April Fools, April Smarts

by Elizabeth

On Friday, Susan talked about literacy. In a list of sad statistics, what struck me the most was the depressing fact that over half the low-income households in our country contain no childrens' books inside. I can't imagine my own childhood sans books. My own kids spend probably half their leisure hours with their noses  stuffed into a story, and we are fortunate, I realize, to have shelves crammed with books throughout our house.

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day. Why don't we all do something about that?

The May 1 when my daughter was two, we visited the local flower shop and bought a dozen roses, then stood on the walking trail and she handed them out with a "Happy May Day!" I love that archaic holiday, a completely selfless celebration of beauty. No one much celebrates it in the 21st Century, which is a shame as far as I'm concerned. Since that first flash of brilliance on that spring morning, nearly every year we've made May Day bouquets. We usually target a woman over sixty as the recipient, though they've been gifted to friends, relatives, strangers, teachers. Delight is the universal response, and in a month, we'll repeat the tradition.

But now, inspired by the statistic of too many homes having too few books, I've decided to start a new ritual. I'm going to hand out books. Mostly to kids. "April Smarts!" I'll say, and I'll resist the urge to slip a spider down the back of their shirt as I hand off a copy of Junie B. Jones or Harry Potter or whatever story the child chooses from my stash. Probably I'll concentrate on little kids the most, partly because those are the kids I'll be able to easily encounter while my own kids are in school all day. But I'll have a variety of books on hand, from picture books to engrossing reads that might turn a thirteen-year-old on the cusp of becoming a lifelong non-reader into a bookworm. And yes, I'll head beyond my usual comfortable middle-class stomping grounds and seek out families who might not have the disposable income to say "Yes" if "Can I buy this book?" is asked. Sure, I realize this probably isn't going to dramatically change anyone's life. But it might change their day, and who knows what happens from there.

Want to join me? April Smarts Day is tomorrow. I'm going to gather at least 20 books to give away to kids (and maybe a few to hand off to adults as well). What about you?

Guest and Giveaway: Renee Swindle on Shake Down the Stars

By Julie

I was first charmed by Renee Swindle's smile in a photo with Jacqueline Luckett, a wonderful writer I interviewed for What Women Write last year. Renee is part of Jackie's critique group, The Finish Party. Recently, her name came up again in a conversation with author Amy Sue Nathan, another author I interviewed for What Women Write. Are you starting to see some interesting connections here? Amy told me she'd read an advance reader's edition of Shake Down the Stars and loved it. I made a mental note of the book, not even remembering the connection to Jackie Luckett. 

Well, about two weeks ago, the night before Renee's book release, I got an email from her out of the blue saying she'd enjoyed Calling Me Home and wondered if she could interview me for her website. That was an easy answer! It seemed written in the stars ... appropriate, don't you think? I was so happy to be reminded about her book again, I downloaded it immediately. And Amy was right. This delightfully poignant and funny story sucked me right in. I loved it!

I asked Renee if we could do something fun--post interviews with each other on the same day. And I knew right away I'd enjoy doing what I did with Amy and Sere Prince Halverson before that. I made a list of things and themes that stood out for me when I read Shake Down the Stars and asked Renee to riff on them. I hope you'll enjoy her thoughts. I did!

But first, about Shake Down the Stars 

Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone. Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.

And now, Renee, take us into your world and the world of Shake Down the Stars!

credit: airefresco's flickr photostream

Outsider

I love that you picked up on outsider as a theme!  I felt like an outsider growing up and tended to hang out with other outsiders in school and college. I’m also an only child, and it wasn’t until I grew older and started hearing more stories about sibling rivalry that I learned siblings could feel distant from each other or sometimes not get along at all well into adulthood. It seems silly now—of course you can feel like an outsider in your own family! But for the longest time, I assumed families with more than one kid were like the Brady Bunch.  At any rate, Piper, the narrator of my novel, is a classic family outsider.  Her mom and sister get along fabulously but she can’t seem to relate to either of them.  

