The Authors

James Alvarado

“Aging Mommy”:

Aging Mommy is a 46 year old first time stay at home Mom. 

She was born in England and lived and worked not only there but also in Belgium and Ireland before she moved to the US six years ago. After 22 years of being the consummate career woman and thinking for the longest time that she might never become a Mom she welcomed her daughter in February 2007.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Aging Mommy at www.agingmommyblog.blogspot.com. Her blog offers musings on Motherhood, Momnesia, Momativity and more.

Cheryl Somers Aubin:

Cheryl Somers Aubin has been writing and publishing for twenty years and her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Foundation Magazine and other newspapers, magazines and on-line journals.  She has an MA/writing from Johns Hopkins University and teaches memoir writing to senior citizens and presents workshops at symposiums and conferences.  http://www.cherylaubin.com

Beth Anne Ballance:

Beth Anne is the author of the popular “mom blog,” The Heir to Blair, where she writes under a pen name.  She is married to a devilishly handsome man & gave birth to their son in fall 2009.  As a working mom, she chronicles life in general, motherhood, & her battle with postpartum depression on her site with honesty, hilarity, & a sweet zest.  Beth Anne loves to-do lists, hates celery, & drinks way too much coffee in the morning.

Jean Bell:

Jean Bell is a senior, who has been married to a newly retired preacher for 53 years. They have two grown sons, and five grandchildren. Jean feels fortunate to have them live nearby.  Now, when they take short trips, I’ve seen them take their fishing rods with them just in case they find an inviting lake, slow moving stream, or a river that looks promising.

She taught elementary school before she moved to Bellvue, Colorado.  However, when Ralph’s job called for travel, she elected to stay home with her boys.  She didn’t think that both parents should be gone when they came home from school, so she began teaching beginning piano lessons in their home. She’s been teaching kids in Sunday school somewhere since her teens, she says. Now once a month she writes a Bible Study to present to the ladies at the nearby detention center. She says that she enjoys seeing the “Light Bulb effect,” where people’s eyes brighten when they master or discover a new concept.

During some free-time in the evenings, you might catch her reading some historical fiction, quilting, knitting, crocheting, or practicing her violin lessons.  When you see her in her lounge chair and her eyes seem closed, she’s not asleep, she says.  “I’m thinking about the next middle grade, historical novel I want to write.”

Kristin Bergthold:

Kristin Bergthold, is a 30-something mom from Southern California. She enjoys cooking & baking, movies, writing and trying to be the best mother she can be.

As a single parent, Kristin adopted her son at nine weeks of age in November 2007. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Kristin and her son settled in their home in Garden Grove in 2008. Weekends are spent outdoors as much as possible, soaking up the beautiful Southern California sunshine.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Kristin’s Blog at www.adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.com.  The Mom Blog offers musings, recipes, and humor from an adoptive mom’s perspective.

Daphne Biener:

Daphne Biener lives in Colorado with her husband and their two daughters. She splits her time into infinitesimally small pieces of pie composed of working, writing, peanut butter sandwiching, boo-boo kissing and carpooling. (She gives small thanks that tushie-wiping is no longer on the list.)

When there is some pie left over, she thinks about evils like corn syrup and plastic water bottles and occasionally works on her novel, a tale of family and functionality and the challenges of life. She chronicles the challenges of marching her family down the green path at her site, A Greener Biener. She is also a contributing writing for The Mama Bird Diaries.

Ev Bishop:

Ev Bishop is a columnist with the Terrace Standard, and her stories—fiction and non—are published or forthcoming in a variety of publications, including Writer’s Journal, Northword, Christian Home and School, Christian Parenting Today, Every Day Fiction, Cleavage – Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, AlienSkin Magazine, and others. She especially loves to write about the little “nothing” moments that really are everything. 

When Ev doesn’t have her nose in a book or her fingers on her keyboard, you’ll find her hanging out with her kids and husband, lounging at a lake, or consuming gallons of coffee with her friends.

Visit Ev online at www.evbishop.com or read her blog, Write here, write now, at www.evbishop.wordpress.com.

Sue Blaney:

Sue Blaney is a nationally recognized award-winning author, speaker, and publisher. She wrote Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride, a parent discussion group program that has positively changed thousands of parents’ lives around the country since 2003. Her audiobook You’re Empowered! Parenting Teens with Conviction, Communication and Love won both a Mom’s Choice Awards and a Ben Franklin award for best audiobook. A communications expert, eternal optimist, and parent of two young adults, Sue is an advocate for parents of teens and works with parents and professionals at many levels to bring information to parents that is reliable, concrete, actionable and empowering. Visit her website at www.PleaseStoptheRollercoaster.com. 

