Jessica L. Elliott's Blog, page 11

Another Author to Read

So first and foremost, I need to tell my dear friend Grace: I'm sorry this is coming up late! Vacation throws everything off, especially the things you want and need to do. It's also a problem when you realize that everywhere you go has super-slow internet. We're talking my parents' dial-up 10 years ago was faster!

And now, why am I writing this post? Because I have lots of writing friends and they have great books too! Let me tell you a little about Grace, or as you'll find her J. Grace Pennington. I met her at an online release party for another author. She was talking about her work in progress, Implant.

Now, those of you who know me well know that dystopian is not usually my cup of tea. But let me tell you what, I am seriously looking forward to this book coming out! At the release party I got a sneak peek at the cover before anyone else for being a fast survey taker. :) And I went, "Whoa! That looks awesome!" Then she told us about her book and I said to myself, "I actually really want to read that." I found her personality fun and her writing style enjoyable. And the more she told us about her story and the world she'd created, the more I wanted to read. We've enjoyed a fun banter and if you attended the release party of The Ultimate Prince Charming, you saw for yourself what a fun gal Grace is!

Here's what Grace has to say about her book:

Welcome to the world of a universal cure.

Gordon Harding didn't ask for the life he has. He didn't ask to be orphaned. He didn't ask to go through life with cancer. And he certainly didn't ask to be pulled into a future world without warning--a world where every human being is controlled by means of a medical implant.

And when he learns that he's the only one who can destroy the base of operations, he's faced with an impossibly painful choice: either hide and let the world decay under this mysterious futuristic force, or rescue humanity from oppression, knowing that there's someone out there who is willing to use any means necessary to stop him.

Sounds pretty amazing, huh? So, be sure to check out her website and her Facebook page for more information on when this book is coming. And if you're a twitter person, be sure to follow her!

Want to see her cover? Be sure to check out my Facebook post!

Going Home

There's something magical about going to your childhood home. As we started the drive, my three children did exactly what you might expect two toddlers and a baby to do in the car. Yep. They cried, they screamed, they giggled, they played and a few times they even slept. It was loud and raucous the whole way from our little town to my hometown, a four hour drive.

But I couldn't help but feel more and more excited as the trip went on.

It can be frustrating going on a roadtrip. There's the packing to do, house cleaning so you don't come home to vermin, clearing out the fridge, and of course the battles of which toys Mommy can handle listening to for four hours straight. By the time we got in the car I was ready to scream. We were two hours behind schedule and my stress level was insane.

Then that magical thing happened. As we pointed our car east, the stress began melting. I was going home. Each mile closer improved my mood. I periodically took pictures of the kiddos playing with their horses (good quiet toys for a roadtrip), I giggled as they reenacted Spirit and Secretariat. I sang along with them as our Road trip 2015 CD blared through the car. I laughed with my husband as we dreamed and talked. As frustrating as prepping for a road trip can be, once I get started, I have the time of my life!

As we took breaks to go to the bathroom, take care of diaper changes, feed the baby and just stretch our car-cramped legs, I sent texts with pictures to my sister to let her know we were getting closer. When 54 became Kellogg, I felt giddy excitement building up. As the baby started announcing his displeasure at still being in the car, I talked and cooed and giggled until he calmed down. He started giving me little grins as we pulled into Derby and I wanted very much to capture it. Instead, I caught a picture that looked like he was trying to fist bump my phone. Perfect! I texted my brothers and sister with the it and the message, "We're in Derby! Fist bump."

I can't really describe the feeling as we came into town. No matter how old I get or how much I love my house (and believe me I LOVE it!), there's just something magical about going home to Mama and Daddy's house. The years seem to melt and I feel like a kid again on Christmas Eve. Something exciting and wonderful is going to happen and you just feel it deep in your bones. And I never leave disappointed. Mama and Daddy's house will always be home (and by the way, if you two are reading this, you can NEVER move!) It's full of memory. It's full of fun. It's full of love. And yep, it's full of magic.

And that's why going home is magical.

Inspiration From a Tree

A while back on my Facebook page I shared a quote from my new book on a picture of a scrawny little excuse of a tree. In preparing to celebrate the release of The Ultimate Prince Charming I'd like to tell you the story of that tiny little tree.

