STEPS TO AWARENESS

In October many people will be at the Palace of Auburn Hills. They will be their with friends and families. They will be there to make a difference. I plan on being a part of that number. In May I was asked to be the one of the featured speakers for The Autism Speaks Kick-off. I agreed to give a speech to encourage and motivate the walkers. As I prepared for the speech I realized that speaking to motivate others to walk is good but walking, raising money and asking others to do the same is great. I have gathered a small group of people who understand the importance of this cause that will be walking with me. I also have been fundraising through selling pens, t-shirts, puzzle pieces and more. It is hard work but it is worth it to see awareness and change for those affected by Autism and Aspergers. If you would like to donate to the cause of Walk Now For Autism Speaks please email me at whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com
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CHILDREN AND DIVERSITY...

Everyday children are bombarded with self-defeating messages about their appearance, social status, economic background and more. Bullying has been able to leave the school yard and fight its way into the home of those who are tortured by it through the Internet. I thought about this long and hard before I wrote any of my books. I remembered the days of my own torture and had chatted with many people that understand that due to these behaviors low self-esteem is rampant in our young people. When children understand diversity they understand acceptance. My books are on specific subject matters such as living in a multi-racial family or being adopted, but my books are for everyone. I have met many people who have children that do not have similar lives to the characters in my books that have said oh that's nice but my child has high self-esteem or my child is not adopted. Please understand the importance of your children...our children, reading about lives that reflect a different status as their own. When children understand each other they respect one another and hopefully this will be the beginning of the end for the urge to bully or taunt other children based on ignorance. If you have not ordered my books you can do so on my pay pal page to get your signed copy. I urge you that it is a gift worth the investment.
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MORE ON 100% REAL...READY FOR PRE-ORDER

The second Book in the "Who I Am" Series... What does it mean to be real? Meet Zoey who wonders the same thing...at first. She has been adopted by a loving family that is everything that she ever wished for. Her first day at a new school makes her nervous until she meets Janelle who instantly becomes her new best friend. Everything is going great until the kids at school ask her questions about not being a real member of her family. Through friendship with Janelle and talking to her parents she learns that she is 100% real...This book is great for anyone who wants to know more about self-esteem and loving themselves and others for "Who They Are".

Pre-order your signed copy today using the paypal option on this page.

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No one has ever become poor by giving-Anne Frank

I found myself in a Target this past weekend and between grabbing diet coke and pizza from the food court I was anxious to look at the clearance racks. I immediately noticed that the Back To School campaign was in full gear. Un sharpened pencils, crayons, glue sticks and more were on display taunting reluctant parents to purchase them. I have never noticed a Back to school campaign in early July before and I pondered why this year was different. It occurred to me that this year was different because many parents that once had stable homes no longer have their jobs. I realized that the unemployment rate has skyrocketed especially in my home state of Michigan. I felt a sinking feeling in my heart as I realized that some children would have to go without the staples needed to have a successful school year. I also realized that if parents were able to buy the necessary school supplies with a shortened budget this may take away from other needed household staples. I whizzed my shopping cart past my husband and began filling my cart with pencil boxes, crayons, glue, and pencils. Astonished, my husband looked at me with confusion since we have no kids and we ourselves are on a strict budget. I explained to him that I had a certain amount set aside for spending for myself on this shopping trip and that I felt the need to use that money to give to the kids that we would see the next day at our church picnic. It may not be much but some kids were ecstatic to see the little care packages of supplies to get them started. Some of the parents breathed sighs of relief and gave me hugs. I have plans to do more to give back this year and I'd love to hear suggestions from you. If you don't have much money to give back time can be just as precious...I hope that you are able to benefit from this blog post regardless if you are able to give to others or receive from them.

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An Event to remember!

One part of my job that I absolutely adore is the opportunity to meet my readers personally. I enjoy going to schools, libraries and youth groups to help nurture self-esteem and diversity awareness in my young readers. The questions, interaction and comments that I receive help me to be a better author and speaker. Are you looking for a special program for an event that you are planning? I would happy to quote you on a Dream/Esteem workshop and/or a creative writing program. Email me with your interest at whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com

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IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...EVENTUALLY YOU WILL!

I am all about persistence and success being a couple! What I mean by that is hard work and perseverance brings forth true success. I don't believe that everyone is meant to get rich quick and I'm not sure if everyone will have riches...but success is attainable to all! In my life I hav known poverty and I have known great success. I am grateful for all that I have learned from both experiences. I think that they make me more relatable to my readers and those who I meet everyday. I never want to be so far detached from others that I forget the common bods that we all share. If you have goals that have not been met as of yet...they will! As long as you never give up and don't throw in the towel. I truly believe that perseverance brings opportunities of all kinds. Have a great week and don't give up!
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TALES FROM MY LAPTOP...

This past week has been so much fun! The week began with the launch of my newest book: 100% Real...which can be pre-ordered on this site. I facilitated the Power of People Seminar on Thursday. This session was focused on the importance of referrals/social networking and how they can help with professional branding and business growth. I met with friends from my college days on Friday and this week also has been my focus on Tara search on Twitter. I have developed a fun experiment to find as many Twitter Users as possible that have the name Tara. It's been fun to see how much we all have in common. What has your week been like? What do you want to accomplish? I wish you a week full of happiness and productivity!
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