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Writer Moms ROCK: Nominate a Mom for Our Mother’s Day Contest!

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The title says it all I think, but Mother’s Day is coming, and Becca and I see this as our chance to celebrate all the awesome MOMS out there who work, raise families and pen magnificent stories, juggling their passions to do it all.

momwritersSocial Media gives us a window into these writer-moms lives. On facebook and twitter,  they post pictures of their families and talk about milestones and challenges. They lament about the struggles of writing and potty training (or teenager-rearing) equally, yet always make time to cheer us on and lend a supportive hand whenever we’re in need.

If you’re like me, you wonder how some do it (I’m looking at you, Kristen Lamb and Susan Kaye Quinn!) and admire how hard they work to balance their writing and an active family life.

Bottom line here? We love moms! You love moms! So let’s band together and celebrate some of the very special moms we all know in the writing community!

TELL US ABOUT A WRITER MOM YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE WIN THEM A FEW BOOKS!

Up for grabs? One 3-pack of writerly goodness:

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000046_00066]  1ET  1NT

The Emotion Thesaurus (winner’s choice, print or digital*)

The Positive Trait Thesaurus (winner’s choice, print or digital*)

The Negative Trait Thesaurus (winner’s choice, print or digital*)

(*Print copies are available inside the US, digital only outside the US)
 

So tell me…

 

Know a Writer Mom & want the world to know how awesome they are? 

Just post a comment below, nominating them for this prize! If they have a blog or twitter, link to it so people can visit. But most of all, tell us why YOU care about this person, and what makes them so awesome! (And please, let them know about this contest so they can come and read all the nice things you wrote about them!)

So, is this easy-peasy, or what? Enter as many Writer Moms as you like, just create a separate comment for each to make it easier for us to draw for a winner. Good luck! Contest is now closed.

UPDATE!

Random.org Gods have spoken, and I am pleased to announce PK Hrezo’s Mom-writer nomination Karen Walker is our winner! Congrats to Karen, and thank you all for showering some of your favorite moms with love! I hope all the Moms have a great Mother’s Day! 🙂

 Artwork via the talented Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherrie Petersen says

    What a fantastic idea! Most of the writers that I know are moms so it’s close to impossible to nominate just one, although the first names that jumped to mind were Susan Kaye Quinn and Dianne Salerni. I think every woman who balances being a mom with writing (and sometimes another career to pay the bills!) is amazing and wonderful in their own right. And you are wonderful for acknowledging them!

  2. Crystal Marie says

    I nominate Diane Rinella because shes not only an amazing author and mother, but also an amazing friend. She is willing to do whatever she can for everyone she holds dear, even if that means being on the phone with you while holding a screaming baby!

  3. Jenna Lee Dillon says

    I would like to nominate my very favorite Mommy blogger whose posts (especially those in the category “Dear Beautiful Girl”) bring tears to my eyes as she catalogs her days with her beautiful daughter in words etched with honesty and filled to the absolute brim with love.
    Her blog –> http://girlofcardigan.com/
    Her name –> Karyn

  4. Jenny Hansen says

    Do I need to separate my nominations? If not:

    1. Kristen Lamb
    2. Myndi Shafer
    3. Laird Sapir
    4. Amber West

    They’ve all got young kids, and still they write their a$$es off! 🙂

  5. PK Hrezo says

    I nominate Karen Walker cuz she’s a mom who hasn’t always had an easy go of things, but still show so much love to this community. (Plus she could really use the encouragement right now. ) She’s a wonderful person.

  6. PK Hrezo says

    I nominate Sheri Larsen because the woman has 4 kids and still finds time to write and blog and encourage the community.

  7. Jennifer Olivr says

    I nominate Myndi Shafer, author of the Shrilugh Saga and Hannah, Hannah, One and Two.

