So, this post may be a bit personal, but I don’t really care. I just want you all to know what a difference you’ve made in my life.
I married my high school sweetheart (been with him since I was 16) when I was 20. We had our first child *ahem* five months later. You do the math. I was in college and we both worked full-time jobs. We lived paycheck to paycheck for the next four years (yes, it took me six years to graduate college) and in the meantime we had two more boys. So…three children and six years later, I finally had a degree. Little did I know, I picked the lowest paying career out there. I think my first post-degree job paid about 27,000 a year. (Social Work, go figure.)
So, we struggled some more. And some more and some more and some more. Everyone with children knows how tough it is to get by. It’s butterflying TOUGH! Anyway, we finally found the means to buy a “house.” I use that term lightly, because it was a single-wide mobile home that was really quite ugly. The decor looked like a 1970’s porn movie with black and gold trim everywhere. No joke. UG-LY!
We lived in this house for SEVEN YEARS! That’s a long time to raise three children in a house that is barely over 1000 square feet. And not to mention HOT. It never gets below 90 degrees inside during the summer, no matter what we set the A/C on.
What the hell is my point to all of this? I’ll tell you.
We moved today. Into a REAL house. A house with doors that work and an air conditioner that cools and electricity that doesn’t shut off if you run two electronics at the same time. My boys are 7, 8 and 11 and this is the first time they’ve had a REAL HOUSE. And granted, it’s a rent house. We decided to move while we work up plans to build a house within the next year. It’s surreal. Seven months ago, we were struggling to make ends meet. Now, things are finally coming together and it’s all because of you guys. Every single person that spent a few bucks to buy a book that I wrote deserves a big THANK YOU from my whole family.
It’s hot and I’m tired and we’ve been moving all day long, but I’m soooo happy. I get to sleep in my bed tonight for the first time without worrying that a gust of wind will blow our house over.
If you made it to the end of this post, I’m sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. Now, in return for everyone making my dream come true, I’m going to give away a CRAPLOAD of signed books. I’m serious. I’m picking ten winners. No…TWENTY! Okay, fine. I’m about to give away thirty signed copies of Slammed. That’s right! All you have to do is comment here and tell me your SWEET for the day. No sucks! This is all about the GREAT things in life. I’ll pick winners at random in a few days.
Oh, and I guess I’ll give away another kindle fire, too. You guys seem to like those! 😉
My sweet today was hearing my 2 year old say “I love you!” Over and over and over again! =)
My sweet thought today,was actually reading your post! It is very good to hear a person be honest. We all go through hard times. I am so happy for you and your family, and your success! Good luck! God bless! You made my day!
My Sweet for the day was waking up to a kiss from my sweet baby boy Mason. He is 3yrs old and went on his first camping trip with his daddy this weekend. Although, I enjoyed the time to myself – nothing is sweeter than opening my eyes to his smiling face! He even greeted me with an “I Love You Mommy”, followed by “Will you make me breakfast?” Gotta love 3yr olds!
My sweet today was my son saying that all he needs in this life is his little brother, mommy and something good to eat for lunch. Dinner was optional. I told him we were gonna make basagna! Butterflying excellent day!
And congratulations on the house Colleen!! I lived in a trailer for a while in NM and it really is difficult. Then again, I didn’t have three kids to worry about! So, I feel for you and couldn’t be happier for you and your family. You worked so hard and have done such amazing things….pat yourself on the back, take a break from unpacking and do a little happy dance. Or maybe a Slam….
Congratulations!!
My sweet today? Taking the afternoon off for a massage just for me!
Congratulations on the house!! I know what it’s like to get into a bigger, better house that better meets your needs (I’m still unpacking!). Seriously…that fire? It’d help my life out in a serious way this summer and months beyond. Stay cool!
And of course, I forgot my sweet. My sweet? My husband’s biopsy today went well.
My sweet is that I enrolled my 3 year old into preschool today, such a big step and he gets to start in 1 week. Big steps ahead! Congrats on the house. This is butterflying awesome!!!
Congrats on your move and all that you have been through is very inspirational and it’s wonderful that you are so happy and blessed with such a beautiful husband and kiddies.
My sweet of the day is nothing like your’s but here goes….kids are off for the summer and I promised them NO camp. They hate camp. So today I took the twins and each of their friends to the beach for the afternoon. We had a terrific day. They swam, played and ate and I got to read more in Grave Refrain. I am so enjoying this book.
My sweet is that today after being in some form of ICU at Children’s hospital in Dallas, my 6 wk old niece, after getting a new heart on Saturday, is in a regular room today and doing fabulously and will probably be home by this time next week!
My sweet for the day was the response I received from my very first blog post on The Indie Bookshelf by other contributors and the author herself! Totally made my day!
This is so fantastic Colleen, thanks for sharing… I read lots of books, and it’s really surreal and cool to think my love of books has helped an author somewhere realize a dream.
My sweet? It’s kind of complicated. My hubby was sort of head hunted by Amazon (yep for realz) and *may* get an interview next week. Now, it’s not anything for sure, and it’s scary as hell to think about change, but it’s uber cool that some random stranger in another country somehow recognized the awesomeness of my boy. And while I was spending my time realizing that I apparently expected us to live in our current house for the rest of our lives and freaking out about theoretically having to leave everything we know but knowing I would do anything for my boy, he was worrying about how I would cope if we did move and I wouldn’t be able to work right away b/c of green card stuff, etc. True love is romance and flowers and hearts, but it’s also the little things like just thinking about your other half before you think of yourself.
my sweet for the day was seeing my 5 year old wake up and be surprised because the tooth fairy came. love those SWEET moments 🙂
My SWEET for today? Starting and finishing my newest poem. You were right; Quinn was right. It took me years and years, of countless crumble and de-wrinkle, writing, and re writing. I’ve been “editing” and criticizing my self when I write, but I finally understand. Lol (still trying to edit myself, but it’s getting better)
I don’t care if I win anything(: I just felt like saying this, because it’s true(:
Thanks Colleen, you fantasizing BUTTERFLYING amaztic person!
Oh my gee bus! I forgot! Also a big part of my Sweet for today (at this point, YESTERDAY) is that I called Friends of the Animals (volunteer vet clinic) to attempt to set up an appointment for my newfound wonderful pup, Ash. A stray who mended her own ‘wounds’ by adopting me, of all people, a week and a half ago. Her owners left her behind (like many others here where I live). It was hard to say no to her. I absolutely love my pup:D
My sweet today–i was in the middle of changing into my gym clothes when my bff’s came banging on my door. They kidnapped me and took me out for breakfast to celebrate my birthday. Girl time on my bday–definitely a sweet. 🙂
Okay. I am not trying to kiss up, but THIS, your post, is my sweet for the day. Your love for your family and the life you’ve worked so hard for is apparent in every single word.
Congratulations and Happy Sleeping!
I was going to say the same thing!!!
I am so happy that i ran across your lovely books. They made me laugh, cry, and see the beauty with the written word. You are butterflying great writer!!!!! I cannot wait for what’s to come. Thank you for sharing with us and thanks for your honest post. I am glad you are reaping the benefits 😉
Sweet: knowing a god given talent you possess is bettering your children’s future. I can not find books that I enjoy more than yours- true stinkin story!
Awesome!
Oh Colleen I am so happy for you and your family! Your post has me in tears. Yes, I am a very compassionate and emotional person.
Now my sweet for the day, and let me just say it wasn’t a great day, but that changed when I read your post and just knowing that my purchase was a contribution to your family being able to move into a house. Congratulations on all your hard work!
My sweet for the day is that I only have one week left of summer school, and then I never have to do Spanish again in my whole life. Yeah, for no more spanish!
Also, I met someone the other day with an Avett Brother’s t-shirt on and I told her about your books.
Oooh, perfect timing because I have an awesome SWEET today! My sweet is when I called my Granny to tell her I bought plane tickets to visit her (and fam) for 2 weeks. We’re both so excited. 🙂
I was so excited to tell you my sweet, that I forgot to respond to your post. Congrats on moving into a house with A/C that works. WHOOHOO! I’m so happy for you and your family! 🙂 bookandlatte (at) gmail (dot) com.
Congratulations ! My sweet today was getting to spend the day with my 3 boys playing Wii games and also having my 5-year-old read me one of his favorite books.
awww congrats on moving into a house with working AC and fritz-less electricity! That alone can make alllll the difference =) So excited for you guys!!!!
My *SAH-WEEEEET* for the day was waking up to an email from my husband from afganistan and then getting ANOTHER when I got home from the gym today! I never ever ever get emails from him and I’m pretty much on cloud 9 right now 😉
Have a great night girly! xo
That’s fantastic!!
I already have a signed book…..but I am Sooooooo happy and proud of you, for you!
My Sweet for today:
Having my 5 year old ask when his Dad (step) would be home because he wanted him to rock him in the recliner since he felt bad. Bittersweet though….its always been just me and him…..now he relies on Josh too!
My sweet was learning how to twirl my flag better and learn new tricks for colorgurad! 😀
My sweet for the day (or week) is having my Mama staying in town with me. My kids and I have so enjoyed her being here! Coincidently, she raised my brothers and me in a small trailer for years! We have a lot of fond memories being all cramped up and your family will too! I can so relate to your story and you made me cry AGAIN!!! God bless you girl!! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
My sweet today was actually reading this post. It’s been a good day, but reading that made me really happy. Your sales on my blog month to date are in the double digits, I’m glad to feel I helped in a small way 🙂 You more than deserve it for your wonderful series.
I already have a signed copy of Slammed I just wanted you to know my sweet is your happiness! God bless babe! Muah! Xoxo
I am so so happy for you!! Congrats on your house!! Good things happen to good people!! I would have paid any amount of money for Slammed and Point of Retreat bc they are absolutely amazing!! You are soo talented and deserve everything you are getting!! You are welcome for my measly six bucks and please keep on writing…I will GLADLY give you lots more money in return for more of your fantabulous stories!! My sweet today was when my little boy randomly gave me a big kiss!! It wasnt the first time he has done it, but at 19 months it is a new development and I cant get enough of it!!
Congrats on your house! Exciting time in you and your family’s life!! To MANY more “Sweets” to come for you. My sweet for the day, was spending time with my Dad.
My sweet today is reading this post! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. But I must ask…is the single-wide porn style house you lived in REALLY where you got the title SLAMMED? Hahahahahahaha! Enjoy all your success!
Hey Colleen, honestly, it was pretty sweet reading your post, and all the comments. But also having my family come home from vacay. I don’t really want to enter, you’ve already treated me to your amazing books, and I’d rather see someone else get the Kindle, I’m good. It’s kind of amazing how some words from your head, on paper, can make such a tangible change in your life. So glad it happened to such a cool person, but that’s probably why it did. Good luck with this house, and the one you’ll be building. We’ll be here, cheering you on!
Yay for you!!! Thats awesome!!! I bought my house at 19 after a fire took everything but the clothes on my back. I too lived in a mobile home before hand, hated, hated, hated it!!!! Anyway, my suck was going to the pool today with my 2 year old & finding out they closed in 3 mins. My sweet was when i made it up to him by a side of whipped cream & a birthday cake pop at starbucks, lol!
My sweet today was watching a video of my now 5 year old when she was 1 year old. That video made me realize that I want another baby. I miss her baby talk and chubby cheeks lol. And no lie this post was my second sweet of the day. I know how hard things can get. It makes me happy to hear other people stories of success. You are amazing and you deserve everything good that comes your way! Congrats!
Congrats!! I absolutely feel for you!
My sweet for the day is finding out I get an extra day off next week. This does not happen that often, so this is terribly exciting for me 😀
My sweet for the day is right now – cuddling on the couch with my 2 year old girl watching the Little Mermaid 🙂
Yay!! I am so glad that things are going well for you!!!
My sweet is nothing big or monumental but with the day I have had it was my only sweet and that was Pouring myself a large glass of Sweet Tea. This is a sweet because I am really not allowed to drink Tea (Doctor’s Orders) often but I wanted to treat myself after a long and horrible day. While most people drink Wine, I drink Tea…..lol
My sweet is that I get to stay home with my kids, I watch my nephew who slept in my arms today and get to watch my kids be amazed at the things they get to teach him
Would it be cheesy to say my sweet was reading this blog today?! Cheesy or not, I mean it. As fabulous as your books are, you seem to stay so humble and this is inspiring to see. I feel blessed to have had the chance to read your books, and even more so that I get to read your blog. So thank YOU for being the person you are… and keep writing. Pretty please! 🙂
My sweet gor today was reading your post. I grew up as an only child living in a single wide trailer. It was new when my parents bought it do it wasn’t horrid but in high school I was always embarrassed. So. I am so very happy for you to be doing something that you love and that we love you doing and that it affords you the opportunity to improve the life of your family. Keep on writing and rocking!
My sweet for the day was laughing at dinner because our one year old made farting noises with his face on the table. Totally encouraged by his older siblings. A close second was making a deal with our daughter to listen to the Lion King soundtrack if we could listen to the Avett Brothers during dinner, she said I was the best mama she ever had. Good to know.
That post was absolutely amazing and goes towards my sweet for the day! However my sweet for the day was someone handing in my engagement ring (which I’ve had for 25 years!) after I lost it. Best feeling in the world to get that back. Nothing could ever replace it and I thank that mystery person from the bottom of my heart x
My sweet is my little girls smile! Couldn’t go a day without seeing it 🙂 loved both books btw! !
I’m so happy for you! 🙂
My sweet for the day was reading your post. I’m so butterflying happy for you & reading this post put the biggest smile on my face. Obviously, I don’t know you personally but it seems that you’ve worked very hard to get where you are & you seem like such an awesome person who’s grateful & appreciative so you deserve it! You go, girl!
i just had to tell you that i’m crying. literally. i know i know, i’m a sap. but to hear the difference all of this has made in your life, your families life, is so freaking beautiful to me. i’m so happy for you. i’m so proud of you. i’m so excited for hte opportunities you have been given and have worked for. and i’m so excited that the kids have a REAL! HOUSE! and their mom does too.
you’re amazing. i’m so happy to know you. my author soulmate, you. xoxo
You nearly made me cry. I love when people’s dreams come true ( I miss watching Oprah). It goes to show that hard work really does pay off. My sweet of the day is reading this post. Keeping on writing great books that capture your reader’s heart and soul and you will be owning a mansion. BTW… I’m not a stalker, I just get your post instantly on my iCloud email and I just have to read and see if maybe, just maybe, you’re making an announcement about a new book coming out tomorrow or something but I do enjoy your posts. #wishfulthinking
God bless
That is beautiful!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!! My sweet for the day was that I have insomnia right now, and have not slept in about 3 days (ok, maybe for 5 hours total), and I was up this morning at like 5:30 on twitter as I had nothing else to do, and I won a book, so I guess good things do come for those that don’t sleep??
Aww I’m so happy for you Colleen!!!
My sweet for the day was getting my Magic Mike tickets for opening night!
