Paul Attaway retired from a thirty-year business career in Arizona, and moved across the country to Charleston, South Carolina—back to his Southern roots where he published his debut novel, Blood in the Low Country.
Tag: Fatherhood
Children’s Book Review- Captain Fantastic and the Chocolate Planet
In the newest release in the series by author Tommy Balaam, Captain Fantastic and his four-legged friend visit a planet made of CHOCOLATE and CONFECTIONS! What kiddo doesn’t dream of living in a world made of candies and treats!? The super duo think they have landed on the best planet in the universe. They explore from Cookie Dough Cove to Mount Honeycomb underneath marshmallow clouds. It seems to be a dream come true!
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Things Will Get Worse (before things will get better)
I remember vividly when 9-11 happened. I— along with my brother and father— watched the second plane fly straight into the stately World Trade Center. We stood in front of my parent’s television in our former home in Washington, North Carolina, mouths agape. Later that evening as news reports and images of a war scene on the streets of New York City unfolded, I remember feeling as scared and helpless as I’d ever felt. I remember thinking that life could not possibly become worse here in the USA. Our pride and freedoms had been assaulted at home… on our soil. So many precious lives lost. Then I became an Army girlfriend then wife, and survived the stressors of my husband’s deployments to Afghanistan. Once, I heard a bomb explode during a phone call he made to me from a firebase in the middle of Afghanistan. The call suddenly disconnected. I became hysterical. I thought, “things could not get worse.” Years later, mass shootings began to happen here in the US regularly. We almost became numb to the monthly, weekly tragedies. I once again thought it could not possibly get worse. Especially, the evening the news broke of young children murdered in a school in Connecticut (Sandy Hook Elementary)— as I held my three-month-old son in my arms. And now, here we are in the year 2020.
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Children’s Book Review: Father Sun and Mother Earth Create Life by Tools of the Heart
Tools of the Heart book series aims to support children’s emotional and social development through self-care tools and skills. Father Sun and Mother Earth Create Life — the first title of the height book series — is a gorgeous tale of LIFE told from the perspective of Father Sun and Mother Earth. The reader is taken on a lovely journey from creation to navigating life’s demands in order to find balance, calm and well-being.
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Alison Klakowicz— Under The Covers @Charlotte Readers Podcast
Checkout my recent interview with novelist and podcaster Landis Wade on Charlotte Readers Podcast— which gives voice to authors and writers to provide them the opportunity to read, and talk about their literary works.
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Porch Talk: Three Friends Talk “Coping” During #PANDEMIC (while raising children/pregnancy)
I recently had the chance to porch sit with my bestie neighbor, Miranda Crosby and our mutual friend Danica Thomas, to talk about the ups and downs we’ve experienced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic— and how we have coped with the changes in our lives. We brought our unique perspectives, backgrounds, personalities, quirks to the microphone 🎙 to chat candidly about this strange time in life that has turned the world 🌎 upside down. Miranda— an Army spouse whose husband deployed overseas in January— is pregnant with their first child all while wading through these new socially distant waters sans her husband. Danica— a widowed Army spouse, is a military suicide awareness and prevention advocate raising two young daughters as a single parent while working and virtually homeschooling her daughters all on her own. Alison (me)— an Army spouse, children’s book author, writer, podcaster trying to juggle content creation, marketing, writing, book sales while rejoicing as the final week of the school year approaches for her second grader. Thank the LORD.
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Six Ways You Can Raise Awareness to Prevent Child Abuse
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each of us plays a vital role in raising awareness about the prevention of child abuse. It is of utmost importance that we each take an active stand to prevent child abuse to build healthier, more loving, whole communities where a child is never forgotten. If ever there was a critical time to promote social wellness and prevention of maltreatment of children, it is now especially due to current world circumstances. Through social-distancing, it may seem even more challenging to help others, but we can still spread the word to create awareness.
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20 Things I will NOT Take for Granted After Covid-19
If social distancing has taught me anything, it is to try my best to remain on a positive minded track. Have I done this consistently? Nope. I’ve had my meltdowns for sure, but through timeouts, interventions and prayer I find my way back. Here is a list I wrote down to remind myself to remain grateful and positive with the hope that this phase of life will end and a new better chapter will begin.
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Six Step DIY Hand Sanitizer- Made from supplies you have at home!
My son and I had a fun at home science project today. We decided to make our own hand sanitizer from ingredients we had on hand. With the spread of Covid-19, we felt it would be really cool to make our own without having to leave the comfort of our home. So we gathered up the ingredients listed below and gave it a whirl! DIY Hand Sanitizer Instructions:
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Coronavirus & Mom Guilt
I’ve been witnessing (and caught up in) a pandemic within a pandemic, and what I’m calling Coronavirus & Mom Guilt— an effort that started out with the best of heart, but is escalating out of control. Mom’s are frantically trying to figure out a new normal on the coattails of school closures due to the Coronavirus— and coming up with ways to keep their children engaged in educational ways. Moms are uploading websites and google documents with wholesome and academic stimuli to keep their kid’s minds busy, their routines on schedule and trying wholeheartedly to support one another. I will admit a few days ago— shoot this morning— I was completely on board to provide live streaming story time events, worksheets, etc. to help anyone out there looking for something to do in the boredom of being home bound with kiddos. I’m still willing to do so. BUT I want to set the record straight by saying that I DO NOT WANT TO STRESS YOU OUT! You do not have to do anything right this minute except keep yourself and your family safe and at home.
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