    Myndi is a mom of four children, a wife, mom to furry kids (and turtles, too!), but most of all she is a super awesome person. As an Indie Author, she is also part of the WANA community. She does her best to help promote others, offer encouragement, support and friendship. Plus, she has this blog that is so down to earth. Some days, I read it and I am laughing so hard I’m spewing coffee all over my keyboard. Other days, it has me tearing up and nodding my head at how crazy life can be and what it can throw at us. But she always manages to be inspiring, showing that life is nuts but we’re all in it together.
    You know how we all hear about writer moms who have to find time at night or early mornings, or locking themselves in the bathroom just to write a few sentences? That is Myndi! She literally had to write a few sentences here and there in order to finish her novels. But she did it – THREE TIMES! And they are really good.
    So, most definitely, this is the woman I nominate for Writer Moms Rock!

    Website – http://myndishafer.com/
    Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/myndishaferstories

    • Jenny Hansen says

      I absolutely agree with this one!! I have trouble getting stuff done with ONE kid and Myndi has FOUR. My hat is off to Laird Sapir as well. 🙂

  8. Darla says

    I vote Diane Rinella https://m.facebook.com/DianeRinellaAuthor she is amazing and inspirational. Not only is she an awesome author but a amazing mother. She has the heart of gold. In fact she is donating some of her own money from her book sales to all kinds of charities. She is not afraid to write about things that some people think is taboo. She is also a wonderful friend who really cares about fan and people.

  9. Julie Musil says

    Nomination #3: Sarah Skilton. Another writing buddy. She’s had two books published by Amulet, all while carrying her son, giving birth to him, and now chasing him around the house. She’s always quick to give advice and to just listen.

  10. Julie Musil says

    Nomination #2: Leslie Rose. Another writing buddy and beta reader. This gal makes me laugh…she’s so dang funny. But she also makes me a better writer. Her critiques are awesome. She’s supported one child through college, and another is still in school. Plus she teaches fifth graders as a day job. Plus she writes. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

  11. Julie Musil says

    Oh, this is such an amazing idea! I have three noms, so here come three comments…

    1) Lisa Green: my writing buddy, beta reader, and all around encourager. They thought they were done having children but their little baby girl Annabelle surprised them. And what a lovely surprise! So now Lisa juggles writing, working with Martina on Adventures in YA publishing, AND chasing a toddler.

  16. Sharon says

    I want to nominate Amanda Buxton. She’s a a terrific mother to a high-energy two-year-old but still finds time to write, volunteer as a board member of the Ozarks Romance Authors and offer detailed feedback as an amazing critique partner.

    http://ambuxton.wordpress.com/

  17. Traci Kenworth says

    There are so many mom writers to nominate, it’s hard to pick one. Rebekah Purdy gets my vote this time around as she’s written a slew of books to be published this year and next, holds down a full-time job, and has 8 kids (yes, eight!!). She’s taught me a lot about writing and is always there to cheer other writers on when needed. She’s the Owner/Administrator of YoungAdultFictionFanatics (YAFF, which I belong to) as well. You can visit her at http://www.rebekahlpurdy.wordpress.com

  18. Jenny says

    There are two moms I’d like to nominate since I can’t choose between the two. Terri Rochenski: This gal has three little ones, she’s in the middle of a major home renovation, she’s pumping out stories like candy, she gardens, runs two blogs. The woman astounds me with her tenacity, fortitude. She truly is a role model to me and others. She’s a wonderful writer and a beautiful woman all the way around, and has truly been an inspiration for me. You can find her at http://www.terrirochenski.com/

    The other is Jennifer Eaton. This lovely lady works full-time, raises three boys, and seems to write all the time. When not writing you can find her talking at seminars on writing or beta reading and critiquing. She’s an amazing woman with a heart of gold and mad editing skills. I don’t know where I would be without her. You can find her at http://www.jennifereaton.com/.

  19. Nicole Zoltack says

    Gennifer Albin. Another amazing writer and mom. I’ll always love her for the writing mom group she formed. Without them, I would be lost.

  20. Christina Mitchell says

    Victoria Solomon is also one of the most amazing mothers I know. She writes beautiful and moving young women in her fantasy chapter books in addition to being a mom to two gorgeous children. Her son is the best-behaved two-year old I’ve ever met and he’s brilliant too. Just ask him how light bulbs work and he’ll tell you all about it.

