Celebrating Motherhood

In May we will be celebrating Mother's Day and thanks to Dr. Nicole Saphier, and her collection of stories from moms Fox News personalities and moms around the country we will read first hand accounts of moms. We too have our own mom stories. For me, I will celebrate that day remembering my mom who passed in 2014, who was special. I will also be celebrating my daughters who make me feel special every day, as I am sure your daughters make you feel the same.

From Fox News medical contributor, Dr. Nicole Saphier, comes an inspiring collection of powerful first-person stories celebrating motherhood, from Fox News personalities and extraordinary moms around America.

Unmatched and unwavering, mothers are the embodiment of selfless, pure, and unconditional love. But so often, the sacrifices and triumphs of motherhood go unrecognized. Now, in Love, Mom, Fox News medical contributor and mom of three, Dr. Nicole Saphier, shines a light on the power of a mother’s love, with inspiring first-person stories from moms in the Fox News family.

For Dr. Saphier—who was just a teenager when she gave birth to her first son—motherhood was a transformative responsibility. Her story, like so many moms featured in this book, is an inspiration for what it means to be there for your child, no matter where you are in life. Alongside Dr. Saphier’s account are deeply personal contributions from FOX News anchors and personalities, such as: 

• Ainsley Earhardt, on the precious bond between mother and daughter, the loss of her own mom, and the power of her faith.
• Rachel Campos-Duffy, on raising nine children, unexpected blessings, and dedicating her life to advocating for education and awareness about children with Down Syndrome.
• Kayleigh McEnany, on embracing motherhood despite health challenges, and the delicate balance between career aspirations and the profound gift of raising children.
• Janice Dean, on navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage, living with an autoimmune disease, and finding joy in raising boys.
• Martha MacCallum, on the challenges of juggling career and family, the myth of perfection, and the importance of being kind to yourself.
• Sandra Smith, on how motherhood truly takes a village, and the value of a strong support system as a working mom.
• Carley Shimkus, on being a new mom, and balancing new responsibilities with grace and determination.

In Love, Mom, these mothers share their powerful stories, greatest challenges, and insightful reflections about young motherhood, miscarriage, ovarian cancer, mixed race children, postpartum depression, domestic violence, adoption, blended families, and more. Ultimately, Love, Mom is a celebration of motherhood and reminds us that a mother’s strength and love is an extraordinary gift.

A nationally known medical contributor and regular guest anchor for the Fox News Channel, NICOLE SAPHIER, MD is a full-time practicing, board-certified radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City active in health policy and legislation.

A Time To Be Thankful!

                                            Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful.

To share with others the true joy of being thankful. 

It is a time to be grateful to God, our creator and 

sustainer of life. The one who loves us with an 

unconditional love now, and forever. Our God, 

who sees the good in us and guides us on our 

journey, leading us to Him. We thank Him for 

His bountifulness to us so we in turn can share 

with others. May each and every day, draw us 

closer to Him so others will see Christ in us. 

Let us share our Lord and His love with them. 

Amen. 

Susan Reichert

4 Steps to Cracking Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” List

By Tina Coleman Bausinger

My book, Cold Coffee and Speed Limits hit #6 on Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” Parenting and Family Humor category. It was released less than a week ago and I don’t have any major publishers or big-time book reviewers backing me. For brief shining moment, my book was in front of Whoopi Goldberg’s and Jim Gaffigan’s books! 

My little geek self is still in awe. I published my first novel through a traditional small press publisher (so yes, someone bought it and I signed an actual contract), but when it was time to put out my second book I decided to do it Indie-style–on my own. I crossed over into Best Sellers (so briefly, so no, Ma, I’m not “rich yet”), as well as the Top Rated book list. It’s week 3 and I’m still on the Hot New Releases list, in two categories.

Here’s what I’ve done–and it’s WORKED.

1. Social Media: USE IT! My favorites are Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This includes tiny teasers on my Facebook posts as well as individual pages just for this book. Because I have Fiction and Books pages on Pinterest, I put it on there as well. I also put it on my Writer’s Café page on Facebook where I’ve accumulated over 1000 followers. It’s free advertising. I chatted it up to my friends, who also chatted it up with their friends. Word of mouth goes a long way!

