Help! I Can’t Break the Doors Down

I’m back from my four day weekend. I really cannot say it was much of a vacation. I spent most my time dealing with my teething baby or painting my kitchen. Of course, my hubby did most the work in our kitchen since our teething baby never slept unless mommy was holding her.

Our son was luckily enough to escape the craziness of our house over the weekend. He went camping with a bunch of friends at Lake Powell. From what my son tells me . . . they were blasted by a sand monster in the middle of the day and late into the night. However, the boys faired well against the creepy crawlers of the night, the blood sucking flyers, and water creatures. The five year old was not so lucky. She spent most of her time in the back office with her four legged furry brother and sister . . . Taz and Speedbump.

So after the weekend ended, I thought it was time to start promoting my book. I have been pounding on doors left and right, but not one door has opened. I’ve contacted my local school district to update them on my new school visit programs. I sent out media kits on Babysitting SugarPaw to most of our locally owned bookstores. I have even looked into booth spaces for upcoming events, but no one seems interested in having an author share the love of reading and writing. What’s up with that?

I have concluded I must be doing something wrong. I do live in a small town compared to my old home back in Los Angeles. But one would think a small town would be more open when a local is looking to promote and join in community events. However, it does not seem to be that way where I live. I had more success back in Los Angeles with my marketing than I do here in Southern Utah. It seems you need to know someone who knows someone who knows someone who can help you out.

The thing is . . . I need to get moving on marketing my picture book, Babysitting SugarPaw. I want to meet with children, share my love of writing and the World of Ink. I want to get kids excited about reading. I want to help parents who have small children afraid of babysitters. There is so much I want to do, but just can’t seem to get going.

It’s funny how as writers we spend so much time worrying about getting our books published that when it is time to market them we are so unprepared for failure. I have been successful with social marketing and online marketing, but in person marketing seems to be my locked door. I am not going to give up. If it comes down to it . . . I will get out the ax and chop the dang door down!

The Comeback of 2D Animation: Why We’re Craving Realness Again

There’s something happening in animation right now that’s worth paying attention to—not because it’s simply nostalgic, but because it’s deeply human. As someone who works in the mental health and creative storytelling space, I can’t help but see these conversations about art, AI, and hand-drawn storytelling as part of a bigger theme: our collective hunger for authenticity. We live in a time where AI-generated content is everywhere—convenient, efficient, and often soulless. It’s not surprising that artists and audiences alike are looking back toward something that feels more tactile, more imperfect, more human. That brings us to 2D animation, an art form that has shaped generations and now, it seems, might just be making a comeback. Here’s what Language of the Soul podcast host, Dominick Domingo, had to say on this trend: There’s been a lot of industry talk lately speculating about 2D/traditional ANIMATION making a comeback. Recent articles confirm that although Disney has not greenlit...

Unmasking Narcissism: Lessons on Healing, Boundaries, and the Human Condition

When I first sat down with Dominick to interview Stuart Wood, neuroscientist and author of Escaping the Void: How to Support Victims Out of Emotionally Abusive Relationships , I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve been a victim advocate for years. I’ve sat with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and I’ve seen the way emotional abuse erodes someone from the inside out. But there was something about this conversation—something about tying narcissism not just to relationships, but to culture at large—that resonated with me on a personal and professional level. Stuart came to the topic of narcissism the way so many of us do—not through clinical theory at first, but through experience. He supported a friend through four years of leaving and healing after an abusive narcissistic marriage. And from there, he wrote a book that demystifies the confusing behaviors and manipulations so often minimized or dismissed, even by victims themselves. Why Narcissism Hits Home I come ...

Art, Spirit, and the Journey to Our Authentic Selves

What if creativity isn’t just a talent or a pastime, but a sacred path that helps us remember who we truly are? What if the act of making art—whether through paint, music, or words—could reconnect us with our deepest self and with something greater than ourselves? In a world that often rushes past mystery in pursuit of certainty, conversations about art and spirituality offer a chance to pause, breathe, and wonder. They remind us that creation and contemplation are intertwined. Art has long been a universal language, bridging the visible and the invisible, the personal and the collective. When we engage with it fully—not as a product to perfect, but as a process to trust—we open ourselves to profound transformation. This is the heart of our latest Language of the Soul dialogue with the luminous artist Joan Marie. From the awe that stirred in her heart beneath Michelangelo’s Sistine ceiling to the ethereal, soul-connected works she creates today, Joan’s journey offers a beautiful exa...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Search This Blog