Confessions Of A Mom

I blame the weather. The internet has been weird and I haven't been able to get on. Sorry this is posted later than I would have liked!

This week has been an interesting, bittersweet one. My hubby was released from a time consuming calling. (For those of you who don’t know, we volunteer our time in our church. We are asked to serve in different capacities for a time. We are called/asked by our Bishop of our ward or church leader.) I think I expected to see an immediate change in his schedule, meaning I would get to see him more. I didn’t. In fact, this turned out to be a week he had to travel and I actually saw him less. Tigger had a hard time with that too, as he always does when Hubby (I think that’s what I’ll call him for now) travels. That and Tigger wasn’t feeling well this week.

However, Tigger and I learned a lot while Hubby was gone. I learned that I need/like adult interaction more than I think I do. Naturally, I’m very much an introvert. Not that I am solely concerned with myself, I just prefer to keep to myself. This week I felt myself getting more and more down. I couldn’t figure out why I felt so awful. It seemed like I was spiraling downward and I didn’t know how to stop myself. And the farther down I got, the more things turned into, “What if I someone breaks into my house? What would I do? How could I protect Tigger? I can’t leave him.” Almost a paranoia has developed.

It’s easy to see why my thoughts turned that way and why that seed of paranoia has been planted. I’m thinking/hoping it’s just a natural thought process since Lion has returned home so recently. Though it scares me that those thoughts have even crossed my mind and I never truly ever want to think about being called home and leaving Tigger, I know that the Lord is in charge. 

Toward the end of the week, Hubby got home and I was able to visit with my sister. Both interactions have made all the difference in the world. Things don’t appear to be as dark and hard. My mind was put a little more at ease and things are brighter. I just need to force myself to have more of that adult interaction to keep myself in check and things in perspective.

I’m not sure if Tigger learned this, but I’m positive he’ll make the connection someday. He’s not the only one who has a brother who has gone home. He and I were able to meet one of the other mom’s who has a son resting in the same place as Lion. She also has another child. Our kids played while we visited. I believe it was a good thing for both of them as well as this mother and me.

My heart goes out to her and anyone else who has had a similar experience. Having a child return home earlier than we would like is not an easy thing. It makes one think, learn, trust, question and so much more. Many may want answer as to “why” or what will come. I was blessed to not necessarily have those exact questions, but to trust that the Lord knows what He’s doing. As for the why, we are all entitled to our own personal revelation as to why in any situation. However, we most likely will not receive the answer when we want it. It is always on His time table, not ours.

As hard as that is, it does make things easier. Someday, when the time is right, I will understand the why behind things. But for now, I trust the Lord.

WORKING IT OUT by Rachael Anderson--book review

WORKING IT OUT by Rachael Anderson. This book was a really fun read. I enjoyed all of the characters and felt like I learned a lot about physical therapy and what it might be like to have a disability. The spunk of Seth and the will of Grace was a wonderful combination. I loved the setting, the plot, pretty much everything about it. I highly recommend it for any romance reader out there.

:) :) :) :)

A chance encounter . . . 
Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . . 
 Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.

*Cover and back cover blurb taken from author's website. A review copy was provided, but did not effect my review.

HEROES OF FAITH by Marlene Bateman Sullivan--US only giveaway, review & interview

HEROES OF FAITH by Marlene Bateman Sullivan. This book is a fantastic read. All of the stories are very inspiring. They left me wanting to become a better person and be stronger in my faith. I was amazed at the incredible research that was done and highly recommend this book to any and everyone who loves inspirational reads. Be sure to enter our US only giveaway and check out my interview with Marlene.

:) :) :) :)

Our fast-paced society loves adventure and it loves a hero—but what about Latter-day Saint heroes?  Are there any?  There are plenty! 

Heroes of Faith, True Stories of Faith and Courage, is a collection of twenty-four riveting stories about people who rose above difficulties and impossible odds to emerge triumphant. You’ll read about stalwart men and women who stood firm and valiant in the gospel in spite of dangerous mobs, flying bullets, physical handicaps, extreme hardships, and dictatorial regimes. 

