During the last few posts, I’ve been sharing about my experiences at the International Christian Retail Show, where I learned about some upcoming adoption books. While I was there, I obtained a recent copy of Publishers Weekly, which reviews a general-market book about adoption. Here’s what PW has to say:

Family Wanted: Stories of Adoption, Edited by Sara Holloway (August 2006, Random, $14.95)... more

In the previous post, I shared some of my adventures at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver. The trade show has over 9,000 attendees – book buyers, book sellers, all the Christian publishing houses, authors, musical artists, media, and sellers of the kinds of products you see in your local Christian book stores.

Because the publishers use the ICRS as the venue to tout their new and upcoming releases, it’s a great place to learn about the latest, greatest adoption books. Here are several I discovered while I was there (reviews... more

I’ve just returned from two glorious Internet-free weeks, during which I took a much-needed break from blogging. My family spent last week camping at Pacific Beach, Washington, where the sun shined warmly all day (a minor miracle for the Washington coast). We flew kites with our kids, played in the sand, and walked for miles along the coastline, collecting sand dollars. My son and I even spotted two pelicans who were trying to blend in with the seagulls sitting on the beach.

The week before our beach trip I was in Denver, working as a journalist... more

Together for Good is a newly-released novel that centers around the theme of failed adoption. Set in Denver and on Orcas Island, Washington, the story features Abby Wagner, a publicist who is assigned the most challenging project of her career: promoting Heartsong Adoptions, the agency from which she adopted her son, Hunter, 20 years earlier. As Abby begins working on the PR project, she relives the grief she experienced when she was... more

This Sunday, July 16 and next Sunday, July 23, I'll be the guest on Let's Talk Adoption, a radio show hosted by Mardie Caldwell.

Topics for the shows are as follows:

July 16 - Overcoming Your Fears About Adoption July 23 - Tips for Starting an Adoption Ministry

You can listen to the shows live from anywhere in the world at 3 p.m. Pacific time by clicking the "On Air" button at Let's Talk Adoption.

After the shows air, they'll be archived and you can listen to them any time. Most of the archived shows are free;... more

When my sons were in kindergarten, they completed a “homework” assignment every week; usually some craft that involved paper plates, glitter glue and sequins. On Fridays, when I volunteered in the classroom, I had the opportunity to view everyone’s “homework.”

It was a sight to behold. Elaborately decorated creations—works of art that I, in my wildest dreams, would never be able to achieve, no less my young sons. I strongly suspected that more than a few of the kindergarteners were receiving assistance from the mommy craft fairies.

So when I read about the pathetic... more

As I research for the chapter on older child adoption that I’m including in the book I’m writing, I’ve been reading Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child, by Trish Maskew.

Maskew recommends that prospective adoptive parents carefully examine their motives for adopting. She brings up two very good questions:

Are you adopting to rescue a needy or hurt child? Are you adopting to have the child you never... more

Part 3 of 3

In the previous two posts, I reviewed Nancy London’s book for first-time moms over forty, Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles. Today, we’ll look at some of the advice she gives to midlife adoptive moms.

One recommendation London makes is that women over forty—particular single women over forty—consider adopting an older child.

“She may choose this route if the idea of adjusting to the nonstop needs of a newborn seems to disruptive or demanding, or because she feels particularly well equipped psychologically... more

Part 2 of 3

In the previous post, I reviewed Nancy London’s book for first-time moms over forty, Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles. Today, we’ll look at some common-senses reminders from the book that all parents will find helpful.

Set clear-cut, well-established limits. Doing so provides “the means by which we can meet our own needs without having to resort to erratic, unpredictable behavior,” writes Nancy London. She recommends... more

Part 1 of 3: Book Review

Books for menopausal women assume that their children are grown and that they have time to themselves. Books for first-time moms assume that the moms are young and energetic. Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles bridges the gap. It’s for midlife mamas—first-time moms over 40.

Midlife moms are those who watch Sesame Street with bifocals. They’re the ones who are reading... more