Boy-sterous Living, Interview - and contest!

Title: BOY-STEROUS LIVING
Author: Jean Blackmer
Publisher: Beacon Hill Press
2008
ISBN: 978-0-8341-2290-8
Genre: Inspirational/parenting

Jean Blackmer is the only female in the house with three sons, a husband, and two male dogs, and she knows that life is loud. If its not, you need to go see what their up to.

BOY-STEROUS LIVING is a book I needed to read nineteen years ago when my first son was born. As it is, I learned the lessons in this book the hard way, first hand, although I admit that my kids never did some of the funny things that Mrs. Blackmer shares about her husband and sons. BOY-STEROUS LIVING is laugh out loud funny, while being a survival guide for mothers.

In BOY-STEROUS LIVING, you will get a mom’s view of what it is like to live in a male world where safety is an afterthought and men believe they are cavemen and communicate in grunts.

There are some things I couldn’t relate to real well in this book. Out of the males in my family, for instance, only one communicates in grunts, and then only rarely. The other two are talkers and you can hardly shut them up. I think they talk more than I do. But I do identify with the noise level and some of the other entertaining stories that Mrs. Blackmer shares in her book.

If you are a parent of young boys, male babies, or are thinking of having babies, then BOY-STEROUS LIVING is a book you need to read. If you are a parent of males who are graduated from high school (or soon to graduate) then the only point of reading this would be to remember the days when your family was little and some of the mischievous things they got into. All in all, BOY-STEROUS LIVING is a great books for moms and I highly recommend it. The end of the book contains some absolutely hilarious bloppers. 182 pages.



About the book: Raising boys isn't easy. Life with them is loud. If it's quiet, they're probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you're in for an adventure.

In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.

About the author: Jean is currently the Publishing Manager for MOPS International and she's been free-lance writing for 16 years. She has been published in a variety of local and national publications, including: Guideposts, MomSense, Today's Christian Woman, Christian Parenting Today, American Girl, Proverbs 31 Woman, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup Cookbook for the Busy Mom's Soul, Focus on the Family's Teen Phases, Guideposts Miracle Series, and others.

She also co-authored her first book, Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision. (Tyndale/Focus on the Family, 2004) This book was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award.

Jean graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor's (1987) and a Master's (1992) degree in Journalism. She lives in Boulder with her husband Zane; three boys, Josh , Jordan , and Jake.


Find out more about Jean here!



Link to purchase the book: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-sterous-Living-Celebrating-Your-Rowdy/dp/0834123908/ref=sprightly-20



Blog tour schedule! Please post link in your blog tour post! http://www.litfusegroup.com/latest/current-blog-tours/89-boy-sterous-living-blog-tour



Author website: http://www.jeanblackmer.com



CONTEST: Enter your grossest or funniest moment as a mom of a boy (No boys? That’s okay – we still want to hear your story!) and you could win movie tickets and a snack for you and a friend to escape! Share your story by emailing your entry to amy@litfusegroup.com or posting it on the Moms of Boys facebook page!


What are you working on now? As the publishing manager for MOPS International I am working with an author on the 2010 MOPS theme book which is going to be great and is going to be given to 100,000 moms! I am also writing another book for moms which will be humorous and encouraging, helping moms deal with those unplanned moments of mothering.




What are some of your hobbies, besides writing? I love the outdoors, hiking, biking, running, and skiing. I also enjoy cooking, but I’m not very good at it. My boys tease that I am a great Cajun cook because so many things I make turn out “blackened.” And of course I love to read.




Who are your favorite authors? C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkien, George McDonald, and Virginia Wolf are some of my favorite classic authors. An author I’ve read recently and enjoyed is Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In and Belong to Me. I also like Ted Dekker, especially his book, Blink. I’m not the kind of person who just has one or two favorite authors because there are many, many good books and writers who I love to read.


What is your favorite genre to read? I love reading fiction, compelling stories about women and issues such as The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, and The Help (which I just finished and would highly recommend) . I also enjoy non-fiction, especially inspirational, story-oriented books such as The Zoo Keepers Wife or Three Cups of Tea.


What sparked the idea for your last story? Real-life is truly great writing material. I recently wrote a story for Angels Magazine, a division of Guideposts, about a woman who was lost hiking and found her way out thanks to a little help from some unusual people who unexpectedly appeared.


Who or what inspired you to write? When I went to college I couldn’t pass the math classes  so I went into journalism and loved it. I love writing stories because I think people really remember your message and it’s a way I can impact someone’s life positively. What keeps me inspired is when I hear back from readers and how something I wrote encouraged them or helped them make a change in their own life.



What is your favorite verse, and why? “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. I love this verse because it reminds me to look at life with a positive, grateful attitude and to remember to pray about everything.

How can reading your book have an impact on the reader’s life? I hope this book will help moms love their life with boys, to engage in their boy’s worlds and enjoy the adventure rather than sit on the sidelines.



How did you become a Christian? I became a Christian when I was in junior high school when I went through a confirmation class in my Episcopal church. The priest who conducted the ceremony asked our class beforehand if we had a relationship with Christ and then prayed for us. At that time I committed my life to Christ.


How has your book been received from its readers? So far readers have enjoyed my book. Many of the moms have mentioned it’s encouraged them to do more with their boys and to have more fun. They’ve also mentioned how they’ve read parts to their husbands and how they’ve laughed out loud about some of the stories. I think moms need laughter so I enjoy hearing that.




Can you tell us a little bit about your personal life? I live in Boulder, CO with my husband of 23 years, Zane, and our three boys, Josh, 18, Jordan, 15, and Jake 13. We also have a yellow lab, Mogul and a hedgehog, Bruno.


How can our readers purchase your book? Visit www.MOPShop.org, my website, www.jeanblackmer.com, www.amazon.com, or visit your local bookstore.