Hello to all of my readers. I'm back!

Over the past few years, I have put aside this blog in the pursuit of other projects. I was raising children, writing for a variety of clients, and pursuing more education, but in the less formal spheres. I took a class on writing grants, graduated from Florida State's EBV-F program for military families pursuing businesses, attended both VWISE and Techstars Patriot Bootcamp, won a pitch contest, won a small grant, and FINALLY became a member of American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). My new niche publishing business is up and running, Pocket Parks Publishing, and I am at work on the second guide in that series. I am also attending the upcoming Facebook Vets-In-Tech Hackathon next week and looking forward to presenting my idea for an app, an idea that went over pretty well at the Techstars conference. Wish me luck!

As you can imagine, I have learned many things throughout my journey and I would like to share them with you here on Writing Military Mom. While I will continue to post about opportunities for the military community, I also plan to write about entrepreneurship, what I have been learning throughout the last year or so, and how I'm moving forward with my plan to become a profitable small publisher.

I look forward to hearing from everyone and am happy to be back!

Rosemary O'Brien

April 15th Deadline Approaching for Military Spouse Fellowship Program

The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program

By Janet Farley

If you are interested in applying for the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program, you’d better get on it! The deadline to apply for this exciting opportunity is April 15, 2011.

Now in its sixth year, this popular career and community enhancing grant once again offers 200 military spouses the opportunity to earn the Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) designation.

Having a value of up to $1,170, the grant pays for the enrollment fee, study materials, webinar study sessions and two attempts at each examination for the two courses needed to earn the designation.

The coursework is completed via distance learning and is self-paced. In addition to the coursework, spouses are required to complete a practicum that may consist of up to 1000 hours, depending on one’s past work experience.

Spouses have up to three years to complete the program.

To date, nearly 1000 scholarships have been awarded and 255 military spouses have successfully completed the training and earned the AFC® credential. You can find them many of them working within military communities the world over as financial counselors at family readiness and support centers, credit counseling and tax centers, financial aid offices and credit unions.

If you think you have what it takes, visit www.militaryfamily.org to read up on the fine print.  Note that preference is given to military spouses who: 

• have some college or a degree in business, finance, accounting or social sciences
• currently volunteer or work in personal finance, banks, credit unions or counseling services
• have volunteer experience within the military community

The 2011-2012 Fellowship is open to current or surviving spouses of active duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserve service members.  Spouses of U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials are also eligible to apply.

It is administrated in partnership with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® and the National Military Family Association (www.militaryfamily.org).  To apply online for the fellowship, visit www.militaryfamily.org by the April 15th deadline.

Janet Farley is the author of The Military Spouse’s Guide to Complete Career Success (Impact Pubs) and the Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist, Inc.). Farley writes the JobTalk column in the Stars and Stripes newspapers and the Homefront column for the Military Officers Association of America. Farley also writes for Military OneSource, Bradley-Morris’ Civilian Job News and ClearanceJobs.Com. Follow her on Twitter at Mil2CivGuide for timely career transition tips.

We have a different perspective

This is Veteran’s Day. It is the day we support the men and women who serve our country. No matter where or how they served, they served. It does not matter if we support the cause, but we need to support the people as our local Veteran’s Council President, Lori Grenfell, stated at our local Veteran’s Day service.

As military families, we are thankful for our military members’ service every day, but do we realize how different our perspective is compared to the civilian world? I am reminded of this fact every year at this event when I look around at the dwindling crowd of attendees and World War II and Korean War veterans. I am grateful for the people who do show up to thank these honorable people. I am not saying that the civilian population is lacking for not always thinking of the men and women who serve. That is what Veteran’s Day is for, to remind them. I just want to point out that we are different as military families. We support our troops directly every day, even when our active duty member retires or leaves the military. We cannot help but take it personally when something like the Cole or Fort Hood happens. We know people who were directly affected by the event, and even if we do not, our family was affected – the military family.

So on this day of remembrance, I want to thank not only the military veterans and the active duty members of our armed forces, but the families and spouses of those who serve or have served. We serve our country, too. My husband retired this past July of 2009. As I told my son when he said we used to be a military family, we will always be a military family.

Thank you to all of those who served and to all of those (us) who support them.

Rosemary

2009 Military Spouse of the Year, Tanya Queiro!

Courtesy of Military Spouse Magazine:

Tanya Queiro, the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year National Winner will appear on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight on Memorial Day, Monday May 25th, 7-8 PM EDT. Don't miss it!

