In October 2010 I got the most exciting phone call of my life. Lindsay Kavet, the producer of Expressing Motherhood had selected me, because of my Dear Baby essay, to be part of Expressing Motherhood in January 2011. As she spoke, I paced the deck in my house across the country in Charlotte, NC, and thought about the irony of being asked to participate in a play in Los Angeles just a few weeks after moving away from the city I spent eighteen years in. Then she threw me a curve ball, she wanted me to write another essay about leaving LA and perform it to an Angelino audience. I was scared and wanted to do it bt told her I’d have to talk it over with my husband because 1) the show ran over two weeks in La and 2) I’d NEVER been away from my daughter, then two-and-a-half-years-old, for more than a night. Could I leave her that long? Who would help him take care of her? Oh, and did I mention that I was trying to get pregnant and take all sorts of make me crazy hormones? My husband, told me there was no way I shouldn’t do it. My mother said the same. And so, for the first time in my mommy life I was being recognized by people who never met me because of my writing. And it felt awesome.

It took a little while to write my new essay. It took me longer to memorize it, I called an actress friend of mine and asked her, “How do you do it????!??!?!?!??” And the most ironic thing was, that although I am a big personality in front of friends and even strangers, when you put me on a stage, point a bright light at me and say, “Go!” my voice leaves me. Jessica Cribbs and Lindsay Kavet had to really push and teach me how to be on stage. With their help and encouragement I did it, along with my cast mates whose stories made me laugh, cry, think, and nod my head in agreement. I made friends backstage. I was inspired to continue writing. I am in awe of the hard work that goes into this production and thankful that Expressing Motherhood exists.

Best of all, I am thrilled to say they are receiving the recognition they deserve. Earlier this week, Maria Shriver, for the NBC Today Show, interviewed Jessica Cribbs and Lindsay Kavet. Here’s what they have to say about it:

To be interviewed by Maria Shriver was amazing. To see our show represented so well is a gift.
Thank you Maria Shriver and the Today Show.
http://www.today.com/video/today/51801074/#51801074

I want you to know these amazing women better and it was fun to turn the tables on them and get the interview:

What made you initially start Expressing Motherhood?

We had both come to LA to pursue our creative passions and then stopped working to become mothers. When my son was 1 1/2 years I wanted to challenge myself to become uncomfortable and doing something creative. I was looking into a writing course at UCLA at night but I was too tired to even go to the class at night. I wanted to write a play but realized I didn’t have the time or even perhaps talent so I thought how about a group collaboration? I called Jessica and she was in and we fine tuned the idea and Expressing Motherhood was born. A platform for people to share their stories about motherhood.

What keeps you going back?
The absolute joy of producing and directing the show. Directing has been my dream since I was a little girl. So this fulfills my dreams really.

How did you come up with the title?
I produced a lot of milk with my first.
I think milk was on our minds but my husband came up with the idea. A great title.

How do you go about selecting stories?
Everything was based around the internet.
We literally worked on this while our children napped.
The power has always been in the story, that’s why there are no auditions. I don’t even know what most of the people look like.
Stories are sent to me and they are selected to all fit together like a puzzle.

Tell me everything about being contacted by Maria Shriver’s people?
We were contacted on thursday at 2PM and I think we were both thrilled and scared. I was very concerned that the show would not be represented in the best light. Not because of the Today Show or Maria Shriver but because of my lack of being able to express myself on national TV!
I was very pleased with the outcome.

Did you believe it?
No!

Who turned her onto Expressing Motherhood?
Her producer, a fellow mom, found us somehow and pitched us to Maria. Maria said, done deal. She loved the shows concept.

How many times did you pinch yourself while being interviewed?

I can’t imagine the number of stories you’ll receive now…I’m so glad I got to be a part of Expressing Motherhood in 2011.
How many shows are you producing this year?
TBD.

Would you ever take the show on the road?
We have taken the show on the road. In 2009 we went to NYC and in 2010 Boston. But we’ve had so many babies we’ve stayed local now for awhile.

What is the biggest surprise about the show?
The success. We had no fear in the beginning because we had nothing to lose or prove. This has been built on passion and just completely taken off.

