Musings on Motherhood

Cover

I know this is somewhat late in promoting. I was so tied up with a new job and my daughter's graduation--(homeschool parents are in charge of their own) that I could not properly promote this before Mother's Day.

So I thought that since Father's Day is coming up this would be a great gift for fathers as well because after all ---being a parent is being a parent and it might help fathers understand mothers better.

Susan Law Corpany has been through many trials and tribulations yet sees a lot of experiences through a funny sense of humor.  A cross between Erma Bombeck and Erma Bombeck.  Just a hoot and if you are having a crummy day it will be a much better one because of this book.

Musings on Motherhood is written by Susan Law Corpany who is a great writer friend and has a series of interesting novels about a widow---which I can relate to. Read this in either paper back or kindle version.

From the back cover:

Served alongside her breakfast in bed, this "momoir" will make any mother less inclined to notice the burnt toast, runny eggs and limp bacon. Warm and fuzzy like a pair of comfy slippers, but with a lollipop stuck to them. There is something here for anyone who has ever been a mother or had a mother.

So regardless of what holiday it is---buy this book.  It will do you some good!!!

Where to buy this wonderful book!!!!
  Or if you like the Kindle Version for 99 cents that is good too!


Another Great Review of Susan's Book!!!

Book Review and Interview

A ROYAL ELF OF ABALON by Anna del C Dye

Another great book from Anna del C. Dye. This book, the Royal Elf of Abalon is different from the Silent Warrior Trilogy.  It's a story of it's own. It's a great fairy tale story which captures your attention and doesn't let up until the reader is to the end.

Here is a synopsis: 

Not Everything That Looks Royal Is…

The deep relationship between Amaria, the princess of Abalon and Marken, the chancellor’s son, comes to a halting stop after their kingdom is almost annihilated. However, death isn’t the only thing this battle brings. Elfs come to their rescue and, as a souvenir, take the princess home with them. 

Blinded by fury, the overprotecting queen orders the extermination of the mighty elfs. Her captains know they can never win, so they are pleased when Amaria intervenes so desperately that she loses her mother. The unprepared princess is left to care for a kingdom that will demand her true love.

A Royal Elf of Abalon is the stand-alone continuation of Anna’s Elf series. Once again she has crafted an exciting new tale full of jealousy, betrayals, and death. A Royal Elf of Abalon is a masterpiece created in the genre of Tolkien that you’ll love to the end.

Anna was born in the extreme South along some famous beaches. She is the third child and twins with her sister Elena. She grew up with four other siblings being placed in the middle. Her mother died when she was six years old and her father never remarried.

Here is an interview with Anna to get to know her.

Thank you so much for your interview, Anna.

Anna: It is my pleasure to be here. I love to meet new people. 

So, tell us what’s happening with you? 

Anna: My life has been quite busy lately. I am getting ready for the “Renaissance Faire & Fantasy Festival” which will take three of my weekends in May. I take my books and have fun being a princess for three weeks. I really love it.

That does sound fun. What is this new book we have heard about? 

Anna: After the great success of “The Curse of the Elfs,” I’ll release: “A Royal Elf in Abalon” this May. 

Where can we find this book?

Anna: Amazon, B&N, and my website will all have the links to buy it. 

What inspired you to write this book?

Anna: Amathis, the queen in the story. She is a selfish, demanding, and cruel woman. She forced me to write it.

How did you end up writing about fantasy??

Anna: It was a great masterful bug and it bit me hard a few years ago—The name of the bug J. R. R. Tolkien. I love Lord of the Rings and that is my inspiration for my Elf Series.

 Most everyone loves Tolkien, so tell us what is this book about?

Anna: A princess of a mankind kingdom, who is so sheltered by her mother that she makes some unsafe choices growing up. They will change her life and that of her kingdom as she faces challenges that she isn’t prepared for. It also tells of a young Elf who feels an unsafe fascination about the nearby mankind kingdom. Against his elders’ wishes, he ventures there, finding heartaches, betrayal, and murder.  

Now I want to read this tale. Tell us what’s the first rule in building a fantasy world?

Anna: To stay true to the rules. If you say beings in that world don’t do something, don’t have them doing it later without explaining what changed so that now they can do what you said they couldn’t. 

Have you ever wanted to write your book in one direction but your characters wanted to go in another direction. What did you do in such a situation?

Anna: Your characters are the most important parts of your book. So, if they want to go left you go left, even if you wanted to go right. If you don’t, it will be quite hard to make them change and your tale will feel forced. I want my tales to go smoothly, so I don’t fight the characters, they know better than me.  

