Interview and Giveaway with Author Dina Sleiman

Hello Everyone,

Naomi here, introducing a special guest today, Dina Sleiman, author of Dance of the Dandelion. Dina writes lyrical stories that dance with light. Most of the time you will find this Virginia Beach resident reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with her husband and three children, preferably at the oceanfront. Since finishing her Professional Writing MA in 1994, she has enjoyed many opportunities to teach literature, writing, and the arts. She was the Overall Winner in the 2009 Touched by Love contest for unpublished authors. Her debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion with Whitefire Publishing, is now available at amazon and other online and ebook distributors. Dina is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. She has recently become an acquisitions editor for WhiteFire as well and enjoys blogging at Inkwell Inspirations. Join her as she discovers the unforced rhythms of grace.

Thanks for that introduction Dina. Dina will be giving away a coupon for an ebook copy of Dance of the Dandelion with no limitations. In fact, if you already own Dandelion, you can use it for another one of our WhiteFire novels.


Can you start by telling me about your family? How many children do you have, and if they still live at home, how old are they?
I have a daughter, Christiana age 17, and two sons, Jonathan age 14 and Adam age 9.

I grew up in a family of three siblings as well. It was often entertaining. :) Why did you choose to work from home rather than find a job elsewhere?
I am not supermom. I can’t even imagine coming home after a long day of work and still needing to take care of my home and my children. Previously, I have worked part time outside of the home teaching English, dance, etc… More than about 10 hours a week really drained me. Writing from home fits my schedule and my lifestyle well. And besides that, writing is what I’ve always desired to do. I think at the end of the day, if you love what you do, you’ll thrive. Teaching drained me. Office work or physical labor would be much worse. But writing fuels me.

That sounds so inspiring. I'm glad you're able to do what you love. What is the most challenging aspect of working from home while raising children?
My children are school aged. So the biggest challenge to me is balancing my time during summer break. It would be easy for me to hide in my room with my computer all day, but I try to do plenty of activities with them.

When they were little, I kept my writing small to match. Poetry and skits for church mostly. I actually started my first novel while homeschooling. At that time I wrote mostly on weekends or when I could get away for a few days. Personally, I have a hard time writing with noise and chaos in the background. But I know some young mothers are able to write through anything.

Ah, I'm the same way. I cannot write with chaos in the background. But my kids are still young, so sometimes I have to be rather creative with my ways to sneak writing time. Did you ever get your children involved with your home business? What advice would you give mothers thinking about having their children help with their business?
Hmm. I suppose in a way I do. My daughter critiques all my books. In fact, I can safely say she’s my hardest critic and doesn’t pull any punches. She’s also the cover model for my debut book. And my nine-year-old son is already writing novels. I could imagine co-authoring a young adult book with him at some point in the future for publication. I have some funny little snippets of stories he wrote at age six in a nonfiction book that might be releasing next year.

The only advice I have on this issue is that when children see their mothers pursuing their goals with passion, they will naturally do the same. So whether or not your children help with your business, just watching you work toward your dreams will encourage them that they can attain theirs.

I love what you said about teaching your children to pursue their goals with passion. It sounds as though your children have a wonderful role model in you! What challenges did working from home present to your marriage, and how did you compensate?
Early in our marriage, my husband did not support my writing. He felt like if I worked, it should be for guaranteed cash. But we’ve come a long way in understanding each other. Once his career became stable, he didn’t mind me writing for my own enjoyment. And he’s seen how writing makes me a happier person. I think I’m a better wife and mother when writing because I’m more content and fulfilled. One of the lessons I’ve learned is to be sure to communicate what I’m working on and how long it will take so that he knows what to expect. For instance during my book in a month challenge, I told the family not to expect much of me and that I might let the house go for a while, but that I’d be back to normal in December.

I'm glad you got things worked out with your husband. I'm blessed with a husband that, by and large, supports my writing endeavors, even if he doesn't always understand them. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?
I might have started working on my novels sooner and stayed more in touch with the writing world. But that’s mostly logic talking. I feel like I followed God’s leading to the best of my understanding every step along the way. During the time I wasn’t writing, I did a lot of living, including church ministry. And I feel like that strengthens my books.

