Fire and Ice Review of Becoming Bayley

I've gotten so many emails from family and friends, or friends of friends telling me that they LOVED Becoming Bayley. It always makes me smile and do a big fist pump. But I've been waiting to see how the rest of the world felt.

This morning I woke up to my first review from a book blogger that I don't know and doesn't have some kind of attachment to me. They wouldn't lose one minute of sleep if they slammed me into the ground. It feels a little bit like sitting on the top of the hill on your favorite roller coaster, waiting to drop. Will you shoot back up the other side and feel the thrill of the swoop, or will this be the time the roller coaster breaks and you go shooting off the track into oblivion.

Either way you gotta throw your hands up in the air and go out screaming.

If you want to find out how I fared, head on over and read for yourselves.

www.fireandicephoto.blogspot.com

Slice of life

I'm supposed to be packing/cleaning/painting so of course I got the urge to blog.

Take a look around. Don't you love the new look? Cristina finally finished everything and I love it. Very fun and hip. And once her kids grow up a bit and she's ready for more business I'll shamelessly plug her on this website.

In other news, I took a small drive around part of the farm yesterday with this handsome devil angel.

I guess I've taught him to dream big because he wanted to drive up to where we're going to build our house and map out his future paintball field. I took some pictures along the way and thought you all might like to see where we've moving and just how lucky we are. 

The driveway to grandma's house. I have a feeling this will be walked often. My kids know where the ice cream's at.

Our house will be in those woods you see on the left side of this field. Can I just say there is nothing prettier than a field with freshly bailed hay?

Dos and his wife were at the farm for Memorial Day. Sis-in-law and I took the kiddos for a ride on the Polaris. We drove down to the river bottom, where the Indian Mound is, and the coolest mist was resting on the ground. (Sis-in-law—why didn't we take a picture?) It happens a lot, but it never stops amazing me with it's coolness. My dad always used to say Utah might be Zion, but Virginia is God's country. True dat, Dad. Sis-in-law told me the first time she met Uncle Alvin he told her God made the earth for us, but he made this place for Himself. 

Again, true. 

Anyway, I better get back to work so all this cool future stuff can happen. 

What's going on with you guys this summer?

Tribute to our Little School

Six years ago when I was looking for a house to buy here, I was a bit shell-shocked. Not that this is a big city or anything, but compared to where I was coming from, it felt quite overwhelming. The traffic, the cost of housing...it was freaking me out. But not as much as the fact that someone made the mistake of telling me that at Christiansburg Primary there were eight kindergarten classes. Eight. In the school we were coming from, there were two. I may have pulled a paper bag to my face and started breathing in and out. In and out. IN and OUT!

I remember the first time I saw Belview Elementary. I was with my realtor, driving away from a possibility. We passed the little brick school and I pointed, "Could my kids go there?" It reminded me of the school we were leaving--little, intimate, underwhelming. Nope, the realtor told me. The house I'd just looked at was in the 8 Kindgarten School's district.

Cutting to the chase. We ended up in Belviews boundaries wtihout even knowing it. I could call it a happy coincidence, but I've seen too many miracles to believe in those. When I found out, I was thrilled. Until someone told me they were having accredidation problems. The school we'd left had just jumped that hurdle and it felt burdensome to be back in that situation. But I prayed. A lot. And God whispered to stay and give them a chance. To see if we couldn't help turn things around. Man, am I ever glad I listened.

From go, when I walked in Mrs. Baker's office to hash over some issues I had with the school, I knew this was a principal I could work with. Within two hours, she'd implemented my first suggestion: having the kids in the car rider line wait inside the cafeteria and be called out via walkie talkie, rather than all of them sitting out in the cold. And I never stopped seeing improvements the entire time I was there. From turning the old basketball court into a new parking lot to accomodate the overcrowded parking situation at school functions, to smartboards in every class room, to updated playground equipment, all the way to full accredidation (which actually came by the end of that very first year) to winning the Panasonic National School Change Award. It was like The Little Engine that Could, climbing up, Up, UP.

But none of that compared to the people inside the school.

