Karen Struck is the author of the new children’s book, Three Paws. In this week’s new episode, Karen shares the hurdles in her life that became great motivators. From her journey attending nursing school, being kicked out of her home by her father, to hitting rock bottom - she shares the lessons she’s learned along the way, the perspective she gained, and her decision to keep focusing on her dreams. Her determination and her perseverance to become a nurse helped her endure the difficult years. Karen’s goal is to create unique, and entertaining characters who inspire children to dream big dreams, to focus on the positive aspects of their lives. As she shares in this week’s new episode, she discovered the joy of children's literature as she read to her daughter each night. By the time her daughter was close to graduating high school she discovered a new passion, a desire to write children’s books. Inspired by the Harry Potter book series, and decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children's Literature. Last summer, she pulled out the story she wrote 12 years and decided it was time to get it published. Three Paws, her debut book, is the first book published in the Three Paws Series.

In Three Paws, Karen shares the story of Boots, a grizzly bear cub who faces new struggles after permanently injuring his paw. Rooted in friendship and acceptance, Boots’ journey of learning new skills as he navigates his disability as told through Three Paws is perfect for young children, whether they are learning to survive their own challenge or simply to understand those who may appear “different”. No matter our background, we can all relate to Boots and his story: one of perseverance and never giving up on our dreams, even if the odds are stacked against us. As Karen shares, like Boots we all have struggles in life that we must deal with in order to progress forward and grow. Life challenges can be both humbling and inspiring depending on your perspective but overall our experiences can help us gain compassion for others. Boots’ adventures in Three Paws encourages children to be bold and make new friends, all while allowing themselves the room to grow and learn new things. It promotes the importance of both independence and inclusivity, and how both together can function to provide acceptance, encouragement, and positive growth for a child.

“As I tweaked my manuscript last summer, I felt a connection to my main character. Like most of us, we must find that inner strength to help us work through challenges and achieve our dreams. Boots is a symbol of anyone who has a dream, faces adversity, rises above their challenges by setting realistic goals and asking for and accepting help when needed. We are all in this game of life together.”

— Karen Struck

Tune in on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bZHrtjAzbksbLWNaak1NM

Tune in on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-inspiring-joy/id1510488632

To learn more about Karen and her new book you can connect with her on her website www.karenstruckauthor.com and via email karenstruckrn@gmail.com

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.