2. I’ve been blogging my butt off. This has cost me nothing but my time, although I have invested in a nice-looking template and a few other goodies. Blogging has helped establish me as an “expert” in my field as well as given me material for my book. In addition, it helps my “Google-ability” or my social media presence. I don’t blog only about my book—that’s boring and people will dump you like last night’s leftovers. I blog about my family, about writing, about teaching—all of which are organic topics for me.  I’ve also gained readers who are interested in my blog about parenting teens, so naturally many of these same readers are also interested in buying a book about the same topic. If you spend time giving people valuable information (or inspiration, or entertainment), they will come back for more.

3. Don’t try to skip a professional cover. When I was working on my draft, I had a really cute picture of my son and his girlfriend for the temporary cover, then I asked my friend  who’s a pro in graphics and marketing to help me. I paid him in ENCHILADAS, people. I mean, they’re pretty good enchiladas, but I know he was on the losing end of this deal. A professionally designed cover sets you apart and gives you an edge.

4. I asked for help. Not psychological help (but who knows how long that will last), but help editing and promoting my book. In exchange for an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC), readers promised to 1) give me HONEST feedback 2) tell me of any spelling/grammar/continuity issues 3) write a short review and 4) help me promote my book on social media. It’s a cheap price to pay, AND I placed excerpts of the reviews in the beginning of the book so that people who were just checking it out might be motivated to KEEP READING. This cost me nothing but my pride. When my book was released, I asked these ladies (as well as others) to go on Amazon and post a review there. Reviews (even less than 5 stars!) add a legitimacy to your book.

So remember, PLAN AHEAD. You don’t have big bucks for promotion, but you do have to spend some time. It’s all worth it to see your book on the list!

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Tina Coleman Bausinger has a Master’s degree in English and is the author of War Eagle Women, a Southern gothic novel and Cold Coffee and Speed Limits. She’s a contributing writer in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, publishing in two of their books--Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Good Times and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners: 101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance, and Endorphins. She writes features, travel pieces and book reviews for IN Magazine, the Tyler Paper, Freelancewriting.com and enjoys blogging at tinabausinger.com . She teaches English Composition at a local junior college. She lives in Tyler, Texas with her husband, three kids, a bully Chihuahua and a German shepherd with anxiety issues. Contact Tina on any of her pages. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.bausinger, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Writing About the South (Especially When it’s Not Cool to Write About the South)

By Tina Bausinger

O magnet-south! O glistening perfumed South! My South! — Walt Whitman

As Southerners, we get it.

The South will always have a lot to answer for. All those years of slavery and civil injustice don’t just go away because we wish they would. We’re working on change, and the old axiom that “change is never easy” hardly seems appropriate. The kind of change that’s needed here is the kind that tears and bleeds. It’s slower than we’d like. There aren’t any good excuses.

What does that mean for Southern writers? Are we supposed to ignore this idea, this identity?  Do we let everybody else paint us, or are we allowed to pick up the brush?
The first step to resolving problems is to acknowledge them, and a good place to do that is in writing.  Who knows better the beauty and tragedy of the South than those who have come from here?
But there is a way to write about the South as a setting without reverting to stereotypes.  It has to do with balance.

If we wax too far nostalgic, we risk a fake, Gone With the Wind mentality that attempts to gloss over the sins of our past and romanticize the way things used to be. Remaining in the past is one issue the South struggles with.

However, if we lean too far to the punishment side of the compass, anything we write will come across as too preachy or politically correct.

I think we just have to remain authentic to our characters, to our history, to ourselves. Honesty and integrity in writing go a long way in appealing to readers and good storytelling.  Perfection is never the answer.
So write your characters Southern if you want to. But color them with different crayons.  Give them both flaws and assets.
Place your setting in the South, but focus on both its beauty as well as its danger.

Write about racism, sexism, or ageism if you wish—but don’t stop there.

Don’t forget the beauty of a Southern sunrise, or the smile of a stranger.

Write about the difficulty a Southern woman encounters when rising up through the ranks, but also portray the charm of a Southern gentleman.  

It’s quite a complex dance.

A perfect example of achieving this balance is Toni Morrison’s work. She doesn’t shirk from the ugly, and somehow she manages to lead you along with her lovely words until you realize your heart is ripped right out of your chest and you’re not even sure when it happens.

