Wednesday

Anna Deskins

I wanted to pass on a little 411 on the blogger/author that interviewed me so I interviewed her as well. 


 
Your children's book, The Adventures of Smitty looks magically. Tell us about it.
It's the story of a magical island of little creatures called Smilies and the mischievous little main character, Smitty. He's such a naughty boy. Haha!  All the moms and kids I've shared it with have been giving me such a wonderful reaction. I cannot believe it.  I have to tell you how excited I am to finally have a life-long dream come true. Writing The Adventures of Smitty was really about finding a story that I would want to read to my children at night. It has to be exciting but not scary so that my two daughters can go to sleep.  Basically, I was looking for that perfect blend to read to my kids at night and decided, "Why not try writing my own?"
 
We've had a lot of changes in our life recently, so I want to make sure that when I put my daughters to sleep that they feel safe.  I have short chapters because I know how busy we moms are but if you can just sacrifice 5 minutes at night reading to your kids, it makes a world of difference.  Your kids will never forget it. And although we're running around the whirlwind of life, our kids grow up so fast, and that time that we'd rather finish watching what happened in our favorite soap opera instead of reading to our kids will never come again.  I hope that The Adventures of Smitty and books like it help moms do exactly that.
 
 
And it's only 99 cents this week. That's what I love about it. Now, You are recently divorced. How have you been able to continue writing when going through such a change?
Yes, it is by far one of the most challenging points in my life. To see a marriage you thought would last forever to not last forever was difficult for the two of us. I really learned a lot about myself and most importantly, it's brought me closer to my daughters.  I think that's what really motivated me to finish this children's book no matter what. When you're going through changes in your life like this, you need something to hold on to. There's a part of you that wants to prove that you can make it, that you will be a success even if it's not with the partner you originally imagined building a life with.  I had to keep writing, for my kids. I want to show them that they have to keep strong, no matter what.
 
We as women, as moms really need to stick together to support each other and our dreams. We're living in an age when I think we're finally realizing, although we want love, the men in our life aren't the answer to everything. We have to stand up on our own two feet and keep going. True love will happen, but until then, we have to keep moving forward. Our children depend on us and we depend on us.
 
 
In addition to being a children's book author, you're also a small business owner. How do you juggle taking care of two daughters and at the same time running a business?
Yes, I am a fashion designer and have a retail store. Any type of creativity is what I'm passionate about. That's why writing The Adventures of Smitty was so important to me.  Let me tell you, running a small business in today's economy isn't easy especially when raising two girls at the same time. But somehow, it seems someone's watching over me because my dreams are coming true no matter what. To have that many moms glowing about my children's book, means so much to me. And I know my girls are proud.
 
When do you ever have time to write?
You mean, in between laundry, running a business, chasing my girls around the house, cleaning the house, and flying back and forth fromMiami to New York? Haha? That's one thing I've learned, when you really want to do something, you find a way.  Things fall into place if you just go for it and that's what I want to encourage all the moms who are reading this right now. Whatever your goal is, you can do it. Don't let the challenges in your personal life stop you from going for your dreams.  Just go for it and it's almost magical how things fall into place.
 
 
Where can we get a copy of "The Adventures of Smitty"?
Right now, it's available online by going to: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94655 You can also visit my website:http://www.AnnaDeskins.com where you can read more about my writing process, my recommendations for other books and my own adventures in Mommyhood.
 
I'm so grateful for your support and the support I'm getting from so many wonderful moms who dream of writing children's books one day too.  Writing The Adventures of Smitty has been such an emotional experience for me, a true journey as I was going through so many changes while writing it.  It's truly been a blessing in my life.  It, along with my daughters, and that guy upstairs have really pulled me through a challenging time.
 
Thanks for the interview, Anna. And let's go out and support a fellow mom by getting a copy of The Adventures of Smitty today. I know I will!

Friday

Princess You

I have had a fun time raising my daughter lately.  I have been accustomed to cars and trucks and video games with the boys but for my sweet lady it is all princess (with a bit of Katy Parry - the girl loves music.  She is the one I am having to remind to "turn it down".)  For her birthday I downloaded a bunch of princess songs to her ipod and came across this little song.  I love the lyrics.

As we were having a karaoke moment this morning I found the video below.  I thought about how all princess lives are not fairy tales - pun intended.  I myself would not recover from the first fifteen minutes of a Disney princess movie without some major counseling and heavy medication.  

The whole secret to being a princess is the attitude she takes toward life.  Many times it is the only thing she really has control over in her life. Her smile and optimism is really where her beauty comes from.

Now, you do not have to tell me, LIFE IS HARD.  Losing weight or at least feeling good about yourself can feel like that first fifteen minutes.   And, we can not be a princess everyday but I am going to try to practice being a princess as much as I can.  If discouraging thoughts are getting you down then change them for that moment and little by little moments become hours and then they become days.  

Next time you look into a full length mirror, bow.  You are seeing a princess in the making.  (guys - a prince)  

Tuesday

Another Interview

I was recently interviewed for a blog.  Anna is a single mom advocate and I was honored to get to know her a little. 

Here is the link http://annadeskins.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27:an-interview-with-mommy-blogger-mechelle-wingle&catid=1:news&Itemid=3

Check it out!