Day Ninety-nine: Marvelous Monster Memories

From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor. It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone! (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)

Day Ninety-nine: Marvelous Monster Memories

2/9/2015

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My Girls in 2000, ages 7 and 6

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." ~Dr. Seuss

Stories at bedtime were a common occurrence in our house when my daughters were growing up, and almost always began with negotiations for the number of books we'd read before light's out. Honestly, I thought this was a given in every household. When I began teaching in 2001, I remember talking to my very first group of students about reading and being shocked to discover how many of them had not been read to nightly. One of my greatest joys as a teacher has been being able to help children of all ages fall utterly, hopelessly in love with books.

I'm fairly certain that one cannot become a writer without harboring at least a small amount of reading addiction. As I work on creating my own writer's voice, I strive to attain a level of skill equal to what I find splashed across the pages of my favorite books (...I'd list them all here but it would be ridiculously long...think "Santa's Master List" long). Today, I am happy for all the people who've helped me develop and cultivate a life-long passion for good books. I'm also over the moon that I've been able to pay that gift forward, inspiring others to embrace magical words that teleport them to far away places.

The book below was a favorite of my girls growing up, and even though they are now in their twenties, they'd still happily sit while I read it to them (...or even better, read it to ME)! I hope you'll snuggle up with your best cuddle buddy and enjoy The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, Illustrated by Mike Smollin.Have a marvelous monster Monday!

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About The Author

I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

From the Front Porch