My Dear MilspoFANs, It's July and I have the perfect interview for you if you have Summer Fun on the mind (or need a break from PCS season)! This month I'm so pleased to share an interview with Tammy Bruce, a talented painter who is sharing her love of making art with people all over the world. Not only does Tammy teach art during relaxed and inclusive mobile painting parties, her company, Mai Tais and Monet, employs several military spouses.

I’m sitting on my terrace, preparing to attend a fùtbol (of the World Cup type) match between rival attaché groups (Navy/Marine v.s. Army/Airforce). At the game, I will be sitting with Las Mafiosas, a group of women that represent about fifteen different countries.

This month, we have the good fortune to get to know Katelyn Spinosa- Actress, Singer, and Model. Katelyn is a spirited, talented artist whose dedication to her craft is reflected in her success wherever her spouse’s career in the Army takes them. Be sure to take a moment to check out the musical performances linked to in the interview to hear Katelyn’s enchanting voice.

Elizabeth is a joy and an inspiration to hang out with. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor are glowing and infectious. Beyond that, she is a talented multi-media artist and designer (and a kick-ass web developer!). I am so happy to have met and befriended her, and have been looking forward to sharing her interview with the MilspoFAN community.

My dear MilspoFANs, our Artist Interview this month is with Jehanne Dubrow, an award-winning poet, an academic, and a Navy spouse.

I must confess, when I received Jessica’s invitation to write a guest post with an update of what I’ve been up to this year, my first thought was: “Well, crap. How do you stretch abject failure into 500 words? ”How’s my new book coming, you ask? Well…that depends on how you define “book.” If you call a 1/3-filled pink heart-covered notebook scribbled with an outline, scene ideas, random notes and tidbits of research a “book” - then it’s going fantastic!

I’ve admired Joy Naik from before I even met her. I saw her performance, A Time to Dance (ATTD), when I had a brand new baby and had just moved to Virginia Beach. I didn’t know a soul in town, let alone another dancer who also happened to be a military spouse. After the performance, I took a deep breath and introduced myself. To my delight, I found that Joy is to be admired not only for her talent and craftsmanship as a dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer, but also for her sparkling enthusiasm, kindness, optimism, and drive.

I’ve been blessed in the last year to work with some incredible artists on interesting and challenging projects. It took a little bit to get going the first six months but then things just really picked up in a big way. Now I’m involved in something art related at least every month. Which is fabulous because I’m motivated to continue making work and working towards my goals.

If you're living anywhere near Madison, WI, you're lucky enough to have the talented Carly Kimberley of Carly Nicole Photography close enough to take your photo. Carly's work captures her subjects in a style that is simultaneously genuine and striking. Her photos speak for themselves, but let's learn a bit more about the woman behind the lens. In her own words, here's Carly

Since I last graced MilSpoFan screens…I am back in Abu Dhabi, which has been a pretty terrific place to live for the last four and a half years. This past fall I cobbled together what I like to self-indulgently refer to as “The Confusion of Languages Middle East Book Tour,” making stops at book clubs, schools, embassies, here in Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai, Oman, and Bahrain.

My Dear MilspoFANs-I think it’s safe to say that if Allison LaValley sets her mind to something, she’s going to get it done- and have some fun along the way. Flexibility, creativity, and adventure have shaped her journey as an artist and military spouse. Like all of us who live the military family life, Allison finds unexpected ways to blossom.

This month we learn all about singer-songwriter Cara McCann and her work. Her warm personality will surely thaw you out if you're experiencing the crazy cold sweeping the US this week. For Cara, music is a personal expressive outlet, as well as a passion she shares with her family. Cara, a new mom on the verge of a big move, is a burst of enthusiasm who is eager to take on a challenge- from auditioning for The Voice, or submitting her work to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, to singing show tunes at a Hungarian strudel bakery.

Being a military spouse and a mother certainly have their challenges but we were thrown some extra curve balls. During my last interview, my husband was serving as an Air Force squadron commander in Japan.

This month, I sit down (virtually) with watercolor painter, Nancy Murphree Davis. Nancy’s gorgeous work speaks for itself, but we are lucky enough to learn a bit more about the techniques behind her paintings. Nancy also shares how she connects with other artists and communities and finds inspiration at each new duty station.

This past year has been filled with testing of my health, figuring out a balance of work and family, working on our home and so much more. I wish I could say it's all been great. But some of the struggles have helped me grow significantly.

In this month’s MilspoFAN Artist Interview, Lisa tells us all about her work - how she became a poet, what her poetry means to her and her family, how she nurtures her creative work, and how she stays actively involved in poetry communities despite regular moves. In her poetry collection, Uniform (Aldrich Press 2016), Lisa unwraps her military spouse experience with a steadfast dedication to authenticity.

Then I was working on a show to be hung at the historic Waterworks Art Museum in Miles City, Montana. It was a wonderful experience and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the site and getting to know such warm and inviting people. This year I am working on a show for the Courthouse Art Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Artistic practice has a centering effect of artists of all disciplines and all skill levels. This month, let’s get to know ballet dancer Carrie Cassidy. Carrie shares with us how ballet has served as a balancing force throughout her life- during her time in ROTC and active duty Air Force, as a military spouse, and now as a new mother...

I am a novelist and poet living in Virginia. My first poetry book, When the Men Go Off to War, was published in 2015 by the Naval Institute Press about my experiences as a Naval Aviator's wife. Last year I did an interview for MilspoFAN about the book, and now I'd like to share that I'm working on some new projects, including a new collection of poetry and a new novel (my first, Mrs. Houdini, was published by Atria Books in 2016 and came out in paperback a few months ago).