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Best Blogs Thursday and Then Some!

July 12, 2012 by admin

The lovely and talented M.H. Gerber has tagged me for a blog hop called The Next Big Thing. Thank you, M.H.! She’s been one busy lady, with three books out. I’m so impressed!

After I take care of my weekly Best Blogs business, I’ll answer some questions and point y’all in the direction of some authors to watch.

Some weeks it’s easier than others to find new blogs worthy of recommendation, but yesterday the indomitable Totsymae, one of my all-time favorite bloggers, tossed me a gift when she turned me on to The Good, The Bad, The Worse. Blogger Linda Medrano covers a variety of topics with intelligence and humor. She’s fun and interesting, the kind of person I would like to get to know better. I’ve been catching up on her posts with great delight. Check her out!

Now, back to The Next Big Thing. Here are my answers to M.H.’s questions:

1. What is the title of your book/WIP?

Currently, I am completing Blood and Loam, a Vietnam-era book about a young woman coming of age in a time of social and political upheaval.

I’m also drafting a series of essays and a new novel with the working title House on the Hill. I’m sure that will change several times, though!

2. Where did the idea for the book come from?

With Blood and Loam, I wanted to write about the confusion I felt growing up in the 60s and 70s. Women’s roles were changing, and I was getting a lot of mixed messages. I’d had some turbulent relationships in those days, so I wanted to explore the life of a young woman with little self-esteem. Originally it was set in 1980, but when I switched it to 1970, it opened all kinds of exciting doors! A lot of things happened that year that reverberate through our current political climate, so the setting has become its own character.

3. What genre would your book fall under?

Good question! I am calling it historical fiction because the Vietnam-era setting is essential to the story. The main characters are female. Just as in The Foreign Language of Friends, I write about women who don’t get along very well – in this case, a mother and daughter. For some reason I am fascinated by the friction that can exist in female relationships. So, I suspect that some people will call it “women’s fiction,” but I don’t think it really qualifies.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Stella: Lindsey Lohan. Yes, you read that right. I’m rooting for her to make a comeback. She needs to stop messing with her face, though.

Ruth (Stella’s mother): Sarah Jessica Parker. I need someone petite and blue-eyed. She needs to die her hair black, though.

Adrian: Colin Farrell or Johnny Depp. I need someone who can come across as dangerous and sexy at the same time.

Luke: John Goodman. Well, John may be a little old for the role these days, but I need a big, beefy, blue-collar type of guy.

Grandma Hannah: Dianne Wiest.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When the violence at Kent State erupts, new graduate Stella Kellar returns to her small, Midwestern hometown to escape the turmoil, only to find that some wars are personal.

6. Is your book published or represented?

No.

7. How long did it take you to write?

Years. Seriously. I first drafted the novel more than 20 years ago, but made the mistake of getting it critiqued too soon and ended up tossing the whole thing in the trash. It was originally a horror novel, but I didn’t want to end up being stuck writing horror — that’s not what I do. In 2010, I used NaNoWriMo to rewrite it in its current form. It’s now been through two developmental edits, and I think one more will do it.

It’s a hard book to write, but I think I have the right story now. I had to be older, wiser, and a better writer to do what needs to be done. There are big themes and some events in the book that are so controversial, I was told by one expert, that no major publishing house would touch it. I’m uncomfortable with it, but it’s the story that wants to be told, so I’m sticking with it.

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to?

Good question. I’m reading some other Vietnam-era fiction now to see what other people have done. Right now I have no idea.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?

None and all. This book has no real roadmap – it’s unlike anything else I’ve read. That’s one reason it’s been so hard to write.

10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.

It’s sexy and violent, with multiple taboo topics!

Some writers to watch whom I have tagged:

Juliet Greenwood: Check out her elegant, lovely Eden’s Garden.

Ute Carbone: The author of a fine novel, Blueberry Truth, Carbone has some new work out that I’m excited about reading.

Karen Wyle: Author of a powerful, character-driven sci-fi novel called Twin Bred. I recently had the privilege of being a beta reader for one of Karen’s WIPs, currently called Reflections, and she’s working on other stuff as well.

