SAHM I Am — Where Stay-at-home Moms Connect: Welcome to the fictional world of the SAHM I Am email loop! Here, you’ll meet Dulcie, the perpetually-frazzled mother of three whose husband is always gone for work. And you’ll get to hang out with her loop friends, Zelia, Brenna, Phyllis, and Jocelyn, who all are dealing with their own struggles as they try to be the best SAHMs they can be. They all have to put up with Rosalyn, the SAHM I Am loop moderator who is impossible perfect and lets everyone know it. If you enjoy humor that springs from the realities of every-day life, if you want to feel like you have a friend who understands just how you feel, then you’ll enjoy the story of these five friends and their interactions with their husbands and children and each other. Copyright © 2005 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Get Your Own Copy of SAHM I Am Bedtime Battles To celebrate the release of my debut novel, SAHM I Am, the Harlequin website, hosted a serialized online story that is a companion piece to SAHM. Titled “Bedtime Battles,” a new section containing all the craziness and hilarity of the book itself was posted every weekday from October 17 through November 14, 2005. It was a lot of fun, so hop over and check it out. Deleted Scenes Distracted Daughter - Read Brenna’s Thanksgiving - Read Brenna’s Farm Work-Out - Read Flame War! - Read Eberly Family Christmas Covenant - Read Behind The Scenes Things about the making of SAHM I Am that you may not have known *Read Here* Interviews with characters Dulcie and Zelia from SAHM I Am Dulcie’s Interview - Read Zelia’s Interview - Read Interview with a Friend - Read Publishers Weekly (September 12, 2005) *click here to read full review  “Can a novel consisting entirely of e-mails be enjoyable faith fiction? Efken's charming, light debut offers a resounding and surprising ‘yes.’ ”      –Publishers Weekly Romantic Times (Top Pick November, 2005) *click here to read full review  “Efken’s debut novel is pure delight.” –Romantic Times SAHM I Am Discussion Questions Which one of the characters do you most strongly identify with? Why? How does that make you feel?   The “Green Eggs and Ham” girls (Dulcie, Jocelyn, Phyllis, Brenna, and Zelia) have a close friendship with each other, despite knowing each other only through the internet. How do you think they developed that relationship? What are some cultural barriers we face today in forming close friendships? How can we overcome these barriers, and how important is it to do so?   Which character is the “voice” of the many expectations placed on women and men? What are some expectations you feel pressured to meet, and how do you feel about this? Where do these expectations come from and why do they exist? How reasonable are they? What do you think can be the result from trying to perform to these standards?   During the weekly discussion concerning what books the SAHM I Am loop members are reading, there is a lot of talk about non-fiction vs. fiction and the relative merits of each. Compare the attitudes of Rosalyn and Connie on this subject with Phyllis’ view of it. What does it mean for a book to “nourish the soul” and what books have you read that have accomplished that in your life? What role, if any, does entertainment play in this nourishing process?   During a discussion on what their lives were like before they had children, Phyllis makes this comment: “I love my children. I love my husband. But there are days when I feel like I am living their lives instead of my own. And I have a feeling that some morning, after they’re grown or gone, I’m going to wake up and realize my life ended a long time ago, that Phyllis Lorimer died without anyone – including me – noticing.” In what ways can you identify with this statement? How can we balance our own individuality and personhood with the demands of caring for our families or fulfilling other responsibilities? Why is it so difficult to find time to maintain this balance? What happens if we neglect this balance and either live totally for ourselves or totally for other people?   What is the source of most of Dulcie and Tom’s marital conflicts? If you were Becky (Tom’s sister) or one of Dulcie’s friends, what advice would you give them about their relationship with each other?   Dulcie’s self-image is a constant source of stress for her. What aspects of your own self-image do you struggle with most? Where do our unrealistic expectations of ourselves come from? What can we do about it? What does Dulcie mean when she says, “There’s more to being content with myself than fitting into a certain clothing size.”?   List the characters in this story who have been, or will be, touched by adoption in some form or another. Do you know people who are part of this “adoption triangle” – adoptee, adoptive parent, or birthmother? What are some of their feelings about adoption? How are their experiences, or the ones of the characters in this book, different than the typical portrayal of adoption in the media or in books? What do you think about the following conversation between Brenna’s husband, Darren, and their daughter, Madeline, regarding her new understanding of adoption? “Well, I was thinking on the bus about it. And it’s sort of like God, you know?” “God? In what way, Squirt?” “Well, you know, like how God made us part of His family – when we’re born again. That’s what they say at church. So, are we adopted, Daddy? Are we?”   Brenna and Darren struggle with accepting Darren’s infertility. Both male and female infertility can be devastating for a couple that desires a child. Why is this? How do you think our culture (both secular and Christian) views people who are infertile? What should our response be toward someone in this position? How can we create a more accepting and supportive environment for people dealing with this problem?   Phyllis and Jonathan are deeply wounded by the church they were serving. In what ways do our churches most commonly wound people? Why does this happen when Christians are supposed to be known by their love? How can we be part of the solution in preventing such wounds from being inflicted? What is the most healthy way to respond when a Christian hurts you? How can we show love and concern for a person who has been hurt by the church?