FREE Kindle copy Stop Licking That Today ONLY!

Stop Licking That is FREE today on Kindle. But it won't be for sale for long. I'm pulling it from the market after this week. Get it today while it's still available. (Also, Between Families is just $0.99.)

 

Here's the longer explanation. When I planned the release of this novel for spring, my schedule was set to be light. My plan was to promote this book during the spring and have it ready to rock as a great summer read.

Instead, my pay-the-bills full-time job has had me incredibly busy and I just can't promote this the way I'd like to. So that has meant treating this book as an afterthought and plopping some attention over to it now and again.

That's just not good enough. This book deserves my attention. It doesn't deserve to turn into a rotting fish tank which is sort of what it feels like could happen. See also the actual fish tank in my house which desperately needs a thorough clean.

In the interests of that, I'm going to pull it off the market temporarily until after graduation when I'll be able to devote more focused energies on writing & promoting. So, if you want the Kindle version, you can get it free today or for $2.99 the rest of this week. It'll go back up in summer when I can put it out on all platforms. The price will be higher. I'll send out another update when I'm up and running for summer. I will not pull the paperback. You can still buy that whenever you'd like.

Thanks for reading and understanding. I hope you get a copy while it's around and read and review it! And if you don't have time until summer, I certainly can't judge that! Because I don't either.

 

 

 And to thank you for reading this far, I'll tell you a funny story.

(Important info for this story: My husband's name is Rob. My dad is gay.)

SO last week I started having an autocorrect affair. It started with texting my mom. I texted her about Ron.
Her: Who's Ron?
Me: My LOVER!!!!
Her: Who's Ron?
Me: --...
Her: Who's Ron, your dad's boyfriend?
Me-OMG THAT"S SO FUNNY because that means my dad has stolen my autocorrect lover!

And then I picture an eye-rolling teenaged, snotty-cuss of a version of myself yelling "Jesus, Dad, I can't even have my own boyfriend!" *stomps down hall and slams door*

I did finally text her back to clarify who Ron is. No more mundane fake-lover that my dad is trying to steal.

 

Finally, my kids got 2 baby chicks to be kept at my mom's house. Their names? Sparkle & Fartrock. Happy Spring!

Peace y'all,

Karin

In the wake of recent attacks on St. Louis Jews

My heart is with all the Jewish families in St. Louis. I used to live right by the cemetery that was attacked and ran past it 4-5 times/week. I made my route in such a way in order to pass it twice. Passing it always made me feel connected and I often stopped there to stretch. I didn't mean to trivialize a sacred place by stretching there but to be present with so many lives that had passed, thinking of what they'd done. I was keenly aware that many of those stones likely represented holocaust survivors. And some were older and there's something comforting about things that have been in one place for a long time.

Running for me is where I use my body to slow my mind and think more clearly. It was vital to my overcoming seizures in my early twenties when I lived in U City. Each day, I had a goal to run and I did and I felt control over my body and my mind, when I was struggling to have control over either. I was in college and needed to get through a lot of academic material. I used running to process and brainstorm. I gained writing habits and routines that I use to this day, running there. I'm heartbroken and this was my minimal connection to the 170 gravestones that were maliciously knocked over. I can only imagine the feelings of those with loved ones there. And this on the heels of bomb threats to the J the week before. It's just too much.

Our loved ones we've lain to rest are sacred in our minds. This broke into a mental space and a physical one. It cracked into something sacred and that's unacceptable.

I remember when a high school friend was the victim of anti-semitism early on in college. She had gone away to school to a rural section of the state, outside of what I then thought of as the safe-haven of St. Louis. I was completely floored and incredulous that someone would target someone for being Jewish. I knew so many Jewish kids. They were in my honors classes, arguing their points about literature. Jewish holidays at school meant classrooms were emptied. It was noteworthy and taught me a lot about considering other people. Even now if I try to tease out all the people I know who are Jewish, I can't because they are so many and so large in my life.

I remember going to a Jewish cemetery in Prague and sitting down with the prayers all around, the mossy headstones stacked nearly atop one another, weighty with WWII even 50 years later. I remember touring a concentration camp and how embarrassed I was at the emotions that flooded me and that it took everything I had at 20 to hold back my tears and horror. I hid my tears but I could not hold them in, even when I was younger and "tougher."

