My e-friend Jolene Perry read my book (of her own free will. Not because I asked her to.) And today she has blogged about it, here. I kinda love her review because it's very short, but then she lists some of her favorite quotes from my book. It's always fun to see the lines other people love, but it's doubly fun when they are my lines.
Also, you need to know, Jolene is a published author herself. And a dang good one at that. Contemporary, YA, Romances. Right up my alley. Because of the nature of who I write for, I have to give you this disclaimer though—some of her works are clean and some are—for lack of a better word—steamy. Either way, they're very engaging. Very. As in I read her books in one day (and I don't do that very often anymore.) Seriously good stories.
If you're interested in reading her stuff—
Clean (your teenage daughter could read):
The Next Door Boys
Left to Love
For a more mature audience (swear words (including the F bomb), scenes that might make you squirm, and boys so hot I wouldn't want my teenage daughter reading this (because I'm a prude)):
Knee Deep
Night Sky (haven't read but has gotten great reviews)
and My Heart for Yours (haven't read but has gotten great reviews)
If you're looking for a new author, Jolene might just be your girl.
Thanks, Jolene!
About Me
I’ve always loved telling stories. My favorite is the one where I sent the wrong letter to the right missionary. We were married the next summer. I attended LDS Business College where I earned an Associate’s in Computer Technology and Brigham Young University where I should have majored in English. I live in a small town nestled in the heart of the Appalachians. When I’m not busy writing, I can be found baking cookies, going to the movies, helping with the homework or catching fireflies with my handsome husband and four adorable children.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Confessions of a Middle-Aged Teen at Heart
I know, I know. One day I'm blogging about my book, the next about daily struggles and today it's helpful beauty/household tips. Don't try to understand me, just roll with me.
All right *rubs hands together*, here we go.
I'm starting off with a confession. I dye my hair. Because I'm at least forty percent gray. Pick your jaw up off the floor! Henshaw's go white early. But I'm not growing old gracefully at the age of 37, so I dye.
Here's the problem I've had with that though—my hair looks fabulous when I step out of the salon, or step away from the box, but within a couple of weeks, it goes reddish. Which makes my already reddish skin, look even more reddish. Not pretty. I especially hate my overall appearance in pictures. I've tried every shade of brown in every brand it seems like (salon or store bought) and still I get comments on how pretty my red hair is. It's not supposed to be red, people!
And then my friend E moved into our ward.
She just happens to be a hair stylist. She told me the secret. Permanent hair dye has peroxide in it. (Shoot! Is that right, E?) So it will always pull the red out of your hair. From Clairol, to Feria, to Aveda to Goldwell. It is a truth, not universally acknowledged. But it is a truth nonetheless.
And then my friend E moved into our ward.
She just happens to be a hair stylist. She told me the secret. Permanent hair dye has peroxide in it. (Shoot! Is that right, E?) So it will always pull the red out of your hair. From Clairol, to Feria, to Aveda to Goldwell. It is a truth, not universally acknowledged. But it is a truth nonetheless.
The solution: Dye your roots with the permanent stuff and immediately cover all your hair with semi-permanent in the same color. That way you're covering your bases—hiding the gray for time and eternity, and staying a solid brunette. It works, guys. My sis-in-law, who was disenchanted with her dye job, asked what my secret was. I shared and the next time I saw her, she was a gorgeous chesnut brown.
Next confession...My name is Susan and I am addicted to Stridex. I would cower in shame, but I can't do that to my newfound love. It took me 37 years to humble myself enough to try them but I finally did it. So I now throw my shoulders back and say it with pride. I. Love. Stridex!
I told you guys that I went to the doc and got a prescription for Retin-A. It worked pretty well. I had a terrible, terrible love affair with acne going on and nothing was touching it. The Retin-A calmed things down but it didn't completely wipe out the problem. So I picked up a container of Stridex and now I swipe my face, neck and upper back once in the morning and once at night, along with a light caking of Retin-A right before bed, and guys? I finally have the skin I've wanted all these years. My complexion is a lot less oily now too. Who knew?
