Love this cover!
I’m the luckiest writer in the world.
I know, I know…Stephen King seems pretty lucky. Salman Rushdie survived a fatwa. Whatever. I’m throwing my hat in the ring for this one, because I’m pretty sure neither Stephen nor Salman have critique partners as awesome as mine. They’re a tremendous trio–Sabrina Darby, Sophie Jordan and Carrie Ryan read everything that I write. They tell me I’m terrible when I’m terrible. They tell me what’s wrong when I can’t see it. And they tell me I’m fabulous when I’m fairly certain they’d rather bang heads against the wall.
This all said, today, July 31st (Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!), two of these fabulous ladies have new releases out! So this is the part where I get to give back and tell *you* that they’re fabulous. And I don’t want to bang my head against the wall even a little. We’re going to talk about Sophie later this week (why not read her book in advance of that blog post?)…but today, we’re going to talk about the amazing Sabrina, whom I met at our first RWA, four years ago in Washington, DC, and whom I have loved ever since.
Here’s proof:
Ok. So here’s the deal. A year ago, Sabrina and I joined some other fabulous authors over at The Ballroom Blog; we have to blog at least once a month over there, and one day, in discussion of what on earth I was going to blog about next, Sabrina said something along the lines of, “I have the best idea ever.” (Ok, not really that, because Sabrina is much more modest…but it *could* have been that.)
The idea was this: What was the Regency equivalent of Match.com? And what if someone’s mom did what embarrassing moms do in the 21st Century, and essentially, posted a profile? And what happens if, when one answered that profile, they had to travel into the hinterlands to meet a grouchy, handsome war hero?
What. Indeed.
The idea became a few posts on The Ballroom Blog…and then a novella: The Short & Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe! (Which is only .99 and the best dollar you’ll ever spend!) Also…check out the acknowledgments!
Squee!!! That’s my name in there!
And I am so so so excited to tell you that I ADORE this story. So much, that last week, while goofing off with Sabrina in my hotel room at RWA, I made her do an 11 questions video (and yes…Sophie makes an appearance)…oh…and I totally lied to her and told her I’d cut part of it out. I didn’t. So enjoy our giggling!
So! You heard it…What’s the one thing your mom has done that has embarrassed you more than anything else? Leave the answer in comments, and we’ll choose one commenter to win a copy of this awesome story! We’ll choose the winner tomorrow (Wednesday)!
July 31st, 2012 at 1:06 am
My mom and I went on trip a few years ago. We stopped at this giftshop that had a bunch of fun rooms that the public could tour through. Mom and I were laughing so hard as we toured through that she peed her pants. And then she said it out loud. There were other people with us AND the guide was an unbelievably attractive man. It was so embarrassing. I will never, ever forget it!
Thanks for the giveaway! :o)
July 31st, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Love it! I think after they change diapers mothers have a different view of those things.
July 31st, 2012 at 1:22 am
When I was in High School there was this cute boy from another high school that I liked, that worked at the McDonalds drive thru. So my darling mother thought she’d help me out,as I was shy. The only problem was the drive thru was partially shut down due to construction, so my Mom drives the opposite way and BACKS IN to the drive thru window. Everyone was stopping and staring at us; employees, construction workers. I was on the floor at this point trying to hide. When we get up to the window, everyone working in McDonalds was cracking up. The window opens and I hear…”Cindy is that you?” My Mom says:Cindy get up and tell Michael what you want to eat. More laughter from inside. I thought I would DIE from embarrasement. I couldn’t look him in the eye after that. True story!!
July 31st, 2012 at 4:46 pm
!!! Omg! That’s hilarious! How do we ever survive our teenage humiliation?
July 31st, 2012 at 2:03 am
My mum’s a sweetie & very proper. It’s more likely that I would embarrass her, me being such a klutz rather than the other way around.
July 31st, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Aw. You’re mother sounds lovely.
July 31st, 2012 at 3:41 am
What hasn’t she done? The one thing that stands out most in my mind. She told my father about a guy I liked. Your probably thinking that’s not bad. Well, my father worked with his father and one morning I was getting ready for school, my dad comes home with the father of the guy liked. Yeah not cool. I told my mother I’m never going to tell you who I like again.
July 31st, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Lol. Dads can be the worst!
