How to use this Page

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Joseph Addison

I don't know about you but when I have something great to read...I feel smarter, happier, more confident and fulfilled. It can be hard being a writer myself and running a business to take the time to make reading for pleasure a priority. As a mom of a toddler I am very adept at making sure my little guy sees and understands the value of books. We have even began telling each other stories off the top of our heads. His stories usually consist of: Once a time Mommy and Daddy and ice cream the end. I know I know...but he is two! We are working on it. I am fascinated when he grabs a book and appears to read it. Keep in mind he has memorized most of his favorites. So if you are looking for an in-depth conversation on "How to give a mouse a cookie" or "Goodnight Moon" he is your orator. This week I got to meet up with some great readers and writers at an event focused on literacy. Bookstock Michigan will take place on May 15th-May 22nd at Laurel Park Place Mall in Livonia. Opening day will be a great day to bring the whole family. For a $20 donation you can even get first pick of all of the stock! This special admission allows you to get in as early as 8:15 a.m. and the pre-sale runs through 11:00 a.m. I am more than thrilled to take my kid and hubistrator because we will have first choice of over 100,000 books, dvds, cd's, etc. So if the quote above is true my mind is getting prepped for a great workout! I hope that you can join me! Here is the website for those who want to research more intently: bookstockmi.org Read something great!

Add a Comment

Hi Readers! I am working on a new manuscript and I am excited to finish it so that you can all read it I was asked a great question by a young lady today. She asked me "What do writers do when they aren't writing?" I felt like it was most appropriate to answer it publicly. I write often. It is my core job and also a very big passion. I love that being a writer allows me to sign books at stores, libraries and programs. When I am not writing...here are a few things that I am doing. 1.) I have a counseling practice and I listen and help people who want to make a change in their lives. 2.) I go to schools and other locations and read my books and give talks. 3.) I contribute to magazines, radio stations, etc. and answer questions about self-esteem, diversity and anti-bullying. I could add a lot more but as you can see my schedule gets pretty full. I will add a 4th past-time...I give back. I am involved in many charitable programs and organizations and I lend support, expertise, money and time to help people who need it. Our time is valuable so think about what you can do while you might have some time off in the summer or on one of your upcoming breaks. Can you give back? Take on a new hobby? You might even decide to start writing. -read something great

Add a Comment

Readers! Spring is here! If you are anything like me-you have a ton of books on your shelves. How often do you get to dive into them? I strongly suggest that you get ready for summer reading and summer giving early. You might be wondering how...I'll tell you. Grab 2 boxes or bins. Mark one: "Donations" and mark the other one "To Read List". Take a look at items that you have read a ton of times that no longer belong on your shelf and make plans to donate to a library, a school or a community group. The other one is your start to getting your summer reading goals met. Spring cleaning can be fun. -Read something great

Add a Comment

How has this year been for you so far? Are you watching your goal list closely? For me it has somewhat of a whirlwind. A few of my favorite moments from this year are worth sharing. Last year I won an award called "Keeper of The Dream" this award salutes people who exhibit principles, character and contributions that follow in the footsteps of Dr. King's vision. This year I was able to be a guest and meet the new winners of the award. They all had amazing accomplishments, stories and hope for the future. I also was able to meet a business person that calls me higher and inspires me to grow and continue to reach for the best.

Daymond Jon, Sharktank Star, author and entrepreneur gave an incredible speech to remind us of the dream keepers that we see everyday and to celebrate each step and contribution respectfully. The other amazing opportunity that I had this year was to present for a group of parents of preschoolers on the importance of prosocial development. It seems small to always remind a child to say please and thank you but this is the seeds we plant when we want to create the next dream keeper. Have any of your January dreams come true? Are you still working on them? The month is not over yet. -Read something great