Sarah Blight:

Before Sarah became a Blight, her last name was an almost always mispronounced, German originating, 10-letter name. As much as Sarah loved her maiden name, she was extremely thrilled to marry a friend from college with a nice, easy name, even though he just wouldn’t stop following her around for four long years! Okay, that’s not EXACTLY how it happened but it’s close enough. The fact that Steve wooed her AND was a man in uniform only helped his cause. The duo tied the knot in 2002. Steve’s career in the Navy gave the B’s many chances to move all over the US and meet some amazing people.  Their last duty station put them in Texas and after Steve got out of Active Duty Navy, they decided to move to Austin. As the Texas saying goes “Everything’s bigger in Texas”, seeing the truth of that statement, The Blights decided to expand their little Blight two-some and add a Little Person.  Lil Man came into the world in August of 2009 and the Blights will never be the same again. Sarah enjoys documenting all the hilarious, head scratching, perplexing overwhelming moments of pregnancy and parenthood on her blog, http://www.thelifeofblights.com.

Elizabeth Bowker:

Elizabeth Bowker is a 27 year old Midwestern first-time mom.  She married her dream guy in 2008, and they welcomed the light of their lives in 2009!

Elizabeth certainly has a flair for the dramatic.  She was a Theatre Major in college and a classically trained dancer.  These days, her baby daughter is what keeps her on her toes!  Elizabeth unleashes her creative side by crafting, sewing, and of course…writing!

If you enjoyed this snippet from Elizabeth’s life, please visit Elizabeth’s blog at www.postcardsfromparenthood.com. 

Sarah Braesch:

Sarah Braesch lives in the DC Metro Area with her husband, boy/girl twins and two loud cats.

Sarah writes for Sarah and the Goon Squad, Draft Day Suit, BlogHer, MamaPop, LoserMoms and several other websites.

Nancy Mohrman Campbell:

Nancy Mohrman Campbell is a former middle school English teacher. Presently, she lives by the shores of the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and two sons.  Visit her blog at www.npoj.blogspot.com. 

Nancy-Lee Carreiro

Kristin Cheuvront:

Kristin Cheuvront worked as an event planner in the big city before ‘retiring’ to stay home with Elizabeth Grace, born March 2007.  Kristin wishes someone would have informed her that retirement would be much more work than working ever was.

With her husband and daughter, the family of three traded city life for the green space of the suburbs.  In September of 2009, Madeline Claire was born and the family was complete.  Or not, they’re still trying to figure that part out.

Although Kristin is now busier than ever, she still finds time to author Ellie-Town – http://www.ellie-town.com, a blog about life with kids, babies, motherhood and everything in between. 

Bailey Vincent Clark:

Bailey Vincent Clark has been writing Op-Ed columns since the age of thirteen for Gannett newspapers, before a long running career as a certified personal trainer, fitness instructor and health writer, specifically for new moms. She started her website www.makeovermomma.com (shortly after writing the soon-to-be-released Makeover Momma book), and loves helping busy, budgeted mothers feel fit, fashionable and fabulous on a daily basis. Bailey is now the New Mom and Makeover voice and video personality for Walmart.com, looks forward to the eventually development of the Makeover Momma online TV program, and is the proud (full time) mother to her daughters Kinley (4) and Follin (1). 

Lisa Ricard Claro:

Lisa Ricard Claro is a freelance writer whose humor columns and stories have been published on-line, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and in multiple anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover’s Soul, Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers, and Cup of Comfort for a Better World.  For more of Lisa’s writing, please visit her blog, “Writing in the Buff!” at http://www.writinginthebuff.net or her website, “It’s All Write With Me” at www.lisaricardclaro.com.

Katie Cox:

Katie Cox is a small town Midwest girl who married her college sweetheart Ben almost 5 years ago. She became a Momma to her adorable son Drake in August 2009. She is a proud owner of the greatest dog in the world. She works part time as the Director of Communications for a physician membership organization. She loves writing, shopping, wine, books, family, vacations, and birthdays.  She is living the life of a sassy silly spunky momma and blogging all about it. http://www.sassysillyspunkymomma.com

Marley Daniels

Stacey Davis

Kristi Dawley:

Kristi Dawley, also known as Kmama, is a wife, mother, and career-woman just trying to find a balance between the three.  She is married to the love of her life and is the proud mom to two amazing sons.  Kristi enjoys shopping, photography, reading, and blogging.  Her blog, The Daily Dribbles, chronicles daily life- the joys, the sorrows, the highs, and the lows…mostly with a sarcastic twist.

Doris Dembosky:

Doris Dembosky is an essayist and poet. She has lived many lives and is currently celebrating her tenth year as a columnist for the Wet Mountain News in Westcliffe, Colorado. She continues to parent her three adult daughters. “Parenting,” she says, “is full of contradictions. It is the best and worst of times, but ultimately, it is a spiritual journey that leads to growth.

