My Three Kids

Baby Picture

So this picture pretty much says it all . . .

I’m about to take my hiatus and am thrilled to be leaving the blog in the hands of some established and aspiring writers. I love to promote and encourage other writers in any way I can, so giving these talented folks some space on the blog was a welcomed idea. I hope you will enjoy and encourage them as well – feel free to leave them a comment or two.

Thanks for all the love on my book and baby birthing journeys. I can’t wait to hold all three in my arms.

m

Wrapping Things Up

I know, I know. It’s hard to believe I’m actually posting two blogs in one month. Perhaps this is because I realize the impending maternity leave is getting closer and I’m hoping to pass the blog off to some other folks . . . .

Atlanta Christmas Market

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“Yes!!!” So, maybe I felt this way as we were leaving the Georgia Congress Center. Finishing this event meant our book travels were coming to a close for the year. (And, well, Auburn also won the SEC Championship Game right across the street from us!) It’s been a terrific season of reaching a whole batch of new readers. Thanks to all who helped out with this last show!

Wicksburg High School

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I must admit, I was a little nervous when I was asked speak to a group of college AP English students . . . especially, since I would be the first person standing in front of them following their Thanksgiving holiday break. These nerves were a waste of energy because the students were awesome! I expect big things from these guys, writing or otherwise. Thank you to the school and staff for a fabulous bright and early morning!

Geneva City Middle School

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Postponed. The doctor said it was time to put my feet up. Looking forward to hanging out with these amazing middle school students next spring!!!

Guest Bloggers

Stay tuned! I’m hoping to introduce you to both some experienced and aspiring writers while I’m on maternity leave. I hope you enjoy hearing from them over the next few months!

Book Two

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Insert “big sigh” here. There’s a countdown going on, so things are close . . . really close. I’ll be heading to the printer soon and handing out the manuscript to five practice readers. I’m about to burst with excitement and am very hopeful this book will have a name by the end of the year. Thanks for your enthusiasm during this process!!!

Merry Christmas!

m

P.S. I’ll officially be on a writing break soon and would love some fiction reading recommendations. Send me a message with your favorites!

 

On The Road

The title of this blog very much sums up the last two months for this author. We have our last out-of-town gig next week, and, as much as I love to travel, this momma is ready to enjoy being home for the holidays.

Travel Spots

Auburn Football Game

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This football season has been a true fairytale come-back story for our tigers. And, as with Book One, if you look closely you’ll find a reference or two for the loveliest village on the plains in Book Two. War Eagle!

NYC Babymoon

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My favorite human and I picked the Big Apple for our last pre-baby trip, which included LOTS of eating, exploring, and walking. While I normally take advantage of being in a different place to get creative ideas, I took a much-needed break from all things book this trip.

Nashville Family Weekend

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The whole crew watched my cousin get hitched last weekend in the Country Music Capital and, needless to say, there was lots of belly rubbing going on.

Sharing Book One

We’ve enjoyed sharing the first installment of The Waiz Chronicles with folks near and far over the last two months.

Local Holiday of Hope Event

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We got our feet wet in the holiday show business in our hometown to celebrate a great cause. Thank you to Covenant Hospice and all our volunteers for a great event!

Panama City Holly Fair

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While it’s tough to work when you know the beach is right outside, we enjoyed meeting some wonderful folks and sharing Book One at this festive fair. Thank you to our moms for helping out so this pregnant lady could sneak in some afternoon naps.

Beverlye Middle School

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So, I have to admit, this was a highlight for me. I LOVE students!!! They’re just a blast to inspire and encourage in the areas of reading and writing. Kudos to the school staff and students for making this a morning of pure fun!!!

