Harry The Caterpillar makes First Appearances

Later this week will mark one month of my first children;s book being out, Harry The Caterpillar. What an amazing experience it has already been in such a short time!

The release came as a bit of a surprise to me. I was informed by a HARRY Fan on Facebook, that she had purchased the book. At that point, I did not even know that the release had come on March 2, 2010!

I was quick to spread the word as much as I could, using the Internet as my most valuable tool. I sent out messages on Facebook and traditional emails with my press release as an attachment. Kristen Hamel Mc-Evoy from the Sentinel newspaper based out of New Windsor, NY, interviewed me. The article ran just three weeks after the book was released.

Although, my publicist has done a great job reaching out to literally over a thousand contacts with my press release, I realize the importance of meeting people in person.

With extra copies of the press release in hand, I began to make my rounds to local contacts, introducing myself and refreshing their memory from Ellen's initial contact. Much to my surprise, the Barnes & Noble at the Route 300, Newburgh Town Center location, was just as eager to connect with me, as I was with them!

Ms. Billie Cubic, the Community Relations Manager at the Barnes & Noble location, welcomed me to join a "Local Author's Night" that was happened later that week. I could not refuse! I would have never have thought that I would be featured at Barnes & Noble so quickly! I promptly went back to the Internet to help spread the word of this event that was being booked on short notice. NY Family Examiner, Carrie Schlagler, ran a detailed article on the upcoming appearance on Examiner.com, greatly helping the effort.

The day before the event, Ms. Cubic called me. She told me that she was getting floods of phone calls, people asking if they can get their copy of Harry The Caterpillar at Thursday night's event. She continued to say that people were coming in with print outs of my press release, (the attachment I included in my email of the book being released), asking the same! She was amazed at the response from the community. In a way, I was not as shocked. I know that I am blessed to be connected with a multitude of people, friends, family, relations from my children's schools, our Church, past employment and so much more, who are continually supportive, proactive and passionate.

On Thursday, March 25, 2010, Ana Lia Schiariti Croci, (the marvelous illustrator to HARRY), and I, spent the afternoon at Newburgh Enlarged City School District's Fostertown School. I read the book to the kindergarten classes there, followed by Ana Lia and I answering questions, and finally, signing books the little ones had purchased. What a great reception we had by Fostertown School, and we thank them for that! In fact, we are returning to the school in April, to do the same for the second graders there.

the evening was followed up with the Barnes & Noble event. Although, the event was to start at 5pm, I was eager, showing up 45 minutes early, to find that some people were already there waiting for me! Ms. Cubic offered an abundance of hospitality, welcoming me and situating me. By 6:30pm, there were no more copies of HARRY to be had! Although, I felt terrible for the sad faces on the little ones who could not walk out with a signed copy in hand, readers were able to order their copy at the front desk. Ana Lia was able to attend the signing with me. We stayed the duration until 9pm, thankful for the opportunity to meet our readers and sign previously purchased copies.

Since Harry The Caterpillar was "born", the experience has been nothing less than a blessing to me. I have learned beyond my previous skill, encounter a multitude of fabulous supporters and have been publicized by people with sincere interest.

More "happenings" have taken place and even more are on the calendar! Stay connected to know the latest!

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You can purchase your own copy of Harry The Caterpillar at

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• Amazon.com


• BarnesAndNoble.com


• Strategic Publishing Group

Harry The Caterpillar has been released!

Great news!
On March 2, 2010, Harry The Caterpillar was released! As my very first children's book, I am the author, and Ana Lia Schiariti Croci illustrated. We are both thrilled with the release!
My professional writing career began in 2009, as the Hudson Valley Family Examiner on Examiner.com. My topics are varied, always relating to family issues or the Hudson Valley region.
In September, 2009, I signed on with Eloquent Books, an imprint of Strategic Publishing Group. They took my manuscript for Harry The Caterpillar, and, together, we embarked on an adventure to publish.
As the book has been released, the response from readers has been overwhelming. Author visits throughout the Hudson Valley region's schools has been scheduled, interviews and reviews with local newspapers, has been ongoing. A live interview on local radio station, WBNR 1260AM is scheduled for Monday, March 29, 2010, at 7:20am, and again, at 7:50am! What a thrilling time!
An official Book Launch is in the works, as well. Date and location will be forthcoming.
Harry The Caterpillar is currently available for purchase on three sites:
www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/HarryTheCaterpillar
Barnes&Noble.com
Amazon.com
Happy reading!

