Brenda Corey Dunne's Blog, page 11

DEPENDENT Cover Reveal!

       I am extremely and utterly thrilled to share with you the fine work of the design team at Jolly Fish Press! They've taken my story and turned it into a picture (a difficult job, let me tell you), and I LOVE it! It's fabulous.

Ready to see it?
       Well, before I show you, may I just add that DEPENDENT is now up on GOODREADS! Pop on by and click on that little 'to read' button!

       And if you like what you see there, did you know that it is also up on AMAZON for pre-order? This blows my mind. The release day is in July of 2014, but there it is.

Ready to see it now?
       Oh, if you want to keep up to date with what's going on, the best place for updates is my FACEBOOK page. 'Like' my page to get my posts in your feed.

Now are you ready to see it?  OKAY!Scroll down for the big reveal!*Drum roll please* * * * * * * * * * * * *   TA DAA!          SO? What do you think? Pop your thoughts in the comments block below!         I LOVE it. I love the lower case 'dependent', the simplicity and femininity of her hair. I love that she is bare beneath the cage of her title. I love the black and white. And I love the purple, a mix of Air Force blue and feminine pink. When you read the book, you'll see why these things matter to me.         Here's the teaser blurb from Amazon:        When 45-year-old Ellen Michaels loses her husband to a tragic military accident, she is left in a world of gray. For 25 years her life has been dictated by the ubiquitous They—the military establishment that has included her like chattel with John’s worldly goods—his Dependents, Furniture, and Effects. They—who have stolen her hopes, her dreams and her innocence, and now in mere months will take away the roof over her head. Ellen is left with nothing to hold on to but memories and guilt and an awful secret that has held her in its grip since she was 19. John’s untimely death takes away her anchor, and now, without the military, there is no one to tell her where to go, what to do—no one to dictate who she is. Dependent deals with issues ever-present in today’s service families—early marriage, frequent long absences, the culture of rank, and posttraumatic stress, as well as harassment and abuse of power by higher-ranking officials. It presents a raw and realistic view of life for the lives of the invisible support behind the uniform         Thank you, and please SHARE!        Brenda

Remember.

Photo credit:
Elizabeth K Watnem PhotographyLast week, after posting my Military Monday post on education, I was grappling with what to post here for Remembrance Day--what angle I would take, what topic I could share, what personal story or anecdote I could expand upon. I was a little stumped.

Remembrance Day has always been a mandatory attendance event in our family. Even when I was little my world stopped on November 11 while we walked to a cold cenotaph and stood in rain, wind and sometimes snow. As a proud Air Force officer, I have marched with my coworkers. As a military spouse I have stood by my husband. And as a mother I have watched my children march as Brownies, Scouts and Army Cadets. Remembrance Day never fails to move me. Even today, as you read this, I am standing beside my husband in his uniform, while my youngest daughter lays a wreath on behalf of her school...I'm likely trying to keep it together as I hear the Last Post.

But last week, as I came home, logged on to Facebook, and checked my messages, I was stumped as to how to do justice to such an important day.

There, in the 'Other' tab of my Facebook, was a message from a stranger. I was flattered and pleased that someone I didn't know would take the time to write me a personal message. It's still a novelty for me to get mail, in any form, from a complete stranger.

I clicked on the message. And then I read it.

I wish I could fully describe what this message did to me. I was...humbled. Awed. Proud. Sad. Overwhelmed. I wrote the author, Amanda, back and asked her if I could share it with my readers word for word. She wrote back and said yes.

So I am honoured to share it with you now. Please take the time to read it all.