I told you guys that I went to the doc and got a prescription for Retin-A. It worked pretty well. I had a terrible, terrible love affair with acne going on and nothing was touching it. The Retin-A calmed things down but it didn't completely wipe out the problem. So I picked up a container of Stridex and now I swipe my face, neck and upper back once in the morning and once at night, along with a light caking of Retin-A right before bed, and guys? I finally have the skin I've wanted all these years. My complexion is a lot less oily now too. Who knew?
Next up...whoopie pies. I have these neighbors. They're members of my ward, and over the years we occassionally have a Sunday evening get-together where we play board games and moan over the desserts everybody made. The husband is the dessert maker. I have always liked whatever he brought, but the past few times he's been bringing homemade whoopie pies. Guys, I don't even like whoopie pies. Not Oreo Cakesters, or the ones you can make from the kits. But when he walks in the door with these bad boys, I'm defenseless. Of all the food I've eaten while I've been here (and this probably tells you a lot about me) the one recipe I knew I could not leave without, was the whoopie pies. And they gave it to me. My life is now complete. And it's so easy. You know you want to try it.
HOMEMADE OREOS
1 Devils Food cake mix (We like Pillsbury the best) 3 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4c margarine, softened
Mix cake mix, eggs and margarine. Roll into marble sized balls (or use small cookie scoop). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix frosting ingredients with enough milk to make spreadable. Spread between two cookies.
I'm making them today for the YW at girls camp. I'm sure I'll snitch a few for myself.
Last confession: I've always wanted to be one of those women/girls who can pull off eye-shadow. Whether it be dramatic or natural-looking, some people can just rock it. All these years I thought I didn't have the right shaped lids or something because I never liked the way it looked on me. But now I know I just hadn't found the right shade yet.
Enter Clinique Colour Surge Eye Duo. Shade: Beach plum.
I know, right. Purple eye shadow? Chill. When it goes on, it's subtle, yet elegant. I sound like a commercial but I don't care! I'm in love. Everyday. Try it if you're looking for a new something to spice things up.
Okay. I'm done. Stepping down off the soapbox.
Do you guys have any tips for me? If I get some good ones, I'd love to share them in another blog post. And let me know if you try any of these and they work for you. I love it when someone shares something with me that displaces some myth up in my head.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Six Years
Six years ago, we closed the door of our U-haul truck and turned to take one last look at our little house. My dad was in tears, barely able to speak, but happy that we were going to pursue a new dream. Husband hopped in the moving truck, his firefighter buddies were waiting in a truck behind us, I was in our green jalopy of a van with our three kids eating the ham sandwiches on homemade bread that my mom had packed for us. And we were off. We knew exactly where life was going and how we were going to get there.
Bahahahaha.
Little did we know that life never, ever goes how you plan. But one thing you can be certain of? Wherever you end up, you'll learn some things in the process of getting there.
If you don't mind, I thought I'd share some of what I, Susan Auten, have learned along the way.
1. Heavenly Father knows what your talents are and the best way to use them, even if you have no idea you posess such talents.
2. Priesthood power is real, not just something we hear about in church, or read about in the Ensign. Real. As in a force that you can feel. A force that can save your life, or protect you from imminent danger. And I believe Heavenly Father and Jesus use it on a daily basis to keep us safe, physically and spiritually. Without it, I think we'd each be dead a hundred times over. I can't comprehend how many times we are protected that we don't know about.
3. The Holy Ghost exists. I'm not talking about His influence (yes, that exists too), I'm talking about Him. I knew it in theory. But now I know for real.
4. Heavenly Father and Jesus's powers are limitless.
5. Miracles still happen. Everyday. Full blown, God-Can-Make-Anything-Happen miracles. I will never doubt again. He is in complete control and we are fools to think otherwise.
