You know, these words don't come out of my mouth easily, as most of you reading this know, I think I am great at everything! AND I AM, (But only ask me for verification). And only because I have an awesome set of parents who made everything in my life possible, except my own kids....I'll claim those guys.

A mother's job is never finished, there is no break, off-switch, or days off. Even when the kids are not around a Mother's brain doesn't stop thinking about the list of responsibilities that goes along with said children. And many moms have said the silly phrase, It gets easier as they get older. I laugh at that now. Whoever said those ridiculous words is dead wrong. Its a malicious lie we seem to tell women who are new to the club. And as my babies are growing so fast, and as I watch my fifteen year old eat cheerios and chocolate milk on my new couch, I can't help but question if I was a horrible child as well- surely not!

I was practically perfect in every way. I didn't steal the car, lie about boys, or have a dirty room. I sat perfectly still at church, never raised my voice, and was an angel in school. When I look back at my years as a child and teenager, these are the memories that are most clear. And that's always what my mother made me think.

That was her real magic.

I have learned that's what a good mother does. ​Give their child the self-confidence and courage to take on the world, by not only giving the world to their horrible children but also living their dream. I watched my mother finish her Master's and Doctorate degree while raising 2 kids. I watched her pay bills and problem-solve, and resolve conflicts with her husband. When life launched lemons, she made lemon-aide (just like her mother taught her) I watched her get up every day and go to work.

I never saw the struggle, I only saw the smile. 

As a mother myself now, I know this was not all there was. I have my four children I have realize I was probably not as perfect as I remembered...but that's how it should be. Kids should look back on their parents as the super-heroes who made life possible. It is impossible to hide the daily struggles from our kids, but I know I'm supposed to try- that's part of being a mom. I know I can't take away the ups and downs of life, and my kids shouldn't grow up in a bubble, but they need grow into adults with the strong foundation and self-confidence to take on the  world. They need band-aides that heal, arms that hug, bodies that listen, and eyes that smile. 

To all the Moms who are making it one day at a time,
To all the Moms who are playing ball with their kids,
To all the Moms who stay up late at night waiting for their kids to make it home,
To all the Moms who are rubbing their bellies and have no idea of how their lives are about to change,
To all the Moms who are spending Mother's Day alone because their kids are off changing the world.
To all the Moms trying who think it's horrible I called children ​horrible.

We have some big shoes to fill!

I hate deadlines, Nothing ruins television binge-watching or summers worth of procrastination like a solid deadline. That, and maybe writer's block. But deadline do give way to the most amazing type of day, almost akin to Christmas morning. I'm talking about Book Birthdays!!!!

Only The Guilty Sleep if officially available on Friday, January 26th. 

I am looking forward to sleep tonight....and yes, I'm aware only a few of you will fully understand the meaning of that sentence. I have been told by numerous people that my conversations are quite non sequitur. I understand it's not very polite and a bit juvenile....but its here....another book birthday. And I can take a break!

I am so enjoying all my travels this season. Last week I visited with numerous educators at Region III's Author Round-Up, and also some awesome students at Hallettsville Middle School. This weekend I am headed down to the valley for some more bookfest fun. Looking forward to meeting the students of Morris MIddle School. I'll be a featured author at the McAllen Library's Book festival on Saturday.

Meanwhile, I am finishing up the final touches on Only the Guilty Sleep. 

​I'm exhausted....

The Garcia Sisters have added my cover reveal to their website. On it, a short summary of of my newest novel. Check it out, as well as the other books they have reviewed in their website:

http://garciasistersbookblog.com/2017/07/29/cover-reveal-only-the-guilty-sleep-by-ashley-lynn-dotson/

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Last week I took two of my crew to Peter Piper Pizza for the afternoon. Now, I am not a big fan of that pizza, but the kids like it. They always seem to come back stained up from using their shirts as napkins, and pizza grease is hard to wash out. But despite my complaints, they like going there. They spend stupid amounts of my pay check on the games in record time. When they get within twenty feet of our booth I grab them and force them to eat the exorbitant cardboard pizza. It's either that, or the wander back sad-faced when they're out of tokens.

Now I am on a new low-carb craze, hoping I can jumpstart my weight loss, and pizza is NOT on the menu. So I opted for hot wings. I go and grab a seat by myself with my magazine, drink, and cell in hand, trying to enjoy the little bit of alone time amidst the blinking lights and constant threat that one of my children might be abducted at any moment. The magazine is a must for any mom to carry. A book can be too engaging, and a magazine allows one to glance up when needed. It's hard to get too lost in a magazine article on recovering an old sofa.

Once the food arrived I decide to eat all by my lonesome and let the molten pizza cool off some. It didn't take me long to realize that hot wings wasn't the most glamorous thing to eat, and should probably not be eaten by yourself if you are the self-conscious sort. With every digit covered in spicy sauce, I waved to a friend of mine who walked through the door- a classy moment for sure. It was only after she and her family walked by that I noticed the large drip mark on my white shirt. I rubbed good and hard, but it only got worse as I was using a dirty napkin covered in my own hot wing goo. I totally deserved my seven-year-old's censure when he ran over to the table. His look was one of disgust as he handed me a napkin saying, "You need this more than I do."

I nixed the rest of my errands, and it was a good thing too. Liam completely forgot to mention I still had hot wing sauce on my face. Thanks, dude. I wouldn't have left him like that. But that's what happens when you hang out with little kids. You end up wearing food.

So what did I learn: First of all, no eating hot wings unless I have a drop cloth. Secondly, wearing white when doing so is never a good combination for one so messy. Most importantly, kids will always point out the irony of a situation, but they won't always tell you when you are wearing your lunch like clown make-up.

I finally got a release date for Black Bayou Road- August 28th!!

This book has been over three years in the making. From the first day the idea took shape until now it has been a complicated work in progress. I'm very excited for all of you to finally be able to read it. Stay tuned for a cover reveal later this summer.