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New Book for Both Parents & Children About School Readiness

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 03:42:00 +0000

Kindergarten is a big transition, and while some kids take it in stride, others have a pretty tough time.

This daunting rite of passage is exactly why Christine Bronstein, daughter of Borders Books co-founder Louis Borders, penned Stewie Boomstein Starts School; a new book for both kids and their parents to help ease the transition into kindergarten.

From the Publisher:

Stewie Boomstein is a loud, comical, and sometimes cranky child, who has a big problem: he had a very bad first day of school! His entire family (including the pets) works together to solve Stewie’s problem. The next day, Stewie has a very good day at school. This illustrated book includes an interview with two well-regarded child psychologists who give simple tips and practical advice to parents on smoothing their children’s transition into school.

Divided into two parts, Stewie Boomstein Starts School starts with an engaging illustrated story for kids ages 3-6. The second portion of the book is geared toward parents with concrete tips on what parents can do to help their kids from child and education specialists.

Stewie Boomstein Starts School is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com

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Richmond Mom in Recently Published Book

Thu, 15 May 2014 02:01:41 +0000

Last year, Shannon Geary Weisleder wrote an essay titled “Finding Me” about her brother’s mental illness and suicide and how it lead her to become an advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). After entering her piece into a Notes & Words essay contest, sponsored by NY Times best selling author Kelly Corrigan, her essay was chosen nationally and was included in a recently published book titled Nothing But The Truth: 73 Women on Life’s Transitions.

“Finding Me” is among submissions from the best selling authors, trailblazers, business women and entrepreneurs.

The book takes an intimate look at many different transitions in life from jobs, parenting, loss, motherhood, marriage and more. Nothing But The Truth: 73 Women on Life’s Transitions highlights how women deal with transition and adversity with courage, strength and love.

From the publisher:
…From becoming a mother to dealing with religion, recovery from disease and addiction to starting a business, this new anthology of essays and art sheds light on all the times along our evolution when changes shake us up and make us who we are.

In the meantime, Weisleder continues to keep the memory of her brother alive with her website Try to MATTer and her Facebook page in efforts to raise awareness about mental illness, suicide prevention and mental health advocacy.

We’ve got our hands on the book and can’t wait to dive into it, you can get copy from Amazon.

Praise for the book:

Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God: 73 Women on Life’s Transitions shares stories of women who handle transitions- good, bad, and ugly- with grace, bravery, wit, and wisdom. And they are better for it. Read this book if you want to feel like you’re catching up with an old friend. And be prepared to see yourself in many of the stories.

- Jennifer Siebel Newsom, CEO of The Representation Project, Filmmaker, Mother, and Second Lady of California

It is women’s connections that build families, communities and culture. Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God is a testament to what is possible when we show up for our sisters.

-Eve Ensler, playwright, performer, and activist

[Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God shows] women change each other’s lives just by being there for one another.

-Arianna Huffington

Women’s stories boldly told have always been at the center of feminist political consciousness and empowerment. Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God captures the spirit of the personal as political and will inspire the reader to find her own voice.

-Katherine Spillar, executive editor, Ms. Magazine

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An Author Interviews an Author (Part 2 of 2)

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:14:00 +0000

An author interviews an author: Rachel Reynolds interviews Nicole Unice

When Nicole and I realized that we both had our first books coming out in May, we jumped at the chance to review each other’s work. Here is my interview about Nicole’s book She’s Got Issues. You can also check out her interview about my book, Four Seasons for Charlotte, HERE.

Nicole, what inspired you to write this book?

I wrote this book because I felt stuck. I knew on paper that my life seemed pretty great, but it didn’t feel pretty great to me. That led me to ask some deeper questions about life, joy and where God is in all of that.

Why do you think many of us who grew up in a Christian community often abandon the church or forget to seek Jesus for answers as we get older?

I wonder if we’ve really come to grips with our own need for Jesus. As a kid, we are sometimes spoon-fed Jesus as our friend and our comforter. When we don’t have a deep, growing faith, we can easily feel like Jesus isn’t much of a friend–especially if we believe that following Christ means we should have an easy life, and that things can go our way. When we do start to see who we really are, the failures and the fears and the ways we hurt and wound others, it’s our chance to re-examine what Jesus is all about.

Sometimes I encounter friends and acquaintances who try to equate Christianity with perfection. What do you think of that?

Well, I think that feels like a religion I don’t want to be part of! I think there’s been a culture in the past around some Christian women, particularly in the south, that equates “good Christian girl” with “perfection.” But times are changing. The women I know who really are trying to experience God aren’t looking to be perfect. They just want to experience a different life.

One of the big topics in your book revolves around “control”. When we talk about God being in control, it seems important to remember that he is in charge of both the good things and the challenging things in our lives. What is your perspective on this?

This is one of those questions that really challenges our belief systems. It’s the hard question: is God all-powerful or is he good? If he is all-powerful, why does he allow bad things to happen? If he is good, why does he allow bad things to happen? So we begin to think that God must be this impersonal force who is either uninterested, or worse, cruel. But this is a question that anyone who believes in God should be wrestling through. For me, I know that God uses suffering and trials for good outcomes. I’m the one who wants the easy, comfortable life. But I have a feeling that in heaven, we’ll be looking back on this world and our lives and our only response will be “oh.” There is so much that’s beyond our understanding in this life. We all have to wrestle with that, and hopefully make peace with the fact that God is both all-powerful and good, even in the darkest of times.

