Donna Alward asked me to be a guest blogger on Monday so be sure to visit her blog. She made my day because I visit her blog a lot and really enjoy her posts. She’s a talented romance writer. I’m going to post about writing my chick-lit mystery. If you leave a comment on Monday at Donna’s blog, I’ll put your name in a contest for a free download of A FIERY SECRET.

Also on Monday I’ll draw the winner of my website contest for a print copy of NO GREATER LOSS.

Another contest is for Mother’s Day and read the excerpt posted on April 15th and leave a comment. The winner of this drawing has a choice of a copy of my CELEBRATING AND CARING FOR MY BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS or can choose a $10 Gift Card to Bath and Body Works. This contest ends May 4th. If you’d rather email me instead of leaving a comment, your name will still be entered in the drawing.

Good luck and hope you enter both of my contests! And hope to hear from you on Monday at Donna’s.

I’ll be chatting at the Samhain Cafe tomorrow. Please join us there for prizes, excerpts, and promos. It will be fun!

Here is the information:

Date: Wednesday April 25, 2007
Time: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Location: Samhain Cafe Loop

Authors will host an all day extravaganza for those who will be home during the Romantic Times Convention.

For the last few years I’ve wanted a laptop.

I especially wished for one while I was in the hospital in 2005 with cellulistics. I had a good start on my book, A Fiery Secret, and had this time away from housework and kids. Although I was in some pain, I could have worked on my book if I had had a laptop. But the time wasn’t completely wasted because I took printed pages of the first several chapters to proofread. I didn’t do any additional writing in longhand though. When I was discharged, I couldn’t sit very long at our family desktop computer. It was too painful. I had to keep my leg elevated where I had the cellulistics and rested in bed daily. I made myself do this not just because of doctor’s orders but for another reason. I was driving my daughter to soccer practice so whenever my leg wasn’t elevated, pain and swelling increased.

Actually I was thankful to get a desktop computer in 1999 for our family’s needs when April was a senior in high school. Having a laptop wasn’t a priority but getting a desktop computer was definitely something we all wanted. It was helpful to have a computer at home for her to write papers. Bart and Emily used the computer for their schoolwork, too. We also had dial-up back then so we got knocked up frequently when on the internet. My writing wasn’t very productive with sharing a computer. Writing in longhand got the creative juices flowing for me, but I noticed I did better getting more actual words written on the computer.

After I received 3 contracts from Samhain Publishing a year ago, I decided it was time I got a laptop. I ordered the cheapest Dell online but didn’t like it for several reasons. I returned it which was a hassle. Last month I bought the cheapest Toshiba laptop Office Depot had even though it had the new Vista on it. I planned on having Windows XP installed on it. Well, a good friend of the family and my daughter’s boyfriend, Michael, worked hard on taking the Vista off the laptop and putting the Windows XP on it for me. It kept locking up so he put the Vista back on. It was so slow and so I took it back to Office Depot. The technical person there explained to me that the cheapest models made by any company would not be powerful enough for Vista. Why do they put Vista on the cheap ones then?

I’m on my third laptop now and I love it! It is a bit embarrassing that it took me 3 tries before I got one I liked, but oh well, I’m happy now so that’s what matters. I went to a big computer store in Cincinnati where they still had Acer laptops with Windows XP on them. I know some people might like Vista, but I’m comfortable using Windows XP.

Since I bought this laptop a little over a week ago, I’ve written 7,000 words on my new book. I’m not stuck back in the study and can write while I’m cooking meals. Before I’d start something on the stove and run back to the study, thinking I’d only work for a few minutes. Some times it was long enough for me to burn the food and the pans. This way I shouldn’t ruin dinner! I like being with my family while they watch TV and can still write.

I’m looking forward to using my laptop by the pool this summer so I can write while the kids are swimming.

Disbelief…shock…sadness…fear…anger…despair…depression…grief…pain

I experienced all the above emotions yesterday along with the rest of the world.

When I first read the heading of the tragedy at Virginia Tech on the internet, my mind didn’t process it very well. I thought it couldn’t have happened. How could one shooter kill and injure so many on a college campus? Within minutes, I absorbed the fact that it was for real.

After I cried for the loss of human lives, I felt fear because we have two children attending college. I called my daughter to see if she knew what had happened. She hadn’t heard the news because she’d been studying for a test. She has three more years at college and probably more if she goes to medical school. My son is in his last year. Unfortunately, I can see violence happening at their colleges. What happened at Virginia Tech yesterday could have occurred on any college campus.

Mental health had to have been a factor in such a murderous rage. Should someone have been aware of how disturbed this young man was? Can schools, along with other institutions do better at identifying and treating those who have such problems before tragedy occurs?

How do we enhance security and help safeguard our children at college? Is it even possible in an open campus setting? My daughter said sending an email right after the first shooting wouldn’t have been enough because kids probably wouldn’t have been checking their emails. How do we ensure effective emergency planning and comunications? Virginia Tech faces criticism for being slow to alert the students and instructors of the gunman’s early morning dorm shooting, more than two hours before 32 were killed in a classroom building.