Visit msoy.milspouse.com for pictures from the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year Awards Luncheon.

Additional Links:
Video Full Article from Military Spouse magazine Press Release
Victory Media, Inc. 1005 5th Avenue Coraopolis, PA 15108

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To all of those who serve and have served our country,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rosemary

Standing By

Alison Buckholtz is posting this week in conjunction with the publication of her new book, "Standing By: The Making of an American Military Family In A Time of War." This book is a must-read for those of us who can relate as well as those who are curious about the life of a military family.

Thank you, Alison!

Military spouses are usually seen but not heard. I think this is because keeping quiet about the challenges of a military lifestyle is sometimes equated with loyalty. So military spouses are sometimes stereotyped as being quiet, reticent, blindly loyal, not so bright, or not terribly ambitious. I believed that stereotype myself, but when I started getting to know other military spouses I realized quickly how wrong I had been. So part of my goal for Standing By: The Making of an American Military Family in a Time of War, was to rewrite the image of the military spouse in the public imagination.

The experiences I write about emerge from my years as a military spouse. But the subjects, like love and loneliness, grief and loss, are eternal human themes which affect everyone. Standing By is the story of our family as we grew to know each other in new and surprising ways, and more than anything else, it's about how these relationships transformed us.

Many of the servicemember spouses I have met since embarking on this unexpected path have traveled it much longer than I have, and their experiences are richer and more dramatic than my own. Learning of the far-flung places they have established their lives, and the hardships and losses they have endured, has humbled me. Their can-do attitude and adventurous spirit has inspired me. They have taught me valuable lessons about the challenges and rewards of a military lifestyle, and I feel honored to transmit what I have learned from them -- especially if I can bring these stories to a civilian population with a limited understanding of America's Armed Forces. In doing so, I hope to show non-military readers the human face of deployment as it was experienced by those left behind. If military spouses read my memoir and think, "That's nothing, I've had it much harder," I hope that they will be inspired to share their experiences.

I call my military experience an ongoing civics lesson, and I've learned more about the nation – and the important role the military plays in its ongoing stability -- than I ever learned in school. Although in Standing By I portray my struggle with our identity as a military family, I believe the book is ultimately a tribute to the military, because our experience made me appreciate what it means to be an American.

Alison Buckholtz
http://www.alisonbuckholtz.com/

Our connectivity practices are not always polite.

We are always connected, sometimes even when we want to disappear. Between our Blackberries and iPhones, our wireless internet and wired coffee shops, we are never far from whoever needs to reach us or thinks they need to know what we’re doing. The problem is does EVERYONE ALWAYS NEED to know what we’re doing? I mean do they really NEED to know that I’m running out to put my garbage cans by the curb, or that I just dusted my living room?

I bring this up after hearing that attendees listening to President Obama speak to Congress last night were tweeting during the entire event. The radio announcer wondered if our Vice President was also tweeting after noticing how many times he looked down toward the floor during the speech. Was he simply contemplating Obama’s words or was he exercising his right to tweet?

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, “tweeting” is the act of typing in 140 words or less what you are doing to a band of followers. That’s really it in a nutshell. It is a helpful tool for those of us involved in p.r. or journalism, and it can be helpful during times of chaos such as when the war in Gaza began. People caught in the crossfire were tweeting their whereabouts and activities while bombs and rockets flew all around them. As I said, it can be useful, but isn’t it kind of – I don’t know – RUDE to be doing anything other than listening and paying attention when the President of the United States is speaking about your country’s severe economic problems?

I’m just sayin’…

DON'T FORGET TO:

Vote for me in the 2009 Best Mommy Blogger Awards.
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogcontest/

Help pass the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act.
This is being introduced today, so get crackin' and contact your representatives.

How to find your representatives:

Senator http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Representative https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Help pass the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

*** Attention All Military Spouses ***

Please contact your Congressman (where you currently live) and your spouse’s Congressman (where he/she has a homestate) and let them know you support the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. Let's get this one passed.

Lanette Lepper
llepper@milspousebiz.org
Military Spouse Business Association, www.milspousebiz.org

How to find your representatives:

Senator
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Representative
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Carter to Re-introduce Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

(February 18, 2009, FORT HOOD, TEXAS) – Military spouses would be able to claim the same state residency as their service member husband or wife, under legislation scheduled to be re-introduced next week in Washington by U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX31).

