I’m honoured to have special guest, Karin Freeland, in the September Spotlight! She is a certified Life Reinvention Coach and successful author with a fabulous sense of humour, a fresh and informative presence on Instagram, and a new book just released, titled Grab Life by the Dreams: The Essential Guide to Getting Unstuck and Living your Life of Purpose. Just wait until you hear more about it… it’s a definite must-add to your TBR pile! So stick around for an interview with Karin Freeland, and learn a little more about her new book!
Grab Life by the Dreams by Karin Freeland
Blurb:
Goodbye status quo, hello purpose-driven life: Your guide to building a regret-proof life today.
“I want more out of life . . . but where do I start?”
“I feel stuck. Why can’t I get out of my own way?”
“What’s my purpose and how do I make it happen?”
If you find yourself having these feelings, it’s time to Grab Life by the Dreams. Through personal examples, helpful exercises, and encouragement from someone who’s walked the walk, Karin Freeland will show you how to:
– Identify what you really want out of life so you can achieve success on your terms
– Embrace change and learn to cultivate your dream life one habit at a time
– Create a more confident version of yourself and attain a growth mindset
– Use a simple, proven 4-step process to truly EDIT Your Life(TM)
– And so much more….
Your past and current circumstances don’t have to define you or determine the future direction of your life. Grab Life by the Dreams is the key to getting out of the passenger seat of life and back into the driver’s seat. Buckle up-you’re about to embark on a life-changing ride!
Interview with Karin Freeland
- 1. Tell us about your new release?
Grab Life by the Dreams is a self-help geared to help women ditch the golden handcuffs and build a purpose-driven life. It’s the book I wish I had when I was feeling stuck and asking the big questions. You know, things like: “What’s my purpose? What am I here for? What am I meant to be doing with my life?” Women are going to learn the tools they need to change their circumstances and go for matters most to them.
The best part is the book has a Make it Happen section which helps readers implement and apply what they learn to their specific situation. It’s both a step-by-step guide and workbook at the same time. I truly believe each one of us has a dream placed in our heart for a reason. I want to help more high-achieving women follow their dreams by giving them permission to do something different! I’m also very fortunate because several of my coaching clients agreed to share their stories with readers. It’s nice to know that the EDIT™ process I teach works, but when you see it working for several women, it definitely increases your confidence in the methodology.
- 2. What’s your favourite childhood book?
I loved The Trumpet of the Swan and Where the Red Fern Grows. It was really fun when my son had to read The Trumpet of the Swan for school because I was able to relive the fun with him. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get either of my boys into Where the Red Fern Grows. I may just have to read it again on my own!
- 3. Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
With my first book, since it was a memoir, that was never an issue. The characters and stories were already created for me, so all I had to do was recall them and tell them in a compelling and comedic way. However, with Grab Life by the Dreams I did have a few moments where I thought I was going to have to hire a ghostwriter. Don’t worry – I didn’t, but the thought crossed my mind. Most of the writer’s block for me came when I felt I had fully expressed an idea and my editor told me, on the contrary, I needed to flesh it out more. That’s when walking away from the trouble spot and doing something else was helpful to get my creative juices flowing. The other thing I found useful was talking to people about the topic. By verbalizing it to others, I would usually see the types of questions they had and then bake those responses into the topic. And when all else fails, I just skip that chapter and come back to it, which is exactly what I did with Chapter 6: Let’s Get Spiritual.
- 4. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love spending time with family. I have two boys, so I spend a lot of time at their lacrosse games and cross country meets. We also enjoy hiking and camping. Going into nature is one of my favorite ways to rejuvenate. I’m also a Life Reinvention Coach so my days are spent helping amazing women revamp their careers and personal lives. It’s a high like no other to see women really going after the life they desire.
- 5. What do you find is the hardest part of writing?
Definitely the research! I’m not naturally someone who delves into stats and needs facts to back things up. I’m more of a trust your gut and try it on for size, then make a call about whether it works for me or not. However, I know a lot of readers will want that scientific backup. I was able to pepper in some facts throughout the book, which I hope readers will find useful. The second thing that was a bit challenging was being bold enough to share more about my faith and spirituality in Chapter 6. I think it’s a very important component to consider when you’re going after your big dreams but I know that looks different for everyone. I tried to share it in a really honest and open way, without pushing my beliefs on anyone. I hope readers will agree.
- 6. Share some advice for aspiring authors? What advice would you give to your younger self?
Just get started! Write the crappy first draft, hire a great editor, and get your story out into the world. I put so much pressure on myself to get the first draft of my memoir perfect before I shared it with anyone, but a lot of that was wasted time and effort. Many of the things I obsessed over, like getting the tenses right, my editor fixed during the editing process. Just focus on getting the story on paper. From there you can make it great! And whatever you do, don’t listen to your inner critic! She doesn’t know what she’s talking about – you are worthy, talented and capable.
- 7. Share a favourite line from one of your books.
In Chapter 1 of Grab Life by the Dreams, I share: “I thrived at dancing on the edge of burnout , wearing my workaholism like a badge of honor.” I think it’s such a relatable feeling for working women.
- 8. What is your writing process like?
I’m ultra-organized to be honest. I always have an excel file with my chapters outlined including the title, word count and a summary of what’s discussed. I often start with a more rustic pen to paper outline but then very quickly shift to something digital. I prefer to edit chapter by chapter with my non-fiction books. The way my brain works, going in a more chronological order helps.
- 9. How many unfinished/unpublished books do you have? Tell us a little about these WIP’s.
Only one at the moment. I’ve actually decided to deviate from my non-fiction roots and started writing a fiction book. I know I should probably be building a fan base, but I really just want to see if I can write an amazing, funny fiction book. The current word count is 9020 words. I’d share the working title, but I don’t actually like it and know it will be changing. But I’m obsessed with my new characters, Brock and Kayla. Brock is a handsome PE teacher, who stepped out on his wife, Kayla, with their nanny. Kayla is a gorgeous corporate workaholic, who never had time for her family and is trying to bury herself deeper into her work to avoid dealing with the trauma of betrayal. When she gets assigned a new account at work and lands the deal that makes the company’s year, she wins a company trip with the top executives. The only problem is the trip is for her and a plus one. Not wanting to face the embarrassment of being cheated on, she brings Brock along and they pretend to be a happy couple. But what happens when they stop pretending? Will all be forgiven and flames rekindled…. Who knows?! I’m still figuring all of that out, but I’m having a blast doing it.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @karinfreeland for all the latest updates.
Author Bio:
Karin Freeland is a certified Life Reinvention Coach who coaches high-achieving women looking to achieve success without sacrifice and make their dreams a reality. She’s also a speaker, podcast host and award-winning author. Her new book Grab Life by the Dreams empowers women to build a regret-proof and intentional life. Karin is a wife and mother residing in Greenville, SC.
Links:
Learn more about Grab Life by the Dreams and order at www.karinfreeland.com/dreams Follow Karin on Instagram @karinfreeland for the latest updates.
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Thanks everyone for tuning in! Hope you enjoyed this amazing spotlight on Karin Freeland as much as I did. Enjoy the rest of your September and don’t forget to keep reading!
💋 Lanie Mores