My prayers are with the people who lost loved ones yesterday. I feel such numbness that these gifted and outstanding students and instructors at Virginia Tech lost their lives. We know life is fragile but what happened yesterday will change all of us and how we look at life.

CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF CELEBRATING AND CARING FOR YOUR BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR FOR ANOTHER CHOICE, A $10 GIFT CARD TO BATH AND BODY WORKS! Read on.

If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you might remember how I based a secondary character, Miranda, in my chick-lit mystery, A Fiery Secret, on our daughter, Amanda. You might also remember that Amanda was born with Down syndrome. Three years ago, I wrote a book to help other parents with babies with special needs. Since Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I’m going to give a copy of my book, CELEBRATING AND CARING FOR YOUR BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS away. If you leave a comment here at this post any time by May 4th, your name will be entered into a drawing. Or you can email me through my website and be sure to put in the subject line “Special Needs Drawing” and you’ll also be entered. I’ll have Amanda draw the winner.

By the way, I also have a minor character, Tony, born with Down syndrome in my mainstream, NEVER THE SAME. Both Miranda and Tony have jobs and contribute to society. I like to show in my books what a blessing people with disabilities can be in our world if given the opportunity.

Lisa Davis is Community Relations and Information Director at the Clermont County MRDD program and she wrote the following book review:

After reading this book, I can honestly say Diane Craver speaks from the heart about the good and bad moments she has experienced with her family throughout her children’s lives. Sharing her own story is her GREATEST gift, and Diane’s strength will certainly help those of us who are struggling with mixed emotions about the birth of a child who has special needs. Diane’s energy is depicted through the many creative activities listed in Chapter’s Six and Eight, and yet the blessings she discusses in Chapter Nine will guide any parent into knowing they are truly blessed with the love of their child! Reading this book will make you laugh, make you cry, and will be a comfort to you when you need it most!
- Lisa E. Davis

Here is a blurb and a short excerpt for you to enjoy:

If you have recently given birth to a baby with special needs or know someone who has, buy this book. Because of the short length, parents will actually have time to read CELEBRATING AND CARING FOR YOUR BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. Many uplifting tips and advice are given to help parents through the early months of this stressful time.

Diane writes from the perspective of her own experience as the mother of two children with Down syndrome. With deep depression the second time, she learned how to overcome her sadness in having another child with special needs. She gives insight into what worked for her so that other parents can cope with challenges during this emotional time and in the end, will feel blessed.

Diane’s topics include practical advice about the following: parenting, grieving for the child you didn’t have, celebrating your baby’s life, your self-esteem, fun things, and concerns about talking to others about your baby’s handicap. Activities and toys used to stimulate early development that Diane found helpful in working with her daughter, Amanda, are also covered.

The book ends with a resource chapter for various disabilities and includes the following: financial organizations to assist you in caring for your child’s medical needs, fun groups that are low cost, and a great listing of books to aid parents in helping their child to reach his or her full emotional and intellectual potential.

Excerpt from Chapter Two:

“Grieving for the Child You Didn’t Have”

I think you need to grieve for the child you didn’t have. You were expecting a healthy baby and now feel cheated over what happened instead. I needed to grieve for the “normal” child I never gave birth to. It’s good to get your feelings out and cry. I released a lot of emotion by mourning for the perfect infant I had expected, but didn’t have. Then I could start bonding with Amanda and loving her for the sweet baby she was.

Don’t make hasty decisions during this grieving time. This isn’t the time to give the baby up for foster care or adoption. Give the situation more time and thought, and make every effort to nurture this child. Because of my lingering depression, I did wonder if Amanda would be better off without me for a mother. I knew, however, that I could never give her away and wanted to keep her.

In February when we received a letter form the genetic counselor confirming that Amanda was born with Down syndrome, I saw Tom’s sad eyes. And he told me that he was depressed after reading the chromosome information. Even though we expected it was true before receiving the letter, it was still shattering to realize our small iota of hope was taken away from us. Everything was out of our control. Amanda would live her life with an extra chromosome and there was nothing we could do about that.

After receiving the letter, I told Tom, “We shouldn’t have had Amanda.”

Instantly he replied, “I’m glad we have Amanda.”

His love for her was already strong and wasn’t diminished just because she was born with a handicap. Probably being busy with teaching helped him get through this difficult time so quickly while I was the one with Amanda the most, and so was always focused on her immediate needs and concerned about her future.

Looking back, I know the grieving process was important, so that I was able to get it out of the way and to eventually move on with my life. However, feeling sorry for yourself and your baby too long isn’t good. I didn’t get professional counseling, but maybe some people might need to go this route to get help.

Just make sure you do not grieve so long for what you have lost, that you miss out on what you have been given.

It’s healthy to get your feelings out but if you’re in this stage too long, you’ll miss out on precious moments of enjoying your baby. And you will have wonderful times with your child with special needs. Later, I’ll tell you how much Amanda has added to our whole family structure that I wouldn’t have believed possible.

CELEBRATING AND CARING FOR YOUR BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS can be purchased as an ebook or paperback at: http://www.booklocker.com/books/1480.html

and also can click on Amazon to buy a copy!

Don’t forget to leave a comment here so you’ll be entered into the drawing for May 4th, and thanks for stopping by.