Book Giveaway: TMI MOM by Heather Davis

If you liked Jenni McCarthy's Belly Laughs, you'll love TMI Mom: Oversharing My Life by Heather Davis.

It's fricking hilarious.

It's perfect for mommas.  

Short Chapters
Are you reading more Harold and the Purple Crayon than Fifty Shades of Grey these days? This book is for you. The pacing is quick and snappy. In the time it takes you to spray stain remover on muddy play clothes and let it set before washing, you can read a chapter. The chapter length is also great for carpooling.  While you're waiting in the car to collect your tot/tike/teen from an activity, you can read a chapter and then greet your offspring with a big smile on your face.

Kindred Spirit
Someone else knows. You're not alone in this mommy gig. Maybe you've never peed in the shower, but you can certainly identify with hiding from the wee ones when you want to have a phone conversation. And you probably understand the value of paying a babysitter to go on a date--only to end up at "Hellmart."

Heather Davis tells true stories about family life. Other people run out of clean drinking glasses.  Other moms have mommas who question the propriety of their undergarment choices. It's comforting to know someone else walks in momma shoes.

Guaranteed Laughs
Read with caution. Choose reading places wisely. I enjoy Heather's blog at Minivan Momma, but I wasn't prepared for the laugh snorts in store for me.  On more than one occasion, I nearly woke my family from laughing so hard.

This book is about full disclosure. I giggled through her conversations with her editor in notes. Don't you wonder what sort of conversations go into creating a book? I love the insider feeling of reading their comments in parenthetical.

Free!
Here's your chance to read it for free.  From one momma to another, I'd like to give you an autographed copy. Give it to another momma. Give it to your momma.

How do I get this book?
Simply comment on this post by telling me something about yo' momma.

Contest ends Wednesday, May 8.

Listen to Your Mother

Last year I heard a lot of buzz about a show called Listen to Your Mother.  Some of my favorite bloggers participated in "giving Mother's Day a microphone." I didn't attend, but I checked out performance after performance online.

I submitted this year. It sounded so cool that I submitted two different essays to two different cities.  I haven't heard about the Oklahoma City show yet, but...

Guess who has a callback to the NW Arkansas show on Saturday? 

That's right.

Me.

I'm so excited to make the first cut.  It seems like a great opportunity to grab your favorite ladies and enjoy a night out.

Check out the website for a show near you.

Or in stolen moments, check out past performances here. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to share my story, too.

Friday Favorite: Dr. Seuss Week

Why can't every week be Dr. Seuss Week?

Max's Super Teachers planned an entire week of fun with the kids.

They even had a party.

I need one of these streamers in my house

 Guess who arrived in time to GET TO READ  Green Eggs and Ham to the class? 

Me. That's right. I did!

Reading to kids is one of my favorite things to do.

I still haven't calmed down from the adrenalin rush.

Max helps his grandparents with their chickens, so my clever mom sent green eggs to school for his teachers.  Some of their hens actually lay GREEN EGGS.

Green eggs to go with our little ham

The Super Teachers showed the kids the green eggs and had them guess if they'd be green inside or not.  (Max kind of ruined the surprise on that one. ) Then, each child cracked his or her own egg and added food coloring and they cooked it right there.

Max making green eggs with Super Teacher 1 and Super Teacher 2

The kids had a feast fit for Whoville with bright red strawberries, green eggs and ham, and a goldfish bowl filled with colored Goldfish--complete with a fish net for scooping!

I'm at the Target Dollar Spot so often my ghost will probably haunt it. I had a stash of Seuss stuff just waiting to be used, and Max's Super Teachers gave us the perfect opportunity to gift them.  We filled them with buttons, markers, and pads.  Each child should have had something representing at least four different books. 

 

Why am I such a Seuss nut?

The public library of my childhood was a beautiful old building with a stained glass skylight and strong wooden tables.  I can still smell its wonderful combination of mustiness and books. A sturdy oak bench lined the edge of the children's section.  I knew that area well.  It was where I first realized I could read.

Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the rug in front of the collection of Dr. Seuss books, I realized I was reading the words--not reciting them from memory. I flipped the pages back and forth and mixed it up to be sure.