How Harry the Caterpillar is Doing

In case you have not heard, I am having my very first book published! It is called Harry the Caterpillar, a children's book. It is illustrated by a great friend, Ana Lia Schiariti Croci. What an amazing job she did on the illustrations, too!
Shortly after our third child, Faith Ann, was born, I realized that something was wrong with me. If you know me personally, you might have assumed that something was "wrong" with me for a long time! All joking aside, one evening, while preparing dinner, it became obvious that something was wrong as my left side was no longer under my control.
Having thought I suffered a stroke, I was admitted to the hospital. Keeping this story short, (a longer version may be in the works for publication), it took several weeks of testing to reveal a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.
In the coming months, my symptoms alleviated and, eventually, I was back to my usual self. I am not on any MS meds. Instead, I owe my current good health to vitamin therapy, diet modifications, increased activity and exercise and lots and lots and lots of prayer.
It has been over a year since my last MS episode. My spring, 2009 MRI of the brain showed, "no significant signs of MS".
Giving thanks to God for this second chance meant making some more changes in my life. I had to start living by my own proclamations, for starters. For example, I have always told my children that they could be anything they want in life, that they have no limits. This is something I "talked" but never "walked". I have never felt very confident in myself. I have never felt that good fortune should or could be mine. I can't tell you why. It's not that I don't want to share my reasons, it's just that I don't know. One thing I did know was that I could not set such a poor example for my children.
I have dreamed of being a writer since I was in the third grade. I have always written for hobby, whether it was a family newsletter, notes just to say "hello", short stories that just stayed on my computer, etc. While I was pregnant with Faith Ann, I wrote a children;s story that I was quite pleased with. I decided in September, 2009, that I would just go ahead, send it out to publishers and see if it takes me anywhere. I had also decided that, if no publisher picked it up, in this day and age, I could publish it myself. I sent it out to five publishers. By the end of the week, I heard back from one that they were interested. I could not believe it! I didn't really care what the offer was, I was just thrilled to have been picked up! I accepted, thankfully. A few weeks later, another of the five got back to me and told me they were interested! That was shocking! To be accepted by one is huge, by two out of five is unbelievable!
In the previous weeks, not knowing how the publishing process worked, I felt I had to get the illustrations done for my own book. I have a dear friend who happens to be a phenomenal artist; her house decorated with her own amazing work. I asked her if she would be interested in illustrating the story. She read the story and accepted the offer. Ana Lia surpassed my wildest dreams with what she produced!
Again, I felt God in my life. He works in ways in which we can sometimes never understand. Ana Lia was born and raised in Argentina. After her and her husband were married, they came here to NY. Their daughter and our oldest son were in Kindergarten together. She was pregnant with her second child when I met her, and was pregnant with our third. We connected right away, as we our children had so much in common. Our children now go to different schools, but we still attend the same Church and kept in touch without much effort. A true friendship was born. Here, two worlds came together so easily. I also believe that when God presents us with blessings, we are obligated to share our blessings. Although, the publisher who picked me up is more inclined to deal with their own staff of illustrators, I would not accept the deal unless they took Ana Lia, too. And they did. We were meant to share this, (and many more, hopefully!).
Just before Thanksgiving, Ana Lia returned for an extended visit with her family in Argentina. We were pushing for the book to be released in time for the Holiday sales. We were both disappointed that Ana Lia would be out of the country when the book was released. It became obvious, in the coming weeks, that the book would not be hitting the retailers' shelves in time for Christmas. I thought we were missing a huge opportunity. I spoke with another well-established published author and she assured me that book sales always do best in the spring. She said that a spring release should not discourage me at all. Later, in a conversation with my ever-so-smart God Mother, she reminded me of Ana Lia's return in late January. If the book were to be released in February, as it is now expected to be, then Ana lia would be back in the states. God wants us to celebrate the release together, of course! again, He has been hard at work!
I have a tremendous amount of family, friends and contacts who have been overwhelmingly supportive of this effort! As we start the 2010 year, the ball will really be rolling. Expect to see Harry the Caterpillar released in February, 2010! If you do not see it at your local retailer, (Barnes & Noble, Borders, or your neighborhood retailer), then ASK FOR IT! It will be available globally, attainable by anyone! You can even order it on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, etc. I will also be doing book signings and readings in the area. Four are in the works so far. Dates and locations will be available to see once the book is released. If you would like me to come to your area for a reading or signing, whether to a school, book club, retailer or event, please ask the person in charge of the establishment or group to contact me or the publisher. Even if yo are out of the NY area, it can still be possible!
Thank you, truly, for your support and readership! I welcome your comments and feedback! Even though I am now "a published author", I am still, and always will be, simply, "Michelle"!

