Q: From a red rubber cover on your newest release Bounce Back, to recommendations from such great minds as Depak Chopra I'm not at all surprised at your energy and success. Please tell our readers more about Bounce Back.
KAREN:
A few years ago I went through a series of tough setbacks -- so many challenges all at once -- I kept waiting for a Candid Camera crew to pop out from behind the planter in my livingroom! I was eager to understand the psychology of resliency for my own situation -- and while researching and testing out what I was learning it became a passion to want to share my resiliency tips with others -- and so I wrote this book. This book is a true labor of love. I like to think that these tips transcend specific problems and instead apply to any hardship, whether it be in one's love life, career life or health -- you name it. The book features 75 helpful, insightful, and dare I say FUN ways to overcome hardships. Each tip has a corresponding "Bounce Back Assignment" where I give readers a call to action. I also elicit a lot of studies, tests, and scientific research in my book because I loved reading these on a personal level -- to help myself and educate myself after my trauma -- and because my aim for the BOUNCE BACK BOOK is to really help as many people out there as possible to be more resilient during tough times -- and so to write simply aspirationally and inspirationally will only help folks so much! Writing informationally will TRULY help people be as resilient as they humanly can be!
Q: Just reading the information and sample pages on your website made me rush right over and buy the book (shh don't tell, I bought a couple others you have there also). This book offers help for people facing all sorts of crisis in their lives. You use a very up beat and positive attitude in your advice. It's almost as if you say, "smile and the happy will follow." Is that your philosophy? I'm sure I'm putting it too simplistically - So, what is that attitude that I feel in your writing?
KAREN: You're on the right track. I believe that our lives are not the outcomes of our experiences, but how we interpret and then respond to these experiences. I say "When life throws you curve balls, hit them out of the park." For example, if you've been fired, consider starting up your own company. If you've been dumped on your toosh, dust yourself off -- and consider moving to Paris for a year! Basically you must keep your eye on the prize of happiness -- even in the midst of failure and setbacks. There will certainly be zig zags along the way, but if you keep your eyes on this happiness prize, you will emerge as a victor not a victim. As Henry Ford said, "Obstacles are just those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
Q: When you aren't busy writing your next best seller where will we find you on Sunday morning at dawn, or Thursday for lunch? What is your favorite pastime?
KAREN I operate mainly out of my favorite little café called "Antique Café" in New York City. You can find me there almost around the clock! I'm usually chatting with people, or doing some writing. But I also love to read all sorts of books, especially philosophy books. I have big fat crush on Aristotle. In a way he is the world's first self help book author. He wrote about happiness way back in 327BC -- and what he says is still brilliant and relevant today. Indeed I am working on a whole book on Aristotle's philosophies on happiness. I also love working out, yoga, movies, art of all kind, traveling, cooking. I make a mean marinara sauce!
Q: What made you leave an extremely successful advertising career for a writing career?
KAREN When I worked in advertising, our ad department clinched a very high profile client. At the same time, my art director's wife became pregnant. Nine months later, the baby was born, and we hadn't even completed our high-profile ad campaign -- because there were so many focus groups - ironically defocusing us from producing the TV spot. It was actually easier to produce a live human being than a TV commercial! At that point I knew that the slow moving and bureaucratic office culture wasn't for me. Although I got to express myself creatively through advertising, I wanted more independence and autonomy - so I quit and started writing books.
Q: If you could give us one piece of advice that might change our outlook on life what would that advice be?
KAREN: It's all about how you look at your situations. Seek out the happiness in all of life's crappiness. Always look for the lesson to be learned. Think of yourself as a student not a victim. With the right attitude the worst of times can morph into the best of times.
Thank you so much for your time Karen. Please tell us where we can find out more about you, your writing and events where we might meet you in person.
Thank YOU! You can visit my website at www.notsalmon.com, where you can purchase books and learn more about my experiences. There's also a shop there where you can buy adorable, inspiration totes, or what I call "Positive Emotional Baggage" that read "Be Happy, Dammit."
ALSO, I want your readers to know that if someone purchases my book they're eligible to enter my Bounce Back contest for a chance to a free Fairmont Spa vacation! (Yes! A fabulous spa package for 3 days/2 nights for two people -- and 2 personalized spa treatments for each person at Willow Stream Spa in gorgeous Fairmont Newport Beach, California. You will be indulged like never before in one of seven decadent treatment rooms appointed with oversized spa beds!) Simply buy THE BOUNCE BACK BOOK before July 1st and send me the proof of Amazon receipt to notsalmonstafff@notsalmon.com. Then you have until August 1st to send me an uplifting story of glory over a tough time. Submissions should be between 400 and 1200 words and depict your personal tale of "woe" to "wow." Looking forward to hearing about your incredible come-back!!
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