The biggest reward for putting it on?
The camaraderie and the community the show has built. 100% rewarding.

What story do you remember most?
I remember them all. Honestly they are all very important to me.

What do you want people to take away from the show?
Just a feeling of being normal and being one with one another. Might sound cheesy but it is true.

my cast:  

submissions:

tickets:click to see Expressing Motherhood THIS MOTHERS DAY

This May has been a whirlwind. I’ve been working hard on the Charlotte Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Man of the Year campaign. We were tapped to participate a handful of days prior to kickoff and we are a team of 2 competing against others who are fundraising for the LLS. Other people have teams of ten or more and planned events for months, which is very impressive. But I got to tell you…I’m exhausted. I think I could have been a professional fundraiser if I wasn’t a writer, it employs many of the same specialities as film and television production- tenacity and not taking no for an answer. But it hasn’t left me much mind space for writing.

Until now. We’re at the home stretch. Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting, next Saturday, May 18 is the LLS Gala and then (hands flew up over my head) I’m done. My creative mind knows it will have my full attention. It’s bubbling with story ideas and plot points for TWO stories. I can’t believe it. I have two more book ideas in mind. I’m so excited! I can’t believe I can write more than one book.

And then another thought creeps into my mind. Mother’s Day. In my household I have a simple request. My husband has to take over Mommy duties for the day. I don’t want overpriced flowers- get them for me all year not on one day- I don’t want an expensive brunch. I want him to make the coffee, challah french toast, cook and clean, go to the grocery store and do the laundry including taking it out of the drier and folding it! I want him to be reminded of how hard it is to do it all. And I am happy to say, he does it.

But then I think about my struggle to have another child and remember there are women in our world who haven’t been able to fulfill their desire to have a family. I imagine Mother’s Day is hard for them. My heart breaks knowing a little bit of how they feel.

And now the story of the three girls and their child held captive comes out. I can’t wrap my brain around the horror they survived. The pain and grief their captivity caused their mother’s and families. I am thankful they are once again with their families. But I for one will be chaperoning my daughter for a long long long long long time.

And this is why I am calling, “Mayday!” There is so much good and bad, happy and sad going on this month. I am torn, elated, pushed and pulled, and I want to pause and take a breath. Hope this month has been a good one for you.

Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Charlotte

I believe this story serves a higher purpose. 

Our country is grieving murdered children, innocent victims of a terrible bombing and unimaginable “why did it have to happen” deaths. People, no matter what their age, need help processing grief. They need to be reminded each day is precious and to live without regret. What Death has Touched, gives the reader an opportunity to save one life, a mother’s life, and gives a seventeen-year-old girl a chance to say “I love you!” for the first and last time. It’s empowering and inspiring, and dare I say it…has a spiritual message as its subtext.

Dead girls in YA aren’t passé because our country is dealing with the horror in Boston, Sandy Hook, Texas, and all the senseless  horrendous shit life deals out with and dead girls are one way to deal with it.

I believe What Death has Touched is an important message to share. I hope to find others who agree with me soon. #whyiwanttosharemystory

And now after reading her newest release When the Butterflies Came, I see we have more in common. I have keys, all sorts of keys and I talk to butterflies. No doubt she and I were sisters in another life or parallel universe.

When the Butterflies Came weaves a mystery with clues left from grandma in letters and magical butterflies that take the reader from a crumbling mansion in New Orleans to the exotic island of Chuuk in the South Pacific.

I’m delighted to share this Kimberley Griffiths Little interview with you- and announce we are giving away  an autographed copy of When the Butterflies Came to one lucky reader.

All you have to do is leave a comment about a butterfly or key in the comments section and I will randomly select a winner on April 18th, 2013.(I promise to be fair and use a program to select the winner  :))

Q: Tell us how this idea of When the Butterflies Came came to you?