credit: Will Montague's flickr photostream

Sisters

I never grew up wishing I had a sister or brother, so I’m not sure what happened once I started writing novels, but it’s like I’m suddenly obsessed with family dynamics, especially between siblings. Piper and her half-sister Margot couldn’t be more different. I was interested in the idea that everyone in the novel would gravitate toward Margot because of her beauty, and basically treat Piper as though she were lesser than. What's it like to pick up on subtle cues that people treat you differently from your sister? What happens if you have no one to tell you you’re just as special? These questions play a big part in Piper’s journey.  

Night Sky
I absolutely love staring up at the night sky. I don’t own a telescope (yet!), but I’ve always been curious about astronomy, and I thought it would be interesting to turn Piper into an amateur astronomer. Piper’s knowledge about the stars gave me the excuse to buy books on astronomy and study some of the basics. While I’m not nearly as knowledgeable as most, I do share the feeling of amazement when I stare up at the sky or when I see images of space that the Hubble sends back. It’s mindboggling that we’re on this teeny tiny planet, floating in a huge galaxy that’s part of this astoundingly vast universe. Whoa. 
 

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31), not ours, but you can see it from here!
I'm an astronomy fan, too, and loved all of the references in Renee's book.
credit: Adam Evan's flickr photostream

credit: Cletus Awreetus' flickr photostream

Motherhood
Piper’s mother didn’t have many scenes in the initial draft of Shake Down The Stars.  Over time, though, her mother became more and more integral to the story. Once I began working on Piper’s sobriety, for instance, I knew her drinking was about the longing she had for her mother’s love as much as the loss she experienced.  Piper’s mother can be selfish and wasn’t very attentive when Piper was growing up. Piper watches her sister Margot replicate this same relationship with her twin daughters.  It’s hard for Piper to see the pattern continue with her nieces, but unless we have some kind of ah-ha moment, I think we often repeat the patterns we know.  Piper does hope to break the cycle at least.

credit: Mike Shaffner's flickr photostream

Grief

The theme of grief runs throughout the novel.  We all do grieve at a certain point in life, or will, and we all do it in our own particular way. Piper lost her child five years before the start of the novel, but survives her loss with the help of several friends who truly become like family.  When I started the book, I had no idea how she’d become happy again--or if she’d become happy again--but the more I wrote, the more I fell in love with certain characters and how they helped each other.  I think it’s like this in life, too.  Life can be tough and difficult, but it’s also filled with joy and laughter.  As a writer, I’ve also learned I do funny well, so I made sure to offer zany, fun characters and funny situations.  My goal was to write a moving story that wasn’t a downer. I also wanted to surprise the reader (and myself) and keep the story at a nice, brisk pace.  Hopefully I succeeded.

credit: michaeljzealot's flickr photostream

Addiction

It’s true: Piper tries to overcome her loss in all the wrong ways!  What’s funny is that I didn’t realize she was an alcoholic until an early reader pointed it out.  She said rather gently, I think you should have Piper go to AA.  I reacted like an alcoholic might and tried to defend Piper: She’s not an alcoholic! What are you talking about?  But when I thought about it, it hit me that Piper did drink a lot.  And this meant making sure she owned up to her drinking and writing a draft where she grapples with her drinking. I’m actually happy I was able to explore the issue of addiction.  I haven’t read about it much in women’s fiction and thought her drinking added an important layer to her journey. 
 

credit: DeGust's flickr photostream

Solitude
A thoughtful reader (ahem—Julie Kibler!) pointed out that the novel begins and ends with Piper standing by herself. I never realized this! D’uh! Big D’uh! But this theme helps me share what I’d always hoped to do with Shake Down The Stars. I started the novel with a question: How will Piper ever find happiness? That was the through-line that kept me going. And while she’s alone at the beginning and at the end, there’s a huge difference between being alone and lonely and being able to stand on your own in contented solitude.


