Karen Pavlicin-Fragnito is an idea person who pursues her best ideas and strives to make a difference in all she does. She is an award-winning writer and dynamic international speaker known for her practicality, inspirational insight, and sense of humor. An accomplished business leader, hall of fame athlete, and devoted mom, Karen strives to inspire others through her everyday celebration of life.

Karen is the publisher of Books Make A Difference magazine and runs Elva Resa Publishing, an independent publisher whose primary imprint specializes in books for military families.

As the published author of several award-winning books, Karen’s work is primarily driven and inspired by her real-life experience and her desire to help others. Her challenging yet positive experiences during her Marine husband’s many deployments, and her volunteer work with military families, inspired her to write Surviving Deployment: A Guide for Military Families and lead military family workshops. She wrote Life After Deployment: Military Families Share Reunion Stories and Advice to help with the many challenges military families face during their reunions. Her poem “Love Letters” in Military Life: Stories and Poems for Children was inspired by her son’s love note on the pantry door and the more than 800 handwritten letters she exchanged with her husband, Bob, during his deployments. Karen consults with family organizations, counselors, and schools to support military families.

Karen’s personal experience raising her young son following Bob’s death to cancer, as well as her wonderful childhood memories at her Grandma’s house, inspired her multiple-award-winning children’s novel Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow’s Nest, now in paperback as Summer of Courage.

Karen created the Circle of Catholic Women journal series in response to the desire of women in her church community to reflect on their faith in their daily lives and share their faith journey with other women.

Karen is the founder and board chair of The Andermax Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grants funds to find cures for major illnesses, use nature and the arts to heal people, and improve communities to eliminate poverty.

A singer-songwriter, she has recorded in Nashville. Karen’s independent record label, Andermax Records, donates 100% of the profits from her music CD, Little Bit of Faith, to cancer research.

Karen regularly consults with national nonprofits, television and movie producers, and health care organizations to create books, films, and web sites for adults and children. She develops spiritual enrichment materials and programs, educates policy makers and support organizations about the challenges facing military families, and volunteers to serve underprivileged children and families in need.

Karen serves on the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Board of Directors. She is a member of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI); American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable (MBPR); Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI); Military Writers Society of America (MWSA); Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA); and the Chicago chapter of The Recording Academy. She served on the original Military Kids Connect Expert Advisory Board.

She loves photography, traveling, a colorful sky, and the challenge and blessings of her blended family life in Minnesota.

*Any portion of this bio may be used for press and marketing purposes.

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