The day I received Those We Love Most, a novel by Lee Woodruff about what happens to a family after a child dies, I devoured the first five chapters. I probably would have read more had it not been so late at night. The very next day, a two-year-old girl died after she was accidentally run over in the parking lot at a local park. The irony. In January, two young girls died in a house fire. My community is mourning. And my heartbreaks for the parents. I don't ever want to know that pain. Ever. So I'm trying to be more present in my own life, to appreciate the moment I'm in rather than looking -- and worrying -- too far ahead. It's not easy. As I write this, the light of a Wednesday evening is fading, my son is pushing his sister in her swing in the backyard, and she is giggling into the breeze. I know moments like this are fleeting; I try to soak them in whenever I can. Which moments would you seal up in a bottle if you could? This post was inspired by … [Read more...]
Remembering My Early Days In Publishing: A Post Inspired By “Gone Girl” By Gillian Flynn
I’d arrived in New York in the late ‘90s, the last gasp of the glory days, although no one knew it then. New York was packed with writers, real writers, because there were magazines, real magazines, loads of them….a time when newly graduated college kids could come to New York and get paid to write. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn This was me. Only I wasn’t writing for a magazine, although, that was the original plan. Instead, I was working as an editorial assistant at a well-known (a-hem, romance) book publisher. I sifted through the slush pile; I wrote rejection letters; I answered my boss’ phone. One day, a reporter from Entertainment Weekly called. I can’t remember why exactly. But I do remember her name. It was Gillian. I remember because her name wasn’t pronounced the way I thought it would be. Her name wasn’t Jillian. It was Gillian. With a G, not a J. Like gill, not Jill – I made sure to tell my boss how to pronounce it correctly. And I remember being a little star … [Read more...]
Marketing Your Book With A House Party Tour
It’s National Running Day but this post isn’t about running. Not exactly, anyways. Its about two runners who wrote a book, went on tour, decided a traditional book tour wasn’t for them, wrote a second book and decided to do something different. I’m talking about Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell, authors of Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving--and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity and Train Like a Mother: How to Get Across Any Finish Line - and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity. Last week, I had the great honor to attend a house party to promote their new book, Train Like A Mother, and meet Sarah and Dimity in person (that’s us in the photo above). In one word, this event was A-MAZING. And the house party idea – F’ing Brilliant! (excuse my f-bomb). Instead of giving readings at (potentially empty) bookstores across the nation, Sarah and Dimity decided to host house parties and invite their fans to an intimate meet-and-greet. The invite-only event was … [Read more...]
