amazon Kindle ($3.99)

iBooks ($3.99)

Nook ($3.99)

Please note that the Amazon links are affiliate links; this means that I will receive a small portion of any of the sales of the book from Amazon.

Please check out some of the other contributing authors, and their reasons for being a part of the SMITH Anthology, by clicking the links below:

Little Things Long Remembered by Dr. Susan Newman

2015/02 By Lauren B. Stevens 2 Comments

Close your eyes and think back to your earliest memories of childhood. What stands out the most? What memories and moments put a smile on your face?

When I close my eyes, I can almost smell the woodsmoke in the crisp fall air, and hear the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet, on one the many nature walks I took as a child. When I hear the word circus, I’m taken back to a time when I was a third of the size I am now, my father lying on his back and bouncing me on his feet as I held onto his outstretched hands [for dear life]. Laughter, lots and lots of laughter. My father smoothing my forehead with the palm of his hand, saying “smooth as a baby’s behind,” and my mother calling me “Lauren Bethy-Boo” in a sing-song voice. These memories are the result of simple moments in my childhood, but each has had a larger, lasting impact on me.