    Victoria is a super mom, not out of any need to be better than others, but because she’s simply smart and ambitious in everything she does. While she was 7 months pregnant with her second child (and while wrangling a toddler), she built a dining room table from scratch. She gardens to provide fresh, healthy food for her family, makes heavenly homemade meals, hikes, builds shelves, put up her own kitchen backsplash, makes curtains and reupholsters furniture. Basically, she makes the rest of us look bad 🙂 She does everything with a smile and a sunny attitude. Victoria is passionate about social issues and way more educated about them than almost anyone I know. She met her husband in the Peace Corps and has lived in many places around the world. She’s brilliant and funny and has riveting stories to tell.

    Somehow she manages to be beautiful, humble and a hell of a writer, too. It’s awe-inspiring watching her live so joyfully and so honestly. She makes me want to be a better writer and a less lazy person 😀

  21. Nicole Zoltack says

    So many to nominate! First, Robin Lucas. She’s an amazing beta reader who goes above and beyond. Has such great ideas. Is an extremely talented writer. Has two children and carts them everywhere. She’ll do anything for everyone. <3 her.

  22. Christina Mitchell says

    Jeannie Miernick is one of the most amazing moms I know. In addition to being a mother to an incredibly bright and happy daughter, she is working on an ambitious, lush, pre-medieval take on Sleeping Beauty. She also works two jobs, one of them being a network coordinator for the UU Social Justice Network, where she works hard to make the lives of others fair, meaningful and prosperous. In addition to that she writes a fantastic blog, where she thoughtfully pens about motherhood, finding life balance, writing and sometimes just talks about the beautiful moments she experiences amid the chaos.

    Those are the facts about Jeannie. But why I’m nominating her has to do with the Michigan ice storms. Starting near the end of December, her family lost power for thirteen days. They lived like refugees staying at people’s homes, returning to their own several times a day to stoke the fire and keep the plaster walls from cracking in the bitter cold. All while continuing to be a parent, a wife, a writer and working two jobs. It was incredibly stressful and a bit frightening for everyone, but no one handled it with more grace or humility than Jeannie. She treated it like an adventure and even when it became more despair than joy, she took it as an affirmation of her family’s ability to live simply and to make it through the rough patches intact.

    She’s an amazing person, an awe-inspiring writer, a kick-ass mom and a force for good in our community. She deserves to be recognized for it. Her blog is The Magic Nutshell. http://magicnutshell.blogspot.com/

  24. Shelli Proffitt Howells says

    I would like to nominate Young Adult author Karen Adair. She is the mother of nine — yes, you read that right — nine wonderful children. She is kind and funny and smart. She puts mothering first, and the accomplishments of her children show it. Yet, she somehow finds time to write, and she’s a dang good storyteller. She recently lost her two twin boys when they were born prematurely. She has handled this devastating tragedy with faith and a tremendous amount of grace. Even in the face of her own trials, she reaches out with kind words and encouragement to others. I am blessed to be her friend.

    You can find her at: http://www.karenadair.blogspot.com/

  25. Michelle says

    I’d like to nominate Gabriela, of viceandverses.org. She’s a mother of 3, and a fantastic writer, whose new website forges a great community of writers as well. She manages to display grace through trouble times, and introspection of the highest order. She’s honest and kind and fair online and offline. What makes her high on my list is that besides being a great Mom, she is lots of other things too, making her a well-rounded role model for her kids (and me and everyone else!)

  27. Sherry Soule says

    I’d like to nominate my best friend, awesome CP, and loving mom, Carmen Erickson. No one works harder than this woman as a writer, editor, wife and mother. She is generous with her time, caring of others, and extremely gracious. Carmen inspires me every day with her humor and strength. Plus, her amazing storytelling abilities, and she genuinely loves helping other writers whenever she can.

