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Karen Jean Matsko Hood

Goodreads Author

Born

in Great Falls, Montana , The United States

Website

http://www.KarenJeanMatskoHoodBlog.com

Twitter

Twitter: @KarenJeanHood

Genre

Fiction, Poetry, Children's

Influences

http://www.annaakhmatova.com ...more

Member Since

March 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/karenjeanmatskohood

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Greetings to all Goodreads Members!

I am often asked how I find time to write with 16 kids. The answer is that writing keeps me grounded..ok almost grounded... in my sometimes..ok I mean often...chaotic surroundings. Thanks for sharing your books and hopefully you will be able to enjoy some of mine.
I have always loved to read and am passionate about poetry and almost all genres of books. My current goal is to complete my next poetry book and my next novel. I am also a foodie that enjoys all aspects of cooking and that inspired my cookbook series. My children and foster children opened my eyes to the ongoing struggles in the foster system and the world of adoption. My own experience with foster care and adopting 11 wonderful children of dif
Greetings to all Goodreads Members!

I am often asked how I find time to write with 16 kids. The answer is that writing keeps me grounded..ok almost grounded... in my sometimes..ok I mean often...chaotic surroundings. Thanks for sharing your books and hopefully you will be able to enjoy some of mine.
I have always loved to read and am passionate about poetry and almost all genres of books. My current goal is to complete my next poetry book and my next novel. I am also a foodie that enjoys all aspects of cooking and that inspired my cookbook series. My children and foster children opened my eyes to the ongoing struggles in the foster system and the world of adoption. My own experience with foster care and adopting 11 wonderful children of different colors inspired me to write books to help others in these areas. Also I love children's literature and am a literacy and biliteracy advocate. That explains a bit about me and why I write in so many genres. It is simply the way my brain is wired. That is the way I work.

Karen Jean Matsko Hood has always enjoyed cooking, baking, and experimenting with recipes. Hood entertains large groups of people and especially enjoys designing creative menus with holiday, international, ethnic, and regional themes.
Hood is publishing a cookbook series entitled the Cookbook Delights Series, in which each cookbook emphasizes a different food ingredient or theme. The first cookbook in the series is Apple Delights Cookbook. Hood is working to complete another series of cookbooks titled Hood and Matsko Family Cookbooks, which includes many recipes handed down from her family heritage and others from more current family traditions. She has been invited to speak on talk radio shows on various topics, and favorite recipes from her cookbooks have been prepared on local television programs.
Hood was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. As an undergraduate, she attended the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. She attended the University of Great Falls in Great Falls, Montana. Hood received a B.S. Degree in Natural Science from the College of St. Benedict and minored in both Psychology and Secondary Education. Upon her graduation, Hood and her husband taught science and math on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hood has completed postgraduate classes at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. In May 2001, she completed her Master’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. She has taken postgraduate classes at Lewis and Clark College on the North Idaho college campus in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Taylor University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hood is working on research projects to complete her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
Hood resides in Greenacres, Washington, along with her husband, sixteen children, and foster children. Her interests include writing, teaching, and volunteering as a court advocate in the juvenile court system for abused and neglected children. Hood is a literary advocate for youth and adults. Her hobbies include cooking, baking, collecting, photography, indoor and outdoor gardening, and the cultivation of unusual flowering plants and orchids. She enjoys raising several specialty breeds of animals including Icelandic horses, Nubian goats, bichons frisés, cockapoos, Icelandic sheepdogs, Newfoundlands, Rottweilers, and a few rescue cats.
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Karen Jean Matsko Hood’s books

Average rating: 3.42 · 771 ratings · 52 reviews · 567 distinct works

	Petting Farm Fun by Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author), Digital Island (Illustrator) 4.54 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 2014 — 38 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Goodnight, I Wish You Goodnight (Hood Picture Book Series, #1) by Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author), Hiroshi Hatakeyama (Illustrator) 4.43 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2014 — 103 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raspberry Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Raspberry Recipes (Cookbook Delights Series, #14) 4.17 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Apple Delights Cookbook (Cookbook Delights Series #1) 3.81 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2004 — 58 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chocolate Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Chocolate Recipes (Cookbook Delights Series, #3) 3.96 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2005 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blueberry Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Blueberry Recipes (Cookbook Delights Series, #2) 4.13 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2014 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strawberry Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Strawberry Recipes (Cookbook Delights Series, #16) 4.27 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2005 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Halloween Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Halloween Recipes (Cookbook Delights Holiday Series, #10) 3.83 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2012 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frost of Spring Green: A Collection of Poetry (Frost Of Spring Green Poetry #1) 4.10 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2004 — 47 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Valentine Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Valentine Recipes 4.37 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Karen Jean Matsko Hood's Blog: Karen Jean Matsko Hood Author & Poet Blog

