* MELISSA GOODWIN - AUTHOR INTERVIEW *

I'd like to welcome author Melissa Ann Goodwin to my blog today. Melissa writes a lovely blog, is quite the traveler, and is definitely a warm and kind-hearted person. (And her husband is an amazing artist!) Melissa is one of my blog friends I've never actually met, but I know that when we do meet, we'll be instant life-long friends and talk like we've known each other since childhood.

Melissa Ann Goodwin grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, where she spent a happy childhood living in her imagination and writing stories in her head. It was only a matter of time before those stories spilled out onto the written page. She has been published extensively in children's and national magazines and won a Writer's Digest Annual Poetry Competition Award in 2010. Her first book, The Christmas Village, won the 2013 Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award for children’s adventure.  The Christmas Village and its sequel, Return to Canterbury, are the culmination of her lifelong dream to write the kind of books she loved to read as a child.

~~~

 

Back cover blurb for Return to Canterbury:

Things have settled down for thirteen-year-old Jamie Reynolds since last Christmas. That's when he time-traveled to 1932 and wound up in the town of Canterbury, Vermont. There he met Kelly and Christopher Pennysworth, who quickly became his best friends. Back in his own time again, he misses them every day. But as the July 4th, 2008 holiday approaches, the biggest black cloud still hovering over Jamie's life is the mystery of what happened to his dad, who has been missing for almost a year.

Little does Jamie know that he will soon reunite with Kelly and Christopher for an adventure even bigger than their last. Together they'll uncover a secret plot that threatens to destroy Canterbury. But will they be able to stop it before it's too late? And will Jamie finally solve the mystery of his father's disappearance? Return to Canterbury with us and find out!

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When I told Melissa I'd be happy to be one of her blog tour hosts,

this is part of what she wrote to me:

 

"I thought it would be more fun to do an interview...... like a chat between friends in which you ask me any silly thing you've ever wondered about me or even some of those funny questions people ask like, "if you had to choose between being an eraser or a piece of chalk, which would you be and why?" Or what's your favorite ....???"

 

So, ask and you shall receive! Below are the questions I came up with and Melissa's fascinating answers!

1)  If there was going to be a movie made about your life, who would you like to play you at your current age? 

Melissa: Can we meld Helen Mirren and Jennifer Lawrence? They both have a free-spiritedness at very different life stages, and I relate to each of them at those stages.  And they seem very comfortable with who they are, which I feel I have, finally, also become. If we can’t do that, then let’s go with Mary Steenbergen. She’s closer to my age, we have similar facial features and she seems very nice.

 

2)  Do you ever submit stories to Calls for Submissions or enter contests? Why? Why Not? Which ones?

Melissa: I don’t really do this so much now. When I first started writing I did more of it. The challenges could be fun and give you practice trying different things. And I even had some success – one of my poems was a top prize winner in Writer’s Digest’s annual competition. But I found that it’s easy for me to get distracted with such things. They can become subtle forms of procrastination or avoidance – a way to give myself credit for writing without actually working on what I should have been. Now I really just work on my projects. I’m not for or against contests or challenges – it’s just that I’ve done them and now don’t feel drawn to do them anymore.

 

 

3) I’m intrigued and kind of envious of your life “on the road” in your RV in 2012(?) 2013(?). You’ve already mentioned some of the ups and downs about it on your blog, but can you share some things with us?

Melissa: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” might sum it up!  In many ways it was glorious – we traveled to great places (San Antonio, New Orleans, Charleston, Maine, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Nashville, Memphis).  We visited with friends and family along the way. We had miraculously glorious weather throughout.

I loved the RV; I loved being in the campgrounds. I loved being on vacation all the time. I loved experiencing new places and revisiting familiar ones. I loved being able to spend so much time with my husband, learning together, having fun, discovering new places, solving the unique problems of RV life together.

On the flip side, there were scary times and the experience tested me emotionally.  We encountered extremely high winds in the mid-west that were truly terrifying. We also had some problems with the motorhome and I think that because it was our home, problems with it scared me more than they otherwise would have. I struggled with the idea of not having a homebase, and I wasn’t able to establish a writing routine. So, after just under a year, we came off the road and settled down again.

