Children’s Story

Children’s Story

Novel

In 1950’s Turkey, along the banks of the Dalyan River, lives a timid, tender, tolerant, thankful, thoughtful yet socially awkward turtle. Poor Tim is misunderstood by the other animals, so he is a lonely, grumpy fellow. One day a monsoon causes the river to flood, sweeping Tim upstream where he is deposited on a furry striped rug— it’s Umit, a tiger and potential predator who offers to help him. Should Tim trust Umit? Will Umit be a tiger of his word and deliver Tim home, or will Tim have the same fate as the classic gingerbread man? Can Tim’s courage carry him to a new outlook? This charming children’s book uses rhyme and the alliterative sounds of “T” words to help build vocabulary while also raising awareness of the plight of the Caspian tiger and loggerhead turtle.

A picture book dedicated to all the grandparents who lovingly coach their grandchildren while fostering dreams and a sense of awestruck wonder. It addresses over coming childhood anxieties with optimism, strength building strategies and courage (in this case, swimming in a big dark lake), moreover, it celebrates the power of the grandparent and grandchild relationship. Summer time is finally here, and Matthew is excited to spend a week at his grandparent’s cottage. But even though he has taken swimming lessons at his local pool, Matthew is still petrified of jumping off the dock into the deep, dark lake. Everyday Grandpoobee offers him swimming strategies while Nanabana takes him on nightly walks into the forest in search of a rare green charm that will bring him luck. Does Matthew find the courage he needs? Does Grandpoobee’s coaching help? Or does he find a lucky charm? Or maybe Matthew just made a leap of faith and courage!

This rhyming children’s book tells the story of two best friends—both spunky nine-year-old girls named Catherine. Nicknamed Happy Cat and Merry Cat, the girls love to dress up, drink tea, and eat sandwiches and sweets. Always looking for adventure and fun, they dream of a chance to have formal tea in their town’s tea shop and devise a plan to sing and dance on the street and collect change in a teapot until they have enough. But soon after they are seated inside the shop, their mothers find them and scold them for running off, teaching the girls a valuable lesson about always telling their parents where they are.

This thought-provoking parable was written to address the issue of attitude. So often we are asked today during workshops, how do you want to be remembered? Furthermore, in today’s world when there are increasing numbers of baby boomers approaching retirement, people are asking themselves, “What’s it all about Alfie?”  This story was written to address these questions. It is about a retired executive, who not only is faced with the door of retirement, but a haunting question from his daughter Olivia, “Would you do it all over again? Would you give more to your family than to the office?”  The hope is that the reader will follow Frank’s strategies of self-examination, fine tuning his or her own priorities, releasing tensions and inhibitions, bringing forth a sense of flow, fun, creativity, balance and above all service.

A distant cousin to The Executive Gardener and The Fairy. The questions that plagued my writing mentor Jonathan Bennett, were:  What about Lilly, how did she feel? What were her interactions with Frank? He provoked further asking me to have the courage to delve into the sweetness and spice of their relationship. Hence, the birth of the Corporate Family. This novel attempts to address the perspectives of the stay at home partner verses the workaholic  over achieving mate. At the end of each of Lilly’s chapters, the reader is introduced to Lilly’s poetry, which therapeutically  comforts and guides her. Throughout the story the reader is to resources that Frank uses to find a greater understanding of himself as a business executive, husband and father. At the end the reader is offered a resource guide which offers to be a portal to further self discovery on leadership coaching for life and business.