Every year our family decides on an "experiment" in our garden. We pick a plant that isn't necessarily known to thrive in our area and we say, "What the heck? We'll give it a go!" Now I love cherries. And by love, I mean that my sweet husband has learned that giving me a bag of cherries is the ultimate form of bribery. And it works! My mood instantly improves and life just seems to be so much better. But when you live in southwestern Kansas, cherries are hard to come by and they are always expensive. So when I saw a dwarf cherry tree on a gardening website that claimed to be hardy and semi-drought resistant, I jumped on it. "Think of it sweetie," I told my husband. "If we can make this work out, that's only $12 spent for a lifetime of fresh picked, free cherries!" My husband is less keen on cherries than I am, but did see the advantages this provided. And so the little $12 dwarf cherry tree became our 2014 garden experiment.

It was tiny when it arrived, easily dwarfed by the apricot bush we'd also purchased. We planted it and I began taking care of it. It was given water and plant food, but never really seemed to grow much. But I didn't let that discourage me. I kept caring for it and making sure that I did my part.

In June while my mother was visiting, we had a tremendous wind storm. As she was on the phone with my dad, we heard a sudden crunch and thump. Looking out the dining room window, we saw that a very large limb had fallen from the old tree in our backyard. Right on top of my poor cherry tree.

The next day when Dad came to pick Mom up, he helped Jonathan and I lift the tree limb off the fence and get it moved out of the way. Amazingly, my cherry tree had only lost a couple of leaves, but otherwise seemed fine. But the damage to the older tree was such that my husband and I knew the tree would have to be cut down. Another lost limb would mean damage to either our house or the neighbor's house. So we did some research and looked around before settling on a professional tree remover.

By the time he came our garden was becoming rather wild looking. Pumpkin vines were taking over my flower garden (note to self: never plant vining things by flowers again!). The apricot tree was thriving with tons of little leaves. And our tomato bushes looked more like wild trees! He told us he'd do his best to prevent the tree limbs falling on the garden, but couldn't make any guarantees. And he did a great job. But as he was cutting large sections of branch and trunk, a huge chunk fell right on top of my cherry tree. As he was moving the fallen pieces of tree, he dragged that chunk over it.

The tiny branches were broken. Not a single leaf remained. I just knew that my "experiment" was about to die. I was heartbroken. It may seem silly to get so attached to a tree, but it had already survived a dry and hot summer and one branch falling on it. We continued to water the spot, just in case, and I'll be honest: I prayed for a miracle.

In fall, the tree seemed to show some improvement. A few leaves sprouted from scraggly little branches. At about the same time we brought home a very energetic and sometimes naughty six month old puppy. I don't suppose I have to recount what happened, but I'll tell you. My baby trees, both the apricot and the cherry, suddenly provided her with chew toys. I had never been so angry at the dog. We put a garden fence around the trees and forbade her from jumping it. And I continued to pray that somehow that poor tree would survive.

Winter came and you couldn't even see where the cherry tree had been. I figured it was probably hopeless. Our apricot tree looked like a branch that had been stuck in the dirt. I started expecting the reality of needing to buy new trees. But would it be worth it?

Then spring came around again. I was busily working on The Ultimate Prince Charming. Our yard started to green up and an amazing thing happened. Where the teeny stump that was left of my cherry tree was, leaves suddenly sprouted. Could it be possible? Over the next few days, I watched as those first few leaves were blown away in a windstorm only to be replaced by more leaves and thin branches. Our apricot tree also began leafing out. I could hardly dare to believe it! That resilient little cherry tree had survived, against all odds!

One Sunday at church we were talking about the parable of the sower. As we discussed the different types of ground described, I couldn't stop thinking of my cherry tree. It was planted in good ground. The soil here is very fertile. Despite the hardships it had faced, it had been able to develop strong roots.

Around the same time, I was writing a scene with George's princess. She was complaining about her hardships and these lines came from the character she was speaking to:

“How you view your challenges will either help you become successful or shatter you. It’s like I was saying about the garden. The strongest plants are not the ones that never faced hardships. They’re the ones that survived droughts, wind storms, lightning and other obstacles. That’s rather like a quest. You are being given figurative droughts, wind storms and lightning to test your strength. Each time you successfully complete a task, no matter how challenging, you grow stronger.”

Inspiration can come from anywhere you look. Even from a tiny, yet mighty, cherry tree.

P.S. Don't forget to make time tomorrow (Monday June 15th) for The Ultimate Prince Charming's release party!
https://www.facebook.com/events/14205...

Research and Vicarious Living

Julie Wilford asked yesterday if I had a favorite animal and had also asked how I knew so much about horses. Now you get the answer!

I told you yesterday how I love horses. And I do. I always have! My mom says that's the mother's curse at work. See, my grandmother loves horses and my mother can't stand them. It's a shame really, horses are amazing. But, Grandma always told her to just watch out. "You'll have a horse-loving little girl one day."