It was probably the most significant year of learning and growth in my life.  I’ve always been a homebody, so I’m proud that I was able to do it and will cherish the memories of our experiences always. My husband and I plan to write a how-to Ebook for new RVers – it will be informational and educational, but also funny and full of road stories.

 

4)  If you could travel anywhere in the world (for free) where would you go, and what would be your main reason to be there?

Melissa: I think I would go to Vienna, Austria. My great-aunt was from Austria and as a child I was mesmerized by pictures of buildings and castles there that looked so magical – like fairyland. The Sound of Music might have influenced my fascination too!  So that would be first, and then I’d like to go to Italy, Greece, France, and back to the U.K.

 

5)  Please tell us anything else you’d like us to know about your books and/or your writing.

 

 

Melissa: My books, The Christmas Village and its sequel, Return to Canterbury, are targeted to readers ages eight and up, and reflect a great deal of me and my feelings about my childhood.  I was a quiet girl who loved to read. I constantly gathered in my surroundings – the beauty of my town, the people, the shifting moods that come with changing seasons and the emotional undercurrents of families and friends. All of that gestated inside me until mid-life, and when I came, finally, to write, it fell out as if it had been waiting patiently there for me to come and claim it.

My personal way is not to bring darkness into the world, so my books will always have positive themes. They are not necessarily all happy-happy – I hope I have done well with bringing in that balance of sadness that makes our joy sharper and more meaningful.  I’ve been told that my characters and settings are vivid, and that makes me happy because I hoped to write the kind of stories in which the characters feel like old friends and the setting becomes a place you never want to leave.

The stories themselves are quite action-packed, filled with suspense and surprises. But the underlying themes deal with the importance of friendship, family and forgiveness.

Both books are available in print and Ebook on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. They are also available in digital formats (Ipad, Nook, PC download) from Smashwords.

My next books will be historical fiction, not children’s books.

 

 

Thank you so much, Melissa! I've really enjoyed reading your answers to my questions. I wish you fabulous sales, and look forward to your next books!

 

 

 

"Every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written in his works." -- Virginia Woolf

* INTERVIEW UPDATE *

If anyone would like to listen to all or part of the 45 minute interview, please contact me by e-mail:  beckypovich (at) G mail (dot) com.

Thanks again to everyone who has encouraged me

along this writing and publishing journey,

and to those who continue to do so.

You're the wind beneath my wings! J

Becky and pilot preparing to take off into the wild blue yonder!

 

 

 

 

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily." -- Zig Ziglar

Author Interview - Patricia Preston

Hello everyone! Below is my interview with blog friend Patricia Preston, author of The Yard Sale.

Hi Patricia! Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing:

The first thing I recall writing is a short story when I was in the 6^th grade. I remember the title was “Priscilla’s Christmas.” I have no memory of what happened to poor Priscilla on Christmas but I do remember getting a lot of praise from my teacher. That is when my love affair with writing started and it is still going on today. I figure even if the day comes that I can no longer physically write, there still be a story dancing in my head.

What are you writing now and why?

I decided to do something different this year. In 2011, I joined an Indy email list. At the time, there were about 300 Indy authors on the list. Now there are over 700 members. Many of them were hybrids, writers who write for traditional publishers and self-publish, such as Bob Mayer and Brenda Novak. All the members were eager to talk about this big change in publishing and about the business side of this new venture. I learned so much from them.

Also, around the New Year, Ben Wallace started following me on Twitter. Ben is an Indy author who writes comedy. So, I read some of his short stories.  I do admit, once again, to ignorance. I didn’t know writers were publishing short stories on Amazon. Duh! I’m not going into massive detail here, but reading Ben’s stories helped me make a decision that I had been considering. I decided I would revise one of my favorite short stories, “The Yard Sale,” and put it up on Amazon. This was my way of getting my feet wet. I was terrified of trying a book but I knew I could handle a short story.

Ben put in touch with his wife, Patty, who is a cover designer. What can I say? The rest is history.  I put “The Yard Sale” up on Amazon the 3^rd weekend in April and overnight it made the Amazon Top 100 Best Seller list in Comedy and Short Stories.

I hope to have my second story, “Laid to Rest,” published in June. Writing has never been more fun!