Carter’s legislation passed the House during the last session of Congress but failed to become law before Congress adjourned in December. The bill allows a military spouse who moves out of a state with their service member under military orders to have the option to claim the same state of domicile as their active duty spouse, regardless of where they are stationed.

“We have long supported service member’s ability to continue voting and paying taxes in one state over the course of a military career as they are transferred around the world on orders,” says Carter, who represents Fort Hood, the U.S. Army’s largest base. “I feel it has been an egregious oversight spanning decades that we have not extended that stability to spouses as well, as they are impacted politically and economically just as much as the service member by these frequent and career-long moves.”

WHO: U.S. Rep. John Carter with supporting House and Senate members
WHAT: Military Spouses Residency Relief Act introduction to the 111th Congress
WHEN: 11:00AM Wednesday, February 25
WHERE: U.S. Capitol (Room TBD)

John E. Stone
Communications Director
U.S. Rep. John Carter (TX31)
Secretary, House Republican Conference
409 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Office - (202) 225-3864

Military Spouses Make The Best Employees

Well, they do when they are employed, but what about when you don’t receive a salary? In this difficult job market, some of us cannot get a job in our field and sometimes in any other field. We are over-qualified or do not have a traditional work history. If we want to simply take any job to pay the bills, companies do not want to hire us because they think we are going to get bored and leave, I suppose. Add to this your status as a military spouse, and it gets even more difficult.

This was a huge problem when I lived in Virginia. I was fresh out of college, but I was in my early thirties when I graduated. Many employers said I was over-qualified and they felt I would be dissatisfied with the mundane tasks put before me if they hired me. What?! I wanted a job, a place to begin my career and money in my pocket. They did not get it. I hear others are in the same boat especially with the current economy making employers leery of hiring anyone new.

Here is a newsflash to all of the employers out there who do not want to hire competent, well-trained workers with a great work-ethic who have been working from home for years while moving to new duty stations every few years. You cannot get a better employee. We work hard because we have to. In order to continue getting new business if we own our own, we have to constantly be on the prowl for new clients. When we get a job in which someone else is paying us, we are grateful, so we show up on time, dress professionally and fulfill our responsibilities. We are highly creative for the most part. I am not talking about crafts - though many of us are into making things - I am talking about things like these:

• Creative packing. We have to pack rather quickly which all milspouses know is a serious challenge. You need to figure out what to keep and what to save for that final house after retirement.
• “The Box.” As we near our PCS date, we use up the food in our cupboards, and sometimes come up with the most interesting meals, don’t we? We have to get rid of food by figuring out what is good enough to pass on to another family, what we should toss, and what will be helpful during our first days in housing. Babette Maxwell of Military Spouse Magazine calls it a “Departing Box.”
• Necessary deception. If our children ask a question the answer to which will disturb them, or if we simply do not have a good enough answer yet, we sometimes have to do a tap dance. We come up with something that takes into account their level of maturity and degree to which they need to know, then come up with an appropriate story until it’s time for the truth. It is a way of letting them down easy in case we have bad news later on.
• Finally, as military spouses, we frequently have to single-handedly run the show at home while our active duty family member is away for whatever reason. This is the time I give serious credit to all of the single parents I know. It can be difficult doing everything, but we get really good at it … because we have to.

So next time you think twice about hiring someone who has been at home for a while or is a military spouse, don’t think, just hire. We are a great asset to any business.

Notes:

The 2009 Defense Authorization Act is now law, and includes a 3.9 percent across-the-board raise in military basic pay, effective on January 1, 2009. That means military members will see the raise in their January 15 paychecks.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/fy2009paycharts/a/bpayenlless.htm

Does anyone else feel like a fraud?

I feel like a fraud sometimes. When I am at a reading of my book or teaching a writing class for Adult Education, I wonder when someone will reveal me. It is inevitable, isn’t it? You work very hard to be good at whatever you are good at, then doubt yourself even though you have no basis for that doubt. It’s human nature, apparently.

As a military spouse, I have not had to deal with a lengthy deployment (knock on wood lest it happen now that I jinxed it!), and I have not moved around too much (only five times in 12 years). Yes, there have been many TAD’s and duties, but a week here or there, or one night alone in bed is nothing compared to what other spouses deal with on a regular basis. In short, I’ve been blessed.