 

Authonomy

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So this is a website by HarperCollins Publishing for authors to (gulp) put their work in the hands of other writers and readers for feedback. If you still haven’t managed to read Book One, you can read the first three chapters here for free: http://authonomy.com/books/56335/escape-from-differe/

Book Two Update

Okay, so I almost left this part out because you and I both want my update to say, “It’s finished.” I’m happy to say that things are moving along and the beta (practice) readers are ready (as am I) to get their hands on the revised manuscript. Here’s the deal, I could (and might) write a whole blog on why the heck the editing has dragged on for so long . . . but, I’ll just say this for now: the overall challenges have contributed to major roadblocks in the process, BUT overcoming those has secured an even better story (both personal and creatively). All that to say, it’s going to be awesome, and I think you’re going to love it.

Hugs to you all! I am thankful for each for you!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

m

 

My “Momma” Journal

Well, let’s see what have I done besides grow the past few months?

Momma Travels

Really, are you surprised? Of course, we’ve flown across the county since I last wrote. We had a lovely family vacay visiting my sis and bro-in-love in California. We’re very thankful these folks frequently move and tend to live in awesome places to visit! But, hey, since this was our second trip to see them in California, my husband half-jokingly informed them it’d be time for a new move soon. Most of our stay was in Yosemite National Park. And, as always, I snapped a few pics for The Waiz Chronicles, in particular scenes for Book Three.

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Momma Speaks

I had the privilege of speaking to over 200 homeschooling families at their annual back-to-school, er, back-to-home meeting in August. Yes, it’s true, I am a former homeschooler of twelve years. Thankfully, I’ve been told on numerous occasions that my social skills are “still pretty good.” 🙂 It was an honor to encourage these families for the coming school year. We also shared a few laughs over my top ten “You Might be a Homeschooler If” list, my favorite being, “You might be a homeschooler if biology class consists of assisting in your sibling’s birth.” Um, gross.

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Momma speaks some more and holiday shows have been postponed until November because . . .

 

Momma Edits . . . and edits  . . . and edits

Yes, Book Two is nearly finished! Well, okay, so the ready-to-read draft is almost finished. Definitely need to come up with a title soon . . . naming Baby Bolden seemed much easier somehow.

 

Momma’s Sneak Preview

As promised, here’s our latest promotional flyer with a “teaser” for Book Two.

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Momma & Daddy’s Girl

Saved the best for last. Yep, it’s a girl! Miss Isabel Jewel Bolden is already a delight. Her momma is ready to finish Book Two so she can fully enter into baby mania mode.

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I treasure you, readers! So excited to get this second book done for you!!!

M

Summer News!

Well, it’s been a while since I posted on here . . . or any social media sites for that matter, but I have a good excuse. Really and truly I do! Before I explain myself here’s a look at the last few months.

Inspiration Vacation:

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As mentioned in the last blog, the beginning of May was spent on vacation in Europe. It was glorious time of adventure, inspiration, and rest. We began our trip in Rome then travelled via a cruise ship to Sicily, Turkey, Mykonos, and Crete. We returned to Rome for a few days then headed to Paris before returning home. I was overjoyed to see a few scenes from Book Two come to life in these places . . . I somehow had written about them before I saw them. I also received some much-needed vision for Book Three.

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rome, sicily,crete,turkey,greece 100

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Events:

Later in May I had the privilege of speaking to the local Rotary Club about the writing and publishing process for Escape From Differe. It was my first time sharing about The Waiz Chronicles with an adult audience and I thoroughly enjoyed it! (They all seemed to be okay with my pink hair)

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In June The Waiz Chronicles attended its first downtown festival in my hometown. We shared Joel’s story through art, drama, and, of course, the book itself. Thanks to everyone who made it happen!

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In July family and friends surrounded us for a night of encouragement and celebration both professionally and personally. Thanks to our moms who helped make that happen!

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Book Two:

So, Book Two, I know that’s what you all really want to know about. Since it’s rained nearly everyday since the beginning of the summer, I’ve had plenty of time to be inside and edit. The editors are currently over 100 pages in and they are LOVING IT! My writer’s heart is thrilled. And, it’s so nice to not be alone in the story anymore. Perhaps in the next blog I’ll put in the synopsis. Stay tuned!

