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She gave you life, brought you into this world. As you grew up, chances are she also dished out some juicy nuggets of wisdom. The mothers of these 24 authors certainly did. Let's sit back and learn from them.
 JERRY JENKINS
(Riven, Left Behind, Midnight Clear)
“Work before you play, but don’t forget to play.”
 DEBORAH RANEY
(Leaving November, Remember to Forget)
I remember when I was the tender age of almost--18, loving my life and lamenting having to grow up. My mother looked me in the eye and said, “Debbie, don’t you ever feel afraid of getting older! Every year of my life has been better than the year before.” Her words have definitely been true for me. My forties were the most fabulous years of my life, and so far, my fifties are shaping up to be even better! I have a very wise mom who is still enjoying life to the hilt at 74.
 KRISTIN BILLERBECK
(The Trophy Wives Club, Split Ends)
This is going to sound incredibly stupid, but it's true. One night in college, I had a boyfriend who had taken my Mustang convertible out and not come home. I was so angry and my mother said, "Are you worried about the car or the boyfriend? That tells you something." Yes, I was worried about my precious car. Needless to say, it spoke volumes about my choices in life. I became a Christian shortly thereafter. :)
 KAREN BALL
(What Lies Within, The Breaking Point)
To celebrate the little moments in life. Mom was a master of celebrating, be it birthdays or holidays, or just a walk on the beach, she made every moment special. She reminded me what a gift each day was, and that you should spend it with a heart of gratitude rather than one of dissatisfaction. She helped me see that life's glass isn't just half full, it's overflowing!
 JAMES SCOTT BELL
(Try Dying, The Whole Truth)
The best advice my mother gave me was to be thankful. How right she
was. Gratitude is one of the keys to a happy life.
 MELANIE WELLS:
(My Soul to Keep, When the Day of Evil Comes)
It's a long and winding road. Enjoy the journey and
don't worry about what's around the bend.” My second choice for mom
advice was a retort my mom made once when I was mooning over a
boyfriend who I thought I was so in love with. I think I was 16 or 17.
My mom's response? “Melanie, you're not in love, you're just happy. The
sooner you learn the difference, the better off you'll be.” Ouch. She
was right, of course.
 LORENA MCCOURTNEY
(Your Chariot Awaits, Here Comes the Ride)
I think my mother's most helpful bit of advice to me
was, "Just send it out again." This may not sound profound or world
shaking, but it has stood me in good stead over many years of writing.
My mother had done some magazine article writing, so I very early on
tried writing stories and sending them out to kids' magazines. They
were mostly quite unimpressed with my efforts and sent them right back.
So Mom's advice was, "Just send it out again." You don't let one or two
- or a dozen! - rejections make you quit. Eventually this paid off when
I made my first "professional" sale while I was still in high school.
 JENNY B. JONES
(The Big Picture, In Between)
"Put your initials in your underwear." Just kidding. It
wasn't any specific thing that stands out, but that my mom was always
telling me I was pretty and smart and a good person. Believe me, I'm no
Ivy league beauty queen, but my mom always did everything she could to
instill confidence in me and let me know I was cherished. So while I
might not have totally believed her when she said I was something
pretty, I believed that she believed it. And that was all that
mattered. I hope all moms are telling their girls "You are the package
deal."
 SIBELLA GIORELLO
(The Stones Cry Out)
When I was working as a reporter, and completely
enthralled with my job, my mother said, "A great job is a good thing,
but it won't keep your feet warm at night."
 DONNA FLEISHER
(Standing Strong, Wounded Healer)
Let's see. “Don't use my good silverware to play in the
dirt.” No, that wasn't the best advice. “Don't sit with your legs
apart.” No, that wasn't it either. “Take your vitamins.” Nah. “Go
swimming, you'll feel better.” Nope. I guess the best advice from my
mom came when I told her I was writing novels and seeking a publisher
to publish them. She said, “Well, just make sure whatever you do is for
the Lord.” Of course, I rolled my eyes and said, “Yes, Mother.” I was
doing it for the Lord. But now, looking back on it, I'm glad she didn't
say anything else. It was just what I needed her to say.
 AMY WALLACE
(Healing Promises, Ransomed Dreams)
The best advice my mother has given me, aside from
always wearing clean underwear, is to be a loyal friend. Life is hard,
but true friends make the painful parts bearable and the joyful ones
outstanding. As a mom, the best advice I'd give is to know your God,
yourself, and your children well and in that order.