The problem is that sometimes I feel like a fraud and not a real military spouse. Then I remember we are all on standby. As a milspouse, we are all waiting for that call every time we hear something on the news. We are all aware of that special set of uniforms tucked away at the back of the closet. We are all aware that we may have only 72 hours to get things in order and prepare the kids, and that 72 hours is if we are lucky. Many have less time than that before their husband or wife leaves for a while.

The point is not to feel like a fraud or dredge up any guilty feelings if you have been blessed as I have. Go with it. Revel in it. Just make sure to help out someone else who has not been so blessed. We need to take care of each other because we are all supporting our country by supporting our active duty member. Be proud, stand tall and thank you for your service.

NEWS OF NOTE:

Click and Connect: Find a Battle Buddy

May 13, 2008 Andi - SpouseBUZZ is all about connecting with one another and sharing our collective "married to the military" experiences. We've updated the long list of milspouse bloggers that we've managed to gather from previous posts. Plus, additional links that you've sent our way have been added. You may find that there are some spouse blogs you can relate to more than others, so browse the links and try to find a battle buddy (or twenty). Sit back, click and connect.

I'm one of them! - Rosemary

Spouse Career Advancement Initiative Extended
by Barbara A. Goodno, Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 – Career and training opportunities for military spouses just got better, as the Defense and Labor departments’ career advancement demonstration project has been expanded to include all active-duty military spouses, along with four additional career fields.

Musing At the Cleveland Airport

I am sitting here in the Cleveland airport after my flight was diverted due to snow. This always happens to me when I fly. I can be flying in the middle of August and somewhere, somehow, there is going to be some sort of storm with my name on it. It usually happens when I am nowhere near Disney or anywhere there is a good movie theatre or nail place.

My husband always laughs because this is my karma. I truly believe that in a past life, I killed the entire village that was trying to raise those children. I'm only kidding, but you get what I am talking about. The good news is that there is a difference this time. I spent my weekend in Fayetteville, NC. That's right – Fort Bragg. I have never been there, nor would I have chosen this area for a trip, but I am happy I went because I was enlightened. I met some of the nicest, most accomplished women who are also military spouses at an event called SpouseBUZZ Live, sponsored by Military.com. The best part of this entire scenario is that I am one of them. Yes, I have known this for the past 11 years of milspousedom, but this weekend it hit home. I met the folks for whom I am trying to work, for whom I look for career options, and for whom I would do anything in my power to help.

I heard from a lady who accepted help from another spouse named Barb. She later discovered she was the General's wife, but to Becky, she was just another wife who offered to help in a time of need. I met Ginger (Sew Much Comfort) who started an entire organization that gives adaptive clothing so that service members have something to where while recovering from disfiguring injuries. I met a woman who became a blogger after filling in for her blogger husband while his hands were mending after being injured by an IED.

These women made me feel unworthy to call myself a military spouse – at first. Then I realized that we all have our individual experiences. It is okay that my husband has never been on a deployment, only TAD's. I have not had to deliver my children alone, nor have I moved overseas alone. All of this is okay because I am still a spouse, supporting my country by supporting my sailor. I, too, never know what the next day will bring and am grateful every time he walks in the door. I, too, have moved more times than I care to mention. And I, too, have friends to whom I have grown close and to whom I have had to wave goodbye as they PCS'ed to another duty station, leaving me behind to try to bond with a new bunch of people.

So, I will continue to try to help those of us who need help, information, or just a shoulder to cry on. I will write about our issues and concerns so as to enlighten the civilian population among whom I live, far away from my comrades closer to base where I am not such an uncommon denominator. And I will laugh like I did this weekend. I will laugh about the gremlins that descend the minute Hubby pulls away with his orders in hand and his collar devices polished. I will laugh about the Tricare issues that will always, I fear, come up when I least need them. And I promise to always laugh – or cry – right along with you, my sisters at arms.

I am honored to be a part of this group. Thank you for your service and may those gremlins pick on someone else the next time your spouse deploys.

Military Spouses Face Unique Challenges

I live in an area that is about an hour from base. Needless to say, people here are not familiar with the military subculture and do not know much about our unique challenges and advantages. Many of my experiences have been good, but there are many things we deal with every day that are completely foreign to those not part of the military community.