My mom did what most of us do when our mothers place "the curse" on us. She laughed it off. Fast forward to 1985. A little girl was born and it was not much longer after that Mom realized that maybe the mother's curse was not so funny after all. I absolutely loved horses! I lived, breathed and ate it! When I started reading, half of my books were about dinosaurs (I was going to be a paleontologist, you know) and the other half about horses. As I got older, I outgrew the dino-phase (sort of), but the horse phase grew ever stronger.

So, how did I know so much about horses in the details I wrote? Simple. I've spent the majority of my life researching and reading about them. As a teenager I scrimped and saved my babysitting money so that at 16 I could finally get horseback riding lessons. In fact, I skipped my junior prom to ride horses! When I wasn't reading about them, I was watching movies like "The Man From Snowy River" (still one of my favorites), "My Friend Flicka" and "Black Beauty". Totally off topic, but if you've never heard Sean Bean use his actual accent, you NEED to watch Black Beauty! Heart-melting! ;)

Anyway, back to the writing. When I started writing Charming Academy, I wanted the details to be as true to life as possible. And I'll be honest, I was living out a dream through my characters. I did more research both through books and through more unexpected places. I watched the behind-the-scenes on the Lord of the Rings DVD's to learn a little about medieval saddlery and tack. Not a whole lot there, but it had horses for me to fall in love with. :) I watched dressage competitions at hideous hours since most of America is not interested in Olympic dressage (sorry to have kept you up, Daddy!).

Between the knowledge I had cultivated in my youth and the research I did while writing, I was able to put in a lot of details which would add to the story and allow me, for a short time, to be the horsewoman I'd always dreamed of.

Reality in Fiction

Time for another answer! By the way, I've still got lots of days open for your questions, so be sure to comment on here or on my Facebook page with a question or two! Julie Pollmann asked, "How often are characters or events based on real life? Give an example."

One of the things I love most about writing is being able to explore things that actually happen in a fictional setting. Sometimes I am able to change the outcome and sometimes I leave it the same. While there are only two characters that were cameos of real people I know (Sondra and Julie in Prince Charming's Search based on my mom-in-law and her younger sister), there are many aspects of my world in the characters and events in my books.

I'll give you a few examples of what I mean. My princes are all given characteristics of what I most admire in a man. And a lot of them share traits with my husband or my father. But they also share some of those irritating, yet endearing, quirks men have. This conversation between Moira and Lucian in Charming Academy was based around things I heard my parents say when they were having difficulty seeing eye to eye:

As Lucian tried to keep the rhythm of steps in his head, he also tried to engage Moira in conversation. While she had been polite throughout the day and even pleasant at moments, there was a reserve in her behavior. Trying to think of a way to broach the subject, he commented, “Your letters have been somewhat shorter recently.”
Moira looked surprised. “Really? I guess I haven’t had much to say.”
“Are you sure that’s it?”
“What else would it be?” she asked, a stubborn tone sneaking into her voice.
“Well, I know I kind of flubbed things at the last meeting,” he said.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh come on, Moira,” he retorted, trying to keep the edge off his voice, “we both know you left mad. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t said anything that offended you.”
“You really have no clue, do you?”
“About what?”
Shaking her head, Moira muttered, “Boys really are blind.”
“Then help me see,” Lucian replied, exasperation clear in his voice. “I’m really not trying to be stupid, though obviously I’m succeeding.”
“I did not say that you were stupid,” she said. Though he could tell she was still mad, her tone was gentler.

Allegra shares my absolute fear of amphibians, though she is certainly a stronger woman than I am. My husband has already been warned that if he somehow gets turned into a frog, he's going to have to find his own way out of it! Her recurring nightmare in Finding Prince Charming is actually a modified version of a recurring nightmare I had often as a teenager.

In Becoming Prince Charming when Kaelen is testing to see if his unexpected visitor really is his sister Anna, the scene was based on a couple things. For one, I wanted to pay homage to "The Princess and the Pea" which is one of my favorite fairy tales. But it was also based loosely on a time when our family was brought some sort of casserole while my mom was in the hospital. Anna's refusal to eat is pretty close to what my siblings said when I set that casserole on the table.