That’s how you write about the South.
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Tina Coleman Bausinger has a Master’s degree in English and is the author of War Eagle Women, a Southern gothic novel. She’s a contributing writer in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, publishing in two of their books--Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Good Times and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners: 101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance, and Endorphins. She writes features, travel pieces and book reviews for IN Magazine, the Tyler Paper, Freelancewriting.com and enjoys blogging at tinabausinger.com . She teaches English Composition at a local junior college. She lives in Tyler, Texas with her husband, three kids, a bully Chihuahua and a German shepherd with anxiety issues.

Contact Tina on any of her pages. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.bausinger, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Wired in Series

By Ellen Butler

Whether you’re an author, reader, publisher, agent or average Joe, you’ve probably noticed that series are all the rage. Dystopian YA novels are knocking it out of the park at the box office with The Hunger Games and Divergent series. On the small screen shows like HBO hit, Orange is the New Black based on the popular nonfiction book by Piper Kerman, has found a fervent fan base.

What’s the draw to a series as opposed to single titles? For obvious reasons, a series is an attraction to publishers because readers become vested in a character’s life and develop strong attachments. The frenzy that builds, awaiting the next installment of a popular series, guarantees healthy sales. From a writer’s perspective, I’ve found a series allows your characters grow and develop over time, providing a depth to them that you can’t achieve in a single title.

While penning my first novel, Poplar Place, I watched the hit series Twilight skyrocket to the top of the best seller lists and thought, “I need to get in on the series action.” I wracked my brain for ideas only to come up empty. In the end, my Love,California Style trilogy actually grew out of what I originally planned as a stand-alone novel. When I finished Heart of Design, I thought I’d have that knuckle-cracking feeling of relieved completion. Instead, for the first time, it troubled me to let go—not only of my main characters, but the side characters I’d created. After conversations with my agent and a brain storming session that basically ended up with outlines for two more novels, I decided not to let go of my successful LA entrepreneurs, and my first series was born.

With the final installment of the trilogy in my editor’s hot little hands, and a release date August 24, I’ve come to a few conclusions and am here to impart the wisdom of lessons I learned. First, writing a series takes commitment, make sure you are invested enough to meet the obligations of the commitment. Though I enjoyed writing the trilogy, at times, it was difficult for me to stay focused in order to meet the deadline. You see, there are other novels knocking on my creative door and while I wasn’t ready to leave after Heart of Design it will be a relief to close the door on my LA ladies after the release of Art of Affection. The publishing contract with specific deadlines helped keep my creative energy focused on the trilogy.

Second, plan ahead. I’ve determined it’s much easier to write a series if you already know it’s going to be one. Although, unknowingly I’d set up my romantic storylines for books 2 and 3 in Heart of Design, I ran into difficulties with the trilogy. By the time I wrote the third novel, I’d locked myself into certain character traits, looks, and history that I longed to change. An outline of the entire series prior to writing the first novel would have avoided some head banging writer’s block.

Finally, the best advice I can offer a writer interested in setting out on the series road—in order to keep from tearing your hair out on book 3, 8 or 28—create a character chart. The chart I created for my characters listed careers, relationship to others, part in the story, and physical traits (e.g. eye color, height, hair color, etc.). It became my bible and probably saved me hours of searching through previous manuscripts to maintain consistency. I found it most important for side characters that had smaller roles in the first novel but grew to become central characters by the third. In addition, I also recommend creating a timeline for uniformity; I hand wrote a chronological calendar.

What’s next on my writing agenda, you ask? Believe it or not, I’m straying away from series writing, and returning to single title. A WWII novel that I’ve been researching over the past two years is bursting to get out. Don’t fret my series fanatics, there’s another trilogy forming on the back burner of my medulla oblongata and it promises to provide gregarious characters with laugh out loud antics and suspenseful plotlines.

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Ellen Butler received her bachelor’s in Political Science and Master’s in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech.  After spending years working for a medical association writing dry but illuminating policy papers, articles and promotional materials, Butler made the leap to novel writing to release her creative side. A mother of two, she currently resides in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Follow Ellen Butler at: Website: www.ellenbutler.net

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