6. A gift of homemade bread doesn't just fill your stomach, it fills your soul. The same with lasagna.
7. God always keeps his promises. It may take longer than you'd like. But if you stay worthy, He always delivers.
8. When He tells you you can have something, he expects you to work to for it. He won't hand it to you. You have to get in there and toil, sweat, push through when you think you have nothing left, never lose faith, fall down, get back up and try harder. But if you will do that, He will give you that thing He told you you could have.
9. If you are willing, He will mold and shape you in ways you never imagined. It's a painful process. Hurts worse than anything physical you could possibly experience (except maybe 11 hours of epidural-free labor), but you will be something new and wonderful when He's done.
10. Life isn't about me. It's about everybody else.
11. Prayer calls down the powers of Heaven and changes everything. He's listening to every single word. He wants to hear what you need, what you're thankful for and what you've learned. Prayer will change you.
12. There are certain people He puts into our lives to teach us something specific. We need to pay attention so we don't overlook the thing we're supposed to learn.
I learned a bunch of other stuff too, but these are the important ones.
We're headed back to the place we began— the same house (but not for long), the same farm, the same school system, the same branch. But none of it looks the same to me. This time my dad won't be there, my mom will be a widow, we'll build a new house and start a new business. My kids aren't little anymore. In two years I'll have a seminary-attending high schooler. Mind-blowing.
I had to move away to learn what I learned. I had to watch my kids struggle, play single mom, lose my dad, stand on death's door and have my heart smashed to the point that I didn't know how I'd ever feel whole again.
But now I stand strong, ready for the next Six Years. Ready for whatever He sends me.
And all I can say is...bring it.
Bahahahaha.
Little did we know that life never, ever goes how you plan. But one thing you can be certain of? Wherever you end up, you'll learn some things in the process of getting there.
If you don't mind, I thought I'd share some of what I, Susan Auten, have learned along the way.
1. Heavenly Father knows what your talents are and the best way to use them, even if you have no idea you posess such talents.
2. Priesthood power is real, not just something we hear about in church, or read about in the Ensign. Real. As in a force that you can feel. A force that can save your life, or protect you from imminent danger. And I believe Heavenly Father and Jesus use it on a daily basis to keep us safe, physically and spiritually. Without it, I think we'd each be dead a hundred times over. I can't comprehend how many times we are protected that we don't know about.
3. The Holy Ghost exists. I'm not talking about His influence (yes, that exists too), I'm talking about Him. I knew it in theory. But now I know for real.
4. Heavenly Father and Jesus's powers are limitless.
5. Miracles still happen. Everyday. Full blown, God-Can-Make-Anything-Happen miracles. I will never doubt again. He is in complete control and we are fools to think otherwise.
6. A gift of homemade bread doesn't just fill your stomach, it fills your soul. The same with lasagna.
7. God always keeps his promises. It may take longer than you'd like. But if you stay worthy, He always delivers.
8. When He tells you you can have something, he expects you to work to for it. He won't hand it to you. You have to get in there and toil, sweat, push through when you think you have nothing left, never lose faith, fall down, get back up and try harder. But if you will do that, He will give you that thing He told you you could have.
9. If you are willing, He will mold and shape you in ways you never imagined. It's a painful process. Hurts worse than anything physical you could possibly experience (except maybe 11 hours of epidural-free labor), but you will be something new and wonderful when He's done.
10. Life isn't about me. It's about everybody else.
11. Prayer calls down the powers of Heaven and changes everything. He's listening to every single word. He wants to hear what you need, what you're thankful for and what you've learned. Prayer will change you.
12. There are certain people He puts into our lives to teach us something specific. We need to pay attention so we don't overlook the thing we're supposed to learn.
I learned a bunch of other stuff too, but these are the important ones.
We're headed back to the place we began— the same house (but not for long), the same farm, the same school system, the same branch. But none of it looks the same to me. This time my dad won't be there, my mom will be a widow, we'll build a new house and start a new business. My kids aren't little anymore. In two years I'll have a seminary-attending high schooler. Mind-blowing.
