NEW, exciting culturally-relevant illustrated storybooks for "Big Kids" (grown-ups in their 20s, 30s, 40s and up), from these first-time co-authors, Janet Snyder and Kathleen Canova.

Their lived experiences and bold, authentic voices tell of challenging journeys navigated to "becoming" and "being" mature grown-ups.

Co-published with Canadian-based Hasmark Publishing, International, their first five (5) books in this Silver Series of Grown-Up Wisdom, include the titles:

Why We Created Silver Series of Grown-Up Wisdom ~ 

Committed to our passion for better understanding ourselves, and others, we wanted to "deal with," "call out" or bring attention to familiar life experiences and human behaviors using our bold, authentic voices and share the wisdom of humans who've been there before. It's our belief, that mature female voices, in particular, are critical to creating a more empathetic and healed society. We want to entertain, inspire humans, and offer hope through these telling these stories!

~ Peggy McColl, New York Times Best-Seller, World-Renowned Wealth, Business & Manifestation Expert

Bertha was in familiar company as she sat with the regulars in her favorite neighborhood pub. She came to socialize. Everybody knows everybody here. Some come to drown their problems; enough liquor makes them forget. 

Bertha comes to let her opinions be known. Bertha brings her baggage.

Bertha learned a long time ago ~ alcohol works wonders to hush her emotions and keep them hidden deep down inside. Bertha, she carried a LOT of baggage. Bertha often exclaimed, “Life’s a bitch and then you die!” 

Sometimes when Bertha walked through the front door of the pub, the bartender could tell by the look on her face, she was bringing baggage into his bar.

Baggage.
Baggage.

If those bags had labels they would read, Unworthiness. Scarcity. Low Self-Esteem. Anger. Resentment. Jealousy. 

Conformity can be good, or bad; but it doesn’t lead us to community. Connie was born into a well-to-do family that prided themselves on the beliefs of their political affiliation. Her ancestors owned slaves, although her family agrees, this was not their fault.

Connie’s family believed they’d had enough of this total bullshit, (as they described it); eight long years with the country’s first Black President. They didn’t agree with a single move or idea from him. And, all of Connie’s friends and their families shared the same views.

But, occasionally, Connie wondered if there might be a way for both political parties to work toward bi-partisanship so we could all live in harmony.

One day, Connie proclaimed, “Mom, I’ve been thinking about taking my own path and registering as an Independent Voter.”

“Constance Suzanne!  I don’t ever want to hear you speak of something so foolish again," replied her mother in a very stern voice.

“As long as you are a part of THIS family and we pay your college tuition, you are to put that nonsense out of your pretty little head. We will NOT talk about this again!”

Shortly thereafter, Connie met a tall, handsome young man named Ralph. He shared the same ideology as most everyone around her. Connie’s parents simply adored Ralph and encouraged her to pursue this relationship with gusto. 

In 1958 “political party” was not a deciding factor in considering a romantic relationship. Today, deep-seated political positions trump personal integrity with 79% not willing to choose someone of an opposing party. Yep…that’s conformity.

Want to know more about the path Connie chose?

It’s part of human nature to make excuses, but has it become your last name? Sometimes, we can take it a bit too far!

Edith and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. Edith always seemed to be the one with a dramatic song and dance when she needed an excuse not to participate in certain activities with Ellie. At other times, she seems very evasive.

Whether it’s an invitation for dinner together, or an outdoor concert, or a recommendation to use an organic hair product, or even the suggestion of a walk or workout routine, Edith almost always answers Ellie, without any hesitation in defiant justification.

“What else have you been up to, Edith? Tell me about that short storybook your daughter Evelyn gave you to read. What’s the name of it, again?” asked Ellie.

“That weird book, OOOH Crap! We Become What We Think About,” roared Edith.

“Isn’t that the dumbest name anyone's ever heard?”

“It says right here; give yourself permission to start a new path. What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a little too late for me to be starting a new path at 77 years old!” 

“It’s called a “Story Book Path,” Edith says with sarcasm.

“And I certainly don’t have time to hear about some ridiculous stories!” 

“I’m no damn kid, that’s for sure!”

Damn!...DAMN!! …and shit fire, shit!!!

Just like every other wanna-be-dictator, Herbert Hatred invaded our sensibilities and focused on who he could hurt the most - women and minorities.  

Daily, he paints foreigners and immigrants as potential threats. Herbert Hatred challenges women’s social status, undermining gender equality and interfering with laws protecting women’s reproductive rights.

Herbert, extremely self-absorbed, a masterful liar, and compassionless, with a sadistic personality embodied hatred. 

His playbook tactics were filled with ramped-up rhetorical rants, deep-seeded anger, rage and evil hatred. 