For instance, there is the job arena. Since marrying my sailor, I set myself up as a freelancer because I knew my life would not be lived in one place. Yes, I tried to get a job, but everywhere I applied, I was over-qualified (employer-ese for “You’re not going to be around here too long, so why hire you?”) It is illegal to say that, but we have all been through it. Unless you work in a job that is of a temporary nature, or are in a health profession which is starving for people in some places, you have a hard time finding a job that is worth your energy.

So many people are doing what I did and taking their work home. This is where the sub-culture comes in. We LOVE home parties. As a result, you can’t swing a cat and not find someone who owns one of those cottage industries that sells kitchen or scrapbooking products. But how does this fly with the civilians? It does not. If you are having a makeup party, they don’t want to come because they don’t “need anything right now,” or they just buy a lipstick. If you have a kitchen party, they don’t come because they “have enough Tupperware.” They do not understand that to the military spouse, a home party is not simply a demonstration, and you will not be pressured to purchase the products shown. It is a way to socialize when Hubby is deployed. It is a way to get in touch with your girlfriends and get out for a night without the kids, though sometimes the kids are in tow, and that’s fine, too. I have not been to a home party where the host has not made some provision for the children. It always happens. The demonstrator does not always expect many purchases because she is usually a military spouse, too. It is a way for her to get out of the house, too.

We are different as military spouses. The workforce is only one of the many areas in which we face challenges and different triumphs than the rest of the population. We need to educate the public a bit if we live far from our military spouse buddies. Then again, why not have a party?

What challenges do you think we face that are different than the civilian world? Yes, some are obvious, but what makes our experience unique?

I am off to SpouseBUZZ this weekend to share experiences with my fellow military spouses. If any of my readers are there, please jump out of the crowd and introduce yourself. You may be featured in an article or two. I am always looking for people to interview for the many magazines and websites for which I write. Maybe you will be one of my features!

As always, to the military spouses out there, thank you for your service.
Rosemary

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there is much to be thankful for in my home. The main things are healthy children and their daddy who is here and not in The Sandbox. There are many families who are not so lucky, and we need to remember them during this holiday season.

Take a moment to check out this link and remember those who are far from home. Will you wear blue on Fridays? And if you want to be even more proactive, cook a meal for the spouse of a deployed service member, or offer to rake his or her leaves. Something this simple means the world to someone missing their husband or wife who need to be Daddy AND Mommy, plumber AND auto mechanic, good cop AND bad cop (if you have children). Those who pretend they are okay when they are not and the children catch them crying. Who give themselves a pep talk when the phone does not ring when it is supposed to. Who need to be both parts of the team when their other half is away working as part of someone else's team ... for now.

Be there for them if they need you. Their families are also sacrificing for our country; the one you and I call home. Be there to support the greatest supporter of our military members - the military spouse.

To all of the military spouses reading this, whether your spouse is deployed or not, I thank you for your service.

With much admiration and very sincerely,
Rosemary

Are you going to SpouseBUZZ?

SpouseBUZZ Live is coming to Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base December 1st. The event is an opportunity to meet other spouses, learn more about subjects such as blogging , and enjoy a laugh or two about our shared experiences as military spouses. SpouseBUZZ Live is free and open to military spouses. I will be schlepping south for this one and would love to meet some of my readers.

As read on…

SpouseBUZZ blog

November is Military Family Month.

Each November, ASYMCA celebrates Military Family Month to demonstrate the nation’s support for and commitment to the families of military personnel. With hundreds of thousands of service members deployed overseas, recognizing the daily sacrifices made by military families has never been more important.

Military.com’s Military Spouse Network

Military.com has further enhanced their site by creating a place for military spouses to get information and answers to their questions. If there is a more comprehensive site, I have not found it.

Military Spouse Magazine has launched!

Today is the launch of the print magazine’s website. It includes lots of good stuff including forums where spouses can connect with each other. Take a look! You will not be disappointed.

Stop bad dreams with Dream Caps.

I have not tried these caps, but they seem innovative for children who are going through the bad dreams stage. I am putting this up here because they are giving them away to military families until November 30th, 2007. You only pay postage, so they are worth a try.

Okay, I know it's close to the holidays and everyone is getting busier, but send me your comments. This week's question is:

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

I have to say this is one of the more fun holidays for me. I love cooking and miss having Thanksgiving at my own house, but it's certainly less work at Mom's! (Thanks, Mom!) When we were stationed at Quantico a few years ago I hosted Thanksgiving at my house. My rule has always been to bring anyone, especially if he or she is far from home and has no where else to go. This has always proved rewarding and lots of fun, but the year the corpsman piled into my house and "Ma'am'ed" me to death was probably my favorite so far. If any of you are reading, Happy Thanksgiving, gentlemen!