What advice would you give writers today?

It is a great time to be a writer. You have more options than ever. Explore. Rule nothing out. Rejectionis a moot point. Don’t be afraid to write from the heart. Submit to a publisher if you want. Or do it yourself. Oh, one word of advice, if you are signing a contract, pay close attention to your e-royalties on net third party sales. Because with each passing day, that is where the money is.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a little of both. I have to have a general idea and outline.  Then, when I write, that outline will change. But I like to have a direction when I start to write.


In closing, list your five favs:

Fruit:  Pineapple
Season: Autumn
Holiday: Christmas
2012 Summer movie: The Dark Knight Rises
Best new TV series: Hell on Wheels

And where can readers find you online?

My webpage: www.patriciaannpreston.com

Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/pat_preston

Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/ugF43b

Check out “The Yard Sale” at http://amzn.to/Jmog8Z

It’s a humorous 8500 word short story for 99 cents! 

Thanks, Patricia! It's fun being part of your blog tour and the best of luck with all your writing!

* NOTE: I'm still on my Blog Break and my writing is going well. This interview was scheduled for an automatic post. Thanks to everyone who stops by to read and comment!

* Welcome to my two newest followers, Super Earthling and CF Legette 
I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! *

Contest & Susan Bono Interview Part 2

First of all, Happy Birthday to my son, Scott! If you've been visiting my blog since last summer, you'll remember that while in England on business last June, his appendix burst and he spent about a week in a hospital there. I was a nervous wreck, as you can imagine, until he came back home, although he still had problems for quite some time after he was back. So, I'm especially joyful to wish him another Happy Birthday! (Link below is from last June)

http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/search/label/Scott

OKAY....Now promised in yesterday's post, below are the final questions and answers in Susan's interview.
Remember to read both days of interviews because you'll need to know information from them for my newest Contest/Give-Away! .....*Rules posted at end of this blog post.*

4)      Do you have a set writing schedule?

I wish! The only writing I am devoted to is my postcard-a-day project, which I’ve kept up with for 2 ½ years, and even then, I don’t write one every day. I usually end up doing 7 or 10 cards at a time. But I love that I’ve used up at least 800 postcards collected over the years. It’s a reminder that you can move a mountain one pebble at a time.

5)      How often do you participate in Open Mic events, seminars, etc?

Remember how I confessed to wanting to be a celeb? Teaching my weekly writing workshops in my office fulfills some of that longing to be a big shot. I also co-host a quarterly literary evening at a local coffee house, and am looking forward to introducing presenters at the upcoming Mendocino Writers Conference and Sonoma County Book Festival.  I will go just about anywhere to be on a panel!  I get to co-facilitate an annual writing retreat at Point Reyes every spring, and there’s a weekend at Spirit Mountain in Idyllwild with my friend Joan Zerrien coming up in October. I’m over the moon about pairing up with Sheila Bender and taking writers to Istanbul next May! Life doesn’t get any better than that!

6)      Are you a bookaholic? Do you have stacks and stacks of books in your home? Some you can’t part with?

Remember that I’m someone who managed to save over 800 postcards? I’m that way with books. My house and office are full of them, and I was seriously planning to build more bookshelves when my parents died and I suddenly had another house full of books to deal with. This got me thinking about the books I am holding onto so greedily. Am I really going to need them? What am I leaving for my kids to clean up? My oldest son Lucius and I talk about doing a variation on “The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written” (I have a set of those leather bound books from Easton Press that I inherited from a family friend). What if you made a collection of YOUR 100 greatest books? And any time you wanted to add a new one, you had to get rid of an old one. I don’t think I’m ready to do that yet, but I have started forcing myself to give books to new homes. I like the idea of growing less encumbered as I get older.

7)      What are your thoughts on how the publishing industry has changed in the past 10 years? 5 years? ONE YEAR?

The dinosaur stands blinking in her dying kingdom—I feel like nothing is the same as it was 10 years ago, or even a year ago. I wish I had recorded all the voices saying “There will ALWAYS be hard copy books!” because I know that isn’t true. I’m not sure how long it will take, and I’m in no hurry for it to happen, but like my grandmother, who saw the end of the horse and buggy and the gaslight and the gramophone, I’ve already lived long enough to see entire libraries that could fit into a shoebox. What hasn’t changed is people’s hunger for connection and story. I think the audiences are going to get smaller for every book out there, but those circles will be warm, loyal and loving—more tribal in nature. That’s what I keep trying to remember as I whine about having to change with the times—the thrill I got when my teachers praised me all those years ago—with the right audience, that feeling can always be mine.

