Just got the news!!!!!

My story made it into Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom Edition!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!

Little backstory...the piece that made it in is something I wrote a couple years ago. I don't write many essays or memoir type stuff. I haven't lived an exciting life...so there aren't many topics to write a memoir about! But I guess my mom situation was a bit on the unusual side. I never really thought it was...it was my life...it was what I was used to. My mom basically took off when I was 3, my brother 1-1/2. We did see her in the summer though. But we were real lucky....our dad remarried pretty soon after the divorce and she has been beyond amazing. We have called her mom since the beginning (though she tells us she and our dad never prompted us to). She took care of us and never once in my entire life did I feel like a step child. Even after she and my dad had a baby...my half brother was treated no better (actually, he complains incessantly that I am the favored child!)

So anyway, the piece is about my step mom and how important she's been to me and how in my opinion, being a mother has nothing to do with biology.

I submitted this piece to CSFTS after finding the call for submissions listed somewhere on the internet. I sent it off and forgot about it. Till the email came. I've been back and forth with them over the past couple months...but until today....I was never told "Yes, You're in!"

I'm very excited about this!! I didn't tell my mom (step mom) about the piece. She has read it before but I never told her it was being considered for CSFTS. Publication date is set for the end of March and I think it would be a lovely Mother's Day gift!

I will get $200 and 10 copies of the book! Not bad!!!

And.....you know how every story in CSFTS has a quote from someone famous on the page??? Yeah....when they sent me the final edited version of the story for my approval...the quote on my page: OPRAH!