Sometimes people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. Tell us what’s the most unglamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

Anna: Change dirty diapers and keep my little Alexis happy. She didn’t feel too good. I love taking care of her though.

What's your favorite music?

Anna: Romantic, hands down. The Platters, The Stylistics, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis. Soft rock. Lots of oldies. More recent artists: Il Divo, Julio Iglesias, Celine Dion, etc. 

Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Anna: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I am a big believer of paying it forward. 

What other fantasy tale are you weaving for us?

Anna: I am ready to finished The Flying Elf, which will be my Elf book for next year. 

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Anna.

Anna: Thank you for inviting me to come. I had a wonderful time visiting with you.

If you’d like to find out more about Anna please visit: http://www.annadelc.com

To Order A Royal Elf

Emergency Preparedness

This past week and this week Fox 10 of Mobile Alabama did a special report on emergency preparedness and video taped some "preppers" and what they do.  I was included in this report and was shown on Fox 10 last Thursday and will again be on the report this coming up Thursday.

Here is the first part:

Link to the special report on emergency preparedness


Here is the second part:

Link to part 2 of the Special Report on Emergency Preparedness

Words of Wisdom......

From Pintrest--Favorite Places

I take one good look at the picture on the right and I see a life of good works......I need to remind myself of what is important, what is necessary, what is glorious in life and live it. There is something magnificent beyond the water, behind the water wheel through the front door. What kind of life lives there and loves there? It's a magical place. 

From a wonderful blog that my daughter found for me comes some great words of wisdom......

The Source of These Words of Wisdom

Written by Mara Wilson, this next paragraph makes great sense to me:

"Enjoy being alive. Please. Yes, sometimes life is miserable, but misery passes, and the mere fact that you are able to experience misery and happiness and anything in-between at all is astounding. Seriously: you exist, and you are able to comprehend that you exist! How many creatures can do that?! (Hint: very few. Possibly only one on this planet at this time. That is to say one species, but if you want to get into "Shirley McClain" solipsism, you are free to pretend that yours is the only independent consciousness.) I honestly believe that life is the best thing going. Well, technically speaking, it’s the ONLY thing going, but still, appreciate it. Take some time every day to remember that YOU ARE ALIVE."

With the hustle and bustle of our "busyness", we forget we are alive for a purpose on this earth. We forget what is important and why we are alive.  I include myself in this forgetfulness. I'm guilty as well and need daily reminding.  Especially when the times get tough as they are now.  Work harder, give freely, smile more and complement often. Life Is Good!!!

The "Mormon Moment-Um"

Karen Trifiletti

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church, there is a lot of misinformation given out in entertainment, sports, websites and other news media.  As I commented in an earlier post, we are bombarded with so much misinformation in what is truth about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the only thing we as members of the Church can do is continue to tell others our true beliefs and hope they are paying attention.

One of my fellow writers, Karen Trifiletti, who is also a member of the Church, wrote an eloquent, informational article for the Deseret News about this very topic called "Mormon Moment-Um".  We as Mormons cringe when we hear misinformation spread so wide and thick which is then taken to be truth. Karen, on the other hand, has written her  true thoughts down about this topic which hits the nail right on the head.

Here is a small sample:  

"Like others, I've prayed; I've responded. I've hoped for truth to be represented. It's hard when you can't immediately backspace over an ignorant media take or flagrant fallacies about your very own genuine faith and intimate walk with Jesus Christ — and the pristine beauty of the gospel message. But we know that the Lord compensates, that civil dialogue yields great dividends and that he opens doors for his message to be shared."

 As time goes on, the only thing Mormons can do is keep writing, keep talking or keep producing truth for others to understand.  Hope you enjoy her work.

Click here to read the whole article....... 

The Blessings of the Savior

This week has been a wonderful reminder for me of why we are so blessed to have a Savior.  He has died for our sins so we can return to our Heavenly Father.

Wednesday I learned of a mother in great sorrow.  She had come to the office where I work and told my boss the sad story of her son.

The Life of Jesus Christ

My boss and I have been talking about death and losing loved ones. Not losing really but they return home sooner than we expected.  I'm sure others we know --or maybe ourselves--have experienced this. This mother had experienced her son (only 21) being crushed at work by carelessness but an accident and died 6 weeks later.  It had only been a month and she spent most of her time in the office crying because the pain was still so raw. (It was hard not to cry myself) Anyway-- My boss-Phil told her and me--of this book he read recently of a man who had the gift of healing and that he learned later on in life that his mother died when she gave birth to him but then came back. As soon as she woke up--she asked her husband to get a pencil and paper and write every thing she could remember from the after life.