I remember walking through the Anne Frank house and wanting to sit on the floor alone for hours. I remember late night talks with another high school friend about her trip to Israel where she was selected to go as a religious community leader. I remember my high school boyfriend going to Israel to serve in the army. I remember so many connections to this community.

I'm so, so grateful to have grown up parallel to such a vibrant Jewish community. To the Jewish community, I hope you feel the support of all of us who sat next to you and took prom pictures with you. I'm incredibly sorry to hear that anti-semitism is alive and exists at this level of powerful.

I know you though. I grew up with you. Together we are more powerful than they are. My thoughts, heart, tears, and prayers are with you.

Stop Licking That, my new novel, FREE on Amazon today. Happy Valentine's Day!

Stop Licking That, my new memoir is FREE today on Amazon. Get your copy ASAP!
https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Licking-That-Karin-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B01MZWOIUL

If you prefer paperback, you can order one below. It's not quite up on Amazon yet but soon...

https://www.createspace.com/6691735

Kindle Version of Stop Licking That Out Today!

Stop Licking That came out today. Get your Kindle Version here.

Download a copy and help me get a fancy best-seller button, please!!

My friend sent me a yelling text where she was mad because she accidentally started reading it when she was supposed to be studying medical terminology. HA!

Praise for Stop Licking That (which is funny to type)

There were so many moments when I thought “yep, exactly. Written by a real mom and a damn funny person. I appreciated that “Stop Licking That” got serious too. Because those moments are important and deserve attention.

-Ruth Hendricks, Early Childhood Professional and mother of 2

As a Mom and Psychotherapist, “Stop Licking That!” is a must have.  Karin Mitchell tells the ridiculous and rash parts of parenting that are both hilariously honest and heart-wrenchingly truthful.  She tells the stories that every parent can relate to without feeling an ounce of shame. It’s refreshing to read about the same triumphs and disastrous fails we have all experienced on our adventure as parents. “Stop Licking That!” will absolutely be added to my shelf of must-have books!

-Sammy Charytoniuk, Licensed Professional Counselor and parent

“Karin has such a way with words. Reading this brought back that my friends and I, in High School, had licking contests. The essence of the game was to lick something your competitor was not willing to lick, like the game chickin, but with bacteria, disease, and filth being the epicenter. It was pretty foul, and hilarious. Also probably an explanation for why were often ill in high school.”

-Drew Mikita (AKA Chicken Licken), Associate Professor Psychology and doggy daddy

“I laughed out loud so hard my husband came up to ask me what was the matter.”

-Michelle Woods Pennisi, childbirth educator and doula and mother of 2

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Licking-That-Karin-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B01MZWOIUL

In response to Betsy Devos's Embarassing Purchase of Education and our Government

I sent the following letter the principal of the elementary school where my children go today.

 

 

Dear Educators at __________ Elementary School,

In my opinion, our senate did not demonstrate that they value what you have gone to school for, what you have studied, and what you know today by its sanctioning of Betsy Devos. My initial reaction was to want to pull my kids out of school and protest tomorrow. I wanted to drag my kids somewhere and post signs about what an embarrassment for us.

But upon further reflection, I believe a better idea is to tell you how much I value you and to continue to trust you with my children and their education.

The truth is, there are 8000 skills you've developed in the work you do. From teaching how to get 25 kids to put on their coats, boots, snowpants, mittens, and hats on, plus packing their back packs, to teaching them to resolve conflicts. You've taught kids how to decode a word for the first time and how to divine the author's intention in an entire selection. You teach them to create and play and kick a ball. You teach them manners. You teach them morals. You teach them to code and be aware of their thinking process as they solve problems. You have classroom management skills and interpersonal skills to deal with us, the parents.

All of you who put IDEA into action, hold a special place in my heart. For this law has truly made America better. Seeing a whole cross section of our society improve their outcomes has been the greatest gift of my professional life. Remember before IDEA? I don't. But I remember studying the institutionalization of children with disabilities and how parents were told that their children couldn't learn before the federal government required a Free Appropriate Public Education for ALL children. Seeing these kids who started with you, move on to college...well...it's the right thing to move us forward as a nation. I don't care so much about how we score on standardized measures as I care how we treat those who needed our help. Did they get it?

I feel like at this school, they did. You implement this law on an ongoing basis and make our country better.