I had to move away to learn what I learned. I had to watch my kids struggle, play single mom, lose my dad, stand on death's door and have my heart smashed to the point that I didn't know how I'd ever feel whole again.
But now I stand strong, ready for the next Six Years. Ready for whatever He sends me.
And all I can say is...bring it.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Mullets Are Never Cool
You've heard me say that Becoming Bayley was inspired by my youngest daughter's brush with hair loss. It was a scary time—thinking about whether this could be permanent and what her life would be like. I was afraid for her. For the way people would look at her. The way her peers would treat her. I told Husband she was going to have a wig, even if I had to get a job to support her 'habit.' No way was I going to let her be the laughing stock of the town. No way was I going to let her be teased and ridiculed because she was different.
A lot of our friends said they couldn't tell that she'd lost any hair. I think it was because it happened gradually, and because she had very light blonde hair. But I could tell. When I would take her to the pool and her head got wet, I could really tell. You could see straight to her scalp.
And friends, when it grew back in, she had a mullet.
I didn't realize it at the time. I don't know how that reality didn't hit me square between the eyes. I let it go on way too long. Until one day when my friend, who happens to be a hairdresser, mentioned that she thought Big Girl's hair would blossom if we cut off all the old stringy stuff. So I let her, and she was right. It had life again.
Anyway. This tiny month long bout with traction alopecia (the insurance company didn't like that word by the way. They said alopecia wasn't a disease and refused to cover the doctor's visit) was what I had to go on when I wrote the book. Of course I researched and asked a friend who I watched go through the process, but still I wondered, "Have I really captured the experience?"
The other night I got an email from someone who has alopecia and here is what she said:
"I was diagnosed with it about 7 years ago. I was lucky...I only had a couple quarter sized spots. I also found out around the same time that I was highly intolerant to Gluten. The stress on my body from eating gluten was causing all sorts of auto immune problems. I went on a gluten free diet and all my hair grew back. One other time another quarter size spot went bald. I tightened up my diet and it grew back so I am very thankful for my hair now. (Interesting side note...when my hair grew back, it grew in darker and super curly...just in those spots. The rest of my hair is lighter and straight. Crazy! I have to flat iron the heck out of it to make it match now! ) I was married at the time, and was afraid to tell my husband. I was so scared and devastated. I was shocked at how much it affected me and I felt so vain. I identify with Bayley feelings completely. Just wanted to let you know how much I love it."
One word describes my feelings. "Waaaahhhhhhooooooo!"
I have a close friend who read the book and this is what she said:
"When I first read the premise of the book, I kind of thought, big deal, there are teens out there dealing with death and rape and incest and all sorts of horrible things, how much drama can you really drum up about a vain little girl who's sad because she doesn't have hair anymore. But as I read it, I thought about it and realized how hard it would be for me, as much as I like to think I don't care much about appearance, my blonde hair is about the only thing that makes me feel beautiful. I can't imagine losing it. Even people who have cancer and lose it to chemotherapy know it will grow back (if they live) when it's all over, but this girl has to face it being gone for probably the
rest of her life. That would be hard, for anyone I think."
You know how guy's can get sympathy pregnancy symptoms? Well, when I was writing BB, I think I got sympathy hair loss anxiety. I'd look at the strings of hair that came off my head when I washed it. I'd freak out if I thought I was losing too much. Because I had really understood what it would be like to lose my hair.
Which brings me to my point.
I know you guys are sick, sick, sick, of BB reviews. BUT. My the wonderful Becca Wilhite, (author of two delightful books—Bright Blue Miracle and My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions) reviewed BB on her blog. And it's hilarious just like Becca. But my favorite part of her review is this:
A lot of our friends said they couldn't tell that she'd lost any hair. I think it was because it happened gradually, and because she had very light blonde hair. But I could tell. When I would take her to the pool and her head got wet, I could really tell. You could see straight to her scalp.
And friends, when it grew back in, she had a mullet.