Rebekah Duke:

Rebekah Duke is a 20-something mom born and raised in Georgia. Rebekah is an Accountant, and in her free time enjoys spending time at the beach, traveling, a good book, writing and spending time with her family and friends. Rebekah and her husband of five years were blessed with their first child in September 2009. 

To read more of Rebekah’s stories about life with her baby boy, visit http://to-infertility-and-beyond.blogspot.com. 

Stephanie Stearns Dulli:

Stephanie Stearns Dulli is a professional actress and comedian who recently left the City of Angels to raise her young son in Maryland. (The schools are good, y’know) Stephanie thoroughly enjoys being obsessed with her son, shoes, shopping and blogging. 

She happily bucked all the LA traditions of Botox and maintaining a size zero, instead opting to (gasp) gain weight and welcome a Sharpei-esque forehead while gestating.  Stephanie and her husband Zach welcomed the coolest kid ever, Max, in July of 2008 and life has been a bowl of cheerios ever since.

If you enjoyed Mission Max, please visit Stephanie at www.dialmforminky.com where she posts crazy amounts of pictures of her sweet son and finds any excuse to blame clowns for all the evil in the world.

Sally Durren:

Sally is a little Southern girl making it in this great big world. She went to Presbyterian College in the great big city (ehem, village) of Clinton, SC. A History major and a double minor in English and Business, but really got her MRS degree by meeting the hubs (Taylor) there. They graduated in May of 2008, married a week later on May 17th, and began their journey. They entered into military life, moved four times in a year, got their positive on a pregnancy test. Thus, a blog was born. Taylor deployed in December of 2009, two weeks after the little one was born.

Daniele Evans:

Daniele Evans is a woman on a journey towards intentional living–pursuing a purposeful marriage, grace-filled parenting and a peaceful home.  A homeschool mother of five and a passionate defender of children who need an advocate, Daniele lives out her days in Central Pennsylvania where she enjoys crafting, cooking, reading & writing and anything else that catches her or her children’s interests.  She attempts to be semi-faithful at documenting family memories and encouraging other mothers on her blog, Domestic Serenity (www.domesticserenity.org). 

Mary Fischer:

Mary Fischer, otherwise known as The Mommyologist, is a 32-year-old mom from Northeastern Connecticut.  Mary’s interests include traveling a newfound love of Zumba fitness workouts, and spending time with family and friends. 

Mary has one son who is four years old.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and had a career in Meeting Planning prior to becoming a parent.  She now works as a 24-hour personal concierge to her son and wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Mary’s Blog at www.mommyologist.com.  Her humor blog aims to create a sense of unity among mothers and to help them laugh at the changes in life that come along with having children. 

Bailey Flores:

Bailey Flores was born and raised in Ft. Worth, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Education from Texas State University. She is married to a United States Marine and they currently reside in Vermont. They have one son, Xavier Christian, who was born on January 10, 2010. In her spare time, Bailey enjoys writing and teaching dance.  You can visit Bailey at www.thefloresgarden.blogspot.com. 

Helene Gaither:

Helene Gaither is a 40-something, married, stay-at-home mother to two sets of twins.  With the first set of twins born in October 2004 and the second set of twins arriving just 2.5 years later in March 2007, the best way Helene can explain being this abundantly blessed is that she is living proof that God has a sense of humor.

When she’s not changing diapers, wiping noses and kissing owies, Helene enjoys writing, reading, traveling and an occasional chilled glass of wine (or 3).  She firmly believes that life is too short to be taken seriously all the time and that having an amazing sense of humor is the key to survival.

She and her computer-savvy husband live in Northern California with their brood of kids, where they desperately attempt to balance it all…parenthood, married life, household chores and whose turn it is to update their Netflix queue.

To follow along on Helene’s real-life, tell-all adventures of life in the multiple multiples lane, please visit her blog at I’m Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor.

Melissa Galileo:

Melissa Galileo is a 20-something mom, wife, and teacher from New Jersey.  Melissa enjoys writing, blogging, coffee, and sleeping when she gets the time to fit it in.

Melissa welcomed her daughter, Isabella Grace, in June 2009.  Melissa originally hails from Brooklyn, New York where she still teaches in the inner city.  After meeting, and eventually marrying, her husband Andrew in 2006 they left the big city to put down roots in the suburbs.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Melissa’s blog at www.completelyeclipsed.com.  Her blog offers humorous insights into everyday life as a working mom trying to balance it all. 

Lori Garcia:

Lori Garcia is a Southern California native who began her writing career in the 4th grade when she landed in detention for writing notes to her friends in class.  Her love of writing continued through school and she still insists the clever notes written to her friends were “some of her best stuff”. 