Mrs. Wasky and her deep love for all three of my kids. And her love for dogs. Mrs. Gilliams video playing skills. Mrs. Stafford's patience with a child who works at her own pace. Mrs. Rettig's amazing ability to lasso in twenty kindergartners without ever losing her cool, Mrs. Kathy's nuturing skills. Mrs. Jenny's light-the-room-up smile. Mrs. Bibb? You must be doing something right. To this day Will still says you were his favorite in fourth grade. Mrs. Furrow's amazing green car and genuine kindness. Mrs. Buck? Hats off to you after going to Jamestown. I have no idea how you didn't lose it half a dozen times. I am in awe. Nurse Robin, with whom I have a love/hate relationship. I will always love you for not calling CPS on me and hate you a little for turning my knees to jello for a good two minutes. Mrs. Newcomb for never letting my kids fall behind in reading, for cheering on their successes and for telling me over and over, 'your kid is doing so fine.' Mrs. Phillips for her fashion sense and general coolness. Mrs Novy and Mrs. Amy's ability to put up with more drama than any daytime t.v. can dish out. I do not envy you. Mrs. McNeill's friendliness and constant interest in our lives. Mrs. Taylor who has now moved on. There are not words. Your never-ending enthusiasm for teaching blows my mind. Mr. Cook for thanking me for bowling every year. My pleasure. The ladies in the office who are so welcoming and the cafeteria chicks who never tell me I should've ordered ahead. Each student teacher from Radford. Emma cried at the end of every semester when you left. And all the other people not on this list.

And finally Mrs. Baker who always made me feel like my opinion was important and valued. Belview rocks because you are amazing.

My cup runneth over. We will miss you. Every single one. And we will never forget the way you nutured, loved and changed our family. If only every kid was blessed enough to have a school like yours.

You really are the B.E.S.T.

Indy who?

Another Dad story.

On our farm, down on the river bottom, there's a small hill we've always called The Indian Mound. We like to tell people it's an old Indian burial ground because a neighbor up the road has found a few thousand arrow heads down and around those parts; and the hill is an odd little bump in the middle of an otherwise long flat field.

Anyway.

Once when Uno, Dos and Tres were teenagers Dad took them and two of their friends that we'll call Rico (Suave) and Rico's little brother to The Indian Mound. Dad was driving one of these.

Only his International Cub was offset. You had to climb up the right side to get on, because the left is where the engine sat. Let me repeat, there was no way to exit on the left side.

The boys were chillin' on the flatbed trailer being pulled by the Cub. I think they were chopping wood. So the guys are sitting on the trailer and Dad is driving down the side of the hill through some tall grass when suddenly he hits a hidden log. The tractor wheels veered left. Dad knew they were going to flip and he was worried about the boys. But right then he heard a voice command him, "Get off the tractor and get off NOW!" One thing my dad learned a long time ago was that when the spirit speaks, you listen. So he stood and flung himself off and raced all the way to the bottom of the hill, looking back to see the tractor flipping right behind him. 

Tres describes it like this:

Miraculously, everyone was fine, with the exception of Dos whose shoulder got hit by the trailer. He'd hestitated getting off, worried about Dad (Dos, you can be such a sweetheart, sometimes.)

After it was over, Dad was grumbling about how his tractor was ruined! He did that a lot when things went wrong. Uno stopped him and said, "No, Dad. If it had turned the other way, you would have been crushed to death."

It made Dad think and he realized what a miracle it was. And he never stopped telling that story after that.

Can you picture it, guys? My white haired, slow poked Dad, sprinting for his life as the tractor flips through the air behind him? 

And to think, Hollywood probably paid Harrison Ford and his stunt double millions when my dad could do it for free.

Better than a movie

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that my friend Melanie Jacobson, author of The List, Not My Type and Twitterpated (Covenant) has reviewed Becoming Bayley on her blog.

Here's the link for those of you interest and I hope you are. Melanie is witty and fun and she'll make you laugh and nod your head. Her review is stellar. Head on over. I promise you'll have fun.

Also, I did blog last night, another story of my dad's. Look below for Ghost in the Graveyard.

Susan

Ghost in the Graveyard

I never knew my dad's dad. He died before I was born. But I've always thought that I would have liked him. From what I hear he was a patient, thoughtful sort of man. My dad said that once when my aunt was going to spank her son for something naughty he'd done, Granddaddy (that's how we say Grandpa in the south ;-), shoved him under a barrel and sat on it so she couldn't get to him. *Giggle*

Yeah, I think I would have liked him.