How can the Bible be relevant to a 21^st century working woman and mother?

The Bible has every human condition in it. The Psalms alone express so many of the thoughts I shared above, about feeling abandoned by God, about wondering if he’s there. What I love about the Bible is that it’s full of messed-up people who don’t get it right. But if you read it as a human study and as a God study, you’ll learn all about the character of humans and the character of God. And that makes it so relevant to my life! Consider this truth: Jesus said “what you say flows from what is in your heart.” That’s just straight up truth and wisdom for my life.

Is this a book for solitary reflection or should it be used with a group?

You could do it either way. I’ve created a DVD group experience that tries to combine the best of both. In the group, there’s time built in for solitary reflection and journaling, but you also then have the opportunity to open up with your friends. I think most women could use some practice in getting vulnerable and honest about these things, especially with some friends. It’s a great chance to know each other better and to encourage one another in life.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in writing this book?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that God isn’t waiting for me to fix myself up before he can work with me. In fact, God isn’t even trying to fix all my issues. What He’s trying to get me to do is be in a vibrant, real, relationship with Him, as my divine Father who’s way into his little girl, and wants to be in relationship with me right through the issues I’m dealing with. That’s a completely different way of experiencing life for me.

Which of the “issues” in your book is the most challenging to you personally?

You can be the judge of that by reading the book! I’ll give you a hint: it involves a cheese grater.

With an intriguing statement like that, how can you not be interested in Nicole’s book? To find out more about Nicole Unice and her book, She’s Got Issues, check out her website.

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An Author Interviews an Author (Part 1 of 2)

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:17:27 +0000

An author interviews an author: Nicole Unice interviews Rachel Reynolds

It was such a fun thing to connect with Rachel Reynolds. Right as I was releasing She’s Got Issues, she was releasing Four Seasons for Charlotte. We thought it would be cool to ask each other some questions, author to author. To read Rachel’s interview of me, you can click HERE.

Rachel, your book is about your daughter’s diagnosis with a brain tumor. You chronicle her treatment and her tragic death, but also the power and strength in community. What was one unexpected thing that you experienced from writing and publishing the book?

This may sound funny, but I was truly surprised at how interested people were in hearing our story. Originally, I put my ideas on paper as a way to process my thoughts and feelings around that incredible year of our lives. As I shared some of my writing, people kept saying, “You should turn this into a book.” After hearing it from people outside my closest friends and family, I thought that maybe I did have an interesting story to tell.

What was the hardest part of the writing process for you?

As I wrote and edited the book, I found myself reliving 2009 all over again. Those emotions and memories were sometimes difficult to process. It was great to relive the happy memories of times that we shared with Charlotte but writing also reminded me why I was telling our story in the first place. That empty place in my heart ached a little every time I edited the book.

Four Seasons for Charlotte touches on the very real process and emotions of a parent losing a child. What would you say to someone who’s experiencing this kind of grief?

Grief is such a powerful and complicated emotion. Everyone seems to process something like the death of a child in a different way. There are two big lessons I have learned on this journey: No two people grieve in the same way and there are no hard and fast rules for the process. The grief often comes and goes in waves. Sometimes the waves are tiny ripples and sometimes they are tsunamis. Navigating grief is about learning to ride the waves.

In your experience, what’s the best way friends and family can support someone who’s experiencing severe or terminal illness (either themselves or their child)?

If a family is living in crisis because of a severe or terminal illness, it is very important for them to learn how to accept (and delegate) help. In our experience, the community wants to help but they sometimes need a little bit of direction. If you are trying to help a family in need, think about what you can do and just dive right in. No good deed is too small. Offer to do a load of laundry, bring a meal over to their home, babysit, deliver an extra cup of coffee, or just distract your friend with a fun evening out. Living in crisis is scary but knowing you have a community behind you willing to help makes all the difference in the world.

So who should read your book?

I think this book will resonate strongly with any parent who has lost a child but I hope that it will give insight to anyone who is also supporting a family in crisis. While every family’s story is unique, we learned some valuable life lessons in the year of Charlotte’s illness. Everyone has challenges in their life and has to find ways to manage stress. There are common threads in our story to which I think almost anyone can relate.

Find out more about Four Seasons for Charlotte and connect with Rachel on her website.

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Skylar the dog takes kids on an historical adventure

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:51:04 +0000

Join Skylar on an historical adventure.

Looking for a great book for kids of all ages? Skylar and George Washington may be just what you’re looking for then! It’s a book narrated by an energetic, white Jack Russell with one blue eye and kids love her. She takes children on a journey of George Washington’s life, making it fun and entertaining, so they don’t even know they’re participating in a history lesson.

The book is written by Matt Burgess, a Tucker High School graduate, who now resides in Atlanta with his real-life dog Skylar, and his wife. Matt recently visited Richmond where he introduced Skylar to lots of local children and they absolutely loved her. The book is available at bbgb in Richmond, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.

Click here to learn more.

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