MamaWriters are thrilled to have the wonderful Veronica Wolff back with us today!
Her recent release, LORD OF THE HIGHLANDS, released just last week, and she offered to be with us today, amid the craziness of release time. And deadline time. And copy-edits time. And Mommy-has-to-do-what-this-morning??? time.
She’s giving away a copy of her latest release, LORD OF THE HIGHLANDS to one lucky commentor.
[UPDATE: And that winner is . . Pat McDermott! Enjoy the fabulosity of Veronica's recent release, Pat, and thanks for chiming in at the MamaWriters playground! ]
So please help us welcome Veronica Wolff!
Contemplating today’s blog topic came on the heels of one of my Worst Weeks Ever.
I’d felt much like Jack Bauer on 24, except my terrors are around 4’ tall and, instead of bullets, I raced around dodging things like spilled milk, pencil shavings, and various animal excreta.
The following events took place the week of October 31, 2009.
1. Mommy eyes 11/1 deadline with wary confidence.
2. Decidedly un-crafty Mommy stays up late sewing “Headless Horseman” costume for seven-year old son.
3. Informed the next morning that costume does not resemble “Scooby Doo Headless Horseman” and therefore doesn’t count as valid costume.
4. Mommy eyes 11/1 deadline with wary…wariness.
5. Mommy whisks daughter to ER after bizarre playground accident. (Daughter all better now. Mommy decides new gray hairs will look dignified.)
6. Page proofs arrive. “Yay! Love seeing the proofs!” quickly followed by “Doh! That means two deadlines this week…”
7. Mommy eyes 11/1 deadline with fear.
8. Mommy re-tackles “Headless Horseman” despite urging from friends and family that task is impossible.
9. New book about to hit shelves! Another “SQUEE/doh” moment as realization hits…there is a book signing the night of 10/29, 
overdue interviews, and one upcoming talk to prepare for…
10. Mommy keeps son home from school with cough that won’t go away.
11. Phone call from school! Mommy forgot daughter’s field trip permission slip; bus is about to leave; daughter is sobbing in office; can Mommy get there in five minutes before bus pulls out?
12. Mommy now looking at deadline with twitchy eye.
13. Book, proofs, costumes…DONE! So what that one of the above morphed into The Hunchback of Notre Dame by the end of it all?
14. Mommy caps off week with a bottle of wine and an appalling number of bite-size Butterfingers.
15. Lather, rinse, repeat.
My dear fellow Mommies, I know I really should ask you some serene and reflective questions like: What do you do to keep focused amidst the chaos? Or, how do you manage to find balance in your busy life?
But you know what? Screw that!! Jack Bauer wouldn’t reflect. Jack Bauer would VENT!
So have at it—tell me about one of your craziest times!
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Welcome, Veronica, and congratulations on the new release!!
And congrats on making it through one of your worst weeks ever! It always seemed to me that life saved those things up, waiting to dump them all at once. I can go for months with everything nice and smooth, but you stick a deadline in the mix and it all seems to hit the fan at the same time!
Hopefully, if my theory is correct, you should be in for a mellow time now… at least for a little while!
~ Melissa
Welcome Back Veronica!!! Congrats on your new release, I can’t wait to read it!
I was dying of laughter at your list! Sounds like my week
I’m too sleep deprived to vent right now… but if I were Jack Bauer I’d go to the shooting range and fire off a few dozen rounds
Good luck with all your to-do’s.
Hugs, Eliza
Twitter: violaestrella
says:
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for the laugh! Vent away. I applaud any mom who makes their child’s costumes. I’ve attempted to cut hair a few times. It wasn’t pretty. Good luck and congrats with your success!!
Hi Melissa! Let’s hope so, eh? We’re home for the holidays this year, and I have visions of cookie baking and tree trimming and general serenity…crossing my fingers that I won’t be racing out Christmas Eve for some tinsel-related emergency or other.
But I know it’s not just me! ‘Tis the lot of mama writers everywhere.
Speaking of which, Eliza, count me in for those rounds!! (Or at least “rounds” of some sort–LOL!)
Viola, glad you had a laugh! OMG, I cut my son’s hair, and though I’ve gotten it the hang of it now, the first time I tried, the poor kid had to wear a hat to school. It was HORRIBLE. I felt HORRIBLE. I’ll be paying for therapy for *that* little episode someday…
Veronica, Congrats on the new release, and good luck with sales. I’m in awe of you mommy authors. I couldn’t write a word while my kids were growing, though I’m making up for lost time now. Your list had me reminiscing. Loved those years, but glad I’m here! Love that cover, BTW!