Big News:

Okay, time for my lovely and wonderful excuse that I mentioned earlier. Though you haven’t seen or heard from me in the past few months, don’t worry I’ve been working hard—trust me!

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Yep, that’s right, I’ve been doing the awesome work of growing a human being! We are overjoyed and thrilled to embrace this little one in 2014.

Thanks for reading the latest. Look for news on Book Two soon!

Hugs!

M

 

 

 

Springtime!

Though the writing journey started some time back for this author, The Waiz Chronicles’ first book officially released just a few weeks ago! That means the marketing ride has just begun.

March:

I had the privilege of speaking at my first public school in Samson, Alabama, for Read Across America Week. It was an amazing group of encouraging and precocious 6th-10th graders.

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I LOVE this part of my job!!

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One student did a fabulous write-up of this event on RickeyStokesNews.com: http://www.rickeystokesnews.com/article.php/dothan-author-mikelyn-bolden-visits-samson-middle-school-students-40581

Much of March also looked like this:

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April:

I was invited to Faine Elementary School for a day of fun!

You can read more here: http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/article_9ea142be-9d83-11e2-978d-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story

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If you haven’t checked out the last blog, several students from Faine interviewed me and wrote an awesome article: http://mikelynbolden.com/guest-blogger-faine-news-network/

The finale of April was . . . finishing Book Two (still not named)

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This picture captures a particularly special moment in this process. These pages hold my favorite scene in this next book. I wrote the scene years ago . . . I’m floored as to how it fits perfectly into my present writing and story.

The beginning of May was spent abroad (I’ll post more later). I predict the rest of May can be summed up into three words: edit, edit, edit.

Thanks for staying in the loop!

M

Guest Blogger: Faine News Network

Local Author Pays Visit to Faine Elementary

 On April 4, 2013, local author, Mikelyn Bolden, spoke with Faine Elementary students.  Mrs. Bolden is the author of the new release, Escape from Differe, book one of the Waiz Chronicles.  She said the word waiz comes from wisdom.  Mikelyn’s inspiration for writing the Waiz Chronicles was that she wanted to write a book to help people feel brave.

Most authors type their books on work processors, but Mikelyn wrote Escape from Differe by hand with her funny rabbit pen.  This book took her eighteen months to complete.  She got ideas for the cover in Spain and Paris.  Mikelyn loved trotting the globe for ideas for her book.  Bolden stated that she came up with character names by viewing baby name websites and looking at the meanings of the names.  Like the character, Joel, Mikelyn also hears voices.  She says the voices are mean, but have ended up helping her.

When the author was a child, C.S. Lewis was her favorite author.  Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia.  Lemony Snicket is her current favorite author.

Mikelyn has always enjoyed reading and writing.  She started writing stories in elementary school.  When she takes a break from writing, Mikelyn enjoys going to the movies to see fun kid flicks.  You can follow Bolden on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her very own website, www.mikelynbolden.com.

Written by:  Reggie Sewell, De’Asia Edwards, Caleb Abner, and Makaylah Harvey

 

WOW! Amazing job, Faine News Network! What a talented group of elementary students!!! Thank you for the wonderful interview and article – you are world changers in the making.

Here’s a pic of the “bunny pen” along with my very loved notebook. (Poor guy lost a foot during the process)

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The Latest News!

BIG NEWS! Escape From Differe will be officially releasing in two weeks!!! Here’s a look into the journey of my life and The Waiz Chronicles over the last few months.