(One year post hair loss)
I didn't realize it at the time. I don't know how that reality didn't hit me square between the eyes. I let it go on way too long. Until one day when my friend, who happens to be a hairdresser, mentioned that she thought Big Girl's hair would blossom if we cut off all the old stringy stuff. So I let her, and she was right. It had life again.
Anyway. This tiny month long bout with traction alopecia (the insurance company didn't like that word by the way. They said alopecia wasn't a disease and refused to cover the doctor's visit) was what I had to go on when I wrote the book. Of course I researched and asked a friend who I watched go through the process, but still I wondered, "Have I really captured the experience?"
The other night I got an email from someone who has alopecia and here is what she said:
"I was diagnosed with it about 7 years ago. I was lucky...I only had a couple quarter sized spots. I also found out around the same time that I was highly intolerant to Gluten. The stress on my body from eating gluten was causing all sorts of auto immune problems. I went on a gluten free diet and all my hair grew back. One other time another quarter size spot went bald. I tightened up my diet and it grew back so I am very thankful for my hair now. (Interesting side note...when my hair grew back, it grew in darker and super curly...just in those spots. The rest of my hair is lighter and straight. Crazy! I have to flat iron the heck out of it to make it match now! ) I was married at the time, and was afraid to tell my husband. I was so scared and devastated. I was shocked at how much it affected me and I felt so vain. I identify with Bayley feelings completely. Just wanted to let you know how much I love it."
One word describes my feelings. "Waaaahhhhhhooooooo!"
I have a close friend who read the book and this is what she said:
"When I first read the premise of the book, I kind of thought, big deal, there are teens out there dealing with death and rape and incest and all sorts of horrible things, how much drama can you really drum up about a vain little girl who's sad because she doesn't have hair anymore. But as I read it, I thought about it and realized how hard it would be for me, as much as I like to think I don't care much about appearance, my blonde hair is about the only thing that makes me feel beautiful. I can't imagine losing it. Even people who have cancer and lose it to chemotherapy know it will grow back (if they live) when it's all over, but this girl has to face it being gone for probably the
rest of her life. That would be hard, for anyone I think."
You know how guy's can get sympathy pregnancy symptoms? Well, when I was writing BB, I think I got sympathy hair loss anxiety. I'd look at the strings of hair that came off my head when I washed it. I'd freak out if I thought I was losing too much. Because I had really understood what it would be like to lose my hair.
Which brings me to my point.
I know you guys are sick, sick, sick, of BB reviews. BUT. My the wonderful Becca Wilhite, (author of two delightful books—Bright Blue Miracle and My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions) reviewed BB on her blog. And it's hilarious just like Becca. But my favorite part of her review is this:
Please, Lord, if you are listening right now, I’m going to repeat my oft-repeated prayer: Even though it’s not great, this is the best hair I’ve got. Please don’t take it away from me. Amen.
Those three lines, say it all. Becca got the point.
So, if you have a minute, head over to her blog and read her awesome review. www.beccawilhite.com
And just so you don't worry, this is what B.G. looks like this now.
 
Lots of crazy, curly wondrous hair!
|
Friday, June 8, 2012
The Author of Invaluable Reviews Becoming Bayley
One of the coolest parts of being published is the opportunity to rub shoulders with other authors. Especially those who write what you write. Enter Holly J. Wood, the author of this book.
I approached her about reviewing my book because we have the same target audience. I've never met her but after reading her book and corresponding via email, I imagine Holly to be the kind of person who always has a smile on her face. She's super cheerful and immediately said yes. And boy am I glad.
To see her review head on over to www.hollyjwood.blogspot.com.
I approached her about reviewing my book because we have the same target audience. I've never met her but after reading her book and corresponding via email, I imagine Holly to be the kind of person who always has a smile on her face. She's super cheerful and immediately said yes. And boy am I glad.
To see her review head on over to www.hollyjwood.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Another BB review
If you guys aren't sick of me yet, feel free to check out the review of BB today at http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/becoming-bayley-author-susan-auten.html
or
or
FYI, the review is the same at both.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)