About Renee Swindle 

Renee Swindle is the author of Shake Down The Stars (NAL/Penguin), available now.

Her first novel, Please Please Please, was published by the Dial Press/Dell. Please Please Please was also published in Germany as Mehr Mehr Mehr and published in Japan. Please Please Please was an Essence Magazine bestseller.

Renee Swindle earned her BA from UC Irvine and MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University. She lives in Oakland, California with her two dogs and three cats–meow!

Comment on the post to be entered in a chance to win a copy of Shake Down the Stars. Winner will be chosen at random and notified on or about Wednesday, September 4! Domestic U.S. addresses only, please!

UPDATE 9/5/13: The winner of the giveaway for a copy of Renee's book is Michelle James! Michelle, we'll get in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who commented!

Then follow this link to read Renee's interview with Julie and win a copy of Calling Me Home!

Calling Me Home hits the UK and Ireland!

By Julie

Calling Me Home releases in the UK and Ireland tomorrow (Thursday, June 20)! I mentioned in my last post that I was thrilled to be selected for Amazon UK's 2013 Rising Stars program. This week, the online site All About You posted info about the book and a drawing for UK residents 18 and over. Here's what they say:

In celebration of Calling Me Home we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a luxury short break at a Pride of Britain hotel – up to the value of £500. With an exquisite collection of luxury and boutique hotels set in some of the UK’s most stunning locations, they are the perfect place to unwind in elegance.

The theme my UK publisher has used for the book is, "In a time of hate, would you stand up for love?" It looks like for the drawing, you simply need to leave a comment about a time when you stood up for something! Click here to go see the drawing page and to sign up! If you're eligible, I hope you'll enter the drawing. If not, please do share about it with your friends who are UK residents.

It's interesting to see each publisher's vision not only for the cover, but also for how to market the book. This edition is quite small compared to the hardcover in the U.S., with much smaller text, and it's paperback. It'll be available not only in bookstores, but supermarkets. In a few weeks, I'll be traveling to England and several other spots in the UK and Ireland, and I can't wait to experience the thrill of walking into various stores, like we did in Italy, and seeing the cover pop out at me! I received my author copies from Pan Macmillan a few days ago. The foreign editions are stacking up on my bookshelf, and I'll take a photo after they've all been released, but for now, here's a photo of the UK books!

That's a pretty big pile ... I see a few giveaways in my not-too-distant future  

How to help a soon-to-be published author

By Julie

It's 40 days until Calling Me Home releases, in case you're not counting the weeks, days, and minutes like I am.

It's an exciting time, and a slightly terrifying time, if you want to know the truth. I have a lot to do yet. I need to make detailed plans for my February 12 launch event and party--including deciding what sections/how much of Calling Me Home to read aloud and what to say and who to thank. Not to mention what to wear. Blog posts, essays, and interviews are already starting to stack up on my ongoing task list. I need to finalize travel plans for out-of-town events in February and March. I'm preparing to go off to the Pulpwood Queens Annual Girlfriend Weekend in Jefferson, Texas, again--if I can get my act together in time. (Fortunately, I have a flexible arrangement and can decide last minute, more or less.)

And that's just scratching the surface.

Many friends and family members have asked me this:

What can I do to help?

I often offer a blank stare in response. In spite of all the things I need to do, I'm not versed enough in this job yet to delegate very well.

However, as I think about it, there are some very easy answers to this question. It would take a long time to rattle these off to everyone in person, so I thought I'd made a list to refer to here instead. Some might be slightly tongue-in-cheek. Consider yourself warned. Without further ado ...

Ten ways to help a soon-to-be published debut author, in no particular order of importance, unless otherwise noted, in a somewhat rambling, semi-narrative format:

1. Preorder the book.
Okay, this one is really important. Preorder numbers give a big indication to booksellers and the publisher of how the book is going to do. Preorders can even affect the size of the print run. (Various buy links are here, on my website.)