The relationship between George and his sister, Samantha, is one example of basing characters and events on my own experiences. This scene from my next book, The Ultimate Prince Charming, takes elements from the relationships I have with my younger brothers, particularly James. But it is also based on my children's reactions to meeting their uncle Daniel for the first time since he had been on a church mission when they were born. Enjoy this sneak peek (and don't forget to ask more questions!):

Samantha was working on her embroidery when she heard the sound of a horse outside. She looked out the window and immediately recognized her brother. Forgetting all else, she ran out of the castle and threw her arms around George as he started leading his horse. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Hello to you too,” he teased. “I could go if you’d prefer.”
She smacked his arm playfully. “Have you finished your quest yet?”
George shook his head. “That’s part of why I’m here. I was hoping to get some advice from Kieffer.”
“He and Little George are out at the stables brushing his pony. I’ll take you to them and then we can all go in for some lunch.”
A maid came out of the castle holding a crying toddler. “I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but she’s woken up and I can’t get her calmed down.”
“It’s all right.” Samantha took the little princess from the maid and kissed the top of her head. “There, there now. What’s all the fuss for? Hush. Hush.” When she’d gotten her calmed down, she turned her to see George. “This is your uncle George, May. Can you say hello?”
The little girl looked at George, her brown eyes shy and teary. She sniffled.
“Hello, May,” George said gently, taking her tiny hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She looked at him a moment longer before reaching out to him. Taking May into his arms, George handed Omega’s reins to Samantha. He cuddled the toddler until she noticed Queenie at George’s side. A wide, dimpled smile spread across her face. “Puppy!” she cooed. George set her on the ground and May started stroking Queenie’s head. “Oooh, pwitty puppy.” She then threw her arms around the dog’s neck and giggled as Queenie licked her ears.
“She likes dogs, I see,” George laughed, taking Omega’s reins once again.
“Puppies and ponies. That’s all my children ever talk about,” Samantha said with a smile. “So, what have you been up to for the last three and a half years?”
“Oh you know, questing,” he replied.
“Ha! You’re not getting out of the question that easily.”
They arrived in the stables and a groom took George’s horse to an empty stall. Kieffer looked up and smiled, “Well, George, it’s been a long time. Where’s your princess?”
“Daddy, I’m down here and I don’t have a princess,” Little George said.
Kieffer laughed, “That is true, but his name is George too. This is your uncle.”
The little boy looked up at George suspiciously. “Are you really Uncle George?”
“Yes, I am. You were just a little baby the last time I saw you.”
“Hey, Mommy’s gonna have a baby, but don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”
George glanced at Samantha. “Surprise would be a better word,” she grinned. “And we don’t say ‘gonna,’ George. Say going to.”
“Mommy’s going to have a baby.”
Kieffer rolled his eyes at George, “She insists he needs to use proper grammar.”
“He’s a prince,” Samantha argued.
“He’s four.”
“Is it true you defeated a whole thicket full of imps and rescued a princess with diamonds in her eyes?” Little George interrupted.
“Oh, well…”
“We’ve heard some stories,” Samantha said as George hesitated. “Why don’t you set the record straight once we’re settled for lunch?”
“You really don’t want to hear a travel log, do you?”
“I do!” Little George cried as Samantha nodded.
“I do,” May echoed.
Laughing, Kieffer said, “You’ve been outnumbered. Come on, it’s getting chilly out here.”
They went in to the castle and Samantha showed George to a spare room he could use. “I assume this will be a short visit.”
George nodded. “I’ve got to finish my quest.”
“Finally decided to rescue your own princess, huh?”
“Don’t you start with me too,” George said sourly.
Samantha just laughed. “No one would have if you’d rescued her first. Anyway, get cleaned up and come to lunch. And don’t even think about taking a nap to get out of it.”
He grinned sheepishly. “What makes you think I’d do that?”
“I know you too well, little brother,” she replied with a smile.
When everyone was gathered in the dining hall for lunch, George began telling them about his adventures. He tried to skim over the more frightening parts. He didn’t want to scare the children. Kieffer and Samantha both sensed that there was more to his stories than he was telling, but listened quietly. Soon the meal was finished and the children’s nurse arrived to take them to the nursery for naptime. “I’ll still be here when you wake up,” George promised as the toddlers began arguing with Samantha.
“Do you promise?” Little George asked.
“I promise.” He accepted hugs from each child before they were led out of the room. “They are so cute, Samantha.”
“I rather think so,” she replied with a smile.
“They take after their mother,” Kieffer said.
