I am giddy with joy to share that in a few short weeks my debut book will hit the shelves!
I have dreamed of being a published author ever since I was a little girl, and at 39 years old, it’s officially happening.
Birthing this book has been a sweet, sacred process, and it is truly a delight to share news of it on the same day that my actual baby was birthed into the world. (Happy 8th birthday to my Chloe!)
Here’s the thing though. (There’s always a backstory with me, right?)
This book is seriously not at all what I expected to write.
For three solid years now I’ve poured myself into writing fiction. I’ve penned an entire first draft of an adult thriller and have begun three other novels in varying stages of completion. I’ve taken classes. I’ve read books on writing craft. I’ve written faithfully each week with my writing partner.
I have put. in. the. WORK.
But this past spring I began getting whispers about letting it be easy. Ease is one of my core values, and something about the way I’d been writing just felt so gd HARD.
With guidance from two badass writing doulas, I set out to write something simple. Tiny. Mighty. Easy.
My sister is always telling me I need to write a parenting book. That the way I speak to my daughter and the ways I help her see the world and know herself are unique. And since my sister is so clearly channeled so often, I listened.
I sat down and wrote the most in-depth outline ever. I mean, I outlined the shit out of this whole mindful parenting concept. I was on fire jamming that thing with idea after idea after idea.
I sent it to my writing coaches, and in the most loving way they were like, “Um, what happened to simple?”
I honestly felt kind of defeated at first. And then I sat with the outline, and I realized they were right. Sure, there were nuggets of wisdom in there and a whole lot of lived experience, but it didn’t feel like me. It didn’t feel light. It was all head and no heart.
So with a blank page, I started over. I asked what my coaches call my “Hut” (Heart + Gut) to take over, and I let the words hit the page from a different place.
What came out was a love letter to my daughter. All the wisdom, all the advice, all the universal truths I want her to know and to embody came pouring out of me in the form of 12 empowering poems.
And on September 2nd, the first title by Kayla Floyd will be released:
Wondrous You: Empowering Poems for Magical Kids
Wondrous You is full of not only all the universal truths I teach my daughter but also the things I continually remind myself. It’s for the child in all of us. The child that deserves to know that they are loved, they are worthy and who they are matters.
I’ll be sharing more about the book in the coming weeks including the gorgeous cover and the breathtaking illustrations that accompany the words. I feel absolutely pregnant with possibility and am so damn proud of this piece of myself embodied in this gorgeous little book.
I’ll also be asking for your love and support in buying the book, reviewing it on Amazon and spreading the word to anyone who you think would enjoy its message.
Thank you in advance for rallying behind this tiny book of big truths. I am already deeply grateful.