Wow! Thank you for sharing Colleen. You deserve everything that is happening to you by giving those who read your books your inspiring words. I had a long and tiring day but you story was my sweet of the day. Congratulations and best wishes.
CONGRATS Girl!!!! So glad that things are going great for you and your family. We need to be the ones thanking you as well, your butterflying creative mind allows all of us to escape the day to day. Your words make us laugh, cry, and fall in love with fictional characters that we all wish were real…*sigh* My sweet for the day would have to be when the hubs came home from work and let me continue my much needed nap from earlier in the day and took care of our pup…I’ve been laid up for 2 days with an ear infection and on some strong drugs that make me less than pleasant hee hee
WOW, seriously, this brought tears to my eyes. My sweet today was a bitter sweet. I shared with a group of online friends but i will share it with you all as well
It is funny how the most insignificant thing can bring back such bitter sweet memories. I am having a Marie Callendar’s chicken pot pie for lunch. As I am eating and picking out the carrots as I go, it occurs to me the last time I had one of these was with Daddy. When he started losing his appetite toward the end the only thing I could get him to eat, and eat every last bite, was a Marie Callendar’s chicken pot pie. I would sit down at the table and pick out all out the English peas from him because he hated peas which I love, and I would pick out all of my carrots because I hate the carrots which he loved. And we would trade. I would eat his peas and he would eat my carrots. And we would jokingly fuss at each other for not eating all of our veggies. So while I sit here with tears of remembrance in my eyes, looking at the neat little pile of carrots on the side of my plate, I am so glad I cooked this Marie Callendar’s chicken pot pie for lunch today. And you wanna know what else? I’m STILL not going to eat my carrots. 🙂
I love that dreams come true! We have 2 kids and 2 cats in a 700 square foot condo – it makes me feel better to pretend that we live in NYC where small is normal (even though we don’t) – so I understand tiny spaces.
My sweet for the day was the 1.5 hours of “me” time I got, when my parents watched the kids so that I could have my hair done.
Congrats on your house! You almost made me cry while I was reading this! My sweet of the day was finding out that I got financial aid to cover almost all of my last two years of my bachelors degree!!! Pretty sweet!!!
That is butterflying sweet! Congrats to you and the family! We have 4 kids (18, 16, 10 and 3!) in a 965 sq ft ranch! I can relate!
My sweet for today was taking my 16 yr old son out driving after he got his learner’s permit! Oh, and finding out I helped an amazing author who wrote a wonderful story to move into a house! 😉
Congrats on this amazing event in your life! You and your family deserve it! My SWEET of the day is finally talking to my parents on the phone today after a really stressful start to the week. They helped me laugh at my week so far 🙂
My sweet today is that hubby stopped the ups man and got a package for me so I wouldn’t have to wait all day for a book to read.
I’m so happy for you on this sweet day! I’m glad you are seeing the returns on your beautiful talent, just don’t stop now!! I can’t wait for your next release. My sweet of the day was fitting into a pre-pregnancy dress!
I am so happy for you. I knew the day we met via Kindle boards that you were different, in a nice way not weird. 😉 Not only do you have two awesome books, you don’t take your fan base for granted. I admire you so much for that. My sweet today is that I got to watch someone like you write a post like this. It gives hope to all Indies that it can be done. Congrats Colleen!!
I was not orginaly going to enter this contest as I have already been blessed with signed copies of your fabulous, and I use that word because I can’t find another butterflying work to describe how wonderful your books are. But I would like a kindle to read them on:)
I also would like to congratulate you on your new home:) I love that your blog is “real” it’s not full of politicly correct stuff that some people seems to think that you need to post to be appropriate and that is probably why your books are so butterflying sweet.
My sweet of the day is that I started Slammed again this morning and am loving it just as much as the first time.
My sweet for the day was finding out they could just recement my crown instead of having to get a new one from the dentist!! And reading your post made me cry. Congrats!
Oh and another one was, you inspired me to watch a bunch of youtube videos of Def Poetry Jam. I miss that show.
My sweet today was almost missing my bus in the morning (because I spent extra time cuddling my dog and apologizing to him for leaving him alone all day, again…) and just when I thought, “Damn! I’ll never get to work on time now!”, the kind bus driver suddenly stops at the intersection, opens the door, smiles at me and urges me to hurry up. Bus drivers get fined here for stopping and picking up passengers anywhere else but at the allocated bus stops so he didn’t have to do that. He turned a potentially awful morning into an awesome one. A simple and small act of kindness but it made my day. ♥
I don’t want a book, i’ve already got one that you will one day sign for me. My sweet is the sweet joy of reading that you and your family have moved into a real house and will someday have a forever home of your own. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you Margaret Colleen Fennell Hoover are my HERO! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! And, I love those crazy boys of yours and I love that husband who hardly ever says a word but is there by your side, physically, mentally, emotionally. I LOVE YOU ALL!
My sweet was hearing of your wonderful news! Congratulations!
My sweet today was definitely hugging my daughter after she got off the bus from camp. I’m excited that she has this opportunity but I love hugging her after missing her all day and hearing about adventures!!
Congrats on your move, that is just WONDERFUL! I would have to say my sweet for today is that my mother-in-law is doing better after having surgery for Colon Cancer.
Colleen, I already have a signed copy of Slammed so I just want to do this to tell you that my Sweet for today is Knowing that I made a small difference in your families life!!! I am so happy for you and so thankful for your butterflying amazingness!!!! Congrats to you and your family!!! <3
My sweet today is reading your column and learning about your story and feeling so happy and proud for you that your writing has opened these amazing doors for you and your family! No need to enter me in your drawing, I read and LOVED Slammed, on my kindle! Thanks again and take care! Dee
My sweet for today was jumping on my nephews new trampoline with him! It was so much fun! Not to mention a nice break from reality 🙂
My sweet is a long one…My friend Marielle, who got signed copies of your books from my blog giveaway, finished Slammed, on to POR, and had to pry Slammed from her 13yr olds hands at bedtime last night 🙂 they are lovers of all things Layken. Spiraling in to sweet #2…I’m about to finish the first draft of my first novel- thanks to all the BA authors and their amazing vibes.
That post brought tears to my eyes 🙂 Congratulations on the house!! My sweet for the day was getting off work early and spending an extra 2 hours with my boys 🙂
Congratulations!!
My sweet today: Getting a coupon for any drink I want from Starbucks.
My sweet of today would have to be snuggling with my 5 year old reading him his night time story. I love the way a book can get a child to slow down (from the constant running through the house), snuggle and get lost in the world of a book 🙂
My sweet today was my 11 year old daughter wanted to cuddle with me, and my husband had a job interview. Fingers crossed. You rock, Colleen!
I would have to say my sweet today was hearing that my mom was going to recover from her terrible kidney stones in a few weeks, instead of months.
My sweet today is having the chance to talk to my boyfriend over Skype because we’re thousand miles away.. 🙂
Thank you so much for making such an inspirational book. I love Slammed and Point of Retreat to bits!
Congrats on everything… very well deserved!!!!
My sweet for today melts my heart…. I was putting my little guy to bed tonight and he looks up at me with the biggest smile and says “night night momma” (swoon)
this brought tears to my eyes—what a wonderful SWEET you had today. I have two boys and CHOSE to stay home with them most of their childhood years, so we struggled some through the years. I am so happy that things are so bright for you. Your books are amazing and your success is AWESOME…………… YAY!!!! My sweet for the day…….. I am a new grandmother of a 10 day old babygirl. My sweet has to be just knowing that she and all my children are sleeping under my roof until my oldest, her father leaves back for Korea next week.
My Sweet today….it’s actually a tie 1 is when my boss sent me an email to praise my work and 2 my mom surprised me by buying me Wrath of the Titans
Congrats to you! That’s amazing. Your family must be very proud of you and very grateful. My sweet for the day is seeing my almost 2yr old daughter wake up and smile huge when she saw me. It melts my heart everytime. She’s my reason..
Congratulations on your new home!!!! I truly understand and empathize with your struggles. My sweets for the day are usually the first thing I think of….”Self, you can have more sweets than sucks today!” Anyway, I digress….my sweet for the day is my son came home from a hard day of work in a hot kitchen and made homemade lasagna (yes, from scratch) for me. But, then again, he’s my sweet everyday. 🙂
Love this post.. Almost cried, seriously! Congrats on the new place!!!
My sweet for the day? Getting to just relax and read without feeling bad that I wasn’t studying 🙂 yay!!’ (ps I REALLY need a signed POR to sit beside my copy of Slammed)
So happy for your family! Thank you for sharing your joy. My sweet today has to be giving my 5 year old son piano lessons from the same piano book that I learned from when I was a kid. Just goes to show the precious circle of life.
Pss… I’ll take another signed copy of slammed tho.. I have a sweet girl who just grad high school that I’m trying to make buy your book… She’s a book nerd like me
My sweet today was spending time with my brand new (five days old!) nephew. I lost count of how many times I kissed his squishy cheeks! Or sniffed his delicious new baby scented head.
Congratulations on your move!!! I can appreciate the whole Social Work salary as I too am a social worker! We always say ”no one ever warned us of the lack of pay”. LOL. Anyway my sweet of the day was buying tickets to see ”Magic Mike” for a girls night. Sounds kind of selfish but every now and then you just need a night out (I have 3 little ones as well!). Best of luck in your new home!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. Your books are in my top 10 of all time. I’m so happy for your success.
My sweet for the day is that it is one day closer to Magic Mike day! Oh, and I have the most amazing and patient hubby ever who told me to go and have fun with the girls when I see it on Friday. I love him so much!
My sweet is reading this…sitting next to my hs boyfriend turned husband while we sweat our butts off because our window a/c can’t keep up! Your honesty is humbling and also inspiring. I got married during college, had a baby not much after – without being established in a career – and we’ve been barely scraping by since. But I know someday we will. And it’ll be great. And you’ve just given me hope again for that. After I’ve sat and complained to my husband for the last hour about how hot it is. :). So thank you. And congratulations!!!
Congrats on the house! It’s nice when someone sounds appreciative of what they have instead of what they don’t. My sweet……when my 27 yr. old son called and said “I just wanted to tell you I love you”. It never gets old!
Congratulations on your well deserved home! My sweet for the day was listening to my 5 yr old talk to our elderly neighbor like they are best friends 🙂
First of all, congratulations! I can only imagine the weight that must be lifted to live in a house rather than a mobile home, and to feel like at last there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. You say thank you for allowing you the opportunity to see your dreams come to life, I say thank you for allowing us the opportunity to join you on your journey.
My sweet for the day? Finding out that after 4 years and 1 miscarriage, my husband and I are expecting our first baby together! We’re praying everything stays happy and healthy, and would appreciate any positive thoughts and prayers you can send our way.
My sweet today was being able to give a 5th grader a book bag filled with school supplies for this upcoming school year, seeing the smile on his face was priceless. He told me he was so excited to start school now because he had the coolest bookbag and it had all the supplies he would need. And the face on his parents was amazing they were so happy.
Congratulations on your new house, you deserve it and I loved your book it was amazing, hope to read the 3rd book soon! 😉
Okay one more ps… I really would like that fire haha I’d also give it to that sweet high school girl…
Crap Joel sends another ps… His sweet is how excited he felt about getting a message about a project with a “certain author” 🙂 okay that’s end. You can be sure ro just put my number in once
Wow. God bless Colleen.
My sweet today….. hmmmmmm… finally putting pen to paper. 😉
Cheers to your new digs! Blast the AC, pop a cork and spend the night with ur awesome family playing headbands! Make some incredible memories!
Btw… I already have a signed copy of slammed. But I felt compelled to comment. I’m a sucker for fair tales<3
Fairytales. 🙂
Congrats on your new house! What an exciting step. I hope your books continue to sell more and more and the house you’re building can be everything you dreamed of.
My sweet was getting tickets to see Louis CK when he comes to town (on a Friday night) and that I’ll actually get a real date with my husband!
My sweet for the day was the little sweet moment of watching my daughter (8) and son (18 mths) cuddled up taking a nap. It was a moment that I had to take a picture!
Congrats on the move!
My sweet: had an interview for my dream job. It went really well
Congratulations on your new house! please please please keep writing! I want to help you upgrade to an even bigger house next year 🙂
Congratulations on your house, even if it is a rent! I know the feeling. We just moved into our own house (renting too) but the boys have their own rooms and can have friends come over now. They love it and seeing them happy makes me happy. We were in the same predicament as you…still are a little bit but we are finally getting there. Met hubby at 17, married by 19 (our first son was 8 months old by then) and had another boy at 21. All while my hubby was in college and then a few years later went to law school. Man. It’s been a lard hard haul! In another year or so we should be ok…I hope.
My sweet is for the day…my son did a different kind of funny laugh today that had me grinning. He’s never laughed the way he did so it was real sweet. I hope he does it again.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Ugh my first post didn’t go I’m gonna try again. First off, congrats on the new house!!! That’s amazing!!!! My sweet was getting asked to stay until the end of August, at a job that was supposed to be done at the end of March, then April, then this friday. We definitely needed the money so I am grateful to have the opportunity to be able to contribute to my family’s income! This blog post was pretty sweet too!!! I <3 you Colleen!!!
WOW that is so awesome! I married my HS sweetheart 8 years ago when we were 19 so I totally get it! I’m so happy for you even though i dont even know you but I admire people who put it all out there and Go for it! Plus ur a Texan which makes u even cooler! GOD BLESS! MY sweet of the day is now…I’m 38 weeks along with my 3rd and I’m a SAHM so bedtime for my toddlers on a day like today when I’m hugely pregnant and exhausted is always sweet! 🙂 Keep up ur awesome talent and enjoy that good a/c cause its freaking hot here in TX!!
Yeah Colleen! My Sweet for the day is my Mama in Law, Kaki, coming over and stealing my 8 year old son so I could have a little break!
Such an inspiring post. Congrats on your success. I LOVED Slammed & Point of Retreat! Can’t wait for more!!
My sweet today was spending the day on the boardwalk with my two amazing kiddos
Congratulations on your new home…your hard work paid off! My sweet would be reading about your good news…it has been a stressful day and this post made me smile…BIG!
Your post brought tears to my eyes! Congratulations on all your well earned success. I love Slammed and Point of Retreat and tell everyone I know to read them!
My sweet, my 10 month old ate 2 ounces of baby food today! Doesn’t seem remarkable until you know that she has spent a large chunk of her life hospitalized and undergoing surgeries and she does not have the ability to control her throat which as you can imagine makes eating difficult…anyway, can’t say most of my sweets over the last 10 months wouldn’t involve her!
Congratulations Colleen!What a touching story!My SWEET for today was going to help an elderly lady take care of her husband who is a total care patient. He never wants her to leave his side and she really needed a break. She got to have a break and was so relieved to get a chance to just have a shower! and rest awhile since she’d been up since 3am. Enjoy your new place & thanks for the giveaway 🙂
First of all…congratulations on everything…your life, your book, your talents, your phenomenal posts! Second, thanks for the six dollars a month worth of fruits that our beautiful children get each month…lol! Last, my “sweet”…..well, finding out officially that I am less than a year from getting my degree….19 years in the making!
