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Rose Padrick - Author

Rose's Room

This is where I come to slip off my shoes, sip a cup of tea, read a little, write a little and visit with my friends. If you've joined me before, welcome back! I hope you find something new that you will enjoy. If you're a new visitor, welcome! Please take a few moments to look around and let me know what you think.

Check out my Blog here.

Rose on All Things Books and Publishing Podcast

Rose on All Things Books and Publishing Podcast

How it All Started

Born in inner city New York, I moved at an early age to Florida, landing in Angel City, a small tight-knit community in Merritt Island.

Although I had not yet started school I enjoyed telling my new friends about the rides and funhouses of Coney Island, and what I couldn't remember I made up. So began my lifetime love of storytelling.

A childhood of having one foot in the big city and one running free in pre-air-conditioned Florida also affords me a unique perspective I use in my short stories such as Ties That Bind, and an upcoming autobiography.
I still make our home very close to the neighborhood where we were raised and would raise our five children. Shaving time from my day job and busy weekends to write isn't easy, but my love of story telling keeps me at the computer till the wee hours.
Rewarding myself with a "Grammy fix" -- grabbing a hug or a walk on the beach with one or more of my offspring, great-offspring, or great-great-offspring -- 43 in all (I think) -- keeps me in stories ... and in smiles.

Books

My Books

The Art of Grandparenting

by Rose Padrick

Filled with great advice, messages of love and understanding, and the dynamics of grandparent and grandchild that never make it to the TV screen!

The Absolute Best Way to Make the Holidays (almost) Stress Free

by Rose Padrick

A step by step guide, this little book shows how it IS possible to sail through the Holidays sans nervous breakdown ... almost. Annoying relatives and terrifying toy prices are not covered.

Where's Wags?

by Rose Padrick

Where's Wags? is an inner active children's book. The narrator is asking children to help her find her dog Wags so he can get a bath.

The Blinks

by Steve Sommer
& Rose Padrick, illustrated by Gina Martone

Wonderful children's story proving happiness can overcome unhappiness, ending in a lesson for all ages.

Are You Sure I Said I Thought This Was A Good IDea?

by Rose Padrick

This book is about our mostly hilarious, often scary, once in a while dangerous, adventures of a couple of Florida flatlanders dealing with simultaneous mid-life crises, menopause, and visiting grand-toddlers.

Gratitude

edited by Scott Tilley

This anthology is a collection of nineteen stories and poems expressing appreciation for the many good things in life. They go beyond a typical “Thank You” letter – they are powerful expressions of gratitude.

Spring

edited by Scott Tilley

Spring is traditionally a time when the circle of life begins again. It’s a time of new beginnings, full of hope and opportunity. It's also a time of redemption, when regrets from the past can be replaced by aspirations for the future.

Adversity

Space Coast Writers Guild

From the first page, Adversity thrusts you into the heart of characters grappling with life’s harshest trials. These stories lay bare the resilience of the human spirit, revealing the unexpected beauty that can emerge from each individual’s struggle.

Hope

Space Coast Writers Guild

We are human beings, and it is in our DNA to never lose HOPE. We HOPE to portray various types of HOPE so to inject some of that precious juice into our readers.

Reviews

“Ain’t Makin’ ‘Scuses by Rose Padrick is a touching play that is engaging from start to finish. The playwright does not give a place or time frame as to when the play is occurring. The plot is familiar, in that poverty and ignorance is prevalent throughout the play. The race or culture is not clarified. The cadence and colloquial language leans towards being an American story. This plot focuses on a man who has attained a difficult and challenging dilemma. He prays to God to give him the time and strength to fulfill his duty.
The playwright has only one character that speaks. She does not give the man a name. He speaks directly and openly to God for help. He has used his minimal education and wit to help his family somewhat climb out of poverty, but at times some of his actions were not ethical. He asks God to forgive his short-comings. He explains that he had no choice, he did what he did, out of necessity and survival --- malice was never his intent. At this point in life, he begs God to keep him alive for the sake of his mission. The character is strong and the plot is so determined that it is haunting. God is not one of the characters, but he is strongly present in the dialogue. There is a disparity between the lines that reveals the story of a distressed human being who is desperate to succeed. The task at hand would break any man, but he is begging God to give him the strength though he knows that he may fail.
A skilled actor would find creating this character a challenge due to the required emotional depth. This man is vulnerable, but resolute, both courageous and frail from one moment to the next.
“Ain’t Makin’ ‘Scuses by Rose Padrick is a well developed and powerful play. The plot is engaging. The script does not follow theatrical play formats, but no matter, the drama of this play comes through brilliantly.

