I Love You, Mom: Author Chat, Book Review & Giveaway
When most people think of Valentine’s Day, they think of romantic love. While the love between a husband and wife should absolutely be celebrated, Valentine’s Day provides an opportunity to express love to the other people God has placed in our lives as well.
Today, I’m thrilled to share about Blythe Daniel’s and Helen McIntosh’s new book called I Love You, Mom. This mother-daughter duo penned beautiful affirmations of love and expressions of encouragement for the moms in our lives. Please join me today in welcoming them to the blog for a special interview!
Author Chat with Blythe Daniel & Helen McIntosh
Q: What inspired you to write this book together?
Blythe & Helen: We realized there were so many unhealed places in the mother-daughter and mother-son relationship. We wanted to provide another tool to help moms and children give and receive love. Moms are looking for ways to leave a legacy to the generations below them – and we are calling this a “legacy of love.”
Q: What is one of the experiences or lessons learned from your own mother-daughter relationship that helped shape this book?
Helen: During my own mother’s chemotherapy journey years ago, I was led to give her/make her a journal with many scripture verses. I chose the ones I knew would encourage her. Our book I Love You, Mom has some of those same elements: 25 verses with 25 stories. We hope it will encourage moms with words of affirmation from God and from the stories we share to show Mom that she is a treasure!
Q: Why is your book appropriate for mothers of all ages, whether they’re caring for young children, dealing with an empty nest, or welcoming grandchildren?
Blythe & Helen: It’s appropriate for all ages because moms come in all packages and all of us experience, at some point: pain, loss, joy, hope, and there is no age limit or requirement. Scripture is ageless and we believe God’s Word is for anyone, anytime, any age and will not return void when it’s shared. This book really is a gift or like a greeting card that says so much more than our own words can at times. It’s written for the mom to read as she sees fit to receive encouragement and to know that the person who gives her the book really does care for her.
Q: I love the idea of a book dedicated to showing appreciation and love for our mothers, who do so much that often goes unnoticed. What would you say to the overwhelmed mom who is just trying to get through the day?
Blythe & Helen: The book is filled with gratitude, which so refreshes the weary heart. The word gifts in each of the 25 devotions are meant to be grabbed and scooped up by moms needing “just a word” for the weary body! If a mom is just trying to make it through the day, hopefully she will see that other women, like us, have experienced many of the same emotions and stories. And beyond that, women in the Bible give us great perspective for what we are going through as moms and we highlight a few of these. The goal is for Mom to feel that she is making a difference, and even when it seems like her child may not remember, we as children will!
Q: What is your prayer for the moms everywhere who read this book?
Blythe & Helen: We pray that the moms reading this book will feel loved, important, needed, refreshed, and renewed in their calling.
Q: How can readers connect with you?
Our email is: info@theblythedanielagency.com but we’re also on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blythe.daniel and https://www.facebook.com/helen.b.mcintosh.
Instagram: blythe.daniel and nannie_7777.
Book Review of I Love You, Mom
This gift book is all about the details. The first pages include fill-in-the-blanks for gifting information, as well as space to write your own personalized note to Mom.
The book itself is broken down into attributes about your mom, such as “You are abundant,” “You are fearless,” and “You are a legacy.” Each attribute is then separated out with a related Scripture and devotional thought intended to affirm and encourage.
I love the simplicity and thoughtfulness of these messages to our mothers. Young busy mothers might find these encouraging words a lifeline in the sleepless nights and overflowing to-do lists. Grandmothers might cherish these words over a quiet cup of coffee.
Also, don’t forget your mothers-in-love! This book would be a priceless gift for you to share with your husband’s mom, too.
Enter to Win Your Copy
I Love You, Mom releases March 8 but is available for pre-order now. On release day, I will be giving away one copy, but you don’t have to wait to enter!
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. You could comment on something shared during the interview or say why you would love to give this book as a gift to your mom. You may also share my related posts on Facebook or Twitter. (Just be sure to tag me!)
A few considerations:
- You must be over 13 years of age to enter.
- You must have a US address. (Sorry to my international friends!)
- The winner’s name may be posted on this site and/or social media.
- While this contest may be shared on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with these entities.
