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Today’s the big day – the day that Jen Mann’s anthology, I Just Want to Be Perfect, is officially released. It is the absolute perfect book for summer reading
The book is full of 37 stories of women trying to be perfect and failing in spectacular ways. By some stroke of luck, my story is one of them!
I’m not saying ‘stroke of luck’ in an awwww shucks, it’s just a stroke of luck that my little ol’ story got chosen, I mean that I’m legitimately lucky Jen even saw my story because I completely missed her email asking me to submit a story for consideration…..for over a month…..until the night the story was due.
To demonstrate just how close it was, here’s a Facebook update she posted the night of the deadline.
Right there at the bottom of the comment string is my slightly passive aggressive, but still not giving up hope for future books note of, “It’s my goal in life to have a Jen Mann deadline someday!”
I posted the response, not thinking too much of it and going on with my evening of ignoring my children while checking social media until I received the following Facebook Instant Message.
Sure enough, there was the email, hiding in the Spam folder of the Dusty Parachute email.
Sent February 19th.
It was now March 28th.
It was time to start writing, and writing FAST!
Fortunately, I had much of the story already written in my head as this traumatic event took place in front of my kids’ school and I re-live it every single day as I walk my son into school for morning assembly.
I need you all to go buy the book so I can tell you more of the behind the scenes details.
In the meantime, I’m just going to post some photos to accompany the piece without much explanation so I don’t spoil the surprise. Once you read the story, you’ll totally understand what they mean.
Not just “Lima Beans”…….TINY Lima Beans.
You haven’t seen an ant pile until you’ve seen a Texas sized ant pile….full of fire ants.
Our Beautification Team makes volunteering a competitive sport.
Skid Marks. I can’t say any more. Just go buy the darn book!
This is truly a special, full circle day for me being included in this book. When I first started my blogging journey, almost two years ago, the very first thing I did was check out, I Just Want to Pee Alone, from the library. (Sorry Jen, I have since bought a paid-for copy.) I read all the stories and immediately went and followed each of the writers on Facebook and Twitter in hopes of maybe one day having one of them say hi to me, or (dream of dreams) have one of them read one of my blog posts.
To have my story snuggled in between those of many of those same writers, who I now consider friends, is such a joy.
I hope you’ll take a moment to do what I did, and click through the list of links below to check out their blogs and follow them on their social media accounts. They have added so much laughter to my life and I know you’ll love them as much as I do.
But first, go buy this book!
If you’re in the Austin area, I will deliver autographed copies, just post a quick note in the comments here and I’ll get in touch with you to arrange delivery.
Here are all the hilarious contributors.
Jen Mann – People I Want to Punch in the Throat / I Just Want to Pee Alone
Bethany Kriger Thies – Bad Parenting Moments
Deva Nicole Dalporto – MyLifeSuckers
Julianna Wesby Miner – Rants From Mommyland
LOLA LOLITA – SammichesPsychMeds / MockMom
Kim Bongiorno – Let Me Start By Saying
Alyson Herzig – The Shitastrophy
Kathryn Leehane – Foxy Wine Pocket
Harmony Hobbs – Modern Mommy Madness
Erin Dwyer Dymowski – Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Tara Wood – Love Morning Wood
Kelcey Kintner – The Mama Bird Diaries
Lisa René LeClair – Sassypiehole
Joelle Wisler – Joelle Wisler, Writer
Christine McDevitt Burke – Keeper of The Fruit Loops
Meredith Spidel – The Mom of the Year
Meredith Gordon – Bad Sandy
Nicole Leigh Shaw – NicoleLeighShaw.com
Allison Hart – Motherhood, WTF?
Jennifer Lizza – Outsmarted Mommy
Suzanne Fleet – Toulouse and Tonic
AK Turner – Vagabonding with Kids
Robyn Welling – Hollow Tree Ventures
Ashley Fuchs – The Malleable Mom
Kim Forde – The Fordeville Diaries
E.R. Catalano – Zoe vs. the Universe
Chrissy Woj – Quirky Chrissy
Stacey Gill – One Funny Motha
Wendi Aarons – wendiaarons.com
Jen Simon – jensimonwriter.com
Janel Mills – 649.133: Girls, the Care and Maintenance Of.
Jessica Azar – Herd Management
Susanne Kerns –The Dusty Parachute
Audrey Hayworth – Sass Mouth
Hedia Anvar – Gunmetal Geisha
Christine Organ – christineorgan.com
Shya Gibbons – ShyaGibbons
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xo - Susanne
- Come Check Out My New Place! SusanneKerns.com - May 23, 2017
- Don’t Miss “Touch a Truck” Austin! - May 11, 2017
- The Priceless Benefits of Having a Pen Pal - May 7, 2017
I’m so excited for you! I’ve always wanted to submit to an anthology but didn’t know how. Guess I should start actually USING my email huh? congrats!!
The other two anthologies that I’m in I learned about through Susan M’s Beyond Your Blog website. She is amazing and has a wealth of information about all upcoming anthologies accepting submissions. And a belated congrats on your Best Miami Blog award – that is amazing!
This is why we are soulmates, Susanne. At least you didn’t think the deadline was MAY 28th. (So close.) 😉