Guess what has been brought back to life? Mommybloggers! We have a great interview with Marsha of Sweatpants Mom and her fabulous essay. Go check her out.
I have a new piece up on BlogHer. I would love your input there.
Here? On this site? I am working on a piece about people who have no people skills and how messing with my kid is not the best choice. That will go live later. For now, enjoy Marsha at Mommybloggers and my latest work on BlogHer.
Do you ever (if you are a blogger) read something, enjoy it and then move along the Internet mindlessly surfing or working or doing whatever it is you do (I am not here to judge you!) and then…THEN you realize how rude you were to not say howdy, give a little link love and send people towards the writers you enjoy?
*hanging my head in shame*
I have. I do. I am a bad reciprolinker! (And yes, it is a word if I make it a word!)
I have been reading Kris over at Help Yourself for ages and never once told you about her? Bad blogger! (Someone slap my blogging hand.) Kris writes great features on her blog for the Orlando Sentinel and here I go enjoying them and never sharing her with you. And in ORLANDO! The home of my brother and his wife, my cousin and her child, and even my aunt. But do I support the town writer? No.
But today is HELP YOURSELF And Go Give Kris Some Love Day! I am serious here. Go flood that gracious woman with adoration and kudos and “Hey, Jenn doesn’t really suck!” messages.
Seriously, I do adore her. We have talked for ages and I have been a bad friend by not reciprolinkifying her blog. Ever since I took my links down (and when I say “I took” of course I mean EE hijacked) I am lost. I forget my daily reads. I wander aimlessly about the Internet moaning and wailing about my loss. Bless Kris for calling me back home to one of my favs.
Now go. Show her my love (and yours) before I get voted off the blogosphere and fall out of the good graces I have with a fellow writer.
This beach picture is just for her. Since she wanted one! AND since she will be away on vacation. I, however, will still be here cleaning. And working. And generally NOT being on vacation.
When I went in search of my new friend’s book, Confessions of Super Mom, I was completely surprised to find it in the nonfiction section. Nonfiction? I thought to myself. After all this time getting to know Melanie and even sharing the beloved title of BFF, she never once told me that this was autobiographical. How can that be? I knew I had to get to the bottom of this and fast.
So, I did what anyone else would do. I called her up and demanded–okay, asked nicely–if she had anything she wanted to tell me.
Jenn: “Melanie? This is Jenn. Do you have a few minutes? I think you and I have a lot to talk about.”
Melanie *laughter* “Sure, Jenn. I have a few minutes. What’s on your mind?”
Jenn: “I’m not going to really beat around the bush here. When I went in search of your book the first time, I found it in the NONfiction section. Non. Fiction. Come on! You can tell me, just between us, are you the real live Super Mom?”
Thus began the interview I recently had with the amazing debut author, Melanie Lynne Hauser.
Jenn: “Melanie, it is no secret that you dressed up as SuperGirl for Halloween one year. Was that an unconscious way of shouting out to the world that you are in fact a super hero?”
Melanie: After more laughter she replies “You just never know.”
Jenn: “Okay, I see you are not going to give me the scoop of a lifetime, so we’ll just continue under the assumption that this book is in fact a work of fiction. Let’s talk about the characters.
You are the mother of two teenage boys. So, how did you nail the mother/daughter tension so well?”
Melanie: “I have friends with daughters, so a lot of that was based on situations they shared with me. That and I made a lot of it up.”
Jenn: “Do you ever worry about writing about something you don’t know personally?”
Melanie: “Honestly, I don’t really follow the famous “Write what you know” rule. I think that too often writers allow the truth to get in the way of good fiction.”
Jenn: “Tell me about Carl. He sounds like such a hottie! Did you have someone particular in mind when you wrote about him? Someone you know or a famous actor or anything?”
Melanie: “Carl is really just a creation of my imagination. But I will admit to you that I have been known to have dreams about him. In fact, the truth is, I think I just might have a small crush on Carl. *laugh*”
Jenn: “And your husband is fine with that?”
Melanie “Sure, because I think he has a bit of a crush on Birdie. Which is okay since she actually the only character I have written that is so similar to me. At least physically.”
Jenn: “Because you are Birdie?”
Melanie: “I didn’t say that!”
Swiffer Power!
Jenn: “SO have you had your Swiffer bronzed yet? I mean, after all that it has done for you.”
Melanie: “No, I haven’t but I do use it a lot. I do actually use my Swiffer.”
Jenn: “Listen, between us, I am not the world’s best housekeeper. Any suggestions for becoming a Super Mom cleaning pro?”
Melanie: “I can tell you for sure NOT to try it the way it happened to Birdie. Seriously. Not a good idea. At. All.”
Jenn: “Okay, I have to bring this up. The PTA color coded phone tree. Because, and I quote, ‘The PTA is the first line of defense in homeland security.’ I laughed out loud at this one! In order to keep the PTA members and parents alert, the PTA president created this elaborate color coded phone tree. Just please, please tell me that this is an example of your imagination and that you have not actually encountered this.”
Melanie: “No, no. It is fiction.”
Jenn: “And the PTA? No grief from them as you, how shall I say, poke fun of the intensity in which some members are portrayed? Has anyone been upset by the portrayal? I mean, I have *ahem* been known to be a PTA tormentor a time or two and am rarely let off the hook for it. What about you?”
Melanie: “Oh, actually, I have had a lot of people compliment me and laugh about it. At the risk of scaring you off, I will admit to you, I did serve as a PTA president for a year.”
At this point I hung up on her. Okay, not really.
Jenn: “Okay, last comment on the PTA color coded chart. Are you willing to take accept personal responsibility if my own PTA decides to incorporate this kind of chart to notify the members when I am on school grounds? Seriously. Will you?”
Melanie: “I think you may on your own there, Jenn.”
Jenn: “Last question and I will let you get back to your family. Will we see more of Birdie, Carl and the PTA of Astro Park?”
Melanie: “Absolutely! In fact, I am working on the sequel right now!”
Jenn: “Ohhhhh, tell me more!!”
Melanie: *laughing* “Not so much! You’re going to have to wait with the rest of Super Mom’s fans.”
And with that, we started our 5 minute “gush-fest” of goodbyes.
There you have it! Real life confessions of Super Mom. I hope it made you want to rush out and get this truly fun and thoroughly enjoyable book. I promise, you won’ regret it! Oh, and here is an even more awesome bonus. If you want an autographed copy of Melanie’s book, just go to Melanie’s Buy The Book page and follow the link to email her local bookseller. They will send you an autographed copy of her book!