Praise for Daring to Dream

~ From Bestselling Authors ~

"A truth-filled memoir packed with the raw feelings of one woman who dared to change her life. Karen Ely’s story will push other women toward their own authenticity." ~ Joan Anderson, author of A Year by the Sea

"Karen Ely's book, Daring to Dream, reveals an honest, authentic writer's voice. The reader comes away wishing for more, more." ~ Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way

"Reading Karen Ely’s account of finding her soul again, and burnishing it in the glow of her truth, is an archetypal story that we are all so hungry for and you will devour and learn from hers with gratitude. Karen is dedicated to helping women meet themselves on the path of life and celebrate their own beauty and their own meaning. Brava for your voice and vision in the world!" ~ Jennifer Louden, author of The Woman’s Comfort Book and The Life Organizer

~ From Readers ~

Daring to Dream will Get You Daring to Dream Again: In Daring to Dream Karen has written poignantly with naked truth and graceful humor of her experience along the universal solo journey to self. Any person who has chosen to embrace this journey to self is sure to find her/himself reflected time and time again among the words of these short pages. I invite you to pour a cup of tea, soak in a leisurely bath, light a candle, put on quiet music - whatever it is that will give you the freedom to sink deeply into Karen's words and walk this journey with her. Take time to be with the thoughts, feelings, memories it stirs within and I guarantee that you will find yourself "daring to dream" by its end. I know personally that Karen is one who walks her talk and I am blessed to have her friendship and her inspiration as my companions. Thank you, Karen, for the lighting the way for so many. ~ Laura Theimer

I Am Not Alone!: I laughed and cried with the recognition that I am not alone in my sometimes painful quest for happiness and contentment. I have been through divorce, menopause, life-threatening disease, and have felt completely sub-human and lost at times. This book validated my feelings, let me know that I am not different, stupid or weird, and ignited the hope that, yes, I can prevail over this and all adversity, will continue to grow and change, and it can all be for the best! "Daring to Dream" is Karen's intimate, personal story of her loss of identity and purpose that happens to all of us at one time or another. It's peppered with hope, courage, humor and positive action. I read this book in one sitting - couldn't put it down! I had to find out what she did next!! Even though she is sharing painful memories and experiences, she never falls into the "whining trap". If you are facing challenges in your own life, read this, know you are not alone and can rise above whatever life throws at you. ~ Debra Winslow

Practical, honest, funny, and brave; Karen's story is your story: There comes a time in every person's life, when doing what you've always done becomes a crime against your heart and soul. Karen writes about her life experiences with a dispassionate honesty and vulnerability that rips your chest open.

I have been on a path similar to Karen's for the past two years. It's incredibly hard to stay the course when you question and have to re-invent every thought and feeling in order to return to who you were; to become the butterfly emerging from a cocoon of lifelong "should be's". Karen's funny and eloquent portrayal of this process and way of being - in the proverbial moment - helps all of us understand and be comforted in the knowledge that we aren't nuts for wanting better.

If you want to know, in a practical sense, what it's like to finally become alive and conscious in your own life - read this book. To all of the women out there who feel stuck in wretched relationships, who put up with the idiots in their lives because they've been beaten down by the daily - sometimes hourly - struggle of surviving in relationship wars, who are in well paying jobs that suck them of their souls, or who were talked into being someone other than who they were when they were kids in order to conform and be accepted; read this book and dare to dream your own metamorphosis.

I've done it and am still going through it. Karen's book helped me understand what I was subconsciously doing and it brought my own feelings and intuition to a conscious level. I highly recommend you read this book and be brave enough to step into the unknown. Once you do it, you'll never look back. ~ Mary Ann Markowicz

A Peaceful Road: So many men and women have gone through these transitions in our lives and as the years go by we refer to them without emotion as my first husband, my second wife etc. Like the pain of childbirth we block the memories. Karen's book, gently and lovingly reminds us of the whole picture, the pains and the joys. A must read for those who have gone through it and for those who know someone else who is in transition. ~ Rose Moon

Understanding My Mother: I may not be one of the most objective reviewers, since I am one of the author's daughters, but I think the book is tremendous. I was apprehensive about reading it but I found that once I started I couldn't put it down. Not only did it allow me to understand what my mom was going through emotionally that year, but it also helped me get to know her much more deeply (more as a person, less like a mom). I believe the book would be incredibly helpful for anyone (man or woman) facing a divorce or other types of life changing situations. It's also a valuable resource for children to understand what their parents are going through. ~ Robin Grier

~ A Book Review ~

"From the first time I met Karen Ely I knew that she was a muse for other women. Her dream, she told me, was to create a way to provide women with the space and support they needed to find their vision and voice..." ~ Sylvia Somerville (click here for the full book review)