Lori received her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development  but took an itsy bitsy detour  and began working in the defense industry; she is proud to have continued her career in this critical field to this day. 

Happily married for 11 years, Lori has 2 sons, ages 2 and 7.  Never at a loss for words and driven by the desire to speak her truth, http://www.Mommyfriend.com was launched in January 2010 as a forum to share true tales of motherhood and mayhem with a healthy dose of humor and heart.  Illustrated by her husband and inspired by her children, Mommyfriend is a family affair.  Dedicated to reminding its readers or “Mommy Friends” that they are perfect the way they are, Mommyfriend believes our best will always be enough so long as it’s filled with heart.

Carol Grever:

Carol Grever has been a successful businesswoman and English professor and now writes professionally.  She’s authored four books: Memory Quilt: A Family Narrative, My Husband Is Gay, When Your Spouse Comes Out, and a collection of poetry, Sun of a New Dawn.  In 2008 she produced a documentary on straight spouse recovery (One Gay, One Straight: Complicated Marriages).  A recognized spokesperson on straight spouse issues, she’s appeared on major network TV shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Anderson Cooper 360, The Early Show, and Good Morning America.  Read more about her work online at http://www.carolgrever.com and http://www.straightspouseconnection.com .

Ashley Gurski:

Ashley Gurski, author of the blog “Gurski Gossip”, is a mom from Texas. Ashley enjoys traveling, cooking, writing and spending time with the two men in her life: husband Joshua and son Hartmann.

Ashley welcomed her first born in November 2009.  She and her husband Joshua enjoy being parents to a sweet, handsome baby boy. Ashley stays busy by teaching kindergarten and being a full time mommy!

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Ashley’s blog at http://gurskigossip.blogspot.com.  Gurski Gossip offers humor and real-life emotion on the subject of marriage, motherhood, and everyday life.

Melissa Haak:

Melissa Haak is a city mouse at heart who is trying to find joy and balance in the suburbs. She’s a mom to two amazing kids and one beautiful angel. She spends her days trying to balance “doing it all” and being the best me I can be (“SuperMom” is a Myth!) Life is crazy, and sticky, but oh so blessed! You can read more at http://www.peanutbutterinmyhair.blogspot.com

Jessica Claire Haney:

Jessica Claire Haney is a freelance writer, editor and tutor living in Northern Virginia. After spending eight years teaching at the college and high school levels, Jessica welcomed her son, Elliott, in 2006. Elliott is expecting a little sister in August 2010 and is already telling his mom how things will be when she arrives.

Passionate about natural family living, Jessica founded and co-leads a local chapter of the national group Holistic Moms Network. When she’s not planning meetings on nutrition or yoga or writing about parenting, Jessica does volunteer work for her son’s Waldorf school and tries to find ways to honor her value of nature and peace while remaining addicted to her computer. 

You can visit her at http://crunchychewymama.com/. 

Jan Sokoloff Harness:

Jan Sokoloff Harness is the Chief Creative Instigator for Sokoloff Harness Communications LLC, the company she launched in 2002. A national presenter on creativity and writing, Jan is the author of the daily Creative Instigation blog at http://creativeinstigation.blogspot.com/ and the Creative Chai ebook. She is also a contributing author to Blog-4-Cause, an ebook created to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation and is a panel member for the Mom2Mom blog hosted by the Kansas City Star.

A published poet, award-winning writer and former talk show host, Jan has more than 25 years of professional experience in radio, public relations and advertising. She is respected for her unflinching strategic counsel; fast, accurate and on-target writing; and the rare ability to boost creativity, teamwork and performance with clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations.

The mother of two really amazing young women and a long-time community volunteer, Jan is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

Michele Zink Harris:

Michele Zink Harris is a physical therapist, educator, wife, mother, and friend. Through these roles and opportunities, she meets extraordinary people. Her healthcare career is focused on children and adults living with traumatic injury or progressive neuromuscular disease. Michele cherishes the daily opportunity to witness the capacity, faith, courage, and triumph of the human spirit. These remarkable people knit the fabric of who she is.

Michele develops educational programs and enjoys speaking for local and national professional and patient organizations. She serves as an adjunct faculty member for the physical therapy program at Texas State University and joined a group of the students on a medical mission team to China in May, 2010. Michele enjoys being involved with legislation and advocacy for individuals with disabilities, and she is committed to patients receiving access to the technology required for their independence and autonomy.

Michele and her husband David are blessed with three precocious sons. She became inspired to write as she pondered how to successfully speak spiritual truth into these young hearts and minds. Michele published her first children’s book, “God’s Spirit in the Heart of Every Child,” in the spring of 2010. Her book, blog, and website can be found at www.nextgenerationhearts.org.

