Hey Moms! Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! Is Officially in Progress

March 31, 2015June 11, 2015 / Shannon Day / 2 Comments

After a challenging selection process, the story line-up had been chosen! Meet the 36 authors who will grace the pages, of this unique anthology:

To meet the WONDER contributors, click here.

To meet the WOE contributors, click here.

To meet the WTF!? contributors, click here.

These moms will share with you their personal tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! Plus you’ll have some tasty new martinis recipes to try out!

There will be heartfelt stories (with not even a hint of cheese) that’ll fog up your glasses and make you feel even luckier to be a mom. There will be scenarios, and hilarious turns of phrase, that’ll make you spit out your coffee and run off to the loo. There will be relatable, and sometimes unbelievable, mom-sufferings, told with humour- sure to make you feel a bit less alone and maybe even proud of your own tales of survival.

Martinis & Motherhood – Tales of Wonder Woe & WTF?! will make you feel like you’ve just shared some drinks, some stories, and some laughs with a group of fun moms, who remind you of your own pals.

The book is currently in production mode but will be here just in time for the Summer (cocktail) season.

Available June 2015 on Amazon.

Where did you come from, Tipsy Squirrel Press? {By: Shannon Day}

February 24, 2015July 18, 2015 / Shannon Day / Leave a comment

With the clarity of hindsight, I’ve been able to sum up (into 6 stages) what almost appears to be a carefully planned journey from Cocktail Girl to Tipsy Squirrel! But, I’ll admit, this is not the case. I am more of a follower of whims and instincts than a planner. So, even though it’s doubtful that you’ve wondered where it all began, here’s the story anyway…

1. My Foundation

My initial attempt to combine studying with cocktail making went down like a Flaming Sambuca, leaving me with a degree in Journal Writing (instead of a Journalism) and a job as a bartender. But, always one to go with the flow, I quickly concocted a plan B! I got a degree in English and Communications followed by a teaching qualification which became my ticket to travel and work. From Japan to China, (where I met my British hubby) and then on to England (to be with him), I went. There, he and I sprouted a family: three little ladies, in fact. The first: a creative dreamer, the second: a future engineer and the little one… well let’s just say she has a flare for the precocious.

2. Relocation

After 10 fantastic years in the UK, I felt it was time to head back to my home: Ontario, Canada. I was able to convince my husband that Canada is, in fact, the Promised Land! As in, it promised to put forth all efforts to freeze off the asses of its residents. But only for 5 months of the year! I chose to focus more on the beauty of the other seasons and the low crime rate and friendly atmosphere in the town, where we now reside.

3. Story Creation

Once settled back in Canada, I soon found myself putting to use my degree in Journal Writing. I started my little blog: Martinis & Motherhood, in late 2013. It was there that I wrote my first piece about parenthood and, for me, it seemed very natural (logical even) to pair my tale with a martini. It crossed my mind that stories + martinis for moms would be a great book idea…

In 2014, I was lucky enough to become part of the BLUNTmoms writing team where I *met* some amazing, funny, and talented women. One of whom was Tara Wilson, from Don’t Lick the Deck.

4. Partner Identification

Tara made me laugh with her quick wit and effortless one liners. Realizing that she and I lived in the same town, meant we were soon meeting “in real life” and her humour and clever ways drew me instantly to her.

I sensed that Tara would make a good partner and that together we could bring to life an awesome book of stories and martinis! Her background in Business and Accounting was the perfect match for my lack of knowledge in all things business and number related.

After a few casual meetings, over coffee and cocktails, I dropped my opportunity bomb on Tara. She loved the concept for the book and the idea of working on it together.

5. A New Vocation

It seemed the creation of a book label was the next logical step. Tara’s casual references to “being distracted by squirrels” in her life, due to the effects of her ADHD, coupled with my pre-disposition for martini-making, made Tipsy Squirrel Press the perfect name for our book label.

My 10 year old designed our martini-sipping squirrel logo. Because who needs a graphic designer when you live with a creative dreamer, right? And that was it, with a logo and plan, we were ready to begin…

6. Collaboration

Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! is our first venture as publishers. And it is my hope that the quality of the writing found within its pages, the deliciousness of the martinis, the quirkiness of its cover (because we all judge books by their covers, right?) and my partnership with Tara that will, hopefully, make this book a welcome addition within its genre. And as for our next book? We’ve got a few ideas on the burner! So stay tuned by following us over at: Tipsy Squirrel Press FB

UPDATE

7. Celebration

The book is here and it is being received so well by readers. We are all proud and confident that the journey is just beginning. Have you ordered your copy yet? Click here for more information.

