How to Spice Up Your Morning, Invaluable Travel Advice for Families, and the New Zibby Books Advisory Board!
Your weekly roundup from the editors of Moms Don’t Have Time to Write
Starting your weekend off right with another edition of One Last Thing, the newsletter from Moms Don’t Have Time to Write, taking a look at the stories, columns, and advice from the week that was.
First up, Zibby writes about Pennsylvania’s hidden gem: the Cartoon Network Hotel! When looking for a fun destination for the holiday weekend, Zibby’s son introduced her to every parent’s dream: “I’m not getting any commission or anything for writing this. I’m doing this as a service, one beleaguered parent to another, who has stumbled across a fun destination for families that isn’t too hokey, is reasonably priced, and is conveniently drivable from NYC and Philly. Aka, the holy grail of vacationing with kids.”
In this week’s grief column, Lynne Griffin recounts the experiences that made her decide to prioritize her kids’ mental health when her husband underwent treatment for cancer. As a family counselor, Lynne was already an advocate for children’s mental health but after losing her father as a teenager, she was also painfully familiar with the potential consequences of not making a concerted effort for her family.
Although this may not have happened to Kelly Fredericks herself, this week she shares the story of how a busy mom got her groove back. “I’m queuing up a life-changing podcast that I plan on squeezing in later this morning when my husband’s voice shatters my train of thought. I hear my name echoing down the stairwell. Come again, I say to myself. The only words I should hear right now are: ‘Bye, have a great day.’”
On that note, our resident sex educator, Tracey Cox tackles your pressing questions about dating (and breaking up with) a narcissist, tips for making your threesome go smoothly, and how to tell if you’re good in bed.
Annie Cathryn was familiar with the pantser and plotter camps of writers — she just didn’t know you could change teams so easily. This week, Annie shares her journey from a pantser to a plotter as well as some of the books that helped her make the switch. “I’m sharing my experience with those who are straddling that fence between panster and plotter. What if you hopped over to the other side to discover what’s waiting for you?”
This week, we wanted to invite everyone into the world of Zibby Books to discuss the Author Advisory Program — a panel of bestselling writers who have dedicated their time and insight to Zibby Books authors. Read our Q&A with a beloved member of the advisory board: Jean Kwok, the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation, and Mambo in Chinatown.
For our Friday Feature, Kavita Das shares her bookstore experience as a part of Zibby Books’ #22in22 initiative. After receiving a collection of postcards featuring 100 bookstores from around the country, Kavita pulled one out from the set and decided to travel there to pick up a new book. “No matter where life takes me (or when I get there) I know that I’ll feel perfectly at home when there’s an independent bookstore nearby.”
And finally, for those of you who need a touch of encouragement this weekend, read Quiara Alegría Hudes’s advice in our Wake Up and Write column. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of In the Heights shared: “I think it’s really important to know why you’re in it, to have that compass to return to because no work that you write is ever going to be perfect. It’s always going to be flawed. You have to live with those flaws.”
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Warmly,
The Editors