 * * *
Hi Brenda

My name is Amanda Anderson - I saw your post about education on the Canadian Military Spouses FB page. I noticed a lot of the spouses mentioned University of Manitoba as a good school for military spouses.  Cpl Jordan Anderson
3PPCLI
DND photoI wanted to let you know that U of M is the first university since the Korean War to award a degree posthumously to a fallen soldier - Cpl Jordan Anderson 3PPCLI (KIA Afghanistan 04 July 2007).I think its extremely important that U of M get recognized for this distinction - especially within our military community. It took a huge amount of work by Jordan's friends, the Political Science department and the university to make this actually happen. In addition to Jordan receiving his degree posthumously, a bursary was established - Cpl Jordan Anderson On the Ramp award for serving or retired member of the Canadian Forces, or a cadet (with preference given to those studying political science). Although the award isn't open to spouses I want the military community to know the extent to which U of M supports our military.  Jordan was taking political science through distance ed at U of M. As a serving member it was a challenge and more than one time I had to call the distance ed office myself and tell them he got bugged out and that term paper wasn't making it in, and perhaps could they speak to the prof and get him an extension?The staff at the distance ed office were unbelievably supportive throughout his years of study.  Cpl Jordan Anderson in theatre
DND photo The day before he died he contacted the head of the department and was arranging to take classes upon his return from Afghanistan. I can't describe in a message how it felt to receive my husband's degree after his death. His dedication was incredible and I desperately wished it was him receiving it and me sitting in the audience. The news articles detail more of my reaction and the spontaneous reaction of the audience that day. Here are some news links with more information:  **U of M to award posthumous degree to fallen soldierCpl. Jordan Anderson, raised in N.W.T. and was based in Edmonton, was taking BA **POSTHUMOUS DEGREE TO BE CONFERRED ON FALLEN CANADIAN SOLDIER **Education in the midst of conflict Cpl. Anderson was serving his country, planning for his future When the news articles were published, the University was still working out logistical and privacy aspects of the bursary (therefore some of the newspaper article details are incorrect). Here is a link to a summary of the FINAL bursary requirements. If anyone was interested in donating to Cpl Jordan Anderson 'On the Ramp' Bursary I've summarized the details on his In Loving Memory Facebook page here - along with a link to the donation form.  Jordan
(Anderson family archives)I know this isn't the direction of your article, however you are speaking to the military community about education. Its hard to part with tuition money so at least at U of M you know its going to an institution who cares / gives a damn about our military and their sacrifice.  I hope you choose to share (in some format) Jordan's story and the amazing support he received from the U of M. Even more timely with Remembrance Day being next week.  Amanda AndersonWidow of Cpl Jordan Anderson 3PPCLI * * * Needless to say, I was floored.  
I've since contacted George MacLean, PhD, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba, who was the department head at the time Jordan was taking his courses. Dr. MacLean had this to say:  "Jordan's story will likely stick with me for the rest of my life.  It was one of the best things I think we've done as a university...Military personnel (some American, too) over at the Air Force base officer school in Winnipeg raised funds to support the bursary, and it was fully funded and then given final approval in 2010.  We've awarded it at least twice since then." Coming home.
Photo credit: DND Such an amazing, heart wrenching inspirational story.  I am so honoured and privileged to be able to share it with you on today of all days. So today, whether you are at work, school, home or at the local cenotaph, take a moment to remember Cpl Jordan Anderson and all of the people who were touched by his story. Touched enough to pull together to help others like him enrich their lives.  Remember the men with him...men who had wives and families and lives back home waiting for them. Remember that they were working on degrees, making plans, preparing for the future. Remember how much they wanted to come home.  Remember that they didn't.

Brenda *** Dedicated to the men who died on July 4, 2007Killed in ActionAfghanistan Captain Matthew Johnathan Dawe (3PPCLI)

Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis (1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery)

Corporal Jordan James Anderson (3PPCLI)

Corporal Cole D. Bartsch (3PPCLI)

Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis Bason (The Royal Westminster Regiment)

Private Lane William Thomas Watkins (3PPCLI) Afghan interpreter  

CONFESSIONS OF THE VERY FIRST ZOMBIE SLAYER (THAT I KNOW OF) Cover Reveal!

Another fantabulous cover by Jolly Fish Press!

Spring is going to be a happening time in the Fish Tank. Today's reveal is for fellow Agent-Mate, F.J.R.Titchenell. This one has an Amazon Gift Card giveaway to it...hop on over to Ms. Titchenell's website HERE and enter!