Have a great weekend, y’all! I’ll be busy the next several days at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference. I’m sure I’ll have lots of news to report next week!

Blog of the Week: The Faces We Live

July 5, 2012 by admin

Every now and then I run across a blog that demonstrates the genuine union of head and heart. Counselor, cancer “thriver,” author, wife, and mother are some of the many aspects of Dawn Novotny’s life. Her posts on The Faces We Live are meaty with experience and wisdom; she is a woman who has been there and done that. She’s not only lived to tell the tale, but does so in a way that inspires all of us to dip more deeply into our own inner wells. In exploring her own shadow with compassion, she teaches us by example to do the same.

Dawn has written a memoir, Ragdoll Redeemed: Growing Up in the Shadow of Marilyn Monroe. I haven’t read it yet, having only recently discovered her blog, but it looks interesting. Given the quality of her blog, I suspect it’s a fascinating read.

Have a great weekend! The construction here at the house drags on, but progress is being made. Next week I’m going to explain my latest obsessions (figs and labyrinths) and review a book that I can’t wait to share with you! It’s so good that it’s making anything else I pick up seem dull and lifeless in comparison. I hope you’ll stop by and visit!

Do you have a favorite blog that you’d like to see featured in the Thursday post? It could be yours! Go ahead and promote yourself or someone else in the comments, and I’ll be happy to take a look at them.

Blog of The Week: The Creative Penn

June 28, 2012 by admin

Normally I don’t recommend blogs that pertain specifically to writers, because not everyone who reads my blog is a writer. However, many of you are, so a good one is worth mentioning now and then.

Recently I enrolled in Joel Friedlander’s Self-Publishing Roadmap, and as part of the package he included several bonuses, one of which was Joanna Penn speaking about marketing novels. I’ve been following Penn on Twitter for a while, but it wasn’t until I heard her webinar that I became a true-blue fan. In less than 90 minutes she boggled my mind with her generosity and spirit. Through a combination of free and paid information, she provides expertise on navigating through new media. In addition, she writes novels, so she knows the challenges of marketing fiction successfully. Many of the experts I’ve run across online are great at nonfiction but provide little help for me, so Joanna is a great find.

Not only is her advice useful and specific, but she is also one of these chirpy, cheerful sorts that lets me know that I can fix my mistakes. I made some rookie errors with the production of The Foreign Language of Friends, even though it’s the third book I’ve produced. It was the first one, however, in this brave new world of e-publishing, and there are things I would do differently.

Is it too late to relaunch a book, I wondered? Never, Penn says. Unlike traditional published books, self-publishers can relaunch a book at any time, even years down the road. I busily scribbled notes and now have a plan for going forward — and a plan for setting up new work for the future.

Penn also has a regular podcast that I’ve found helpful, too. I just have one question: when does she sleep?

For those who aren’t interested in writing/publishing tips but want to go straight to fiction, Penn keeps a separate blog for fiction with the tagline “ancient mystery, modern thrill.” I’m looking forward to reading her books. In the meantime, she’s going to save me a lot of time, money, and heartache on my authoring, and she can do the same for you, too!

Blog of the Week: Snack Girl

June 21, 2012 by admin

I guess food and weight are on my mind this week. After a couple of weeks of travel, plus a few more weeks of hanging out downtown to avoid the remodeling, I am back up a few pounds. Why is it so hard to lose the weight, but so easy to gain it back? This week I have returned to the Weight Watchers online program from which I had strayed, counting my points and measuring my portions. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: when I measure portions I eat less but feel more satisfied. Funny how that works!

Losing weight, for me, is about maintaining health. In my case, family genetics don’t allow me to get away with any extra weight — we are cholesterol prone, with a nasty history of early heart attacks and strokes, and I want to stay off medication if at all possible. So far I’ve been successful, but a few extra pounds here and there caused numbers to creep up a little.

If you’re a snacker, I invite you to check out Snack Girl. Snack Girl offers a variety of ways to enjoy snacking but cut the calories way down. Visit the site, and you’ll get plenty of recipe ideas as well as thoughtful blog posts. In fact, the other day while discussing Cinnabon alternatives, she made sure that the Cinnabon photos were in black and white — just a small way of reducing temptation!

