Mommy's Pen

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The Mommy’s Pen Podcast – Season 6, Episode 6: Mary Poppins Returns

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It’s summer and we’re lazy so we’re doing a movie instead of a book. We liked Mary Poppins Returns way more than we thought we would and we’re analyzing the four act structure.

We also have two special guests, Alma (age 4) and Romeo, a visiting dog friend.

If that’s not enough, we also dive into the fact that Nora’s a Rebel and I’m an Obliger, as defined by Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 6, Episode 6: Mary Poppins Returns – Review and Story Structure Analysis

Things we mention (or forget to mention) that you should check out:

  • Story Fix for more details on the four act structure.
  • Story Grid for all things related to genre.
  • Mary Poppins returns can be found on Amazon and Netflix.
  • The Four Tendencies is a framework by Gretchen Rubin and you can find out your tendency by taking this quiz.
  • Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

And, don’t forget, you can now, buy, read and enjoy my book: The Cat, the Cash, the Leap & the List. (And leave a review when you’re done, pretty please.)

Disclosure: By the way, all of these links are affiliate links, so if you buy something, you pay the same, but Nora gets a few pennies for her big 8th grade trip fund.

The Mommy’s Pen Podcast – S6, E4: The Book of Boy

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The Book of Boy is the story of an Orphan who is literally called Boy. It’s set in the Middle Ages and is chock full of good adventures and intrigue and magic and mystery. The midpoint shift of this story blew me away. And it has an absolutely gob-smacking midpoint shift.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 6, Episode 4: The Book of Boy by Elizabeth Gilbert Murdoch – Review and Story Structure Analysis

The first part of the episode will tell you WHY you should read this book, then the second part is a bunch of spoilers as we deconstruct the book to find out what makes it SO good.

Things we mention (or forget to mention) that you should check out:

  • Story Fix for more details on the four act structure.
  • Story Grid for all things related to genre.
  • Story Genius by Lisa Cron for how our brains are wired for story and why backstory is important.
  • Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

And, don’t forget, you can now, buy, read and enjoy my book: The Cat, the Cash, the Leap & the List. (And leave a review when you’re done, pretty please.)

Disclosure: By the way, all of these links are affiliate links, so if you buy something, you pay the same, but Nora gets a few pennies for her big 8th grade trip fund.

Season 6, Episode 3: Front Desk by Kelly Yang

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Front Desk is the story of a young Chinese immigrant, Mia Tang, who helps her parents manage a hotel and uses her ever-improving English skills to help just about everyone around her. If you’re looking for books that feature diverse characters and tackle inclusion themes (and you should be), this lovely little book deserves a spot in your stack.

Nora and I both loved this story.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 6, Episode 3: Front Desk by Kelly Yang – Review and Story Structure Analysis

The first part of the episode will tell you WHY you should read this book, then the second part is a bunch of spoilers as we deconstruct the book to find out what makes it SO good.

Things we mention (or forget to mention) that you should check out:

  • Story Fix for more details on the four act structure.
  • Story Grid for all things related to genre.
  • Story Genius by Lisa Cron for how our brains are wired for story and why backstory is important.
  • Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

And, don’t forget, you can now, buy, read and enjoy my book: The Cat, the Cash, the Leap & the List. (And leave a review when you’re done, pretty please.)

Disclosure: By the way, all of these links are affiliate links, so if you buy something, you pay the same, but Nora gets a few pennies for her big 8th grade trip fund.

Season 6, Episode 2: ONE MIXED-UP NIGHT by Catherine Newman

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I’ve been wanting to review this book since we started the podcast.

It’s a funny, sweet and silly story by one of my favorite writers—but she usually writes memoir and essays.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 6, Episode 2: One Mixed-Up Night by Catherine Newman – Review and Story Structure Analysis

The first part of the episode will tell you WHY you should read this book, then the second part is a bunch of spoilers as we deconstruct the book to find out what makes it SO good.

Things we mention (or forget to mention) that you should check out:

  • Story Fix for more details on the four act structure.
  • Story Grid for all things related to genre.
  • Story Genius by Lisa Cron for how our brains are wired for story and why backstory is important.
  • Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

And, don’t forget, you can now, buy, read and enjoy my book: The Cat, the Cash, the Leap & the List. (And leave a review when you’re done, pretty please.)

Disclosure: By the way, all of these links are affiliate links, so if you buy something, you pay the same, but Nora gets a few pennies for her big 8th grade trip fund.

Book Birthday and New Podcast Episode

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The book is FINALLY here!

You can now, buy, read and enjoy The Cat, the Cash, the Leap & the List. (And leave a review when you’re done, pretty please.)

Get it at Amazon
Buy it somewhere else

AND, this week on the podcast, we’re reading Chapter 4 to you. We find out what Martha’s parents think about her stashing a pregnant cat and we see what Sanjay has stashed in that secret envelope of his.

Listen now: 

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The Mommy’s Pen Podcast—Season 5, Episode 3: The Closet Door Opens

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New season, new format! Since my book, The Cat, the Cash, the Leap and the List will be published on May 17, we decided to give you a preview by reading from it up to the first plot point.

Preorder for the ebook is available now! Click the image below:

The Cat, the Cash, the Leap, and the List

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 5, Episode 1: Chapter 2 of The Cat, the Cash, the Leap, and the List

Things we mention (or forget to mention) that you should check out:

  • Chapter 3 is called “The Closet Door Opens,” and we get to see what happens when the boys find out about Martha’s stashed cat.
  • Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

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