2. Buy a copy of the book at book signing events you attend, if at all possible.
Most venues will not allow you to bring a previously purchased book in to be signed by the author anyway. They don't make any money if they don't sell any books. I will be completely happy to sign any copies of my book you purchase in almost any location, but will unfailingly honor a bookstore's policy while they are hosting me.

3. If you can afford to, do both.
Both types of purchases are extremely important to the immediate success of a newly released book. Both contribute to the possibilities that a book might end up on various bestseller lists upon debut or at any time during its shelf life.

4. If you need to choose one or the other, use good sense and follow your heart.
I will NEVER JUDGE YOU for prioritizing your expenses the way you need to. I have struggled financially at times in my life. I get it.

5. If you can't afford to do either, check it out at the library. If your library is preordering it, put your name on the hold list.
I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU for checking out the book at a library if you can't afford it. I love libraries. (Did you know I have a master's degree in library science?) Libraries are book buyers, too, and if my book is in demand, they are going to buy it.

6. Forgive me if I get a glazed look in my eyes while we are talking about anything not related to my book for the next couple of months.
Would you believe I even dream about it? Do you have any idea how hard it is to think about or concentrate on anything else right now?

7. Remind me if I have promised to do something for you or with you or as your guest involving the book and I haven't mentioned it lately.
It's highly possible I forgot. But even if I forgot, if I said I wanted to do it when we first talked about it, I really do! Please nag me. That even goes for my husband and kids. I am afraid I will simply drop the ball on some of the things we've talked about, and I would hate that for both of us. Please be my brain for a little while.

8.  If you've received an advance copy, read it, and enjoyed the book, or if you read it upon release, it would help me very much if you would leave a review in any of the places folks go to learn about books.
Goodreads is already open for reviews of Calling Me Home. Please don't feel shy about sharing your honest opinion, even if it's not one hundred percent positive. If you are shy about leaving a review, a simple rating there is helpful, too. As soon as the book is released, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, and other online booksellers will be open to the public for reviews. The more reviews there are, the more visible the book becomes to folks browsing for books online, as the sites are programmed to display books more and more to browsing customers as they become more and more popular. A review on your blog, your social networking sites, or any other place is also a huge help.

9. Closely related to that, and this one's a biggie:
Any mention of my book anywhere is the way to spread the word. 
It's said that word-of-mouth, grassroots marketing is the VERY BEST WAY to make a book a hit--if the book is good and appeals to people. Think about it. Why did you read the last book you read? I'm going to guess if you didn't pick it up browsing at a bookstore or library, someone told you about it, or you saw someone reading it and asked about it, or you heard about it in some other way. It didn't just land in your lap, right? Don't keep the books you love a secret. There's plenty of copies to go around. :)

If you liked Calling Me Home, will you please tell people about it?

"But, Julie," you ask, "Where should I talk about it? How?"

I'm so glad you asked.

Do you have a Facebook account? Do you tweet? Are you a member of a book club? Do you get together with other moms for play group? Do you sit on the sidelines with other parents at soccer or basketball games? Do you go out to dinner with friends? Do you have coffee with your coworkers? Do you talk to your librarian when you stop by the counter to pick up holds or check out books? These are just a few of the places where people talk about books and where you might mention reading Calling Me Home. The possibilities are endless.

10. Finally, this one is pretty daring. I dare you to READ IN PUBLIC.
As I mentioned in the last suggestion, many books people read, they read because they saw someone else reading it. On an airplane, in a park, on a coffee break ... anywhere. People start to recognize the colors and design of a cover--especially when they start seeing it everywhere. It becomes an icon for the story, which is why a memorable cover--the RIGHT cover--can be so very important.

Okay. I'm going to round this up to eleven.

