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Caregiving Chaos
In The Funny Side, you share the ups and downs of parenting in a collection of anecdotes that range from humorous and lighthearted to those that tug at readers’ heartstrings. What inspired you to share your stories with others?
I enjoy it when I share one of my parenting experiences with another caregiver, and it triggers their memory, and they share too. It feels good to laugh together.
In addition to that, being a parent is my greatest accomplishment and grandest adventure. I wanted to write a book for my boys. It ended up being a book about them and some of my favourite memories. I laughed while remembering. I laughed while writing. And I laughed while re-reading. I realized I could share my humorous view of parenting (on a larger scale) and bring smiles to others’ caregiving chaos, and let them know they aren’t alone. Hopefully, my stories can lessen the stress.
Like I say in The Funny Side, “Parenting is messy,” and that’s okay.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you share your parenting experiences. Do you have any stories that you didn’t include in this book?
I live stories every day. But, yes, some adventures didn’t get included in The Funny Side. Body parts and bathroom incidents are discussed in The Funny Side, and as I completed my final proofread, I remembered one of those “Are you kidding me?” parenting moments.
Originally, I called this story “Three words sum it up: Boys are gross!” It started with a fleeting thought about life as a queen surrounded by sunshine and rainbows and stories about love and romance. A queen whose children played games with dolls and stuffed animals, and cleaned their bedrooms, used their manners, and talked about tying bows and braiding hair . . . However, my life was not queenly. My life went like this:
A small, blurry human ran past me down the hall and slammed the door to my oldest son’s room. My subconscious mind screamed, “Oh no! He’s up to something!” Before I could process further, the child zoomed by me and out the back door.
My husband’s voice boomed with the same questions swirling in my mind. “What do you have? What are you doing?” As a response, my fast-moving son pivoted to avoid my husband, who was coming up the deck stairs. My son was now headed my way. I stepped into the doorway, trapping him between me and my husband, who was now positioned at the top of the stairs. My son froze.
“What do you have?” I asked in a low tone. I crossed my arms and narrowed my gaze as I observed my son’s eyes darting back and forth, searching for an escape path. Two looks slid across his face: a smirk of defiance and the relaxed facial expression of acceptance.
There was a brief pause before his shrill announcement. “He threw pee on me!”
I can’t stop the small intake of air or the widening of my eyes. “He what!”
The accused (my younger son) spoke up then. His voice was flat. “He threw it on me first.”
“He did not.” This was the only comment I could muster, monotone. As I looked around for my husband, who had perfected his ability to disappear into thin air, my boys scrambled past me into the house. I was alone and staring slack-jawed at a small square container with the telltale signs of urine. It was sitting on a splotchy, wet deck. I closed my eyes and massaged the bridge of my nose.
Still out of sight, the disembodied voice of my husband floated up from somewhere near the base of the deck. “Gross!”
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing about your experiences?
Valuable advice about writing about my parenting experiences came to me inadvertently. One reader told me that if they’d read my book or something similar before becoming a parent or near the beginning of caregiving, they would have purchased a notebook to write those messy moments to share and laugh at later. It was a lovely compliment and not meant to be advice, but it made me think. I have a teen and a pre-teen now. The funny stuff is rampant; why am I not writing it down? The comedy gold (sometimes still in hindsight) is happening every day. So, why not capture it in writing?
What is one thing you hope your readers take away from The Funny Side?
The parenting journey is about learning, and it’s unique. Certain things come with the parenting territory. The less talked about stuff and the unexpected events (the ones that sometimes embarrass or horrify) stand out. And they can stand out as having a strange child or as bad parenting—the toddler that strips on the playground or smears boogers on the wall during a playdate—but it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong or that we, as parents, are doing it wrong. Certain things are just part of it. And, even in those challenging moments, there’s value and a nugget of humour.
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It’s priceless, all of it.
From heartwarming to smiles and laughter, The Funny Side looks at precious—or questionable—parenting moments. It’s a compilation of relatable anecdotes that caregivers everywhere can enjoy. The Funny Side is a collection of raw and comical tales, reminding you that you aren’t alone and that laughter is sometimes the best response.
The Funny Side entertains, but it’s also meant to lessen the stress of feeling like your parenting has gone wrong or your child is stranger than average. Certain things come with the parenting territory whether we know it, and whether we like it. So, sit down and prepare to laugh because parenting is topsy-turvy, awry, and farcical. You’re going to love it—eventually.
The Funny Side: Relatable Anecdotes from a Once-Frazzled Parent
Shari Marshall’s The Funny Side is a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud collection of parenting stories that shine a hilarious spotlight on the chaos, messes, and unexpected joys of raising children. From the very first page, Marshall makes it clear—this isn’t a parenting guide. Instead, it’s a warm, witty, and refreshingly honest look at the ups and downs of life as a mom. The book is structured as a series of anecdotes, touching on everything from potty training and toddler streaking to those unfiltered, mortifying things kids blurt out in public. With chapters like Are We Responsible for Our Children’s Behavior? and Penis, Vagina, and Non-Sensical Things I’ve Learned, you know you’re in for a ride.