“Liar,” Samantha chided with a pleased grin.
“May certainly does. If you were the same age, you could be twins! But George seems to look more like you, Kieffer.”
Kieffer shrugged. “Maybe. But, I don’t think you took valuable time away from your quest to tell us how adorable our children are.”
“What has really been happening, George?” Samantha asked. “We hear a lot of rumors and stories, but we never know how much to believe. Mother and Daddy have been worried sick about you. Most of your classmates have finished their quests.”
“From what we’ve heard there are only three of you still out.” Kieffer added.
“Really? Which three? Other than me of course.”
“Not until you give us some clear answers, George,” Samantha said, interrupting Kieffer.
George sighed. “I’ve been doing exactly what I set out to do. It’s been harder than I thought. And before you start telling me off about it, I’ve already been chastised well enough for my stubbornness.” When they looked at him questioningly, he continued, “Lucretia helped me out of a difficult situation I’d gotten myself into. Not without first giving me quite an earful about how stupid I was being. Since then I have been working on my own quest.” He was quiet a moment. “What exactly have you heard?”
“Well Little George told you about the princess from the imps. The story was quite different when you told it, but I’m assuming you left out some of the more violent details. There was a story about a princess held captive by a witch and then one of a couple trapped in the ice caves in that one province. Kieffer, do you remember which one?” He shrugged and Samantha continued, “We’ve also heard that at least two princesses showed up in Biberseth to let Melantha know what had happened to them.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“Heavens, George, we don’t get told everything in rumors,” Samantha said. “I can’t remember any names being mentioned.”
“So, what about your own quest?” Kieffer asked.
“I’d like you to look at my map with me. One of the things Lucretia told me was I’m being followed by imps.”
“So you didn’t kill all of them.”
“No, just their king. Anyway, I had already been thinking of coming to see you for advice when I needed to make a stop in town here,” he said, pointing to the map. “I hadn’t made up my mind though and I remember thinking the quest led over here to Fallcrest. When I was getting ready to leave though, I noticed this note.”
“It looks like you wrote it while half-asleep,” Samantha observed.
“You don’t think you wrote it,” Kieffer commented.
George shook his head. “I don’t remember ever making this notation. And the letter from my princess was gone. I’ve been backtracking and circling around in hopes that they would lose my trail. But I’m starting to wonder if they made the note and I’ve been going the wrong way.”
“But why would they do that?” Samantha asked. “What do they gain by it?”
Kieffer rubbed his chin while looking at the map. “It’s interesting that the note should be here. I’ve been receiving dozens of complaints about a haunted castle and strange creatures in that wood from the citizens of Wellerford.”
“What kind of complaints?”
“Everything from monsters stealing cattle to pirates in the harbor and ghosts shrieking in the night. The mayor even asked if he could send a party to the castle to investigate. I sent word to the fairy king to ask his advice and he assured me there was nothing for the mayor to do there. So, I’ve been telling them to leave the castle alone. That’s what makes this so interesting. I have a hunch this castle is involved in someone’s quest, whether yours or someone else’s. Either you did make the note and you believe your princess might be hidden there or they’ve set a trap for you in a place they’re sure you cannot escape.”
“How do I know which one it is?”
“I don’t have a good answer for you, George. I suppose the only way to find out is continue on the path you’re on.”
“But what if it is a trap?” Samantha gasped.
“George has gotten past challenges never meant for him. I think he can manage either way.”
“So you think I should go to Wellerford?”
“I think you should consider it. It is entirely possible that your princess is waiting in a tower in that castle. We’ve had the occasional dragon here and there must be something in those woods frightening everyone. I’m not sure about vines, but quests sometimes have hidden meanings. It may not be a literal vine. A large part of that side of the country has been used for farming for many years. There are a lot of people there who use vines in their artwork and vine motifs in their architecture. It may be a plain old ladder with vines carved into it. Why don’t you think it over tonight and you can get started in the morning? Either way you choose to go, you’ve got a lot to do.”
“And you did promise the children you’d be here when they woke up.”
“I was planning to stay at least the one night.”
“Do you want to stay longer?”
“I’d like to, but I probably shouldn’t. I’ve got a princess to rescue after all.”
“Do we get to know this mystery princess’ name?” Samantha teased.
“Sure, when you get the wedding invitation,” George retorted with a grin.