11. Photos
Lately, photos have been popping up here and there on my Facebook page, on blogs, etc. The one near the bottom of this post is one of the first I saw. My husband took it. It's me! I kind of look like I'm wearing mom jeans (though I promise I was not and you would know this if you could see all the way down to my ankles and up to my waist). It's kind of fuzzy. It was taken with a cell phone.

But it was one of the most fun and funny and surreal things that has ever happened to me.

Imagine walking into a bookstore with your family, then stopping dead in your tracks to see something like this. First we stopped. Then we giggled. Then, when I was finished passing out, my husband sent me over to the sign for a photo session.

Since then, other folks who live nearby have posted photos on their Facebook walls standing next to the same sign. My daughter's friends have even texted her photos of themselves standing next to it. They are much more adorable than I am.

Not only does this stroke my ego and make me feel rather giddy and get butterflies in my stomach, but friends, I'm here to tell you--PEOPLE LOVE PICTURES. I posted a simple photo of my house lit up for the holidays and covered with rare Texas snow last week, and I got more views and "likes" than any other status I've posted on Facebook except for the photos I posted of my book covers. (See? Photos!)

What I'm saying is this:
Photos draw more attention than just about anything.

Please don't be shy or embarrassed to snap a shot of yourself reading the book or standing next to a sign like this, or when it comes out, a shot of the book in a bookstore or on your nightstand or bookshelf, or a shot of yourself holding up a review or newspaper feature, or really anything related to the book. Then post it on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or wherever you post your photos. Tag me if you can. I'll eat it up, I promise. And even better, someone new might learn about the book.

Julie, 12/27/12, standing by the sign at her local Barnes & Noble, seriously about to pass out after nearly running into the thing

That about wraps it up for now. THANK YOU for bearing with me on this list. If you read all the way to the bottom, there is even a reward for you.

If you do, or have already done, ANY of these 11 things that can be done prior to release (order Calling Me Home, say something about it somewhere, post a photo of something related to it, etc.) leave a comment here on the blog telling me what you did, and I'll enter you in a drawing for a $25 gift card or credit at the bookseller of your choice. (For example, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, iBookstore, or any independent bookstore that offers gift cards or email gift certificates. Final eligibility for this prize and approval of the bookseller is at my discretion. You must be a resident of the United States and able to receive mail or an emailed gift certificate from your preferred store.) Also, for an additional entry, please share this post on Facebook or Twitter or with a friend, and let me know in your comment. 


I'll announce the winner here on January 12, 2013, one month away from the official U.S. release date of Calling Me Home. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me!

UPDATE: It turns out you shouldn't plan to announce something on a Saturday, even if it's a month away from your release day, because I just plain forgot! I apologize for doing this a day late. The winner is Julia Munroe Martin, and I will contact her via email. Congrats, Julia, and thank you SO much to everyone for the responses and for sharing the post! Not a ton of comments, but we had a LOT of hits on the post, and I hope it was helpful to both readers and other authors with upcoming book releases! :)

News and Giveaway: Calling Me Home UK Galley

By Julie

MY GOODNESS! Time is flying! Really flying!

I can't believe today is officially two months until the U.S. release of Calling Me Home on February 12, 2013. My head's spinning, and many things are happening behind the scenes. Here's a few.

Scheduling book tour/signing events. Confirmed so far:

TX: Barnes and Noble, Arlington, Texas, The Parks Mall, Tuesday, February 12, 7 p.m. (launch event!)

TX: BookPeople, Austin, Texas, Saturday, February 16, 7 p.m.

TX: Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Texas, Monday, February 18, 7 p.m.

CO: Tattered Cover, Colfax, Denver, Colorado, Monday, February 25, 7 p.m.

WA: Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, Washington, Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m.

Positive reviews

Kirkus Reviews said:
"Kibler’s unsentimental eye makes the problems faced unflinchingly by these women ring true. Love and family defy the expected in this engaging tale."