Thank you again Susan for allowing us to get to know more about you! And readers, don't forget to check out the Tiny Lights website.

Contest/Give-Away Rules:  (note: although sometimes I don't require people to be followers, I am doing so this time.)

1)  Be a follower. If you already follow my blog, please remind me!

2) Leave a comment or question directed to Susan, pertaining to something specific she said. (It will be my decision as to if it's "specific" enough to apply.)

3) Post something on your blog about this contest.

~~ Sorry, open to US residents only. Postage is outrageous out of the country. Sorry! ~~

I think it's pretty simple, and hope y'all will, too. I'm not asking for you to post about it in a zillion places and then you get more chances, etc. Nope....Just all three are required for one chance in the random drawing on August 2nd. I'll post the one winner on August 3rd.

What is the prize, you ask? Well.... How ab out prizes? How about 20 things??

 The above photo shows everything the winner will receive! There are 12 colorful folders, a package of 2 magnetic list pads that coordinate with the folders, 1 set of pink floral note cards, 1 small hardcover book called "Tea Among Friends". It's adorable! It doesn't have any recipes, but wonderful little stories about tea and friendships. Then there's a small burgundy color mini notebook with pen (magnetic closure). Then a cute matchbox folder that also coordinates with the folders and list pads. And finally 2 paper back books: "Of Mice and Men", purchased at Main Street Books in St. Charles, Mo. And "Rosie" by Anne Lamott.....Yes, that same fabulous Anne Lamott, author of "Bird by Bird"....a book all writers should own and read dozens of times. (And yes I have it and yes I do....and no, it's not included in this give-away!)

I chose these items because I believe there's a little bit for everyone!

I look forward to reading everyone's questions for Susan!

Also welcome to my newest follower: Life's Beautiful Path! I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

"Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy, fat women." -- Nicole Hollander

(This quote doesn't really have anything to do with today's post, but I think it's hilarious and I had to post it!)

* Interview with Susan Bono *

I am delighted to post my interview with the fabulous writer-editor-teacher-speaker Ms. Susan Bono.


I met Susan, online, through one of my favorite writers, Judi Ryan Hendricks. Judi's website listed Susan's as one of her favorite sites: Tiny Lights A Journal of Personal Narrative. To make a long story short, I checked out Tiny Lights, submitted something, Susan and I really hit it off......and the rest is history!

I'm dividing the interview into two parts, only because Susan gave such awesome answers. Today is questions one through three. (I particularly love her first few sentences in answer number one!) Tomorrow will be four through seven.

Thank you again, Susan, for taking the time to let us get to know a little more about you.

1)      When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Did you receive any encouragement from any teachers? Other mentors?

I’m not sure I ever wanted to be a writer! I’ve always just want to be a celebrity author, accepting major awards and appearing on TV talk shows, like Truman Capote and Gore Vidal did way back when. Writing is so much work!  On the other hand, as a kid  I ended up writing a lot, starting in 6^th grade. A very artistic classmate of mine illustrated a story I wrote about a girl and a talking mouse. I was self-publishing in 1966! The book made a hit, even though I think it was really more about Peggy’s drawings. As the years went by, writing got me more praise in school than anything else I did. In 7^th grade I even weaseled out of a mid-term math project by writing a bunch of bad poems about how much I hated working with numbers. 

Looking back, I don’t know if being allowed to avoid the hard stuff by running around trying to be a creative writer was such a good idea, but it kept me writing, mostly poetry. Fortunately, in high school I had some fantastic English teachers who forced me to think and write with some degree of precision.  I went on to major in creative writing at a time when there were only a handful of those programs scattered across the nation. That’s hard to believe, given the popularity of that major now! I had good teachers at San Francisco State, and I got good grades, but I knew I didn’t really have what it takes to be a serious poet or short story writer. I knew I could never write a novel, and there were no classes in creative nonfiction back then! The term didn’t exist, and I suspect that column-style essay writing wasn’t even offered in the journalism program.  No one ever suggested that I might look into editing or publishing, so  I began to think about using my love of literature and writing in a more “grownup” way by becoming an English teacher.