The moment was magical.

Which is why I love Dr. Seuss and think it is appropriate that schools dedicate a day or entire week to the author and his books.

If you're looking for some easy activities and snacks to enjoy with your little Whos with stuff you probably already have at home, check out my mini Seuss roundup of ideas.

The Cat in the Hat
Snack: Fruity Thing One and Thing Two
Activity: Clean room before Mom comes home.  (Yeah, like that's going to happen.)
For real activity: Check out the hand print art from above. I'm going to try it with Little Sister and frame my Thing 1 and Thing 2 to put in our Seuss playroom.

Green Eggs and Ham
Snack: The most simple snack is use food coloring to dye a scrambled egg or deviled eggs with a ham sandwich, but a sweeter idea is From Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives: Green Pudding and Vanilla Wafer make an "egg"
Activity: Try something new. Anything!

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Snack: Colored goldfish.
Activity: From Oopsey Daisey: Count and sort before eating them. If you want to get fancy, print off these chart.

The Foot Book
Snack: Try a Fruit by the Foot snack from the grocery store.
Activity: From Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas; Trace or paint your child's feet.  Label left and right. Play games like Hokey Pokey and Twister so kiddo can practice left and right.

The Sneetches
Snack: Make sandwiches or cheese slices and cut a star out of the center. Cut up pineapple or cheese in star shapes.
Activity: Also from Oopsey Daisey: Play Musical Chairs but have students stand on stars. Make one a different color. Whoever lands on it, is out. or you can cut out stars and from I Can Teach My Child: Play a variation on Simon Says.

This link has a whole bunch of Seuss Videos to watch. 

And, of course, Pinterest has a smorgasbord of ideas for anyone who wants to put in a bit more effort or just peruse the eye candy of all that is Seussical. Click here for a link to Seuss boards on Pinterest.

And after you do these activities and the week has gone by, remember the good doctor's own words:

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker

I found it!

I've looked long and hard for a picture book of The Nutcracker that fulfilled the expectations of my childhood imaginings.

Over thirty years ago, my dance teacher and our moms escorted a bunch of little girls to see The Nutcracker ballet in Tulsa. I'd never seen anything so magical. The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy made a lasting impression.

My mother bought me a nutcracker ornament that day. The fur is sparse. The nose is gone. But I still love my nutcracker prince as much as any little girl.

Click here to see a few pages of Mary Engelbreit's beautifully illustrated version of the story. You won't be disappointed.

Writers Wednesday: Kid Lit Community Auction

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Kate Messner organized the KidLit community and created an online auction to benefit the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Whether you are a children's literature fan, an aspiring author, or a published author, there's something available at this auction that might interest you.

Check it out.

Donate.

Do good.

What Should I Read Next?

It's a cycle.

I fall in love with a book.  My body exists in this world while my mind stays in the one created by the author.  The book ends, and I sigh in satisfaction.

Then I gasp.

What will I read next?

Inevitably, I pick up several books that would be great under different conditions, but they don't satisfy my craving. Who wants to eat sushi when you're hankering for a  s'more?

Know the feeling?

Well, have I got a present for you!

It's a website called What Should I Read Next?
Simply type in a book or author you enjoy and a list of lovely choices will appear.

Most people would say that an extensive database and a computer genius are behind this site.

They're wrong.

When something speaks to my heart and makes me this happy.... I know my fairy godmother made it so.

Don't believe me? Check for yourself.

Magic Monday: Lucky Charm

  I completed Lucky Charm, my second young adult novel a year and a half ago.  And I couldn't stop tweaking it. Granted, that whole morning sickness and giving birth thing was time consuming, but I wouldn't let go of the manuscript.

Until now.

The cosmos spoke to me.

My novel has two key images--rose rocks and shamrocks.

Yesterday, my family helped my grandmother clean out her garage. Not knowing a thing about my novel, she gave me this:

Afterward, we went to the lake. My son and I were walking along when he said, "Mom! I have to show you something." He claimed he'd seen a roly-poly and pointed at the ground.  Right beside his imaginary crustacean was this:

Okay, Universe. I'm listening.

