It was seven years ago when I first started writing and set out to publish my first children’s book. I learned so much, but looking back there is one thing I wish I would have had. 

I would have given anything to have a writing mentor! 

Somebody who knew the ins and outs of publishing and could help me navigate the many, MANY decisions that would come. The expert advice of someone who had done it before would have helped me avoid so many mistakes and save so much money!

Now that I have received so much wonderful success, I want to be sure that any aspiring authors have access to something I did not: a publishing mentorship.

I have created a program called the Publishing Mastermind. It’s a ten month mentorship where I help you go from rough draft to a finished product. My company, Laundry Books, publishes your children's book within the year, and you get access to everything I have learned. 

I will take care of the editing and make sure your book looks amazing. You retain all the rights to your book, all the profits, AND you join five other authors in a Mastermind Group for support. It’s everything I wanted when I was starting out (and more!) 

I am accepting six authors for the mentorship, and with three spots already taken, I am making my final decisions in the next couple of weeks.

I am looking for empowering stories! Books for children that have a great message to them. If you have a children's book you want published, shoot me an email and let’s set up a time to talk. I would love to hear your story and help make it a reality! Your book in your hands before the end of 2020!

A final thought: if you aren’t looking to publish, but know someone this is perfect for, please forward this email to them! If there is one thing I have learned, it’s that there are many people out there with amazing stories that need to be heard. 

Hugs,

Miriam

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! I thought you might enjoy some pictures from my travels while I was promoting The Big, Bad Bully with Jack, and from my journey. The idea for The Big Bad, Bully starting back in 2015, and culminated in the launch of the book last week. 

2015
In the beginning, The Big Bad Bully was just a dream. I had the idea, but I wanted to co-author it with Jack Canfield, so I put it on my vision board. I took a picture that I had of us with my first book, and cut out a picture of The Big Bad Bully, and combined them. I look at this picture now and think “what a bad mock-up”, but it served it’s purpose. 

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2017 – I had the idea for the story. I had been inspired by my daughter to use the idea of “bullying yourself” and had used it to write a Toastmasters speech. Now I had the opportunity to present it as “The Bully in the Mirror” in a TEDx talk to students at Eden High School.

2018 – Signed a publishing deal with HCI Books for The Big, Bad, Bully!

2019 – The Big Bad Bully is finally a reality. We had such an awesome time signing an advanced shipment of books at three different book signings: St. Catharines, Toronto, and Salt Lake City. It was really wonderful to spend some time with everyone who came out. Catching up with long-time supporters and meeting new fans with Jack….. a dream come true. 

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Radio and TV interviews! Getting the word out about The Big, Bad Bully!

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Book Launch Day! We received over-whelming support of people sharing the book and buying online. We are so excited that the message is getting out! Thank you for sharing and helping to spread the word!

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The Virtual Book Reading! Everyone who purchased copies of The Big, Bad Bully got access to a live reading plus self-esteem building exercises with Jack and I. The really cool thing was seeing so many classrooms and schools participate and from all over the world too! We had people sign up from Bolivia, Sweden, New Zealand and of course Canada and the USA.

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Thank you for all that you do in helping to spread this important message. Every child (and adult) needs to be kind to themselves. 

I feel your love, and your wonderful support through this journey. It truly was a dream come true. Patience and perseverance certainly played their part. I wasn’t worried that it took four years to come to bear. I knew it would happen. 

One of the coolest things was being able to hang out with Jack for about a week, to spend time working together and to see a master at work.

If you purchased a copy of The Big, Bad Bully please leave a review on Amazon if you have’t already. I am running a give-away for a $100 Amazon gift card (on both amazon.ca and amazon.com). The first 100 reviews get entered to win! Jack is away on vacation right now. I want to have a surprise for him with a tsunami of reviews for when he gets back. Before he left, I know he was reading every review. 

A BIG thank you, again, for your help in spreading the message of The Big, Bad Bully. 

Hugs,

Miriam

The Big, Bad Bully – Book Reading and Self- Esteem Building Exercises

This is a recording of the virtual book reading that was live on October 30, 2019. THANK YOU to everyone who was able to participate LIVE, and for sharing this message with the children in your life. Join authors Jack Canfield and Miriam Laundry as they read the book and go over self-esteem building exercises. The following can be found at the times listed below:

• Reading of the story of the The Big, Bad Bully (0:00-9:25 min)
• Recognizing your Inner Bully (9:25 – 10:54)
• The Mirror Exercise – participation friendly (10:55 – 18:52)
• Changing “I CAN'T” to “I CAN” (18:53-22:10)
• Affirmations exercise – participation friendly (22:10 – 27:30)
• Acrostic poem with your name (27:30 – 29:00)
• Guided Visualization (29:00 – 35:00)
• Vision Boards (35:00 – 39:18)
• Q&A (39:18 – 56:00)

Book Description

This picture book is a gripping story of a young girl who is bullied year after year, struggling with self-esteem. But when she decides to stand up to her tormentor, what she discovers is truly eye-opening. The bully she confronts is herself!