Is it worth it? What keeps you home instead of having an outside career?
Honestly, the idea of an outside career does not appeal to me. When my children are grown, I could imagine myself teaching again, but at this point I need to save all my attention and patience for them. I actually have a very introverted personality, and living with four extroverts takes up all my social energy.

Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice, Dina. It sounds as though you've really found a good balance between your home and your work. Dina will be back with us on Wednesday, sharing a simple recipe. To be entered in Dina's giveaway, be sure to leave a comment below, followed by your email address so I have a way of contacting the winner, whom I will announce on Saturday. And without further ado, here's more on Dina's debut novel, which I read and loved, Dance of the Dandelion.

Love's quest leads her the world over.

Dandelion Dering was born a peasant in the English village of Arun, but her soul yearned for another life, another world. One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion . . . with more. Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William’s predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache. From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings. Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance . . . or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?

To find out more about Dina, be sure to visit her website. www.dinasleiman.com

Why You Need Scheduled Time to Work from Home

In previous posts, I've suggested work-at-home moms have a regular, scheduled time when they work everyday, rather than leaving work time up to fate. Today we're going to examine three benefits to having a work schedule.

1. It helps you accomplish more.

If you have a regular work time, you can plan. You know you will have so many hours each day to work, which will result in a certain number of hours per week. Whether your business be sewing or photography or writing, you can plan projects and have an idea of where you'll be a week from now, if not a month or more from now. It also guarantees you'll accomplish projects. If you have two hours of your afternoon set aside for work, you'll probably find little interferes with it.

2. It helps your family adjust.

It can be hard to spending time working while your kids are in the other room otherwise entertained. However, if you work at the same time every day, your kids will become used to your schedule. They know there is a time limit. They will have mommy back in an hour or so, and they grow used to entertaining themselves while you work. I have watched this happen over the summer with my four year old. He was in preschool this winter when I had my "writing" time. He is now used to entertaining himself or watching a movie while his younger brother naps and mommy writes.

3. It helps your clients and other business contacts.

As your business grows, you will start getting clients and working with other business professionals. Those individuals need to know they can depend on you to complete your task. If your work pattern is sporadic, how does your editor know you will be able to produce that manuscript in six months? How does your client know you will finish the sewing project or painting by the end of the week, when you can't even guarantee you'll have time to work? I recently had this come up in a phone interview with a literary agent. The first question out of her mouth was, "With two kids and a husband in the ministry, when do you find time to write?" Fortunately, I was able not only to answer her question, but to estimate when I would have my next book finished as well.

Examine your work-at-home patterns Are they stable and consistent? Something your family is used to and your business associates and clients can depend on? If not, play with your schedule until you find a way to be more consistent.

Questions: Do you have a regular, scheduled work time? If so, when? Have you found certain times are better than others to work from home?

Home Remedies and Natural Cures for the Common Cold

Are you one to run for the medicine cabinet the second some sniffles start? Before you hit that next bottle of Tylenol Cold and Flu, try a few home remedies. You may be surprised how well they work.

Take a Natural Antiviral. Garlic and grapefruit seed extract both have antiviral and antibacterial agents. Try mincing a clove of garlic and swallowing it every two hours. If you get grapefruit seed extract in liquid form, you can slip some into your children's orange juice. But be warned, the stuff tastes wretched.

Take Vitamin C. Already taking it? Swallow more. Try upping your dose to at least 8000mg per day. Megadoses of Vitamin C can cure cold and flu symptoms. (When given intravenously, vitamin C as even been effective in killing cancer cells. That's how strong this stuff is.) Personally, I take 1000mg of Vitamin C about six times a day. This dosage is six times stronger than the recommended daily dose of 1000mg. Vitamin C isn't one of those things you can take to much of. However much of the vitamin you can force yourself to swallow, do it.

Jump on a trampoline. Yes, I'm serious. Jumping on a trampoline uses gravity to drain your lymph nodes and even your ears. This doesn't serve as an instant cure-all for your stuffy head, but it will bring temporary relief. As soon as you feel your ears begin to clog, start jumping on one of those little jogging trampolines. I jump several times a day for about fifty times per set.

