Now available through Amazon, Missy’s Voice… Expected to become available through other book retailers too. https://amzn.to/37OAepR
Missy’s Voice is a children’s book about a young singer who is tormented daily by bullies. The torment stems from jealousy. from kids at school. Missy reaches her breaking point, but eventually learns that everyone is likable and valuable. The bullies in this book learn that bad behavior is not rewarded.
Author: Karen Goeller
Illustrator: Andrew J Rodney
Pages: 56
ISBN: 9781708526627
An Interview with author, Karen Goeller
Where did you get the idea for this story?
Karen responded with, “Well, it was inspired by my own experience of being tormented by kids in my school and even some of their friends in the neighborhood that did not go my school. You see, we actually started out as friends. They did gymnastics and I did ballet and tumbling. During a gym class at school I thought they were better at tumbling than me and found out where they go for classes. My Dad brought me to the YMCA and signed me up. That was my passion from day one. I progressed so rapidly that the girls in my class became jealous. They soon stopped gymnastics, but made fun of my love for the sport. They would call me “Miss balance Beam” all the time. A few times they rang my doorbell and my Dad answered. When he answered I heard them say is Miss Balance beam there. My Dad laughed and closed the door on them. They tormented me whenever they saw me. It happened without adults nearby so no adults actually witnessed this constant tormenting other than my Dad the day he answered the door.
Did you tell your parents or any teachers?
“Yes, but nothing was done. At the time, any adult I told advised me to ignore them. That did not work and I had to deal with this until I graduated from that school. I could not wait for that to end.”
So, I guess your friends were on your gymnastics team?
“Actually, no. I was also teased by teammates at gymnastics, especially when we traveled to meets. A few teased me because I still looked like a child at 12 years old while they looked like adults. Calling me flat as a board was one of the phrases they said all the time. One teammate even told me she hated me because she was jealous of me. She said she was anorexic and hated that I was so skinny and some of my skills were better than hers. I actually did not hate her and continued to be nice because she said it nicely to me and it was a one-time thing. Some time after that she said she could not believe that I was still nice to her after she told me that she hated me. So no, I really did not have close friends at gymnastics.”
Did you tell the coach?
“Adults said to ignore them whenever they witnessed or I told them about the constant teasing and tormenting. So whenever I was at school or gymnastics there were people teasing and tormenting.
That sounds like a pretty difficult time in your life.
“Yes, it was hard to be teased and tormented on a daily basis. There was no escape from this daily teasing.
So, how or when did it stop?
“It stopped when I left that school and left the gym. I do not know how long it would have continued if I had to continue seeing these kids as I got older. It kind of did not stop because I was bullied in high school too, but the teacher and principal put an end to it as soon as they found out. That also stemmed from me doing gymnastics and likely jealousy. They knew me from camp. It was pretty interesting how that ended. One day they would not let me in the locker room after gym class. I finally pushed the door really hard and one of them fell into the sink. They told a teacher about me pushing the door open. When I was approached by the teacher I told them the whole story. The next day I was told that if they even look at me wrong they will be suspended. I hated that high school, but do give them credit for putting a stop to it as soon as they found out. So the answer to when did it end is really my second year in high school. And they graduated at the end of that year.”
How did it feel?
“It hurt and there was no adult when it first started who thought it should be stopped. I don’t think the adults realized that I had no escape. It was everywhere. I was little and shy so I guess I may have been a good target.”
What do you want people to get out of this book?
“I really wish people were more kind. You do not know what else is happening in someone’s life. “What you think is a little stress or no big deal may actually be someone’s breaking point.”
So, did you draw the pictures in this book?
“No. I do not have that talent. I hired an artist I know through the film industry, Andrew Rodney. I’ve respected his talent for years and knew he would be creative with these illustrations. I was thrilled to see how he translated my words into these pictures. He was really easy to work with too.”
Any other books in the future?
“No other books planned, but I did write this story as a script for a short film and am currently working on the feature-length film version. I’d love to connect with a producer who would like to take this project on.”
So, you seem to have written so many books. Is writing your passion?
“Actually, no. I really enjoy sharing knowledge and my thoughts, but my passions are training my athletes and going to ballroom. I competed in ballroom and had a blast. I’ll continue to write, but I really love being in the gym and in the ballroom.”
Karen has led an interesting life to this point. We look forward to seeing the popularity of this book grow and what the future holds.
To see all of Karen’s published books go to www.amazon.com/author/karengoeller. She has over 20 published books and countless articles and training programs in circulation. To read her full bio go to www.KarenGoeller.com.
Good luck to all with lymphedema… I know it’s very difficult…
Many people are not. But when it comes time to shovel the snow, pick up the groceries, do the laundry, or pick up that little family member who wants to be held many people simply can’t do it. It’s often not from injury or illness, it’s from being too sedentary for too long.
Go to 
Gymnastics Journal, a great way to start the new year… Get it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any major bookseller.