Well obviously I’m a little late, but I’ll share my sweet anyway. Mine and my husbands third year wedding anniversary is coming up, as is his 28th birthday. I never have any money to buy him things, so when I got my financial aid check from school today I spoiled him rotten. That is my sweet today. Spoiling the man that takes great care of me and my son. He works his butt off for us and doesn’t complain, he just lets me go to school and get my degree. I wouldn’t be here without him and I’m so grateful. So if I don’t get a signed copy of your book, it’s no big deal, but at least you know what my sweet is.
My sweet for today is that I got to spend a beautiful day at the beach with my family!!!
My sweet of the day was reading this very post. I went to college with Lin and we used to spend a ton of time together and talked constantly, so I was always hearing about you and your family. Even had the honor of meeting your super sweet boys a few times. I am so very happy for you and your family! I am happy that you took the time to write these amazing books that leave us on the edge of our seats patiently waiting for the next, I am happy that you have done so very well with publishing and selling copies of these books, and I am happy that YOU are doing what YOU love while reaping the benefits of your countless hours of work and dedication. I cried when I read about the new car and I cried reading this one too! Lin mentioned you were pretty amazing…turns out she was right. I love how humble you are! Keep doing what you do and enjoy the many blessings that continue to pour upon you.
Colleen! I’m beyond thrilled for you and your family! You are loved!!!! Thank you for writing beautiful books! OH and please keep writing!
Congrats! My sweet was taking a nap with my two French Bulldogs today 🙂 Priceless
My sweet for the day is reading this post (I’m dead serious… had a very crappy day, and knowing my mere $7 helped make a tremendous difference in your family’s life was super sweet)! Don’t ever stop writing! XOXO
oooh my sweet for the day was hanging out at the Pink Palace Museum (in Memphis Baby) with my sweet girls and my hubby. anytime spent with them is the absolute SWEETest!! oh and I have got to read during the day which is rare in my household. usually only get to read at night 🙂
My sweet for the day is coming home after dropping off the kids to 3 wonderful packages from the mailman filled with book!!made my day ..
Wow! That’s so wonderful! I’m so happy for you and you deserve the best of everything! My sweet is enjoying long-overdue family time and making up for years of missed vacations when my husband was deployed. Congratulations on your new house and your well-earned success as an author. I loved Slammed and plan to read ALL of your books!<3
Congrats! We are living in an old farmhouse while we prepare to build, it absolutly makes you appreciate EVERY little thing! And my sweet, not having morning sickness all day(finally!) like I have been with baby #3 🙂
Your books are so special. I can’t wait for your next one! You deserve all this success.
My Sweet for the day is knowing that you and your family are able to experience a “house”. I know what its like, I’m 25 and raising my three little brothers…who are no longer my little brothers but are my sons, I have a 4,6, and 7 year old and I’m still in college making a better life for us, even if it’s pay check to pay check. So with my little story, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I know how much a relief it is to be able to move up from a trailer to a house!!
My sweet is the same thing everyday. Knowing my 3 babies (well not babies as they are 22, 20, and 17) are happy, safe and healthy.
You deserve it. Slammed and Point of Retreat are 2 of my all time favorite books and I have recommended them to all of my friends. I can’t wait to read more of your books so please keep writing.
My sweet for the day is that my husband and 3 children are all happy and healthy.
Good Lord…I freaking am so happy for you and your family! My sweet is definitely your success story. Thank you for allowing us to be apart of such a wonderful story. You are so good to your fans and we just want blessings upon blessings for you and your family!
Big fat congratulations!!! I love hearing stories about how Amazon and Indie writing has changed peoples’ lives. My SWEET for the day? Well, honestly today has been a crappy day. My daughter’s Girl Scout troop (which I’m the leader of) is have a yard sale to raise money for a trip and I was loading boxes of stuff into my car to take. I picked up my son’s very light weight toddler bed to put it in the back of the truck, and “crack!!” I killed my back. So I’ve been laid up all day with ice on my back, and can barely walk and feeling quite sorry for myself. But, this is about SWEETS, right?! Well, my baby girl…4 yrs old, has not left my side. “Mama, you need a drink?” “Mama, need another pillow?” “Mama, you need more ice?” She has been an absolute blessing today, and has reminded me why I do what I do. Being her Mama is amazing, and even though I’m in a ton of pain right now, I love my life.
~Leigh Ann
I dont need the book already have a signed one or the kindle just wanted to say CONGRATS being a young mother of three myself I know what a huge accomplishment that is and you totes deserve it!!!!!
So happy for you Colleen! My sweet today was booking a weekend trip to Kalahari Waterpark for my children! Congrats!
My sweet for the day was watching my 3 beautiful girls performing their dances at their dance studio today. I am truly blessed with 3 amazing, beautiful and talented daughters that I love more than life! (On a side note of sweetness, we too are getting ready to move into our first “real” house that we have built and our girls are 13, 11, and 5. So, congratulations to you on your accomplishments and your “new” house. It’s good to know that hardwork does indeed have great rewards!)
I have to say that my sweet today would be driving through Arizona with my daughter and Husband looking for a property to buy.
My sweet today was getting flowers from my boyfriend 🙂
My sweet of the day was going to the beach and not worrying about a thing!
My sweet today is pretty simple. I have my husband and my kids all with me every day, which for a while was a problem. I have a job that I love even though it doesn’t pay much and I have friends that are amazing, loyal and did I mention amazing. Sure life could be better but living everyday being thankful for what I have!
My sweet is this: DH is one step closer to finding a job. Also, my daughter is being baptized in four days and she’s so excited.
I’m excited for you, Colleen! I remember BEFORE you were married. I even remember after. And I remember that 20th birthday party you threw for me. Word to the wise, jello shots belong in little cups – not in a big bowl. But if you have to put them in a big bowl, at least have small bowls and spoons.
My Sweet was when my kitty came to snuggle. He is really sick so for him to come and cuddle is a cherished moment. Also congrats on all the great stuff that has happened for you <3
Congratulations on the house! Much deserved! My sweet for the day has to be my 2 year old niece, who I keep every day, giving me a big hug and saying “I love you, TT”, that’s my sweet most days, she’s definitely the apple of my eye!
My sweet for the day would be reading your post and knowing that i was able to help you get the electricity on for your house that you moved into today. Congratulations and Thank you for writing some great books. Keep up the great work.
That is amazing. And I definitely know what you’ve gone through! Well have to exchangestories! Ok on to my sweet, it’s not for today but this is soo set it’s worth a month of sweets, I got good need st the a week ago, my cancer market is the lowest it’s been in a year meaning my radiation has been working! Freaking awesome! Might I add I’m only 22 and have three kids, so this is a big deal!
Congrats! That’s great!
My sweet today would be getting to spend some time with my husband before he had to go to bed for his late night job.
I know, kinda lame, but it’s the best thing that happened today =)
My sweet today is “huggies” from my 4yo. Hard to stay crabby after that one!
My SWEET was several cover reveals for some of my highly anticipated books.
My my sweet is i’m reading Slammed for the second time while my husband takes the kids a bath.
Congrats on the house and all of your success!! So happy for you and your family! My sweet for the day: Finding out I don’t have to work tomorrow..which basically means I get to be lazy and read all day!! Yay! 🙂
My sweet today? Dinner at the melting pot with some great friends, followed up with campfire smores. Couldn’t get much better!
Wow you made me cry reading this!!! I’m so happy for you and your family….I’m glad your family stayed together through the rough patch and now it will only get better! I can’t wait to read more from you. Your very talented Author and deserve this…it makes me smile that you had your good ending…lol maybe not ending but you know what I mean. God bless you and your family !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations on the new house! I know you are in Tex-ASS like me and it has been a brutal couple of summers!
My SWEET of the day is simple. My sixteen year old son and eleven year old daughter were home together all day and I didn’t get any phone calls or emails about young blood being spilled while I was at work!
What can I say? I take joy in the small things!
My sweet of the day was going to the splash zone with my two sweet children, mom, and granny. It is nice to have time to spend with family and see how the little things like a splash zone make my kid’s day and my mom and Granny just wanting to be there to see them smile.
Congratulations on the house and success! Enjoy the new home and building your dream home in the near future!
Dinner with friends, including one new friend at Qdoba for $4.99 Wednesday! The new friend is from Chile and had never had Qdoba.
My sweet for the day is that my sister’s talents are finally paying off and I can rest assured that my nephews will have a comfortable upbringing and I don’t have to feel guilty that I’m too poor to save up money to help them go to college even though I’m a single adult with a good job and nobody else to support. And also my other sweet is that i get a present on Friday. I love you!
I’m so happy for you! Your accomplishments really inspire me to work hard and be patient with my life. You are awesome!
And todays sweet?
I made spaghetti (my second time doing it on my own) for two kids i’m watching for the night. It was a little “al dente,” if you know what i mean, but they really enjoyed it!…i’m a terrible cook 🙁 but they ate their entire serving! So now one is asleep and the other, my little brother, is watching tv. Everythings A OK
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed your books. I discovered your blog yesterday and was so excited that I could continue to follow your growth as a writter.
My sweet for the day was watching my brother in law on The Golf Channel today. He ended up missing out on the top 20 cut but he lost it in a playoff round after 4 day of grueling play. My heart aches that he missed his chance to play with the ‘big boys’ like Tiger, Phil and Bubba but I was soooo butterflying excited to see him sink a 30 ft putt and then kiss the ball after he pulled it out of the hole. Moments like that make you forget about all the ones you missed before that…and he did it on live, national television!!! How butterflying amazeballs
This is amazing to read. As a writer working on the end of my novel, publishing essays but not making enough, I LOVE THIS DAMN STORY. Congratulations!! And heck yes, enter me!
My “sweet” for today was watching 17 little girls sing happy birthday to my youngest baby! She is the “last” time I throw a party for an 8 year old. I know that sounds silly bit I can’t help to think everytime she does something it is the last time for me. I am so grateful for the first time, the second time and now my third and last 🙂
Oh forgot, my sweet of the day was my two daughters both holding me up out of the water in the pool and my oldest daughte r(10) saying Mommy I Love you!!!
My sweet for the day? Another giveaway from YOU! Oh, and I got a new phone today-a Samsung Galaxy S3. Very fun 🙂
I’m Maggie May by the way..confusing enough!?
DON’T PICK ME! I have a Fire and I am in the possession of your very first Kindlegraph awarded! I just wanted to say that my “Butterflying Sweet” for the next however long, is you! I let a little of me out there in my blog today because of your inspiration. I let you know, because, I really didn’t know if that was an ok thing to tag you in a post, but I got a crap ton of views, YOU approved my message, linked me, followed my craziness and e-mailed me back. You were busy! WTH! I’m small peanuts here in my Northern Illinois cornfield and you took time out of your day for me! I can only hope that your precious boys always know what kind of gem they got for a mama…’cause you rock!
Such an inspiring story. Congrats to you and your sweet family: ) My sweet of the day..When my six year old held me when I got the news my grandfather passed. She has such a compassionate heart.
Woohoo! Yay for a house! My sweet is that I made chicken and broccoli for dinner and my son didn’t freak out!!!
My sweet is hearing your story. I am so happy for you and your success! You deserve every little bit of it and all that is yet to come. So happy to have gotten to know you and it will be a HUGE sweet when I finally get to meet you. Love ya!!
My sweet for today is that my family is all home safe, sound & healthy!! Also my son finally decided to use the toilet, yes!!! Diapers are finally a thing of the past for me after 3 kids, FANTASTIC!!! Congratulations on your new house. I really enjoyed your story, it hit home for me more than you can imagine. It is nice to hear that other people have similar struggles to my own. Even though times have been tough it has made me stronger & appreciative of the important things in life! So extremely thankful that I have the love of my family to get me by everyday 🙂 Love, love, love your books, you are extremely talented as a writer. Can’t wait to read more.
Big congrats on the house!!!
My sweet today is how my 5 year old son cracked me up with his new “dance” moves!
My sweet today…….using the battles I fought for my child with SPD for 3 years today to help another family with the same issues. Now maybe they wont have fight so hard! Feels amazing to know I helped this family avoid one less struggle!
My sweet today goes hand in hand. I finished Point of Retreat (my new favorite book ever) AND I started a new tradition tonight for the first time with my family: we did our first round of Suck and Sweet (it was cute listening to my 6 and 2.5 yr old daughters doing theirs).
Thank you for writing two amazingly powerful and beautiful books that have changed my outlook on life. You and your family deserve all that is coming to you. You are a butterflying amazing writer! Congrats!
Colleen – congrats on your move! What an awesome story!
My sweet: I’m packing tonight and leaving tomorrow for some grandbaby time! Yay!
My sweet is hearing your story and having a nice weekend with my wife away.
I’m so glad things are looking up for you 🙂 You deserve it, your books are beyond magnificent! Poetry was never an interest of mine (which is strange because I love literature and am soon going to school for journalism) but you’ve changed my views with slam poetry. My mom just won at Bingo tonight and we’re having financial difficulties (who isn’t?) Haha. So that’d probably be my sweet 🙂
Congratulations! I loved your books!! My sweet for the day is that my son and I have only 5 more weeks left until my husband comes home from his tour in Afghanistan. We cannot wait to have him home safe and sound again!!
my sweet, is looking at a house to purchase for my family. we go and look at it again tomorrow without the 4 kiddos, and measure and inspect what kind of work we will need. we have rented for eons, and i have been married since i was 20, and i am 32 now, with 4 kiddos, aged 13, 10, 6 (soon to be 7), and 4 going on 34! I just want to throw something out there that I didn’t know about, there are programs out there that help people get into affordable modest houses based on income, check with the local Rural Development (USDA) in your state. Serious, it’s what is helping us get into our first real house. there are guidelines, but no down payment, low interest rates, and they help with closing costs. i really hope you give it a try and look into it, if we did not accidentally hear about it, i do not think we would ever be in our own house.
and another sweet for me would be to win an autographed copy of slammed from one of my most favorite butterflying authors 😀
enjoy your new house, and the joy on your kiddos faces with more space, and privacy, and just plain happy kids! those are priceless! my most sweets, are the healthy days, where i can count my blessings that my family is alright.
sweet dreams, i am off to bed, been a long day!
oh, and a chance for a kindle fire, that would be a triple sweet 😀
Remarkably, our stories are similar in a lot of ways. My wife and I have just moved, as well, from poor conditions into a much better one, and I have my readers to thank for that. Today, the opening episodes to my serial novel rose the highest they’ve been in the ranks on Amazon. A small success, indeed, but those seem to be mounting up lately. I’m very thankful for that.
Winston
My sweet for the day is our house sold!