The Hunger Games is here!

It's here!

I'm crazy about the book. I've written about it here, here, and here.  

I haven't been this excited about a movie since Star Wars Episode I...and we all know how that turned out.  

Let's think positive thoughts and focus on the future.

Invite your friends, and...


...host a party with a little help from your online pals.

Shelterrific has an idea for a tracker jay pinata that made me laugh out loud!

Confessions of a Cookbook Queen has great food ideas clearly tied to the story. *Spoiler alert*

Shine from Yahoo has fancier recipes that look delicious and add a bit more style.

OhBrooke: The parachute-like container for her "deadly berries" is cute.


Need some tunes? Check out this article about the soundtrack.

Which district is yours?

Living a Pinteresting Life

Today's Pinteresting Life segment is in honor of Dee Dee's book Beyond the Farthest Star.


For anyone planning a Beyond the Farthest Star event, check out our Novel Idea party and add these star-studded ideas, too. Simply click on the pictures to get to original source.


Who doesn't love a cascade of stars?

 Have a signature cocktail and call it The Doty in (dis)honor of a cocktail sipping mom in the book with the same name.

If you bought a bunch of Christmas lights on deep discount after the holiday just begging to be used, here's your answer.

I can't find original source, so if you have it, let me know!

March Madness Inklings Book Giveaway: Beyond the Farthest Star

Sometimes a girl needs a guardian angel.

This week's giveaway is Dee Dee Chumley's Beyond the Farthest Star.

If you'd like to win a copy, simply make a comment on this entry (so I can keep track). If you'd like two entries, follow my blog and leave a comment. Contest ends Sunday. Winner will be announced next Wednesday.

Once I've read a book, I always have questions. Here are a few Dee Dee answered for me. 

Dee Dee,  how did you come up with the idea for this book? 

I once read you're not supposed to say you got an idea for a book from a dream, but that's where I got the idea. Hey, it worked for Stephenie Meyer! 

What books do you recommend for people who are interested in guardian angels? 

Not all the books I read were Christian-based, but I tried to use only information that wasn't contradictory to Christian beliefs. However, the book is not meant to be a theological treatise on angels and I did apply some artistic license. For what I feel are the most accurate, Christian-based explanations of angels, I would recommend Angels Among Us by Ron Rhodes and Angels by Billy Graham.

What other research did you do?
For such an apparently simple little book, it actually took quite a bit of research. I read several books on angels and also did online research and reading on steroid use and dating violence. In addition, I did research on cars and trucks and even on bicycles!

What has been the most surprising part of your publication journey? 

I think it would be actually getting published! Beyond the Farthest Star was the first novel I ever wrote, and after sending it to about fifteen agents or publishers, I stored it away as a good learning experience and moved on to my next project. Then when I least expected it, I learned (thanks to you!) of a Christian publishing company in California that was accepting new material. I took the chance and submitted my manuscript and hooray! they accepted it.    

What is the part of the writing process you enjoy most? The actual writing! I've always been a kind of a nerd this way. I love taking an idea and experimenting with how many ways it can be expressed and discovering the absolute best way. I love finding the perfect rhythm. And in creative writing, I love coming up with the descriptions--the imagery and metaphors. I haven't perfected the process by any means, but I think it's great fun to think of original ways to get the reader to see, hear, or feel something. 

As a former English teacher, you taught lots of rules.  Since you are now a professional writer, do you break any of those rules? What's the rule you'll never break? 

Ha! You must have been talking to some of my former students! Actually, in his book On Writing, Stephen King offers good advice about grammar rules. He says learn them so you'll know why you're breaking them. There's a huge difference between breaking rules to achieve the effect you want and breaking them because you don't know any better. The first situation makes you look creative; the second makes you look stupid.   

A rule I'd never break? Well, I would never intentionally break a spelling rule...unless it was to acquire a certain effect. For example, in my newest novel, I have a sign written by a shadetree mechanic and instructing customers to Honk for Survice. I really do know how to spell service! Also, it confuses me to read a book in which the author saw no need for quotation marks. So I'd never break that one.