Review of "Ain't Makin' 'Scuses" Play, M. Jennifer Wolf, Surfside Playwright Contest

Featured Work

I draw upon my experiences as a mother and a grandmother as inspiration for all my writing, but especially for my column "Rose's Room" which ran weekly in Florida Today newspaper for three years. In a newspaper readers survey Rose's Room was voted as one of two most popular columns in the entire newspaper. Rose's Room then became "Rose's Corner" and ran for a year in Seniors Today magazine.
Previously appearing monthly in Home Town News-Forever Young magazine Rose's Room is now appearing monthly in the Port Saint John Happenings newspaper.

My short article on how to handle adult children and their families moving back home appeared in Grandparents magazine. Woman's World magazine ran two of my 'Ordinary people overcoming adversity' stories as feature articles -the first ran three pages with pictures and the second a two page spread with pictures.
My short stories have appeared in such venues as Literary Liftoff – the official magazine of the Space Coast Writers Guild, and in various monthly magazines: Senior Life, The Best Of Times, Camping Today, Coastal Angler, Quiltworks, GRANDS!, RV Life, and Pet Gazette to name a few.
My yet-to-be published children's book ran as a monthly chapter feature in the Pet Gazette magazine and as a weekly cliffhanger in the Deland Beacon newspaper. I hope soon to change "Sparky's Adventures" status from "yet-to-be published" to "recently published."
"Open Letter to New Grandparents" and "First Holidays Without Grampa" were my contributions to Grand magazine and the book The Art Of Grandparenting (Nightengale Publications). My little musings appeared in anthologies published by Space Coast Writers Guild – "Adversity", "Change", "Gratitude", "Holidays through the Ages:, "Hope", "Perseverance", "Pets", and "Spring" all are available on Amazon and Kindle. Moon River Literary Journal has accepted my short stories "Hope" and "Lessons Learned."

My own books "The Absolute Best Way To Make The Holidays Stress Free...Almost!", "Are You Sure I Said I Thought This Was A Good Idea?", and "Where’s Wags?" are my book contributions to the reading world. "The Blinks" is a collaboration between my baby brother and I. All are available on Amazon and Kindle.

Sparky's Adventures

Serial story of a brave dog, his loyalty to a family, and the people who love him.

First Thanksgiving Without Grandpa

Memories of opening Christmas packages and running to Grampa to put it together-or bringing him a toy that had been played with a little too hard because he could fix anything.

Wags

A small dog with an invaluable bag of tricks and a can-do attitude

Share A Smile: Patchwork of Our Lives

This is a great place to showcase a sample of your written work or write a short description about your project. Did you collaborate on a print or multimedia project? If so, dazzle your visitors with images and video. Make sure to include a link to the full live project or document so readers can enjoy the entire piece.

Rose’s Room

Regular column detailing my fun and foibles as a grandparent.

Rose's Corner

Regular column featuring the life and adventures of a grandmother of dozens of wonderful children.

Rose’s Room

Regular column detailing my fun and foibles as a grandparent.

Rose’s Room & On The Road With Rose

Regular column detailing my fun and foibles as a grandparent.

Rose's Room

Regular column detailing my fun and foibles as a grandparent.

How to Handle Adult Children and their Families Moving Back Home

Nuanced, warm, and insightful advice on how to manage a blended household with adult children.

Featured Writer

Various articles on life as a Floridian and grandparent.

Ties That Bind

Literary Liftoff - Volume 1, Issue 2

Story about family, love, and hope in an old-Florida setting.

The Grapefruit Tree

How one tree became a symbol of an entire summer, and beyond.

Baby Sitting "Rules" for Sassy Grands, Dueling Grandmas: Staring Down "The Other One"

Downhome, folksy, and funny rules for spending time with your precious grandchildren.

Other Works

Space Coast Writers Guild Anthologies

My Husband's Perseverance
Change
Holidays through the Ages

Boca Raton News

Rose's Room

The Best Of Times

Various Articles

Camping Today

Camping with Toddlers, July 2007

Coastal Angler

Dolphin Mugging, June 2006

Brevard County's MOMS Magazine

Remembering Mother's Day Past, May 2008

Florida Agriculture

An Encounter with the Blue Baron, April/May 2015

Quiltworks

Romancing the Quilt, Issue #81, September 2002

RV Life

Camping with Toddlers, July 2015

Writer's Digest

Conversation, February 2004

Escapees Magazine

Camping with Toddlers

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