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Because it always comes back to the antelope

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Listen.

I know there are days that I say I have nothing to write about it and then blah, blah, blah for the next 1,000 words.

But I don’t think today is going to be one of those days.

I’m out of words.

And here’s a large part of the reason why.

I’ve been writing my second book for the last six months. I KNOW. I haven’t even said a word about it.

But it’s true.

It’s tentatively going to be called The Antelope in the Living Room and will be a memoir of marriage. Specifically, my marriage. Because how weird would it be for me to write an entire book about someone else’s marriage?

Not to mention the potential to wind up as part of a lawsuit.

Anyway, my deadline to turn the book in is April 1st. As in this April 1st. As in OH MY WORD IT’S ALREADY MARCH AND WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Apparently I struggle with time management. Or perhaps I write books just like I worked on college term papers which is to say I find new ways to turn procrastination into a form of high art.

Whatever the case, I can’t promise I’ll be posting every day during March and I wanted to give you the heads up because it seems like the right thing to do. Otherwise you might begin to wonder if something is wrong and if I’m not mentioning it and the whole thing could truly become like an antelope in the living room.

Or whatever.

And the truth is that sometimes it gets easier for me to write once I give myself permission not to write. Does that make sense anywhere besides my head?

Probably not.

Thanks for understanding, y’all.

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  1. What?! Another Big Mama book? I just finished the first and already can’t wait for the second. How in the world did you manage to keep it a secret? I would immediately feel the need to throw it out into the internets.
    Congratulations. Can’t wait to read:)

  4. Oh that’s exciting! I got your book at dotMom last weekend and I read it in one sitting! I NEVER read books. It was wonderful! I related to so much of it! Including the Guess overalls (mine were mint green), and I have one daughter too. I was so happy to hear Gulley’s kids are like Caroline’s siblings. My daughter is just 2 1/2, but it looks like she will be an only child. I always tell my BFF that her twin’s will have to be Katie’s brother and sister. So glad to know that can be true!

    Good luck with your deadline! Do you realize that’s April Fool’s Day? What if it’s just one big April Fool’s prank?

  6. I have purposefully made your FIRST book last a long time — which is like eating one piece of chocolate and putting the box back on the shelf. It’s wonderful and I look forward to the next book.

    Except — this title does not lend itself to little gifts – maybe it should be something like: Every Anniversary ought to be Diamonds? Or … Never ask your husband to carry your new handbag? Just sayin’.

    • Exactly! What sort of “give away” could you do with an antelope? (No, P, no one wants any of your spare trophies.)

  7. I am so excited about your next book! Sparkly Green Earrings is my new favorite book and I know Antelope will be awesome too! One question, if you received lot’s of pairs of earrings for your first book, are you worried that you are going to be gifted taxidermy with this one?

  11. Go write! And I’m hoping the 3rd book will be about college. The 4th should be about your pharmaceutical rep job. The 5th…

  12. Just finished your 1st book and I have to say you had me laughing out loud through most of it! My husband kept asking me what I was reading. You hit the nail on the head with mothering as only a mother could know. Looking forward to your second book and thanks for the 1st one-pure joy.

  13. My morning is made. Your antelope in the living room story is without a doubt one of my favorite things you’ve written!! It hasn’t been Christmas the past couple of years until I call my mom and we reread it laughing ourselves to tears. My daddy is a hunter. Mama gets it.

  14. Whoop whoop!!! In an email I sent you, I actually had written, ‘get your pen going for the second book, sister’. But then I deleted it b/c I didn’t want to seem pushy, or make you feel stressed. (B/c clearly, a faceless person in Indiana should have that effect on you).

    I’m going to go with the crowd and say the antelope and all that concerns it makes me laugh like nothing else.

  15. The Antelope of The Lord was one of my favorite post! I laughed so hard and immediately made sure my daughter in law read it as there was a ” discussion” going on at their house about where to hang the deer head. My daughter in law and I refer to the Antelope of The Lord all the time and just laugh.

  18. Girl, I am FINALLY getting to read your book and I. Am. Loving. It!!!!!! Not to be overly-dramatic or anything. 🙂 Last night was especially the perfect night to be reading your words. I went to bed utterly exhausted–emotionally and physically. I opened your book and got to escape into giggles and smiles and a lighter heart. Thank you. I also read encouraging Bible verses, and got to hear from another mama who struggles just like I do.

    So, thank you! And I cannot WAIT to read your next book!!! Sooooo excited for you!!!!

  20. YAY, another book! How exciting! Praying the words will flow through to you so you can meet that deadline!

  21. I’m so excited for your next book! I really liked sparkly green earrings but since I’m not a mother but I am a wife, I think I will relate to the second book even more! 🙂

  22. So excited for #2!! And makes sense to me!!! ( not writing so you can write)
    Blessings on your writing, I know it will be fabulous!!!!

  24. oh.my.goodness.
    My husband will read this next one, any time he walks in the den in the morning and I am laughing he asks me what you wrote haha!! He is a big hunter as well and would have dead things all over our house if he lived alone:)

  26. AAAHHH!!!! So excited you’re writing another book!!! I devoured Sparkly Green Earrings in 1 sitting and can’t wait to get my hands on The Antelope in the Living Room!!!!!!!

  27. Okay. Go write! And as much as I LOVE reading your posts M-F, on days you don’t post, I’ll just go back to the archives, because what you write definitely deserves another read. I look forward to visiting with you again at the book-signing for Antelope. Love ya, girl!

  28. Yeah for the new book!

    Totally off the subject. . . . but did you see Lesley’s sparkly green earrings last night
    on the Women Tell All….?
    Think she has been reading your book???