Stephanie Holmes:

Stephanie Holmes, aka ModernMom, is a 30 something Mama from Ontario Canada. Stephanie is a wife, a loyal friend, a woman still trying to find peace and enjoy every day. 

She is a woman hopelessly in love with both her Husband of nearly 14 years, and to her two gorgeous girls.  She will also admit to be addicted to chocolate, Starbucks and popcorn.  Not necessarily in that order. 

Her little family has had its ups and downs, but they are still smiling.  Their goal is to support each other, enjoy life, play with abandon, laugh and love. 

If you enjoyed this writing, please visit Stephanie’s Blog at www.howtosurvivelifeinthesuburbs.com for more laughs, tears and all kinds of honest. 

Veronica Hosking:

Veronica Hosking is a poet and poetry editor for MaMazina, http://www.mamazina.com.  She has two daughters, 12 and 9 years old, who are the inspiration for many of her poems.  You may read more of Hosking’s poems at her website, http://www.authorsden.com/veronicahosking.

Keri Houchin:

Keri Houchin is a writer and proud mother of two.  She currently publishes on Examiner.com as the Ft. Worth Frugal Family Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-14587-Fort-Worth-Frugal-Family-Examiner) and on her personal blog, One Mama’s Daily Drama (http://mamahouchin.blogspot.com).  She started parenting while earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Cross-Cultural Studies at Howard Payne University and has since also acquired an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu.  When not writing, Keri spends her time much like any other mom, juggling housework and family time, and watching in amazement at every step her children take.  In her “free” time she likes to garden and experiment with new recipes in her kitchen.

Claudine M. Jalajas:

Claudine M. Jalajas lives on the beautiful north shore of Eastern Long Island with her husband David and three children Luc, Max, and Annabelle.

If you enjoyed this story, please visit Claudine’s Blog at http://claudinejalajas.blogspot.com/.  It features stories from a mother desperate to be mother of the year but contented to find clean underwear in the dryer for the kids before chasing the school bus in the morning.

Liz Jostes:

Liz Jostes, the voice behind “a belle, a bean & a chicago dog”, is a 30-something, temporarily-retired marketer and stay-at-home mom to 2 girls and a dog.  She enjoys traveling, gardening, running and cooking at home.

Originally from Chicago, she and her husband have had their own adventures by relocating to TN, then NH and back to TN. 

She blogs about parenthood, marriage, pet ownership & life in general at www.bellebeanchicagodog.com .

Heather Kahoun:

Heather Kahoun, momma of three under three, is a twenty something mom from Central Florida. Heather not only takes care of her three adorable children, but is also a teacher to 19 rambunctious first graders, all while being wife to her high school sweetheart.

Heather welcomed her son in October of 2007, a month before his due date, and then welcomed twin girls in July of 2009, almost three months early. Besides learning the ropes as a mom of three young children she enjoys taking pictures of her kids, monthly girl’s nights with a glass of wine, and letting her creative side flow through blogging.

If you enjoyed this piece, please visit Heather’s blog at www.tuckermichael.blogspot.com. The blog offers everything from a real world perspective on life with infant twins and a toddler, to favorite family recipes, to the ins and outs of basic parenting.

Kelcey Kintner:

Kelcey Kintner has worked in the White House, spent years as a TV reporter/anchor and earned a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia. She even once lived in Montana where she had to drive three hours just to find sushi. But nothing has ever kicked her bum like motherhood.

Kelcey has four children (including newborn twins) and tries to control the chaos while finding time for her husband, a TV news anchor.

Kelcey is the creator and writer of The Mama Bird Diaries, a smart, funny and always unpredictable take on life as a New York mother.  She is also one of the co-founders and a weekly contributor for The Mouthy Housewives, a humor advice site. And she contributes regularly to New York City Moms Blog.

Kelcey has been published in the Miami Herald, the News & Observer, the Modesto Bee and other newspapers across the country. She has also been featured on Good Morning America, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Washington Post’s On Parenting blog, The New York Times Motherlode blog and Cookie Magazine. She spoke at the 2009 BlogHer conference as part of a panel on humor writing.

Rebecca Knight:

Rebecca Knight is a creative, Christian mum from Guildford. Rebecca enjoys being creative in any way possible. She also enjoys traveling, socializing, art, writing and trying to be all that she was created to be!

Rebecca is the mother of two daughters, Jessie- Jane and Ellie- Faith. She is married to her husband James. Together they are enjoying finding the purpose and joys of everyday life.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Rebecca’s Blog at The Christian devotional blog, offers advice, family stories, reviews, poems and a journal of thoughts on every day life as a Wife and Mother.