Add a Comment

If you are free this Friday-I'd like to welcome you to join us at our Professionals Against Bullying Roundtable hosted by the Friendship Circle. We will have a presentation, dialogue session and time to network and talk to others about this issue that effects our communities. We are meeting at 6 p.m. and it will run until 8 p.m. All ages are welcome to join us.
If you can't make this please try and come to Much Ado About Bullying: Signs, Symptoms and Solutions on Sunday May 15 from 1-6 p.m. at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. I will be one of the speakers and will be joined by Dr. Elizabeth Barton and Glenn Stutzky. Bullying is not just teasing and joking it is an act that is being amplified by our global media capabilities and hurting the quality of life and self-esteem of people of all ages. We have some great ideas and events on the horizon that I promise to keep you up to date on.
-Read something great!

Add a Comment

Today commemorates a wonderful day in American culture. Schools are closed, people have the day off from work and even if it rains, sleets or snows the mail will not run today. Have you pondered the dream of Dr. King? What does it mean to you that he sacrificed and fought for freedom? My rights are important to me. I believe in going to the polls and voting. I love going out for lunch. I rarely sit in the back row anywhere that I go. These are simple luxuries. If it had not been for the steadfast dream of Dr. King and the hard work that went along with his dream-my life would be different. Have you ever thought about the simple things and how his legacy changed our present circumstances? The bigger question is...what is your dream? How can you change the lives of others? Do you have a dream that will live on beyond your existence. Will your hard work be a benefit to those who are not even born yet? I was not able to see any speeches of Dr. King in person. I was not born when he lived. His dream still impacts my life today. I am compelled to work as hard as I can so that when my life is over...my legacy allows someone else a freedom or benefit that they otherwise may not have known. This could be enriching them in diversity, helping them to embrace self-esteem or encouraging them to seek out the beauty of literacy. I implore to you today to Dream on...
-Read something great

Display Comments Add a Comment

A bit of a retro look back; I wrote this poem last year and thought it was appropriate to share it again. Happy TG!(Read something great!)

Twas The Night before Thanksgiving
Readers! I am thankful for you! Tomorrow is the big day and my gift to you is a poem that I thought would make you smile (disclaimer) I am not a poet!

Read something great!

The Night Before Thanksgiving
By Tara Michener

Twas the night before Thanksgiving and look at my house
this place is so messy hope there is no mouse

The dishes are piled all the way in the air
and I still have so much food to prepare

The guests will help themselves to pies and breads
While thoughts of more gym time will be in their heads

I need my hair done but I threw on a cap
maybe while I'm under the dryer I'll take a short nap

I started banging pots and pans and made such a clatter
I lamented that after Thursday I would surely be fatter

The day will come and go like a flash
Then on Saturday I'll be signing books in a dash

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Lots of little kids who want their books signed so dear

I'll sign at the mall and try to be quick
I'll be sure to have my sharpie never a BIC

But until Saturday I'll focus on dinner and try to stay lucid
Now potatoes, now rolls now tofukey and all
I hope I have enough to feed them all

My crock pot was boiling over like a brew
A house full of food and so much to do

And then, in a twinkling, I thought of my roof
and happily felt blessed to serve in spirit and truth

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, I noticed all of the blessings around.
I had great things and they would get done I needed to stay put
I said a small prayer and stopped tapping my foot

A bundle of food lay still in it's pack
And I smiled as I lined up the to-do's in a stack

My eyes -- how they twinkled! I no longer felt scary
I began to prepare the pies apple and cherry

I made things fancy adding a bow
and wondered if tomorrow would bring our first snow

I dug out our decorations and found our wreath
Now I was grinning and showing my teeth

I ignored my diet and embraced my little round belly
That shook, as I laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

The turkey looked pretty and plump, like art on the shelf
And I laughed when I saw it in spite of myself;

A tasted the gravy and tried out the bread
Yep I realized I had nothing to dread;

I stopped feeling bad and finished my work
And wrote cards so fast I felt like a clerk