It's fascinating to read about the exploits of real heroes and when that hero is acting in accordance with the principles of the gospel, the adventure is not only thrilling, but inspiring as well. In these days of increasing trials and tribulation, we can all use some worthy role models, especially those that strengthen our faith and increase our testimonies.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to write ever since I was in elementary school.  After two years of college, I got married. When I had children I had to cut back on writing because—let’s face it—you can’t do everything at one time.  But I continued writing whenever I could. When the kids were little, I concentrated on writing for magazines—articles and stories. Then, as the children got older and I had more time, I started writing books.

I think a large part of wanting to be a writer came from reading so much.  As a child, I was a voracious reader.  Sometimes I wonder if writers are born, because I’ve certainly always wanted to write.

What inspires you to write?

I never have to try and find motivation to write—it comes as naturally as breathing.  I’ve never had a day where I didn’t want to write.  Even when writing is difficult, as it often is, I still have this weird, insatiable, urge to write.    

What kind of research did you do for Heroes of Faith?

I lived in libraries for a while.   While I did some research at BYU, the University of Utah, and Utah State, the majority of experiences came from the Church History Library and the Church Archives.  I pored through old newspapers, early church magazines, and in the archives, looked at countless collections of papers, journals, letters, and microfilms.

What drew you to writing this genre? I love to do research.  It’s a thrill to walk into the Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City.  I love it there. Seriously.  If they’d let me I’d bring my sleeping bag and a cooler of food and live there until the food gave out.  I guess I have a gene that adores searching out topics and finding old books and looking through them.  Readings peoples journals, old magazines, and newspapers.

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

It might sound a little cheesy, but my main focus was on sharing these stories as a way of increasing the reader’s faith and testimony.  I think they are just so inspiring.  These stories make me want to be a better person and to demonstrate my faith, not just be passive about it. 

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Never. Give. Up. 

People don’t fail because they can’t write, they fail because they stop trying. I have a yellowed newspaper clipping by my computer that says; “For most of us, it isn’t that we don’t have the ability to write, it’s that we don’t devote the time.  You have to put in the effort.”  Another way of saying that, is if you want to write and be published bad enough, you’ll work for it.  And if you work at it, your writing will improve and you WILL be published. 

What can we expect next from you?

I’m thinking about doing a sequel for Gaze Into Heaven, (a collection of over 50 near-death experiences in early church history), which was released earlier this year.  For right now, though, I’m working on another mystery.  My first novel in the Erica Coleman series, Motive for Murder, was published two months ago. I love writing mysteries, and it’s especially fun to write about a quirky private eye, Erica Coleman, who has OCD.  

Where can we purchase your book?

Heroes of Faith is available at Seagull Book, Deseret Book, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.  Here are 3 links where it can be purchased online:  

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Faith-Stories-Courage-Strength/dp/1462111289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375911655&sr=1-1&keywords=heroes+of+faith+by+marlene+bateman+sullivan

Deseret Book:   http://deseretbook.com/Heroes-Faith-Marlene-Bateman-Sullivan/i/5114556

Seagull Book:  http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-792905.html

THANKS, MARLENE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MIST OF QUARRY HARBOR by Liz Adair--Book Buzzin'

THE MIST OF QUARRY HARBOR by Liz Adair. This is another great read that will be up for grabs during my Christmas in July 2014 Giveaway. Take a look!

Cassie Van Cleeve is thirty-two years old, single, and comfortably settled into a demanding career that leaves little time for romance. Suddenly faced with two unexpected proposals of marriage, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions with a vital choice to make. Her decision takes Cassie on an adventure she could never have imagined as she seeks to solve a deadly puzzle and uncover the mysterious past of her new husband.

Author Liz Adair has shown herself to be a wonderful storyteller, and in The Mist of Quarry Harbor, she has crafted another fast-paced novel that will satisfy even the most avid mystery lovers. Set in the starkly beautiful Sonora Desert and the picturesque islands and waterways of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, this romantic novel provides a visual as well as an emotional feast. It is a book whose intriguing characters, startling plot, and exciting scenes will stay with you long after you have closed the book.