Yesterday my sister went in for a simple surgery to put in a dialysis port, after several complications and all night at bayor ICU, she is stable and on the (slow) mend…that being said my sweet for the day has to be that God answeres prayers and we have another day with strongest most inspirational person I know.
Congrats on your new house 🙂 I am so happy for you. You deserve every success that comes your way.
My sweet for today is getting a new haircut that actually really suits me, I waited for awhile to grow my hair and have a really good haircut after this lady in the saloon messed my hair 😉 So happy with my haircut, my sister was like WOW, its amazing. Boy did that make my day. Or night ;P
Wow.That was quite a story but I’m glad all is getting better now.You and your family deserve it and no,THANK YOU for such amazing books.I feel like I can relate to both Will and Lake and some of the things they went through.
My sweet?it’s right now.heheh.seriously though.I have been on the road all day.I’m currently driving down the 101 in California with my window down and the sunset gleaming on the Pacific Ocean.It’s beautiful.
P.S. No,I’m not texting and driving.My daddy is driving so I’m totally enjoying the view;)
My sweet was making cupcakes with my girls. Not as exciting as a house but it’s still my sweet! Congrats on the house!
Congratulations!! My sweet for the day is finally finding some time to relax with a good book!
My sweet for the day is finally getting my fingerprint application sent out so I can earn my credits to becoming a teacher. And there is a suck for that one….the suck would be having to pay 69$ to do it. But in the end it will all be worth it!!
My sweet today – my 11 year old shared his chocolate chip cookie with me!
Congratulations on your new home.
I loved Slammed and Point of Retreat!
My sweet for the day was having a water balloon fight with my eight year old daughter. We laughed so much.
I’m so happy for you!!! I love to see when you have a new post – they make my day! Can’t wait for Will’s story!!!
I have the best sweet of all!! My youngest son got saved today 🙂
My sweet for the day has been reading The River Witch by Kimberly Brock. It is AMAZING! Can I have 2 sweets? My other sweet is RIGHT NOW (oh, how unoriginal of me) because I am bubbling over with joy that my favorite author and her family are doing so well! Congratulations, Colleen!!!
My sweet for today is coming home a finding the mailman left me two packages filled with books!! Made my day!!!
HEY COLLEEN MY SWEET TODAY IS READING YOUR POST ABOUT YOU & YOUR FAMILY , I HAVE KNOWN YOU SINCE YOU WENT TO OUR SCHOOL , AND I WOULDNT WANT ANYTHING BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BUT TO FINALLY HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF FOR THEM, AS I HAVE THE SAME DREAMS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY ONE DAY, YES TO BE A MOTHER OF THREE AND LIVING PAY CHECK TO PAY CHECK IS HARD , BUT THE LOVE IS WHAT GETS US BY FROM DAY TO DAY 🙂 , I WOULDNT TRADE MY BOYS FOR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, IM HAPPY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY COLLEEN AND I HOPE MANY MANY MORE OF DREAMS COME TRUE , YOU DESERVE IT, YOUR BOOK ARE BUTTERFLYING AWESOME AND CAN NOT WAIT TO READ WILL P.O.V .
First of all, congrats on your house. That’s really awesome. Second, I have your books on my TBR list on Goodreads but haven’t read them yet. Specifically Slammed. I came across yor thank you post through a tweet by Autumn Review. I’m glad I came across it. It sincerely made my day, well week really. Why? Because you were honest and open about your struggle. That doesn’t usually happen, people don’t talk about teir struggles my friends don’t even talk about it and so I never say a word. I understand your struggle, we are currently going through some big monetary struggles which in turn have caused others… and its been a mess and well to see someone talk about things coming together gives me a little hope to a really crappy time. Might seem stupid to people, but to see it helps…so thank you for your post and good luck to you and your family.
I’m so happy for you!!!!
My sweet for today was the fact that it rained today which hopefully helped save 100’s of homes fromthe nasty fires here.
My sweet from today is that my husband got off work early today and so we sat and watched a movie together. 🙂
Wow, this post put tears in my eyes, I am so happy for you Colleen!!! You deserve it! My sweet came when I spoke to my grandmother who lives in South Africa, usually I sit on the phone to her and she doesn’t say a word. For months she hasn’t had a single response, but apparently she sits there smiling so I continue to call and hope she gets some comfort from talking to her family halfway across the world. This time when I said hello she replied with “Hello my sweet darling”, her standard greeting for me my entire life, and hearing it again made me cry. Really big happy tears. I know it’s such a little thing but it warmed my heart hearing those words again.
2 sweets – one is reading your ever inspiring post today. Seriously, warms my heart. #2 is watching my son play t-ball for the first time. So incredibly cute. That is all! Love you Colleen!
My sweet for the day is your post! As I sit here with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face typing away on this damn iPhone that for some reason will not allow me to spell one thing without butting in with it’s nosey autocorrect…. I am thinking that your post allows me some sort of fulfillment because ever since I came across Slammed and Point of Retreat it has been a daily presence in my life. I have FBooked u saying thank u, I’ve written my very first Aamazon review, blogged about the books and gifted the books to friends and still I never felt like it was good enough. Probably seems silly to some but your books came to me at a time in my life that really needed more SWEETS and much much less SUCKS! So I just wanted to know that you knew how appreciative I was. Reading your post was touching and knowing that I had a mustard seed size impact by purchasing your books for myself and friends was by far BUTTERFLYING SWEET! Thank you thank you…. Again….thank you!
My sweet today is just being happy with my family and seeing them grow up.
My first sweet (I have to give two – sorry!) is this absolute wonderful and amazing news here from you!!!! I am so, so happy for you and your family. Your success with these wonderful books is so deserved.
I too try to tell everyone about Slammed and Point of Retreat and how moving they were. I’m proud that I found them and read them!
My second sweet is that I found out that my BFF who lives a state away is coming to visit for a few days in July! I’m so happy!!!
Congratulations on everything! That is so amazing that you pushed through for your dream. You should be very proud. 🙂 Congratulations!!!
My sweet for the day was coming home to find my fiancee starting dinner all by himself. I didn’t even ask. Usually, I’m the cooker and I hover. I cook every night and to come home from a really tense day at work, and see my man cooking me dinner. It truly made my day today.
Congratulations again to you and your family. That is HUGE!!!
My sweet of the day was reading Point of retreat!!!! I finish your book in a few hours and I will read it again because I butterflying love it!!!!!! You are and incredible talented writer!!! Congrats in your new house!!!
Wow! What a touching story! I would have to say hearing your good news is my sweet for the day. I looooove your books and am now obsessed with the Avett Brothers, thanks to you. 🙂 I am a hairstylist so I talk to people all day and I have been telling all my clients about slammed. Hearing your story makes me really feel like I am somehow making a difference in people lives. It’s good finding purpose! Thanks for the inspiration! I now have a new story to tell them after I tell them to read Slammed and Point of retreat. 🙂
I am SOOOOOOOOO happy for you! Congratulations, that is amazing! My sweet today was getting to take a shower before it got dark 🙂 its a huge win
My sweet for the day was taking the time to just WRITE!! As well as hearing the response of another friend who finished Point of Retreat!!! Just makes me smile:-) Congratulations on the move & Thanks for the inspiration!!
My sweet for the day was my three year old telling me he missed me while he was asleep as soon as he woke up this morning. 🙂
Congrats on your move! That is so exciting….I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to see, or read, time and time again just how real and down to earth you are.
My sweet today was a yoga class 🙂
My sweet is talking my hubs into going to a hotel for the night, in two weeks, to celebrate our 20 yr anniversary. I too, met my hubs young, got married at 20, and had my first daughter 4 months later. She will be 20 in Nov…you do the math 🙂 there ARE happy endings and I hope yours turns out just like mine! Ps. I know from the comments I read on here that you get bombarded with people telling you they want another book in the Slammed series. PLEASEEEEEEE, I seriously need to read another story. I am begging 😉
Wonderful news! My sweet for the day would have to be starting and finishing Point of Retreat. It was great and I couldn’t put it down.
My sweet is reading about your life knowing that you are a real person who has struggled about as much as I have and knowing you made you’re dreams come true. You’re an inspiration to me. Congratulations!!!
My sweet for today was when my 16 year old son came home from his 1st date with a young lady & brought me a rose & said I had set the bar very high for any girl who tried to steal his heart <3
The thing I am thankful for would have to be my grandson. I don’t get to see him enough but just answering the phone and hearing, Hi Memaw, can make me sucky life just melt away!!!!
Hi 🙂 thank you for sharing.
My ‘sweet’ is a last minute decision to have 2 days off work – one for me and one to spend quality time with my 2 year old.
So here I am on my me day, at a cafe, overlooking a marina, with my EReader and iPhone, enjoying a good meal and my mocha coffee ! Perfect !
My Sweet for today was I finally got my room cleaned AND worked out! Feeling good! Yea! For your new house!
Yay! Congrats, that is truly an awesome well deserved sweet!
I am a social worker as well. I work with disabled teens & adults striving to gain independence. Today for fun I took a consumer down to the local lake shore to feed the baby goslings, my sweet of the day was seeing his face light up in pure joy. Moments like those for me makes the crappy pay & crazy day to day stress completely worth it!!!
Huge congratulations 🙂 I hope you consider writing an autobiography one day because I think your story (excuse the pun) would inspire many. Not to sound like a suck up (ha!) but reading that was my sweet (although I *have* just woken up); given I’m a writer recently finished uni it’s nice to know there’s hope! So, thank you, and enjoy your house!! 🙂
2 weeks ago today I had a 4 month old dachshund puppy surrendered to me. (i work at a veterinary clinic) He was about to die. He had emergency surgery & a blood transfusion. Even with all that there was no guarantee he was going to make it. With that said… My SWEET for the day.. Is that today he is finally 100% back to being a puppy! Eating anything he can eat, pretty pink gums, running and playing! The most amazing feeling to see him over come this journey!!! 🙂
Wow, what a cool day for you 🙂 My sweet–our little terrier mutt incapacitated a HUGE rat and did NOT bring it into the house through the doggie door. Three snakes and a frog have been brought inside…..
My SWEET for today – 1st day of being a teacher again 🙂 Teaching is my passion and I’m so happy to do it again after a long time being an office employee.
Today was brought to me by the letter F as in Mother EFFING EFF EFFFER EFF EFFF EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!! And then my sweet came and it was sooooo glorious all those F’s turned into Butterflies 😉 Which basically means they were still F’s, but they were so much prettier!
My sweet was realizing how much I need my parents and how lucky I am to have both of them still. You go through that post-high school phase where you think you’re invincible and because you’re in college you don’t need them anymore, or maybe all you need is their credit card.
Then you have kids of your own and holy hell you almost find yourself begging to move back in! Not really, but you get the picture. I’ve had one of the most hellish weeks ever as a parent and today they just showed up. It was like they knew. I got a much needed break and they saved me from throwing my toddler out the window.
No, seriously.
The older I get the more I see the truth behind the saying, “It takes a village..” Honestly, I don’t know how single parents do it and I only have 1 kid. But I gotta tell you at this age she feels like a dozen kids who all struggle with multiple split personality disorder and are currently on their period.
Not, effin fun.
p.s. enjoy that effin house!
Sounds wonderful. We’re in the midst of our second crazy move this year. We found the holy grail of island living… A year round rental for a decent price. My sweet was unearthing the last of the apple pie filling we froze in the fall while clearing out the freezer. It was great to make a homemade dessert despite moving madness.
My sweet of the day Seeing my four year old son running into the arms of his daddy after returning from an eight month deployment.
Sweet of the day? That’s the sweet of the YEAR! Thank you to all three of you for your service and sacrifices.
Congrats on the house! You deserve every ounce of success and goodness that you are experiencing and then some!
I actually owe my sweet for today to YOU, Colleen, for introducing me to The Avett Brothers. After reading Slammed in March, I checked them out, fell in love with the first few songs I listened to, listened to a few more, fell in love, a few more, fell in love, and on and on it went until, lo and behold, I’d dowloaded their entire catalog without finding a single song that didn’t just blow me away. I am seriously obsessed. My God those boys have talent!
So what was my sweet for today? Well, that was coming home to find my FRONT ROW tickets for their St. Louis show had arrived! I’ll think of you when Scott is sweating on me in September!! 🙂
Reading this has been my top sweet for the day! Everyone that is a hard worker, goal driven and wants to make a better life for their kiddos and themselves deserves a home! I was raised in a mobile home and I loathed it every day. so, I went to college got my bachlors in nursing and worked my rear off to by a real house at the age of 23. I can tell you this…… your children will have this has one of their finest childhood memories! You are truely amazing. Best wishes to you and yours.
Congrats on your move. That’s wonderful! I have 3 boys, too. They are tons of fun. My sweet of the day was going to a movie theatre with them and watching Dolphin Tale (for $1 each, a summer movie steal), with my 5 year old snuggled up on my lap. It was a great start to our day.
And just to reinterate to you, I love your books!!
I think I am a little late due to work.. However my sweet for the day you posted this was having a dance party with my children. We rarely do silly stuff together because of school, Dr. appointments, work or anything else that keeps us from spending a lot of time together. Today though we had a blast and I even posted a video of my boys trying to copy the moves from “I’m Sexy and I Know it”. You should go check it out on my FB page. I am glad you all are settled into your new house!
Congratulations! My sweet for the day happened when I read this post…thinking about how happy your 3 boys will be in your new home:)
Wow! So cool reading about everyone’s ‘sweets’ here! Your post is amazing and inspiring, Colleen, thank you. As for my sweet, it’s multi-fold. I’ve been trapped inside with my kids who’ve had chickenpox for three weeks, and today- the last one was well enough to go back to school! On top of that, my hubby came home from work at 10pm (no, that’s not the good part!) and thanked me for being So patient while he works late, and as of next week he’s on holiday and at home for a while! So happy! And I’m still spreading the UK love for SLAMMED too!
It is so nice to hear that by enjoying your books, we have all been able to help you and your family in some way. I LOVED the Slammed series; don’t think I have ever cried so much while reading…truly touching. You are a great author, please keep them coming!
My sweet: Getting some test results back from the doctor that were negative….which is a BIG positive!
Colleen! I will say it again… YOU ARE AMAZING! I know you probably have seen me post this to you time amd time again… Your books are the reason why I am so obsessed with contemporary romance books! I can’t get enough! You have changed my life and I am so happy to hear that by buying your books… it has helped change your life in such a butterflying great way!!
With that said… I would have to say that my “sweet” for today if that my boyfriend of 3.5 years finally said the “L” word. Yup… he said I love you to me for the first time. I know long time right? It was a rocky first couple of years but look at us now… still going strong =) I think reading these books have given me the courage to open up to him, which meant him finally opening up to me (in regards to the whole love situation). He is the type of guy that doesn’t share his feelings, so this was HUGE! Definitely made my day!
Thank you again! Hope I will have signed copies in my little hands soon!