As a parent (and a grandparent), I found myself nodding, chuckling, and, at times, outright laughing at Marshall’s stories. She captures those wild, unpredictable parenting moments with such vivid humor that I felt like I was right there with her, reliving my own experiences. Take, for example, her battle with her toddler’s fascination with nudity—one I know all too well. When her son learned the word privacy, only to immediately abandon all concept of it by streaking through the house, I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard. Then there’s her mortifying moment at Disneyland when her young son, in what could only be described as an innocent-yet-highly-suspect act, placed his tiny hand right on Ariel’s chest during a photo op. Priceless. These are the kinds of stories every parent collects over the years but often tries to forget until someone else dares to share theirs.
Beyond the humor, Marshall also sneaks in moments of deep relatability. Her struggles with early motherhood, especially with her premature baby’s fragile start in life, tugged at my heartstrings. She doesn’t sugarcoat the exhaustion, self-doubt, or overwhelming love that comes with raising kids. And then there are those little victories, like when her son finally figures out the mechanics of peeing standing up. That balance between hilarity and heartfelt truth is what makes this book stand out.
If you’re a parent, a grandparent, or even just someone who enjoys a good laugh about the beautiful disaster that is raising children, this book is for you. The Funny Side is perfect for exhausted moms who need reassurance that they’re not alone, dads who could use a reminder that yes, this happens to everyone, and even soon-to-be parents who have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. Shari Marshall has written a book that lets us laugh at the madness, embrace the mess, and appreciate the fact that no parent has it all figured out.
Pages: 114 | ASIN : B0DZ44G97D
Torn
Vizard: An Ember Files Side Story follows a courageous thirteen-year-old girl whose entire family has been murdered and who must now go into hiding to survive. What inspired the setup of your story?
Juniper Berry is a character that’s in every novel in The Ember Files series, although this isn’t immediately apparent to the reader because lives her life in various guises. She is a master of disguise—a vizard—and she’s secretive, which gives her an air of mystery. Her story formed in my mind while I was writing Chimera and Curses. As I was writing, I realized there were a lot of unknowns about her that readers would be curious about and that there was more to her character that I still wanted to create and share. So, I marked the idea of her story with a working title—Torn—to be written as a prequel toThe Ember Files.
Juniper is forced to grow up quickly when her family is killed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I don’t consciously write with ideals and tropes in mind. With Vizard, I wanted to create a strong heroine whose strength came from deep inside her, giving her resilience and determination. Love, justice, and compassion are some ideals that Juniper Berry struggles with before they become an ingrained part of her personality.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Family, as a theme, runs through the entire Ember Files series. Juniper Berry’s experience of family is complicated: tangled with love, justice, and revenge. As a result, the paradigm of good versus evil is a theme that is built right into Juniper Berry’s internal struggles and growth; there is potential in her character to become either. The possibility for these extremes within her is part of what drives her and the story. I picked the working title, Torn, to write this story under because it described Juniper Berry and the struggles of her life. It represents being pulled apart, being uncertain, and the conflict between those uncertainties with the extreme being a woman who lives multiple lives wearing a disguise.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
Juniper Berry’s story leads into the first book in The Ember Files, The Ember Stone, which occurs forty years after Vizard. Although Juniper Berry is no longer the main character, bits of her story continue to be revealed in the next books—the last book in the series is scheduled for release in July. The events and characters throughout the series intertwine with her story.
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A brutal deed forever alters the rules of survival.
Few Spellbinders know of the kill list’s existence; a list that marks multiple families for death. In the wake of one savage attack, there’s a survivor. Juniper Berry, a thirteen-year-old girl, without options, enters a cloak-and-dagger life—forced to care for herself. She plots a course of retribution. Her plan lands her in a world of intrigues and hazards that threaten to overwhelm the already unstable facts of her identity. As Juniper Berry’s noose tightens around her enemies, fate continues to take swings. What begins as a relationship of necessity becomes so much more—an unfortunate pattern—and Juniper Berry finds herself torn between irreconcilable lives.
Vizard: An Ember Files Side Story (The Ember Files)
In Vizard: An Ember Files Side Story, author Shari Marshall crafts a suspenseful narrative around Juniper Berry, a young girl entangled in a web of vengeance and survival. The story begins in the aftermath of a harrowing attack, with Juniper emerging as the sole survivor. This tragedy propels her into a dangerous world where she must navigate a complex web of secrets and peril.
The book’s central theme of resilience against overwhelming odds resonates deeply. Juniper’s character is intricately portrayed, allowing readers to journey with her through challenges and triumphs. This emotional depth not only endears Juniper to the reader but also adds a layer of realism to her extraordinary circumstances. Marshall excels in creating a character who is not merely a passive participant in her story but an active pursuer of justice. Marshall’s narrative pacing is a standout feature, skillfully balancing suspenseful action with moments of introspection. This equilibrium keeps the storyline engaging, drawing readers into Juniper’s world and holding their attention until the final page. The vivid descriptions and imaginative setting further enhance the reading experience, crafting an intriguing and relatable world.
Vizard is a well-rounded novel offering a blend of intrigue, emotion, and adventure. It invites readers into a fantastical realm where themes of identity, determination, and the strength of the human spirit are explored. This book is a noteworthy addition to the fantasy genre, offering a compelling read for those who appreciate stories of adversity and triumph.
Pages: 198 | ASIN : B0CH5KYY44
LITERARY TITAN 