Did you write with a particular audience in mind? 

I began this book while I was still teaching, so I thought teens would be my best audience since I had a connection there. (Also, I didn't want to write explicit sex scenes and thought I could get away with it in YA literature! Ha!) What has come as a surprise to me, though, is that I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from women of all ages. Of course, many of these are my friends, and so I'm thinking, they have to say something nice. But many of them have gone beyond what I feel is the appropriate "friend" response. I think, regardless of age, most women can remember and identify with many of the situations both Darcy and Tiffin face in the novel. Not everything changes with time.  

What do you want people to think or feel when they finish reading your book? 

Regardless of their age, I want them to walk away with the same message Mike gave Darcy: Always remember who you are and Whose you are. This statement has been used time again but I don't think it's cliche. It's an important message that God lays claim to each and every one of us and as His children we are of immeasurable worth. 

In your book, they talk about going "beyond the farthest star."  If you could go anywhere, where would it be? To visit? Any tropical island that hasn't been overrun with tourists! I'm a beach bum at heart. How did I end up in landlocked Oklahoma?

Hmmm.... a beach. Sounds like the perfect place to kick back and read a copy of Dee Dee Chumley's debut novel Beyond the Farthest Star.

Novel Idea Beyond the Farthest Star

In June, I asked, "Who will be the next guest of honor at a Novel Idea party?"  

We have our answer!

Last Friday my writing group The Inklings hosted a Novel Idea party to celebrate the release of Dee Dee Chumley's young adult novel Beyond the Farthest Star.

"There are times a girl needs a guardian angel."

Once again, the Marottas opened their lovely home to a bunch of rowdy writers.

The Inklings

The Marottas

In keeping with the book, angel hair pasta was served...

Lisa and Dee Dee, the guest of honor

...as well as angel food cupcakes with fondant angels and stars.

A taste sensation creation from Gigi's Cupcakes

We showered Dee Dee with gifts, good times,

...and sentimental moments.

The table was decorated with blue tulle, candles, flowers, Willow Tree angels, and a cloth printed with silver stars. Little glass (plastic?) stars were sprinkled around the table for depth. The table matched the invitation and party favor bags beautifully.

My mom and I contributed party favors and invitations.  Party favors were Ding Dongs (read the book and you'll know why), star earrings, and coasters.  So many restaurants were mentioned in the novel, I thought it would be cute to have coasters representing them.  Well...Dee Dee received a stack of individualized coasters, but everyone else received one with a constellation.

 

I love the planning and idea stage of things, but it's always hard for me to say something is finished. That's where my mom excels. I'm pretty sure she was finished long before I was! If it weren't for her, the coasters would have been tacky to the touch and in appearance.

Some of the swag from Beyond the Farthest Star Novel Idea party

 We are so proud for our Dee Dee. Congratulations!

These shindigs inspire us all to speed the process on our current works in progress. Who will be our next guest of honor?

Writer's Wednesday: Short Story Pointers

Edgar Allan Poe is considered the father of the American short story. The man knew how to tell a creepy tale.

I've taught short stories--both studying them and writing them. The most effective way to learn about short stories is considering Poe's rules. 

Here are a few that will help you create a better short story.

• The story can be read in one sitting.
• The story focuses on one element: plot, character, theme, setting, etc.
• Limit the number of characters.
• Confine to a single setting.
• Follow structure: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement. (Most of the story leads to climax.  The falling action and denouement can be a paragraph or even a couple of lines.)

***Most importantly, each word or phrase is present to create a single effect/mood/emotion in the reader.

Follow these rules and you might even make Poe proud.

Go ahead and enter it in a contest. OWFI is accepting entries until February 1.

Writer's Wednesdsay: Books and Travel

Books take us places we've never been. But they also inspire us to see those places for ourselves.

I was downright giddy when I found the spot where Shakespeare's Globe had stood.  Going inside the replica was almost as cool.

My friend Ange is in Asia now. I remember she was a big fan of Amy Tan. Plus, I know we read The Good Earth in high school. Hmm.  Definitely need to know if literature influenced her desire. She was a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, and after watching the movies, she went to New Zealand.