First a bit about the author...
FJR TitchenellF.J.R. Titchenell is an author of Young Adult Sci-Fi and Horror fiction. She is represented by Jennifer Mishler of Literary Counsel and currently lives in San Gabriel, California with her husband and fellow author, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica.

The "F" is for Fiona, and on the rare occasions when she can be pried away from her keyboard, her kindle, and the pages of her latest favorite book, Fi can usually be found over-analyzing the inner workings of various TV Sci-Fi universes or testing out some intriguing new recipe, usually chocolate-related.And a wee tad about her book:The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper, she has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would flirt with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places to find her, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might just love him, too. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read. Interested? Then now is the moment. Take a deep breath and scrooooollllllll down...* ********
 TA DAAA! What are your thoughts? Do you like? I love this one. Love the shadowy zombie in the back, and the 'Hello My Name Is' sticker. Nice touch. Want to know more? Check out any or all of Fiona's links... Website: www.fjrtitchenell.weebly.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FjrTitchenell Twitter: https://twitter.com/FJR_Titchenell Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384865.F_J_R_Titchenell Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Very-First-Zombie-Slayer/dp/1939967309/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383006679&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=confessions+of+the+very+first+zombie+slayer So...are you a Zombie lover? Let me know below! Brenda  

CITADELS OF FIRE Cover Reveal!

Day two of COVER REVEAL MADNESS!  
Today's cover reveal is a historical fiction written by the fabulous LK Hill.

CITADELS OF FIRE is described as follows:


In a world where power is paid for in blood, no one ever aspires to more than what they were born to, and danger hides in plain sight, Inga, a maid in the imperial Russian palace, must find the courage to break the oppressive chains she’s been bound with since birth.
Inga’s life in sixteenth century Russia is bleak until a man she crossed paths with as a child returns to the Kremlin. Taras is convinced his mother’s death when he was a boy was no mere accident and has returned to try and discover what really happened, all during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the most brutal and notorious ruler ever to sit the throne of Russia. While Taras finds only lies and silence where he seeks truth, Inga struggles with the feelings of oppression that have plagued her for most of her life. Taras gives her the chance to leave her loneliness behind forever, but the cost and future of such a liaison is uncertain and Inga is afraid.
Up against the social confines of the time, the shadowy conspiracies that cloak their history, and the sexual politics of the Russian imperial court, Inga and Taras must discover their past, plan for their future, and survive the brutality that permeates life within the four walls that tower over them all, or they may end up like so many citizens of ancient Russia: nothing but flesh and bone mortar for the stones of the Kremlin wall.
So with out further ado...



Here it is!

    Beautiful! Love the flames and the ominous sky. What do you think?  You can find more about LK Hill and her book on her blogs... lkhill.blogspot.commusingsonfantasia.blogspot.com ...or on the Jolly Fish Press website! Tune in on the 9th to see the next cover reveal...for CONFESSIONS OF THE VERY FIRST ZOMBIE SLAYER (THAT I KNOW OF)  by F.J.R. Titchenell! Brenda

ELEANOR Cover Reveal!

So the amazing team at Jolly Fish Press have been SUPER busy this week, and I have the honor and privilege of sharing not one, not two, but THREE new covers for my JFP friends over the next few days! So exciting...as I'm looking at the results of their work and am SUPER EXCITED to see how DEPENDENT turns out!

So without any more preamble it is my pleasure to reveal to you the AMAZING cover for Johnny  Worthen's upcoming young adult/paranormal title...