Rebekah Kuschmider:

Rebekah Kuschmider is the author of the blog http://www.mom-in-a-million.com and she is a contributing writer to the DC Metro Moms blog.  She lives in Kensignton, MD with her husband and son.

Louise Laemmlen:

Louise Laemmlen is a former (and hopefully returning) high school English teacher, who has spent the last nine years raising three amazing daughters aged 9, 7 and 4.  She lives in Lafayette, California.  She can be found following her daughters around the backyard, where they enjoy planting and picking flowers, vegetables, and grapes.  She is currently working on a book documenting the transformative experience of becoming a parent.

Diane LeBleu:

Diane LeBleu is the only non-native Texan in her family of six residing in Austin, Texas. Escaping the rains of the Northwest, she met her future husband, Tom, at Trinity University in San Antonio. The ‘Friendly State’ took hold of Diane and she and her husband have been happy to call the state their home for the last 22 years.

A corporate career in business consulting soon paled in comparison to staying home to raise Danielle, born in 1998, followed by Travis, Sabrina, and Caroline. Now Diane juggles her many roles of wife, mother, cook, housekeeper, dog-walker, chauffeur, entrepreneur, and writer in what is best described as managed mayhem. She maintains her sanity by unloading some of her stories in blogging therapy at www.writingmamasaustin.com. 

Diane is a recent breast cancer patient and new survivor. She has recorded some of her journey through treatment at www.nytimes.com/motherlode. She has found that recording her experiences and connecting with others in similar circumstances can be some of the best medicine that money can’t buy.

Gordon Light

Jillian Livingston:

Jillian Livingston writes humorous and insightful stories about traveling around the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond with her three boys and her incredibly handsome and rugged husband.

Her blog titled, Aspen Real Life, tells the raw and the true of real life resort town living.

She is a Contributing Writer for The Aspen Times, Colorado Ski Country and Denver’s Mile High Mamas.  You can visit Jill at http://aspenreallife.com. 

Anne Lynch:

Anne Lynch, also known as A JD + Three, is an educated mom from Minnesota who loves sushi, watching the amazing race, wearing flip flops, hanging out with her siblings and is currently hunting for a job.

Anne is a mom of two, Noelle age 7 and Nikolai age 8 months.  Anne was born in Oregon, raised in Utah, lives in Minnesota and hopes to end up in California.  After starting out as a single mom in 2002, Anne made it through undergrad, law school and still managed to meet her husband along the way.  Anne currently stays at home with her youngest son, but hopes to soon find employment during these tough times and also enjoy her great family.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Anne’s Blog at www.ajdplusthree.com.  The Mom Blog offers stories, reviews, giveaways, weight loss efforts and more!

Rachel Maguire:

Rachel Maguire, otherwise known as Fabumom, is a 30-something, mom of Southern California. Rachel enjoys traveling, socializing, writing and trying to be the most fabulous wife and mother she can be. Rachel’s motto is “Be Fabulous (or at least try to be)”.

Rachel welcomed her first born in September 2007 and has another little princess making her debut in June 2010.  Rachel was raised in the Inland Empire of Southern California but has lived all over the world before marrying her prince charming in 2002. Together they are having a wonderful time finding the humor in everyday life.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Rachel’s Fabumom Blog (fabumom.blogspot.com).  The FabuMom Blog offers musings, reviews, travel advice and fabulous finds from a trendy, So-Cal Mom.

Becky Miller:

Originally from South Carolina, Becky Miller is a Southern Belle at heart.  As a transplanted Texan she loves her adopted state.  Married for 24 years and mother to three teenagers, Becky is passionate about her family, demonstrating Christ’s love to those in need, serving others across the globe and performing random acts of kindness on a regular basis.

Returning to college as a 40 year old freshman, Becky rediscovered her zeal for writing.  She credits an encouraging English professor for boosting her confidence.  May 2010 marks Becky’s first mission trip to Hengyang, China to work with disabled orphans.  In October 2010 you will find her running her first half marathon in support of adoption. December 2010 includes another first as she accompanies her husband to Kenya, Africa for evangelism and church planting.

Brian Miller:

Brian Miller works as an in-home counselor for at risk adolescents and authors www.waystationone.com , where you will find poetry and short stories that reflect various facets of everyday life. He is married to the love of his life and the father to two adventurous boys.

Julee Morrison:

Julee Morrison is a 40-something, Stay at Home Mom, from Utah. Julee enjoys writing, bloggin, cooking and being the zany and crazy mom to her children.

 If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Julee’s Blog at jonbonjovious.blogspot.com. Mommy’s Memorandum offers giveaways, product reviews, features and the chaotic comedy Julee has come to call her life.