The giveaway runs through Tuesday, March 8 (release day), and I’ll announce the winner on the blog and Facebook that week.
~ Kristen
Special thanks to the Blog About Blogger Network for hosting this giveaway.
Congrats to our Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations to Elizabeth for being the winner of the drawing for one copy of I Love You, Mom! Thank you to everyone who commented and participated.
About Blythe Daniel & Helen McIntosh
A magnificent mother-daughter duo, Helen McIntosh and Blythe Daniel released Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mother and Daughters in 2019 and have paired up again for I Love You, Mom!: Cherished Word Gifts from My Heart to Yours releasing in March 2022.
Blythe is the president of The Blythe Daniel Agency, Inc., is a literary agent, marketer, and writer with 25 years in media and publishing. She has written for Focus on the Family, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Ann Voskamp, and Christian Retailing.
Right away, Helen is someone you know as an encourager at heart. She has her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Sarasota, and is the author of Messages to Myself and Eric, Jose & The Peace Rug.
About I Love You, Mom
This sweet collection of sentiments from mother-daughter duo Helen McIntosh and Blythe Daniel is a deeply sincere tribute to moms everywhere. Whether they are still on the parenting journey or enjoying the grandmothering phase of life, moms of all ages will be blessed and encouraged by these inspirational thoughts and special affirmations of love. Beautifully designed with cheerful full-color artwork in a unique layered hardcover package, this special all-occasion gift is a thoughtful, meaningful way to celebrate Mom and let her know how much you love, cherish, and appreciate all that she is and does!
12 Comments
Linda Gawthrop
Once a Mom always a Mom – I still remember my boys on Valentine’s Day and at Easter even though they are in their 30’s! I do not have a lovely mother-daughter relationship like I had with my own Mom, but my guys do not disappoint.
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
Thanks for sharing, Linda! I love that you remember your sons at Valentine’s Day even now that they are adults. You’re right. Once a Mom, always a Mom!
Elizabeth MaeWolfram
This is so inspiring! My mom and I have been talking about writing a book together, and it’s so awesome to see these two have already done it. I love their heart behind the story! This is a wonderful gift for mothers and daughters! (And in-laws, too!) Very excited to read this when it’s out!
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
That’s so neat, Elizabeth! I love that you’re thinking of writing a book together and think that you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Blessings to you!
nina gonzalez
I would love this book for my mom. She has been thru so much n is still going thru so much n she never gave in or gave up. She is currently sick n is taking care of my dad with melanoma cancer which is hard idk how she does it my only explanation is GOD is carrying her thru it all. She is my hero my best friend. I know one day she won’t be here ,but in not being able to be there with her n my dad this book would be a blessing in disguise. She has her moments n takes on so much. I want her to know how special she really is to me. See my mom was there for me thru out my whole life she never gave up on me she was n is still caring loving strong kind hearted n all the fruits of the spirits. She always opened her doors to help people out she always gave her last she was always humble n even though times people tried to kill my mom with there comments n actions she stood strong. I want to become like her. To my mom there is no one in the world I’d rather have in my life. You have n always will be my hero . I wish one day that GOD would open the door for me to be with u both. I’m so sorry for the times I did mess up but I’m grateful u was n u still are in my corner. Thank u so much. I love u mom. Never forget that u are my best friend n ur my number 1 best mother ever in the world.
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
Thank you for your comment and for sharing, Nina. I love that you see how God is carrying her through everything, and your tribute to your mom is so special. Blessings to you and your mom!
Emilee Douglas
Beautiful mother and daughter!
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
I agree!
jerushaagen
My Mom’s nickname has long been “Wow,” since we discovered that was her “name” upside down! 🙂 This book sounds like a wonderful way to appreciate moms. which we can never do enough!
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
I love that! Yes, this book is such a beautiful “gift card” of appreciation. I agree we can never thank them enough. 🙂
Barbara Trombley
I met Blythe at a writing conference in St. Paul a year ago. I bought a copy of her book, Mended. I would love to gift this new book to my 90 year old mother for Mother’s Day.
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
Thanks for your comment, Barbara! Blythe is a delight to meet in person, and her book would make a great Mother’s Day gift. I’ve added you to the giveaway.