Where Books Take Us? A Writer’s Journey
Kathy Arnos has spent four decades learning that writing rarely ends with the book itself. What began as something deeply personal became a launch pad for newsletters, expos, radio shows, and an award-winning book on living and dying, each project pointing her toward a bigger purpose. If you’ve ever wondered where your own writing might take you, her story is worth the read.
If you are anything like me, you are writing books to share your experiences or creative ideas with people to enrich their lives in some way … and not for the illusory fame and fortune. As a non-fiction writer, I discovered early on that the latter two are rare. Most of us will end up spending more money writing and publishing the books than we’ll earn selling them.
For me, writing has simply been a launch pad … each story I’ve written over the last four decades has led me to new, creative projects that have contributed to my evolving life purpose.
I unknowingly began my writing career in my teens as a way of expressing the grief and pain that had become trapped in my heart from loss and abandonment in my childhood. Growing up, I also struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability, which led to great difficulties reading and writing in school. I ended up sitting on the lawn outside of school, writing poetry and stories (expressing these emotions) rather than in the classroom. To my surprise, people actually resonated with my words.
My daughter was born decades later with similar special needs and health issues. In my quest to find answers to help her, I began uncovering unusual causes for her struggles (and mine), eventually finding a more holistic approach for healing them.
To further my research, I worked at a pharmacy part-time that supported both pharmaceutical and natural healing modalities. Eventually, I taught monthly live classes there for the community and offered holistic lifestyle consultations to families from my dining room table. Word spread quickly, and a small business was born.
Armed with these important discoveries and a passion to share the news, I started writing a 24-page printed newsletter, Mother to Mother: Another View, offering insights and solutions to educate and empower other mothers to make informed decisions for their families. It was challenging and a lot of work to paste up and lay out every issue for printing – something I had to learn.
I found local advertisers to help offset the costs, and I stood outside of health food stores, pharmacies, libraries, etc., giving it away for free to whoever would take it. Eventually, I met a magazine/book distributor standing outside one of the stores who took my small publication on consignment, making it available to those places, plus newsstands, book stores, doctors’ offices, and snail-mail subscriptions. It was a much-needed forum that gained widespread media attention.
While I wasn’t making a lot of money, I found that my writing was the catalyst for my personal growth, spanning roots in activism and community involvement. I was quickly recognized as an expert in holistic and environmental health and interviewed by magazines and newspapers, and appeared on national television and local radio, sharing my story.
As my reputation grew, Let’s Live Magazine invited me to serve on its environmental committee, where I became a paid contributing writer/editor for its monthly magazine. On rare occasions, I’d be asked to cover fun travel adventures and book reviews, something I never imagined could happen.
A literary agent approached me to write a natural parenting book, but we couldn’t find common ground on the subject matter, so I declined the offer. That incident inspired my next move … writing my first self-help book for parents, on a subject of my choosing, Bach Flowers for Children: Raising Emotionally Healthy Children Without Drugs.
I ended up self-publishing (long before on-demand printing – 1994), and selling thousands of copies in the first year via the book distributor and speaking engagements. That book led to an idea for a television talk show, titled Raising Healthy Children Without Drugs, in which I interviewed experts and doctors for public access television. I learned so much from all of the experiences.
I completed my second book in 2004, The Complete Teething Guide: From Birth to Adolescence, which led to a book signing at a Baby Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. I was shocked by what was being presented to parents as good role models. It was a plastic, toxic world with loud, harsh music and only a sprinkle of natural products. Kids were crying, and the popcorn smelled like dirty socks. It wasn’t a happy place.
Depressed by my experience, I reached out to some friends in the entertainment industry and a few natural product companies with an idea to create a natural parenting expo to educate people (all ages) in a loving and respectful environment. The concept was met with great enthusiasm and support.
Not knowing what I was doing, but with a passion in my heart, I launched Whole Planet Productions, Inc. to spearhead the new adventure. Its first endeavor was The Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo, which was presented to the world on Earth Day 2006 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It was a huge responsibility, and mistakes were made, but the show was amazing and taught me great lessons. In all, three shows were produced, ending the run in 2010.
The expo led to an invitation to host a monthly internet show for I Am Healthy Radio – the first internet radio platform, pre-podcasts in 2007. I ended up creating a full brand around the show, launching Eco Family News, a monthly e-newsletter, blog, and internet radio show. All three addressed a wide range of health and environmental issues, showcased products, and solutions based on the principles of Whole Children, Whole Planet.
My latest book, Walking A Friend Home: A Practical Guide to Consciously Living & Dying, has brought me full circle in my evolving journey. In 1987, my passion was about educating young mothers, which led to their families’ and extended loved ones’ adopting healthier lifestyles. Now I am addressing the entire cycle of life, the early years, midlife, and beyond – including death – teaching people how to cultivate a life rich in meaning, connection, and love by honoring all phases of life together.
Walking A Friend Home has been a different writing experience, opening my heart to being more vulnerable and visible as a human in a new way, which was scary. Yet, by sharing this part of myself through intimate stories and being trusted with others’ personal stories, something remarkable is happening: meaningful conversations between friends and loved ones are evolving.
I am humbled to share that the book has won two literary awards – the 2025 Nautilus Book Award – Gold Winner for Aging Consciously, and the 2024 NAPPA Best Book Award.
As you can see, my writing has taken me on quite a ride, teaching me how to be visible, courageous, learn new things, take risks, and embrace the flow of being a writer to see where it might take me.
I believe it’s what comes after publishing that offers us the greatest gift, revealing our true purpose – enriching our spirit. If our stories can make a difference in one person’s life, isn’t it worth it? Life is simply an aptitude test, filled with lessons and discovery. What we do with it is up to us.
May your stories take you on interesting adventures.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Kathy Arnos has been a pioneer in sustainable living, holistic health, and life transitions since 1988. She is the founder of Whole Planet Productions—a multifaceted platform dedicated to educating, inspiring, and empowering people to live their best lives with open hearts, fully awake and aware, and with a deep sense of connection to each other and the Earth. The platform offers natural solutions to everyday health and environmental challenges, along with foundational daily practices to support conscious living. A division of Spirit Dance Publishing, Whole Planet Productions has given birth to several self-help books, the Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo, and Eco Family News—a blog, internet radio show, and e-newsletter offering trustworthy resources for making informed decisions. Today, Arnos focuses on teaching people how to integrate practical and spiritual tools into a mindful approach to fully embracing both life and death.
Learn more about Kathy Arnos and all her work at https://www.kathyarnos.com/
Walking A Friend Home: A Practical Guide To Consciously Living & Dying
Death is awkward, so let’s talk about it with love, humor, and gratitude! What if you could learn how to live life intentionally, totally awake and aware – and die consciously, with a full heart, grace, dignity, connection, and feeling complete?
The award-winning book Walking A Friend Home: A Practical Guide to Consciously Living & Dying by critically acclaimed author Kathy Arnos answers this essential question from every angle, promoting profound healing and unconditional love in every chapter of life – including death.
While death is an inevitable part of life, it is rarely discussed. Arnos invites readers to move from the intellectual mind into the spirit of the heart on a journey of self-discovery. Whether you’re in your 30s, midlife, a caregiver, navigating end-of-life planning, or simply curious – this empowering step-by-step guide will inspire meaningful conversations that help restore human connection and intimacy, addressing the growing epidemic of loneliness, especially during life’s most vulnerable moments.