  28. ANGELA ACKERMAN says

    THRILLED to see so many worthy mom-writers being mentioned here! All of these shout outs are so well deserved–wishing everyone good luck in the contest and please keep the nominations coming! 🙂

  29. Carmen Erickson says

    Leave it to the amazing Angela and Becca to come up with such a great and thoughtful idea!:)

    I’d love to nominate Sherry Soule. Not only is she a super talented author of paranormal and science fiction, she’s also a loving single mother of two wonderful children and a black cat. She’s a successful indie author who wears many hats, including sharing her knowledge as freelance editor. And somehow she even finds time to be the world’s best critique partner!

  30. Genevieve says

    I would also like to nominate my writier mom, Cheri Westbrooks. She is now the mother of nine, but once upon a time there was only me. When I was just a little girl she brought me on stage as she performed a poetry reading. This story is a testament to the dedication she has to her art and children. She not only raised and homeschooled nine kids, acted as a loving and supportive wife for the past twenty-two years, and imparted her own love for reading and writing to all of her family members, but she also continues to write her stories and put her dreams to the page. And because of her dedication in all of these areas, she has raised nine very gifted writers. In October, my husband and I are bringing the first grandbaby into the world. As my first mother day approaches, with my baby kicking inside my womb, I can’t help but reflect on my beautiful and talented writer mom. I can only hope to be half the mom she’s been to me.

  32. Donovan says

    I would also like to nominate Cheri Westbrooks, my mother, my teacher, my friend, my inspiration. When I was very young, I remember hoping that one day I would write as beautifully as she.

    One of the most significant things my Mom ever taught me was something she learned while she wrote poetry in college. She said, “In your writing and art, always be absolutely honest to the truth as you know it in that moment.”

    This has forced me to develop as an artist, writer, and human perhaps more than almost anything else. Thank you, Mother-dear.

  33. Samuel Westbrooks says

    I would like to Nominate Cheri Westbrooks as the greatest writing mother in the entire world. Mom, I know being committed to the writer’s life while rearing and homeschooling nine children is no easy task, and I want to thank you for placing your dreams on a back-burner for us. Your altruism truly inspires me. The time has come however, for you to once again grasp the pen and pursue your lifelong love of the written word and I thought these books might come in handy. Thank you for continually inspiring and encouraging me in my own quest to authorship, I could not ask for a more faithful mother, or think of any other so deserving of this award.

  34. Tom M Franklin says

    I second Kristen Wixted’s nomination of Heather Kelley. Heather juggles a marriage, two kids, writing, major volunteer work with the NESCBWI, and has founded The Writer’s Loft in her home town. She’s not only a fine writer, but continually gives of herself to other writers.

  35. Robert Foster says

    I’m going to nominate my best friend, Jen Boyce. Even though she’s not yet published, she’s my favorite author. Her world building, pacing, and – most important – her characters, are simply amazing. But, as impressive as that is, she’s managing to do this while working a 50 hour/wk job, raising little ones, and being my first Beta Reader & Ideal Reader, too. Simply put: I’m not smart enough to fully make ya’ll cognizant of just how wonderful she is.

  36. Kristen Wixted says

    I’ll nominate Heather Kelly, founder and executive director of The Writers’ Loft http://www.thewritersloft.org. The Loft is a place where writers can go, to work quietly or join in on a writing event like NANO or even attend a class taught by a local published author. Last year at this time the Loft had about a dozen members. Now we have around 100, with lots of other people just finding out about it. She saw a need and went WAY out of her way to fill it.
    Heather was also the volunteer coordinator of the NESCBWI conference that took place last weekend to rave reviews, and she is going to be co-coordinator of next year’s NESCBWI conference.
    The more I get to know Heather, the more I realize she is genuinely happy to be a facilitator for other writers, even though she’s written a YA and is working on an MG and probably would have an agent by now if it weren’t for all the work she does for everyone else. She is always kind and friendly and when she’s in a bad mood, she doesn’t get grumpy, she just goes to McDonalds, eats a fillet-o-fish, and turns back into her usual supportive self.
    Oh, and on top of that she has three children, ages 13, 10, and 8 who all present unique challenges to their parents just like all kids do. They always come first to her and I imagine they spend a lot of time waiting for her to finish an e-mail before she makes dinner or does laundry, but they also get to meet all their favorite local writers so I don’t suppose they mind.
    At the Loft, the motto is “Because writing doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit.” And because of Heather Kelly, writing is no longer solitary for many of us in New England. She is @HeatherGKelly and her blog is http://editedtowithinaninchofmylife.blogspot.com

  37. Deb says

    I am also nominating G.R. LeBlanc. Amazing mom, writer and friend. We have known each other online for a long long time and even had the opportunity to meet live and in person a few years back. We have been with each other through thick and thin and talk almost daily about everything from life in general to all things writing. I love that I have someone who I can talk to almost daily—Gisele is an awesome online buddy to have, always there, always inspiring.