 ROXANNE HENKE
(Learning to Fly, The Secret of Us)
What's the best piece of advice my mother ever gave me?
"Your time will come." She said it for the first time when I was crying
over the fact that my nine-year-old best friend got the lead part in
the spring musical...and I had to be a stupid butterfly! I didn't
understand the meaning of her oft-repeated words until many years later
when I started gaining some achievements of my own. No leads in
musicals...but my first (and then MORE) books published.God's timing
was perfect...as was Mom's advice!
 TRICIA GOYER
(A Whisper of Freedom, My Life Unscripted)
The best advice from my mom wasn't something she spoke
often, but lived with her life. It was, "Everyone is worthy of being
considered a friend." My mom is the type of person who you sit next to
on the airplane and at the end of the flight you're exchanging
addresses. And she will write, I promise! My mom is friendly and
caring. She proved with her words and actions that people matter--all
people, not only those the world considers important.
 ROBERT LIPARULO
(Deadfall, Germ)
My father and mother were complete opposites as far as
life advice went. My father, the CPA, said, “Play it safe. Get a degree
and a corporate job. Buy a house, open an IRA, have 1.3 children.” My
mother, on the other hand, always encouraged me to pursue my dreams,
however impractical. The best advice she gave me—the best advice anyone
has given—was “Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it. Don’t even tell
yourself that. Follow your passions without giving up. Everything
else—money, security, what other people think—doesn’t matter so much,
as long as you’re doing what you love.”
To read C.J. Darlington's bio, visit our About page.
Copyright C.J. Darlington. All rights reserved.
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 "The best advice she gave me—the best advice anyone has given—was 'Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it. Don’t even tell yourself that.'"
--Robert Liparulo
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 BRANDILYN COLLINS
(Amber Morn, Violet Dawn)
It wasn’t a stated piece of advice. It was one my mother lived. She’s loved me unconditionally, and through her modeling, I’ve learned how to do the same as a parent, regardless of the trials that have arisen.
 LIZ CURTIS HIGGS
(Bad Girls of the Bible, Grace in Thine Eyes)
When I started driving, my mother
cautioned me, “Nothing good happens after midnight,” and she was right.
Alas, this Former Bad Girl ignored her wise counsel for a decade . . .
 CRESTON MAPES
(Nobody, Dark Star)
My mom's father, then my mom, always said: “Moderation is the key—in everything.”
 ANGELA HUNT
(She Always Wore Red, The Elevator)
This one’s easy: “Read!”
 JOHN AUBREY ANDERSON
(And If I Die, Abiding Darkness)
I could make this longer, but I can’t
make it any better. My wife and I have known each other since
kindergarten, but we didn’t date until we were in college. A year or so
after Nan and I started dating, Momma told me, “You’d better marry that
girl.” I’m in my late sixties, and I’ve known for years . . . I won’t
hear wiser words on this side of eternity.
 RENE GUTTERIDGE
(Skid, The Ultimate Gift)
The best advice my mother gave me was to work as hard as I can on what I love. It's paid off :)
 NIKKI ARANA
(As I Have Loved You, The Fragrance of Roses)
“Marry the man who loves you the most.” I did, and you can read about what happened in my book The Winds of Sonoma.
 TAMARA LEIGH
(Splitting Harriet, Perfecting Kate,)
I offer the following advise that my
mother gave me--all good, though sometimes I still mess up. “Never
forget that words have the immense power to not only encourage, but
discourage, others.” (Borderline prophetic, hmm?) “When dealing with
others and what you perceive to be their shortcomings, try to 'walk in
their shoes'.” (Have this one down, for the most part, though sometimes
in hindsight) “Try to listen more than you talk.” (I do, though I have
been known to drift.)
 SHARON HINCK
(Symphony of Secrets, The Restorer)
My mom always says, "Keep your chin
up . . . But don't stick your neck out." She also says, "Moderation in
all things... Including moderation." But her greatest advice has been
lived, not told. All her life, she's been faithful in her daily prayer,
Bible study, and worship life. And her modeling of that has been her
best counsel to me.
 NANCY MOSER:
(Solemnly Swear, Just Jane)
She told me I could achieve anything
I set my mind to--with hard work. She (and my father) believed in all
of us kids, and lived out this advice by setting their own sights on
many diverse projects. The downside to this advice is that I often took
on too much, because I truly though I could do whatever needed to be
done. It's taken some adjustment to learn how to say no, to let others
do, and to use my time to do what I do best. Just because we can
doesn't mean we should.
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