My friend Sonia travels to Oxford with her husband every year, and she's a huge fan of English literature and television.

My friend Stephanie had to go to Italy after watching/reading Under the Tuscan Sun.

My mother has traveled the world, but before she did, she longed to see the antebellum mansions of the South due to great books like Gone With the Wind .

Have you ever traveled anywhere because a book made you want to go?

Writer's Wednesday: The Traveling Jewelry Returns

A few months ago I wrote about how two of my life-long friends and I decided to give a grown-up nod to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Katie had the necklace first.  Her husband was awaiting orders from the Army to tell them where they would be stationed, so we thought she needed it.

The idea always seemed like a good one, but I had no idea what an experience it would be to receive the package in the mail.  Reading the journal was like having Katie right there in the room with me--except I couldn't interrupt or ask questions! Wearing the necklace reminds me my friends have chosen to stay with me even though they aren't bound by blood or contract.  I confess: I feel braver wearing it.

Pretty cool.

Although Ange is visiting China and Japan right now, they wanted me to have it when Baby Alexandra arrived. I'm thinking Ange's journal entries about hiking and camping on the Great Wall of China would have been more interesting than me dealing with "nesting" and behaving in a freakish nature to get all the closets cleaned while hoping baby girl didn't arrive before I threw my son's third birthday party and had her nursery prepared.

Then again, Ange is always having adventures.  Baby Girl arrives only once.

See? Friends do know best.

Is our jewelry as magical as the traveling pants? I think so. Katie and her family are being stationed at their top choice.   Max's birthday party was a success, the ladies of the office surprised me with a sweet shower, my home is getting tidier, and I have an obedient daughter who is hanging out in the womb until we have everything prepared for her.

Magic.

Friday Favorite: Returned!

Weeks ago, I gave my critique group copies of Lucky Charm to critique.  In return, I offered swag to help them get through the work I hoped wouldn't inspire suffering.

 four-leaf-clover cup, M&Ms and a lucky charm

Today my sweet friend and critique buddy Lisa of the Lake--she's also our lake neighbor--brought three revised manuscripts.

critiques

Look at all the ink on those pages. I love it! I'm looking forward to sorting through their comments and making my book the best it can be.

I'm also nervous about whether or not they liked it and think it has value.

It deals with some dark situations. Heck, I had nightmares while writing it.  (If you've read my blog enough, you know I get nightmares from commercials and fairy tales, so that's no real testimony.)

So anyone expecting a book just like Glamour is in for a surprise. This one, folks, has edge. When I wrote Glamour, I feared people would confuse me with my characters, so I kept them all...acceptable. This time, I tried to stay true to what these characters would say or do--without my filters of propriety. As a result, they led me to realms much darker than I would choose myself.

I'm nervous to see how that went over with readers.

And there's only one way to find out.

Writer's Wednesday: Sisterhood of the Traveling Jewelry

Ange, Katie (wearing necklace), Brandi in James Avery

I've been a big fan of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants over the years.  The story speaks to me.

Enduring friendship is something I understand. Throughout life I've been blessed with many unique women who are truly friends.  I am fortunate to have so many amazing ladies in my life.

However, I have a certain trio of friends who, as a unit, have been close for almost a quarter of a century. Katie and I met when we were three.  Ange entered our lives in middle school. (Katie and I are on the left. I'm in the polka dot disaster.  Ange is in the center wearing the green.)

Middle School Graduation

We've celebrated and suffered the wins and losses of life.  Even when none of us resided in the same state, we maintained our bond. Many young friendships end once that high school diploma is delivered. Not ours.

10 Year Class Reunion

Throughout the undergrad years, we visited each other at college. (They actually met my husband at a party. Pointing to him in his bright blue sweatshirt, they asked, "Why haven't you dated him?") We celebrate milestones. (When Katie had her firstborn, Ange and I drove thirteen hours to see that little miracle.) We offer suggestions. (They both think Baby Girl should be named after them, and Ange informed me it doesn't matter what I call her, she'll still call her "Junior.")