  31. I can’t wait to read the book!! { But I can’t promise I’ll wear any antelope earrings or put a head on my wall.}

  33. I just finished reading your first book yesterday and loved it. I will be eagerly awaiting your next one because I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to relate. Congrats on a job well-done!

  34. Ooh! Another book – how exciting! I can’t wait to read it. Although I was all for the sparkly green earrings, I don’t think that I will be trying to win any drawings you might have that would involve giving away an antelope head. 😉

  35. Like some of the others, I’m wondering how many antelopes you will receive or will it be an excuse for hubby to hang more dead animals in your house?
    Did you announce the winners of the sparkly green earrings from Fridays post?

  36. Does this mean y’all will be giving away antelopes with the new book? Congrat’s and you’re a brave brave woman to write about marriage.

  37. Instead of Antelope in the living room i think it shoudl be called The Antelope of the Lord… Thats what you have called it before on here and my wife and i often refer to The Antelope of the Lord. 🙂 Isn’t always nice when people tell you what you should do…

  38. You do realize that now that you’ve named a book after it, you’ll never get that antelope out of your living room?

  44. The FIRST thing I thought when I finished Sparkly Green Earring is you should SO right a book on marriage! I cannot wait to read it!

  45. Interesting title. I’m guessing it’s your husband’s antelope. 🙂 I have an antelope on an alcove wall in our home. My husband and kids really aren’t fond of it. They’d love to see it go. But it is very sentimental to me. You see, it was my grandpa’s. And he passed away in 2009. I asked for it and I got it. One of the last things I saw him doing was at age 90 looking up at that very antelope and carving a similar one for a relative. Trying to get it done before he passed.

    Who knew antelopes could bring so much dissension. 🙂 But I’m holding onto mine.

  47. Oh my, this news could NOT have come at a better time!!! I’ve had Sparkly Green Earrings since it arrived after I pre-ordered it from Amazon. I hadn’t wanted to start it because I knew I wouldn’t want to put it down & I didn’t want it be over. Does that make sense to anyone else but me?!? I finally picked it up yesterday afternoon & just finished it moments ago! It was so awesome, every single bit as much as I knew it would be! So glad to have another of your writings to look forward to! 🙂

  48. Take your time. We’ll be here when you get back. Ready to purchase the new book. i can’t wait to read the marriage memoir. Priceless…

  51. Scream! Can’t wait. I’ll take a blog break from you if it means another book! Go, Bigmama, Go!

  55. How exciting! Except…what if everyone starts giving you antelopes instead of earrings? Possible downside…

  57. Well, aren’t you the dark horse? (Cranford). So excited for the second book.
    As for give away ideas, didn’t P arrange an incredible surprise of Frye boots at Christmas? Yeah, baby.

  63. I almost wish you did not write books cause your daily blog is what we look forward to and that is why you became popular, but now being an author comes first and we your “fans” come second lol! Oh the price of fame!!

  66. That is great. i just picked up Sparkling Green Earrings and loving it. Glad to see you have your priorties in order. That is what is important.
    Debbie

  67. Yeah! Another book. I JUST finished Earrings this morning while lazing around in bed. I loved, loved, loved it Melanie. I hope that after we all hear about your romance and marriage with Perry (really, it’s time to let the “P” go on the blog now that the cat is out of the bag), you turn to fiction. You are a GREAT writer. I hope everyone in your family is proud of you because they should be. Congratulations on a great read.

  68. I just read your book this weekend and have suggested it to several friends and intend to let all the girls at bookclub know about it too!! Was fun to read and boy can I relate to MANY of the 70’s & 80’s references:) Congrats and Good Luck on the next one!!

  69. I can’t believe you made it this far without telling us about the 2nd book. hahaaha. That’s so exciting!! I love the title. Our whole family has laughed until we couldn’t breathe from the “Lo an Antelope of the Lord” blog post. hahaha. You are the best, BigMama.

  70. So exciting about you 2nd book! I saw on your twitter the picture of your hands!!! Wish I would have seen you at Bible Study. I would have said hello! The words on my hands are fading but I will always remember.

  71. Hi Melanie, I must say that after a few minutes of clicking through another young lady’s blog site…I came across a site called 5 minutes for mom. Very intrigued with all the little gadgets on the page, I saw a picture of a silhouette of a little girl. The beauty of the picture; surrounded by emerald green-one of my favorite colors, caused a warm feeling to come over me. Don’t want to take up your time, but I have to finish….Anyway, I thought it was an app of some kind and I just really wanted one on my blog site, so I began hovering over it to see if I could see a smart tip containing a URL, but no, so I clicked on it. There I was looking at a picture of a beautiful little baby.
    Warmth filled my heart all over again as I watched the video and read the blog on your page. So it brought me allllll the way here. In short, “I’m touched.” I had the honor of reading a short portion of what your books entails and I must buy it now for sure. lol. Bravo! I spend a lot of time online with business and recently blogging, but never really got the chance to read the blogs of others. But now I know I have been missing out on something. Your story is why we as mothers carry a level strength in our hearts that is unprecedented. Congratulations on your second book. I am inspired. I have started on three different books and have not completed one. 🙁 I’m inspired because when you say that you just want us to know that we are not the only ones…that helps a lot. Thank you. I will stop filling up your page now. 🙂 God Bless!

  73. i just finished your first book! can’t even tell you how great it was. it was really wonderfully funny and so true. super excited about one on marriage! looking forward to it already (no pressure…lol).

  76. How fun! And oh how I can relate to this: “I find new ways to turn procrastination into a form of high art.” I drove my mom crazy printing high school English papers whilst my carpool ride sat in the driveway. 🙂