So you like so just made me cry…you suck Lol. I am so proud of you I can’t even explain how much. My sweet for the day is…..my cousin succeeding so well in something she loves to do. And btw she is very good at it. Now quit writing blogs and get finished with slammed from wills point of view. I love you.
My sweet for the day was seeing the smiles on my sons face while watching a magician at our library’s summer reading program. The tricks were so cheesy but my son was so happy and i just loves that.
Thank you for your story, Colleen. Regardless if I win this or not, I feel so inspired by your story that it seems like I already won something. This is the third time your writing has made me cry! So happy for you and your family, butterflying fantastic!!
congrats for your new house, glad that i’m part of people who read your books. actually read this A Big Fat Thank You is my sweet for today after listening Commencement Speech at University of the Arts by Neil Gaiman. I always love reading and listening about writing a good story from authors and their writing experience.
Congratulations on the move Colleen!!
My hubby is living away from home at the moment for work. He leaves 3am Monday morning and comes home at 6pm Saturday night. And I work Sunday!! So our family time is almost zero. But he rang me today to say that he will be home on Friday, so we actually get to spend a whole day together!! And that is super SWEET!!!
Maybe predictable but totally true – your post is my sweet for the day. Congratulations Colleen! What a wonderful story. You are a total inspiration. 🙂
Hi Colleen! My sweet for the day was seeing my 10 year old daughter helping a 5 year old read his first book by himself…”Goodnight Gorilla”! Love that reading is something important enough to her to want to help!
since the day has just begun, my sweet for yesterday was seeing my favorite band in the whole entire world..the dave matthews band. so great!
actually, i have TWO sweet! i know that’s not really allowed in the game, but it really is another sweet! when you actually commented back to my on facebook, and even tagged my name in your comment!
seriously made my day.
Congrats!!!!
My sweet for the day was waking with both my kids (5 and 2) and my my car all snuggled up to me. Granted my neck was sore from they way I slept- but waking up to the looks on everyone’s peaceful face made me smile. Times have been stressful, but for that moment, nothing else mattered.
Colleen you are such a beautiful person, I am so happy for you and your family. My sweet for the day, would have to be reading your post. It is amazing when wonderful things happen to such lovely people. I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat, thanks for sharing your genius 🙂
I get to babysit some well behaved kids today. That’s pretty sweet!
My sweet for the day is remembering that no matter how hard life gets, I have the love of my boyfriend, family, and close friends, this makes me mega grateful! x
Congrats on the new house!!
My sweet is Kids slept in and me and hubby didn’t 😉
My Sweet is knowing that by me purchasing these two awesome books by a awesome writer that I was able to help you and your family. Trust me I am raising twin girls and it’s not easy. Way to go. Congratulations!!!
Congrats!!!! I kno exactly what u mean. I live in a single wide and the air conditioner just went out!!!! Uhhgg. BUT my sweet? My 4 yr old daughter told me when she grows up she’s gonna be a doctor, a vet, and a dentist so all the people and animals can get better at the same place! <3 God I love her!!!
My Sweet for today is that my pricky eater daughter has been in cooking camp this week and has tried new things!! Maybe trivial, but it is a step!
My sweet of today is I got up early and walked. Something I have been putting off for a lonnngggg tme. But not today. I did it! Happy happy happy. Plus I’ve lost 35 lbs. Sweeeeeet. Tammy.
YAY Congrats Colleen, that’s huge and I’m glad that you got something spectacular at the end of the tunnel – it always makes the fight that much better!
My SWEET for today will have to be along the lines of the A/C – where I work my boss likes to keep it at a brisk 68 degrees year round, sounds great for the summer right? Not so much – I am usually so cold my toes hurt! But, today in STL it is supposed to be a high of 106. So no climbing inside my dress today for warmth!
My sweet for the day? The simple fact that it’s almost Friday and I can’t wait to veg out this weekend 🙂
Congratulations Colleen!! You are so awesome, you deserve it!!!
My sweet for the day is that it’s my last day at my job! I am leaving the real world to go back to being a full time student to get my PhD. 🙂 Eeekk!
WOW! I am so happy for you and your family! This really made me smile (through the happy tears)! I woke up just before 9 this morning feeling rested. So far that, and reading this wonderful blog, is my sweet! I do hope your dreams continue to become the reality you have worked so hard for and truly deserve!
I have 2 sweets – I finshed Slammed and started Point of Retreat. I know that’s silly but I am so glad I found your books. I am always on the hunt for a new one. I tend to read fast when a book completely captivates me and your story has done that. I’m going to be kind of sad when I finish Point of Retreat!
My sweet for the day was going with the kids and the husband to Baskin Robins.
Congrats on everything. I loved both books. They are both two of my top favorite books!! I am very happy for you
Yay!! You know I love Slammed!! Best sweet today is watching my girls swim. I take photo after photo and it doesn’t matter how often we go they are still so happy there. Awesome memories.
Good things happen to those who wait. And my dear I believe it is your turn. You deserve every thing that you are receiving. Very happy for you and your family. You have always been a talanted person, so just let it shine. May all good things come to you and your family. And just think this is only the begining. And my sweet for today is enjoying my kiddos I work all the time annd any day with them is the best ever!! Good luck to a fantastic person with a big heart and a great soul
My sweet is Im one day closer to Comic Con
Congrats on the move! So happy for you and your family. My sweet today is that my mom finally got her first colonoscopy after years of encouraging her to get one. Everything looks good so no worries either!
Ok – your post just made me cry! SO happy for you!!
My sweet for the day is my 4 years old’s first words of the morning: “Mommy – you’re my BEST friend”!! 🙂
My sweet is that I have gained 5 lbs of lean muscle even though the butterflying scale hasn’t gone down in six months. Congrats on your new home!
Congrats! Congrats, Congrats!! my sweet for the day is seeing fellow indie authors like you be successful! I LOVE it!!
Congrats on your new house! My sweet of the day is I actually have the day off work and am spending it with my three wonderful sons!!
Congratulations I really enjoyed your books! Thank you for writing them.
My sweet is that today June 28th is my 7 year anniversary with my high school sweetheart. We have been together since we were 16 and now we graduated college. Can’t wait to get what’s in our future.
Enjoy………you deserve 🙂 x
My sweet today was reading your story. Thank you for making me remember that other people struggle too. We have to claw scrape dig our own way out of the hole we are in, and you my friend are pouring a foundation into your hole and starting fresh! Congrats to you and thank you for being my sweet of the day! !!
I’m so glad for you, Colleen! You deserved it! 🙂 My sweet today was I got to go home earlier than my other classmates. LOL! And my one-year old nephew was trying to say “teehee” in front of me and it was just so freaking cute. Haha!
Congrats on the house! My sweet is you reminding me that is ok I have been in my town home for 8 years. It really is a nice place with 1400 square ft. and two beautiful boys age 1 and 3. I still dream of my detached home, but really I am perfectly happy with the sweetest boys and husband.
Ok, so my sweet for the day is that today is my offday. I know that this is an obvious sweet, but here’s the thing, I work at Waffle House. ‘Nuff said.
Also, huge congrats on the place. We just bought our first house a month ago, after years and years of apartment living. So I know how thrilled you are. Yay!
Wow, that’s really amazing. 🙂 Congratulations!!! My sweet for the day is I’ve been working my BUTT off for the past few weeks trying to beat my body into shape, and I’ve FINALLY begun to see some results! 🙂
Congratulations – what a great story to share with us!! I think the struggle and the amount of hard work will make you cherish your home, your success, and your family all that much more!
My sweet is waking up to a beautiful morning and having my love-bug cat shower me with affection 🙂
Congrats! You so deserve it! It’s still early right now but I guess my sweet of the day is that I don’t feel sick anymore. I’ve had the stomach flu and I was just wishing that I had a neighbor like Sharon who would give me a homemade pill to make me fall asleep. Seriously, it was horrible. But I’m butterflying better 🙂
What a butterflying great post! Congratulations on all your success and the new house! I must admit, this post brought tears to my eyes. I too am married to my highschool sweetheart. We have been together since I was 14. My sweet for the day is that I am married to my soulmate who works hard everyday so that I am able to stay home with our children. Oh and both of your books have definetly made my fave list for the year! Can not wait for more!
Fantastic news!
My sweet ts that ever since reading Point of Retreat, we’ve had sweet and such at our family dinner table. EVERY day my 8 year old says “My sweet is you Mummy”
Congratulations, I believe you truly deserved it!
My sweet today was I went on a coffee with my two friends I haven’t seen in a while..
My sweet is that I started writing a book… and I think it’s going to be pretty good. I love that you wrote this post. Your books, your energy, and other authors who’ve taken a leap of faith and followed their hearts inspired me to follow mine. So thanks so much for all the inspiration:) I just love it!
Congrats on moving in a REAL house! You must be so excited!:D (I just moved last month and I’m still giddy LOL)
Anyway, my sweet today was visiting my hometown and seeing my sister (I haven’t seen her in weeks). There’s nothing better than spending time with the family!<3
Thank you for the giveaway!
I was really moved to hear your story. I’m really happy for you and your family. Your books are amazing and your success is well deserved. My sweet is that my family, my husband, and all five of my children are happy, healthy, carefree, and loving. I have been so blessed in my life, too much to try and write in this little comment box. I am so thankful for all the blessings that have been given to me. My family are my life, they are my sweet everyday.
My sweet for the day is watching my kids play in the pool all day! 🙂
That is awesome news! Congratulations!
I guess my sweet will be a silly one since it’s still early…I woke up late today and my hair was not it’s normal crazy self (which is very, very bad) so I was able to throw it into a decent pony and head to work…a little less late. 🙂
my sweet was reading this post. Knowing that someone’s life is changing for the better because of their talent is pretty sweet.
Good luck with everything!
My big dream was to have my daughter in a house instead of an apartment. I was lucky enough to make that dream a reality in 2009. I understand how exciting that is to finally give your kids things they deserve. I was a completely single mom for a long time struggling through school and financial things. Kudos to you!!!
My sweet for the day: My fiance returns home from military duty today!!!!
Congrats on the house!!!
My sweet was reading outside in my new napping chair. I finally have some tan lines! Sweet! 🙂
My sweet for today was hard I’ve had a rough 9 months but out of everything bad something good must come. I lost my job (Manager @ Borders books) moved out of state, lost my grandmother, lost my cat and just found out I’m diabetic. So as you can see the last 9 months have been hard. (oh and I still can’t find a job)
But with all that I have lot’s of sweet things, my husband loves me no matter what (21 yrs), my 2 kids are healthy and happy, and I just got 2 beautiful kittens to brighten my day. I know all this will work it self out because when you are at the bottom there is no way but up.
I feel you on the Sociology/social work degree. Congrats on your home and things looking up
So far today it has to be having my 2 year old fall asleep holding my hand. They are only little for so long.
Hmmm. I think my sweet for the day would be reading this post! It’s so amazing how all of us readers have impacted your life in such a way. Congrats on moving into your new house!
My sweet of the day is hearing my baby boy has momma for the first time! and reading your post! it gives everyone hope to go for their dreams!
Congratulations on the new home and being done with the hard stuff–moving with 3 kids.
My sweet is actually for tomorrow. But I get to spend 2 days of mommy/son time at Cub Scouts camp w/my 8 year old. Last year was a blast I’m looking forward to this weekend too.
I must be emotional or something because this made me tear up. :’) My sweet for the day is it’s one less day until my own wedding! I’m getting married October 6th and I couldn’t me more excited. I’m 23 and I’m still in college, so this is going to be a HUGE step but I’m ready.
Congratulations!
My sweet was finally getting through to my two year old that it is not safe to run away from mommy and that he still remembered it after nap 🙂
My sweet was for yesterday, when I finally got to read your wonderful book. I laughed I cried and now I know why my cousin loves your book so much and pushed me to read it!!!
I love hearing about success stories, and hopefully all of this is just the beginning for you, Colleen! You’re truly talented, and I can’t wait to read more of your publications. =)
My sweet is that Tropical Storm has now left us in Florida, and we have nothing but beautiful weather for the foreseeable future.
Congrats! I am still in that “first” home waiting to do the same as you some day; however, that is not a “suck”. The “sweet” is that we will have that new home someday and that is because my huband and I work incredibly hard just like you and your husband do. My other sweet is our two beautiful daughters don’t even know that our current house is a “suck”, they make everything “sweet”.
Congratulations on your move!!
My sweet today, is when I woke and turned on my phone and saw I got an email from my new favorite author (::ahem….colleen hoover::). I didn’t think you reply at all. It was such an amazing surprise to get encouragement from someone I look up to! Now I just have to decide what I truly want to be, and be it. =)
My sweet is that my husband got his final clean bill of health from his oncologist today! It was his tenth year of remission so he does not have to go yearly anymore to him. We are very thankful! 🙂
*sidenote* My husband and I were also h.s. sweethearts, I was 5 months pregnant when we got married at 21 years of age, 6 years of college for both of us and now we have 4 kids total and have been on the crazy train of marriage for almost 12 years. 🙂
Oh, I rudely forgot to say, “Congratulations to you and your family!!!”
Colleen, I am so excited for you and your family!
My sweet is: I received & deposited my first paycheck in 7 mos. I have a new full time job. I am someone’s employee once again!
That is so exciting!! I am so happy for you and your family!
My sweet is finding out my best friend of six years is pregnant with triplets. Chrissy and her husband have been trying to have children for 5 years and now God has blessed them with 3!!
In case you are having trouble doing the math on when exactly Colleen’s first son was conceived, please enjoy these Random Shuffled Addition Flash Cards. They are free all day today (June 28, 2012)… in commemoration of the recent (and epic) victories of the Hoover Clan. Congrats, Colleen!
Sincerely,
Kenny Dill
p.s. here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Shuffled-Addition-Questions-Answers-ebook/dp/B0088ED3SG/
… and of course my sweet was poking fun at a dear friend … can I still win?
My “sweet” for today and everyday is waking up to a happy and healthy family. I have a wonderful husband, an amazing 4 year old daughter who is too smart for her own good, and 2 great stepkids. I, too, know how it is to live from paycheck to paycheck, but as long as the family is taken care of and healthy…that’s all that matters. My added “sweet” for yesterday was finishing your beautiful book. It only made me more grateful for the special people in my life. Thank you for that. CONGRATULATIONS on your new home! How exciting!
oh I love here these feel good stories!!! It really helps everyone know that anything is possible 🙂 My sweet for the day was being able to enjoy the beautiful weather we were blessed with!!! Congrats
I swear Colleen, your mission must be to make this Sobfest 2012. First your books and now this very touching blog!
My sweet? Going on base, and seeing a crap load of buses at the gym.A crap load of buses filled with soldiers coming home. It makes me so incredibly happy when I think of everyone reuniting!!
My sweet for the day is that I get Saturday off the take my girls to wait for it…the Trek Fest Festivities! Get your Spock ears ready and LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!!!!
My Sweet of the day was the text my husband just sent me, Ous son is home sick today but is finally feeling better, Makes me happy!!!