ELEANOR
Drum roll please!(Scroll down) **************** 
“Eleanor is a modest girl, unremarkable but extraordinary, young but old, malleable but fixed. She is scared and confused. She is a liar and a thief. Eleanor is not what she appears to be.”  Ooooo! Aaaaa! Ohhhh! What are your thoughts? You can find out more about Eleanor at Johnny's website... www.johnnyworthen.com or on the Jolly Fish website here.  Another cover reveal tomorrow... LK Hill's  CITADELS OF FIRE! Have a fabulous Tuesday! Brenda

Military Monday: Careers for Military Spouses - Education

PART 3 OF A 3 PART SERIES
One of the many problems for military spouses attempting to embark on a new career path is the difficulty in obtaining a degree or diploma in their preferred field. Once again, we move. And our husbands go away a lot. And we often have young children at home and no family in the same time zone, let alone the same town. The application deadlines generally fall before posting messages come out, so even when you do apply, there's no guarantee you'll be able to follow through. And education is expensive! How do you afford four or more years of courses when you are barely making ends meet now?

So...is there any hope for a military spouse looking to get a new start in the job market?


In a word...YES! Although no one can guarantee it will be easy (it won't), there are many avenues you can pursue, and many military spouses have successfully completed the necessary education in spite of the challenges. The big question is how?

Firstly, all Canadian Military Family Resource Centres have an Education and Training component with Resource Libraries and links to help you investigate the possibilities. Whether it be for adult high school, college, university, or other courses, they are there to help you succeed. Start your journey by paying them a visit.

Not in Canada? Although I'm no expert on the American/British/Australian/other systems, similar programs exist to help you as well. Military.com has a tab dedicated to education for American spouses(as well as many other sites), and for British MoD spouses I believe the HIVE system has resources to help you.

When narrowing down to a specific course of study, a military spouse has to consider several key factors:

1. Does the educational institution have a distance learning possibility for your course? Some universities operate almost entirely online. Abathasca University is one example that has a great track record and is very portable. Other universities suggested by my readers included U of Manitoba, and Mount Saint Vincent University.

2. Is financial assistance available? Some universities offer special scholarships for adult learners, there are also tax breaks for those enrolled in secondary education. A low interest loan may be the best bet. Or, have you considered doing your degree on one of the military training plans, like ROTP? (I got my physiotherapy degree this way) Talk to your local MFRC or the finance/tuition assistance section of your university for more info.

3. Childcare? How can I study with the kids at home? Nothing like having a sick toddler and a twenty page paper due the next day. All I can say to this one is that there is always a way. Not necessarily an easy or perfect way, but a way. Talk to your spouse, friends, MFRC, university, family members...and figure it out. Plan around naptimes and bedtimes. And plan to keep long hours and late nights.

4. What happens if...? Expect problems. Completing a new degree or diploma will take time, energy and money. You will have questions and no idea how to get the answers. You'll have sick kids and no child care, long assignments and no time. You'll get an unexpected posting message. Your spouse will be deployed. Try to plan ahead for possible snags so that when they happen you'll be prepared. In the end it will be worth it!

When it comes to your education...there is always a way.

Have an spousal education story or an education solution you'd like to share? Know something I don't? (Very likely :) )Please comment below, or talk to me on facebook here. You may just help another spouse in the same situation!

Thanks and have a great week!

Brenda

Military Monday: Careers for Military Spouses (Part 2 of a 3 part series)

PORTABLE CAREERS
The way I see it, military spouse careers can go one of four ways. The military spouse (using the feminine pronoun as statistically more common) can:

1. Give up entirely on working/maintaining a career and stay at home.

2. Work at whatever job presents itself.

3. Accept that to maintain a career, she--as the military spouse--will have to stay in one place while her spouse moves and deploys without her.

and
4. Find a career that's portable.

Although I don't think that any of the above options is the wrong option, or a bad option, I DO think that the most fulfilling choice for me is number 4. I have tried option 1, 2 and 3 for varying lengths of time. For me, staying at home was great when the kids were small, when we were posted overseas and for the in-between periods on a new post or just before moving. But sooner or later, I need to get out and make some money to add to the family income. For my own sanity, and for the mental health of my family I need to do SOMETHING.

