Meet Yvonne L Swinson

Blog: www.realmomstudies.blogspot.com

Author of: A Real Mom's Guide to Homeschooling with the Book of Mormon, A Real Mom's Guide to the Latter-day Prophets and A Real Mom's Guide to American History

As the mother of five children, Yvonne is well-qualified to write books about real moms. Her popular real mom guides are a life-saver for LDS moms, especially those who homeschool.

A southerner by birth, come from a long line of Eastern LDS families,  she has moved several times in her growing-up years, living in North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia.  After high school, she came to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, studying Human Development and Early Childhood Education, with an emphasis in Literature. Today, she lives in Washington, Utah (St. George).

Getting to know Yvonne:

"Over the years, I have worked in a variety of jobs:  Gymnastics Coach, Teacher's Assistant in a special education seminary, Market Research Analyst, Nanny, Accountant, and even Real Estate Agent.  This variety in the workplace is reflective of my adventurous spirit and I credit each position with shaping my attitudes about parenting and about life - especially my decision to educate my children at home.

The most difficult and rewarding job, of course, has been as a full-time wife and mother. My husband, Steve has put up with me for 12 years and we have four children (plus one due next week):  Jessica, Erynn, Jacob, Isabelle and Josiah.  After 10 years on a 40-acre farmette in Western Virginia, we have moved our family to Washington, Utah."

In my "spare" time, I pursue other hobbies: photography, sign language, scrapbooking and teaching gymnastics. [Terrie's note: I want her to write a book on a real mom's guide to finding spare time while reaising five children on a 40-acre farm. Amazing!]

When did you first start to think of yourself as a writer?:

I began to think of myself as a "writer" after creating a Book of Mormon study program for my family.  Friends noticed, asked for copies, and word-of mouth spread enough that I decided to see what happened if I published.  So far, so good.

Did you ever have a mentor?

I call my company Polar Star - President Hinckley talks about the Polar Star as being a constant, guiding influence.  In so naming my company, I named it after my father, who taught me all about Polar Stars.  And so, it is easy to see that my Dad is my mentor/hero.  The dictionary defines mentor as "a wise and trusted advisor".  I cannot remember a time in my life where I did not turn to my father for advice and loving counsel.  Everything of value I have ever learned came from watching, following and talking to my Dad.  May there be many more mentors like him.

Why do you write and how do you manage your writing career, with such a large family?

I write because I love to create.  The main thing that drives me is the desire to create something wonderful for my children.  Another thing that motivates me is seeing others get excited about what I've created.  Because I have so many young children, much of my writing is done in the late hours of the evening.  I have to outline to create.  Because of the format of the Real Mom Guides, I create a 36 week outline with major ideas in each week and then develop it in a more detailed form in a basic Microsoft Word table.  After I have fine-tuned, I turn it over to my editor/typesetter who makes it beautiful and easier to read. I am a bad speller and even worse at generating typos, so her input is invaluable to me.  Because of the type of book I create, it is easy for me to self-publish.

Do you write what you originally intended to write?

This is an interesting question for me because as a child, I wrote poetry and always planned to publish it someday.  The older I've gotten the less poetry I've written - and most of what I now write is very personal and not really geared for a general audience.  The type of writing I do now is far more organizational and less creative in nature.

How does the gospel influence your career?

The gospel influences my writing because it is the central note of who I am.  It is because of my great love of the Book of Mormon, the Latter-day Prophets and the gospel as a whole that I have created these guides - because I believe if more people put these things front and center in their home studies, a greater love of the gospel will blossom in the hearts of their children.

Terrie's note: I was able to look through these books at a homeschool conference, where I met Yvonne. These books are well-put together and a lot of fun. They made me wish I still had homeschoolers to try them out on. I was so impressed by the scope and quality of her work.