But don't let his tender heart fool you. He could be strong and protective when necessary.

Which brings me to my second story of the week. This is one I often asked my dad to tell because it made me laugh and I really love the part Granddaddy plays in the end.

One night Granddaddy left all the kids and his wife home while he and his two sisters went out to collect honey. They were walking by the family cemetary which happened to be right next to a freshly plowed field. As they passed by the grave yard two ghosts rose up from behind a tombstone and booed at them. The sisters were terrified, screaming and carrying on. One of them fainted right on the ground. But Granddaddy kept his calm. Reached down and picked up a fresh clod of dirt and threw it right at those ghosts.

Well, ghosts must be afraid of dirt because they took off across that field as fast as they could. And one of them lost his sheet as he went.

I'm not sure if there was ever a confession, but I hear that my dad's older brother Troy, a teenager at the time, had a black eye that mysteriously appeared that night.

One of the things that has given me great comfort and peace is knowing that my dad has been reunited with his family—Granddaddy, Grandma, his brothers Dick, Eugene, Troy and his sister, Jean. Anyone who knows a Henshaw knows they love to tell their stories and I'm certain this one was laughed over when the big reunion happened.

And I smile as I picture it.

The Shucking of the Teeth

My dad loved to tell stories. Growing up as a sharecropper's son, sleeping in a house where you could see the stars through the ceiling, bed bugs and homemade biscuits at every meal, and boot camp, dating my mom, Dos getting a steel rod in his skull. There were dozens and the older he got the more he told the stories. Like every time we came to see him, and then every couple of hours, and then minutes. When we were told he wasn't going to make it, one of the first things I longed for was to listen to his stories. So the next time I went to the farm, I immediately ran inside, knelt down next to his big blue La-Z-boy and hung on his every word. 

And now he's gone.

But I will never forget. 

Right after he passed, I had the idea to blog some of them. A lot of things got in the way, including a book release, and now I find myself a month out with nothing written. Big changes are headed our way, so I don't know how scheduled this will be, but my intention is to write a story or two every week for your enjoyment and to help me honor and remember my dad.

When Mom asked my Uncle Alvin to speak at the funeral, she specifically wanted him to talk about some of my dad's childhood stories. I told him he had to include this one. It is hands down my favorite, because of it's horror, unbelievability and hilarity.

Dad was the fourth of eight kids. One day he and his siblings were out playing in the yard when Dad got the bright idea to pull a joke on his little sister, Shirley. He couldn't have been over ten, which would make her no older than five. Anyway, they were standing on a trailer hitched to the back of a tractor and he told her they'd been playing a game to see who could jump off and come the closest to catching the clothes-line in their teeth. I'm not really sure my dad had thought it all through. Actually, I'm positive he hadn't. Because Shirley squared back her shoulders and went for it. Not only did she come close, she caught that line dead on. And shucked out all the teeth in the top front of her mouth. 

I can only imagine her pain and his remorse. And I'd bet my future on the fact that he came out of that with one burnt up bottom. 

Don't worry about Shirley though. She's very forgiving. And when I saw her last month at the funeral I marveled at how beautiful she has always been and still is even at the age of eighty. She chagrined and pointed out all her wrinkles, but I told her hogwash. She's gorgeous. Really, you guys, she is. I hope I look that good when I'm her age.

Now for my moment of mush. I love my Aunt Shirley and I know my dad loves her too. Many times, even though it had been years since they'd lived in the same house, Dad would flub and call me Shirley. He loved chatting with her on the phone. It's no wonder he felt about her the way he did. The minute she found out he was failing fast, she and her husband hopped on a plane from Atlanta, jumped in a rental car and got here as fast as they could. Did I mention they're in their eighties?

Aunt Shirley, I just want to tell you that in spite of the teeth incident, you're beautiful on the outside.  But none of that matches your beauty inside. 

Dad loves you and I love you too.

Here's to always remembering The Shucking of the Teeth.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can.

As you all know Becoming Bayley is out! I've heard from a handful of people who've finished reading it already, that they love it. Wahoo!!!!!

