MSI Press Blog

  Shenan (CB) Leaver, author of Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest , was recently interviewed by the Mission Village Voice , where his book is being serialized. From the MVV introduction to the column: "Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest is collection of anecdotes about a 'detail-oblivious' homemaker and traveler, told from the point of view of CB, her mentally challenged son. The simplicity of language has made this book a favorite with ESL students, and the humorous 'conclusion' about life from a child's point of view endears it to anyone with a sense of humor. The reason CB's mother worked with him to write the book was to teach him the impact of literacy -- why people write and why people read. Even though it has been impossible for him to learn to read and write very much, through the joint preparation of the book he did learn a lot about literacy. CB is a 42-year-old CHARGE Syndrome, on of about 4-5 worldwide his age. He was given 0% chance of living, dispro

  Excerpt from Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest (CB Leaver) - The Man in Our Dumpster When I was growing up, Daddy, Mommy, and all of us kids (sometimes we were four, sometimes we were six or seven) lived in a big house with 13 rooms in Salinas, California. When we finished growing up, Daddy got a hankering for the forest and Mommy got a hankering to give up cleaning 13 rooms all the time. So, they decided to buy an RV, travel when they could, and park it in the riverside woods of Arroyo Seco at other times where they lived comfortably and Mommy enjoyed a daily dip in the river. Moving out of 13 rooms was big business. Daddy and Mommy had quite a list of things to do: cleaning, giving away or selling stuff that would not fit in the RV, packing things to take with them, throwing away trash, and lots of other things (like changing addresses with businesses and the post office). One day when Daddy was out doing the lots of other things, Mommy held a yard sale. One of the people who c

  excerpt from Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest There's a Stranger in Mommy's Bed Sometimes Mommy gets really tired. She says that working mothers reach proportions of exhaustion that exceed the imagi­nation. In such cases, what they say and do has little resem­blance to commonsense. I guess that must be right if I judge by my mommy. For example, let me tell you what happened to her one week­end. Friday evening after a long and frustrating, to say nothing of exhausting, week at work, she fell asleep on the living room sofa. (She does that a lot. She says she is going to watch television, but she never does. She just stares at the screen for a few minutes and then topples over. I have never seen her watch a whole tele­vision show like my siblings and I do.) Anyway, she did her frequent act of screen staring and top­pling over on the Friday evening I am talking about. My daddy, of course, could not wake her up; he never can when she topples over asleep. So, my sister found her asle

excerpt from Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest The Babysitter When I was smaller, Mommy sent me to church every Sun­day morning. The church van always came at 9:15 to pick me up, and Mommy was always rushing to get me ready on time. One Sunday morning a man came to the door at 9:10. Mommy could not believe that the van was five minutes early. She always counted on those five minutes to get me ready. Usu­ally, no one came to the door, so she figured that they must have been sitting there for a while. She started to hurry. “Just a minute,” she said, leaving the door open. She quickly grabbed my suit coat and put it on me. “I just have to comb his hair; it will just be a second,” she called to the man at the door as she darted into the bathroom after a comb. A few seconds later, I looked mighty spiffy. “Almost ready,” she called out again, as she rushed upstairs to get my Bible and offering. Whew! She had never got me ready so fast. “Here he is,” she said, out of breath, as she pushed me out

  Today's fortune cookie is associated with Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest (Leaver).  Read more about the Shenan Leaver and his book HERE . Currently on sale for $5 at MSI Press webstore .cookie, Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest, Shenan Leaver Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.  Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our  Authors' Pages .    

  Today's back story is about the book, Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest  by Shenan (CB) Leaver with Betty Lou Leaver. From the co-author: CB Leaver , the author, is a mentally challenged CHARGE Syndrome adult who never learned to read or write. His mother, Betty Lou Leaver, a highly published author, who wanted her son to understand the purpose of the written word: sharing thoughts and/or information with others. It took a full year of working together to put CB's remembered stories on paper, to check that they had been accurately transcribed. CB learned a lot about the written word both in the process of writing and in getting feedback from pre-publication readers of the manuscript. CB subsequently did a book signing at the Los Angeles Book Fair. He had a great time learning about reader reactions to his book. He was also adept at using his people skills and humor to draw readers to his booth.  Book available at 25% discount with code FF25 at msipress.com/shop. Read excerpts a

  We do have books that make great Mother's Day gifts. Here are some of them: Girl, You've Got This! Transitioning to motherhood is hard. Along with it comes a lot of fear, anxiety and responsibility. You want to provide everything for your new child, and it is all too easy to let other things – like self-care – slide. How do new moms stay on top of finances, a healthy diet, housework, a fitness routine, work, and other personal needs? Combining her expertise as a personal trainer and successful entrepreneur with her life as a wife and mother who is pregnant with her second child, Brittany Renz helps readers find balance as new moms by preparing and establishing routines throughout the nine months of pregnancy. She encourages expectant mothers to set themselves up for success as mothers, spouses and working professionals – and she knows what she is talking about. How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w

Happy Mother's Day! It is always important and gratifying to find a reason for joy in the midst of troubled times! And, if you have some reading time, here are some books written especially for mothers: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mama s by Julie Gentile Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! How to Be a Good Mother When You're Sick: A Guide to Motherhood with Chronic Illness by Dr. Emily Graves Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w

  March is Women's History Month. We celebrate by recommending the following books for women. Order from our webstore and get a 25% discount with coupon code FF25.             108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas (Julie Gentile) Are you too busy for self-care? From a one-minute meditation to building a routine you love to wake up to, this quick read and everyday self-care resource gives you the energy to live a mindful, more nourished life by taking good care of yourself. With Julie M. Gentile, award-winning author, yoga teacher and Millennial mom, as your guide, you'll give birth to your highest self through self-care.  Book Excellence Awards Finalist IPPY Living Now Bronze Medal Read more posts about this book HERE . A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing (Joanna Romer) A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing offers a new perspective on how to comfort yourself while bolstering self-esteem. Using Bible stories as well as creative techniques for self-nurturing, the b