WriterMom Tales: Corralling the Commotion while Savoring the Chaos, Spilled Cheerios and Prayers of Real-Life Motherhood  is a collection of essays from my Real-Life Mom column written for The Oregonian and WriterMom /  On the Home Front columns written for the West Linn Tidings. Several of the essays were also found in some form on my blog, WriterMomMusings.

About five years ago, my daughter gave me a blank book, stapled pieces of paper together with a hand created cover that read, “Mom’s First Book.” I kept that. I had told her I wanted to collect my Mom columns into a book, but had not done so.

Instead, I wrote, Images of America: WEST LINN in 2009, because I had a publisher! And, that became my first book, a labor of love- (if you are an author, you will know what I am speaking about)!

In the back of my mind, I kept thinking, I have to write that other book. If nothing else, for my kids. For me. For other moms.

As a journalist, I do best with deadlines and for my collection of mom columns book I had no deadline as I had no publisher.

So, a year and a half ago, when I was asked to be a “coach” at the Oregon Christian Writers 2010 Summer Conference, and my bio was due months beforehand, I wrote, among other things, “Cornelia is the author of Images of  America: WEST LINN AND WriterMom Tales…” Mind you, I had NOT written WriterMom Tales yet! How’s that for motivation!

I got the book completed, after pulling several all-nighters and with the help of writer friends, especially Sam Greengard, Midge Pierce, Kathy Conrad, Jeanie Higinbotham, Jennifer Priest Mitchell, and Dennis Marcellino, whom I hired to assist with self publishing. A very rough version of the book, a pre-release I called it, a result of last summer’s marathon sessions! And I was able to share it at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference.

I worked on it quite a bit more, had others read it, and officially soft-released it at the end of 2010. With my daughter there!  And all of my boys! And, now, I thought it would be a good to write a blog about it. The perfectionist self in me holds me back. I self published it and I am very happy to share my book with other moms who are navigating this adventure and gift from God called motherhood.

And, I am especially glad to share it with my children, so they will always know how I feel about being their mom.

The book is available through amazon: http://www.amazon.com/WriterMom-Tales-Corralling-Commotion-Motherhood/dp/0945272499

HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE INTRODUCTION:

As a real mom of five children, far away from Hollywood, I find it hard to relate to the parenting messages of highly publicized movie star moms. They have nannies, housekeepers, and professional chefs at their beck and call. And, the Desperate Housewives on television scheme against their friends’ husbands and children, while eyeing the neighbor’s plumber. And, we’ve all tired of parenting publications where expert psychologists offer easy solutions to keeping children squabble-free, and kitschy mom books telling us how to be happy.

While Hollywood life may prove entertaining, the inescapable reality for most moms is a far cry from the bright lights of Los Angeles. And I’ve found that moms these days want more depth to parenting issues than the so-called experts’ regurgitated 5-step plans to perfect families. Let’s face it — motherhood is hard, and moms need to know it is okay to admit that they crave quiet now and then. You love your kids but parenting can be difficult.

That’s where WriterMom Tales comes in to offer a fresh take on being a mom. Reading this book is like talking to a trusted friend, who overlooks spilled Cheerios and invites you in for coffee and shared stories, somehow seeing the beauty in the chaos. What I’ve discovered is we learn best through story: networking with mom friends, talking with seasoned parents and grandparents, and gleaning life lessons from everyday life. And lots of praying and Scripture. . .