Finding Time When There's Not Enough

On my fanpage I've told you to ask me questions about myself, my books, anything! And now it's time to start providing answers! Emily Gunderson asked, "How DO you find the time (and space) to write?? And any advice on how other moms can carve out time for their passions?" Normally I would just answer one, but since these go together, you're getting a two-fer.

The second part of this question really stuck out to me. Encouraging people to embrace their passions is something I'm very, well, passionate about. :) I truly believe that God has given each of us gifts and talents for a reason: to make us happy. When we're happy others around us feel that and our passions can reach out to others in ways that make them happy and perhaps even encourage them to reach out themselves. But in a busy world, it can be hard to find time for those passions.

First, I'll tell you what I do. It is by no means perfect and doesn't always work out, even for me! But when it does, I find that I can get time for the needful and the fun in life. I try to get up earlier than my children so I'll have at least half an hour to do my yoga and center my day. For me this helps me get into the frame of mind I need to work with my three children and do the things I need to. When I'm focusing heavily on a project, as I have been with The Ultimate Prince Charming this month, I do half-hour sprints. My kiddos know what these are and love them! We work together for half an hour (I use my cell phone to set an alarm for us) on housework and chores. When the alarm goes off, they are released for half an hour of playtime in their room while I spend half an hour writing. We repeat this throughout the day as often as I need to reach my goals. When my children are having ornery days, and yes they do have them, I tend to stay up late making up lost time on my goals. But I try to make sure that I have a set bedtime for myself too. After all, staying up all night is not going to make me a happy mommy when my children wake up after their full night of sleep. ;) I do have a work desk in the nook off my room. When I need it to be extra quiet, I work there. Otherwise, I take my laptop into the living room where I can hear what my children are doing but still be on my own.

And now for the advice. This is just based on my experience and what has worked for me. So share it if you want, toss it out, tweak it, find what works for you. That's probably the very first piece of advice: find what works for you and your children (or whomever and whatever takes your time).

1) Get your children involved if possible. Unless your passion is something that would be potentially dangerous to them (chainsaw carving for instance), getting your children involved will do two things for you: a) it gives you time to do what you love with people you love and b) it helps them discover some of their own passions. I love baking and no one in my house (at the moment) loves that more than my son, Gary. If I'm getting ready to make something he insists that I wait for him to get his chef's coat (Thanks again, Mom. He loves it!) so he can bake too. He's discovered a love for cooking and I encourage that. I also involve my children in my writing, when I can. Together we're working on "The Adventures of Berry and Emerald." They're learning to love stories and storytelling as they make decisions about what our princess and her pet dragon are doing. Whatever your passion is, find a way to let your children explore it with you. It really is a win-win!

2) Have a code word/phrase for your children that lets them know you need some time to do your thing. My kiddos all know when I say, "Time for Mommy to do a writing sprint!" that they need to give me some time to write on my own. It took a while for them to figure it out, but consistency is key. I always tell them, "Time for Mommy to do a writing sprint." They've learned that means I'm going to set an alarm and until the alarm goes off, they need to let me be as much as possible. I still get interrupted with "He hit me," "She took my toy," "I'm hungry," and other common complaints. But for the most part they do their best to give me the time I've requested. They also think it's our big secret that Mommy gets that writing time, which has led them to believe that my writing time is special.

3) It is important that you set some kind of time limit for yourself. Half an hour has worked well for me, but depending on your children and what you're going to be doing you may need to adjust that time. You don't have to limit yourself to once a day, but having time limits helps you to be able to get other things done and also lets your children know that your "Me-time" isn't going to last forever.

4) Make your passion your "job." When I first really started to make time during the day to write, it was hard for my toddlers to understand what I was doing. So I turned writing into my job. They knew that Daddy had to go to work during the day. But they also knew that Daddy had to do certain things before he went to work. So I would have them watch me do my hair, put on my "work" shoes, and gather up my materials (in my case pens, notebooks, highlighters, etc.). I would give them a hug and a kiss and say, "I'm going to work now. Time for Mommy to do a writing sprint! I love you!" I made sure they knew exactly where I was, but I also made it clear that I was busy. I still got interrupted, but it helped them understand that I needed the time.

5) Celebrate finished projects together. It's hard to say who gets more excited when my proof copy arrives: My children or me. When you get a project finished, make it a big deal. My children love our "Mommy's done!" celebrations. We make their favorite dinner and dessert and have a great time. As they learn to associate those celebrations with your passions, they will become your cheerleaders. Gail loves to ask me how my writing is going.

6) Be prepared for off-days. No matter how wonderful your kiddos are, they are going to have off-days. Have a Plan B in place, even if Plan B means waiting for tomorrow. Sometimes they will need you more than your project will. These days go by so fast. While you shouldn't put off your passions indefinitely, be okay with missing a few days here and there. Ben is the most laid-back, easy-going baby I've had. But he has his clingy days. On those days I shrug, let go of the day's goals and just focus on being Mommy. If he takes a nap and I can put him down, I work for as long as I can before he wakes up. But there are also days that I don't get any writing done and I'm okay with that. Mommy is my number one job. I tell stories to keep that passion going even when I can't write them down. But I try hard to make sure my priorities are where they need to be.

7) Share your passion! Whether you play an instrument, write, paint, draw, garden, do stand-up comedy, write music, etc. Whatever your passion is, share it with those around you. Having that "fan" base can help give you the motivation and inspiration you need. Each of you have made writing even more important to me as I get your notes of praise, encouragement and love. I can't begin to express how inspiring it is for me to get those notes, no matter how short. Sharing your passion with others will help you make and find the time to do the things you love! It will also bring you joy in ways you could never expect.

