Erik's Getting Published!

For those of you who haven't heard yet, Erik is going to be published in an anthology of short stories this fall!  Yay, Erik!!!

The name of the book is Monsters And Mormons, and should be coming out in October, just in time for Halloween.  All stories in this anthology have to have both monsters and Mormons involved somehow in the story plot.  There are a couple bigger name authors whom will have their stories in the book as well.  Namely Dan Wells and Eric James Stone. 

Erik's story entitled, Bichos, is about a returned missionary who with his new wife have returned to Brazil where he served his mission.  (Erik served his mission in Brazil and has a great love for Brazil and the people in Brazil)  While the characters are honeymooning they run into some of the monsters from Indian legends from Brazil.  That's all I'm going to say.  We'll let you know when and how to buy the book so you can read it yourself!

Mia, Emma, and I are so proud of Erik and all the hard work he has put into his writing career!  His time and effort has started to pay off. 

Vacation--Part 3, The End

I know that the last part of our vacation pictures and fun has been a long time coming. (We just moved into our first home!)

The reason why we chose to go to Utah when we did was because there was a Science Fiction/Fantasy Symposium going on at BYU, in Provo, UT. I call it the nerd convention! But while I was there rubbing elbows with famous and not so famous nerds I realized that I am a nerd too! But don't tell anyone, it's our little secret!

The girls and I went to a bunch of different lectures and panels, Erik and Austin attended a bunch more than we did. We attended a class about making jewelry, Science Fiction and Fantasy books for kids and how to incorporate them in the classroom, supporting your creative partner, and a few others. Erik and Austin attended classes on writing believable characters, intriguing plots, and other such writing classes, since that is what Erik wants to do when he grows up. Austin also attended a class about video games, since that is what he would like to do when he grows up.

The girls and I also got the job/privilege of standing in lines to get books signed while the others attended classes. We got a bunch of cool books, I know just what we need more books--just be glad you didn't have to move them all and try to find a place for them all to go.

We got to talk with a bunch of really neat people like, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Jake Black, Howard Taylor, John D. Brown, some of their wives as well as many others. And while they won't remember me from the next crazy person, they will be remembered by us! Jake Black in particular gave way more time than he needed to to answer Erik's questions and concerns about writing and supporting a family on a writer's pay.

One day Erik will be there as a guest speaker/panelist and I will still be the crazy wife but this time I'll be the crazy wife of the famous author!

After our days in Utah we then drove straight through to San Diego so Erik could attend a work meeting there the next day. While he was hard at work Austin, the girls, and I went and played at Balboa Park.

Austin, Mia, and Emma at Temple Square in front of the Salt Lake Temple. Families Are Forever!

Emma and Mia at the Paleontology Museum on the BYU campus in Provo, UT.

On the BYU Campus

Petting the snake at a live animal show at the Bean Museum at BYU

Butterfly Mural made with butterflies at the Bean Museum at BYU

Stuffed African Animal display at the Bean Museum

Mia and Emma by Shasta a female liger. Shasta was born and lived her life at the Hogle Zoo in Utah. A liger is a cross breed between a male lion and a female tiger. A tigon would be a male tiger and a female lion

Austin, Emma, and Mia at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA

Emma and Mia at the Natural History Museum in San Diego, CA

Mia and Emma at the playground in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Emma, Mia, and Austin at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego, CA

Mia and Emma in the Botanical Garden in San Diego.

My Posts On Orson Scott Card's Boot Camp

I got asked about Boot Camp.

My posts about Boot Camp are all on my other blog.

Here they are:

My post about why I decided to go to Boot Camp.

A short post about the first morning of the writer's class.

Post about the rest of the first day of the writer's class.

A post I made while doing online research for a homework assignment.

Post about the second day of the writer's class.

The third day--the day I spent writing a story of my own.

The fourth day, the first day of the workshop portion, where we talk about everybody's stories.

In a post I didn't write until today, I talk about the rest of the week, and what I felt like I got out of the class and workshop.

And there you have way more than you ever wanted to read about it.

Erik's Going To BootCamp!

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

Erik is going to Orson Scott Card's writing boot camp! We just found out today that he got accepted! He is so excited. And we are so proud of him. (He has wanted to attend a boot camp for as long as I have known him.)

He will be attending the boot camp in July in San Diego. He will be attending the writing class the first couple of days and then he gets to stay through the next four days for the boot camp!

For those of you who don't know, Orson Scott Card is Erik's most favorite author, he even has the girls able to recognize his picture.

He LOVES to write, he has been writing since he was in 5th grade. Writing is a life long dream of his, and he actually had to put that dream on the back burner with everything going on in our lives. I am hoping that this will give him the motivation to write again! It's great to see him reaching for his dreams and being excited again!

(Congratulations in Chinese!)

Go Daddy! We love you and know that you can do anything!

Following In Their Daddy's Footsteps

For school today I had the girls draw a picture and write a short story to go with what they drew. They loved it! They are definitely following in their daddy's footsteps with their love of telling stories.

For anyone who knows us well you know how much Erik enjoys telling stories. And you also know that he would love to write as a career! We are still hoping that one day he will be able to follow his dreams. Meanwhile, the girls are ready to start their own "careers" as authors!