A. It all started one day when my mind kept turning to one of the minor character from my book Circle of Secrets (a bayou/swamp ghost story). I found myself wanting to know more about her. She’s a 7^th generation *Pantene Princess* of the Doucet family who lives in an old plantation house in the South. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Scarlett O’Hara! As I started to think about her, a very curious picture began to emerge—not one I’d originally, on the surface, assumed. The most popular girl at school with silky waterfall hair was actually living in a crumbling mansion house (the trust fund is gone and they’re trying to “keep up appearances”) with a bratty older sister—and she’s got a touch of OCD. The rug fringe in the front hall must be perfectly laid!

The person Tara is closest to, her Grammy Claire, is a research scientist studying some unusual butterflies in Micronesia. She’s even got a laboratory in a tree house. I also *love* the name for butterfly on the island of Chuuk: nipwisipwis – and with that word ideas for the story began to burst forth. Tara receives a set of mysterious letters and keys, which leads her on a dangerous journey as she discovers more and more about the butterflies. There are bad guys, too! Tara finds out she’s smarter and tougher than she ever thought, and, of course, the relationships of the characters is always a big component in my books as well as the magical realism.

Q: Did you always know you would tie the characters of Circle of Secrets to When the Butterflies Came?

A. Nope! I NEVER planned for any of my books after The Healing Spell to end up having connections with each other. Each book can be independently read and they are about completely different characters and stories (a ghost story, a mystery, and time travel), but its fun to create those little connections – because in a small town people *are* going to know each other!

Q: Do butterflies ever follow you? Only on sunny, happy days. Or maybe butterflies *create* sunny, happy days!

A. I think that’s exactly right. When you see butterflies, or even pictures of butterflies you automatically feel good! Butterflies are magical to us because they go through this incredible metamorphosis, changing from a green, slimy caterpillar into a peculiar chrysalis and then bursting out of their cocoon into a gorgeous colorful butterfly. Sort of like reincarnation or resurrection!

Q: What excerpt do you read when you visit a school?

A. Usually, I read the first chapter or part of the first chapter. I think it sets the tone of the book and the MC’s personality as well as setting up the mystery right away.

Q: How did you discover the island of Chuuk?

A. While I was researching butterflies, I did a search for butterfly in various languages around the world. I adored the word for butterfly in Chuukese and the rest is history. I live in the desert of the Southwest so I miss the ocean of California where I grew up and it was great fun to set half of the book on the island and the beach, using some underground, spooky grottos as part of the plot. Luckily, I found a few people that had lived on the Island of Chuuk and I was able to interview them and see their pictures and ask lots of questions. Plus I watched a lot of Youtube videos set on Chuuk. It’s got a very intriguing history from the WWII era, too. Dozens of Japanese ships were sunk in the last year of the war and now lie off the coastline in their watery graves. People from around the world travel there to scuba dive and see the ships.

Q: Where can someone meet you? Are you currently on a book tour?

A. I’m not on a physical book tour, but I’m being featured on various book blogs over the next month. Go here to see an interview at Literary Rambles with LOTS of book writing advice: http://www.literaryrambles.com/2013/04/kimberley-griffiths-little-interview.html?

And the amazing story of Me and Richard Peck here: http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/me-and-richard-peck-yes-the-richard-peck-by-kimberley-griffiths-little/

I’m also presenting and critiquing at the Niagara Falls Writer’s Conference May 2-5. It’s a fantastic conference with an incredible line-up of bestselling authors like Ellen Hopkins and Sara Zarr and several agents and editors. There are still slots available, and it’s very affordable since the price includes hotel room and meals. Check it out here: http://niagararetreatandconference.com/the-faculty/

Q: Do you classify this book as MG or YA? How do you decide how old to make a character?

It’s MG and I adore MG books because they’re the kind of books that turn kids into life-long readers. It’s such an important and pivotal age for kids, but they still view the world as magical and wondrous and they love a good mystery and action story. I try to oblige that love. J

Q: Did you plot the story before ever writing a word?