Confessions Of A Mom

I knew better than to leave Tigger alone. I had that feeling, but I decided he’d be okay long enough for me to put my swimming suit on. Lesson—always follow those feelings. :) Tigger had washed his hands, and the sink, and the walls, and the door. It could have been much worse, and I really couldn’t be mad when he turned around with soap dripping from his chin like a white, foamy beard. “Ho, ho, ho,” he said. Like I said, it could have been much worse.

It’s those little things that make it worth it. For a week that has been lower than higher, (though I haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly why. It could be lack of sleep, it could be not seeing my husband very much, it could be that I got another rejection for my manuscript, although it was a very nice rejection, :) or it could just be life. Not sure.) I’ll take all the little moments I can.

Though it’s been a tiring week, there have been some very interesting things happen too. We went down to visit Lion at the cemetery as we do every week and I found an envelope in his flowers. It was a sweet note from one of the other mom’s who’s child is buried where Lion is.

Over the course of the week, she and I have had some good conversations. It was reaffirmed again to me that life never brings what we expect. Nobody’s experiences are ever exactly the same and who are we to say that we’ve had it harder than others? There are always people who have had something harder or something easier than we have. Then again, what we perceive as being harder than what we’ve been through, another person will think that our experience has been incredibly difficult too. Am I making sense?

I guess what I’m trying to say is we just never know. We never know how a particular experience has affected someone. Maybe on the outside they appear to have it all together when inside they are crumbling. Maybe they appear to be having a difficult time when in reality they just deal with situations differently than we think we might.

I think of the day after Lion returned home. I wanted to keep things as normal as possible for Tigger, so I had Tigger’s dad take him to his baseball (or was it soccer?) class. Tigger’s dad (I think I’ll have to come up with another name for him) didn’t want me to be by myself, so my mom came over and we went to get some picture frames that I wanted to get but didn’t manage to get before Lion was born.

The cashier asked how we were and my immediate response was, “Okay.” We walked out of the store and my mom said that she’d never believe what people say to the question, “How are you?” again. “You just lost your son and I just lost my grandson. We are most definitely not okay,” she said. It just goes to show that again, we just never know.

So I’m learning not to be judgmental. People handle things in different ways, whether it’s different than how I would deal with it or not. I’m hoping I’m making sense and that this post isn’t as scattered as it feels. Basically, you just never know. Keep that in mind before we jump to conclusions. You never know.

LONGING FOR HOME by Sarah M Eden--US only Giveaway & Book Review

LONGING FOR HOME by Sarah M Eden. This Proper Romance is a wonderful read. I loved the Irish flavor of the story as well as the setting. Katie was a spitfire character that I fell for the moment she was introduced. It was interesting to witness the tension that was present in this particular story. I imagine it was very prominent in that era. I found myself conflicted as to who I'd like Katie to end up with. My heart feels for both men. It's probably for that reason that the ending didn't satisfy me as much as I would have liked. But I know that there's another one coming soon, so I will save judgement on that aspect until then. :) I would highly recommend this book to any and everyone.

:) :) :) :)

Though she was only a child during the darkest days of Ireland's Great Famine, Katie Macauley feels responsible for the loss of her family's land and the death of her sister. Now a woman grown, Katie has left Ireland for America and the promise of earning money enough to return home again and plead for her family's forgiveness. She arrives in Hope Springs, Wyoming Territory, a town sharply divided between the Americans who have settled there, with their deep hatred of the Irish, and the Irish immigrants who have come searching for a place to call home. Her arrival tips the precarious balance, and the feud erupts anew. Even in the midst of hatred and violence, however, Katie finds reason to hope. Two men, as different as they are intriguing, vie for her heart, turning her thoughts for the first time toward a future away from Ireland. Katie must now make the hardest decision of her life: stay and give her heart a chance at love, or return home and give her soul the possibility of peace.

*Cover, Blog Tour Banner, Logo, and book provided by publisher. Back cover blurb taken from barnesandnoble.com. Nothing effected my review of this book.

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Anita Stansfield

Beloved author Anita Stansfield has Celiac Disease, which caused severe damage in her body. Through the years of treating it, she also had breast cancer and multiple surgeries. She needs our support while she heals enough to go back to writing.

Take a look at all her books, here. Any purchase will help her. For more information or to donate, click here.