I ended up in a really amazing grammar class (Believe me, it had to be a nearly mystical experience to get me to pay attention to misplaced modifiers!), got into a challenging credential program at UC Davis, and ended up teaching high school  for about 7 years, if you include the agony of substitute teaching.  For some crazy reason, I thought staying home with my kids would be easier than teaching, so when my first son was born in 1985, I left the public schools and found out what real work was. I tried to write during those early years at home—but I really didn’t know what I was doing. I muddled along in a writing group for quite some time before  I answered an ad in the paper for a features writer for a wonderful local paper called the Petaluma Weekly News. Writing for them taught me a lot about having a point and sticking to it.   In 1994,   I took a Sonoma State college course on writing personal essays from Gerald Haslam and that’s where the picture shifted. I learned a lot more about essays, thank goodness, but what I really discovered was my talent for editing other writers’ work. I began to see teaching and editing as my true calling. Since then,  I’ve tackled many kinds of projects and teach various genres, but I really love memoir and personal essay.

2)      When and why did you create Tiny Lights?

In Gerry Haslam’s fateful class, I got in touch with my desire to teach, but with my own kids approaching adolescence, I did NOT want to go back to high school!  I wasn’t qualified to teach at the college level. What to do? Somehow I got it into my head that I could start a magazine (??!!?) and thus combine writing, teaching, and editing. And I would pay for its cost by running a contest with a $5 entry fee. This was in the days when you advertised for an event like this by making flyers and putting them up around town. I got very lucky and the Petaluma Weekly News did a story about my plan, so I got about 50 people to enter. I managed to cover prizes, printing and mailing costs, and I still think the material I got to publish was incredibly good. I got some other lucky breaks in the early years, too, like having a son who created a website for me at the dawn of the Internet Age, and a friend who has a bulk mailing house so I get a better rate for postage, which has gotten OUTRAGEOUS. I feel like a dinosaur these days, not having made the transition to electronic submissions and downloadable content, but I also realize that with the way things are now,  no ordinary individual can afford to start a hard copy magazine like I did. It’s just too expensive. I would never go back to the dark times before email—I typed every single word that went into the magazine and literally pasted the illustrations where I wanted them to go.  But I miss the slower, more meditative pace of editing and publishing back then. It was more like making a quilt, when now it’s kind of like an endless game of Sudoku.  

3)      How much time would you say is required to “put it all together”?

This question had me laughing so hard I almost fell on the floor! Tiny Lights keeps getting bigger, but I’ve never added any staff. So the work associated with the hard copy editions, the online postings and the monthly e-letter is mine, all mine! I stopped feeling like I had it all put together about 6 years ago! It’s just a rolling ball of semi-controlled chaos. I feel terrible when I fall behind deadlines (like now!), but I’m trying to see the situation as an opportunity to finally learn to prioritize.  I’m one of those people who puts out fire after fire, never getting to the true  source of the blaze. If I could gaze down at the whole scene, I’d probably end up laughing about that, too. Look! She’s dousing those teeny fires while the river’s rising, the sky is falling, and all the horses, cattle and sheep are running out the barn door and escaping to the next farm!

Please come back tomorrow to read Susan's other four answers. My upcoming contest will pertain to both days of Q&As!

 "I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars."--Og Mandino

** Author Introduction & Interview **

Today, I'm highlighting a local writer and friend, Lonnie Whitaker, who I met through Saturday Writers. Lonnie recently published his first book, a novel titled: Geese to a Poor Market. His publisher, High Hill Press, is the same one that will (eventually) publish my book, when I finally get it completed! The book title comes from an old Ozarks expression, which means people believe "you could do better" with your life.


Here's one of the book's back cover blurbs, by Jim Bohannon: What happens when your cross Norma Rae with Thelma & Louise? You get a Waltons-on-steroids slice of rural Americana called "Geese to a Poor Market." Lonnie Whitaker has cooked up a batch of literary White Lightnin' that you shouldn't miss! (He also interviewed Lonnie on his radio talk show. I missed hearing it, but heard it was good!)