So. What careers are the best for an ever-moving family? What careers can move with you? What can a military spouse focus on when looking toward a career? I put this question out on social media and the results of my completely unofficial poll came back looking like this:

Twelve careers that work (in no particular order):
1. Nursing (RN, LPN, RPN...): Great option. Nurses are needed everywhere. Lots of opportunities in different fields (emergency, long term care, surgical...)

2. Dental Hygienist: Again, fairly easy to find work in this area

3. Dental Assistant: Ditto.

4.  Teacher: Often lose seniority, but I know many teachers who have been able to work their way back into the field with each move.

5. Home sales: Lots of options, although difficult to start a new customer base each time you move, it can be done. I have one military spouse friend in the UK who has built her Pampered Chef empire high enough that she gets a free trip almost every year.

6. Tradesperson: Construction, electrician, plumbing...although stereotypically male dominated professions, and military spouses are stereotypically female, don't knock these possibilities. These are good paying options, and are in demand just about everywhere.

7. Transcriptionist (medical/legal): These jobs can be done remotely via internet/phone.

8. Personal Support Worker (PSW): Always needed. Just check your classifieds and you'll see what I mean.

9. Graphic Design: Especially for the web.

10. Any other internet based work...Blogging, content writing, social media, editing, analyst...so many options here.

11. Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist: As a qualified physio, I can highly recommend this as a portable career. I have never wanted for a job. I actually wait until I'm good and ready before I hand out resumes at a new post, because there is always a position waiting to be filled.

12. Author: Again, I can vouch for this one...although the pay isn't great until you get a few published novels under your belt!

Thoughts? Did I miss any? Do you have a career that's portable that I haven't mentioned?

As you can see, the list is very skewed toward the medical side of things. Again, just check your classified ads to see how badly medical professionals are needed where you live! Sure the reset button is ever-present, with new seniority/pay/vacation with each move, but the jobs are usually there. And if you can get hooked up with a national health care company you may even be able to keep some of those benefits.

You'll also note, I haven't included the gate-keeper professions: Doctor, Dentist, Lawyer, Bank CEO. Please don't think that this is because I don't believe military spouses can't do these professions. They can. And if you want to be a doctor, you should go for it. It's just these are professions which often require a long educational and interpersonal commitment and are not easily portable as a result.

On that note, the next problem a military spouse that moves every two to three years would encounter is how can she get the education to live out one of these careers?

I'll be talking about careers, education, and military spouse assistance programs in my next Military Monday post. If you have anything to add, feel free to connect to me via the comments block below, or via my Facebook page. And don't forget to like my page while you are there!

Brenda

Happy Thanksgiving!

 This weekend I've been spending time with my family and an overflowing table. As today is Thanksgiving Monday here in Canada, instead of a Military Monday, today's post focuses on the many, many things I'm thankful for. A sort of blogger's acknowledgement page.

I'm thankful for where I'm from . The outskirts of a tiny town with acres and acres of old forests, imagination and inspiration. Loving parents , siblings, extended family and friends . Sure it wasn't always happy-happy, but it was a great place to learn and grow. And the foundation of what made me ME.

I'm thankful for a brain that works and the ability to support myself. I'm thankful that my job led me to my husband , and I am eternally thankful for my husband who supports me in every possible way (and who is incidentally celebrating a BIRTHDAY today...Happy birthday Tom!). I'm thankful for the children that miraculously arrived a few years later. They are amazing and loving and smart and silly and they keep my life filled with sunshine.

I'm thankful for this amazing career that popped up out of an idea. And I am so blessed that something I love doing is something I can do from here, on my mother-in-law's couch, from a small village in England, or from the top of a fifty story hotel in New York City.

I'm thankful for my husband's career , which may be the cause of many frustrations, sleepless nights and long separations, but it's also the source of exciting postings, opportunities, and a solid, dependable source of income.

And lastly, I'm thankful for YOU , my reader. It constantly blows me away that people actually read what I write. And you come back. And you comment and support and tell me stories that inspire and lead to more stories.

And for that, I'm giving thanks.