Publishers Weekly said:
"Kibler, in alternating first-person narrations, delivers a rousing debut about forbidden love and unexpected friendships over the span of six decades." The rest of the review is here. 

Several folks on Goodreads have weighed in after reading galleys. A reader named Sue said:
"I can describe this story only as a wonder. For me, maybe the book of the year... Julie Kibler has written a solid story about love and hate, fear and bigotry, friendship and trust, the value of communication and the tragedy of withholding, the mistakes of putting on airs, and the everyday foibles of parents and children, the young and the old. I can’t wait to read another exquisite novel by Julie Kibler."

Bookbrowse has a whole slew of reviews that make me smile. Amber from Ohio said:
"While sellers may try to compare this to "The Help" - and yes, the storytelling rivals it - this is instead a love story. Powerful and gripping, you'll be surprised with the characters as the details of a forbidden romance unfold, changing two people and everyone else in their lives forever. Definitely pick up this book for your reading group, literature class, or a great read."

Last but not least ... Advance Reader's Editions
The U.S. advance copies came out in September. Many folks are already reading them after giveaways through Goodreads, Bookbrowse, Shelf Awareness, not to mention copies sent by my publicist to various media outlets.

UK advance reader's editions, or as they call them there, proofs, arrived on my doorstep in the last month and are absolutely gorgeous. The book releases there June 20, 2013, and I'm thrilled Pan MacMillan has asked me to travel to England to participate in the book launch there. It releases in Australia and New Zealand concurrently with the U.S. release.

I thought it might be fun to do a giveaway for one of the UK advance copies. (Front and back pictured here!)

To be entered in this drawing, please:
1) Leave a comment here asking to be entered.
2) Go to my Facebook author page and "like" my page if you haven't already. (Not mandatory, but helpful!)
3) Leave a comment there on my link to this post indicating your interest in the UK advance copy. (Too confusing ... I am striking this. :))

I'll post the winner at the bottom of this post on Wednesday, December 19, and request your contact information at that time. I can mail the book only to addresses in the United States or United Kingdom.

Please feel free to share about the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter or your own blog. The more the merrier! And again, let's be honest--the more folks who learn about Calling Me Home, the better the book will sell. In fact, if you plan to buy the book anyway, a pre-order helps a debut author more than almost anything else you can do. If you plan to buy it at an event, you can often pre-order the book through the store where the event will be held.

Thanks for traveling this journey to publication with me. It's feeling pretty real these days!

UPDATE: The winner of the UK advance readers' edition of Calling Me Home is Helen Kalmans, which is lovely as she was the very first person to enter. In this case, the early bird really did get the worm! I'll contact Helen via Facebook. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I hope you'll be on the lookout for the book come February 12. 




   

The Vow prize pack

By Julie


Here at What Women Write, we love movies ALMOST as much as we love books! As you might know, the What Women Write team went to a Girls Night Out screening of The Vow a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which is based on true events. 


Now we get to give away a pack of fun things related to the movie thanks to the local film studio representative. Here's what the pack includes. (We're not entirely sure what a voice-recordable rose is, so be sure to let us know because it sounds like it might be fun. Perhaps you can write your next novel by speaking directly into the rose?!)

·        THE VOW soundtrack

·        Pass for two to see THE VOW at a DFW-area Cinemark theatre

·        THE VOW notecube

·        THE VOW-cher coupon book

·        Voice-recordable rose

·        Red heart-shaped bowl

If you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, please sign up for this completely randomized drawing by leaving a comment on the post, and we'll announce a winner late Tuesday, February 14, just in time for Valentine's Day. (Unfortunately, it will have to be the promise of a Valentine's date as opposed to a date on the actual day because I don't think FedEx is quite that fast.) Be sure to check back Tuesday so you can send us your contact info if you are the winner!

UPDATE/WINNER: The winner of the prize pack is HappyHappyJoyJoy! Please be sure to send me your contact information so we can send the prize out immediately! Thanks, everyone, for playing!

