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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

FAVORITES, FAILURES & FRUSTRATIONS--AUTHOR ALICIA DEAN ON KID ANECDOTES



Alicia's Three Kids All Grown Up
Alicia Dean is a suspense and paranormal author who wrote her first romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley) at age ten. She still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Learn more about Alicia and her books at her website. 

Favorites: Kid Anecdotes

My three children are grown now, my son, Presley is twenty-three. My daughters, Lana and Lacey, are thirty-two and thirty, respectively. Although I know raising kids is a tough job, looking back, I mostly remember the joy, the fun. My kids were adorable, smart and so funny. I’m sure most parents feel that way, but mine really were. ;) I decided I’d share a few cute things they’ve said over the years in today’s post.

I pulled out an old spiral notebook where I’d written down some things so I wouldn’t forget them. What I didn’t recall was that I’d actually journaled for a little while in 1991. I’d read a book on writing and it recommended that if you want to write, you should journal. I’m not much of a journaler, and it was another ten years before I really pursued writing seriously, but I found a treasure trove of memories from what I’d written all those years ago. This was before my son was born, so it was mostly about the girls. I won’t bore you with tons of anecdotes, but I’ll share a few. These aren’t necessarily my actual favorites, but they are a few that made me laugh. Some are the ‘you had to be there’ kind of stories. I have a few to share from my son as well; they just weren’t in this particular notebook.

Lana
Lana: When she was three, my then husband worked for Coca-Cola. I was driving downtown, with Lana in the car, and we stopped at a light where a Coca-Cola sign sat on the street corner. A couple of bums were hanging around, one was leaning against the sign. Lana pointed at the sign and said, “That’s where Daddy works.” I said, “Yes, it is.” She curled up her nose and said, “Daddy sure works with some gross people.”

Lacey
Lacey: When she was about three, she said, “Momma, if Jesus is in your heart, what does he do when you drink milk?” And, another when she was about the same age: We were going through the drive-through at a bank where the tellers were enclosed in their outside cubicles. She said, “What do bank people do when it’s time to go to sleep?”

Presley
Presley: When he was two, I put him in a “Mother’s Day Out” program where he could socialize with other kids. He wasn’t thrilled with the prospect and was always reluctant to go. One day around Easter we were on our way and I was trying to pump him up about going. I said, “Presley, it’s going to be fun. You get to hunt Easter eggs!” He said, “Well, see, I can’t go. I didn’t bring my gun.”

What about you? Any funny little things your kids said when they were little? If your kids are still little, I encourage you to jot down the adorable things they say. You’ll cherish them in the years to come.

Devil’s Promenade, *A World of Gothic: United States

Amidst a blizzard, paranormal debunker Camille Burditt arrives at Devil’s Promenade in Oklahoma to research a supernatural 'spook light' phenomenon for her latest book. There she encounters a ghostly being, which she dismisses as a figment of her imagination. But as the apparition becomes too persistent to deny, Camille realizes the woman’s ghost is quite real—and that her demise was not accidental. 

Declan Rush—the inhospitable, reclusive owner of the inn where Camille is staying—is linked to the deceased woman, but he is less than forthcoming. Despite his unfriendliness, Camille is oddly drawn to him, even though she suspects his connection to the spirit might be that of killer to victim. 

When another suspicious death occurs, Camille intensifies her investigation. She has precious little time to ferret out the truth. Not only is her book deadline looming—she's desperate to discover if the man she’s falling for is a murderer. 



*A World of Gothic is a Gothic Mystery Romance Series by authors from all over the world. For information on other titles and for interesting tidbits on mysteries and the authors, check out A World of Gothic Facebook page

15 comments:

Pamela S Thibodeaux said...

Cute babies!!!

Great post.

Good luck and God's blessings
PamT

Alicia Dean said...

Thank you!! I think so too. :) I appreciate you stopping by!

OKIEOULUVINCHICK said...

I can vouch for the fact Alicia's kids were all that + more! You see...I am an aunt of theirs. But I promise I am totally impartial! ;)

Can't wait to get this book. I kinda like the author...a TON!!!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks said...

I wish I had jotted down a few. I have a mind like a sieve these days! Such cute anecdotes Thanks for sharing.

Alicia Dean said...

Ha, yes, Ruth. I think you have the inside track. That's right, neither of us are partial! ;) They'll be available in print soon. Love you thanks for stopping by!

Alicia Dean said...

I do too, Elizabeth! I would not remember all this had I not written it down. I wish I'd written down more. :( You're welcome...thanks for stopping by!

Ashantay said...

What fun to have written anecdotes that can also be used to blackmail your children into...um, never mind. Your children sound sweet and humorous, exactly what I'd expect from you. Enjoyed reading their comments, and wishing you the best with your latest book release!

Angela Adams said...

Lovely family! Thank you for sharing.

Alicia Dean said...

Ha, Ashantay, the blackmail doesn't really work. My kids have no shame! :) They're humorous, the sweet part...well... Hehe, just kidding. Thank you, what a nice thing to say!


Thank you, Angela. I appreciate you stopping by!

Nightingale said...

Sweet photos! My sons are grown and gone now. I like to look at other people's memories like this. Thanks.

Alicia Dean said...

Aw, thank you, Linda. You're welcome!

Susan Coryell said...

No mother could resist this one! My kiddo #3 (the baby) spoke in metaphors from an early age. It was "raining in the washing machine" during the rinse cycle and the grilled cheese sandwich was "breathing" in the microwave. One hot day he ran in bug-eyed having witnessed the neighbor's whirling sprinkler. "Mom! Mr. Taylor struck water!" Thanks for the fun post!

Alicia Dean said...

Haha, Susan, oh my gosh, those are adorable!!! LOL. Thanks for sharing.

Diane Burton said...

I wish I'd written down the "gems" my kids said. Do you think I can remember them??? Cute kids, Alicia. Delightful anecdotes.

M.J. Schiller, Romance Author said...

Love it! Especially Presley's! I use a lot of the funny stuff my kids say in my books, to help make the characters more real. I have a family classic coming up in my next release! I've kept some journals and have also created a file for my best friend's hysterical utterances. She's appeared in many of my books and I even had to kill her off once. Thanks for sharing, Alicia!