Brenda


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Tina Moss and Yelena Casale: A Touch of Darkness

Today on the blog I’d like to introduce Tina Moss and Yelena Casale, two fabulous writers (and wonderful people) who will be releasing their first book via E-Lit Books this month! I’ve had the privilege of knowing this dynamic duo for a few years now, and even met up with them for lunch on a recent visit to New York City. Lucky me! (Chocolate for lunch...YUM). The three of us were part of an online crit group of five, waaaay back when, and they are also agent-mates with the wonderful  Literary Counsel in NYC! Welcome! 
***  A Touch of Darkness
BD: Hello Tina and Yelena and welcome to my blog! Firstly, congratulations on the upcoming release of A Touch of Darkness!
TM: Thank you so much for having us here! We are very excited for the release and hope the readers enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.
BD: So, could you tell my readers how you met?
YC: We actually met at a karate school, where we both came to train. Martial arts are our other passion and we became fast friends and dojo sisters.
BD: When did you start writing A Touch of Darkness?
TM/YC: A few years into our friendship, we realized that we both loved writing. Yelena wanted to start writing again after a long hiatus, and Tina wanted to switch from writing children’s books to adult novels. Just like that the writing team was born.
BD: Tell us a little bit about your process…from first words to agent representation to publication.
YC: We started out with little meetings at the dojo to talk about what we wanted to write and the characters. The meetings quickly moved to a diner, where we would satisfy our post-workout hunger and brain storm ideas. We would also parse out the chapters for the week or two and review parts of chapters that were already written. Our style of writing is very similar and it meshed well from the start. We would edit each other’s chapters and use our respective strengths – Tina for dialogue and Yelena for description – to make them even better.
BD: What are the pros and cons of co-writing a book? How does it work?
The fabulous Yelena Casale
and Tina Moss!TM: Co-writing a book is, in a lot of ways, a partnership of trust. For this to work, ego has to be put aside. Brainstorming ideas is a lot of fun and can always get you unstuck, which is a big pro. There were days when we would laugh through most of our writing meeting because of all the crazy ideas that came to our mind. But at the end, we had a winning idea and were ready to move forward. You definitely have to figure out a workable, efficient system when co-writing. Whether it’s weekly or bi-weekly meetings, doing everything by email or a combination.
BD: Can you tell us about any other projects you are working on?
TM: Too many. My newest project, Code Black, is complete and with the agents. It’s a paranormal romantic suspense about a fire-wielding heroine and a hot-blooded shifter. The sequel, currently titled Red Alert, is three-quarters of the way done. In addition, I’ve got a paranormal romance outlined, an urban fantasy started, secret project with Yelena, a possible YA contemporary/magical realism serial, and another idea kicking around the old brain that won’t leave me alone. So… Yup, way too many.
YC: Besides the Secret Project with Tina, I’m currently working on two urban fantasy novels.
BD: Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
TM: We’ve been asked about the sequel to A Touch of Darkness several times and the short answer is we’ve started and stopped twice. We did originally have it planned for four books, but decided to see how readers respond before jumping in a third time. However, we can always be swayed by chocolate. Really. J 
BD: Of course, CHOCOLATE! Who wouldn't? Okay on that note, non-writing questions… salty or sweet?
TM: I love both. I’m a bit of a salt fiend which is not the best for my health, so I need to cut back. Sweet is great too, but I’d take salted chocolate caramel over sweet candy any day.
YC: Definitely sweet, although I’ve been known to have salty and sweet at the same time.
 BD: Dogs or cats?
TM: I actually developed a cat allergy as an adult after having a cat for eight months, but I still love the little buggers. That said, I’m pretty much a dog person. My corgi, Chuck, is my website mascot.
YC: Ugh, that’s a tough one. I love all animals. I used to be an all dog person, but I’ve had cats now for about ten years and they are my babies.
BD: Tea or coffee? (VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION…no pressure here…) J
TM: Team Tea!

BD: Nooooooooo!
YC: Tea all the way!