January! January! Slow down already!

By Julie

My actual, official, from the editor's desk revisions on Calling Me Home are due 2/1. I'm madly working at finishing them. The last thing I'd want to do--especially on a first book!--is turn them in late. They WILL be finished. But this has been a little tricky due to them making landfall in the midst of the holidays.

I figured January would be a nice, leisurely month. I'd finish everything I didn't get to in December easily and without much panicking. (Mwah ha haaaa ...)

Then I remembered I'm going to the Pulpwood Queen's Annual Girlfriends' Weekend in Jefferson, Texas, smack dab in the middle of the month. I'm going as a civilian this year, having no physical book to promote just yet, and not even much of a twinkle in my eye for what it's going to look like or exactly when it's going to launch from St. Martin's Press. I signed up well before I got the book contract, having won a fundraiser auction for the weekend pass in support of a little girl who was burned in a July 4th fireworks accident. I had no idea at that point what January was going to look like!

I'm super excited about attending this conference. I know it will not only be crazy fun (and I mean crazy in the literal sense, not just in the superlative sense of the word--these Pulpwood Queens aren't shy about flying their crazy flags!), but a great opportunity to connect with book club leaders and members and so many authors I know online, but have never met in person.

But I'm also busy getting ready. Packing the regular stuff. Making travel plans with an author I'm chauffeuring from the airport. And yes, gathering costumes. Seriously! Circus-themed for one evening, Big Ball of Hair Pretty in Pink Prom themed for another. If I were a published author on the program, I'd need a clown costume, too! Phew!

Then, I got a wild hair at the last minute and decided to make business cards to hand out to any book clubbers or other authors I happen to talk to about Calling Me Home, in hopes they *might*, maybe, perhaps, possibly remember me in a year or so when the big book launch event comes to pass.

Then I got a wilder hair. I found, in this Etsy shop, the most gorgeous necklace, so perfectly

representing the story and themes of Calling Me Home, I ordered it at three o'clock in the morning Monday. This Monday. From the UK. I'm crossing my fingers it will arrive before the conference. See it down there on the right? See it!?!?! (Photo credit: Sam Gibson!)

I exchanged emails with the artist, Sam Gibson at Mrs. Gibson, and she was thrilled that out of all the jewelry in the world, I found hers to represent my story perfectly! I think it's a bit of Timing with a Capital T, as my longtime favorite musician, David Wilcox, likes to say. I'll wear the necklace any time I might have an opportunity to talk about the book. It's a pretty unique necklace, and I think people will ask about it, so I might as well make the most of it!

Then I got an even wilder hair. I don't have cover art for CMH, will likely not have it any time soon. So ... what to do on the business card? Some cheesy little stock graphic? Some photo with some significance for the story, but is here today, gone tomorrow?

OR ... do I ask Sam if I can use her absolutely gorgeous photo (art in itself!) of the absolutely gorgeous necklace on my cards in exchange for giving her work a little plug on the card and here and there. She graciously agreed! My editor and agent thought it was a fine idea for the interim between now and when I get official art, and it made a really pretty card I can't wait to see when UPS drops it on my porch early next week!

But can you believe I found an even wilder hair peeking out of my scalp? I bet you can.

I asked Sam, the jewelry maker, if she was able to make a duplicate necklace. She said, "No problem!" So ... I'm going to order a second and use it as a giveaway. When folks ever-so-kindly sign up for my mailing list for news, they'll be entered in a drawing for the necklace, to be conducted when I get my official cover. I thought it was a pretty nifty idea. We'll see how it works!

EDIT! DUH! I forgot to mention that the first name drawn will also receive a signed first edition of the book when it comes out--IF you are a U.S. resident. If a U.K. resident, a first edition of the U.K. version (possibly signed). If you are not a resident of the U.S. or U.K., you may still enter, but the drawing will be for the necklace only, provided I can ship it at a reasonable rate (at my discretion. Thanks for understanding!). I will likely also draw second and third names for books.

