Sunday, May 8, 2011

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY AND A GIVEAWAY

PhotobucketWISHING EVERYONE A PEACEFUL 
AND JOYOUS MOTHER'S DAY

TO HELP CELEBRATE, HERE IS A 
GREAT BOOK, PERFECT FOR THE DAY!
GIVEAWAY ENDED
TORN
True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood
BY SAMANTHA MALRAVENS

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A military mother serving a year-long tour of duty in Iraq, apart from her 2 little girls... 
A stay-at-home mother being forced back to work because of the current economic crisis...
A college-educated, working mother shopping for dinner at a food bank...
A woman facing infertility after putting career first for too long…
A mother cursing Heidi Klum for making the rest of us feel bad about ourselves…

What do these women all have in common?

Their stories illustrate the REAL, and often unspoken, challenges facing women in the U.S. today as they attempt to juggle motherhood, career, marriage and more.

Trying to strike the right balance between career and motherhood is one of the most stressful, heart-wrenching issues facing women today. In Torn, forty-six women examine the conflict between the need to nurture and the need to work, and reveal creative solutions for having the best of both worlds. The stories in the collection offer hope and inspiration, but they also reveal the messy realities of modern motherhood and life’s inevitable crises, both small and large: from breast pump mishaps to battles with cancer; diaper blowouts to debilitating depression; competitive cupcake baking to coming home from war. In the end, the reader can take comfort in the knowledge that there is no perfect mother; nor is there a perfect balance when it comes to kids and career. The real challenge facing women today is not juggling their many roles, but realigning their expectations of what is possible and accepting that success does not equal “doing it all.”

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:

“For those of us who live in a constant state of anxiety about how we’ve compromised our careers for our kids or the other way around, books about the the work/life balance and how other women have dealt with it remain perennially interesting. [TORN] is a welcome addition to this body of work …. The point that nobody actually has it all is made all the more compelling when it is made by a choir of voices.
- Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times

Torn offers up the finest imaginable gift for today’s moms, no matter whether you work or stay at home: the comforting truth that we all juggle life and kids as best we can, and that moms ride this nutty ‘mommy wars’ roller coaster together. Moms will laugh, cry, identify – and feel an invaluable sense of validation that modern motherhood is more challenging, and more joyful, than anyone ever told us.”
- Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Mommy Wars and the NY Times bestseller, Crazy Love

“A fascinating look at Mothering 2.0. How do we do it? In Torn, a new generation of moms shows us how with intelligence, wit, and candor.”
- Willow Bay, Senior Editor, the Huffington Post

“With Torn, Samantha Walravens offers a diverse collection of voices making a valuable contribution to our ongoing discussion about trying to maintain a career while raising a family. These writers are sometimes rueful and sometimes quite raw, but always compellingly honest. They insist we set aside guilt and judgment and instead listen to their truths – complicated and difficult as they are – in the hope that someday our children will feel less torn.”
- Caroline Grant, Editor-in-Chief, Literary Mama, and co-editor, Mama, PhD: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life

“A tender, humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking collection of experiences as unique as the women who lived them. For those of us who were guided, and often defined, by the women’s movement, these stories resonate in a way that is both sustaining and essential.”
- Victoria Zackheim, Editor, He Said What? Women Write About Moments When Everything Changed

“Suffice it to say that I started reading the book in the subway and missed my stop!  These little essays, often poignant, capture where American mothers find themselves today.”
- Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law & Founder/Director of the Center for Work-Life Law, University of California, Hastings College of the Law

“Torn speaks a bold, discomfiting truth:  there is no easy solution when it comes to balancing career and parenting. These unflinchingly honest stories reveal the unusually high stakes of women’s choices about work and family– for their marriage, their children, their career, their financial life, and especially for their own identity. This book is a vital contribution to the conversation about the value of domestic life and the hidden costs of work for women and their families. Offering neither easy solutions nor judgment, its hope lies in its willingness to fully engage the messy realities that so many women face every day.”
- Lisa Harper, author of A Double Life, Discovering Motherhood (Winner of the 2010 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Award)

Torn is a poignant look at how a generation of mothers is trying to forge its own identity while honoring the legacy of 60s and 70s feminism. Sometimes freedom can be its own trap, and this book illustrates that principle beautifully.”
- Neal Pollack, Vanity Fair columnist and author of Alternadad and Stretch

“Finally, a reality-based look at life, love and motherhood for real women, from real women. No quick fixes or fantasy escapes here. Just good, old-fashioned, in-the-trenches camaraderie that lets you know you are not alone and that the fight is worth it. Really!”
- Allison Glock, author of the award-winning memoir Beauty Before Comfort and mother of two girls she still hugs in public

“Sharp, provocative and sometimes funny stories about some very unfunny issues that mothers grapple with daily. If you have a mother, are a mother or know a mother, read this book.”
- Catherine Clifford, Founder of Youronramp.com

“In a culture that obsesses over every conceivable determinant of woman’s identity, from physical appearance to marital status, from mothering skills to career potential, the real women behind the societal images often get lost. In Torn, 46 successful, well-educated women have taken on the challenging task of telling it like it is, relaying their stories of how they manage (or not) to balance career and motherhood, professional life with the demands of family. These essays promise to entertain and answer the question asked by every generation of women: is it possible to do it all?”
- Karen Carrera, former Deputy City Attorney, San Francisco, and board member, Equal Rights Advocates

“As a therapist who sees many women ‘torn’ between the conflicting demands of motherhood, marriage and career, I believe that the deep empathy and understanding created by these remarkably honest and moving personal testimonies makes this book a ‘must read’ both for women struggling to create work-life balance and for men trying to understand the plight of the women in their lives.”
- Geraldine Alpert, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California Medical School, San Francisco

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Samantha Parent Walravens is an award-winning journalist, writer and mother of four children. She was an editor for PC World magazine, where she wrote on business and technology, before leaving journalism to chase the “Internet dream” in the mid-90s. She has since returned to her true passion, writing, and has authored articles on topics including politics, business, lifestyle and women’s issues. Samantha is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University and has a Masters in Literature and Women’s Studies from the University of Virginia.