    You can find her on twitter:
    https://twitter.com/Gisele_1169
    And more recently blogging here:
    http://winsomeandwild.blogspot.ca/

  38. Noah Edelblum says

    I nominate my beautiful wife Leigh. She’s about to have our second child, and with two weeks until her due date she’s still spending lots of time with our daughter and keeps writing.

    She’s working on a book based on the journal she kept during her first pregnancy, and you can see more of her writing on her blog The Future Is Red. I think she’s planning her own Mother’s Day blog post, too.

    I love her and think she is incredibly sweet.

  39. Juli Page Morgan says

    I nominate Stephanie Hussey, aka S.A. Hussey, and mom extraordinaire! Steph is a single mom raising two beautiful daughters. One’s almost through college and ready to head to medical school, and Stephanie’s youngest is a teenager going through things a little more intense than normal teen angst. Through of all this, Steph is there for her girls with love and support.

    She works a stressful job in the medical field, but still finds time to write. Sometimes when life throws her curveballs, like the death of her beloved grandmother, or having to have her 22-year-old cat put down humanely, her writing gets pushed to the back burner. But she always comes back to it and is determined to publish her first book this summer.

    Stephanie is a constant cheerleader for her writer friends, too. She pimps our books on both her Facebook profile and author page, and on her blog. She finds the time to comment on our page posts and share them so our visibility will (hopefully) rise. Even with so much going on in her life she’s the first to step up in our writer’s group and offer to beta read our manuscripts.

    Last, but certainly not least, Stephanie is true friend. She might live 1,300 miles away from me, and we might have only met in person once, but she’s always there for me. When I lost my younger brother suddenly a couple of weeks ago, she was a kind, sympathetic voice on the phone, an uplifting post on FB, and when the florist rang my doorbell the day after my brother died, Stephanie’s love was in a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

    This writer mom is one in a million. You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/S-A-Hussey-Author/383101255157699, and when she finds time, she blogs at http://sahussey1.wordpress.com/

    • Jenny Hansen says

      Oh my goodness…Juli this got me misty. What a fantastic nomination. And I didn’t know you’d lost your brother. That is so, so hard. I’m glad Stephanie gave you gorgeous love in the form of flowers and a sympathetic ear. Hugs!

  40. Deb says

    I know many an awesome write mom, but just spent a weekend write-away with one of them. Her name? Linda Duddridge and you can find her hanging out on twitter>https://twitter.com/sbklinda. She and her husband are raising three amazing kids and midst it all she writes and writes and writes. She inspires me with her dedication, her funny and her willingness to be my roomie when we are on the road for a conference or I am looking for a writing buddy to have go away for a weekend with. We don’t live as close to each other as we used to, but we still manage to get together every now and then…

  41. :Donna Marie says

    What a nice idea, gals! 🙂

    You know, a few people popped to mind, and one of the first is the one I’m going to mention because I do know her AND I think she does so much for others. You may have heard of her—Tara Lazar—or her blog: Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).

    Not only is she raising a family, getting books published (THE MONSTORE http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-monstore-tara-lazar/1113243861?ean=9781442420175), running a helpful, successful blog for writers and illustrators and is the founder of PiBoWriMo, she does this while having to deal with symptoms from MS.

    I’ve long admired what Tara accomplishes and her general attitude. Besides—she’s really a sweetheart 🙂 So, yeah, I’m nominating her 🙂 I have no idea if she has your books, but I KNOW she’d welcome them! I know I’m thrilled to own them! 🙂

    And Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there 😀

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