BTW, Congratulations, Enjoy your new home!!
So glad your talents are being enjoyed by so many!!! Love your work!!!!
Keep it coming!
Congrats on your house! But Thank You for writing Slammed! I stumbled across it through GoodReads and loved it. Your writing is lovely, your characters are real (and so refreshing that they talk to each other) and the relationships you built for them were moving. I especially loved the relationship between Lake and her mom (I’m a mom of two myself). My “sweet” for the day is that my mammogram was not as uncomfortable as I had anticipated. Here’s to health. Have a great weekend!
My sweet would be that the sun and life has returned to normal here in SoFL. We were lucky that we didn’t feel a larger impact from Debby, however hoping that normal life returns to those in N. FL soon. My other sweet was learning that my favorite animal rescue group, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, was able to go up to N. FL to rescue some dogs stranded in the Debby floods. Here’s hoping that they get adopted into their furever homes soon.
Well I now have TWO sweets:
1. It’s My Mommy’s birthday – and I love My Mommy more than anything else in this world and she deserves the BEST birthday ever!!!! (BTW – her name is Janice and I’m telling her about this giveaway and she will be posting a comment too)
2. This post – I can’t tell you how happy I am for you and YOU deserve it!!!! Your books are butterflying amazing and I tell everyone I meet about them 😀
My sweet for today is the love shown to me by all my children on my birthday today…and every other day, too!
My sweet for the day is that kids finished another year of school. We move a lot and they never fail to amaze me how they adapt to new places and make friends and try their best at everything they do! Now to survive the summer!
PS- congrats on the new home!
My sweet is I’m packing to go to my aunts for 10 days and get to see my cousins.
My sweet for the day was my 5 year telling me I’m mean but that she still loves!! lol 🙂
Let me rephrase that: “My sweet for the day was my 5 year old telling me I’m mean but that she still loves me anyway” 🙂
My sweet for today was laughing until I had tears in my eyes with my friend at work. And I’m so happy to hear about your move! You earned it, for sure. :]
Congrats!
My sweet for today is two-fold: After writing 4000 words for a short fiction workshop I was accepted into, I celebrated by successfully making balsamic strawberry ice cream for the first time. Yum!
My sweet for the day was my 5 year old daughter’s doctor giving us the good news that her third surgery was successful! No more medications! Yeah!!
My sweet for the day was knowing my 1yr old nephew was fine after getting 7 stiches from falling in my back yard. Not only is he fine but he was back to jumping and yelling at me after a few hours 🙂 love seeing him smile!
Love your post…you made me tear up! Gahhh! Congratulations though, sounds like you have worked hard and deserve it..:)
My sweet for today was talking to my BFF who lives all the way in Florida (I am in CT) and hearing his baby in the background who is sooo stinking cute and I miss dearly.
My sweet for the day is that I ended my work day with a happy hours with some wonderful co-workers
I have been meaning to write to you about how much I love your books and now that I know that it has brought you success and comfort in your life, I couldn’t be happier for you. I first found your book because I am an absolute Avett Brothers fan and would gobble up anything that had to do with them. Then I saw that it was a love story and was instantly hooked. I just finished “Point of Retreat” and I used up all of my tears (both happy and sad). I loved it and thank you so much for writing it.
Oh also, my sweet for the day was I was out on a job site for work and The Avett Brothers’ new single “Live and Die” came on the radio. It was all I could do not to shout at everyone to be quiet till it was over. I have been in an amazing mood ever since.
Thank you for writing such wonderful books! I can’t wait for the next book 🙂
Sweet for the day is right now 😉 being a stay at home mom to my precious little girl! 15 months old today!
Congratulations! That is a wonderful story. I hope things just keep getting better for you.
Sometimes life is about litlle things too. My sweet for the day is knowing that there are a lot of happy endings out there. Fictional and non-fictional.
My worst suck in life ever was when my only son was diagnosed with rare type of bone cancer at the age of 16. We spent a year in and out of the hospital and his leg had to be amputated to save his life.
My sweet in life ever is that my beloved son is a cancer survivor. He turned 20 at the end of May, happy and healthy. He is enjoying Uni with lots of great friends and parents that love him dearly. Unlike Lake and Kel and others who were unlucky and lost Julia and the beloved ones to cancer … my husband and I are “Butterflying Lucky” that we still have our son with us … we are blessed!
Congratulations on moving in to a real house … keep writing great stories like “Slammed and Point of Retreat” and soon you and your family will own your own Real House … all the best!
Congratulations! Great story.
My sweet today is having some mom/son time (he’s 5) without the little sister. He must have told me he loved me every 10 minutes or so.
Congrats on the house! That is really great for you and your family. My sweet today was spending time with a friend and going to a book signing together. 🙂
Congrats!!! That’s amazing news!
My sweet for the day was snuggling on the couch with my family, finishing Point of Retreat 🙂
Oh congrats on your move. 😀
“My Sweet Today”, is every time my nephew wakes me with a wet kiss on my cheeks and tells me *tita “ekfast”* (he means breakfast).Then after that he’s gonna kiss me again and tell me * enk u tita wab you* (thank you tita love you!). And my life is always SWEET every time I wake up in the morning knowing that GOD gave me another day to share with my family.
Thank you again for this HUGE Giveaway!!!
I Love *SLAMMED series* can’t wait for BOOK 3!
GODBLESS!!!
My sweet today is playing with my 2 1/2 year old Rottie pup that I almost lost a couple of weeks ago. While on vacation earlier this month, I got news that my Rottweiler had become ill and was in a local animal hospital. I RUSHED home, took her to the nearby veterinary school hospital (best around) and began praying fervently that she would live. A week later, after being diagnosed with a rare tick-borne disease, she is recouperating at home, playing ball again, chasing my bike, and begging for frequent belly-rubs. She is my sweet…..today and everyday.
Thanks for the opportunity to get involved in this give-away.
Congratulations on your new house! 🙂
God bless you and yours.
Congratulations on your new house! Now that’s a real sweet!!
My sweet today was making people laugh so hard they were in tears. At work. In a meeting. On a video conference. I couldn’t tell you what the meeting was about but at least we had a good laugh. 😉
Thank you Colleen for such an amazing book. We have an unofficial book club at work and I have made everyone read it. EVERY single person has totally fallen in love with this book. We are all waiting to see what you do next!! My sweet for the day was planning our much needed family vacation for this summer.
Reading this post made me so happy!!! Congrats on the new house! You deserve it!
My sweet today? Getting everything on my to-do list for the day done. And some more. Can’t remember the last time that happened 🙂
My sweet for the day is that my kids are healthy and happy. No matter what else is happening, the important thing is we’re all healthy and good.
Oh Colleen that’s so good to hear! Really, i’m so happy for you guys. I must say that it’s not because of us, it’s because of you. It was you who gave us that amazing read. I’m an addicted reader so i’ve been reading a lot in these last 10 years of my life and there are so manny books out there right now, and so manny bad things that when we find something that good as your books it’s some kind of a relief you know!? So we’re the luck ones. 😉
Well my sweet today was a very good grade that i got in very dificulf class i have in college. That was awesome!
Congratulations!!
I don’t need a fire, but just wanted to be comment #335!! Congrats on the move. You deserve it!
Congratulations on the house! I’m sure your family is going to love it. My parents were 18/16 when they had me and 33 year later they are still together (come December it will be 34). My mom worked to put my dad through college. So congratulations to you!
My sweet: Finding out my undergrad uni now has a certificate in museum studies and was given the okay to submit an unofficial transcript of my master’s degree (I did mine in the UK). I can now apply for the Fall semester and I’m excited!
would you believe Wahoo’s tofu taco’s with my 4 favorite people? sublimely sweet to not have to cook dinner on a Thursday night. And in case you’ve never tried Wahoo’s Fish Taco’s (http://wahoos.com/) you don’t know what the butterfly you are missing!
Congats! My sweet for today is that it is my “birth-i-versary”. My birthday was Tues and my ninth wedding anniversary.
Is this open for international readers? Even if it isn’t, I’ll give this a shot. It’s Friday in my part of the world, something I consider a “sweet” in itself. But reading what you wrote about social work made me really happy because I took up a course closely related to it, and so far (two years after graduation) I’ve had two jobs that have nothing to do with it at all. In fact, I’ve gone corporate. I guess I’ve always had my heart in the right place; I just can’t afford a low paying social work at the moment. Too many things I want; too many luxuries I can’t let go. And I’m single. Knowing how meager the pay is in that kind of career and yet you managed to raise three boys?? That is definitely something. WOW. It makes me hope that maybe someday I can be a bigger person. That I can at least stop obsessively computing and compulsively buying, and just do what I studied to do in the first place. Hats off to you! Congrats on the new house. 🙂
Herro cousin! Soooooo happy for you and Heath and the boys! But umm… my SWEET would have to be getting to see my sisters after about a week! I’ve actually kinda sorta missed them in a way! Lol love ya girlie!
My sweet for the past few months has been finding a church that I really loved. They are very involved with community, locally and the country at large. Its an extremely welcoming place and I feel like I can grow there. 🙂
That is just wonderful. I’m so happy for you and your family. Your books are wonderful. I wish you all the happiness and success that life can bring you. Please keep writing. Julie Hamm
My sweet was helping a family get a new house and all I had to do was read a couple of wonderful books!! No need to give me anything, I just wanted to share:)
Congrats on your move!
I think a lot of us can agree THAT is our sweet…that our love of books can help a person or even a family.
Congratulations, Colleen! You deserve it! My sweet is that I have my friend, Jay, to let me vent during tough times.
Congrats! What great news. Well that’s definitely a sweet reading that post…but my sweet today is simply that it’s FRIDAY! And I have a butterflying fantastic weekend to look forward to with family and friends 🙂
My SWEET today is that it was thunder storming when I woke up this morning to do my 5K walk that I didn’t want to do!
my sweet today was feeling like complete crap but curling up on the couch with a butterflying good book…it helped. Congrats on the new house and thanks for the fab books – you deserve for writing such beautiful SLAM POETRY!
Love the suck and sweet “game”! My sweet today was a friend inviting me to hang out and do something outside of my comfort zone when we hadn’t spent time together in ages. A close second would be how hard I laughed at your “1970’s porn movie line”. 🙂
I need a fire or a book !! I love your success, I love how you honestly tell it. My sweet today is Jason sending me your post:)
Congratulations on the new house! 🙂
My sweet is that I get to see my boyfriend tonight after work. We’ve been together for five years, though we only get to see each other on the weekends. But that definitely beats only seeing each other once every couple of months like we did when we were in college.
My sweet for the day is… life… as precious as it is and the joy of living each day with my family…
Thank you for your book! I loved it and read it in about 10 hours start to finish… Dont stop sharing… You have a fan for life! BTW congrats on your “real” house! May God bless you and your family!
My sweet for today is having some fun playing tennis with one of my best friends! Even though she kicked my butterfly I am grateful that I can get up and move and feel healthy!
Congrats on the new house! 🙂
My sweet today is actually having my husband home for the next four days. He’s been working so hard that I never get to see him!
Thanks for the giveaway!
This was an AMAZING blog post, you’re an inspiration, Colleen. I am so happy for you and your family!!!!
My sweet today was FINALLY sleeping in for an extra two hours, after a couple weeks of sleep deprivation 🙂 lol. That’s a small sweet, but the day is still young!!
Congratulations on the move! My mom bought a mobile home so I know exactly how you feel.
My sweet, it’s 100 degrees and I don’t have to leave the house to go to work today 🙂
Congratulations on all of your accomplisments!
My sweet for today…. watching my 11 month play and laugh. He is such a blessing to my husband and I (as children generally are to their parents). We tried for 6 years before I conceived him. We still look at him everyday and say to each other “can you believe he’s actually ours?” So, not only is my sweet for today, he’s my sweet everyday.
My sweet was this morning at 1:45 when I finished “Point of Retreat” after starting it just hours before. LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!
Congrats on the new house!!! My sweet today was very very simple. Some new bookmarks came in the mail today, and I have an obsession with bookmarks!
My sweet for the day. Waking up to smiles from my 15 month old little boy 🙂
My sweet for the day would be I woke up early this morning and got to pack a lunch for my guy before he left for an exam. It’s the little things.. Congrats on the house. Now the trouble of unpacking begins!!
Congratulations, this is wow, you sometimes never put though to what a writers life is, you just think because they have this amazing way with words and create this wonderful characters and stories, that their life isn’t as hard as the rest of us.
So congratulations for your new home, I know the feeling must be surreal and is a wonderful that your creativity is the one contributing to fulfill your family dream.
For me Slammed and Point of Retreat has been one of the greatest treat and feast reading, I loved your characters and you moved me, and the story will stay with me for ever.
My sweet was reading your post, and the humble way you express your gratitude, thank you for that!
Oh by the way, I am from Honduras (Central America) and I love how even tho I live far away I could get my hands into your book and embrace them.
Going to food truck friday with my boyfriend and my puppy! it’s gorgeous outside!
My sweet is watching my 6 year old swooning over John Lennon.
First, I would like to say congrats on the new house, and the success of your books. I have heard nothing but good things about Slammed and Point of Retreat.
My sweet today was that it’s simmering hot outside and I didn’t have to leave the house!
It’s been a year since I graduated college, and I still haven’t nailed a job offer— which is understandable considering the economy yet very discouraging (especially emotionally) at the same time. Today I had a job interview, and for the first time, I felt confident after being bombarded with questions. I feel empowered and confident that nothing can turn my day upside down. My sweet day—- realizing never to give up and continuing to keep my head up high! With patience and hard work, good things are bound to come in one’s way!
my sweet for today was seeing my one year old take her first steps across the living room.=)
so happy for you! Congrats!
First off, a big congrats to you!!! We lived in a crappy house for a long time before we built and everyday I’m thankful,and I still get excited when I hear the a/c cut on…even 10 yrs later!!!
My sweet for the day would be the surprise ice cream my hubby bought me!! Yum!!
Congrats! You’re very deserving and your story definitely inspires!
My sweet for the day was spending time with my sister that I see only twice a year. (:
First things first…. Great post and you totally deserve it! Your books had me crying like a baby and i was totlly hooked to both! That talent deserves recognition. Also, you are so grateful…. Awesome. Ok, my sweet was taking my son to the grocery store and letting him push his own little cart and fill it up. Hes two and it was hilarious.
Okay Miss Hoover I am now the 372 comment and although I have signed copies of your books I had to come over and say how brilliant you are. My family and I do a high and low of the day and I love it and I’m sharing the high with you…Today is my day off and I woke to my hubby who surprisingly also had a day off, he made me coffee and we talked about our new 4×4 when one of my daughters walked out shaggy and adorable, snuggled up to her dad and the three of us sat under the duvet because it’s winter here and my house (our first home which we fought for) is about a hundred years old- snuggling talking about our planned camping trip.
Lame? But I loved it.