Walravens has just come out with an anthology of essays, Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career and the Conflict of Modern Motherhood. Samantha says about TORN, "I'm the editor of ....TORN: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood (Coffeetown Press, May 1, 2011), which looks at the effect that the Women's Liberation Movement has had on today's generation of educated, professional women as they attempt to balance the competing demands of kids, career & marriage. These are the women who grew up in the wake of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, yet instead of feeling "liberated" by the opportunities available to them, they are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by the pressure to "do it all."

To read more about TORN and Samantha Parent Walravens, visit her website HERE.
 GIVEAWAY 

THANKS TO SAMANTHA PARENT WALRAVENS,
I HAVE ONE COPY OF TORN  TO GIVE AWAY
TO ONE LUCKY MOTHER/READER TODAY!
 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:
COMMENT ON WHAT YOU READ ABOVE AND SIMPLY TELL ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU WOULD LIKE A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK THAT I CAN FOLLOW 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING WHEN VISITING SAMANTHA PARENT WALRAVEN'S  WEBSITE HERE.
 
+1 (or +?) MORE ENTRIES: COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ENTERED ANY OF MY OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAYS. IF YOU HAVE ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY AND GAIN AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE YOU ENTERED AND COMMENT ON

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MAY 21
 GOOD LUCK!

66 comments:

debbie said...

It is always interesting to read what goes on in peoples lives, and how their choices affect them.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered I'd know you anywhere.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered the angelina ballerina set giveaway.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered innocent in death.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered the changing habits giveaway.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

happy mothers day!
this is a story i have lived. i wanted to only be a mom when i grew up, thats all. unfortunately had to spend all my momhood slpit between mom and work. now that the kids are moving on to college i have huge issue with where the time went. it wasnt my choice, it was circumstances. would love to read this book.
charlcr(at)aol.com

Unknown said...

I would love to read this book and what women face. I have been facing infertility issues. It would be nice to read about someone who is going through the same thing. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

traveler said...

This sounds fascinating. thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered I'd Know You Anywhere. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Innocent in Death. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Potluck cookbook. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Guilt by Association. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Here, Home, Hope. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Angelina books. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Dirty Little secrets. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered The Writing Circle. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered The Royal Wedding. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

An interesting and thought provoking book. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Angelina Ballerina set. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Innocent in Death. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered I'd Know You Anywhere. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Potluck cookbook. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Guilt by Association. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Here, home, hope. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered The Writing Circle. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered The Royal Wedding. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

bermudaonion said...

Happy Mother's Day to you!

Linda Kish said...

Right or wrong we all manage to get through it. It's not easy for sure but well worth it, I think. I'd love to get lucky on this one but just in case, I think I'll look for it in the store, too.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered HERE, HOME, HOPE

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered ANGELINA BALLERINA 4 BOOK SET

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered CHANGING HABITS AUDIO BOOK

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered LIFE: THE ROYAL WEDDING

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered EVERYTHING I WAS

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered THE WRITING CIRCLE

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I entered the I'd Know You Anywhere giveaway.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Entered TORN

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I see she will be here in San Diego, CA Aug 5th

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

Sounds interesting and I would love to read it. Please enter me in this giveaway.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

tweet http://twitter.com/#!/mamabunny13/status/67415191503126528
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered summer light
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE GIVEAWAY
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered ANGELINA BALLERINA 4 BOOK SET GIVEAWAY
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered INNOCENT IN DEATH GIVEAWAY
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered CHANGING HABITS
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered The potluck cookbook
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered Everything I was
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered The Writing Circle
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered guilt by association
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered Here, Home, Hope
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Happy Mother's Day! I would love to read this book because no one is perfect and I love that this book is "real". Real women, real mothers, real lives.

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

Just tweeted about this giveaway!
http://twitter.com/#!/christauf4/status/67607035444862976

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I visited Samantha's website and I loved the little YouTube video about this book. It had me tearing up because I can only imagine the struggles associated with being a parent and working.

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I entered your Life: The Royal Wedding giveaway!

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I entered your The Potluck Cookbook giveaway!

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I entered The Writing Circle giveaway!
christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I entered the Big Girl audio book giveaway!

christauf4(at)gmail.com

Unknown said...

I entered your Here, Home, Hope giveaway!

christauf4(at)gmail.com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered THE YEAR WE LEFT HOME GIVEAWAY
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered 44 Charles Street giveaway
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I entered Secret Daughter giveaway
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Unknown said...

I would love to read about these women. The book sounds very interesting. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Katia said...

I feel like I will learn so much from this book.
kr_moreau at doglover dot com

Mippy said...

Hi!
I feel like true accounts of a difficult issue tend to reach me a bit more than a fictional account.
WHo doesn't want t be able to 'do it all' and be the best in all areas.
I see my friends and sister and even mother struggle with this concept that one must be able to do it all.
How difficult it is to find a balance! I think this book would be inspirational in a sense and comforting.
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

Hi!
The bit on Mommy Madness (via the Wall Street Journal) on Samantha's site caught my eye.
I see this daily in friends and acquaintances on Facebook.
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

Hi!
I entered your Danielle Steele Audio giveaway!
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

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