The Big, Bad Bully is a tremendous tool for helping children become aware of their thoughts and it includes powerful workbook exercises and resources for implementing healthy self-esteem habits that will last a lifetime.

• Ages: grade 3-8
• Authors: Jack Canfield & Miriam Laundry
• Illustrator: Eva Morales
• Publisher: HCI Books

It's exactly seven more days until my new book launches! I am so excited, busy, nervous, and calm all at the same time. I didn’t know it was possible, but apparently it is. 

This book has been a few years in the making and it all started when I hit on an amazing way of making my own daughter aware of how her thought life was directly related to her self-esteem. Pointing out her positive qualities and saying that she shouldn’t speak to herself in such a negative way just blew right past her, but showing her that she was bullying herself struck home. 

That's when I decided to write The Big, Bad Bully. The more I shared the concept of this book, the more feedback I got about people relating to it, whether children or adults. Here is what Ashley, Grade 8, said when I read the book to her class:

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder. It was so meaningful and very true about hearing that voice and feeling like you have to listen to it. I also feel like I'm not the only (one) who hears that voice and listens to it. It was unique and different. I loved everything about this book.”

Ashley, Grade 8

The Big, Bad Bullyis a bully story with a twist. It follows a young girl who struggles with being put down by a bully for many years, but then she decides to stand up to her tormentor. The twist happens when she confronts the bully, she is looking in a mirror and realizes it's herself. The book includes self-esteem building exercises as well, making it a perfect conversation starter for mental health.

Kids in grades 3-8 will get the most out of it, and it is coming out NEXT WEEK.

We all have that inner critic that whispers in our ear:

• “I’m such an idiot…”
• “I should have known…”
• “I always mess things up…”
• “I’m too (insert adjective)…..”

Do any of those things sound familiar?

The words that we say to ourselves shape us. I shared before how my daughter inspired me to write The Big, Bad Bully when I saw her saying negative things to herself in the mirror. When I saw that she needed help changing her inner dialogue I taught her the Mirror Exercise that I learned from Jack Canfield. It has made a big impact on how she talks to herself. 

The mirror exercise is pretty straightforward:

1. First, you stand in front of a mirror and say your name.
2. Then you appreciate yourself. You mention your accomplishments, successes, risks taken, disciplines kept and temptations resisted. 
3. You finish your appreciation by telling yourself “I love you,”
4. And lastly, take it in by taking a long deep breath.

Making this a habit is guaranteed to transform that inner critic into an inner coach. My daughter has been doing it for a while now, and I love seeing how it keeps her motivated and positive. 

Just this past summer, I came back from a trip and was re-connecting with the kids in the van. I was asking them what kind of snacks we should get on the way home, and one of my daughters said “Do you know what I want? I want to look at myself in the mirror and be happy with myself.” She was talking about later that evening when she would be doing the mirror exercise and going over “temptations resisted.” She wanted to make a choice that she could feel good about later. 

Whether we are aware of it or not, we have the capacity to be our best coach, or our worst critic.

I really encourage you to take the 40 day challenge and resolve to do The Mirror Exercise every day for forty days! It is amazing the difference it will make in your habits and in your self esteem. If you think 40 days is a lot, I know somebody who has been doing the mirror exercise for 2786 days (the last time I saw her).

I added The Mirror Exercise to The Big, Bad Bully because it is so important to start these things young. If you are taking the challenge or going to go over it with your kids, feel free to download and print it HERE. I find it a great reminder when it is taped to your bathroom mirror. 

If you want a LIVE tutorial of The Mirror Exercise, my co-author Jack Canfield and I are doing an online book reading that will be followed by self-esteem building exercises on October 30th at 1 pm EST. Admission is included when you purchase two copies of The Big, Bad Bully. Keep one for your family and donate the other to a school or library in your community! Help us bring awareness to kids about their thought life!

To reserve your spot in the Virtual Book Reading sign up below!

Hello!

I just got back from my two week of travels: Newark, NJ, Atlanta, GA and finally Palm Springs, CA. It was WONDERFUL to help out at Jack Canfield’s events; One Day to Greatness® and Train the Trainer®. It's really an amazing feeling to spend such focused time with such awesome people. At the end, it feels like another family.

Train the Trainer® is an intensive live course where Jack teaches people to become trainers of The Success Principles. I was in charge of a group of five individuals at Train the Trainer® who had to make a presentation at the end of the week to be critiqued.

I discovered that everybody has their own unique story to share, sometimes referred to as a “Hero” story.

