Tag Archive | book review

Review – Lose the Cape: Realities from Busy Modern Moms & Strategies to Survive

Entertaining, honest, and practical advice from real moms. I’ve read a few parenting books over the years, and by few, I mean three . . . The first two books completely contradicted each other and the third left me feeling like I’d read a manual on how to make certain your children will need intensive therapy by their late teens. Each were filled with do’s and don’ts and harsh judgments about your parenting skills if you weren’t doing things according to the advice they’d laid out.

I guess you could say I’m a bit skeptical when a new parenting book hits the shelves. When I saw who the authors of this one were though, I was intrigued. I’m familiar with their blogs and didn’t hesitate when given the opportunity to read for a review.

Lose the Cape was nothing like those books. Alexa Bigwarfe and Kerry Rivera aren’t telling you what will or will not work, they’re telling you what worked for them. They’re telling you they get it, what works for one family may not work for another, they’re telling you you’re not alone in your quest and the same questions you have are the same kind of questions we’ve all had at some point in our parenting journey.

The book is filled with the voices of real moms, sharing their own bits of wisdom and advice. The underlying message is that moms are human. We don’t know it all and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up for it. There will be triumphs and trials and we will learn and grow right along with our children through each one.

From breastfeeding to meal planning, bedtime to mommy time, marriage and mom squads and so much more, Lose the Cape covers so many topics facing moms today. The book also includes a fantastic selection of online resources concerning the topics they cover as well as some fantastic mommy blogs.

I’ll definitely be including this in every baby shower gift I give from now on . . .

Get Lose the Cape – Realities from Busy Modern Moms and Strategies to Survive at Amazon now!

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Interview with Beth Teliho – Author of Order of Seven

May12

OrderofSeven_FC_BNG-1-195x300 Beth Teliho, author of the new book, Order of Seven, <—- which you can order here), recently took some time out of her busy schedule as wife, mom, and writer extraordinaire, to answer a few questions about herself and her writing, I was lucky enough to get a spot on her blog tour to ask her a few of those questions.

Beth is a funny, genuine, and sweet person, she is also a talented weaver of words. When I received my advanced copy of Oo7, I began reading right away, and I kept on reading until the last line whispered me farewell. I was sad to say goodbye. It was good, really good, and I wanted to read more. You can read my review here .

After the Q&As, there’s a link you might wanna check out, it’s a giveaway! An autographed Oo7 bookmark, signed by me – No, no, no – signed by Beth, of course! You can find Order of Seven on Amazon, it comes highly recommended, just check out these reviews.

Beth Teliho

How old were you when you discovered you had a love for writing?

I’ve been writing stories in my head since I was seven or eight. It just never occurred to me to write anything down. I always had my nose in a book and was a big time daydreamer. Once I got to junior high and high school, I thought about writing all the time, but wasn’t really encouraged in school back then, and assumed writing a book was this unattainable thing reserved for the super smart. It wasn’t until college when professors praised my writing and encouraged me to take it further that I ever thought it was possible. Just goes to show you how much someone believing in you can be the thing that propels you forward. That encouragement was a game changer.

It’s obvious you put a lot of research into your book, how long did it take you to complete?

Nearly four years, but I didn’t write for a lot of those months. I often get too absorbed into the story and can’t see out of it, so I’d walk away for a month…or five, and then resume with a clear head. The research was so fun! That’s one of my favorite things about writing.

One of your characters, has beautifully described tattoos, do you have any inked beauty yourself?

Yes, I have three: a yin yang, a Celtic sun, and a kokopelli. I think about getting more all the time, but have yet to decide on design and placement. Someday….

Have you begun penning your readers a sequel?

Yes and no. I always intended for Oo7 to be a stand alone with the option for a sequel if there was enough reader interest. I’ve thought a lot about a sequel and have some outlines and ideas written down, but nothing fully formed yet. It appears the sensational seven are on hiatus. I’m sure the characters will let me know when they’d like to be written about again. In the meantime, new characters are knocking on my door…

Any advice for writers thinking about entering the world of publishing?

Invest in large quantities of wine. Just kidding. Maybe. But seriously, reach out to other authors! It’s so much easier with some advice and guidance. The writing community is the most supportive in the world. Get into a writing group where you can beta read each other’s work and also get advice if needed.

Paper or plastic? Neither. I bring my own bags…when I remember.

Coke or Pepsi or Dr. Pepper or . . .? Corona.

Ketchup or mustard? Ketchup, or sometimes both if I’m feeling wild.

Coffee or tea? COFFEE

Dog or cat? Meow.

Favorite Thanksgiving food? It’s all about the stuffing.

First item on your bucket list? Write a novel, which has a pretty little check mark next to it now.

Second item? Visit England.

Want an autographed Order of Seven bookmark? Click the link below and you might just be a lucky winner!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

OrderofSeven_FC_BNG-1-195x300

Order your copy now! Available in paperback and on Kindle!

Blog: www.bethteliho.me

Facebook: www.facebook.com/writerbisme

Twitter: @beth_teliho

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bethteliho

BETH TELIHO is a writer, artist and tree hugger who lives in Texas with her husband and two adventurous sons. Restless in the mundane, she writes about the abnormal, paranormal and otherwise fantastical because that’s what quickens her heartbeat. She laughs at inappropriate jokes, and prefers spicy food and margaritas to almost anything. One day, she hopes to live in a treehouse, where she can be an eccentric introvert with at least seven cats.

Book Review – Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness – 2nd Edition

May5

I had a feeling I was going to like this book the moment I read the title. I happen to be a 25 year veteran of sleep-deprived motherhood. I’ve done my time and then some in those proverbial trenches. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this fabulous compilation filled with real-life, uncensored, moments and memories written by experts in the field, and by experts, I mean moms, mommas, mums, mommies, and mothers. Those women who live and breathe motherhood in all its glory, dirty diapers, spit-up, and yes – sleep deprivation.

As I read my way through each story I found myself laughing, relating, and remembering. It was the remembering part that touched me the most. I hadn’t expected to find myself on a nostalgic roller-coaster of emotion when I opened this book. With each story I was whisked away, back in time to when my own children and I battled the bedtime wars, the late night feedings, the moments of seeming despair, those precious times I may not have even realized were precious as they unfolded. I admit to shedding a few tears along with quite a bit of heartfelt laughter as I read through the many been-there-done-that-and-survived-it-all moments that touched my heart on every page.

Mothers with children of any age will find pieces of joy sprinkled throughout the words that fill this book. There are funny moments, sad and sincere and honest moments, realization moments, and so much more filling the pages of Motherhood May Cause Drowsiness. This book is a lovely reminder that while sometimes we may feel alone, like how on earth am I going to live through this and am I even doing anything right? we are far from alone, we are right where we are meant to be, doing the best we can, along with every other mother (and father) crouching knee-deep in those muck-lined trenches, and we will eventually crawl out victorious and unscathed mostly.

A wonderful read I recommend to moms sitting up wide-eyed with a nursing babe at their breast, moms who finally got their little angel down for a much needed nap, moms who feel overwhelmed, moms who made it through those early, sleepless years . . . all moms. And dads. Dads definitely need to read this book.

Crystal R. Cook