Supporters of Luciana's Cause celebrate her second birthday

Supporters of Luciana's Cause celebrate her second birthday

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"Where's the Outrage?" by Alisa Wilson, Ph.D.

This letter was sent to the Wall Street Journal on August 8, 2008 by Alisa Wilson, Ph.D. of Beverly Hills, CA in response to the Wall Street Journal article titled "Where's The Outrage?" that appeared July 31,2008. I checked Snopes, which states that this is, “correctly attributed.”

Really. I can tell you where the outrage is. The outrage is here, in this middle-aged, well-educated, upper-middle class woman. The outrage is here, but I have no representation, no voice. The outrage is here, but no one is listening for who am I?
I am not a billionaire like George Soros that can fund an entire political movement. I am not a celebrity like Barbra Streisand that can garner the attention of the press to promote political candidates. I am not a film maker like Michael Moore or Al Gore that can deliver misleading movies to the public.
The outrage is here, but unlike those with money or power, I don't know how to reach those who feel similarly in order to effect change. Why am I outraged? I am outraged that my country, the United States of America, is in a state of moral and ethical decline. There is no right or wrong anymore, just what's "fair."
Is it fair that millions of Americans who overreached and borrowed more than they could afford are now being bailed out by the government and lending institutions to stave off foreclosure? Why shouldn't these people be made to pay the consequences for their poor judgment?
When my husband and I purchased our home, we were careful to purchase only what we could afford. Believe me, there are much larger, much nicer homes that I would have loved to have purchased. But, taking responsibility for my behavior and my life, I went with the house that we could afford, not the house that we could not afford. The notion of personal responsibility has all but died in our country.
I am outraged that the country that welcomed my mother as an immigrant from Hitler's Nazi Germany and required that she and her family learn English now allows itself to be overrun with illegal immigrants and worse, caters to those illegal immigrants.
I am outraged that my hard-earned taxes help support those here illegally. That the Los Angeles Public School District is in such disarray that I felt it incumbent to send my child to private school, that every time I go to the ATM, I see "do you want to continue in English or Spanish?", that every time I call the bank, the phone company, or similar business, I hear "press 1 for English or press 2 for Spanish". WHY? This is America , our common language is English and attempts to promote a bi- or multi-lingual society are sure to fail and to marginalize those who cannot communicate in English.
I am outraged at our country's weakness in the face of new threats on American traditions from Muslims. Just this week, Tyson's Food negotiated with its union to permit Muslims to have Eid-al-Fitr as a holiday instead of Labor Day. What am I missing? Yes, there is a large Somali Muslim population working at the Tyson's plant in Tennessee. Tennessee , last I checked, is still part of the United States. If Muslims want to live and work here they should be required to live and work by our American Laws and not impose their will on our long history.
In the same week, Random House announced that they had indefinitely delayed the publication of The Jewel of Medina, by Sherry Jones ... a book about the life of Mohammed's wife, Aisha ... due to fear of retribution and violence by Muslims. When did we become a nation ruled by fear of what other immigrant groups want? It makes me so sad to see large corporations cave rather than stand proudly on the principles that built this country. I am outraged because appeasement has never worked as a political policy, yet appeasing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is exactly what we are trying to do. An excellent article, also published recently in the Wall Street Journal, went through over 20 years of history and why talking with Iran has been and will continue to be ineffective. Yet talk, with a madman no less, we continue to do. Have we so lost our moral compass and its ability to detect evil that we will not go in and destroy Iran’s nuclear program? Would we rather wait for another Holocaust for the Jews - one which they would be unlikely to survive? When does it end?
As if the battle for good and evil isn't enough, now come the Environmentalists who are so afraid of global warming that they want to put a Bag tax on grocery bags in California; to eliminate Mylar balloons; to establish something as insidious as the recycle police in San Francisco. I do my share for the environment: I recycle, I use water wisely, and I installed an energy efficient air conditioning unit. But when and where does the lunacy stop? Ahmadinejad wants to wipe Israel off the map, the California economy is being overrun by illegal immigrants, and the United States of America no longer knows right from wrong, good from evil. So what does California do? Tax grocery bags.
So, America, although I can tell you where the outrage is, this one middle-aged, well-educated, upper middle class woman is powerless to do anything about it. I don't even feel like my vote counts because I am so outnumbered by those who disagree with me.
Alisa Wilson, Ph.D. Beverly Hills, California