It describes a time in your life where you have been down, but then are able to overcome whatever difficulties you are facing and rise above. It was inspiring to see how so many people want to make a difference and help others. I feel so connected and bonded to these individuals.

I was also overwhelmed by the response to our children’s book, The Big, Bad Bully, coming out October 29th. After spending seven full days with Jack, I realized that he is a Master at helping people make positive changes in their lives. He has been working in this field for 50 years now and truly is a self-esteem expert. I am looking forward to how this message is going to impact children. 

I am always SO inspired by the time I spend at Jack’s events. Every time I think about my children and how we need to teach them these important lessons early on. I am filled with excitement to see The Big, Bad Bully in action when it launches at the end of this month! Jack and I have been planning a virtual book reading that we are opening up to everyone to join. Be sure to sign up and join us for it on October 30th!

Hugs,

Miriam

Join us for a LIVE reading of The Big, Bad Bully on October 30th!

If you want to meet Jack Canfield and myself, we are doing book signings both in St. Catharines and Toronto!

My Canadian Friends: Jack does not often make the trip up north! This is a GREAT opportunity to meet him. Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books and a NYT best-seller many times over. His best-selling book, The Success Principles, is a self-improvement classic.

The Big, Bad Bully is being released on October 29th, so this is your chance to get it a little early, if you don't want to wait for a pre-order to be delivered, AND, of course, you can get it signed. 

For those of you planning to participate in the virtual book reading on October 30th, you can have your book to follow along with for the LIVE event!

BOOK SIGNING SCHEDULE

ST. CATHARINES, ON
Chapters, Fairview Mall
Oct. 24 7:30 pm

TORONTO, ON
Indigo, Etobicoke West Mall
Oct. 25 7:00 pm

Have you ever read a book and found the characters unrealistic or one-dimensional? When characters in a book lack depth, the reader is not able to connect with the story and become fully immersed. The last thing you want is your readers to lose interest because they can’t relate to the main characters. So, how do you write characters that ring true? How do you create characters that will win the reader over and draw them in? It’s simple.

Just like getting to know a real person, you need to “get to know” your characters.

You get to know your characters when you can describe a wide range of details about them. Think about the people you know well in your own life. You know where they are from, what they like, and what their interests are. You know a little bit about their family, maybe a lot. If you have known them long enough, you may know some of their strengths and weaknesses. 

Here are some details that I worked through when I was writing I CAN Beleive in Myself and I CAN Be Me: 

Flesh Out Your Character Exercise

When you are creating a character write down as many details as you can, even if it won’t show up in the story. This will breathe life into them. Some authors find this easiest when thinking of a person they already know. You may not want your character to share ALL of the characteristics of the person you have in mind, but they can inspire you. 

Questions to get you started:

Write down the following about your character:
Name:
Birthday:
Last Name:
Personality:
How many siblings?
Are their parents together?
What language do they speak at home?
What don’t they like?
What do they really like?
What is their favourite food?
What is their favourite music?
What are their hobbies?
Favourite words?
Physical attributes (eyes, hair):

Publishing Tip: If you are self-publishing and working with the illustrator you can tell them exactly how you picture your characters. If you are being published traditionally, the publisher chooses the illustrations etc.)

Do you have a children’s book you want to publish?

Laundry Books is accepting applications for children’s books. Deadline November 20, 2019
I will be taking 6 aspiring authors through the ins and outs of perfecting their stories, teaching them marketing and at the end of our time together – I will publish their books!

As a mom of four, I have always been aware of how important my children’s mental health is. I listen to what they say to themselves, and how they talk to others. It is a great indicator of what is going on inside. One day, I heard my daughter, in front of the mirror, talking. She was in Grade 6 at the time. 

Well, she wasn’t so much talking as complaining. 

“Mommy, why does my hair have to be so frizzy?”

“Why are my legs so short”

“It’s not fair! Why do I have so many pimples on my face?”

Nothing I would say would make her stop. All the nice things I was pointing out about her were completely ignored. It wasn’t until I went up to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said “You are bullying yourself!” that she stopped.

But, she didn’t just stop. I saw clarity in her eyes that she understood.

Why did this make such an impact? She listens to everything that is taught to her at school. She has listened to many anti-bully talks, and the last thing she wants to do is be “the bully.”

The thought that she was bullying herself was enough to get her to stop.

That was one of those rare moments when the hair on my arm stood up. I knew I was on to something big. From there I went straight upstairs and started writing the first draft of The Big, Bad Bully. 

A lot of us are our biggest bullies. The words and thoughts we think about impact us dramatically. Our thoughts can either enrich us, or do us harm. Our thoughts can either bring us happiness, or bring us a lot of pain.