Tuesday Notes 02/02/2015

I think of all the wonderful books I want to read. Top 100 Books for Children

Top 100 Books for Children by Sallie Anderson

Series by Karen Jean Matsko Hood

Cookbook Delights (15 books)
by

Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 207 ratings

Cookbook Delights Holiday Series (6 books)
by

Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author)

3.75 avg rating — 95 ratings

Hood Regional Poetry Series (2 books)
by

Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author)

liked it 3.00 avg rating — 6 ratings

Hood Science Fiction (1 book)
by

Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author)

liked it 3.00 avg rating — 4 ratings

Hood Honor Poetry Series (6 books)
by

Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Goodreads Author)

did not like it 1.00 avg rating — 4 ratings

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Karen is Currently Reading

Karen Hood is currently reading

Mastering Vellum AI: A Practical Guide to Building Intelligent Applications

by Luna Wynter

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Jun 20, 2025 07:12AM

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Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

by Kristin Neff

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Sep 04, 2023 11:32AM

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The Tao of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness out of Blame

by Pete Walker

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Apr 18, 2023 10:32PM

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Karen Hood is currently reading Mastering Vellum AI: A Practical Guide to Building Intelligent Applications by Luna Wynter	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 20, 2025 07:12AM · like
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Life of a Boo...: September 2014 Book Addicts Reading Challenge	110	517	Oct 10, 2014 08:10PM
The History Book ...: FRANCIE'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2014	78	92	Dec 31, 2014 09:46PM
Gigi's Company: Author - Title Game	4474	919	Jul 08, 2023 03:27PM

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Karen’s Quotes

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
― Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

tags: life, navigation

39248 likes

“The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road: The Original Scroll

1879 likes

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
― Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca

tags: dream, first-sentence

2326 likes

“Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.”
― Ben Okri

tags: stories

2840 likes

“The future is now. It's time to grow up and be strong. Tomorrow may well be too late.”
― Neil LaBute, Reasons to Be Pretty

2704 likes

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Karen’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-8) post a comment »

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message 8: by Qais

Jun 15, 2019 09:43AM

Karen; in case u have time to spare! about my books:
My two new books for 2019 are:
1. Democracy, Deity & Death - A Discussion by Four Arabs (Austin Macauley - London): publication 25 June.
a story whose basic settings are real and could feasibly happen in the real-world.
https://www.austinmacauley.com/authors
2. Taaali ma3ee nulahiquhu ila Tunis - تعالي معي نلاحقه إلى تونس https://austinmacauley.ae/books/come-... - 45 Dirhams
Qais Ghanem - Ottawa, Canada - if you need it: qghanem2@gmail.com
===================================
These are the ‘Four Arabs’ who fill Qais Ghanem’s 130-page book with their opinions and discussions on ‘Democracy, Deity and Death,’ which is the sub-title of his book, but in essence, page after page, these four Arabs primarily discuss Islam as well as Sharia the 8th century laws whose weight has become the burden a billion Muslims today.
Every Muslim home should have a copy of ‘Four Arabs’ and they will find in it a reflection of the discussions all of us have, in varying degrees. Dr. Ghanem has done us all a tremendous favour and a service in using fiction to lay bare the truth we are told never to utter in public lest the ‘kufaar’ find a chink in non-existent armour.
Part of Review by TAREK FATAH , famous Toronto Author of Chasing a Mirage
=================================================
I highly recommend it to all who want to understand the Middle East and its three monotheistic traditions. It is both hopeful, in that the characters express hope for change, for the way in which the religions, and especially Islam, will find peace with modernity; and gloomy, in that the people being discussed still cannot let go of their great historical achievements, haven’t learned and are unlikely ever to learn how to use logic, and always fail to listen to each other, and so consensus among them is impossible! There are undoubtedly some minor exaggerations, but the writing is fluid, the momentum never wanes, and everything is all done so beautifully, with great dollops of heart-warming humour!
Prof. Abdulla Daar, author of Garment of Destiny, Toronto, Canada

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message 7: by Karen

May 26, 2017 09:02PM