Monday, July 30, 2012

New Blog post by Deanie Humphrys - Dunne


Carla Burke is the author of two books: "I Spy a Dragonfly" and "My Name may be Peanuts but I Say Nay to PB& J." Her book,"I Spy A Dragon Fly" was chosen to receive the 2011 Christian Literacy Award.It was well deserved recognition for the years she spent writing and promoting it.
"I Spy A Dragonfly" is an endearing title for a children’s book. How did she come up with the idea for my book? In 2007 there was great deal of rain in San Antonio. One day she noticed swarms of colorful dragonflies darting about all over her property.She showed the dragonflies to her son, who was four years old at the time, hoping one would land on him. To their amazement, a small blue dragon fly settled on her son’s arm. He was so delighted that she wanted to write down their wondrous experience as a keepsake.In the end, her story became an enchanting children’s book instead.
Carla’s second book, "My Name may be Peanuts, but I say Nay to PB&J",concerns a very serious subject-food allergies. She wanted to educate children and parents about the dangers of food allergies. She hopes that her book will foster an understanding and prevent bullying of children who suffer from food allergies.
Does Carla have a work in progress? Yes, her new book will be released soon. It concerns therapeutic riding and the benefits to children with disabilities. Riding can be a life changing experience to children, not only physically, but emotionally as well. It helps them build self esteem.
Are you wondering what Carla enjoy s in her spare time? She loves volunteering at Saddle Light Therapeutic Riding Center. She enjoys seeing the tremendous changes that riding makes to the students there and satisfies her passion for horses as well. She’s a busy mom to her children, Sean and Amanda, and a devoted wife to her husband, Phil. If you’d like to purchase her books, please visit:http://www.carlasburke.com or http://www.amazon.com/author/carlaburke

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

My worst nightmare as a mom of a child allergic to peanuts.


A young woman nearly died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a cake that promised to be peanut-free. Preethi Koshy, a 22 year old who has been diagnosed with a serious peanut allergy, spent three days in the ICU after eating just a single bite of a cake her mother had purchased for her.
Her mother asked the vender at the food festival where the cake was sold whether it contained peanuts. The vender insisted it was peanut-free, though a later investigation revealed that the cake actually contained a high quantity of peanuts – some bites may have been more than 50% peanut.
As soon as she took a bite, says Koshy, she knew it contained nuts. “I knew it was really serious. I could feel my throat swelling up and my breathing stopping” she explained to the Daily Mail, adding “I know I am lucky to be alive. The doctors said if I had gone two minutes longer without treatment, I probably wouldn't have survived.”
The company that sold the treat has now been fined £7,500 ($11,500) because it lied to Koshy's mother about the ingredients in the cake.
Reflecting on the amount of the fine, Koshy complained “The fine does not hit home hard enough and doesn't reflect how close I was to losing my life. They passively told my mum there were no peanuts in it, without thinking how serious the outcome could have been.”

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Life-changing wisdom and guidance for embracing transitions.


I'm a co-author in this book. That's my picture on the bottom left!  Go buy the book, you will love it!


Like you, I’m on a quest to live life the way I want to. To be fulfilled at home and at work. To really know who I am and to bring my talents to the world.
But let’s face it. Life can be tough. Especially when unexpected, sometimes drastically life-altering circumstances occur.
Well now there’s a new book that is chock-full of inspiration and deeply honest stories from women around the world who have not only faced, but survived and thrived through transitions. And they’re women entrepreneurs just like you and me.
I have recently written a chapter and reviewed an advance copy of Sheri McConnell’s new Smart Women Series™ book titled Smart Women Embrace Transitions: How to Lean into Change with Your Body, Mind, and Soul.
And let me tell you, it’s one you don’t want to miss!
If you’ve never read one of Sheri’s books, now is definitely the time to do it. Because we all face transition, and there is nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed or alone during the process.
The book is smartly broken down into sections which include health, divorce, loss of loved ones, adoption and multiple transitions. There is something to be learned from each one of these powerful women, whether you’re in a similar situation or not. Their wisdom and guidance is what EVERY women needs to hear, regardless.
Each woman’s unique story reveals the thoughts and emotional processes that happened to them before, during and after their transition. And the amazing change in mindset is the prevalent common denominator that moves them forward.
If you read each story, you’ll get the nuts and bolts of the heartfelt insight every woman shares, and an incredible close-up and personal window into their soul.
Women love to learn, share, and grow together. We need to lean on each other, no matter what life throws at us. And this is the perfect book to help you do that.
So grab your copy today and find out how to lean into transitions with your body, mind, and soul. Your purchase will also help Amnesty International.http://www.smartwomenwhy.com
Go ahead and tell your friends, too. You never know who will get the ‘a-ha’ insight they needat exactly the right time to help them move through change with grace and gratitude and emerge with confidence and a deeper sense of who they really are.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Macon, GA Teen Dies of Allergic Reaction

It scares me to see this.  Another death!  Just proves how Peanut Allergic children are not safe eating anywhere.  Even in what we consider "safe restaurants" there is a chance of cross contamination.  This is something I worry about every day with Amanda.


Macon, GA Teen Dies of Allergic Reaction

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

This is my interview with Beachbound Books!

Meet Carla Burke, Author of I Spy a Dragonfly

Picture
How did you come up with the idea for your first book, I Spy a Dragonfly?
In the Spring of 2007 we had a tremendous amount of rain here in San Antonio.  Soon after the rain stopped there were hundreds of dragonflies everywhere.  They were so abundant that they would hit my windshield as I drove into the driveway.  They were everywhere!  Big, small, fat, blue, green, skinny - I just couldn't get enough of them and became fascinated by them.  I took my son, who was 4 years old, out back to see the dragonflies.  I told him to hold out his arm and that maybe one would land on him.  Sure enough and skinny, blue dragonfly landed on his arm and he thought that was the coolest thing.  I decided to write down that experience for a keepsake but ended up turning it into a children's book.

What was your favorite book as a child?

I love reading as a child, and my favorites were Dr. Suess and Mother Goose.

How many books have you written?
I have written two children's books.  My second book is called My name may be Peanuts, but I say Nay to PB&J.  It's about a little girl who suffers from peanut and tree nut allergies.  It is an educational book for all children who have food allergies.

I Spy a Dragonfly was awarded the 2011 Christian Literacy Award. What does that mean to you as an author?Winning the 2011 Christian Literary Award meant the world to me.  I had worked so hard for a several years just writing the book and getting it out.  I really felt humbled and honored.

What do you hope children will learn from your books?
With I Spy a Dragonfly, I hope children learn about nature and dragonflies which are very mysterious creatures because they can even fly backwards!
With My name may be Peanuts, but I say Nay to PB&J, I hope children learn how to accept a child who has to read every label before eating it which can sometimes lead to bullying.  I hope children learn become of aware of the terrible allergy and become more sensitive to the fact that not every child is alike.

Children's authors don't always get to choose who illustrates their books. Are you happy with how your illustrations turned out? Are the characters as you imagined them?I had a wonderful illustrator and am very happy with how the illustrations turned out.  The are actually exactly how I described my characters and scenes to her.  I feel very blessed that I worked with her.


Are you working on any other books?
I am working on a third book about children with disabilities and special needs and how therapy horses can help them become stronger physically and mentally.


You can find out more about Carla Burke and her books by visiting www.carlaburke.com.