My guest today is Author Miranda Parker whose debut novel is out this month. So happy for you, Miranda! (also known as Dee). You must admit that her cover is eye-catching. Miranda is also offering a copy of her book to someone who leaves a comment this week. Here’s Dee on:

“Motherhood Power

When I created Angel Crawford, the protagonist for A Good Excuse to Be Bad, I wanted a strong willed, brilliant to a fault woman who was balanced by the humility and quiet strength of motherhood. I wanted to chronicle the revelation of Motherhoos Power, because it was also in fact mine. After talking with other women I realized that I was not alone in my discovery.

My friends shared their constant battles with insecurity, ambition, family responsibility, self actualization, their femininity, and most importantly, their faith after they became moms. This huge responsibility can make you feel very small and very heavy at the same time. It is the thing that keeps me up most nights.

Yet despite of our haunts we “Woman Up,” put smiles on our faces in front of our children, and get it done. I sprinkled a few of my motherhood moment nuggets in A Good Excuse to Be Bad to encourage my women readers.

Although the book just released, I’ve received great responses on how hilarious Angel’s mom Virginia is and how readers can see themselves in her plight.

The book is also great fodder for more conversation: How do we really get it all done? How have daily sacrifices affected our relationships with our loved ones? How have they made us stronger? Why do we not know ourselves?

I have a twin brother. David. When we were in high school and the scholarship queries began to pour in I felt dejected. Here I was a 4.0 student my entire life. Beta Key. Honor Society. A shy, chocolate Girl Scout, Candystriper, VBS volunteer. A really good girl with a lot of college offers, but little scholarship opportunities, while my football star of a brother with mediocre grades had more interesting choices to consider.

One day after trying poorly to ignore all the college invitations for him, I asked my mom–“Why didn’t God make two boys instead of a boy and a girl?”

The look in my mom eyes blazed through my body into my soul until I shivered. She stared back at me and said, “The difference between a girl and a woman is when a woman knows her worth. It is time for you to become a woman.”

That afternoon she bought me a pink tee shirt that had these words written across the chest in multicolored glitter: “Anything boys can do, girls can do better.”

She told me to wear that shirt under my clothes until I believed it. I wear the shirt in my heart now.

I believe there is a reason why God gives mothers supernatural strength above anyone else. It’s because we have brought life into the world, have nurtured it, and will die for it. That experience expands our understanding of who God is. Thus, we can make miracles happen without confusing ourselves with who the real miracle maker is. I hope A Good Excuse to Be Bad is the kind of story women can enjoy and recharge themselves, while reading.

From the Author

I’ve been a book critic for over ten years. A few years ago I noticed a trend in storytelling, particularly in tv, graphic novels, and movies–this strong, bold, yet very feminine female leader who struggles with family responsibility. But I didn’t see this character in contemporary African American stories. However, this character embodies what I believe an African American woman was yesterday, is today and forever more. So I wrote this novel, I created Angel, because it was past time for her story to be told. The humor in this story, comes from me. Every time I tried to write something hardboiled or intense, I couldn’t help, but sprinkle a little comedy in. That’s the cornball in me. I’m glad Angel is a nerdball, too. Likewise, Angel is also bits and pieces of spicy galpals who have changed my life.

Please join me online at:

Website: www.mirandaparker.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mirandaparkerbooks

Blog: www.christianfiction.blogspot.com

Thanks, Miranda, for sharing your mother’s advice. Do any of you recall a moment when your mother told you to be glad you were born a girl or that women did not have to accept some of the limitations others tried to put on them? Please share and remember you could win a copy of this sassy book!–Lyn
Tweet