Take honey for a cough. Believe it or not, my pediatrician is the one who recommends this treatment. She claims studies show that one teaspoon of honey three times per day is more effective than the cough medication on the market. While I don't claim to be a bio-statistician and understand how all these medical studies work, the practical side of me realizes that using honey is a lot cheaper! Plus getting a four year old to swallow honey is a lot easier than pouring cough syrup down his throat.

I hope you find these little tips useful the next time a cold arrives.

Encouragement for Mothers and Daughters

by Naomi Rawlings

I wrote this piece a few months ago. It's based on a true story. Yes, it's a little longer than my usual post length, but I trust you enjoy it.

Hidden Treasures

Being grownup isn’t always fun. My nine-year-old brain came to that realization on a crisp spring morning as I shrank deeper into my coat and hunched my back against the wind.

Before today, I had never been allowed on one of Grandma and Mom’s walks.

“It’s too far.”

“You’re not old enough.”

“You’ll be bored.”

The refusals varied little. I had begged to come today, certain some secret of womanhood would be revealed on the walks Mom took with Grandma whenever we came to visit.

After two minutes, I understood what the walks were about. Gossip.

Grandma’s voice prattled endlessly. “Now this man here goes to Florida every winter, and the man in the house up ahead lost his wife last summer. She’d had cancer and—”

“Can we turn around?” I shivered, gooseflesh creeping over my arms.

“I walk down to the road and back every day.” Grandma didn’t glance at me, just pumped her arms harder and launched into the life story of the widow who lived in the little white cottage to our left.

I stared down the long, straight road, barely able to discern where a second road teed into it. “That’s too far!”

My mom sent me a look, the kind of mother-daughter look that expresses a conversation in a fraction of a second. This one said, Naomi, I warned you it would be a long walk. We don’t see Grandma and Grandpa that often. Enjoy this time, and don’t be disrespectful.

I turned my head so Mom wouldn’t see me roll my eyes. “Can we at least slow down? My legs hurt.”

“Got to keep moving. Good exercise.”

I glared at Grandma. Why had I wanted to even come on this endless walk? So what if my younger brother and sister were still too little to join us? So what if this was the first time I’d seen Grandma since Christmas? Better to be fishing with Grandpa.

I stared at the ground, watching my scuffed tennis shoes stumble over dirt on the shoulder of the chipped road. A reddish rock caught my attention. I kicked it, stopped, then stooped to pick it up.

“Naomi, quit dawdling!”

Rock in hand, I raced ahead to Mom. “I got a rock, see.” I held it out for inspection then stuffed it in my pocket.

“Now these people here raise puppies.” Grandma gestured toward a yard with a little fenced square containing two doghouses. But no pups greeted us as we passed.

My gaze drifted back to the ground. Something shiny glinted despite the overcast sky. I crouched beside it and dug in the dirt where it was wedged.

“Naomi! Don’t make me call you again!”

“Mom, wait. I found something.” I freed a gold band from the earth and stared for a moment, mesmerized by the sparkling stone in its center. “It’s a ring! I found a diamond ring!”

I raced to Mom, who had by some miracle convinced Grandma to stop walking.

“I’m sure it’s not real, honey,” she said as I dropped the treasure into her palm.

“It is, Mom. I know it is.” My legs suddenly reenergized, I started jumping.

Mom sent me a sympathetic smile that faded as she studied the ring.

“Well,” Grandma elbowed me aside and peered over Mom’s shoulder. “It’s fake, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s authentic.” Mom’s eyes moved from the ring to me and back.

I grinned. “Put it on. You can have it.”

Mom slipped it into her pocket instead.

My treasure was real. The police verified the value of the ring then held it at the stationhouse for ninety days. When no one came to claim it, they returned it to my mom. She wore it on her left hand, a replacement for the engagement ring she’d lost giving me a bath when I was a baby. As eldest daughter, I now had part in the special symbol of my parents’ love the ring represented.

The ring stayed on my mom’s finger as I grew older, a silent witness to my high school plays, graduation, college years, and wedding. An ever-present reminder of the walk I’d been too bored to appreciate.

