About the Author
Hi, I’m Ashten! I’m the founder of Circle Time Stories and a children’s author.
I didn’t plan on becoming a children’s author. My husband told me for years that I should write a children’s book because I’m always making up rhymes and stories with my kids, and I’ve always had a big imagination. Turns out he was right, I just needed the right story.
One evening, as I was registering my kids for preschool and kindergarten, it hit me how brave kids are: stepping into new places, new teachers, new routines, and making new friends. That moment sparked the idea for The Very Brave Day. And that’s where Circle Time Stories was born. Now, it’s a home for picture books and little companion tools that help kids grow emotionally through everyday moments that matter.
I live in Ventura, California, with my husband, Kyle, and our children, Jacob and Eleanor. (Yes, those are the Jacob and Eleanor from The Very Brave Day.) They’re every bit as brave in real life as they are in the pages of the book.
About Circle Time Stories
Circle Time Stories started with a simple belief: the small, everyday moments are the ones that shape who we become.
I create cozy, heart-forward picture books and companion tools that help children understand their feelings, practice courage and kindness, and feel seen in a gentle, joyful way.
My mission is simple: to write stories that leap off the page and live in real life.
Stories that spark conversations.
Stories that turn into family language.
Stories kids carry into who they’re becoming.
What We Believe:
Childhood should feel warm, safe, and full of wonder.
Emotional growth belongs in the everyday: at the breakfast table, in the car ride home, during the bedtime routine.
Parents deserve simple, meaningful ways to nurture bravery and kindness without needing a script.
Quality matters. Craft matters. Heart matters.
What We Make:
Books worth keeping.
Characters kids want to talk to.
Tools and keepsakes that turn story time into real life practice for both little ones and grown-ups.
