Hi, I'm New Here

I’ve been intrigued with Peanut Butter on the Keyboard since earlier this summer, when Kieran first shared the site with a group of fellow authors. I’ve found the posts funny and sincere, warm and heartbreaking and courageously honest. When Kieran put out a call for “Guest Moms,” I jumped. I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about, but I knew I wanted to write something. I watched the days tick by, “my day” drawing ever closer. I started to panic. I felt pressure. Day by day I read the posts, and smiled. Holy cow, WHAT was I going to write about?

Then, one day—one day REALLY close to “my day”—I sat down with a yellow tablet and a pencil (how I write my blogs) and words started to flow. That’s probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during my writing career. Even when the conscious mind is blank or fried or overwhelmed by back-to-school shopping and referring screaming matches and Lego wars, the subconscious is steadily and dutifully doing its thing. When the time is right, the words (or scene, or plot point) will be there. It. Just. Will.

So! I blogged with PBOTK earlier this month about something near and dear to my heart: Mom Guilt. I slanted the blog toward Writer Mom Guilt, since that’s the life I’m living. But then the most amazing thing happened. All sorts of women posted comments, not just writers. I had friends and neighbors come up to me. I had a few shoot me emails. One approached my husband and told him she cried. And I…I exhaled. Whew. I’d done it. I found something of note to blog about.

Wellllll, it seems I’m not done yet. Shortly after my guest post, PBOTK approached me about becoming a regular poster, and to say I was blown away excited is a severe understatement. I was thrilled. Motherhood and writing are my life. Quirky stories about the bizarre ins and outs, ups and downs, of raising children, creating story worlds, and trying to stay sane fill my Facebook page (my original writing name: Jenna Aucoin Mills). I’m SO excited to join this group of wonderfully warm, talented, courageous women, and I hope I can live up to the awesomeness that is PBOTK.

A few of the PBOTKers suggested I throw a few things out there about me, so I sat down to make a list (one of my FAVORITE things to do.) My goal was 10 Random Facts, but, um, well, apparently conciseness isn’t my thing.

So instead, here you go: 25 Random Things About Me

1. I’ve lived in Texas 20 years, but will always consider Louisiana home.
2. I never knew love could be so big or terrifying until I had children.
3. I wrote Romantic Suspense (as Jenna Mills) for ten years before a bizarre dream detoured me into Young Adult.
4. I gots Cajun blood in my veins, which sometimes boils over into a Cajun temper.
5. I’m a conspiracy theory junkie.
6. I’m so unromantic it’s not even funny. (Just ask my husband.)
7. I will never grow tired of watching The Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator, or Raiders of the Lost Ark.
8. I’m obsessively into sports, in particular Texas Rangers baseball and football played by the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints.
9. Snow is beautiful, but I’m not very nice when I’m cold. (Just ask my husband!)
. Give me heat any day.
10. I get my feelings hurt too easily.
11. I’m a worry wart.
12. I REALLY hate disappointing people.
13. I think Some People Who Shall Not Be Named sometimes wish I came with an edit button.
14. I miss my grandparents terribly.
15. I love cats, have 3 of them.
 And then there’s this big white dog…
16. I tend to be a “just in time” kind of person; I’m never early.
17. I have a serious thing for old castles, so much so that I once, kinda,  broke into one.
18. I dreamed of airplanes flying into buildings for years before 9/11. Haven’t had that dream since.
19. I always thought the Professor and MaryAnn totally needed to get together.
20. I have this little problem with conformity….i.e. I don’t much like being told what to do….i.e., I totally wouldn’t be one of the sheep going over the edge.
21. I don’t mix my foods. Ever.
22. I believe in all that stuff that can’t be proved.
23. I worship JJ Abrams and miss Lost soooo much!
24. My kids are the greatest gift, the greatest joy, in my life.
25. I love rain and wind and thunder and lightning, the first warm kiss of spring and the first cool whisper of fall, family, friends and animals, dreams, happy endings, red wine, dark chocolate and warm gooey chocolate chip cookies.

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