Mothers' Day Writer Mama Guest Post: Lindsay Eland

(Guest writer-mama # 2, Lindsay Eland, is the author of Scones and Sensibility. I believe this is one of the times where less of an intro is more, so I'll be quiet now and get to her lovely words...)



To all the mothers buried under mounds of laundry and dishes and homework

To all the mothers that kiss their kids good-bye…sending them off to school, to college, to their own families, to war

To all the mothers whose hearts have ached at every scraped knee, every broken heart, every good-bye

To all the mothers who have worried and prayed and stayed up until the car pulls into the driveway…no matter how late the clock struck

To all the mothers who aren’t the same in the mirror as they were before…but who are so much more beautiful and full of life and wonder and love because of having a child
To all the mothers who have a hidden lion underneath their soft skin and gentle touch…a ferocious love that doesn’t go away or diminish as time goes on

To all the mothers who do it all alone—the cooking and cleaning and crying and loving

To all the mothers who have taken children who aren’t their own and sewn them into their hearts forever


To all the mothers who loved their child enough to give them a better chance

To all the mothers that have cried over the babies that left them too early but were loved a lifetime over

To all the mothers still dreaming dreams

To all the mothers reawakening old dreams

To all the mothers laughing or crying, singing or skipping, reading or sleeping, old or young or in-between…

Happy Mother’s Day!


(You can visit Lindsay at http://lindsayeland.com/)

Reporter's Review: Scones and Sensibility, by Lindsay Eland

Egmont, December 2009

Overall Grade: A-

Indeed, love is in the air for one Polly Madassa, a reader of most elegant books and daughter of the owners of a quaint and lovely bakery. Determined to find matches for her friends and family befitting the romantic ideals set forth in her favorite books (Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice—hey, the girl's got taste;), Polly takes it upon herself to manage a little matchmaking. When things go awry, however, she finds herself in the depths of despair...will she be able to right the terrible wrongs she has committed?

Scones and Sensibility is a must-read for all those girls (you know who you are) who always wished they could be Anne of Green Gables. (Oops, did my hand just jump into the air? Sorry.) Polly is a delightful, extremely memorable character, just like her heroine. There are moments when the story's and characters' believability is called into question; chiefly this stems from the unique way Polly narrates her story in first person. Her thoughts and commentary are all told to the audience in the archaic, flowery, adjective- and adverb-laden speech she admires, and which she uses. Because we have a constant dose of the strongest examples of that, it seems at times that Polly's friends and family should be more startled/annoyed by it than they are...however, that reaction—the rolled eyes, the confused stares, etc.--is there if you look. The only actual flaw may have been that Polly, as she was narrating, did not point out the emotional moments where she lapses into modern speech (except in one instance); she leaves it to her audience to draw their own conclusions, the classic show-don't-tell theory...but Polly would tell. That's just the kind of girl she is. Perhaps this is a case of the factor that makes a story lovable (that unique, kinda crazy voice) also making it difficult for some readers to follow.

Nonetheless, I love the idea, that wonderful exploration of what a girl could end up like if she took storybook romance too much to heart—and I love the conclusion that is reached, that ultimately, true love does exist and is even better than storybook love.

Literary Quality: B+

Plot: A-

Voice: A

Originality: A-

Descriptive Ability: A-

Humor: A+

Illustrations: n/a

Believability of Characters: B-

Believability of Situations: A-

Overall Reading Enjoyment: A

*Possibly objectionable topics: broken families

Author Interview: Lindsay Eland, author of Scones and Sensibility

Today we welcome the second of our Tenner authors, Lindsay Eland, author of the middle grade title SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, due in stores December 22.

CBR:What are ten words that best describe your book?

LE: Funny, heartwarming, utterly romantic, soaring on the wings of elation, drowning in the depths of despair, bosom friends, scrumptious baking, matchmaking, books, and family dynamics

CBR: What is one of your favorite sentences or paragraphs from your book?

LE: Oh dear! One of them is in the first thirty or so pages of Scones and Sensibility, when Polly, my overdramtic, over romantic main character is meeting up with her neighbors dog on one of her first deliveries. "Jack the Nipper stared viciously at me with his blackened eyes, but I lifted my nose to him unwilling to fall under his spell of intimidation. Still, I felt it unwise to enter the gate lest my dainty ankles be punctured by his pointed blood-thirsty teeth."

CBR: Michelangelo once said, "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." What are ten things (smells, sounds, situations, etc.) you just can't stand?

LE: The smell of syrup and cold spaghetti, the sound of a banana being eaten and macaroni and cheese being stirred which are sounds that are pretty much equal on the "despise" scale, I don't like waiting though I'm quite good at it now, the smell and the sound and the situation of throw-up is always just a horrible thing, I hate icy sidewalks, and the back of my hair when it gets too long, and I don't like long lines which kind of goes along with waiting, I guess, and I can't stand high-pitched screams

CBR: If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what fictional character would you take with you?

LE: Why, most definitely, Anne Shirley

CBR: Who are some authors that have inspired you?

LE: Kate Dicamillo, Richard Peck, Polly Horvath, Gary Schmidt, Laura Tarshis, LM Montgomery, and so, so many more

CBR: What book of the past ten years did you enjoy the most?

LE: Only one?! I guess it would have to be The Tale of Desperaux by Kate Dicamillo...I love it so very much

CBR: When you were ten years old, what did you plan to be when you grew up?

LE: A writer, actually!

CBR: If you could choose anyone, living or dead, what illustrator would you choose to illustrate your book?

LE: I adore Marla Frazee as well as David Small and Matt Phelan!

CBR: What would be your main character's theme song/some songs on the soundtrack for your book?

LE: It would an all instrumental soundtrack with lot's of tinkling piano keys and romantic melodies that whisk you away

CBR: Could you give us any hints/teasers as to what your next project might be?

LE: I'll give you the titles of two new projects!

1. The Culinary Year of Gloria Cubbins

2. My Life As An Omelet

CBR: Thanks so much, Lindsay, and best of luck with everything!

LE: Thanks so much for having me!

To learn more about Lindsay and her books, you can visit her website at www.lindsayeland.com