Woeful Spotlight: Teresa Ambord

Teresa's essay in All Woe Great and Small shows why the  good tidings of the holiday season should not extend to slimy, crawling creatures.

Your story in All Woe Great and Small is about an unsavory house guest that disrupted your holiday. What was one of your favorite holiday memories?

One Christmas my son and I were finally able to have a dog again, after a long time without one. Sandy was an Australian Shepherd, covered with long curls of gray hair.  That first year Sandy must have walked too close to the Christmas tree so that one of her gray curls on her neck caught the hook of an ornament and removed it from the tree.  Neither she nor I knew it. That is, till she came strolling up to me, dangling a shiny red bulb at her neck, just as though she'd dawned a necklace. I say she decorated herself to brighten my Christmas. 


Speaking of house guests, if you could invite one famous person (living or dead) over for Christmas dinner, who would it be and why?

The epitome of the Christmas spirit is captured in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."  I watch it every year and always tear up in the final scene. This movie also happens to star my favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. If I could have one guest of my choosing to my home for Christmas dinner, it might be Jimmy Stewart.

If Crayola named a crayon after you, what would they name it, and what color would it be? 

A crayon  named for me would have an unusual, but appropriate name, Merry Heart.  Merry Heart would be a vibrant green, a symbol of life. The Bible says a merry heart has a continual feast, and a merry heart is good medicine. I like that!

Promote yourself. Where else can we find more of your writing?

My personal stories have been published in several issues of Chicken Soup Books (CS for the Adoptive Soul, CS Devotions for Tough Times, CS for Positive Thinking, CS Boost Your Brainpower, CS I Can't Believe My Cat Did That, and one upcoming book) several Cup of Comfort books (CC for Christmas, CC for Sisters, CC for Dog Lovers II), other anthologies such as Dad's Bow Tie and one coming soon about blended families.  These are the stories I write for fun. I make a living writing business articles for BizActions.com and I am a paid contributor to a wonderful health and wellness site for women called liteliving.net, multiple senior publications, and I write weekly for AccountingWeb.com.

Mug of Woe Named One of the Best Beach Reads!

Special thanks goes out to Motif Magazine for naming Mug of Woe one of the Best Books to Bring to The Beach!

And you, too, can be part of this award-winning series. Right now we have a call for bad, funny, and embarrassing dating stories open until June 30th!  Submission guidelines are right here.

Woeful Spotlight: Bambi Marangio

Bambi’s stories in All Woe Great and Small share important life lessons, like how to perform CPR on a kitty, and how one incredible turtle can save the day.  
 

 

Your stories were about miraculous animals. Can you share with us another story about your miracle kitty, Silver?

Silver is still alive and well. She turned black and white now, oddly is no longer Silver and white, but we kept her name. We have another cat, Sven, who showed up on our porch a few years back. So, we got him vaccinated and neutered. Rugged Sven is the outdoors’ type. He is a big Tom Cat who protects the house in his own way - he returns often a bit bloody and beaten up. Silver sits with him on the porch, licks his wounds, and comforts Sven every time! She is a sweetheart! Silver awaits her human boy, Cody, to return every few months from Johns Hopkins University - she always remembers her life saving friend and goes directly to him purring away. After all, they grew up together. Perhaps they should get a car commercial like that guy and his dog over the years.

 

You have done animal rescues and pet therapy. What is one of your favorite stories from these experiences?

The best Pet Therapy story was when this little, old grumpy man in a Nursing Home wouldn't talk to anyone - for 3 years! - until I showed him my dog, PJ, a big black Chow mix that I had in the hallway. The man, known for his extremely mean personality, actually smiled, called the dog in, and I followed. After that moment, PJ and I visited him regularly. Mr. J. became a great friend of mine. He had a lot of life stories to tell, and I understood his feelings. He was an angry African-American gentleman, who gave this blonde girl and her dog a chance. His anger was justified, and he continued to yell at others as a defense mechanism. But I got to know the real Mr. J., thanks to a friendly dog of mine. Animals are miraculous!

 

If Crayola named a crayon after you, what would it be called, and what color would it be?

I would be a mixture of Blue and Purple. Ease, Ocean, and Royalty. Crayola would have to call it, Bambi's Aura.

 

Promote yourself. Where else can we find more of your writing?
I have two articles/poems in Creative FORECASTING MAGAZINE.

Also, I ghostwrite, so no one ever knows where I may be! Lots of Comedy, but what do you expect with a name like Bambi?

I am currently proofreading a children's book - written by a 10 year old - about her true experiences in a school. It makes me laugh and cry to read the journal that this kid kept for 1 year. Everyone should be aware of what goes on in some classrooms in America - through the eyes of a child! True feelings and perceptions.

Seeking Funny Dating Stories!

Attention all writers! Because we believe in second chances, we have reopened our Woes of Dating submissions until the end of June! So, if you slacked off and missed the deadline the first time, get your booty in gear and get us a funny essay by the end of the month.


Ah the joys of dating. Sadly we've all been there. But, awesomely enough our dating adventures make for highly entertaining stories. Or at least we think they do! Which is why the sassy creators of the award-winning Mug of Woe series are stoked to announce we are reopening submissions for our newest love child: The Woes of Dating!

 

If you have a TRUE, hilarious, awkward, or downright embarrassing story about dating experiences gone horribly wrong, we want to read it! Any dating experience is fair game, including the time your blind date showed up with her ventriloquist doll or tried to take you to lunch...in a cemetery. Now's your chance to dish the dirt on your douchy ex who wouldn't let you crash at his place when you lost power for three days (A story Kyle knows all too well).

 

Ready to submit your story to us? Here's what you need to do: 

• Keep essays to 1200 words or less
• Please format your piece on a word document using the following:
• Veranda 10 point font
• Single spaced
• Include a one-paragraph bio with your submission and a funky picture you don't mind us posting on this site
• All contributors receive a copy of the book
• Email your essays to mugofwoe@gmail.com by June 30, 2013