Karen Harmon

Early on, she asked her parents why they liked drinking, and their only response was, "Why don't you try some if you're so damned curious " So, she did. Welcome to MeadowBrook, a seemingly idyllic small town in Western Canada where life is as picture-perfect as a 1950s suburban dream- until you scratch the surface. Beneath the polished veneer of gossip, high school sweethearts, and small-town traditions, a darker reality simmers. The Class of '56 is caught in a whirlwind of secret addictions, forbidden desires, and the pressure to fit the perfect mould.But what happens when the high school stars become the very parents struggling to maintain the illusion of the ideal family? As they navigate the delicate balance of small-town expectations, these young adults face life-altering decisions that could unravel everything.Set against the nostalgic backdrop of diners, hot rods, and sock hops, Class of '56 is a prequel to Karen Harmon's award-winning Class of '78, where the secrets behind MeadowBrook's white picket fences begin to crack, revealing a town where no one is truly innocent."To Marty and Cassandra, the couple turning heads and raising eyebrows Cheers to love, lust, and a lifetime of keeping the neighbours guessing Let the scandalous adventure begin "-Eunice Taylor

"You made your bed, now lie in it, and I hope you go straight to hell..." Before Johnny could finish, he turned his back so his dad could not see his tears of rage.MeadowBrook is a picturesque town with rolling hills and meandering brooks. Weeping willows grace the streams winding through the farmland, and bands of elusive wild horses roam freely around the town's pasture lands. An unsolved missing-person case profoundly affects the citizens of this charming Canadian town. This entertaining story will resonate with any adult age group, engaging the question of whether a stereotype defines us or if we define it. Class of '78 is a nostalgic, twisting journey to a time when fashion, music, crushes and cliques shaped the characters and small-town gossip, rumours, and stereotypes influenced the relationships. In MeadowBrook, everyone knows each other's strengths, weaknesses, flaws, and secrets. The years following graduation reveal how their choices have impacted their struggles and successes. As the ten-year reunion looms, introspection and evaluation of the past become the main focus. Little do they know that reuniting will help them conquer beliefs that have held them back from realizing their self-worth and resolve the decades-long mystery of the disappearance of the town's founding father. Karen Harmon is the author of three award-winning memoirs, Looking for Normal, Where is My Happy Ending?-A Journey of No Regrets, and Fat and Beautiful-A Story of Love, Pain, and Courage. Class of '78 is Karen's fourth book and her first fiction novel.

The name-calling and hurtful actions from others began the day Linda entered the public school system. Searching to belong, she learned quickly that a snappy comeback was her best defence. Born in 1947, just after the Second World War, into a home of loving parents, eccentric grandparents and a few unconventional relatives, Linda was a precocious, happy child. Regrettably, she was bullied in life as she struggled with obesity. Her saviour was "anything western" television shows, movies, horses, dude ranches and eventually cowboys. With many obstacles along the way, Linda blazed a trail from Vancouver's big city to the dusty Cariboo to follow her dream of horses, ranches, and riding. Linda's story is heartwarming and heart-wrenching, uncommonly adventurous and unusually comical. Anyone who has struggled with not fitting into what society thinks to be "normal" will find Linda's experiences encouraging and relatable. Allow Linda to inspire and remind you that it is not about the happily ever after, it is the joy you create along the way when it seems the world is against you that matters. Karen Harmon is the author of two previous award-winning books: Looking for Normal and Where is My Happy Ending? A Journey of No Regrets.Fat and Beautiful: A Story of Love, Pain and Courage is another book to add to Karen's collection of memoirs filled with family drama, humour and nostalgia.

The name-calling and hurtful actions from others began the day Linda entered the public school system. Searching to belong, she learned quickly that a snappy comeback was her best defence. Born in 1947, just after the Second World War, into a home of loving parents, eccentric grandparents and a few unconventional relatives, Linda was a precocious, happy child. Regrettably, she was bullied in life as she struggled with obesity. Her saviour was "anything western" television shows, movies, horses, dude ranches and eventually cowboys. With many obstacles along the way, Linda blazed a trail from Vancouver's big city to the dusty Cariboo to follow her dream of horses, ranches, and riding. Linda's story is heartwarming and heart-wrenching, uncommonly adventurous and unusually comical. Anyone who has struggled with not fitting into what society thinks to be "normal" will find Linda's experiences encouraging and relatable. Allow Linda to inspire and remind you that it is not about the happily ever after, it is the joy you create along the way when it seems the world is against you that matters. Karen Harmon is the author of two previous award-winning books: Looking for Normal and Where is My Happy Ending? A Journey of No Regrets.Fat and Beautiful: A Story of Love, Pain and Courage is another book to add to Karen's collection of memoirs filled with family drama, humour and nostalgia.