June 24, 2009 "Dear Mr. President"

Dear Mr. President Obama,
Yesterday, I watched from start to finish, your televised address. As I watched and listened to what you had to say, I had a notebook and pen at my side. I was taking notes on what you were addressing, and jotting my own thoughts as you went along. As out of the ordinary that may sound, it is something that I believe Americans should be doing. No matter how we voted in November last year, you are indeed our current President, (as you reminded us several times during your address). Although I did not vote for you, I am not the type of person who sits around and watches what will happen next. I do not sit around complaining about the status quo without feeling compelled to offer some sort of solution or take steps that may lead to a possible solution. The American spirit and the American Dream were not founded on inaction. Therefore, I hope more and more Americans sit with pad and pencil at their side each time you address us, so that they can take their notes and rebuttal more effectively.
Now, let's get to the specifics of yesterday.
You talked about the status of Iran, condemning the violence. However, even when asked blatantly what it it would take for you to feel the need to have America step in, you, Sir, side-stepped the questions. But, that is not what I wanted to discuss today.
You talked in most detail about the government stepping in with a Health Care plan. You spoke of the Market Place. You did an excellent job of explaining the ideals behind it. You explained that Americans who are either uninsured or under-insured, would have this "Market Place" of different Health Insurance plans, varying in type of coverage, extent of coverage, cost of coverage, etc. Of these plans, there would be a government funded plan for people to choose from. Of course, the immediate questions were related to the fact that this could threaten the Private Health Insurance Industry. Your remark was that if the current private companies are as cost-conscious and consumer-minded as they claim, then they should remain a competitive choice in the Market Place that Americans would choose.
There is so much to say with what is wrong with this idea. I will start by saying that the government can obviously buy in greater bulk and possess in greater quantities what it needs to be the most affordable Health Care Plan in the Market Place. When Americans are looking at their choices, it will come down to the bottom line of cost. Purposely or not, the American government will put the Private Health Insurance Industry out of business. It is not only short-sighted for you to think otherwise, but also unAmerican. Why unAmerican? Because this nation was founded on the American Dream, the dream to excel. It was not the dream to stifle and suffocate.
Secondly, as unfair as it sounds, not all Americans will ever be universally covered for Health Care. It is not how our economy works, that is, if we are going to remain a capitalistic, free market society. There should not be an equality in bank accounts across the board. The government should not be telling doctors and medical services how much to charge for their goods and services. The government has no right to do this. All those in the medical field should be irate with your idea. They should come together and fight you on this tooth and nail. For those who are under-insured, (as I am as a Multiple Sclerosis patient), we have to be more resourceful. You know the saying, "When there is a will, there is a way". In these situations, it is necessary to rely on our neighbors, as individuals and as entities. As citizens of this great nation, we must rise to the occasion and educate ourselves on resources that exist. And for those who have, we should be rising to the occasion by being active participants in our society. That means being able to recognize when we possess enough, when our wallets are full enough. If we are blessed enough to do so, we should have the moral standard to help those who are truly in need. On a basic level this would mean donating to local food pantries. On a magnified level, donating to charitable causes and sponsoring charitable efforts. If, "in God we trust", then we should not come knocking on the doors of the White House with our palms up. Rather, we should have our hands out to lift another up.
Focusing back on the idea of all Americans having health insurance, I think you are missing the point. You are searching for ways to give health insurance to all. Instead of handing out ears of corn, you should be handing out the seeds to plant. In that I mean, that if the economy were put back on track, then prosperity in this nation would grow again. With increased prosperity, people can afford, themselves, to cover their medical costs.
Please, Mr. President, listen with open ears and without bias. There is a better way to meet the needs of the American people. You may be thinking that my suggestion, "fix the economy and then all other things will follow" is easier said than done, and easy to be said by someone who does not sit behind the desk in the Oval Office. Well, that is not necessarily true. You have protections around you that my family does not. I possibly have much more at risk than you do, Sir. And I do have ideas on how to significantly better the economy. I cannot take credit for these ideas, however. You see, I listen to people of all sides of the arguments so that I can be better educated and less biased. With that, the true voice of the American people can be heard. I will gladly share these ideas with you in short time, however, it will have to be at another time from now. You see, I am a mother of three children all six years and younger. My motivation is my family and my faith. Everything I say and do should reflect that. And right now, my 16 month old needs me, so I will say farewell for this moment.
Please explore the idea of abandoning a government health care plan. Instead, give the people the foundations to take care of theme selves. The government was not formed with the premise that it needs to hold the hands of the American people through every step of life. Let us be accountable for ourselves. Let the governement be accountable for itself.
Sincerely,
Michelle M. Birkenstock
http://www.parentsrpeople.com/, search "HudsonValleyAuthor"
http://www.authoredbymichelle.blogspot.com/
authoredbymichelle@verizon.net
6f73b9a05463700089f8616d6a9e07d8