Hello & Welcome Lonnie!

1) What steps take place between your first full draft, your rewrite and the published book?

I lost track of the full rewrites--it was somewhere in the umpteens, I think. But when the manuscript was in pretty good shape and had been reviewed by a few good writers, I engaged the services of a copy editor, which helped get it market-ready. Even after it had been accepted for publication, I still continued to revise, including one "hold the presses" e-mail for a last-minute correction.
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2) Are you superstitious when writing a book? Do you keep the story close to your heart while you’re working on it, or do you feel free to talk about it?

I am mildly superstitious, but not particularly when it comes to writing. For me, it's not so much a matter of keeping the story close to my heart, but more that I have transitioned from showing my wife every page. Perhaps I grew a bit more seasoned and began to just quietly go about the business of writing. I also learned that once you've announced that you are writing a book, everyone you know will continue to ask, "Is it done yet?"
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3) How has publishing your first book changed your life?

It has gotten a lot busier. I'm like the dog chasing a car and the driver stops and opens the door, and the dog is confused. "Hey, I'm into chasing." I am changing mental gears from chasing to marketing. Teaming with a small press like High Hill Press, the author is responsible for most of the marketing. You have to be your own publicist, advance person, accountant, and salesman. It's exciting and fun, but with a day-job that can take 12 hours of the day, it's hard to find time to get everything done as quickly as I would like.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4) Do you plan to write another book? If so, when?

I would hate to think that it's "one-and-done," so I expect I will start writing another book as soon as I get Geese to a Poor Market down the market road a bit further. The most likely scenario would be a sequel. I am flattered that several readers want to know what happens to some of the characters. Heck, I want to know what's going to happen to them. Since I don't write from an extensive outline, I often find out what a character is going to say or do as I'm writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5) What do you like and dislike the most about writing?

I like the focus I get when the writing is flowing smoothly. I dislike that my writing area gets unorganized and I waste time looking for stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6) What has being part of a writers group meant to you?

The fellowship is great--it's fun to hang out with other writers--but the real benefit is the learning opportunity. Saturday Writers, for example, sponsors workshops, guest speakers, and provides writing opportunities with contests and the publication of an anthology.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7) How long did it take from your first thought about writing this book, until its completion?

After I sold a magazine article and attended my first writers workshop (Midwest Writers Workshop-Muncie, Indiana) in 2001, I began thinking about writing a book of connected stories. The thought of a novel may have been too daunting. But by 2003, I changed directions and commited to writing the novel. So, really, about seven (7) years.

You can contact Lonne at his e-mail:  info@geesetoapoormarket.com. Since Lonnie also works full-time, he hasn't entirely set up a blog or website yet. He hopes to get more caught up on the marketing side soon. Until then, if you'd like to purchase an autographed copy, just send him an e-mail and let him know you'd like to purchase a book...or two...directly from him. They will also be available from Amazon, but you won't get a signed copy from there!

"Easy reading is damn hard writing." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Blog Interview With Author Margaret Norton

Hello Everyone! Today, I'm having a blog interview with writer, Margaret Norton, about her memoir, When Ties Break (A Memoir about How to Thrive After Loss), which also includes a Give-Away!

1. What made you want to write this memoir?

Initially I did not plan to write a book. I started journaling in 2005 at the suggestion of my counselor as a way to deal with grief I was experiencing from eight deaths the previous year. I shared this with a few people and their reaction was "that's good, you should write a book." I was working away from home and living in a hotel at the time with lots of free time on weekends. Not really knowing where all this would take me I started turning my journal into my life story.


2. How difficult was it to recall and reveal some of the tragic things that happened to you?

It was difficult but also healing. I don't think I realized the connection to all the events in my life until I wrote the book and took a good hard look back. It was difficult admitting that I had made mistakes and some of my misfortune was my own fault. I experienced a range of emotions - feeling sorry for myself, angry with myself, beating myself up, etc. It was especially hard when I wrote about my children and having to come face to face with the reality that my decisions had also profoundly shaped their lives.