On her mother's urging to go on and have a big, beautiful, and adventurous life, Karen leaves her home in the country at the tender age of seventeen. Abandoning her family, her horse, and her teenage dreams, she embraces life in the big city of Vancouver, British Columbia.Looking for love in all the wrong places while maneuvering through dead-end jobs, the night club scene, and a slew of unsavory characters, Karen finds herself perpetually searching for Mr. Right. Lacking direction in a lifestyle that involves drugs, alcohol, and the wrong men, Karen wonders when her knight in shining armour will arrive.Where Is My Happy Ending is a true story about a girl who enters adulthood after having been raised in a home plagued by mental illness. Left to her own devices, Karen stumbles through the highs and lows, tragedies and turmoils of the 1970s disco scene, '80s era of modern love, and into the 1990s, not sure how she got there or how to get out.Karen's wit, storytelling abilities, and simplicity in looking at life will keep you engaged from start to finish, with an evident reminder-it's not what the world can bring to you, it's what you can bring to the world.Karen is the author of her award-winning first memoir, Looking for Normal, a recipient of the Rubery Book Excellence Award in the category of Women's Health.

On her mother's urging to go on and have a big, beautiful, and adventurous life, Karen leaves her home in the country at the tender age of seventeen. Abandoning her family, her horse, and her teenage dreams, she embraces life in the big city of Vancouver, British Columbia.Looking for love in all the wrong places while maneuvering through dead-end jobs, the night club scene, and a slew of unsavory characters, Karen finds herself perpetually searching for Mr. Right. Lacking direction in a lifestyle that involves drugs, alcohol, and the wrong men, Karen wonders when her knight in shining armour will arrive.Where Is My Happy Ending is a true story about a girl who enters adulthood after having been raised in a home plagued by mental illness. Left to her own devices, Karen stumbles through the highs and lows, tragedies and turmoils of the 1970s disco scene, '80s era of modern love, and into the 1990s, not sure how she got there or how to get out.Karen's wit, storytelling abilities, and simplicity in looking at life will keep you engaged from start to finish, with an evident reminder-it's not what the world can bring to you, it's what you can bring to the world.Karen is the author of her award-winning first memoir, Looking for Normal, a recipient of the Rubery Book Excellence Award in the category of Women's Health.

It's been said that we cannot choose our family members, but what do you do when the drama they bring becomes more than you want to deal with? You hop on the train that will take you to the land of promise, an alluring place across the mountains, called British Columbia.Looking for Normal is an account of two people, each struggling to leave thedesperate and dysfunctional circumstances of life, to establish themselves in a completely different environment and location. It is a sometimes humorous, sometimes sobering, yet always intriguing true story of family drama, and love found in the midst of heartache, addiction, and mental illness. It takes us through the Depression Era of the 1930s, on through the War and Post-War years of the 1940s and '50s, to the Free Love of the 1960s and '70s.Against all odds, Vincent and Frances find each other in the land of promise, and begin the adventure of creating a new and better family experience, onefilled with laughter, hope, and undying love.They find that family is not far behind, and through each new adventureof dysfunction, they create a lasting legacy of strength, hope, and love withintheir own children.This is a heartwarming true story that will encourage all of us to look onthe lighter side and enjoy all that life brings, to treasure our family regardlessof the struggles.

It's been said that we cannot choose our family members, but what do you do when the drama they bring becomes more than you want to deal with? You hop on the train that will take you to the land of promise, an alluring place across the mountains, called British Columbia.Looking for Normal is an account of two people, each struggling to leave thedesperate and dysfunctional circumstances of life, to establish themselves in a completely different environment and location. It is a sometimes humorous, sometimes sobering, yet always intriguing true story of family drama, and love found in the midst of heartache, addiction, and mental illness. It takes us through the Depression Era of the 1930s, on through the War and Post-War years of the 1940s and '50s, to the Free Love of the 1960s and '70s.Against all odds, Vincent and Frances find each other in the land of promise, and begin the adventure of creating a new and better family experience, onefilled with laughter, hope, and undying love.They find that family is not far behind, and through each new adventureof dysfunction, they create a lasting legacy of strength, hope, and love withintheir own children.This is a heartwarming true story that will encourage all of us to look onthe lighter side and enjoy all that life brings, to treasure our family regardlessof the struggles.