BD: You guys are killing me! Gah! *covers heart and takes multiple deep, painful breaths*...
BD: Sigh. Back to the interview. What is one of your biggest fears?
TM: Mirrors. Don’t laugh. I have a horrible phobia and cannot be in the dark while looking into a mirror. It’s bad enough looking too long into one in the light. I mean, they are so freaky! They’re basically inverse reality and the thought of seeing something that isn’t supposed to be there…ugh.
 BD: Okay...
YC: Being buried alive.
BD: Yeah. I can see that too.
 BD: Last one. Favorite place to visit?
TM Oh this is tough. I’ve been very fortune to learn early in life how to travel on the cheap. The most beautiful places I’ve ever been are Bora Bora and Hawaii. Ireland owns a piece of my heart. Italy and Turkey are incredible, but I’ve got to go with Japan hands down. The culture, the people, the land are all amazing. I’d go back any day.

L to R: Me, Yelena, Tina at Max Brenner's in NYCYC: Any place that has a lot of history. So far Rome and Paris are the current faves. Kiev, the city I was born and spent my childhood in, is an ancient beautiful place that I would recommend visiting. Unfortunately, I haven’t been back there yet.
BD: Thank you so much for stopping by, Yelena and Tina! You guys are awesome. Best of luck in the coming months. When can we do lunch again?
TM: Thanks for inviting us. And lunch at Max Brenner – anytime! BD: I'm there! * * *   More about Tina : Tina Moss is a writer of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense. She lives in NYC with a supportive husband and alpha corgi, though both males hog the bed and refuse to share the covers. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching cheesy horror flicks, traveling, and karate. As a 5'1" Shotokan black belt, she firmly believes that fierce things come in small packages. You can find Tina here:  website/blog: http://www.tinamoss.com
Twitter: @Tina_Moss
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-Moss/126390774082870  More about Yelena : Yelena Casale is an Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance author. When she is not writing, she loves to read, watch TV with her husband (and without), take long walks and cuddle with her cat Bones. She is a second degree black belt/Shotokan karate instructor, and archaeology, history & art enthusiast.You can find Yelena here: website/blog: http://www.yelenacasale.comTwitter: @Yelena_Casale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yelena-Casale/253292294718229?ref=hl  


Military Monday: Careers for Military Spouses (Part 1)

Maintaining a Career (Part one of a three part series)
After my last post, on Finding a Family Doctor, I got thinking about what other aspects of military spouse-hood are both unique and challenging. What parts of normal life-progression are different for spouses of military members?

For me, one of the top items on this list is Careers.

We move. A lot. Sometimes every three years, sometimes yearly, sometimes more than once in a year. Every once in a while, you might see more than that (I have several friends who managed to stay on the same base for more than ten years), but sooner or later the powers that be will pick your spouse for that brilliant posting and boom ! Your professional life is on hold.

Pros and Cons
What makes career path maintenance difficult? What are the advantages of life in the military when it comes to employment matters? I put the subject out there on the interwebs, and got very strong and very thoughtful responses. Here's a compressed version of what spouses were saying:

Cons:

1. Most careers are not portable. It's very difficult to maintain an actual professional career path
with all of those moves. Moves tend to hit the 'reset button' for careers: putting you back at the bottom of the seniority list, resetting your vacation time to zero, and adding probationary periods. Often jobs are location specific, as well. Jennifer commented:  "I ran a very successful bar and grill taking home more money then my hubby until I moved here. Now I sadly work in a call center... I tried to open my own bar here, (but the) town council shot me down multiple times".

Along the same lines as this, some career paths (border security for instance) only work when the area you are posted to permit it, or the city is large enough to allow a market or a niche.

2. New post, new day care. Yeah. This is a whole post in itself, so I'll leave it at that. Finding a new day care = stress.

