Kara DeMaio

Kara DeMaio is an author and illustrator who strives to create books that help others connect with their emotions, feel less alone, raise awareness, and encourage hope.

Her writing journey began more than ten years ago, when she published her first book, Summers Away. Inspired by how many readers connected with her characters, she began creating an illustrated children’s book called LuLu Learns: It’s Okay To Be Different when her niece, Elizabeth, (then four) struggled to fit in with her nursery school classmates. What began as a special gift turned into a three-book series (Being a Big Sister is Important and Kindergarten Isn’t Scary) after witnessing how many families enjoyed the first book and related to the story.

Shortly after, she started Life Transcribed®, a blog sharing poetry and personal stories highlighting her battle with anger management, depression, anxiety and navigating dating and difficult relationships. It was then that she realized writing about her own struggles during an especially challenging time in life resonated with and provided support for many others going through something similar. A purpose to her writing was born, and Kara now publishes all of her books under the Life Transcribed® name.

In 2021, she additionally published Summers After, continuing Ayla’s story in the sequel to Summers Away, as well as her first poetry collection, To You Love Me, highlighting how a healthy relationship taught her to love herself again.

She’s currently working on a new children’s wellness series, an addition to the Summers Away series, and a new YA fiction novel.