One summer day, I trailed Mom into the assisted living facility where Grandma had moved. Of the three of us, I now lived far away, nearly six hundred miles.

“Coming will mean a lot to her.” Mom led the way to her room.

Grandma opened the door before we knocked. We laughed and hugged, smiles splitting my soft face and Grandma’s parchment-like skin.

“Let’s walk outside.” Grandma coughed, a subtle reminder of her emphysema. “You get old sitting around a place like this.”

Her back hunched forward with age this time, rather than mine hunching with cold. She limped slightly and tugged the neckline of her shirt even though it wasn’t hot. “My neighbor next door’s moving into a nursing home next week.”

Grandma looked at me and waited. Was I supposed to say something? Respond to her gossip in one way or another?

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Mom answered. I mouthed Mom a “thanks.” “What about your neighbor on the other side, Florence?”

“Florence. Well, her son . . .”

I let Grandma’s words flow over me, the idle chatter bringing back memories of that long ago day, and I noticed how Grandma now struggled to walk a fraction of the distance she had once trekked daily.

We passed an elderly lady sitting in her wheelchair. “Her grandson’s a musician. Lives all the way in New York City.” Grandma took my hand and held it. “Doesn’t come to visit, though.”

Wanting to share the moment with Mom as well, I glanced her way. Her ring, a treasure cherished for two decades, caught my eye as it glinted in the evening sun. I slipped my hand into my mom’s and felt the worn band press against my skin.

Three mothers, three daughters, hand in hand. A different kind of treasure. One I hadn’t understood on our first walk but understood too well this time.

The value of the moment wasn’t in the gossip, the pace of the walk, the location, the weather, or even the ring. The value was in all of them. In the time spent with my mother and her mother.

The treasure was the memories.

----

A summa cum laude graduate with an English Education degree, Naomi Rawlings has been writing inspirational romance for over two years. Her latest completed manuscript, Her Journey’s End, recently finaled in the 2011 Genesis Contest. Naomi lives in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula with her two young boys and her wonderful husband, who pastors a small church.

Book Review: Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes

by Naomi Rawlings

A secret British spy, and unassuming midwife, and growing number of disappearing American men . . .

If you enjoy historical romance stories, you should check out Laurie Alice Eakes' book Lady in the Mist. Eakes' newest, full length novel is full of secrets, doubt, and forbidden love.

When local midwife Tabatha Eckles meets a stranger on the beach early one misty morning, she has no idea how drastically her life is about to change. But change it does, as Tabatha finds herself falling for the mysterious British indentured servant . . . and growing more curious about his secrets.

In a market saturated with inspirational romance authors, few books stand out as spectacular reads. Lady in the Mist is one of those books. It won't leave you feeling as though you've read this story before.

Eakes takes a woman deserted by every significant person in her life and pairs her with a man who has no choice but to one day abandon her. The characters of Tabatha and Dominick embody the essence of Christian romance. As the couple confronts forces both internal and external that drive them apart, both characters must work out their own relationships with God as well as solve a threatening mystery.

I wish more romance writers wrote stories as captivating and deep this one. I'll definitely be reading Eakes' next book.

Meet Contributor Naomi Rawlings

If you've come for the Thoughts of Spring Blog Party, welcome! If you're a mother trying to balance kids and work and everything else, we hope you stick around and follow our journeys. Please come back this week and meet some of the other authors of this blog.


Hi! I'm Naomi Rawlings, wife, mother and aspiring writer. I have a four-year-old son and a one-year-old-son. I spend my days trying to sneak time to write, picking up, cleaning, playing, and mainly just enjoying my family. My husband pastors a small church in Michigan's rustic Upper Peninsula, so my family shares it's ten wooded acres with black bears, wolves, coyotes, deer, bald eagles, and even an occasional moose. We live three miles from the southern shore of Lake Superior. The scenery is beautiful, but we average 200 inches of snow per year, and even in July, Lake Superior is too cold to swim, though my boys like to try.

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?

Nice, at least that's how I'm most commonly described--but most people don't see me yelling at my four year old to pick up his toys or complaining about the endless laundry.