Pencils Ready?

If you've stopped by my fanpage, you've already seen the news. If not, I'll let you in on it:

I'm having an illustration contest!

So I've always wanted to be a writer. For years I dreamed of seeing my name in print. And I've reached that dream. I'm getting close to finishing the next book in the series. Release date is set to be June 15th of this year, so mark your calendar.

I've also done my own cover art because I enjoy exploring that facet of my creativity too. I have the cover art done for The Ultimate Prince Charming, but I want to see what you can come with. This contest will begin in May, but I want to give you plenty of time to do your creative best. I want to see what kind of cover you would do for this book. Here are the official rules:

1. Must be 8 years old or older to submit artwork. I will accept artwork done in pencil (black and white or colored), charcoal, chalk, pastels, watercolor, acrylic/oil paint, and/or photography.
2. All artwork submitted must be an original creation of the submitter. Please do not take credit for someone else's work. Plagiarized works will be disqualified.
3. Submissions can be made either online by submitting a photo of it at the Jessica L. Elliott fanpage on Facebook (images must be 300dpi) or by mailing a scan or photocopy of the original to the address listed on my website. Do not send originals as I will not be mailing them back.
4. All submitters are required to send a release form stating that I will be given permission to use the image on my website, fanpage and in the book. If the submission is made by a minor (under 18), I will require a parent or guardian's signature on the release form. Any submissions that do not have such a release form will be disqualified.
5. There must not be adult content (profanity, nudity, inappropriate gestures, etc) in your submission. Submissions violating this rule will be disqualified.
6. Submissions will be accepted from May 1 to May 15. Those arriving earlier or later will be disqualified.

No purchase is necessary to participate in the contest. Voting will begin on the Facebook fanpage on May 16th at 8:00am CDT and go through May 22nd 11:59pm CDT. There will be one (1) grand prize winner who will receive a free, signed, proof copy of The Ultimate Prince Charming with their illustration on the cover as well as having their illustration featured inside. Two (2) runners-up will have their illustrations featured inside the book.

This is going to be a lot of fun and I hope you will join in it! Not overly artsy but know someone who is? Share this with them!

Now, get those drawing pencils ready and create a cover illustration for the Ultimate Prince Charming.

So Cliche

Finally got my story written. It's short and not my best writing. I've been dealing with lots of interruptions today. But there you have it. :)

Cliche

It was vastly unfair. Some princesses pricked fingers on spinning wheels. Others got wicked stepsisters. There were the ones captured by beasts, dragons and ogres. And one couldn’t forget the princesses with unfortunate princes who were turned to frogs. But Cassidy wasn’t one of those princesses. Her curse was far worse, at least she thought so. She would much rather pucker up to an amphibian than deal with her curse.
She scanned the room nervously. If she could avoid speaking to anyone, no one would find out. It had been her mother’s idea to go to the ball in the first place. To her dismay, a handsome prince saw her and walked over.
“Hello.”
Smiling, Cassidy kept her mouth firmly shut.
“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” he said with a smile.
Cassidy willed herself not to speak, but the words came out anyway. “I avoid introductions like the plague.”
The prince blinked in surprise. “Really? Why?”
“They’re so cliche,” she replied, emphasizing the last word and hoping the prince would get the hint.
He laughed, “Nonsense. Don’t you like making friends? Meeting new people.”
“If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” Cassidy said, cringing inwardly. Apparently that was the best her cliche-filled brain could come up with.
“Oh.” The prince looked slightly hurt. “I suppose I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”
No, no, no, no! Say something, Cassidy. Anything!” a voice in her head yelled. “A friend in need is a friend indeed!”
Turning and giving her an odd look, the prince said, “I suppose so. Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“I’ve gone from the frying pan into the fire.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “I’m Damon.”
“Cassidy,” she replied, grateful that she could at least say her name withou an extra phrase.
“So what is your problem, exactly?”
“Make no words about it,” she replied.
“Did you want help or not?”
“On the face of it.”
“Why do you keep talking in cliches?”
Cassidy glared at him. Had it seriously taken him that long to notice?
He looked puzzled then gasped, “Oh, you have to talk in cliches, don’t you?”
“And we have a winner!”
“Well, what can I do about it?”
Cassidy shrugged.
They were silent for a while. “Maybe if I could find a topic there aren’t any cliches for,” Damon suggested. “Like, the weather.”
Rolling her eyes, Cassidy said, “It’s raining cats and dogs. If it’s not raining, it's pouring.”
“Oh, I guess that was a bad choice. Well, take heart, I’ll think of something.”
A strange sensation went over Cassidy. “Oh, thank you! I can talk like a normal person!”
“Really? What did I do?”
“You used a cliche. Apparently cliches enjoy their own company.” She smiled. “Why don’t we start that introduction over, now that I’m no longer Cliche Cassidy?”