Congrats to you and your family that’s awesome! I completely understand the value of the AC as mine just currently decided to stop working *sigh* of well…. my sweet- my parents are in town for a visit so we can all sweat together tonight! Love your books keep them coming!
Congrats on moving forward! You and your family deserve every bit of happiness =]. My sweet for today was getting a phone call from my uncle who lives a couple hours away, asking how i was doing. That was sweet of him to do so.
So happy for you! My sweet for the day was surprising my kids at the pool and my 2.5 yr old was so excited he cried out “Mama!” and threw himself into my arms. Totally made my day!
My sweet is that its a weekend and i get to have a rest from a tiring workweek!
My sweet is that it is a weekend and I get to have a break from excel sheets!!!!!
Honestly, your books are my favorites of all times and I cant wait for the next book in the slammed series. So anyway my sweet for today is right now because i love learning more about your life and your reason behind writing theses amazing books of yours. Also i just want to say thank you for sharing your beautiful writing skills with us. i’ll be looking forward to reading more of your books in the future and will be keeping a look out for more post on your blog. Thank you!!!!!!
My sweet today is feeling grateful for my beautiful, healthy children, Sammie and Jackson, and my rock-solid, totally awesome husband, Jason :). Thanks for the reminder, Colleen!
My sweet for the day is having a wonderful little girls. My youngest one just gave me a drawing she made of me and her. I was the queen and she’s the princess.
Colleen, what a big heart you have. Thank you for sharing so much of your world with your readers. My sweet is that none of my three teenage daughters is in drama mode today. What a relief… because moms are only as happy as their least happy child. <3
Congrats Colleen, nothing is sweeter then being able to better the lives of your babies! 😀 For some reason I see more great things in your future. Keep up the great work.
My Sweet for the day may not sound like a Sweet to most people, but I was diagnosed with having a Gluten allergy. Which I know sounds aweful, but for me it is one of the Sweetest things ever…. I finally have a answer to all my health problems.
Congratulations on the house! So happy for you and your family that even my heart is smiling. Thank you for sharing this personal news with your fans. You’re work has made so many readers happy and I’m glad that our purchases of your books has made a difference to your family. So great to hear news like that. Congrats again!
My sweet? My brother and I are nine years apart, he’s 23 and I’m almost 32. We were very close until he was about 14 or 15. Once he hit puberty I guess he thought talking to his older sister wasn’t cool anymore. Things continued to be this way and I was starting to get heart broken because we no longer had a strong brother and sister bond. Well starting at the beginning of this month things started to change. I noticed that my brother was finally starting to reach out to me. He’s been calling or texting me just to talk as to before when he would only call if he needed something. I’m hoping things continue to be this way and he and we can start going back to having that strong brother and sister connection that I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve missed my little brother even though he’s always been around. I have wonderful friends in my life but I guess what I’d always wanted was to have my brother as one of my best friends and I’m really hoping that’s where we’re headed
My sweet is the sound of the kids in my house followed by the silence of nap time!
Colleen, I am so happy for you and your family! This post caused me to seriously tear-up and it’s not just from the prospect of winning a signed copy of Slammed. My sweet would be that since I learned how to read I’ve wanted to be apart of the process of making books (in some way). Well, recently my Dad’s friend, who has a book that is being published, asked me to design a blog for him. I watched his book trailer and took a little inspiration from it to make the design. According to him, the publishing house has been sending him mock covers for three months, none of them being anything he jumped on. Then the other day, he sent them a sample of the blog I’m designing and, today, they sent him a new cover. They took some inspiration from my blog and they’ve decided that it will be the final cover. Even though it was just inspiration, I couldn’t be any more excited to finally have a helping hand in making something as wonderful as a book come to life.
Best of times to you and your family,
Olivia
My sweet for today was sitting on the beach with my sister & best friend with a drink on my hand….only to be made better by the local bar playing Kiss the Girl from myall time favorite – Little Mermaid!
Congrats on the house !!!
My sweet for today is that all my labwork and scans came back negative so I am officially Cancer -FREE!!!! woohoo !!! One of the BEST days ever !!
Thanks for letting us share our sweets.
Kim H.
I have had very little sleep the last two days as I’ve been blowing through your books! I often wonder what it is that draws me to a novel such as yours. One that I just can’t put down. I’ve come to realize that it’s because of the way in which they leave me feeling so grateful for my own story. So…..my sweet for today is the fact that it’s my husband’s birthday.
The day the man I adore was born.
The day my future was written.
The day the world became a better place because he’s in it.
The day that brought forth the man that would make me a better person.
The day the world WOULD BECOME a better place because of the two lives we would create together.
As I finished Point of Retreat at two a.m this morning I rolled over in bed and watched him sleep. I wished him a silent Happy Birthday and my heart was filled with so much love for this man. This man that has given me so many sweets and makes me laugh evey day.
So thank you for writing a book that reminds me that love stories aren’t just written in fairy tales and that they dont have to involve tragedy or super natural beings. But rather they are written by us every day.
Rebecca
MY SWEET FOR THE DAY: WATCHING MY SON REEL IN HIS FIRST FISH ALL ALL BY HIMSELF , AND SAYING ” I GOT ONE , I GOT ONE” “LET ME DO IT DADDY” THE LOOK ON HIS FACE & HOW EXCITED HE WAS , WAS GREAT 🙂
Super congrats on the new house!!! You deserve all the sweets coming your way! 🙂
My sweet for the day? I’ve had a sucky week in general, and this morning both my babies (I say babies – but at 7&8 they aren’t so baby anymore!) woke up early and crawled into my bed with me for snuggles. SO RARE. As the youngest was practically draped across me she said I was the “best mommy ever”. A simple little thing maybe, but a morning like that wiped out a weeks worth of suck.
Colleen, Thank you so much for writing such great stories! I LOVE THEM and have told everyone I know to download them!
My sweet for today.. Spending a rainy Oregon day watching my 9 year old daughter play dress up with my 1 year old German Shepard! 🙂 They are having the best day and entertaining me to no end! 🙂
My Sweet? Seeing my little Sister’s life be completely changed for the better because of Y’ALL!!! Colleen & her husband are 2 of the hardest working people I know. They are such wonderful parents to my 3 beautiful nephews. They never complain and are grateful for everything. I have logged on here for 4 days in a row to catch up on all the “Sweets” from her fans. I have cried every time. It makes my heart smile so big to see other people love and appreciate Colleen and her God-given talent, her witt, humor and selflessness. THANK YOU to everyone who helped my Sister’s dreams become a reality! I LOVE ALL OF Y’ALL!!!
Wow, that’s great! My sweet is watching Lord of the Rings with my family 🙂
I’m not lying when I say i have tears in my eyes, it’s amazing to see that no matter what, you can always get through a dificult situation. Your book Slammed got to me in one of those moments you need to hear certain things (or read in this case) It gave me time to see things in a different perspective. Thank you for your great work. Can’t wait to read more books from you.
And congratulations on your new house blessings and greetings.
My sweet for the day hasn’t happen yet, but I’m about to go and see with my family Ice Age.
B
My sweet of the day is waking up to see my dad home on a Sunday and not at work 😀
My sweet for today is hearing your good news! I am a huge fan of yours and hope your new home is everything you want it to be!
my sweet today is all about the AC! thank heaven for cool air during a heat wave!
My sweet for today was finding out one of my best friends that has been serving overseas for the past two years is heading home and I get to see her in 3 short weeks!!! I also just finished Slammed and started Point of retreat…I can’t even tell you how much your books have touched me!!! Thank for being an amazing author and sharing your passion with me!!! Please continue to write!!! I love Will!!!
Love your post Colleen, and so happy for you! You deserve every success, and all of the good things in life!
Ummm, my sweet was climbing into bed with my 6 year old and hearing him say “Mummy I never wanna let you go”. How amazing is that!
My sweet… Is my husband surprised with roses. Beautiful roses… And after twenty years they still have a magical effect on me.
My sweet… Today my husband brought me roses… Beautiful roses. And after twenty years… They still have that magical effect on me.
Congratulations on your new home! My Sweet today was spending the morning in bed with my 2 year old son snuggling and singing.
Oh Colleen! That is so sweet to hear about your house 🙂 Congrats ! My sweet today is still being in my pj’s at 2:00 with my kids! Don’t make your permanent house plans yet, because you’re going to be a millionaire if you keep writing & why not go for the mansion?! You are made to write & tell stories. Not everybody who’s doing it is, but you are truly talented. God given talent. Enjoy the air conditioner 🙂
Love to read your posts!! Congrats on moving into a home! My sweet today is waking up without a hangover after partying too much on my birthday last night! haha!
My sweet is that I get to see my mum for the first time since I turned 15 (a year ago) !! 🙂 Your story is inspiring to taught me to stay strong.
I’m so happy for you and your family! 🙂
I didn’t really have a sweet today but I did go to my first Author signing the day. It was amazingly sweeeet!
Congratulations! That is a huge milestone! My sweet today has been meeting my first weight goal! I have been working my butterflying butt off to reach my first goal. 24lbs later I am now under 200lbs! So butterflying happy!
Also, thank you for the awesome book!
Congrats on the house. It will take forever to unpack all of the boxes!
My sweet for the day was being able to take a 2.5 hour nap, while my kids slept too, during a rain shower. So Sweet!
My sweet for today was going out to breakfast with my husband and then finishing off the remodel of my daughters’ room. So happy for you and your family 🙂
Congratulations!! I know what it is like to raise three children in a mobile home, it was so hot and I didn’t have an air conditioner, it would get up to 100 degrees inside. I am thankful to God that I don’t have to do that anymore. My sweet for today was that I didn’t have to work today, I got to sit home and relax and do some knitting!!
Excellent story! My sweet for today was meeting another New Adult author who has been signed with the publisher that I recently got signed with as well. It shows me that this new category is growing and that people really do want to read about twenty-somethings! It makes me so happy because I enjoy writing it so much 😀
My sweet was spending the day outside with my three wonderful kids and husband.
Ps. Thanks to reading your amazing books we now do a sweet and suck at dinner. The kids love it.
SWEET- easy. My husband took the kids out for the whole day. So I had a day to myself….. of course ive been reading all day. Oh the sweet silence!!!
Congratulations!!! Your post is so touching. I’m so happy for you and your family. May you continue to be blessed in all that you do. My sweet today was my free Starbuck’s frappaccino I got in a pay it forward from the driver in front of me. So good to know there are still those kind of people out there. 🙂
My sweet for the day- watching my two year ride his four wheeler up and down the street bone stock naked. It was butterflying funny!
My sweet of the day is totally this post. I absolutely love reading but the fact that I also benefit authors when I read their work is just even more satisfying. Especially knowing that YOU’RE happy too because you can’t be a writer unless well, you love to write. I’m just so beyond happy for you! I can’t wait for you to move into a bigger home that you’ll OWN!
Colleen I’m so happy for you! You have come so far by unleashing your talent to the world, you deserve everything you’ve ever dreamed of!
My sweet for the day was spending time with my girlfriends. I’m getting married in 27 days and both of them are bridesmaids in the wedding. After the wedding I’m moving to Florida (from Missouri – where I’ve lived my entire life in the same house and known the same groups of people that I went to school with since kindergarten!) I’ve really been thinking about how much I’m going to miss my friends and I spent my entire weekend with two of my closest ones just relaxing and girling out! I’ve known one of them since the first day of kindergarten and one from the first day of high school. I had a great time and really appreciate knowing I have two AMAZING friends that I can count on!
P.S. One of them loves to read so I suggested Slammed to her. She ordered the sample and read the whole thing and wanted to keep reading so she ninja’d my cell phone so she could use my kindle app and read 64% in one night! We both stayed up all night so we could talk about what was happening as she read through it. I ordered it for her so she could read it on her own kindle and she can’t wait to finish and order the sequel! She also said she thinks her and Eddie would be great friends. Haha!
I can relate! I too married my high school sweetheart (23 years ago) and we had our first child “ahem” 3 1/2 years premature LOL! My sweet for the day is that we rode the Harley through Kettle Moraine and just enjoyed being together, even though we both were sweating in the 90 degree heat!
Collen,
It is so amazing to hear your story. It truly put a smile on my face. My hubby and I have been married for 11 years and just bought our first house a few months ago. We have 4 kids and had to live in a teeny-tiny apartment for the last 5 years and I completely understand how you feel. There is nothing more sweeter than to be able to give your kids the opportunity to run around and be kids. So my sweet for the day is watching my kids and my niece and nephew run around and make lasting memories together.
Congrats on the move 🙂
My sweet is when you announce me as the winner of the Kindle Fire!! Okay seriously…As you may know I’m in nursing school (I know, I know, you said no sucks, lol). Anyways, since I already have a BS degree I am not eligible for any federal aid and so far have had to pay EVERYTHING out of pocket. Before I started school, I saved and saved and then saved my ass off so I wouldn’t accrue any debt. So far I have made it without having to take out ANY loans! Well, I just received a call telling me that my application had been chosen to receive a focus grant (it’s a healthcare grant with very limited funds and they only select a few, kinda like a scholarship). So the rest of my school is going to be 100% paid for; tuition, books, anything the program requires me to purchase or have, this grant pays for it (even my health insurance). They also give me money for gas!!!! The best part, I don’t have to pay ANY of it back…can I hear ya say FREE MONEY! That also means that all the money I had saved for the rest of nursing school gets to stay in savings to get me on my feet after I graduate, OH HOW SWEET IT IS!!!
My sweet for the day is enjoying a relaxing day with my hubby (who just got home from TDY) and our 3 boys!! Even doing nothing we have a blast!!
Wow reading that gave me cold chills! Its really nice to see someone who is a success be so humble! My sweet for the day is knowing the few bucks I spent for your two books made a difference in your families life! Enjoy your new home, you deserve it!
My sweet today was when my 4yr old came out of the pool just to give me a kiss <3
I am so glad I bought your book (it's on my to be read list) and it has helped your family. Enjoy everyday!
my sweet of the day: is a number of things. waking up being able to get out of bed, healthy and mobile. my dog giving me a kiss and snuggling up to me. going to church and getting the recharge for the week. visiting my parents. visiting my friends. swimming in a pool while it was 98 and having my dog with me in the pool with our other little doggie friend. the air conditoner. food in the cabinet. life has alot of hardships, but the little moments make it worth living!
If i got a kindle fire because my mom wont let me play hers
🙂
My mom has your your book but she wont let me read it. If I had a kindle fire your book would be the first book I would read I swear
🙂
Wow – my first sweet would be spending the day with my family at the pool and just relaxing for a change. My second sweet would be reading your post. I to have been with my high school sweetheart since I was 15. Now 20 years later, married with two children, life has been anything but easy but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Thank you for sharing!
My sweet today was discovering your butterflying blog as I got ready to reread Slammed! Congratulations on your new home! How exciting! I also chose one of the lowest-paying careers out there–I’m a teacher :)–and just managed to buy my first place.