Technology is readily available, but we think what kept our bond strong in college and into adulthood is simple.  The written word.  We kept in touch the old fashioned way--letters. Who doesn't like to get a real card or letter in the mail--especially in college?  I remember scanning their penmanship to see if what they were writing matched the emotions conveyed in their scrawls. Unlike email that needs to be deleted, those letters were kept and reread.  It was nice to know that somewhere in the world, two girls had known me a long time, understood my major flaws, and still loved and supported me in spite of them.

So, last week when we met up in person for the first time in almost two years, we did a very girly thing to celebrate our friendship. 

We shopped.

At James Avery we found a simple, free-form infinity pendant and three chains.

At Barnes and Noble we found the accompanying journal.

Instead of inked up pants that can't be washed or cuffed, we plan to mail the pendant and the stories that go with it on a rotating basis.

Stolen from the rules of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, we inscribed instructions in the front of our first journal:

 Write the most important thing that happened to you while wearing the necklace. 

Write the most exciting place you visited while wearing the necklace.

Remember: Jewelry=Love. Love your pals. Love yourself.

Many journals and pendant exchanges from now, I imagine we'll gather and recall our lives together.  It's probably a good thing it will be in writing, since we probably won't be able to hear too well by then!

Does anyone else have a special way to celebrate enduring friendships? Do you and your high school plans have a way of staying close? Have you gathered inspiration from a book and used it in real life?

Journal: the first page

Because I've been such a nerd this week about this little series of books called The Hunger Games trilogy, I figured I might as well use it as my journal.

Suzanne Collins tells the reader everything he or she needs to know about the main character in the first four pages, and it could be argued she does it in two.

Seriously.

Don't believe me? Read a sample.

See what I mean?

Sister. Daughter. Fighter. Survivor. Hunter. Rebel.

Sure, she grows and changes throughout the novel, but the core of her is right there in the first few pages.

Journal: If you're writing a book, look at your first few pages. Do they hint at the whole story?

Mockingjay

Remember my post about re-read worthy books? Well, I've found one.

When I finished the sequel to The Hunger Games, I immediately tried to download the third one on my Kindle. It wouldn't work because it wasn't due out until...tonight at midnight.

So, I did what any other sane person would do who'd just found a book she was passionate about. I read one and two again. Yep. Not only did I read one book again, I read two books back to back.

That's good writing.

It's such good writing that everyone in our office--except for my dad, but including my husband--has read the book.

Okay, Mockingjay. Bring it.

I love my library

I only recently moved to New Jersey. Since then, a lot of money has left my wallet to find its home with bookstores. Buying books is a good thing, but I also like checking them out for free at the library. Last Friday I finally got my new library card.

This weekend I went to the Jersey Shore, celebrated Easter with friends, and read those four books. It felt great. None of them were deep or depressing books; they were delightful escapism.

Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series is always light and fun. I'm a little behind, so I read Volume VIII, Princess on the Brink. The ending was like one of those to be continued tv shows, so I went to her website and read the beginning of the next one.

Then, to continue my reading marathon that was the equivalent of eating one chocolate after another, I read Janet Evanovich's Plum Lucky. Sure, she's formulaic, but do I care? Nope. The comedic timing is brilliant. Stephanie Plum and Lula always make me laugh. (And I swear I saw Lula's cousin on the train a couple of weeks ago headed to Trenton!) The Between-the-Numbers novels bother me a bit, though, because Ranger isn't featured. Every gal's life is better with Ranger.

I'd read a lot about Ally Carter's series I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. Mostly on her agent's blog. So, I checked it out. Good times. It's Hogwarts for female spies. I must be in the right genre for the weekend because the last person who checked out the book had also checked out Princess at the same time. (I found the library receipt stuck in the book jacket.)

Lastly I read Lisa Fiedler's Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story, which pretty much follows Shakespeare's play to the extent that anybody who is having trouble in class can read this and understand the plot and characters better. She even lifts lines straight from the play and creates her own rhyming couplets in an attempt to emulate Will's style. However, she cleverly weaves a love story between Rosaline and Benvolio. Really, they're the only characters in the play who exhibit true honor and virtue, so it's easy to want them to be together.

It's time for me to go back to the library.