Margaret Nickens:

Margaret Nickens is currently a junior at Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta, GA. This specific piece is about the daddy-daughter dances her father and her used to attend. Hopefully the work shows the deep connection between her father and her as well as the impact their relationship has had on her life. Currently, she still lives with her father, mother, and younger sister, Lexi and, as shown in this story, couldn’t live a day without the support and love of her amazing family.

Courtney Noffsinger:

Courtney Noffsinger is a 30 something stay at home mom of 2 little ones.  Currently residing just outside of Memphis, TN, she enjoys scrapbooking, cooking, photography and sewing/quilting.  

Courtney welcomed her first born on December 17, 2005 and her second on December 12, 2008.  Courtney was raised in a small town in Kentucky but made Tennessee her home soon after marrying her husband back in January of 2003. Together they are having a wonderful time on their journey through parenthood.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Courtney’s Blog at  HYPERLINK “http://www.onemomsperfectimperfection.com“.  This blog offers glimpses into Courtney’s hobbies as well as her journey through motherhood and being a stay at home mom. 

Amy Potter

Corey Radman:

Corey Radman is an essayist and freelance magazine writer who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is mother of two munchkins, who, so far, haven’t met the troll. Their family also includes a fish, a herd of dust bunnies and a beloved daddy, Charlie. She is managing editor at a literary mother’s journal, get born magazine, the antidote to perfection. www.getbornmag.com 

Carol McAdoo Rehme:

A prolific freelance editor and writer, Carol McAdoo Rehme claims motherhood as her most important calling. Once Mommy to four, she’s now Grammy to eight and loving every minute of her new life role.

Carol practiced the art of story for fifteen years as a professional storyteller at widespread venues—including dude ranches, universities, museums, arts conferences, and corporate events. Her most unusual setting was a cemetery, a new spin on the phrase “captive audience.”

Coauthor of six gift books, Carol writes from her window-banked office along the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. Her latest release is Chicken Soup for the Empty Nesters Soul: Surviving and Thriving when the Kids Leave Home.

Contact her at: carol@rehme.com.

Michelle Roush:

Michelle Roush is a former teacher who lives in North Carolina with her family where she tries to keep up with her three boys. She blogs at http://thingsicantsay-shell.blogspot.com where she gives the straight story on motherhood, marriage, friendships, and trying to keep a level head through it all.

Cornelia Becker Seigneur :

Cornelia Becker Seigneur of West Linn is the mother of five children and the author of Images of America: WEST LINN. She is an adjunct professor, most recently at Multnomah University. Cornelia has been a freelance journalist for The Oregonian newspaper since 1996, specializing in faith, family and community features; she penned the Real-Life Mom column for The Oregonian for three years.   Her website and blog can be found at: www.corneliaseigneur.com. 

Christina Seronello

Morgan Shanahan:

Morgan Shanahan is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles with her dashing hubby, two naughty dogs, and an adorable tyrant named Dee.  When she’s not over sharing her personal life on The818.com, she blogs daily about art, design, and the like at Cargoh Culture (www.cargoh.com/blog.)  Morgan is also a newly minted contributor to LA MOMS BLOG, and her essays TO WAX OR NOT TO WAX and MAZEL TOV, 13-YEAR-OLD ME appeared in the Funny Not Slutty Big Blog Book – Best of 2009.

Mandy Sims:

Mandy Sims is a stay-at-home mom that traded in her stilettos, pearls, and travels for the amazing job of raising her boy and girl twins.  She married her handsome husband in a fairy-tale setting two years ago, and is a true Carolina girl who appreciates changing seasons, beach music, and Tarheel basketball.

Mandy began blogging as a way to keep her family and friends up to date on her tumultuous multiple pregnancy, but as her humorous tales of making and baking babies attracted a wider audience, she put her journalism degree to use and now chronicles all aspects of being a new mom.  If you’ve enjoyed this excerpt, you can find her at www.mandyandnathan.blogspot.com. 

Heather Spiva:

Heather Spiva is a freelance writer, and poet from Sacramento, CA who loves to read, write and spend time with her two young boys and husband.

Krista Sponsky:

Krista Sponsky is the blogger behind Not Mommy of the Year who spends her days writing business to business marketing content and her evenings entertaining her baby girl and exchanging ‘how was your day” and “what are we going to do with this kid” conversations with her husband.  The blog chronicles her high-heeled missteps balancing the hustle of the work day with the sweet sentiments of negotiating life as a first-time mom.

For more stories from Krista, visit http://www.notmommyoftheyear.com

Amanda Taylor:

Amanda Taylor is a 25 year old Public Relations Consultant and Freelance Writer from South Florida. This story was inspired by her mother, whom she considers to be one of the greatest influences on her life. “My mother taught me that if you have love then you have everything”

Denise Ullem:

Denise Ullem is a mom. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids. When she isn’t raising her children, she’s writing about them. She recently received a Parenting Publications of America award for her work. Want more?  Visit www.musingsdemommy.blogspot.com. 