Thanks, Pat!! I confess, we mamas have more resources at our disposal than mothers used to. (Says she, sitting and typing at her computer to the sound of her son and his friend hopping wildly upstairs in front of the Wii…)
Twitter: KrisKennedy
says:
Veronica~
It’s amazing, isn’t it,t he constant adapting and problem-solving you do as a parent. You planned for one thing, but you rarely know if it’s actually going to go that way.
One of my craziest weeks ever was before my first release, last May. My husband was over in Germany for 2 months, for work, so my son & I joined him there for one of those months. We came back about May 2, my book released May 5, and my husband was still over in Germany.
Apparently, I’ve blocked many of the details of those crazy weeks, but I have shadowy memories of lots of blogging, lots of driving around to play dates so my son could be with people who could actually pay attention to him for a few hours, quite a few dinners consisting of pizza or PB&J, and I recall looking at a lot of accumulated bills. LOL Those were CRAZY weeks.
Thank YOU for spending some of what must be a pretty crazy time for you, with your recent release, here with us.
Hi Veronica!
I love your new cover!!! Congratulations on your new release! AND I have the utmost respect, you are much braver than I am. Make a costume??? OMG, the thought gives me hives! That is left up to grandmom or else mommy goes to the costume store and blows way more money than she can actually afford!
But I understand the craziness of life. I am always forgetting something. I have three boys in three different schools and trying to keep everyone one of their schedules straight is a full time job!
I up for those ROUNDS too!!!
Congratulations again!!!
Andrea
Veronica, so nice to meet you! Welcome to MamaWriters…
I like how you cap off your weeks. We do that a bit around these parts, too. My terrorists – er – children are 5 & 4, so things are CRAZY more than not.
My favorite recent fiasco involved Halloween costumes – when DD #1 insisted on this fantastic ghost cape, which I slaved over, and loved – even wished I’d made one in my size, as well. My lovely little ghost bride wore the thing for 5 minutes. And then, ran to the safety of her old, faithful Snow White costume, hair in a ponytail, and tennis shoes.
DD#2 went all out as naughty skeleton, wore it, has begged to wear it again, and did the whole thing up right complete with attitude. Made the fiasco of costume #1 almost worth it. Almost.
My craziest month this year, was mid April to Mid May. I had two releases at once, and worked crazy hard on marketing — not smart at all. FINALLY my hubby reminded me to enjoy the moment, and take a break.
I’m ever thankful of those little reminders to let go of my fictional world every once in awhile and re-engage in life.
Congrats on your release!
~Ashley
Hi Kris! Wow, that must have been intense! It was your debut novel too, right?? I can’t imagine… The travel alone must’ve taken it out of you.
And Andrea, I tip my hat to you…three! How lucky you are!! I was one of five and I don’t know how my mom did it. My husband and I realized long ago that we were incapable of making that leap from man- to zone-defense. LOL. Rounds, conference, July!
Nice to meet you too, Ashley! Ohmygosh, 5 & 4…talk about intense. It always comes down to those Halloween costumes–you’d think we’d learn by now! I can’t imagine two releases at once. Your husband had some sage advice. All too often we don’t step back and enjoy what we’ve got! Like just now for me, in fact. I just got done making banana bread with the kids, and I took a step back and thought, *why* am I being so grumpy?! Sigh. It really pays to stop stressing and remember to enjoy the moments, doesn’t it?
Twitter: jeannieruesch
says:
Hey Veronica!! Jack Bauer’s got NOTHING on you after a day like that.
In the past few month, we’ve dealt with a brand new puppy and an entire household felled by sickness. For weeks now, it’s seemed like crazy was just a normal part of the day.
And wine sounds fabulous. And didn’t you know that butterfingers don’t have calories? Not for mommies, anyway.
Oh totally, Jeannie! Especially if you eat them while standing up.
So sorry to hear everyone got sick!! I *hate* when the kids are sick…really, there’s nothing worse. Hope everyone’s on the mend! And a puppy?!?! Congrats! I LOVE puppies. I’ve also sworn, never again will we have one. LOL!!! Seriously, puppies and crazy go in the same sentence!
Twitter: rebelatheartbellsouth.net
says:
That was hilarious, Veronica! Not that it was funny while it was going on, but the humorous was you look back at it speaks volumes about how well you adapt to changing circumstances with looming deadlines. Reading this is causing a pang in my heart, making me miss those days, now that my only child is in his first semester at college. sniff sniff
Congrats on your latest release!
Thanks, Julie! I try to remind myself that one day I’ll turn around and they’ll be away at college too…
And thanks again to the MamaWriters for having me! Congrats go to Pat McDermott for winning a copy of my latest! =)
Hugs to all of you!
Twitter: rebelatheartbellsouth.net
says:
Congrats Pat!
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