Practicing Normal
A socially awkward genius child, an adolescent cat burglar, a philandering husband and a doormat wife in desperate need of a backbone, a neighborhood where only the houses are similar.....The Turners are practicing normal as best they can attempting to craft a happy life, and facing down a history they have no control over. Praise for Practicing Normal:
Does facing the truth beat living a lie? In Practicing Normal, Cara Sue Achterberg has given us a smart story that is both a window and a mirror, about the extraordinary pain - and the occasional gifts - of an ordinary life. - Jacquelyn Mitchard, NYT bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean Practicing Normal takes a deep dive into the dysfunctional dynamics of a 'picture perfect' family. A compelling story about the beautiful humaity in the most ordinary of lives; from first love to a marriage on the downward slide ot an unexpected family tragedy. Achterberg handles each thread with tender care and can't help but root for every member of the Turner family. - Kate Moretti, NYT bestselling author of The Vanishing Year What does it really mean to have a normal life? Achterberg's stunning new novel explores how a family can fractcure just trying to survive, and how what makes us different is also what can make us most divine. - Caroline Leavitt, author of NYT bestsellers, Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow My Life in Paragraphs
You can read weekly excerpts of my writing journey (with occasional writing advice) on my blog, My Life in Paragraphs. Be sure to subscribe by email for the latest posts.
Girls' Weekend
itunes named Girls' Weekend to their New & Notable List!
Plus, it spent eight days on the topselling ibooks list - not too shabby. It's still gathering five star reviews on Amazon and goodreads, which makes a girl smile. I'd love to hear what you think and am grateful for every review - no matter how many stars you toss at it! I'm Not Her
After being chosen as a Daily Find on Barnes & Noble's Nook, I'm Not Her climbed to #2 on the Nook Bestsellers list! Plus, I'm Not Her was named to Kobo's Page Turners list! It was recently featured as a "fresh new read" in their subscriber newsletter! I’m Not Her was also chosen as a best new fiction pick by ibooks and made their top 100 ibooks bestseller list for fiction and literature!
Live Intentionally
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Sign up for my newsletter! (I give something away in every issue!)Who am I, you ask?
I am an irrepressible writer, a tired mom, a lazy gardener, a resentful chauffeur, a loyal friend, a daily dreamer, a terrible dog trainer, and an occasional cowgirl. I'm also a compulsive blogger, an almost famous novelist, and a huge fan of teenagers writing. I will talk your ear off about processed food, growing tomatoes, training horses, Virginia wine, or the dog I'm currently fostering. If you ask about my kids, prepare to be bombarded with how FANTASTIC and AMAZING they are. If you follow me on Facebook or twitter or instagram you'll be treated to near daily doses of my thoughts, adventures, and animal photos. Links to all my social media ramblings are below. I'd be honored if you followed me anywhere....
Here's a recent interview with a top-rate book blogger - she even features some of my foster pups! I LOVE to hear from readers, please don't hesitate to email me or contact me through any of these avenues:
Current Foster Dogs:
Meet Gala - she is a two-year-old, forty-five pound love bug with plenty of energy. She'd make a great running buddy or agility dog. She has an enormous heart and an endless supply of energy. Read about her on my Another Good Dog blog. Never a dull moment with Gala in the house!
Another Good Dog
Love dogs? Then you're my favorite kind of person. I hope you'll check out my blog,
Another Good Dog, where I write about our family's adventures in dog rescue. We've fostered over 80 dogs now and counting! The blog has over 3600 subscribers now - hope you'll be one, too! How'd you like to be one of my cronies?I'm always looking for people who'd like to be on my street team to help me promote my books. You get some great rewards and I promise it'll be fun! If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail or read all about it in my last newsletter!
Where Can You Find Me? This is a pic of me and Clifford at last year's York Book Expo. Don't miss the fun this year!
I'm looking for opportunities to get out! I'm available to meet with book clubs (in person or via skype), lead workshops on writing and/or publishing, or teach creative writing. I'm also happy to talk about creating an organic life, and of course I'd love to do a book signing! Just give me a shout at carasueachterberg@gmail.com to get your group on my calendar!
I've got book club visits scheduled to Arcata, CA, and York, PA in August and September, but there's still time for a few more. In October, I'll be teaching a 7-week Creative Writing course for the Adult Education program of Southern York School District. Click here for more information! I'm excited to announce I've been selected to participate in the Williamsburg Book Festival on October 7. You can also find me at the York Book Expo on October 21. I'll be visiting with folks at the Willow Valley Arts Fair on November 17 in Willow Street, PA. 
Triple dog walk....
Triple Dog Pile-up....
We foster dogs with Operation Paws for Homes, a non-profit network of foster homes in Maryland, Virginia, and south-central Pennsylvania. They transport dogs from high-kill shelters in the south to foster homes so they can be adopted into families who will care for them. Every new dog we welcome to our home is a new adventure and I blog about all of them. If you'd like to get involved as a foster home, volunteer, or donor, contact OPHRescue.org! My blog, Another Good Dog, shares stories of our family's experiences fostering.
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Here's a video of my clever horse, True, squirting me and then himself with a hose.