He was masterful at riling it up, stoking it, fueling it through repetition, and using it to advance his own personal desire to be the “Boss of all of us, FOREVER.”

But, we’ve been there before. Political unrest and a nation divided was well documented during this Nation’s Civil War era, where families' allegiances were deeply divided and brothers fought each other. 

Today, 1,400+ organized hate groups and anti-government entities are creating havoc throughout this Nation. 

We’ve witnessed failed governments all across the globe. 

Could we possibly lose this Nation’s democracy, too?

Ulla’s all-time favorite expression is “What the World?!

One of her earliest childhood memories was a very painful one. Ulla was about 4 years old. She woke up in the middle of the night, throwing up, sick in her bed.  She needed her mommy! Ulla went to awaken her mother and this is when she came face-to-face with her mom’s inner demons, pent-up anger, and uncontrollable rage.

Ulla’s mom shouted in a nasty tirade the entire time she was cleaning Ulla up, jerking everything about and changing the soiled sheets. “Don’t even think you are getting into bed with me!!” As Ulla sobbed herself back to sleep after that dreadful experience, she remembered feeling woefully guilty and utterly ashamed. “What the World?!”

This was one of the dark memories from Ulla’s early childhood. 

Today, we would call this early childhood trauma, abuse. However, it would take many more years for Ulla to recognize it as such; and, for her to begin to understand the deep roots of scarcity and unworthiness that she manifested.

Many decades later, Ulla, much older and a wee bit wiser, decided to search for answers to some of her most probing life questions.

Do you know anyone like Ulla?

Janet Snyder, is the creator of StoryBookPath.com a 30-day personal development program and eBook designed to help you discover and live the life you love and desire. After finding her enthusiastic, authentic voice and true strength from her own personal struggle with the negative aftereffects endured from mental and emotional childhood/young adult trauma, Janet’s fulfilling her life purpose of helping others.

Also, Founder of StoryBook Cottages, she uses her well-earned degree for interior design and her vivacious love of the earth designing playhouses constructed from recycled materials and sustainable living green rooftops. Janet is the mother of three and a “Nan” to her grandchildren who also live in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. 

Kathleen Canova, successful entrepreneur and founder of the Canova Group, LLC, has facilitated and educated many regarding domestic crisis intervention, including deep emotional and spiritual healing practices. Rooted from her own lived experiences, and after extensive training and certifications, she shares her heartfelt hope, passion and inspiration with humankind. 

Living in Westminster, Colorado near her adult children and grandchildren, who affectionately call her “Yaya,” she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends when she’s not reading, writing and traveling.

In the Fall of 2022, Kathy invited Janet to visit in Colorado! While they’d become friends back in Junior High School in Louisville, Kentucky in the 70s, they’d been focused on their own life journey for decades. After spending time together, during those clear, crisp mornings in the Rocky Mountains, catching up on their own lived experiences in authentic and transparent conversations, enjoying warm beverages, that often flowed into evenings over refreshing glasses of pinot grigio … suddenly, the seeds were planted for Silver Series of Grown-Up Wisdom.

📚 Welcome to Booktopia — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a vibrant collective of writers, authors and artists collectively running crowdfunding projects from September 5th - September 26th.

🔥 Limited Cross-Collaboration Freebies — All 50+ Booktopia creators have paired up with a fellow participant to create two unique and limited freebies together. If BOTH projects successfully fund, backers who support BOTH will get the TWO [2] cross-collab freebies listed on their campaign page, one will ship from each creator. The more pairs of Booktopia creators you support, the more freebies you will earn ✨

🧧 1 FREE Limited Edition Booktopia 2024 reward if you back FIVE [5] or more projects. Exclusive reward for Booktopia - Black Metal Bookmark (*design coming)

The first five books of the series will launch on October 15th. 
They will be sold on Amazon.com.
Volume orders will be available on Ingram-Spark.com.

**Shipping fees will be calculated and collected post campaign in the Pledge Manager**

Shipping charges will vary based on the weight, and size of items being shipped to your location.
US Postal will be our preferred method of shipping all packages.
The most reasonable rates provide by US Postal will be charged.

At the back of EVERY BOOK we publish in the Silver Series of Grown-Up Wisdom, you will be invited to join the 30-Day, Entry Level Program for Personal Development.

Sign up and receive the FREE Introductory Guidebook, "OOOH Crap! WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT."

We provide heartfelt, entertaining, real-life stories of adversity about the challenges of overcoming the after-effects endured from psychological and emotional childhood/young adult trauma.

The program includes inspiring audio files that arrive daily in your email.

The Silver Series of Grown-Up Wisdom is proud to have an online presence at www.storybookpath.com.