July 31st, 2012 at 7:58 am
My mom is just my mom.. Everything is embarassing… HA… I am sure that my kids will say the exact same thing about me in a few years!
July 31st, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Circle of life. Absolutely.
July 31st, 2012 at 10:09 am
Hands down to dance in public ….lol She really pulls out her inner, wrist rolling ,disco queen out !! It served to not only embarrass , but was a dual weapon that got us all to behave with the threat of her dancing in public. Great memories!! :)
July 31st, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Hah! My mother used to do the MC Hammer dance.
July 31st, 2012 at 10:09 am
When I was in middle school and just showing signs of needing a bra, my mother gave me her old nursing bra to “wear until we could go shopping”. As if middle school gym class wasn’t already excruciatingly painful enough?! Lol!
July 31st, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Did you know at the time that it was a nursing bra?
July 31st, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Oh, yes. Being the oldest of 6 kids I knew exactly what had just been thrust before my horrified eyes. I just nodded and walked away with it…and promptly hid it in the farthest corner of my closet! Changing in the bathroom stalls is fairly standard in middle school, right? Right?! :D
July 31st, 2012 at 10:47 am
My mom is the best mom and very well-meaning. BUT (and you know there’s a but…) she’s awful when it comes to meeting my dates…. Seriously, she interrogates them! That’s why I try not to bring any dates home until I know they are very serious…
July 31st, 2012 at 4:52 pm
A wise decision. :)
July 31st, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Years ago Erma Bombeck (one of my writing heros) did a book signing at the Mall of Orange. My mom and I waited in a long line to get her autograph. At the time I was writing freelance articles and columns for some magazines and newspapers, but nothing stellar. When we finally get to Erma, my mother shakes her hand and says “This is my daughter, Tari, she’s a writer just like you!” I wanted to die of embarrassment!!!
July 31st, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Hah! My mom has embarrassed me similarly many times in the past.
July 31st, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I don’t really have anything about my mom, but I do have a story where my daughter was so embarrassed. It was Halloween and we (my husband, son, daughter and I)went to our police/fire department for their haunted house. My husband brought the kids in while I waited in the car. My daughter who just turned 13 came back to the car while my husband and son went through the haunted house one more time. She wasn’t paying attention because she was checking out the candy they gave her. So I am watching her and she walks to the car next to us and I am thinking what is she doing. It was cold out so the windows were rolled up so I couldn’t say anything to her, but really I don’t think I would have anyway. lol. So she walks over to the other car and opens the door(I am laughing so hard by now) still not paying attention and gets into the car. There was a black couple sitting in the front seat and they were looking at her like “what in the world is this little white girl doing getting in our car”! (Still laughing very hard in our car). So she looks up and see’s this couple looking at her and jumps out of the car like her pants are on fire and runs to our car and gets in really fast. I of course was still laughing so much I was crying. The couple in the other car were laughing by then too. For the rest of the night every time I thought about it I would starting laughing all over again. My daughter was not to happy with me. She didn’t see the entertainment she gave me as very funny. She is 34 now and I still laugh when ever I think Of it.
July 31st, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Thanks for having me, Sarah! <3 <3 <3
And now I know what you really mean when you say we can cut that out later! ;)
July 31st, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Back in the 1960′s when I was in High School my Mom used to hug all my friends, male and female, when they came to our house! I was always mortified! Click ahead to the 1980′s when my sons were teenagers and I didn’t hug their friends, my approach was different! I put them to work instead. The first time they came they were a guest and the next time they were part of the family which meant helping to clear the dinner table and wash the dishes, vacuum the family room and mow the lawn. I decided if I was going to be the “weird” Mom who fed the neighborhood I’d treat them like they were my own! I figured if I was going to feed them at our dinner table my husband and I should get something back! Whenever they are in town they bring their children with them to meet us. Did I mention I taught those boys how to cook and iron as well? Their wives love me.
Thinking about it, maybe my Mom wasn’t that bad after all!
July 31st, 2012 at 10:41 pm
My mom is very embarrassing because she is always bringing up illnesses and no body is ever sicker than her.
August 1st, 2012 at 10:48 am
Ah yes, the illness competition, closely followed by the who works harder competition. Lol.
August 1st, 2012 at 12:25 am
My mom used to pick me up at school everyday till I was 18! And I lived SO near the school…thank god I moved away for college!!
September 20th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
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