Welcome to #SoccerMomSunday!
When I first started writing the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books, I was a very, very, very new mom. I can remember sitting at my humongous Salvation Army desk with my computer on one side and my now-eleven year old daughter’s bouncy seat on the other as I banged away at the synopsis and first three chapters that, a few months later, sold to a publisher and was optioned by Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures.
Because the books were coming out once a year, by the time book three, Demons Are Forever, rolled around, my daughter had aged accordingly (though the characters, for whom time moves much less swiftly, had not). For some reason that I can’t recall, she’d started calling margarine, which we used to butter her toast, “butter cheese.”
Since that was just too stinking adorable, I used it in my Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books, and then, as the years passed and she started calling butter “butter” and margarine “margarine” and cheese “cheese”, forgot about it.
Now that I have the rights back to the books, I’ve been proofing them before uploading the digital versions. So there I was, reading along in Demons Are Forever and there it was–a reference to “butter cheese.” I immediately called my husband into my office, and then we had to–HAD TO–go into Eldest Daughter’s room and remind her of this, in full on parental embarrassment style.
And can I just say, that I was also prescient about the teenage years? Because though I didn’t have a teen at the time, the bits of hormonal moodiness that I wrote into Allie have definitely arrived in the Kenner household.
That’s okay, though. Just so long as the demons don’t show up, too!
And here’s the scene I was talking about. Enjoy!
“I flying, Mommy!” he squealed. “I’m Super Timmy!”
I caught him midleap. “Hey there, Super Dude. Even superheroes need breakfast. Are you hungry?”
“Toast with butter cheese,” he demanded as I pulled off his pajama bottoms and helped him into a dry Pull-Ups.
“Fine and dandy,” I said. For reasons I don’t actually remember, Timmy started calling margarine “butter cheese” about the time he learned to talk. Since it’s so damn cute, we haven’t bothered to correct him. So long as he gets it right before college, I figure we’re okay.
I got him dressed, then led him to Allie’s room. I tapped once, heard nothing, then tapped again. Vague sounds of life drifted to me through the closed door. I considered that a good sign and pounded once again.
“What?”
“Time to get up. First day back to school. Pencils. Teachers. Books.”
No response.
“Cheerleading. Boys.”
That did it. “I’m up, already.”
“Twenty minutes, Allie,” I said. “I want you downstairs in twenty.”
“I said okay!”
Want more? You can snag the whole series at a variety of retailers, with more coming very soon:
Carpe Demon: Kindle | Amazon UK | Nook | Kobo | iTunes
California Demon: Kindle | Amazon UK | Nook | iTunes
Demons Are Forever: Kindle | Amazon UK | Nook | iTunes
The Demon You Know (short story): Kindle | Amazon UK | Nook | iTunes
Deja Demon: Kindle | Amazon UK | Nook | Kobo | iTunes
Demon Ex Machina: Coming late September
Pax Demonica: Coming just in time for Halloween!
Happy reading!
XXOO
JK
[signoff]
Any update on the release of Pax Demonica? It’d be perfect for my Christmas break (and Christmas wishlist).
My goal is that you’ll be happy! Fingers crossed!!