“How long will it take you to publish that book?” “When will your book be done?” “Geesh, it takes a long time to write a book.” “You’ve read your book HOW many times?” “Did you seriously rewrite it multiple times?” These are all questions and statements I’ve heard A LOT in the past several months, especially since I decided to go “public” with my work as an author. The short answers to these questions: a long time, I don’t know for sure, YES, at least ten times, and y

So I wrote a book. What does that even mean? And what does it look like when I call myself a writer? Some people seem to think that authors sit and write for hours at a time, never leaving their office spaces, holing up in dedicated writing time all day. They wake up naturally to the sun shining through their curtains, make coffee in a perfectly clean kitchen, and sit down to write effortlessly perfect prose. The words flow easily for hours on end with no break other than t

Last month, I traveled with my three kiddos to visit my parents who retired a few years ago and decided to spend the winter months in a warmer climate. My dad has been a horse lover all his life, and even though he didn’t start roping until he was in his mid-forties, he’s become quite dedicated to the sport. Because of this passion, he and my mom chose a community in Wickenburg, Arizona where they live with their horses close by and have arenas, events, and trails on and near

Several years ago, I attended a community event where we started with introductions, telling the group our name, where we were from, and what we do for work or fun that defines our identity. I was a stay-at-home mom to three kids at the time, all of them preschool age and under, so I prepared myself to say that I spend my life as a mother and wife. When it came my turn to share, I began with the basics, and then told the group I am a writer. It sort of popped out, surprising

When I was a little girl, I kept a notebook of words that I loved. Words that intrigued me or stood out as I devoured book after book, words that sounded elegant or snappy both in my head and as I practiced saying them out loud. Words that looked pretty on paper. I’d go to the rows of encyclopedias and dictionaries that my parents bought from a traveling salesman, and I’d look those words up, carefully writing the definitions with my treasured, bright-colored ink pens. That l

Storytelling shapes how we understand the world. It connects us, teaches us, and sparks imagination. Kara Frei, a lifelong storyteller, uses her passion for words and character to inspire others. Her journey from classroom teacher to writer shows how stories can influence lives in meaningful ways. A Foundation Built on Education and Passion Kara Frei’s love for storytelling began early and grew through her education. She graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University with a degree