Are You Ready?

Camp NaNoWriMo is merely two days away. Are you ready for it? I actually think that I am ready. Crazy though that may sound coming from the mother of two toddlers and an infant. It helps that my baby is super laid-back, making it easy to get things accomplished during the day. And it also helps that my toddlers understand that sometimes Mommy needs time to sit and write.

But Camp NaNo isn't the only thing coming. Easter is this weekend and I'm really excited. I'm also really nervous. Having just learned about my daughter's allergies, I worried that our Easter dinner, particularly dessert, would be lacking as I try to avoid things she shouldn't have. Then, with choruses of Heavenly Angels, I saw a post on a friend's Facebook with recipes for Crazy Cake. No eggs. No milk. Perfect! The original recipes can be found in the link. But I wanted to change things up a bit for Easter. So here's my brand-new, carrot cake recipe:

Carrot Cake (based on Sweet Little Bluebird's Spiced Crazy Cake)
1 1/2 cup + 2 T flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
5 T vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup water
1/2 cup grated carrots.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish. Mix together dry ingredients. Make three wells in the mix. In each well add one of the following: vinegar, vanilla, oil. Pour water over entire mix. Stir until well-blended. Fold in grated carrots. Bake for 35 minutes.

I tested this out today and it was delicious! My little girl actually ate most of her piece and no rash! So now, I'm ready with a new dessert for Easter and a new resource for great recipes. Definitely check out the link for all the flavors she's shared.

Setbacks and Moving Forward

I know technically today should be a short story and I'm super behind on those anyway. I think I owe you like eight now! But today I want to talk about a new journey I'm taking. A terrifying journey. A journey I never wanted to take. It's the journey of food allergies.

My daughter has struggled with eczema since she was a small baby. For a while, we seemed to have gotten it under control with occasional flare-ups. But when we took her to the pediatrician to get her up-to-date on her vaccines, I mentioned that we had been considering whether we should have her tested for allergies. We knew she couldn't have regular milk, but wanted to make sure we knew all of her triggers so we could keep her healthy and with clear, beautiful skin. Our doctor agreed that it was a good time to begin this testing. So on the 16th we took our little girl to the hospital for blood tests.

Now I have the results and she doesn't just have a few allergies. She has a lot. She's allergic to things I use every day in multiple meals. Hardest of all, she's allergic to dogs. Our sweet puppy, whom she loves dearly, is one of her triggers.

I read the list and felt my heart break for her. Suddenly some of her quirks when eating made sense. No wonder she would only eat the jelly side of a pb+j; she's allergic to peanuts. The fact that she won't touch scrambled eggs or french toast made complete sense; she's allergic to eggs. Then the guilt hit as I realized how often I had unwittingly given her things that were adding to her discomfort. Garlic in our stir-fry, peanut butter in no-bake cookies, eggs in cakes and brownies, and oats in almost everything.

Then the fear hit. Just what am I going to cook for her? How will I ensure that she's getting a balanced and nutritious diet with so many restrictions? How will I teach her to cook?

I read the list again and became more and more grateful that none of her allergies made it into the "very high" range. She's not deathly allergic to anything. I also reminded myself that we were going to be seeing an allergist as soon as an appointment could be set up. He'll be able to help us know what we can do.

And another thought entered my mind. Long before I had children I'd made the decision that I was never going to raise them to fear food. I can still do that, even with restrictions. I love to cook and be creative with ingredients. In an unexpected way, God had given me just the kind of creative opportunity I was looking for. I still have to mourn over the foods she will likely never experience. It is immensely sad that she will never know the unparalleled delight of my mother's lemon meringue pie. Seriously, best dessert ever! But she will learn others.

The challenges which seemed impossible suddenly didn't seem so bad. So I'll be cooking more from scratch now, awesome! I'll be learning how to substitute ingredients, great! I'll make this an adventure that my daughter and I can take together! And yes, my husband and sons will come along for the ride too. My daughter has allergies. That will mean some changes, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world.

So as we embark on this journey, I'll share our progress here along with new favorite recipes. Challenges in life come in all sorts of packages, but they can be overcome with the right attitude and the support of good friends and family. So thank you to my mom, mom-in-law and everyone else who has helped calm this nervous mama. Together, we can do this!