It occurred to me yesterday after spending hours answering questions, that I need a FAQ page. So if you'll look above you'll see that I've thrown one together. I'm sure I'll be adding to it as I go along.

Unfortunately, a few of you have unknowingly bought the book for your Kindle from Deseret Book only to find out that it won't work. Please, call DB, explain to them what has happened and ask for a refund.

If you are confused about how to maneuver the Deseret Bookshelf, go here. Deseret Book e-books will only work on Apple and Android devices. Other e-readers made specifically for other websites (Amazon/kindle, Barnes and Noble/Nook) aren't compatible.

If you have a Kindle you can buy the book here.

If you own a Nook, you'll have to be patient a little longer as Barnes and Noble probably won't have it up for another week or three. I was warned ahead of time, that they are notoriously slow. I'll be sure to post once it's up on that site.

If you own a computer and no e-reader, you should be able to download the kindle app (I know this is true for Apple products) and read the book that way.

If you're tugging at your hair, frustrated that you have no electronic device to read Becoming Bayley let's chill for a second. Are you sure? If you own a smart phone, ipod touch, iPad, or any other tablet, you can read it off one of those. Most people own something they can read this book on.

However. If you don't or you're one of those people who simply wants to hold the actual book in your hands, Heidi Taylor, Product Director at DB, has been so kind as to offer her email address for anyone who would like to send a kind letter, stating their interest in seeing Becoming Bayley as a print book.

htaylor@deseretbook.com

Obviously, while I have zero qualms with having my book as an e-book (and I do believe that's the direction the publishing industry is headed), my ultimate hope is to have this book and future books available in as many mediums as possible. I have been told that if the book sells well, or enough interest is generated, they will look at doing a print run.

Lastly, Becoming Bayley isn't sitting on a shelf, generating interest, so I'm going to have to depend on word-of-mouth to get the word out about how awesome my book is. If you know any teenage girl, or woman (I'm betting most of you do :-) please rave about my story. And if you're a guy and love it, just tell anyone who will listen. Especially if you live in a large population of LDS people—I need you! Tell them where they can buy it and direct them to this website.

Also, if you've read the book and you love it, please feel free to leave me a review at either Amazon, Deseret Book, Goodreads, and/or B&N when it comes out there.

On Wednesday evening, my cousin Carolyn spotted it on the Deseret Book website and pointed it out to me. It started at the very bottom at #181 in General Fiction (for e-books). I was just so happy to see it there, I didn't care that I was dead last. But by the next morning I was up to #43 and this morning I'm hanging tough at #19! Yesterday it was added to Youth Fiction and it was already at #11, this morning it's shining at #2! On Amazon I'm #10 on the Mormon Lit section! And if you pull up the Deseret Bookshelf, you will see it sitting there under New Arrivals. Intermittently through out the day, I'll slip over just to look at it there. This is my dream come true, peeps!

I'm sure this will all start to die down. But for now, you've blown my mind and my heart wide open with your support. Whether I know you or not, hugs to you all.

The Book is Out!!

Becoming Bayley is officially for sale on deseretbook.com In the next day or so it will be up on Amazon and in a few weeks, Barnes and Noble.

http://deseretbook.com/Becoming-Bayley-Susan-Auten/i/b3438

Blurb for Becoming Bayley

Okay, guys. It's almost here. The Big Book Release.

For all those who've asked me what it's about, here's the blurb:

Bayley Albrecht's dream is to play soccer on BYU’s South Field. When she is invited to Soccer Camp the summer before her senior year in high school, she knows she’s just one step closer to her dreams. Things get even better when she meets Matt Macauley, the star of the men’s soccer team. When they decide to write each other while Matt is on his mission, Bayley figures her life can’t get any better. But it certainly can get worse…

After she receives a minor concussion from playing soccer, Bayley discovers she has a disease called alopecia which causes her to lose her hair. As Bayley struggles to deal with the reality of her baldness she finds herself having to make some tough decisions. Can she still play soccer? Does she even want to? More importantly, should she tell Matt? And will he still want her when she does? Becoming Bayley is the story of one girl’s journey through self-discovery, of the definition of true love, and of the realization that as a daughter of God, she is of infinite worth.

I'll let you know when it's live!