3. The job hunt process. Changes in employment rank high in the top 100 life stressors according to famous stress list makers Holmes and Rahe. An un-looked-for move involves an emotional and mental upheaval that can include:


*Leaving an old job (generally not by choice)
  *Searching for a new job: resume writing, searching the internet and a lot of unavailable time while dealing with all of the other time-consuming move items.
  *Walking into established social situations and trying to find your place.
  *Changing your schedule to meet your job requirements.
  *Rejection after rejection after rejection is hard to take. I have a wonderful friend who went from an Executive position to applying to more than a hundred jobs over several years before she found employment--and that at a significant downgrade in seniority and pay. It was a very difficult and very stressful time for her.

4. Licensing requirements change from province to province, state to state and country to country. As a physiotherapist, I know this issue quite well, and often have to weigh the benefits of having a license in the province/state/country against the effort and money required to obtain a license. This became painfully clear when returning from an out-of-country posting. I discovered my 'hours worked in the past five years' did not meet the provincial requirements. I had to write the national board exams to be re-licensed. One year, three thousand dollars and many, many stressful hours later I was able to work unsupervised again. Lets just say that the next time I let my physiotherapy license lapse will be when I retire...or my other career (writing) becomes self-sustaining.

5. Stereotypes. Hard to believe, but some employers are afraid to hire military spouses, knowing that they might move in the near future. What they miss.

6. ....And all of this happens while you are often dealing with your spouse away on training or deployment, mountains of boxes, finding a doctor, dentist, hair dresser, schools, cable company, grocery store, veterinarian and pharmacy...!

But enough moaning and groaning. There ARE some plusses to being a military spouse!

Pros:

1. Variety. Really, there's so many options for work, even within your own career path. One spouse commented: "I'm a RN and have never been without a job at each move. There's so much you can do. I've worked in small hospitals, large ones, on base. I've also taught." (Thanks Vanessa!) And another spouse (also in nursing) said: "Moving is an opportunity to try it all! Med/surg, community, OR, hospice...my resume is varied." (Thanks Laura!)

2. Opportunities for personal growth. I like to meet challenges head on. And what I personally have found is that each challenge I overcome becomes a huge surge forward on the personal satisfaction scale. Sure it's hard to find a new job, but that first pay-check feels GOOD.

3. Meeting new people. Making new friends every few years becomes a daunting task. And our Me in the middle, with my two wonderful
(and pregnant) coworkers,
Jenny and Sara...so sad to have left that job!
We had such a great time there...military spouse friends are often our first, and longest lasting friendships. But working allows a new outlet to meet people. It may be hard at first, as local non-military women and men tend to be skeptical of putting the effort into a new friendship, but these people are virtual mines of information about dentists, hair dressers and schools. And often these friends become lifelong connections.

4.  Military spouses are great employees. We have a lot of desirable attributes. We are hard working, we are resilient, we have great skill sets and we are often willing to put in the extra effort. If employers latch on to this, and recognize our value, they can become great assets in our career paths. And we have a lot of resources available to help us transition from place to place. Military Family Resource Centres in Canada have an entire section dedicated to Employment Assistance services. If you haven't already checked it out, you should. And there are many military spouses looking for others to network with,  and potentially hire. You can find one such group (The Military Family Small Business Association) here.

There are also many career counselling services and spouses-helping-spouses programs available for newly posted military spouses. Just a quick google search will give you a long list of available options. Resume writing, job searches, aptitude testing...government run and otherwise, there are many options available for you if you feel stuck.

4. And lastly, but certainly not least...That reset button can be a LIFE-SAVER. Wow, there have been times when I couldn't WAIT to move on to something new. Inter-personal conflicts, nasty work schedules, long commutes, stressful job situations...they all GO AWAY with a new move. Even without all of those things, a fresh new job and fresh new outlook can make a huge difference in your mental and emotional well being.

So what are your thoughts? Any other pros and/or cons of military spouse career-hood you'd like to share? Any suggestions for overcoming difficulties? Please click on the comment button and share your opinions!

Next week I'll be listing careers that withstand the military lifestyle. Tune in next Monday, or leave your suggestions on my Facebook Page! And while your at it...why not 'like' my page and get regular updates on Military Mondays and my new book, DEPENDENT, due out July 29th, 2014!


Brenda