Mer- <3 <3 <3
My sweet for today was working on a book that I just recently started thanks to you and some other great authors that inspired me to do something I never thought I could!!! Thank you!!!
My sweet for the day? I was about to have a suck. I was sitting at my computer writing a research paper for my master’s degree and I had research paper hair, face and smell going on strong. I was near meltdown when my husband, who was supposedly downstairs playing a video game, walked into the room and presented me with lunch, a dozen red roses, and a kiss on the forehead. And when I opened my mouth to ask why, he cut me off and he said, “Because you’re my wife. You’re special to me. And I just didn’t want you sitting up here forgetting that.”
I’ve been hugging those roses all day, btw… 🙂
My sweet thing of the day was reading this post. What an awesomely honest and real blog post. Hey hey, I’ve been there, and you know, sometimes out in this great big world, we feel like no one else has ever had to go through hard times like we have. It’s not that I would ever be happy to think someone had struggled like I did, but reading your pure joy at having a “real” house brought back a very sweet memory for me! Congratulations, and have bunches of fun putting all your stuff at just the right spot in your real house!
My sweet today was finally saving enough money to buy a new fridge since my other one broke a couple of weeks ago :)! And congrats on your sweet, what fantastic news!
Love you, Colleen! You are an awesome writer and deserve every wonderful thing coming your way 🙂 My sweet for the day is reading this beautiful post you decided to share with us. You rock! Congratulations on your big move <3 <3
My sweet of the day was finding out I will graduate with a 4.0 from Grad. School this month.
Oh Elizabeth! I am soooo happy for you! I am on my way to that same news so I know how exciting today was for you. That is such an amazing accomplishment! Congratulations on your hard work and your VERY DESERVED 4.0!
My sweet of the day (besides my sweetie) was Strange Summer Mysteries, A Day at the Beach anthology from Whortleberry Press was published and my story, “The Sea was Angry” is the first one.
My sweet for the day…finding my babies together in a fit of laughter! He’s four, she’s 18 months and there is no sound more beautiful to my ears!
Congrats on the house…how exciting!!
Fantastic news about your move into new house, home sweet home, congrats on that sweet news. My sweet of the day was simply sharing some quality time with hubby strolling along the beach and ocean, eating fish and chips and fresh cherries for sweet dessert treat. Yay the sun actually shined today, the past days have been mostly gray.
ladybugcda (at) hotmail (dot) com
https://twitter.com/toothfairycyber/status/219624719266222082
sweet retweet
ladybugcda (at) hotmail (dot) com
My sweet will have to be sleeping in when school holidays are on!!!
2 sweets for the day. We have had a horrible few weeks. My landlord decided to raise the rent on my house so my husband, daughter and I had to move in with my parents. A week later my dad found out he has some problems with his heart (odd how it worked out that we are now here to help him). 1st sweet of the day, my Dad had a pretty good day. He is feeling great despite the heat. 2nd sweet of the day. I ran across this and get to enter for asigned copy of Slammed. I love you Colleen! You are one of my favorite authors ever!
So happy for you Colleen!!
My sweet for the day was picking strawberries with my husband and daughter. She loved it and they are the best strawberries i’ve ever had! xo
Colleen, you are amazing! My favorite summer read has been slammed! No joke! My family even does a sweet/suck each night! 🙂 my sweet of tonight is laying in my bed right now after having spent the weekend in a yurt tent at girl scout camp with my 5-year old daughter! Gosh, those beds were hard!
Congratulations on your success! Like I have said before, I love love love the Slammed series… My sweet for the day is how amazed I am at all the support we have received from COMPLETE STRANGERS in our time of need. It warms my heart to know that people still care…
Congratulations on your house and your rising success!! SO very deserving!! 2 sweets of the day: First sweet, spending time with lots of family and then napping with my 2 little ones; second sweet reading your post, put a huge smile on my face!!
My sweet today was dumping a water bottle on my boyfriend. Frickin hilarious. ’nuff said.
My sweet of t he day is discovery your books, I literally read both of them in one day ! I am a huge fan of yours and think you are an amazing writer !
Congratulations!
My sweet for the day would be that I accepted a full scholarship to law school! That will definitely be my sweet for the next 3 years.
My sweet is my sister is visiting from NC. We haven’t seen each other for several years. She brought along her two year old grandaughter to visit with my two year old grandson. The two cousins are so cute together! We are looking forward to spending alot of time at the beach here in beautiful Hilo, HI 🙂
My sweet for the day was when I was buckeling my 3.75 year old in his booster seat, right before I shut the door he says ” I want to give you a kiss”. Not only did I get one, but I got two. My daughter also give me a sweet today. I got them set up for breakfast at daycare and she tell me “Bye!” with a big smile on her face. Now I don’t know if she was being sincere or she was plotting something (the jury is still out on this one!).
my family owns a golf course and with the economy, our lives have been pretty tough too…..my sweet today was getting in my car to go to work and seeing a hot pink golf ball my dad put in my cup holder that said “hope” on it
its always those little sweets in life that help the days go by
My sweet was having dinner together as a family after the horrible storm on Friday. We were one of the lucky ones to not lose power. Love your books, Colleen! Opened my eyes to the Avett Brothers and Slam poetry!
My sweet is right now. Watching my overgrown mutt chase leaves in her kiddie pool.
My sweet of the day was seeing that you follow me on twitter! My username is Hannah_salter. Please bring out more books soon xx
My sweet today is being in the car with my Hubby, 2 boys, our dog on our way to my sis-in-laws for the 4th! I love spending time with my family, since my oldest is about to leave for college this summer I’m treasuring each moment with him as well as the rest of my family!
My sweet yesterday was finding and reading your books, didn’t do anything but read yesterday, Thank You!! They were awesome and much of it really hit home for both my husband and myself, I could totally relate to Will and Lake and you can be sure I’ll be telling my friends about them! Can’t wait to read more of your books and anxiously await Slammed from Wills point of view.
Enjoy your family and your life!
my sweet today was spending time with my hubby – we both had the day off, not a usual happening, while he watched the ball game, I finished reading Point of Retreat. My 2nd sweet was re-telling the story of Lake & Will to my hubby and he listened – (he asked what the fuss was all about that I couldn’t put the book down) My suck – I finished both books and now I’m back to wanting more….
Colleen – congrats on 2 great books- They were recommened by S.C. Stephens on her FB page – so glad I take recommendations seriously. Now, I’m recommending them to everyone I know.
Also, congrats on the new house!
My sweet today was finishing Slammed and Point of Retreat during my two year old’s nap. The story really has me thinking I need to start writing poetry again. I used to do it all the time and love it and somewhere along the line, I just stopped for no reason. So sweet today was reading your awesome stuff and getting majorly inspired. Suck? (not that you asked lol) suck was Gabriella waking up whining with only 3 pages left! Please write another…please, I’m in character love with Will.
My sweet today is getting a big fat “infinity hug and kiss” from my 5 year old daughter.
my sweet today was reading point of retreat on my one day off from two jobs. i loved it. my heart ache for will through the whole thing and i loved that they had there happy ending. march 2nd will have a place in my heart for them! thanks for the great read!
my sweet today… watching my 3 kids (9,7,4) knowing that everything I put into life is for them and although sometimes the s*** really stinks, we get through it. Thanks for sharing your s*** — it’s starting to come up roses for you and your bemazing mind!!!! Congrats on the move. You know you posotutely ROCK right?
my sweet today was realizing that all the enjoyment I get from reading your books is also your sweet because it helped make your dream come true. How often can someone honestly say that their joy has such a profound affect on people they don’t know. Thank you for bringing the joy of your works to me.
ah I saw this blog to late obviously..but I still wanna say that Im so happy for you!!! I wish you all the luck and happiness in your new home!!
My sweet
my sweet are my children. I look at these women and I am amazed at what came forth from me. all I can say is thank you jesus for blessing me.
This contest may very well be over, but I figured what can it hurt to share something good that has happened to me today? So here goes…
I have two sweets for today. My first is that I got to have lunch with my little brother today. I am 23 and he is 4. He is my half brother, which means that even when I am ‘home’ from grad school, I don’t necessarily get to see him. Because of this, I cherish every moment I get from him. When I walked in the door today, he ran to me and threw his arms around my neck. Best feeling in the world. Unconditional love is a powerful thing.
My second sweet is reading this post. (for real. I’m not just looking for brownie points :)). Anyways, yes. I grew up with a single mom and two sisters. Money was always tight for us as well. We’ve struggled my entire life, so I know the feeling you were describing. My mom is a wonderful, wonderful person, but she is still only one person. She can only work so much. It warms my heart to read your blog about the new opportunities you and your family are getting to experience because of the wonderful stories you have created! You go girl!
I can relate to your story. I’m 31. I’ve been married for 13 years already. I think I loved Will so much in your stories because he reminded me of my husband. Same type of person, except he’s a firefighter not a poet 😉 I have 4 kids in a 2 bedroom house. My youngest has special needs. We make it work 🙂
My ‘sweet’ for today is that i am going to the Baltimore Ravens opening pre-season game tonight with my sister and her fiance. My other sweet is signing on the computer every morning to read your blogs. I can’t wait for Will’s Story! 🙂 Congrats on the new house and the success on your books. They are butterflying GREAT!!!
Congratulations Colleen! Your writing is beautiful, and you deserve nothing but success. Enjoy your new home! My sweet for the day was my baby boy giving me a tight hug this afternoon when he woke up from his nap. 🙂
my sweet was finding out my dad is coming this saturday after a long tripp!!
My sweet today was picking up my 16 year old son after finishing his last exam. He bought me a little bunch of flowers and thanked me for everything I have ever done for him, all the love and support to get him through his life and exams so far.
Congrats on your new home! my sweet of the day was discovering my new fav avett brothers song if its the beaches
My sweet for the day is that my 21 month old daughter said “love you mommy” for the first time ever! Melted my heart and made me cry. The other was this post. So happy for you and gives me hope. My hubby is trying to finish his degree and get into law school (and we aren’t spring chickens, we are in our early 30s) and this reminded me that we can get through it and there is a light at then of the tunnel! Thank you!
My sweet was hearing that my kindergartener is reading at a third grade reading level. I couldn’t be pruder of him!
My sweet for the day is that I finally, after paying my own way through college, living on my own got a late acceptance into law school. I still can’t believe that all my hard work has paid off & that i can finally make all my dreams come true. I hope before I know it, i graduate & even though so many people told me I wasn’t smart enough, I’ve proved them wrong, it’s tough for a student living on their own but I think I’m trying my hardest! Thank you Colleen, your books are amazing as well as your story!
Congrats Colleen! So happy for you. What a story! It brought tears to my eyes. Life is amazing and has a funny, unexpected way of just bringing things together for us, despite our struggles. Ok…with that, I will say my SWEET today is simply being grateful that I was blessed to awaken to another day, having a job to go to and mostly, the priceless time I have spending with my wonderful children! Picking them up from school after a long work day is the SWEET of it all for me! 🙂
Your story sounds familiar as mine in exception I haven’t written a book. I would sure love to… Congrats SWEET
What an amazing story, your hard work has paid off, Your books are so great! Congrats! Sweet for the day- I too married my highschool sweetheart, we just celebrated our 13 and 10 year anniversary. He works his behind off so I can be at home with our 2 more than amazing boys! As you well know the sacrifices, it’s truly the best thing in the world to watch these babies grow! Congrats again on your new home!
My sweet is simple…building tents from blankets with my Godchildren while eating basagna under them
My husband has been laid off and back in again and back off again for the past 6 years. He works in construction and when the economy tanked work was slow. I work in childcare and lets face it, there is no money there. To make a ling story short we had to move in wirh my parents. I am 32 now and we were there for 3.5 years. Waaaaaay too long. My husband got a better job and we were able to move into our first house. It is a rental but very nice. My 6 year old daughter comes and tells me when I am unpacking some things says “mommy this is the best house ever. I love it here.” There is a girl from her class 3 houses down. To make it better she said that she likes to sleep in her own room now when she has never done so before. Seeing her so happy today was awesome.
My SWEET of the day is coming home after work to my three girls who meet me happily at the door. The small things. Congrats on your new home and your success!
My sweet is that after a week in the crappiest hotel in the world( the local hospital) my son has been allowed home and I too get to sleep in a real bed!
My sweet today was after a week in the crappiest hotel ever(aka the local hospital) my son has been allowed home!!! I too can sleep on a proper bed tonight !!!
An so pleased for you xxxxx
My sweet today was being told that after a week in the crappiest hotel in the world( my local hospital!!) my son was allowed home!!! We too can sleep in a decent bed!!!
I am so pleased for you x
My sweet for the day is being pain free for the last three days. It is one of those little blessings amongst the 100s that I could be truly grateful for, but that is it!
My sweet was finishing Point of Retreat and it was butterflying amazing
My sweet was having a shit night and then waking up to knowing I’m okay and that life goes up and down and all I can do is be grateful that I have another day to smile. x
Congratulations! My sweet for the day is my 5 year old son being so excited for school today because it was “Daddy Doughnut Day”, and he got to have breakfast with Daddy.
Hello Colleen, wow! That truly is awesome! I guess my sweet today would be the idea that dreams can come true…which this post is proof of! Congrats to u and your family! It’s crazy to hope that one day I might be published too! I’ll keep dreaming of that moment! Thank you for everything…but your stories and gratitude go far beyond my thank you! xo from Alaska
My sweet today was my 3rd old son telling me I’m his favourite girl 😉 and while discussing my upcoming wedding I mentioned I’m going to look pretty, he told me I already look pretty (whilst I was sitting in my pyjamas, no make up and bed hair!)
my sweet for today is reading this page 🙂
Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would bbe okay.
I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blopg and look forward to
new updates.
Congrats on all the big accomplishments in your life! May you feel the inspiration to keep writing more awesome books. I’ll definitely be here to read ’em all. 🙂 My sweet for the day: Knowing I only have 5 more days of work before Christmas break so I can be at peace for one day and spend it with my family. 🙂
My sweet for the day is that the stomach flu that has plagued our house for the past week is GONE! We have been puke free for 24 hours! Im so happy i could cry… lol
Also the nice lady in the Starbucks drive thru today paid for my tea so i paid it forward and paid for the person behind me 😀
My sweet for the day was reading this old blog. God, I love you! Honestly, I’ve never been much of a reader up until last year. I work 2 jobs and have 2 boys, 18 and 10, and have zero time for “me time”.
Until I read my first CoHo book, Slammed. I was hooked! We won’t get into the strength IEWU gave me this summer after reading it. Who knew how much I needed to read that? Someday I’ll tell you my story.
You may never see this post Colleen, but I want to put it out there that you have definitely made an impact on my life. Thank you for keeping it real…
Xo, k
My sweet for today……I got a little closer to being ready for Christmas!
Sweet: I’m at the movies with my best friends about to see JLaw in Passengers…it’s the simple things in life!!!
My day was made by your post!!