Karen Whiting the Author

If you ever wonder why your children can all be so different and how some seem easier to get along with, your family may be a lot like mine. We have a variety of personalities that resemble the characters at Pooh Corner. Once I understood each child's personality it made life easier and more fun as I saw each child's loveable qualities in a new light.

My creative juices are always flowing and spill over into my books and hundreds of articles. I love playing with children and have five children, now teen through adults, and five grandchildren. I was a contributing writer for Focus on the Family's Focus on Your Child magazines. I also write regularly for two other publications.

One outlet for my creativity is in my passion to connect activities and fun to spiritual insights. It helped my children know that God is involved with all aspects of life. I weave that in my books, such as connecting crafts for tweens with virtues of Biblical women in my God's Girls series. I'll have new books for tween girls coming out (probably in 2009) that focus on creating miniature crafts and finding insights into little things in the Bible.

I understand the hearts of families who keep being uprooted as our family moved many times, while my husband, Jim, spent twenty-two years in the Coast Guard. We have lived on Maryland's eastern shore for just a few years.

In addition to writing, I'm a speaker and often on radio as a guest. In 2007 I traveled to Russia to speak and minister to families. I had the adventure of swimming in the Black Sea and helping children to make puppets...I don't speak Russian and they didn't know English, but puppetry is a language of the heart and we connected. Through a translator I helped people who minister to families to give them tools to use to help strengthen family communication skills, manage time, and treasure one another.

It's amazing to know my words and thoughts have touched people so far away. I majored in math in college, so I never expected to write. I loved raising my five children and people kept encouraging me to share from the wealth of experiences I created for my family. I prayed about writing and God actually gave me a vision. Then, within hours, I received a painting of the vision and knew God had called me to write. I'm thankful that God has used me to help others.

Karen's Latest Articles from Suite101.com

Hooks to Get Media Interviews

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:33:38 PST
Authors can provide relevant content that media continually needs, and market a book to benefit the audience and themselves, but it all starts with a good pitch.

Valentine Crayon Melt Fun

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:23:49 PST
Transform old crayons into beautiful stained glass artwork to help children warm up friends' hearts with crayon melt valentines and other heart crafts.

Developing a Calm Response Behavior

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:37:52 PST
On ships, staying calm at sea is a learned behavior that sailors develop with experience and practice of handling a ship. Relaxation habits help people remain calm.

Family Fun for New Year's Day

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:08:09 PST
Start January with a focus on improving minds, bodies, souls, and family bonds with some simple activities.

Setting Goals for the New Year

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:57:17 PST
People who desire lasting change will find setting a strategy and plans will turn the desire into reality much sooner than simply resolving to improve.