Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Hump Day, Fun Day

Oh what a Wednesday!  It's been a busy and exhausting week so far, but it's been one of those days you could hardly prepare for...and it's only Wednesday!  I've had an out-of-town friend staying with me since Monday so coordinating and entertaining have been a little challenging this week with my busy schedule, but it all worked out!  But, as I was driving home from working out at the gym this morning I blew out a tire!  Yikes!  I was just hoping I wouldn't start swerving around or that I'd start hearing the rims grind on the pavement.  I still had halfway to go to get home, so I just prayed for about 6-7 miles.  Thankfully, I made it home with no rim grinding!  As I got out of my car the air in my tire was just whooshing out!  Oh great!

One of those unexpected daily life occurrences that you hadn't planned on, but now have to deal with.  So, after saying good-bye to my friend who was catching an early morning flight out I called roadside assistance to come put my spare on.  He didn't come until right in the middle of a team call I was leading (of course!) so as I was pacing and talking and going in and out of mute, he got the flat off and the spare on.  As soon as my call was over I was off to get a new tire.  Oh joy!

And as my day was going, my car got done 30 minutes before my next call I had to lead so I raced (yes, literally raced) home to get online to run my next work call.  Did I mention I was starving and haven't had lunch yet?!  So, now that the work day is done and I've taken care of my unexpected problem for the day I'm even more exhausted than before.  I think I'll be calling it a very early evening tonight!

But, on the bright side...actually, a couple things...at least the blow out wasn't too serious and it didn't damage any more than just the tire and the tire was still under warranty so I didn't actually have to pay for a brand new tire.  Plus, I just booked my first Author Talk event at my local library!!  Eeeks!!!  It'll be my first public talk and the first library in the area for me to do a book signing so I'm really excited about it!  I hope all my local friends and supporters will come out for the event.  All the details will be on my website soon.

Here's to getting over the "hump" today!  Hoping your week is filled with warming (due to the weather) blessings!!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Spread the Word!

Per my last post, I'm getting new book signing scheduled, new interviews conducted, and hoping to get the word out there MORE!  So, if you've already bought and read my book and enjoyed it PLEASE spread the word!!!  Share with your friends, family, colleagues, church members, etc.  I would truly APPRECIATE it!!!

If you missed it my ebook is now available on Amazon for purchase!  If you're an avid e-reader, NOW is the perfect time to purchase my book!  You can find it at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IC86ABU

Now you have 3 ways to get my book...
1.  From my website at www.kimfenneman.com
2.  From Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IC86ABU
3.  From one of my upcoming Book Signings, check my website for dates/locations.

So, get your book today and spread the word!  Thanks for your continued support and many blessings for your week ahead!!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Getting Things Scheduled and New Activity

Two months are almost already gone in the new year!  And, I'm getting things going again....book signings scheduled, more interviews and articles...and whatever other opportunities may come my way!  I'm ready for it!  

Last Friday, an excerpt of my book was included in hiHolt International's online magazine.  A few family pictures were also included.  You can check out the excerpt here:  http://www.holtinternational.org/magazine/2014/02/11/the-motherland/
Within an hour of it posting, I got several book orders!  I hope they keep coming, as I've received such positive feedback from those who have purchased and read the book so far.

Even a friend of mine from middle school who just received the book yesterday read through the whole thing in a day (because it's a very easy read) and because she said she could relate to many of the stories...and she's not even adopted!!  So, it's not only for those adopted, parents who have adopted or are thinking about adopting...but, it's for everyone!  Everyone will be able to relate to one or more of my stories, but also see things from a different perspective, as well.  She was inspired by the book and that's what makes it all worth it...hearing feedback from those who have been touched in some way by my story.

This Saturday is my next Book Signing, so check out my website for details at www.kimfenneman.com.  And, I'm working on scheduling 2 more upcoming Book Signings locally.  I'm also doing a phone interview for an online magazine in Wisconsin and will post that once it goes live.  So, there's a lot going on but SO much more to do!  My list is long and I'm ready to put a dent in it!  It's marketing GO time!  So, if you have any recommendations or suggestions, please let me know.  You can email me at kimfenneman@gmail.com.  I'm happy to do mini-Book Signings like I did a couple weeks ago for smaller groups, book clubs, church groups, etc.  Just let me know!