Enjoy your blessings.

Deployment and Lemonaid

NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY!

Find your local center and check "the girls." It may save your life.

Click here.

Right now, I am writing a couple of articles for Military Spouse Magazine http://www.milspousemag.com/. Once again, I am struck by the courage of women – military wives in particular.

This piece is about ringing in the new year without your spouse, a common occurrence in the days of war. They say that when given lemons, you should make lemonaid. Well, that is what these spouses have done. As I read the responses to my e-mails, and hear the stories over the telephone, I cannot help but burst with pride. No, I do not think it is a good thing to be away from your spouse for an extended period of time, especially while he is in a war zone. I do however believe we have to step up to the plate and do what’s required when things do not go our way, and that is what all of these women have done.

They have decided to make lemonaid. Some return home with their parents or other relatives for the duration of the deployment, while others simply jump in and act as Mom AND Dad for their children. Others spread the love and reach out to others in the military community who might need help coping.

As I said, I am bursting with pride because I, too, am a part of this community of strong women – the military spouse. I have only spoken to wives, but I know there are husbands out there doing the same things, with and without children, while their wives are deployed. I tip my hat to all of the spouses, whether or not they are facing deployment of their other half. We all share a bond and we should all be proud of ourselves and each other.

What do you do differently when your spouse is deployed or TAD?

Chime in and let us know the type of lemonaid you make when you are handed those lemons.

P.S. Military Spouse Magazine goes monthly in January 2008, and hits the commissaries later in the spring. Check out this publication specifically geared to the military spouse. Tell 'em Rosemary O'Brien sent you.

Help for Small Business

I spent yesterday morning attending a workshop presented by S.C.O.R.E. (Service Corps Of Retired Executives). Their presenters gave their time to help those of us starting businesses to get it right. Taxes, business plans, marketing strategies – all of this and many more topics were covered in the 4-hour workshop at the local community college.

If you plan on starting a freelance writing business, I would highly advise scheduling a 1-hour consultation with one of their consultants. It is free and can get you going in the right direction in order to open a profitable business. Now that I am serious about building my business, I plan on paying their consultants a visit every now and then to make sure I am on the right track.

The people at SCORE are doing a great service to those of us who are creative, but need some help with the practical side of business. Give it a try if you are serious about becoming a freelance writer while you support your military spouse.

As a result of the workshop, I have a different-type of poll this week. I need help naming my business and who better to ask than military spouses? Since the word “mom” is in my blog, I am frequently asked if I have a son or daughter in the military. I like the name, Writing Military Mom, but I want to make sure those who need my services can find me more easily. I would like to keep the word military in there somehow. On the other hand, the name evokes the question, “Do you have a son or daughter in the military?” which then starts the conversation in which I can explain that I am a proud military spouse. Help me come up with the perfect name by answering the question:

What should I name my copywriting business?

Here are some ideas:

Writing Military Mom
Writing Military Spouse
Writer Gal
The Last Word
Word Wrap (not sure about this one)

Help me and if your suggestion is chosen, you will win an autographed copy of my novel, FIRST SATURDAY. It is out of print until I find an agent for paperback rights and movie options, so this is the only way you can get it. So, get creative and help me name my business.

Good luck!

Marrying The Family

I am on the hunt for blended military families. I want to know how they did it, what challenges they faced which were specific to military families, and any tips they may have for those trying to blend families with children while serving in the military. Do you know anyone? Send me their name and e-mail, but make sure to check with them first, and they may be featured in an article I am working on for a military-friendly publication. They can also be quoted anonymously if they prefer. It’s up to them. I just need to honest, direct information from those who have been through this challenging situation.

Blending a family has to be difficult enough, but when combined with a military lifestyle, I cannot imagine it. With the frequent moves, deployments, and general demands of being part of a military family, children have a lot to deal with it. Add to it that mom or dad is marrying a member of the military, and all bets are off.

So if you can help, please contact me. I would like to produce an honest, informative article that may also help others. While you're looking for that e-mail address, check out 4 Military Families. It's a great site dedicated to informing the military spouse.

To all of our service members, military spouses, families, and veterans: thank you for your service to our country.