In LIFELINE, the character Libby finds peace and inner strength through art. Today I’m fortunate to sit down with my dear friend and PA painter, Bronwen Henry, to hear about her healing journey of self-discovery through painting. Be sure to check out Bronwen’s paintings on her website, and share your own stories of hope and recovery on Twitter at #whatsyourlifeline. A: Bronwen, tell us a little about the experience that led you to start painting. B: I was in the midst of parenting two young children, working a part-time job, and trying to be an attentive wife and daughter when I had my wake-up call. In 2013, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. During the treatments, I needed a lifeline to m
On this snowy day, I'm lucky enough to sit down with my friend and fellow children's writer, Bernadette Ziemba, to talk about her new project, "AMHA Dolls Made with Love and Soul." A: Bernadette, tell us a little bit about yourself and this awesome new project. B: I'm a Pisces. Creative type. Day-dreamer. I make unique, individually styled, hand-made dolls and donate them to someone in need, specifically those working through traumatic or challenging times. At the moment, the dolls are being donated to women working to overcome addiction. A: That's such a unique concept. I know you as a writer and SCBWI member--when did you get inspired to start making these amazing dolls? B: I began this pr
When people read a synopsis of LIFELINE, one of their first questions is often, “What inspired you to write this story?” They mean a story about addiction, about heroin abuse and overdose, about the slow and painful process of recovery. What’s true is that there are very few among us whose lives haven’t been touched by addiction. I am no different. Like many other people, someone I love very much has struggled (and continues to struggle) with opioid addiction. But that’s not what inspired LIFELINE—not really. The daily conversation about opioid addiction that we hear on the news and on social media centers around death, despair, and the general sense of hopelessness that is certainly justifi