Viktoria Valenzuela:

Viktoria Valenzuela is a freelance nonfiction writer, part-time student, and full-time mom to two tween-agers.  She is living in Central New York and has been published by S.U.N.Y. Oswego’s literary magazine, The Great Lake Review, The Canary, and Amaranth Press and Bindery. 

Valenzuela was raised in Texas and moved to New York as a teenager.  Much of her writing has to do with being a Chicana Mamma and discusses family as well as heritage.  You can follow Viktoria Valenzuela on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace as well as read her creative nonfiction blog at Viktoriavalenzuela.wordpress.com. 

Currently, Valenzuela is a guest blogger for “Being Latino, Inc.” and getting ready for her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Emerson College of Boston, MA.

Carrie Visintainer:

Carrie Visintainer is a Colorado-based freelance writer who loves the wonders of motherhood. Her essays have appeared in the Travelers’ Tales “The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2008” anthology, Cahoots magazine, Get Born magazine and Mamazina. She received an M.S. in genetics from the University of Minnesota. 

M.M. Walker:

M.M. Walker is an educator and public speaker in Lancaster, California. His love of writing goes back to his childhood. He writes in all different styles from mystery to children’s books. His current book that he is working on is called “The Mouse Kingdom” and he is hoping to someday be the next J.K. Rowling. The inspiration for his story came from looking in a bookstore for stories about fathers and sons and finding nothing. Adoptive fathers need to feel an attachment to their children as much as natural fathers do. He hopes you enjoy his story as much as he did writing it. Please send him feedback on his story to cosmoteach@hotmail.com

Teach to Inspire, Inspire to Teach.

Shannon Webb:

Shannon Webb, a former elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom, is in her early 30s and lives on the Gulf Coast. Shannon enjoys writing, cooking, running, and spending time with her family.

Shannon and her husband welcomed their first born, a beautiful daughter, in July of 2009. Shannon was born and raised in Florida and while attending college at the University of Florida met her husband. After many years in Gainesville, her husband’s job brought them to Alabama, where they currently reside. Shannon enjoys writing about all the diapers, drool, and drama that accompanies first time parenthood.

If you enjoyed this true-life story, please visit Shannon’s Blog at http://ourgatorzone.blogspot.com. 

Kate West:

Kate West is a writer, homemaker and mommy-blogger from Greensboro, North Carolina. Her blog “Hey There Delilah,” is aptly named after her daughter, Delilah Kate, and includes poignant and comical musings on pregnancy, marriage and mommyhood. If you enjoyed this piece and would like to read more, you can find her at http://ourdelilah.blogspot.com.  

Jean Winegardner:

Jean Winegardner claims to be many things, most of which are more or less true. Among those things are writer, mom, autism mom, wife, declutterer, work-at-homer, and person. She also likes little animals a lot. Known in the blogosphere primarily as Stimey, Jean’s main blog is located at http://www.stimeyland.com, where she writes about her life, her three kids, her son Jack’s autism, and the occasional guest gerbil. (Yes, really.)

Passionate about creating a positive view of special needs children and adults, Jean writes Autism Unexpected, a column located in the Washington Times Communities, as well as being a contributor for several other sites.

Jean currently lives in the Maryland part of the DC Metro area. She is married to Alex and mother to three little dudes, Sam, Jack, and Quinn.

Kristin Zaslavsky:

Kristin Zaslavsky has been married to the love of her life since 2006. She balances managing full-time work  with being a new mother. In her very sparse free time, she works on writing her words. She chronicles her every day adventures on her blog, Taming Insanity. You can follow along at http://taminginsanity.blogspot.com. 

Liz Zuercher:

Liz Zuercher lives in Southern California, where she and her artist husband raised two sons.  Now that the nest is empty and she has retired from real estate sales, Liz has time to pursue her love of writing to her heart’s content.  When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, getting together with friends and family, acting as CEO of the household or keeping the books for her husband’s fine art reproduction business.

Liz was raised in the Chicago area and earned her English degree from DePauw University in Indiana.  After college she worked at The New Yorker magazine’s Chicago advertising office, until one too many snowstorms convinced her to pack up her bags and head to California.

There she met and married a guy from Illinois, and they happily embraced the Southern California lifestyle.  Both, however, remain true to the Cubs and Bears.  Some things can’t be undone.

Liz co-founded and contributes regularly to Little Bit Everything in Tasty Sauce, a collaborative blog featuring short works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  Visit http://tastysauce.blogspot.com to enjoy more of Liz’s stories.  Her work has been published in Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul, and has been featured under Curator’s Picks on the DimeStories Orange County Page at http://dimestories.org.