Laying the bread in the dish that I chose
I gave a nod, when I saw how it rose

My hubby came in and looked impressed and gave a whistle
I gave him a kiss as I held up the toe of mistle

But I heard him exclaim, as he ran out of sight
I can't wait to watch the game tomorrow night

Add a Comment

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to meet so many diverse, creative and talented people. When I go to schools I see kids that have their own style. I love when young people feel comfortable enough to spell their names in a special way and express who they are. The books that I write support this type of thinking. Something incredible happens when we are able to let ourselves evolve into the art of expression. We are not meant to all look alike, act alike or talk in the same way. It is so important that we sincerely celebrate our differences.
How accepting are you of those who are different than you? Have you ever been labeled for being dressed a certain way or because of your personality? I have been labeled so much in my life that it is hard to count.
I created the Breaking The Pattern Anti-Bullying project this Fall. This project helps people to have healthy dialogue about their experiences with bullies and solutions to end this problem that is attacking not only our youth but our adults as well. We will be having many online forums including informal polls and up close and personal meet-ups where we discuss this topic thoroughly.
If we don't talk about it-we can't change it.
-Read something great

Add a Comment

Today's blog is from our intern Chelsea Rodgers. Chelsea is a student at University of Michigan Dearborn. She is pursuing a degree in the marketing field. I hope you enjoy her post on bullying.
-Read Something great!
Going back to school can be fun and exciting for some kids, for others, it can be scary. Most children look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones, but just as so many are ready to go back to school the same amount or more are afraid of being bullied all year long. School bullying is becoming a daily event at schools. How can parents prepare their children?
In the U.S. 30% of teens are involved in bullying by being the bully or being bullied. It is something that has gotten out of hand and under the radar for too long. A lot of officials do not see bullying or do anything about it. People think being bullied is like a right-of-passage, that it makes kids stronger, it’s not. Being bullied causes kids to be scared, anxious, and insecure.
I know as a kid I was bullied, moving around a lot I had to make a lot of new friends and sometimes bullying was a ritual for the new kid to go through. I was teased about my hair or my braces or being small. Looking back on it being bullied is probably the reason I was shy as a kid. For me the bullying stopped by the time I reached middle school. The only reason the bullying started to subside was because of me.
It’s scary to be bullied and the rule parents tell their kids is to ignore it and it will eventually go away. That does not always work. Parents should give their kids more than just one way to face being bullied. Parents should help their kids practice confidence. Help them to feel good about themselves. Every time they say something negative make them tell you three positive characteristics about themselves.
Let them talk about bullying. There is a new book out, Summer Camp Survival that deals with bullying and self-esteem. Summer Camp Survival is a fun, quick read for teens to learn about gaining self-esteem because in the end everyone is in control of their life.

Add a Comment

Readers!
My newest book, Summer Camp Survival is available for pre-order. This book is a chapter book geared towards the teen readership market.

About The Book

Summer Camp is supposed to be easy right?

Not for Mackenzie Larson who has always been considered “the brain” in her small town. Kids at school tease her for being smart and friendless. Vowing things will be different this summer, she arrives at summer camp determined to make new friends only to find the girls here are meaner then back home!
Teased and tormented about her hair, weight and everything else, she feels completely alone and hopeless…until she meets Zach, a hazel-eyed soccer player from the boys' camp, who thinks she is cool. But will Mackenzie finally take a look inside and believe in herself?

Are you interested in pre-ordering your own copy for someone special in your life? Use the paypal buttons to place your order. -Read something great

Add a Comment

I was fortunate enough to speak at Baker College of Allen Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The staff wanted me to explain how King's life influenced my own. I talked about the freedoms that I have because he fought so hard in the face of adversity. I shared that because he protested, went to prison and even died for civil rights I am able to have small blessings like a Diet Coke at a cafe.
I realize that the national holiday is over but I want to implore the readers to remember that when you stand for something and fight hard enough you not only change history but you create a new future for others.
Read something great!

Add a Comment