3. Did you have to get permission from the people in your life who you included in your book?

I struggled with this for a long time and sought the advice of several published authors. Since I was writing my story I did not ask for permission from anyone but I did change everyones name. People that know me will know who I'm talking about. I did this out of consideration to the people in my book. Even though I was writing my story - which often involved them - I was very aware that some of them did not want their story shared with others. By changing the names people that knew them could read the book without knowing who I was talking about. I wasn't trying to get even with anyone and I didn't make anything up. In fact, I left some things out that I felt were just too personal to share with the whole world. It has generated some interesting conversation from my family and friends.


4. What are some of the major themes you explore in When Ties Break?

Divorce, Adultery, Step Parenting, Single Parenting, Death, Grief, Abuse - physical, emotional, financial & sibling, financial loss, loss of faith in God and family estrangement.


5. How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote the book in six months but then spent one year revising and editing it.


6. What are some of the struggles you've had to overcome in your life that led you to write this memoir?

The struggles that I've overcome are the major themes listed in question #4. Those were all big, major events but I think the real struggle for so many years was to find, understand and like myself. I was insecure as a child, married young to an abusive partner and suffered terribly from low self esteem. As my self confidence increased and I learned how to set boundaries and take care of myself the struggles changed. In some ways they became easier. When I was younger I took everything personal - it was all my fault because I was a terrible person. Now that I'm older my perspective is totally different.

Tuesday, August 3rd was the official release date of Margaret's book. It is available from Amazon, major book stores, from her publisher or autographed copies directly from Margaret.


Attached is the link to Tate Publishing which will take you directly to Margaret's book.

This is a very exciting time in her life, which I can totally relate to!



A little more information about Margaret.  When she lived in this area she was a member of Saturday Writers, which is a marvelous writers' group, and not only because I'm also a member! Now that she lives in North Carolina, she has joined several groups:



Writers' Group of the Triad, Editorial Freelancers Assoc, NC Writers' Network, Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and Story Circle Network.


Margaret states: "Being a new writer I'm eager to meet as many people in this field as I can and soak up some of their knowledge."

Below are numerous ways to contact Margaret.
Margaret Norton
Personal Life Coach, Writer, Speaker
314 956-2588
To schedule your FREE Consultation
call 314 956-2588 or email me at margaret@margaretnortonlifecoach.com.

http://www.margaretnortonlifecoach.com/

http://www.whentiesbreak.com/

http://www.twitter.com/margaretnorton

Follow me on Facebook, too!


** Okay, here's the part about the "give-away".  Everyone who leaves a comment or question for Margaret, will be placed in a random drawing to receive a PDF file of this book! I started reading it right after I downloaded it, and I can assure you it is a great read! I couldn't wait to read more of it. I've also been told that PDF files of books can be read in some e-readers such as Kindles. Who knew?? Not me!

** Let's do the time for comments and/or questions from Thursday, August 12th at 12:01 am, CDT, until Saturday, August 14th at 12:01 am, CDT.  I'll do the random drawing and announce the winner sometime during the day on Saturday.

I'm very excited for Margaret and I've never even met her! Margo Dill asked if I would like to do a blog interview for her and I agreed. I'm so glad I did, because just from e-mailing back and forth with Margaret (after we got the e-mail goblins to go away!) we've learned that we have quite a bit in common!

Don't be shy! Please leave some comments and/or questions for Margaret!

"Life gives us many chances to start over again, like a cat with nine lives." -- Margaret Norton

* The Much Anticipated Interview With Judith Ryan Hendricks! *

Following is a question and answer session with Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of four fabulous books, all of which are favorites of mine.  Besides being an amazing writer, Judith is such a warm and generous woman. She donated an autographed, first editon copy of "Bread Alone" for my contest last month. Kathy Matthews was the very excited winner. Thank you Judith for everything!  *Note: After reading the congratulatory comments, I realized I didn't word this correctly. I did not compose these questions! Judith was kind enough to share the questions from a previous library interview. She gave new, up-to-date answers, though. I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't deliberately try to deceive anyone!

1. While your first novel, Bread Alone, stands on its own as a story, it also has at its heart, the world of food, preparation, sustenance and eating. What made you add this element to the novel? What function does food play in your writing?