And here, because I’m feeling abundant today, is a bonus recommendation: Right after I had decided to recommend Snack Girl, I ran across a blog post by one of my fave bloggers, Bella, at One Sister’s Rant. Reporting from the world of fashion, Bella has alerted us to a new term “fatkini.” It’s frustrating that we women are still hating ourselves and our bodies and using derogatory terms to describe ourselves and our clothing. I’m all for health and maintaining healthy weight, but let’s be kind to ourselves, shall we? Go visit Bella and her pooch, Roxy Lee, and show them some love.

It’s a gorgeous day on the peninsula. I’m leaving the crazy remodeling noises to get a nice, long massage today! I hope you all have a great weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

Blog of the Week: The Neurosis Files

June 14, 2012 by admin

I know a thing or two about neurosis, having started therapy at age 26 and continuing, from then on, a quest to find a place of quiet, calm wisdom. When that never happened, I dropped self-improvement and took up self-acceptance instead. It’s been freeing for me. I stopped trying to get well and just let myself be happy, warts and all. Turns out that neurosis is good for blogging, anyway.

Anyway, I’ve met a number of therapists in my lifetime, and some are better than others. My last therapist, Marilyn, was a warm, 60-something woman with great therapeutic skill and a lively, even bawdy, sense of humor. With Marilyn, healing was not such lofty, serious business, and she shared her own humanity openly without violating the precious patient-therapist boundaries. That doesn’t mean I never cried, but somehow we had a great time as we poked and prodded into my anxious life.

Years later, when I found June O’Hara‘s blog The Neurosis Files, I found a voice equally compelling. Though a therapist, O’Hara embraces her own midlife crisis with humor and irreverence. She’s even working on a book she calls, Your Therapist Isn’t Well, Either. When that gets published, I’ll be the first in line! In the meantime, whether writing about cell phones, life as a therapist (including a certain little girl who cured herself), or everyday irritations, you’ll feel a little lighter if you keep up with June. And maybe, the next time your therapist studies you with a knowing look over the top of his reading glasses, stroking his beard, you’ll know that deep down inside, Mr. Know It All doesn’t have all the answers, either.

Book Recommendation: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened

June 12, 2012 by admin

Think of a roller coaster. You get into the seat and feel it inching up, up, up, knowing that at some point you’ll start flying downhill at breathtaking speed, blowing back your hair and facial skin while you scream at the top of your lungs in fear-filled, adrenaline-laced joy.

That about sums up Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson, aka The Blogess.

When I first started reading the book, I felt a little…confused. Was I reading an unedited ramble or comic genius? A West Texas native and the daughter of a taxidermist, Lawson describes an unusual life surrounded by animal blood and guts, among other things. Later, she meets and falls in love with Victor, who appears to be the “sane one,” with the exception of his Republican leanings (oops, there goes my political commentary again).

While Lawson takes us on the roller coaster of her life, I couldn’t help but notice that the wizard behind the curtain has managed a long-term marriage and motherhood, so I suspect that there’s a certain amount of cockeyed method to all the madness. If you noticed the mixed metaphor in the previous sentence, well, it somehow seems fitting when writing about this book.

Once I got used to the book’s style, I really enjoyed it and found myself reading passages aloud, gasping through my giggles, to hubby. I think it helps to be a blogger myself — we’re an odd breed, and I related to and understood much more of this book than I would like to admit. And, darn it, she made me cry, too, though I won’t spoil the moment for the rest of you. Let’s just say you’ll know what I’m talking about when you read that particular chapter. I also have had some experience with taxidermy in my home (don’t ask), though not at Lawson’s level, so when she describes her father’s eccentricities, I nod my head in sympathy.

For women “of my age,” Lawson’s free use of the f-bomb and ADD style may be off-putting, but I ended up having a good time with this book. Humor is hard to write well, and I think that for the most part, she succeeds. I admire that in a writer! Spend some time on her blog first so you get a sense of what to expect, and you’ll be fine. I started from scratch, which perhaps wasn’t the best strategy.

At the end of the ride, you’ll get up dazed and dizzy, but with a big, sloppy grin on your face. Enjoy!