The one lesson she said she learned in the Spirit world was that EVERY SINGLE PERSON taken home was done with God's hand EXCEPT murder and suicide. (Probably because of free will)   Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can help all of us with the pain but for those who have been carrying around the guilt that if they only did something different ---that person who is gone would be here.  I believe this to be true.  We don't know God's plan for us and Phil felt better because his mother passed away a few years ago and he blamed himself because of the situation.  

But that is not the end of the story.  Jesus Christ has paved the way for us to return to our Father in Heaven in righteousness.  He was unselfish enough to give up His life for us to find ours.

Today I was informed of one of my writer friends in my American Night Writer's Association Chapter--The Writer's Room has experienced her 12 year-old daughter passing away from an accident as well.  So sad to hear of good children returning home before we are ready. But the Savior can help us with our sorrows and our pains. Elizabeth Wagner lived a short 12 years but blessed others in her life with spending time with them.

Remember Jesus on Easter Day and always....

A Most Interesting Book.....

I was surfing the "net" the other day and came across this incredible book. Since our interests have turned to being prepared and self-sufficiency, reading about this book really peaked my interest.  So I ordered it... and it is the most interesting book.

Whether you have ancestry from the Mormon Pioneers or not, this book is full of tidbits of information on gardening (both flower and vegetable), keeping chickens and baking bread. Wonderful stuff.

There is a chapter in there about "wild yeast" bread and I learned something so new---yet the concept is thousands of years old---that I have been thinking about it ever since..  Wild Yeast is what was used to rise bread for generations of time before the little packets of yeast were created for a quick rise.

Part of the gluten problem of today is that quick rise bread is made of the quick rise yeast.  No one was ever allergic to bread back in the day with wild yeast. The yeast is created over time and is not so harsh on the stomach.  It's similar to a sour dough but you "catch" the yeast in the air and keep it as a starter in the refrigerator.  The link to the book is below.

http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Skills-Self-Sufficiency-Mormon-Pioneers/dp/1599555107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333076507&sr=8-1

More info on Wild Yeast Starter:

http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/13/raising-a-starter/

A very fascinating topic!!!

More Articles Published........

I've been working on several articles about being single and they have finally been published on the Deseret News website. The first:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865553071/For-the-strength-of-single-adults.html


The second:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865552980/How-single-adults-can-be-happy-again.html

Take a look and see what you think!!!

Queen In Exile Blog Tour

This is an amazing book. I loved reading every minute of it.  I had an idea that the story was of a princess but it far surpassed my expectation.  It is a fantastic story with so much power and punch; it keeps you going from the first page to the very last. 

There are lots of realistic characters (which is important to me) and a love story that has unpredictable twists and turns.  Donna writes with such passion, she tells a wonderful story.  See below for a chance to win a free copy!!!!

Queen in Exile  is
the perfect
combination of fantasy and romance. 

Don't miss your the
chance to win this thrilling tale.

Queen in Exile

by Donna Hatch

Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a
land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream,
Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim,
who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes
upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to
devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss
of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her
destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people,
storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the
princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir
to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from
tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must
place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained
killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her
love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save
herself and her people from death and tyranny.

March 7-Peggy Urry
March 8-Janette Rallison
March 9-Lydia Lindsey
March 12-Anna Arnett

Barbara White Daille
March 14-Valerie Ipson
March 25-Valerie Steimle

Want a win one of three copies of Queen in Exile? It's easy.

1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Queen
in Exile. Remember to include your email address.
2. If you tweet about the blog tour, post about it on your blog or facebook, or become a fan
of  Romance Author Donna Hatch on Facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry.

All entires need to be left by Midnight
MST, Sunday, March 25, 2012. 

I think the world is coming to an end.......

We were gone all weekend and I had been out of touch with my world in Alabama.  So I'm talking on the phone  with a friend and she mentions brooms standing up by themselves.  What??? I say..... Brooms standing up on end. People on Facebook are talking about brooms standing up on end. Something to do with the gravity of the world and all the stars lining up.  So I go and get my broom and unbelievable as it may sound....there it is ......standing up by itself.  I had to take a picture.  Unbelievable...Where else is this happening!!!!  After some research on the internet I found out it happened back in 2009 in the Fall...very strange.