So, stay tuned for more updates and check out my News and Events page on my website for the details!!  Blessings to you this week....and I hope many of you start to thaw out from this wicked winter weather!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Another Year...Wiser

Winding down my birthday weekend full of birthday wishes, lunches, shopping and a family celebration.  It's very cool to have my birthday on a holiday, but also a little difficult.  Since it's a holiday everyone else in the country is celebrating on the same day...not my birthday, of course, but Valentine's Day.  So, it's always hard to go out to dinner and I always feel bad for my parents having to buy flowers for me at double their regular price because it's a holiday.  My mom even commented this year (for the first time ever) that she wished my birthday wasn't on a holiday because it's so difficult to go out and that everyone else is celebrating, as well.  I think those sentiments started to occur to me in my mid-20's and every year thereafter.

But, another year has come and gone and so much has happened in the last year.  At this time last year I was still in editing mode for my book and still working on the book cover.  Now, I'm officially an author (which is still hard to believe) and have just uploaded the book to Amazon!  So, if you are an avid eBook reader you can now purchase my book on Amazon!  Check it out!!

I have definitely learned SO much over the last year...not just about the publishing business and marketing my book, but all the back-end details like taxes.  It's been an interesting and fun process along the way and I'm still learning as I go!  And, I absolutely appreciate all of the support and encouragement I've received along the way!  And, thank you for being a loyal follower of this blog!  Please share with others, as well!

I've grown in my faith over the past year, as well as, in my personal life.  Every day we grace this earth is another day to listen, learn, improve, challenge, serve and praise the Lord for all the blessings in our lives...even if it's been "one of those days" I would venture to guess we are all still more blessed than not.  And it's those blessings we should spend more time focusing on rather than what we don't have, what went wrong, our regrets or the self-loathing that we all do every now and again.  We need to be kinder to ourselves, forgive ourselves more and use those tough moments to make us stronger...and wiser.

So, as I come down from a busy birthday weekend I wish you all many blessings in the coming year...starting with the week ahead!  BE the change in YOUR own life!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Trying Something New...

Tonight I got outside my comfort zone and tried something new!  The anxiety of not knowing what to expect was greatly lessened by my dear friend who joined me (and also stepped out of her comfort zone!  We did it together!  And, that's the best way to experience new things and grow!  It was also my Christmas gift from her!  :-)

We took a boxing class!  Yes, as-in full on wraps and boxing gloves hitting bags and learning combinations.  It was a fun new experience and a good work-out.  And, it's always refreshing after you've tried something new, survived it, and realized you can actually do it and you don't care what other people think of you...you actually get a sense of accomplishment.  Or at least I did tonight.

So, I encourage you to step out of your "comfort zone" and try something new...something you've always wanted to do, but just haven't for whatever excuse you keep telling yourself.  Just try it out once.  Why not?  You really never know until you try it, right?!  So, what are you waiting for?!  Decide.  Plan it.  Make a commitment and just HAVE FUN!!  That's what life is all about!  Blessings for your Valentine's Day week!!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Love Hearing YOUR Stories!

Per my last post on Wednesday, I was off to my first mini-Book Signing hosted by a friend of mine at her house.  Her mom and sister were first to arrive and it was good to see them after all these years.  This particular friend and I have been friends since middle school.  I remember going to one of her birthday parties in middle school and it was probably the biggest party I had ever been to up until that point.  It seemed like our whole class was there!  I was extremely grateful she had offered to host this Book Signing and promote it to all her friends!  Very generous and thoughtful!

The next to arrive was a young mom and her daughter (who was in 4th grade).  After the mom had chatted for a bit, the daughter asked if she could get a book.  Her mom said "of course" and to "share her story."  The daughter had been adopted from Russia.  I would have never known if she had not of told me.  She was a very pretty young lady with long curly hair.  She picked up a book and flipped through it and asked her mom if she could take it to school with her the next day.  You could tell she was excited to get the book and show her friends, but she kept it pretty discreet between her mom and herself.  It was very sweet.  Her mom said she was really excited to meet a real author.  It's still a little hard for me to believe, too, but it's definitely fun to see some one's reaction to you.  That's priceless.

The next mom to arrive had children of her own, but they had been waiting to adopt a little girl from India going on 3 years now.  What patience and resilience must her and her husband have gone through over the years, I thought.  How amazing and what a blessing this unknown child will have for parents once she does arrive to join their family.  Stay strong and keep the faith!