Who is your favorite blogger? Why?

Probably Gina Holmes and what she did with Novel Journey. It took her twelve years to get published. Wow! I don't know of anyone who deserved a book contract more than she did. And the interviews she posts are so helpful to new writers.


What is your comfort food/drink?

Living where I do, it depends on the season. Today, at 12 degrees outside, it's hot chocolate. In July, it would be ice cream.


Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?

Yeah, leave my kids with Grandma for a week and go to Jamaica (or some other island with white beaches and palm trees) with my husband.


Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?

Anything with romance.


Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?

Well, since I'm an aspiring novelist, I'd bet you'd never guess. Fiction, particularly inspirational romance.


If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?

Remember that trip to Jamaica? After my vacation, however, I'd do something smart with it like pay off our house, invest, etc. But Jamaica is first. Definitely.


Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).

Sugar, even if I'm trying to loose weight, I can't completely take it out of my diet. I have to sneak little snacks here and there.


If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?

Actually, I love where I live. I suppose I would trade our hills in for mountains and give us warmer summers, but I wouldn't move.


Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?

I play the harp. I'm not sure it that's strange or just makes me a nerd.


What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).

Writing. I hope. Otherwise I'm wasting a lot of time.


What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?

Flavored Coffee--the gourmet kind, not the cheap stuff in our cupboard.


When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?

Both. If I say a lot, I usually regret it, and if I keep my mouth shut, I usually thing of a gazillion brilliant, witty things to say after I leave.


What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?

My husband suddenly dying.


What is your greatest accomplishment?

I look at my family, and hope it will be raising my children to love God and honor Him with their lives. Whether I achieve that or not, only time will tell.


What are your favorite animals?

Our Irish Setter, Callie


Are you a hopeless romantic?

Oh yeah. For my first Mother's Day, my husband bought me a twenty dollar charcoal grill. I cried and told him to take it back. I said I'd rather have nothing than a grill. A grill! Did I mention it was my first Mother's Day ever?


What movie or book character can you most relate to?

Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. I'm a little too witty for my own good and place a little too much importance on first impressions.

Finding Time to Work from Home

by Naomi Rawlings

The baby is asleep, the older children happily playing. You sit down at the computer or sewing machine or office desk to sneak in a few moments of work--you know, the kind of work you get paid for. The kind that doesn't include dishes or laundry or cleaning. Within five minutes, chaos breaks loose.

It happens to every mom that works at home. Let's look at a few ways to sneak some time.

Try getting up early. You probably take advantage of nap time and bed time. Have you considered finding some early morning time? After my youngest was born, I found myself too tired to get anything done at night. I now get up at 5:30am to write. Does it sound crazy? Please know that I started at 6:30 and worked my way back an hour. The early morning time works great for me. I get a start on my day and am often halfway through my writing goal by the time the kids wake. Be warned though, 5:30am is not for everyone.

Hire a babysitter, or use a daycare once a week. Yes, the point of working at home is that you are home--meaning available for your children. However, you might both benefit from a break once a week. Do some figuring. Is the amount of work you'd get done in three hours worth the cost of childcare?

Have your husband babysit. My husband and I have a tentative arrangement. Once a week, he takes the kids for a few hours while I pack up the laptop and go somewhere to write. The arrangement isn't engraved in stone, but most weeks it works out. It also gives daddy some time to focus on the kids.

Arrange play dates. Have you tried coordinating play dates? See if you can set up a time where your kids go play once a week and a corresponding time when you host the play date. Parents of both families benefit from some alone time, and the children benefit from the social interaction. Getting on a weekly or biweekly schedule can work well. It seems as though my four-year-old wants a friend over twice a week, so I keep that in mind and try to arrange for my eldest to be gone during my baby's nap time.

Good old TV. I occasionally rent a dollar movie. I don't use this every day or even every week. But if I need to get work done and I have both kids, I shove a dollar movie into the DVD player while I put my baby down for nap. Try not to overuse TV. Your child probably watches some TV every day. If TV is always a babysitter, your child may become so used to it that it looses it's appeal. Renting a movie can give TV time a special feel and keep your child glued to the screen.