Our kiddos, you care for them and push rigor and expect things of them. You nurture the best parts of kids. ALL kids. What you do is the most important work there is. You raise the next generation.

Getting the required degrees impacts your ability to do this great task. I know how meaningful my degree continues to be 15 years after graduating with my undergraduate degree. What you choose to study and pursue and do, it impacts how you proceed through the world. And our district pushes teachers to pursue excellence. You tirelessly study how to be better at teaching and I value that. You attend ongoing teacher in services and earn master's degrees and participate in team coaching. These things matter.

It is important to me to try to do something additive after seeing this vote today. So I thought of who has touched my life most in the field of education and it is absolutely this school. So tomorrow, I'll send my kids there. Because I know teaching degrees matter. Public Education matters. Experience and expertise matter. And you have it.

Thank you. I value you.

And know if you need to commit to any sort of direct action in the future, that this parent will have your back.

With warmest respect,

Karin Mitchell

Parent

What's YOUR sense of Humor?

In preparation for the launch of my new book, Stop Licking That, I thought I'd look at some types of humor. Stop Licking That, mostly has Life is Silly, Situation Distiller, & Potty Jokes I think. But what tickles YOUR funny bone?

 

Which style best matches your sense of humor?

Life is Silly, let’s laugh- You see the humor in the situation when you drop a full coffee on your boss’s toe.

Situation Distiller- You’re the one who cracks a joke when things start getting too serious or awkward and we all thank you for that.

Self-deprecating- You make fun of yourself to make people laugh. It’s worth it.

Junkpunch funny- you laugh at slapstick, whoopee cushions, and when someone gets hurt.

Punny- you laugh at this joke “Why don’t cannibals eat clowns?” “Because they taste funny!”

Seriously funny- You don’t smile or laugh at your own jokes and you slide them in at just the right time to catch others unawares and crack. Them. Up.

Smartipants- Your jokes are funny and you think of the unlikely, witty line that drives them home. Often timely jokes and sometimes political are your favorites.

Quirky- It just hits your funny bone and a few others and you can’t stop laughing. Meanwhile those who don’t get it watch on in confusion. You might like Salad Fingers or cult niche humor.

Potty jokes- seriously ya’ll, farts are funny

Jokes about others- you laugh the hardest while railing on your buddy. You don’t get offended if someone makes fun of you either (otherwise, it just makes you a dick.)

What Style is Stop Licking That? Read it and tell me! Preorder it here!

Click here to enter for a chance to win these rad books!

Last Day of 10 Days of Great Women

This last 10 days, I've highlighted the GREAT Americans I know who have fought for our progress as a nation. I specifically be looked at the women in my life who impacted my ability to see progress, women who have inspired me, women who have pushed me to be better.

So far, I've highlighted

• Athletes
• Educators
• Scientists
• The Triumphant
• Transgendered
• Lawyers
• Doctors
• Listeners
• Writers

And as I thought through who they each were, there were times when it mattered that they were female. But mostly, mostly, as I look at the list, and the attributes that caused me to inspect these women in the first place, it was not gender-based.

Every listing could have been male or female. The athletes, the teachers, the scientists... every last one is an example of an exemplary human. Every one of the people who inspired me, did so by deeply using some aspect of their humanity. They used their muscles and their minds. They used their drive and their ambition. They were true to themselves.

This is why being a feminist is really just believing that women are human, that they are deserving of equal rights and privileges, equal intellectual abilities and drives. That they are great humans who use their muscles and their minds to inspire people and lead great lives.

Great Women are Great People.

There have been hundreds of humans who have influenced me and pushed me to this point in my life. But today is not for them. Today is for the people who will press me forward into tomorrow.

And in honor of those who stand up for what is right, even when it's hard, especially when it's hard, today, the final day, Day 10 is for the Demonstrators.

Thank you for organizing, for driving, and donating, for having lengthy conversations during which you engage in point-by-point debate to move forward an agenda of betterment.

Demonstrators act on the belief that standing up is a patriotic act. Demonstrators seek to push our nation toward progress, toward greatness.

And that is why I have built this argument for you. You push forward ideas, you push forward equality, you demonstrate greatness. Whether you carry signs or make crafts with kids, whether you link arms or chant or write quietly. You act. You Change The World.

I'll see you tomorrow.