Topsy Turvy Land

Oodles of Fun Thanksgiving

Liz Ball shares a Hidden Picture Puzzle for Thanksgiving. Hidden Pictures Publishing released the first book in Mama Donna's Topsy Tales Series, Topsy Turvy Land. Enjoy!

*Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

Topsy Turvy Moment and Blog Tour with Giveaway with Cheryl Malandrinos

We've all had moments when our life, career, or writing journey turned topsy turvy. Things change - many times for the better, although it might not seem so at the time.Today my guest is Cheryl Malandrinos. Let's read about her life-changing moment when I asked, "Have you had a time in your life, career, or writing journey where everything turned ‘topsy turvy’?"

Have there been times when everything turned ‘topsy turvy’? Gosh, do you have a few hours? I guess when you’ve chosen a career that consists of pouring out your heart and soul for days, weeks, months, maybe years and then hoping others find it worth buying, you’re bound to have some ‘topsy turvy’ moments.

Perhaps the most challenging moment was when I realized I couldn’t count on my husband to support my writing career. When he declared writing was akin to a figure skating competition—no matter how good you are, it’s up to the judges—I knew it meant trouble. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a wonderful man. But he’s also a numbers guy. And when it comes to writing, the numbers don’t often add up. With two young girls at home, living mainly off one salary can be hard.

The reality is I can spend weeks fine-tuning a project and it still gets rejected. I’m in the middle of it right now. I wrote a fractured fairy tale that I absolutely love. So far there’s no love coming from the agent end. Good thing quitting isn’t in my genes.

Writing has been my dream since I was around six. It took until I became a stay-at-home to pursue that dream; I can’t turn my back on it now. Though my husband has suggested putting my writing on hold several times, selfishly I rarely contemplated it. When I sat down to write an article about my less-than-supportive spouse for a potential anthology on the topic, God gently reminded me of something I told my son and daughter-in-law on their wedding day:

“Compromise isn’t about grudgingly giving up what you want. It’s saying I love you so much that I want to do this for you.”

Our compromise: I wouldn’t stop writing, but I would look for part-time work outside of the house. This way, I can keep writing and still help to alleviate my husband’s financial concerns. I’m also trying to submit more often in the hopes my writing income increases. That would be a win for both of us.

Cheryl is the author of "Little Shepherd" (Guardian Angel Publishing).Since 2007, Cheryl has been an online book publicist specializing in virtual book tours. She is a member of the SCBWI, a book reviewer, and blogger. Visit her online at http://ccmalandrinos.com/ or http://ccgevry.com/.

About Little Shepherd:

Obed is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angels appear to announce the Savior's birth. Can he trust that the miracle of the first Christmas will keep his flock safe while he visits the newborn King?

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