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Jenny Williams

Jenny Williams

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Blog Posts

Are YOU a heroine?

Mar. 16, 2024

I have a question for you, reader: are you a heroine? Is a heroine (or hero) someone who accomplishes a great feat? Who conquers a great fault? Saves someone’s life? I think that’s often how I think of “a heroine”. And yet, if I look at my own life, I don’t think of myself as…

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The Pages of Spring

Mar. 06, 2024

“The year is a book, isn’t it, Marilla? Spring’s pages are written in Mayflowers and violets, summer’s in roses, autumn’s in red maple leaves, and winter in holly and evergreen.” – Anne of the Island Spring makes poets of us all, doesn’t it? The idea of dead things returning to life, year after year, never…

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It’s Not Business, It’s Personal

Nov. 24, 2023

Introducing a new series just for the Creative Carrots Club: It’s Not Business, It’s Personal. The Creative Carrots Club is my Patreon community where we take a closer look at the behind the scenes of the creative life. Today, I’m sharing my first post in a new series where I’ll share personal life updates, along…

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Nurture What You Love: the path of creative growth

Aug. 08, 2023

In my last post I talked about why I am creating a Patreon Page as part of my upcoming product line, The Real Things Collection. Inside this community, you will find resources for keeping your creativity alive in playful ways. Would you like to hear my Patreon Club’s motto? Because we do have one :)….

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Coming Soon: Join me on Patreon!

Aug. 08, 2023

Exciting news, Kindred Spirits! With the launch of my upcoming product line – the Real Things Collection – I’ll be launching a Patreon page: my new subscription-based community for kindred spirits. Why Patreon? If you aren’t familiar with Patreon, it is an online platform for artists to curate a private community and share exclusive content…

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Pop Up Shop with Commonplace Books

Aug. 05, 2023

A few weeks ago, Commonplace Books in Midtown, Oklahoma City was kind enough to invite me back to their store for a pop up shop during Weekend of Local. It’s always a treat to sell in person for many reasons. While I feel very connected to my loyal customers (and recognize a lot of the…

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Welcome!

I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Jenny Williams, artist, author, and creator of Carrot Top Paper Shop: an online gift shop for book lovers and kindred spirits. I am passionate about nurturing creativity and approaching every area of life with a heroine mindset. Make yourself comfortable, won’t you? And I’ll pour you a glass of “raspberry cordial” …

Some literary heroines demonstrate heroic traits f Some literary heroines demonstrate heroic traits from very early on (Anne Shirley, Jane Eyre, Esperanza Ortega), some have a more dramatic character arc (Valancy Stirling, Mary Lennox), and a few are so unlikely, they make you wonder what it is you are drawn to about them …

Sarah Miles in The End of the Affair is a very unlikely heroine. 

When I re-read recently as a member of @well_read_mom, I was puzzled at first, what I found so relatable in her.

I share my brief thoughts about what Sarah taught me about true love on the Well-Read Mom blog. If you care to read, you’ll find the link in my bio.

Have you read this page-turning, leave-you-pondering-for-days-novel by Graham Greene?
It’s picnic season and I find myself eyeing pretty It’s picnic season and I find myself eyeing pretty outdoor spots while driving around town, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten in my planning for now. 😆

We’re expecting baby boy in just a few weeks and I’m seriously in nesting mode at the moment. 

But while outdoor adventures aren’t on my radar right now, maybe I’ll just enjoy a cup of tea on the back porch …

But I’d love to know: do YOU have any outdoor dining  plans in the near future? Have you read about any in a book that have inspired you? What is your favorite picnic food? 🧺 🍓🥪🍪

Photo 1 is a sketch Lorilee and I included in our Eat Like a Heroine proposal, photo 2 is a completed sketch from the book (and the May illustration in the 2026 CTPS calendar), photo 3 is a picture of joyful anticipation.
The weather the past few days has been pure perfec The weather the past few days has been pure perfection. After rain and cloudy skies last week, it seems fitting that Easter ushered in sunshine and a cool breeze. ☀️🍃

Are the birds singing where you live too? 

(And have you read Ruth, by Elizabeth Gaskell? I recently read it for the first time. What a gem!)
Do you find this to be true in your life? Or is Sa Do you find this to be true in your life? Or is Sara’s perspective only “real” in books?

These are the kinds of questions I’ve been pondering for my next book (releasing next year with Penguin Random House!). 

As I’ve reflected more and more on the heroine’s journey as we see it in stories, I am convinced it is a pattern that takes us deeper — not further from — reality. 

And the good news: that pattern is one of hope!

Also: I’ve extended the sale … now through Saturday, take 30% off (almost) everything.
(Almost) everything in the shop is 30% off right n (Almost) everything in the shop is 30% off right now! Stock up on uplifting and bookish Easter goodies or every-occasion gifts in the shop. 🥳📬💌
Right now, use code BOOKDEAL in my shop to get a f Right now, use code BOOKDEAL in my shop to get a free $10 gift of your choice when you order a signed copy of Eat Like a Heroine OR spend $20 on anything else you like. 

Be inspired by the heroines’ joy and fervor when it comes to all things food: picnics, entertaining last minute guests, throwing a fancy dinner party, or simply eating a simple lunch on a park bench instead of at your computer. 

The heroines show us that the way we eat has the power to change the world for the better. (And we aren’t talking about diets here. We’re talking fresh perspectives, gratitude, and enjoying everyday beauty.)

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