Let’s see where did I last leave off? Oh yeah, the end of November and receiving my first copies of Escape From Differe.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s happened since then:

December was a well-needed month of unplugging from all things book related (besides shipping and signing a few for Christmas presents). I had some fantastic quality time with my family and lots of time of doing nothing. Nothing looks a bit like this for me:

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January got off to a very intentional start thanks to my former writing coach, Jerome Daley. Using some of his planning material helped me “refresh, reflect, refocus” for the year ahead. I was able to gain insight into goals and priorities for this bizarre job I never pictured myself having. I still sit back most days as I write or respond to readers and think, “Wow, this is my job!” Truly, the feedback from all of you lovely souls has been overwhelming, encouraging, and inspiring to me – from the simple “great job” wall post to the two-page, gut wrenching, handwritten letters.

Planning, well, for the “planning day” at the beginning of the year – a few days by myself – became pretty easy after I sent my husband off to ski in Lake Tahoe with a best buddy. (I put this in here specifically for the folks googling “Mikelyn Bolden’s Husband” – I do have one, and he’s my favorite human hands down)

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This is where I spent most of January:

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I’m WAY happy with how this next book is turning out – lots of action and lots of a new city. I’m particularly grateful to Barcelona and the Big Apple for inspiring several of the new places.

February is a blur, but here are a few pictures:

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This is a group of middle school students I spoke to in my hometown. They were extremely interactive – asking both smart and hilarious questions. Loved it!

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Yes, I went short and pink! With Book Two on the horizon, I decided a change was in order.securedownload-14 - Version 2

The Waiz Chronicles was privileged to be involved in two different auctions this month. Here I am pictured with the winner at the Heart and Soul Gala. Her family will be naming a character or place for Book Two. It was a wonderful experience!

As always, thanks for reading and spreading the word about the book!

M

My “Something” Story

My mom says there’s always something that happens to signature an event. For those of you who lived through my “something” with me…thank you.

November 8th Launch party invitations are mailed and over 60 people volunteer to help with the big shindig. I can never thank you all enough!!!

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November 12th An emergency print-run is ordered because the large print will not be ready in time for the party.

 

November 19th Said goodbye to a lovely storyteller, my grandmother.

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November 22nd Celebrated Thanksgiving in NYC and hopefully snapped a pic of Book 2’s cover.

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(This isn’t it, but it’s close by…and I liked this one a lot)

 

November 26th (Party in 3 days) I get sick, and the books aren’t here.

 

November 27th The books aren’t here.

 

November 28th I finally break down and get a shot. I also help get the venue ready with my army of volunteers and wait for the books to arrive…they don’t.

 

November 29th (Party Day)

9:00am I dye my hair, of course.

11:15am I drop off my Kindle for one of the party readers to practice with until the books arrive.

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12:30pm The trucking company calls with a delivery for TOMORROW…and their driver is already gone for the day.

1:15pm My husband and his best friend head out to Tallahassee (2 hours away) with a truck and trailer.

1:30pm Good friends call and remind me to laugh.

2:00pm My college roommates call to say their on the way from Atlanta…one with a 2-week old baby.

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4:00pm I arrive at one of the coolest venues in town. The volunteers are buzzing and the place looks amazing…minus no books.

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4:15pm I attempt to explain purchasing information to volunteers…my husband was in charge of that.

4:30pm As I welcome in all the wonderful people arriving I almost forget there’s nothing for them to buy. (My ridiculously talented “readers” for the evening)

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4:45pm I’m told the books are arriving.

4:47pm I dash outside to catch a glimpse of my knights in shining armor, but have to wait. Ironically enough, I wait on the curb with the speech therapy gals from my old job.

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4:50pm I see the truck.

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4:52pm I welcome my knights…sometimes they wear camo.

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4:55pm I see the book.

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4:56pm I hug my mom.

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5:00pm It’s time to party…for real. (“Farthest Drive Award” recipient – brother from Nashville)

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Thank you all for coming! I’ll be posting lots more pics on the Facebook Page tomorrow.

Much Love and Happy Reading!

M

P.S. As I was told numerous times in November, always choose to celebrate no matter what…even if something is missing.