Mindy Carlson

As many of you know, I not only write mysteries, I also write parenting advice articles. I guess it was a natural journey. What bigger mystery is there than parenting?

Deciding to write a book–really write a book and get an agent and get it published–was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. But I also knew I had to do it. Had to. I had a story and characters and witty dialogue cycling through my brain that had to get onto a page. It was a relief when I began to release them into Microsoft Word.

But what I didn’t expect was what it would do to my family; how it made me a better parent.

In volume 12 of Mindyland, I talked about why your story deserves to be told. How there are kids that need to hear the story no one else but you can tell. But the people in your life also need you to write your story. They need to see you go after a dream.

AFineParent.com, the online parenting magazine I’ve written over 35 articles for, has published yet another one of my parenting articles. One, I think, that is the most important I’ve ever written. How Following My Dream Made Me a Better Parent.

It details the changes my family went through after I started writing and what I discovered about my children and myself along the way.

“There’s a moment in our lives as moms when dreams—especially the wildest and most audacious dreams blooming in our heads—become meant for our children, not for us.”

We are still worthy of our wildest dreams, Dear Reader. Even though we are older and the responsibilities of life become more and more pressing and more and more important each passing year. Maybe especially because of all those responsibilities and burdens.

What is your wildest dream? What audacious leap would you make if you had nothing to lose?

Take care,
Mindy

You can preorder my book at Swamp Fox Books, an independent, family-owned  book store! Or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any of your local bookstores, but if you order from Swamp Fox you get a signed bookplate and a cool bookmark.