A. Yes, I do. It’s not a super detailed outline, but after a few weeks or months of thinking about my characters and ideas I’ll finally get serious about putting it into something that makes sense instead of trying to keep track inside my random and often very scattered brain. I grab a stack of 3×5 cards to get the main plot points down on paper. 3×5 cards aren’t very intimidating, which is one reason I like them. Once I have 20-40 cards with scenes, snippet of ideas or plot points written on them, it’s helpful to shuffle the cards around on the floor or my dining room table, which helps me put things in order. You can *see* your whole book spread out in front of you. Doing that also shows me where I have holes or weaknesses so I just brainstorm and add more cards. I love this method and have used it for my last several books. I even did a video about 3×5 Card Plotting for WriteOnCon’s online conference last summer and they put it on Youtube.

Q: Have you ever thrown out a plot?

A. Of course! Some ideas come when I’m noodling around with a new book that end up just not working in the *big picture* of where the characters are taking me. The idea or plot doesn’t go anywhere significant, or it doesn’t make sense for that particular character or setting so it’s *tossed* – or saved and kept in a folder for a future book . . .

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of being a writer?

A. Fan Mail from kids. Some of it makes me weepy.

Q: What is the most frustrating thing about being a writer?

A. Revisions! I’m constantly trying to become a better writer and it’s frustrating when my words aren’t as good as what I want them to be.

Q: What can fans expect next?

A. I’ll have another middle-grade novel with Scholastic published Summer of 2014 (time-slipping and a cursed doll!) and then Fall of 2014 will be my YA DEBUT with Harpercollins. (We don’t have a firm title yet so I’ll stay mum on that). I’m excited, thrilled, and terrified all at once. It’s a project I’ve been researching and working on for ten years so to sell it to such a wonderful publisher is incredibly satisfying. The trilogy is about belly dance in the women’s world of the ancient Middle East, including the Goddess Temples of Ashtoreth, a forbidden romance and tribal warfare.

Thank you so much for having me, Holly! These were great questions and a lot of fun.

Here are a few links:

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @KimberleyGLittl

And I’m very active on Facebook.

Then I woke up this morning and received this Kabbalistic mesage in my in box- literally in my email in box:

HUNGER FOR SUCCESS

72 Name of the Week

Mem Mem Ayin
PASSION

As I meditate on this sequence of letters, I feel the power of passion filling my heart and soul. Sincerity, devotion, and yearning for connection to the Creator drive my prayers and meditations. My consciousness opens up and connects me fully to the Upper Worlds.

It doesn’t take much to see that talent and innate ability have little to do with success in this world. Some of the greatest writers never make it to the bestseller list, while some of the most talented singers continue to go unsung. One athlete born with incredible skills might never make it to the pros. 

The difference between those who enjoy success in their field and the rest of us is: Desire. 

Ask yourself these questions: How hungry are you to improve? How big is your appetite for more? What are you willing to do to make your dreams come true? …How badly do you want it? 
If you look at anyone you admire who is at the top of their game—the best of the best, and the legends that time will not forget—they all have one thing in common: They were willing to do whatever it takes. 

The ancient kabbalists were like this, too. Their lives were lived for a purpose. They knew that revealing our soul’s potential is what reveals pure bliss. 

We’re all starving for success but instead of doing the work it takes to make things happen in our lives, we find ways to fill the emptiness. It’s easier to spend an hour watching TV than it is to study. It’s easier to sleep in an extra few minutes instead of going to the gym or meditating in the mornings. It’s easier to go out with friends than to dedicate our evening to getting the project done. 

Nothing worth doing is ever easy—but ask anyone who has tasted success and they will tell you, the hard work is always worth it.

Instead of filling the emptiness, stay hungry. 

When you stay hungry, nothing can stop you from revealing your best …Nothing.

Anyone who wants to help can start by going to his website at:www.mwoy.org/pages/nc/clt13/rhughes.

Hughes personal goal is to raise $50,000 from March 7th- May 18th, which of course means involving his whole family, but luckily, people can donate in many ways.

Please, don’t wait for a better time, tomorrow, or later to donate. It doesn’t take much effort to help, might as well do it now.

http://www.mwoy.org/pages/nc/clt13/rhughes#.UUcpwZzNiGE.facebook

Follow the link and click the green button
DONATE NOW
then click
OTHER
and fill in any amount you are comfortable with. You’d be amazed at what a difference $10 or $20 dollars can make in the life of a family dealing with Leukemia
Thanks for the support!