Another friend from middle school arrived who had already ordered a book and brought it with her to get autographed, and she bought another book for a friend.  She was also adopted as an infant, so we shared our stories and perspectives on how society treats adoptees.  It was SO refreshing to hear her views, too....because they were just like mine!  It's always great to meet another adult adoptee who has had a similar experience as I and sees life the same way I do.  It reaffirms the process, the amazing parents we had and that yes, there are people just like you out there!  

The next mom to arrive had also adopted 2 children from Russia.  She could empathize with those that were still waiting for their adopted children and relate to the initial growing pains of creating a new family.  She'll be a great resource for those moms in the future!

A friend from high school came and she's also an author!  So, we compared notes a little more and she gave me a lot of great advice and tips for marketing my book.  She's such a sweet, giving and joyful person!  I'm so glad we became friends all those years ago and have both followed the amazing opportunity God has presented in our lives to write a book, get it published and become authors...neither of us had a clue that would be part of our journey's back in high school!

And finally, the last mom to arrive was also waiting for their 2 yr old son from South Korea to officially become part of her family.  She has 3 children of her own and right off the bat we discussed how some people react to them adopting another child after having 3 of their own.  Her husband, daughter and herself had just gotten back from a trip to South Korea to see their son and get acquainted more with the culture.  We talked about the adoption process, their trip...the culture, food, riding the subway, etc...it was so reminiscent of my first trip to Seoul (for work...discussed in my book).  I'm extremely excited for her and her family for the impending addition to their family which could be in the next 2-4 weeks!

It was such a joy for me to know everyone that came to my mini-Book Signing had been affected by adoption in some way and that they came to share their stories with me.  I loved hearing all their stories and meeting each one of them!  I know they came to hear my story and read about it, but it's truly my pleasure to meet them!  Thank you for sharing YOUR stories with me!!  Blessings to you this week!


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Mini-Book Signing

Tonight a good friend of mine is hosting a mini-Book Signing for me at her house.  I'm extremely grateful for her friendship and hospitality.  She's been so great about promoting the event and I'm truly thankful for ALL her efforts!

It'll be my first mini-Book Signing and I hope to do more of them!  So, if anyone local wants me to come to their church, an organization they are part of or just a casual get-together with friends (i.e. Book Club), just let me know!  I'd be happy to do it!

I'm looking forward to being able to interact more with individuals, meet new people and hear about their stories.  It's all about sharing, understanding and spreading the message!  As mentioned, my book is not only for (international or domestic) adoptees, adoptive parents or parents looking to adopt...it's also a great, easy read for anyone looking to understand an adoptee's perspective on growing up...learning about someone else's experiences and hopefully gaining a greater appreciation for all those involved in adoption.  

So, off to my first mini-Book Signing!  Hoping this week is filled with many blessings for you!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

My Take...

Hopefully you took a minute to read the article and blog posting from my Wednesday post.  Obviously, my view of being adopted comes mainly from an international perspective because that's my reality, but I've grown up around and know many domestically adopted children/adults.  There's definitely a commonality there...we're each adopted, but there are definitely some different perspectives or things to think about between international and domestic adoptions.  Although culture is a big difference, it actually isn't as rare for an African American child to be adopted by an all-white family now as it used to be.  We saw that on the big screen recently in The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock.  But, there are also the realities of closed and open adoptions and being able to perhaps more easily look for and find one's birth parents.  It's a complicated and different process for every adoptee.  I could go off on several tangents here, but will stick to the article and blog posting I posted on Wednesday.  

The article gave a very insightful and real look at life growing up as an African American little boy with two white parents.  We all know that racism has and to some degree still exists in our society today.  It takes education, not ignorance; compassion, not selfishness; and respect, not narrow mindedness to overcome racism and prejudice.  We've come a long way, but it does still exist.  What I thought most profound in the article was when he said that the white people calling him names, slurs and such looked like his parents, so it was ironic that the same race that opened their hearts and home to him was also the race that was trying to degrade him.  I can relate to a degree on that.  Not that I've had many Asians yelling out slurs to me because in general that's not their nature, but their judgment, distance and avoidance has spoken volumes over the years.

So, it's really not just an adoption issue of accepting people for who they are...that's a societal issue that we all face everyday.  Adoption just throws a little kink in the discussion.  It's really about acceptance of one another.  Acceptance and respect of our fellow man.  If we all had a little more of that and lived that every day of our lives we might just make a change in the world...one person at a time.  BE the change!!

Enjoy watching the Super Bowl (those in the U.S.) and have a very blessed week ahead!!!