Food serves multiple functions in my stories. First of all, it’s a touchstone for my characters, which is how I feel about food in my own life. So many of my memories seem to be linked to a particular meal or dish or food experience. I guess that’s why I can never remember where I put my sunglasses, but I have perfect recall about the carrot cake I shared with my mom in a little café in LaConner, WA twenty years ago. Second, food is a metaphor for love, for sharing, in many cases for work, and even for life itself. Since I love to cook and eat, alone as well as with friends and family, it’s inconceivable to me that I might write a story that doesn’t include food in some way.

2. Your female characters possess a certain “edginess.” They’ve been cheated on, given up for adoption, left pregnant, work long hours and multiple jobs for low pay, they have been divorced, yet none of them seem bitter and they remain vulnerable to love. Is that a deliberate choice you make to characterize? Do your narrators echo your own worldview? Do you think it’s possible for a writer to distance herself from her main character, or do the boundaries blur?

Bitterness is an interesting trait—destructive and closed, which doesn’t make for much reader sympathy. However, characters like Avery James in Isabel’s Daughter and Sunny Cooper in The Laws of Harmony take on bitterness as a protective coloration. In reality they’re not so much bitter as wary. On the other hand, it’s often more interesting when a character acts differently than her true self.


I have to distance myself from my main character because in the service of the story they have to make a lot of choices that I wouldn’t make. However, I feel strongly that every one of my characters shares at least one of my traits. I love the way Milan Kundera (Unbearable Lightness of Being) says it: “The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities.”

3. What steps take place between your first full draft, your rewrite and the published book?

Well…after I finish the first draft I take my husband out to dinner to celebrate. In the middle of dinner, I say…we’ve got to go home; I just thought of something I left out of chapter 2 that could change the entire outcome of the story. Next I give the manuscript to one of my good writer friends and she reads it and says. I really love this. I say, but what? She says, But nothing. I really love it. I say, what should I change? She says Nothing. I really love it. I go over the pages three more times trying to figure out what she’s not telling me. Then I send it to my agent, who tells me what my writer friend would not. I rewrite the novel and send it back to my agent. She calls me and says, I think C---really likes it. She’ll let us know when she gets back from the holidays.


I sweat out Christmas and New Year’s, going over the ms three more times. After the holidays the editor calls. She says, I love this book. I say, Thanks. That’s great. She says, I just need you to change the ending so that the boyfriend doesn’t die. We discuss certain changes. I make some, but not all. It goes to the copy editor. I proof read the galleys. They send me cover art. I hate it. I call my editor. She makes them re-do the cover art so it doesn’t look like the character is fifteen years old and about to commit suicide. In order to maintain my sanity I start on the next book. And suddenly one day a package arrives in the mail…my Advance Reader Copy! I’m so happy I take my husband out to dinner to celebrate. During dessert I say, oh, God, why did I make that change in Chapter 2?

4. How has moving to New Mexico affected your writing?

The only real difference between writing here and writing in L.A. is that I seem to have more time. Santa Fe is so compact I can be anywhere in town within 15 minutes. Also life is a bit simpler. I don’t expend as much energy just on the details of daily life.

5. In The Laws of Harmony, your story begins about the sudden loss of love when Sunny’s boyfriend is killed, but the story ends up being about a different kind of love altogether. How do you see this book by comparison to your earlier work? Are you changing territory, widening your narratives? Or does each book suggest its own particular context and story while you write it?

Yes to all of the above. Each book definitely has its own trajectory and each one changes you. You are not the same person at the end as you were when you started. The story in The Laws of Harmony went its own way at the end—not at all what I originally planned—and it also changed me as a writer, definitely broadened my perspective. It was like once I finished, I sat back in my chair and said, Well. Where did that come from? I don’t think I look at stories in quite the same way any more.

6. Are you superstitious when writing a book? Do you keep the story close to your chest while you’re generating, or do you feel free to talk about it?

I absolutely believe that it’s best not to talk too much about what I’m working on. First of all everything changes during the course of the writing and you could be talking about a storyline that ends up on the cutting room floor. Also, I think if you talk about something while you’re in the process of creating it, then a lot of the creativity just dissipates, and the story’s energy gets spent on talking about it instead of writing it.

7. How has publishing four novels changed your life?

Now when I meet someone at a party and they ask what I do, I have something to tell them.


“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” -- Ashley Smith