So, how do you change negative self-talk into something positive? Something that works FOR you instead of against you?

I remembered the mirror exercise that Jack Canfield taught to us at one of his training seminars and I used it to help her change the inner dialogue. Instead of criticism, to focus on positive things.

I truly feel this is a message that every child needs to hear. The first step to stopping negative self-talk is to be aware that it is even happening in the first place! I’ve got some resources below that can help with bringing that awareness to your children. 

Hugs!

Miriam  

Self-Esteem Resources

Pro Tip: download and print The Mirror Exercise and the HOW TO : Tape it to your mirror and do it with your children daily.

Self-Esteem expert Jack Canfield and noted educational speaker Miriam Laundry reveal that the biggest bully in a child’s world is not lurking around the corner but living inside her head.

Join the Authors Oct. 30, 2019

• includes a reading of The Big, Bad Bully with the authors and self-esteem building exercises 
• is all about helping kids recognize and address negative self talk 
• is 30 – 45 min long
• is best for grades 3-8
• will be available as a video after the LIVE reading
• is perfect for classrooms or at home 
• takes place at 10:00 am PST (1:00pm EST) on October 30, 2019.

What is a Mastermind Group and Why you NEED to Find One

One of the biggest things that I find helps with going for any sort of goal, personal or professional, is a Mastermind Group. If you haven’t heard of them already, they are a consistent factor of success and have been around for along time. “The Vagabonds,” for example, were a mastermind group that included Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren G. Harding and Harvey Firestone. The evidence of their success still influences our world today. 

What exactly is a Mastermind Group?At its core, it's a group of people that meet on a regular basis (either in person or online), hold each other accountable, and give each other input. Imagine being part of a group of successful people that you can present your problems to and get advice from.  

I have never attended a motivational class or seminar where the speaker didn’t recommend them. I have been a part of a few myself and can speak to their effectiveness in keeping you focused and giving you fresh insight, IF they are run correctly.

What an Organized Mastermind Group Might Look Like

1. Invocation: This sets the space and tone of the meeting. Some call on a higher power to direct and influence the group. 
2. A round of “What is New and Good”: Each person takes 1 minute to share a brief success story of what has happened since the last time you spoke.
3. Negotiate for Time: An opportunity for those who may require more time to get it. For example, someone may be launching something new or have an unexpected personal situation, while others may not have much happening and are willing to give up some of their time. The goal is to make sure everybody’s needs are met.
4. The Main Round: Individual members speak while the group brainstorms and shares ideas or solutions. Bring up whatever it is you need help with from the group. This part is rapid and reminds me a bit of popcorn. People start giving ideas in quick, short sentences. You want as many ideas as possible. If you need to continue talking more about this, you can arrange with that person to talk at length on your own time. Can be personal or professional. You usually have only 7-10 min for your allowed time since it depends on how many people are in the group. The person who takes on the role of the Timer keeps track of this and indicates when it's done.
5. Commitment: A round where everyone makes a commitment (30 seconds) of what they are committing to do over the next two weeks. It should be a stretch, something that challenges you.
6. End with Gratitude: This may be a group prayer expressing gratitude or a quick round where everyone at the table expresses gratitude for something. 
7. Be prepared to report on your commitment at the next mastermind meeting. 

Things I have Found Vital to a Successful Mastermind

1. The roles of Invocator, Timer and Leader are all filled. Each role is vital to the success and focus of the group.
2. Having a Timer that is on top of things is very important. Once a meeting starts going over time, people start resenting and dropping out. It is the number one thing that torpedos a good group.
3. Having an experienced leader is a huge asset. This brings a level of focus and experience that you don’t find with masterminds without leaders. They aren’t there for themselves, so they can focus on making sure everyone else is getting what they need from it. 
4. Rotating the Invocator role. Everyone has different beliefs and world views, so switching it up promotes a diverse, open environment. Everyone needs to feel comfortable sharing their goals. It requires a certain level of vulnerability.
5. Ideal size is 5-7 participants. Not too small and not too big. Too big, and the call will last forever. Too small, you limit the creative input.
6. Must be regularly scheduled. I have found bi-weekly works the best for me. 
7. Lasts no more than 60-90 minutes.

Where to Find a Good Mastermind Group

I have always found that going to motivational seminars puts me in contact with people who know where to find the best mastermind groups. You can meet people who run their own Masterminds (for a price) and get recommendations from other attendees. 

If you are an author, or considering publishing, I have a Mastermind Group starting in January 2020. This mastermind group has extra benefits in that you will also have your book published within the year. It is a package deal that includes publishing your book, the mastermind group and expert one-on-one advice along the way. It is only for authors looking to publish children’s books. Accepting book idea submissions now.   

If you have more questions, I would be happy to chat with you. Email me to book a call.

Hugs,

Miriam