Posts tagged Laura Mayes
Surrender, Dorothy 2011 Blogger Book Gift Guide (Support Education!)

Welcome to the 2011 Surrender, Dorothy Blogger Book Gift Guide! This year, I've linked all the books to their spot on the shelf at the Bookstore That Gives (remember that rockstar high school intern?). A portion of your purchase price can be designated to go to the school of your choice.

Some of these authors have more than one book, so I've put my favorite one in this gift guide. *This list is, of course, not complete ... I limited it this year to people I've met via blogging. If I've left you off, please let me know! I'm getting old.

Sleep Is for the Weak

SleepIsfortheWeak

Edited by ... moi! I know, you're shocked. Get the original mommyblogger anthology with 25 bloggers who have gone on to greatness. Buy here.

Let's Panic About Babies

Let'sPanicAboutBabies
By Alice Bradley and Eden Marriott Kennedy

Eden and Alice have always been hilarious, but this book takes it to a new level. Buy here.

The Beauty of Different

TheBeautyofDifferent
By Karen Walrond

I bought one for me and one for my daughter. May she always feel beautiful. Buy here.

It Sucked and Then I Cried

It Sucked

by Heather B. Armstrong

How her blog readers saved her from postpartum depression. Buy here.

The Pioneer Woman

PioneerWoman
By Ree Drummond

I read part of Ree's love story on her blog, and that's what made me fall in love with her as a person. Here's the whole thing in book form. Buy here.

PunditMom's Mothers of Intention

MothersofIntention
by Joanne Bamberger

Mothers and political activism so totally go together. Buy here.

Professional Blogging for Dummies

Probloggingdummies

By Susan Getgood

Susan's really smart about this stuff. Also, she quoted me in her book. HA! Buy here.

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

PinkCrystalBall
By Risa Green

I've enjoyed all of Risa's books, but my favorite is this young adult mystery. Buy here.

Falling Apart in One Piece

FallingApart
by Stacy Morrison

A heartbreakingly beautiful memoir about what matters in life. Buy here.

What I Would Tell Her

Whatiwouldtellher
by Andrea N. Richesin

Nicki is the anthologist to end all anthologists -- my favorite is the one with the stories of dads for their daughters. Kleenex alert. Buy here.

Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore

Mommydoesnt
by Rachael Brownell

An honest, raw and well written story of sobriety. Buy here.

Rockabye

Rockabye
by Rebecca Woolf

A baby and a husband and an armful of tattoos so young -- and so right. Buy here.

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

MakeItFast
by Stephanie O'Dea

I have made a bunch of these crockpot recipes. They are good. Buy here.

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published

GettingPublished
by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

The best book on the publishing business I've read yet, and I've read a lot of them. Buy here.

Insatiable

Insatiableby Erica Rivera

Erica's first memoir on her struggles with eating disorders -- I couldn't rip my eyes away from the pages. Buy here.

Hollywood Car Wash

HollywoodCarWash
by Lori Culwell

Lori self-published this novel and then sold so many copies it was bought by Simon & Schuster. Buy here.

Kirtsy Takes a Bow

KirtsyTakesaBow
Edited by Laura Mayes

Laura's collection is beautiful and insightful. Full disclosure: I also have a piece in it! Buy here.

Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety

PerfectMadness
by Judith Warner

I interviewed Judith about her second book for BlogHer, but I really loved her first one best. Buy here.

The Happiness Project

HappinessProject
by Gretchen Rubin

I met Gretchen when I interviewed her about happiness in marriage for a series on BlogHer. Loved her comments, loved her book. Buy here.

Life From Scratch

Lifefromscratchby Melissa Ford

A novel about a blogger. What's not to love? Buy here.

The Mominatrix's Guide to Sex

Moninatrix
by Kristen Chase

After a few years writing a sex column and four kids -- um, I believe her. Buy here.

As the holiday giving season/tax year draws to a close, please keep in mind you can also give a tax-deductible donation DIRECTLY TO YOUR SCHOOL. Just ask at the school office. 

Reading is awesome. Writing is awesome. Schools teach both. Please support your schools, whether or not you have kids.

 

Laura, Take a Bow

Once upon a time, I met a woman named Laura Mayes who shared my views on writing and publishing. I immediately liked her. She was cheerful and upbeat and ambitious and persistent. And today, she has a gorgeous, high-design book filled with wonderful writing and photography called Kirtsy Takes a Bow.

Kirstybook_cover

Lest you think it's like all those other blog books, look at how YUMMY IT IS.

Collage

She said "high design," and I was all, "yeah, yeah..."

4_FashionStyle

Right. High design. Can you believe your blog post could look like THAT?

So, anyway, I'm also extremely flattered to have a piece in this book. It's about politics. I can't wait to see what it LOOKS LIKE IN THERE.

Also, I really respect my fellow contributors, many of whom I count as good real-life friends now. It's funny how that's happened over the past five years of reading them, seeing them at BlogHer and other get-togethers, Twittering and sending frantic e-mails back and forth late at night.

Amie Adams
Rita Arens
Gwen Bell
Gabrielle Blair
Alice Bradley
Kaori Brauns
Brene’ Brown
Marta Dansie
Katherine Center
Sophia Charming
Kristin Chase
Tracey Clark
Catherine Connors
Jena Coray
John Culberson
Maggie Dammit
Marta Dansie
Nadia Dole
Caroline Donahue
Danny Evans
Lisa Fain
Jordan Ferney
Lindsay Ferrier
Kathryn Finney
Doug French
Amy Gates
Kenneth Germer
Georgia Getz
Brittney Gilbert
Joanna Goddard
Aran Goyoaga
Risa Green
Liz Gumbinner
Jennifer Harvey
Krystyn Heide
Genny Heikka
Daniel Hope
Tara Hunt
Kate Inglis
Sarah Ji
Sara Johnson
Isabel Kallman
Guy Kawasaki
Neil Kramer
Michelle Lamar
Jenny Lawson
Shawn Ledington
Jen Lemen
Dana Loesch
Yvonne Marie
Julie Mason
Maggie Mason
Laura Mayes
Jamie Meares
Lily McElroy
Lauren McKechnie
Karen Maezen Miller
Karen Mordechai
Loren Morris
Stacy Morrison
Casey Mullins
Irene Nam
Erica O’Grady
Tracey Gaughran-Perez
Julie Pippert
Kyran Pittman
Sarah Jane Rhee
Stephanie Roberts
Roseline
Betsy Roy
Andrea Scher
Amy Turn Sharp
Angie Smith
Laurie Smithwick
Casey Solomon
Liz Stanley
Kathryn Storke
Mary Swenson
Joslyn Taylor
Evany Thomas
Katherine Thompson
Togy Ng Kwong To
Penelope Trunk
Amy Urquhart
Erin Kotecki Vest
Susan Wagner
Karen Walrond
Tish Warren
Lisa Whelan
Maile Wilson
Michelle Wolfson
Ryan Wright
Shannon Zoet

But most of all, I respect Laura, who corralled 100 contributors and brought such vision to this book. I know (believe me, I know!) how hard it is to stay in touch with even 25 people over the book publishing process. I am a big admirer of anyone who can keep up with more and be so damn graceful under pressure.

So, congratulations, Laura! Enjoy this time! You deserve it. And your book looks beautiful.