Jan. 24, 2009 "Dear Mr. President"

In January, 2009, I began a personal campaign to have my voice heard by the White House. The letter below was my first letter to the President. It was sent directly to President Obama and to several newspapers around the country. I am about to send another letter off and wanted to give my new blog readers some back ground on this by posting this letter. I always welcome comments!

Dear Mr. President,
Today I have made a promise. This promise is to myself, to my children and to my Lord. It is a promise of diligence and enduring conviction.I begin by asking you to be a man of your word. Your very first words as President of these great United States of America told us that you were standing before all humble, grateful and mindful. I ask of you, even plead with you, to remain that way. Be humble enough to hear the voice of each one of us. Be grateful enough that we love this country enough to speak up. Be mindful enough to realize that there is a value to what we say.Mr. President, today I write to you with a heavy heart. As with all forty four Presidents, the first one hundred days in office are watched with microscopic vision. These first one hundred days blazes the path for not only the coming four years, but for our history in the making.Signing the order reversing abortion-funds policy is a grave error that will act as a pebble in the proverbial pond. To begin with, looking at the economic emergency that this nation is currently in, it is shocking that you would find such urgency to spend money that has been saved by having the ban in place. Secondly, favor would be won with more of your citizens to see their own hard earned tax paying dollars remain domestic rather than spending globally. We need to help ourselves before we help others. Lifting this ban is expecting a cripple to carry not only himself, but also his neighbor. Finally, you did not ask us, your constituents, how we felt about this. A a a nation who proclaims freedoms associated with religion, your action suffocates me. It is against every fiber of my being to assist in activities that are pro-abortion. You are stealing my money and using it ways in which you do not have my permission. You are not even taking this in careful enough stride to allocate these funds for the education of choice and leaving it there. Instead, you are willing to use my money to have a doctor snuff life out. You spoke out against the slaughtering of the innocents in your Inaugural Speech. Do you not realize that this is the slaughtering of the innocent by signing the reverse order? Instead, could you not allocate funds to the security of the nations where men go freely about their way after having just raped a thirteen year old girl? Or to promote safe sex alternatives even, yes, abstinence in lesser educated communities? Do you really feel this was entirely necessary? I think you do realize that there are alternatives. That is why you signed this behind closed doors, without fanfare, almost in humiliation and regret.You spoke of prudent use of power in your first minutes as President. Well, Mr. President, I do not see your use of power here as being prudent at all.Sincerely,Michelle M. Birkenstock