Call for Submissions: Martinis and Motherhood- Tales of Wonder, Woe and WTF?!

December 8, 2014September 24, 2015 / Shannon Day / 10 Comments

Tipsy Squirrel Press

Call for Submissions

Book Title: Martinis and Motherhood – Tales of Wonder, Woe, and WTF?!

General Vibe: One of sisterhood and humour.

Unique Quality: Each story is paired with a customized martini.

Deadline for Submissions: Feb 5^th, 2015

Shannon Day, of Martinis and Motherhood, and Tara Wilson, of Don’t Lick the Deck, have teamed up to combine their talents of…drinking and chasing squirrels. Wait that can’t be right…oh yeah, I know what our talents are: celebrating and toasting to our roles as moms! We know that an appreciation for humour, friendship and cocktails, has gotten us to where we are today and we’ve decided that this is the perfect premise for a book…

So, we are currently accepting submissions for our upcoming anthology. This unique collection of stories will make moms howl with laughter, smile with understanding, and be assured that they’re not the only ones who feel like they’re having an out-of-body experience, some days. The book will pair real-life stories of motherhood with simple, and tasty, customized martini recipes and a toast that moms can share with friends and family.

(For examples of the story/martini combination, check out: I Launder Therefore I Am and A Mother’s Journey from Slobbery to Sobbery).

Stories should be between 800-1200 words. Please include a martini recipe AND a toast, if you are so inclined BUT it’s not mandatory! A martini (+ toast) can be designed specifically for your story, if it is selected (see the toast format).

The book will be divided into three categories: Wonder, Woe and WTF?! Here is a general description of what we are looking for in each.

Wonder: These are stories that relay a sense of appreciation for your role as a mom. The idea of the Wonder category is to capture and cherish simple moments in motherhood, amidst all the chaos. We are looking for down-to-earth, relatable glimpses into your life, ideally a story that makes readers smile or shed a grateful tear.

You could write about the first time you held your new baby, or how it feels to see your kids helping one another, reassured by their moments of friendship. Or, you might write about the wonders and complexities of your role as a mom or the ways that you’ve changed and grown. Do you have a new definition of love or strength or happiness since the baby came along? Maybe you’ll find inspiration in the wisdom of your child as he/she teaches you about life.

Tell us an uplifting, feel good story that we can all share an appreciative toast to!

Woe: These are stories of times in your life, as a mom, where things didn’t go as planned. The idea of the Woe category is to validate other moms and to make them laugh with the details of your own misfortunes. We are not looking to share truly sad stories but more relatable, down-to-earth, tales of woe– told with humour.

Perhaps your child went through a clingy, screeching, or otherwise challenging phase which interfered with the smooth running of day-to-day life. Or, maybe you’ve had an altercation with another mom at a playgroup or had to make a quick exit from a grocery store because of your child’s tantrum. Sleep deprivation has resulted in plenty of tales of woe, so think back to those days, if you can remember them. We’ll brew the coffee if you are still catching up on that sleep!

Tell us a funny story of survival that we can all share a victorious toast to!

WTF?!: These are stories that go beyond the everyday chaos. They have the potential to happen within any family setting but not everyone will have experienced them, due to their unique nature. The idea of the WTF?! category is to make other moms laugh at the absolute ridiculousness of our unpredictable lives as parents. You’ll know these moments when you see them. They’re the times that you start wildly looking around for witnesses, not because you’re afraid someone saw (or maybe you are) but because you’re afraid no one will believe you! These are the stories that will have readers laughing hysterically and sharing with their friends.

Tell us a crazy story that we can all share a celebratory toast to!

Compensation:

Authors will be paid $100 for each published essay, approximately 3 months following publication, with additional compensation TBD.

Instructions:

Send your submissions to Shannon and Tara at tipsysquirrelpress@gmail.com by February 5^th 2015. Original material is preferred but we might consider previously published pieces (as long as you have the copyright). Please let us know if your story has been previously published. Also, ensure that the subject of your email says SUBMISSION and either Wonder, Woe or WTF?! Your essay, author bio (3-5 sentences), recipe and toast should all be in the body of the email, as well as attached as a Word document. If you give us a virus, the drinks are on you.