Needless to say, it's been a busy couple of weeks already, and it ain't over until the Circus lady sings. I'm on tenterhooks (but not painful ones!), thinking of all the work still ahead, and all the fun still ahead, and quite honestly, looking forward to the relative peace and calm of February first!

If you'd like to be entered for the chance to get one of these lovely necklaces, please follow the instructions below. I PROMISE NOT TO PESTER YOU with a million emails every five minutes. Just strategically issued ones when I have REALLY exciting news (like BIG BIG news), when you can pre-order Calling Me Home, and shortly before launch just to remind you it'll be out soon!

Signing up for the email list is the first, required entry. If you then also send me a friend request on Facebook, "like" my author page, or follow me on Twitter, you'll get an additional entry for each of those. If you're already doing those, it counts! And ... for a bonus, you can also give me your snail mail address. Not sure if or how I will use those, but it will be VERY sparing. Maybe a postcard shortly before book launch.

Here's the 411:

• www.juliekibler.com (Go to "Contact Julie" page, send me your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS through the form! And your snail mail if you'd like.)
• Much easier ... just email me that info at: julie (at) julie kibler dot com
• Facebook.com/juliekibler (Friend me!)
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Kibler/241506665891684 ("Like" me! Pretty, pretty please?!?!)
• Follow me on Twitter at @juliekibler

Thank you so much. I promise to be very respectful of your trusting me with your information and time.

Hope everyone is having a very happy New Year so far! In the meantime, I'm excited ... and my hair is getting a little wilder every single day I pursue this published author adventure! I'll report back from the Pulpwood Queen's conference when I get a chance.

Keeping it real

By Julie

I’ve been losing weight slowly over the last 18 months or so, figuring that’s the best way to do it and keep it off. It’s working so far, but I got into a slump over the summer and that number just kept going up and down two or three pounds, over and over. I finally climbed back on the wagon a few weeks ago with the help of an iPhone app called Lose It! recommended by my wonderful foster daughter, who is grown now with kids of her own and baby weight she’s trying to lose.

The weight is now steadily coming off again, just like it’s supposed to. And who knew? It really is about calories. Counting fat grams and exercising like a madwoman can’t hurt, and are certainly good for my heart and health in general, but the weight loss is all about the calories in the end.

This morning, I got on the scale, and as usual, the number was one thing the first time, and another the second—the second being higher. Of course, I got on and off several times, hoping it would be the lower number again, but it stuck. Lose It! lets you enter your daily weight whenever you want to, and I thought about putting the lower number. After all, it came up first, right? But in the interest of keeping it real, I’m entering the number that stuck—even if the first one sounded good.

We try hard here at What Women Write to keep it real, too. We do our best to approach authors we feel confident about when considering interviews—ones we believe we’ll enjoy reading and want to recommend to our readers. Ever so rarely, it gets awkward, but 99.99% of the time, when we do our homework, it turns out well. I believe we’ve compiled a pretty remarkable archive of helpful, interesting interviews about authors and their books.

On a similar note, we were going to run a contest on the blog today, as we have in the past, for a prize pack offered in conjunction with a new movie release. Several of us attended a screening of the movie and decided in the end, it really wasn’t for our audience given much gratuitous violence, most especially one particular act of violence to a woman.

So, in the interest of keeping it real and being faithful to our audience and our personal convictions, we’re not going to offer the giveaway.

I worried a bit about the reaction of the promoter, as we really do enjoy these screenings that often relate to writing in some vein. I sent a note with my honest reaction and said we hoped the promoter would keep us in mind for future screenings and giveaways regardless. I was so pleased to receive a reply thanking me for my honesty and assuring no offense was taken.

Doesn’t it seem like life often works like that? Not always, but as a rule, if you keep it real, things work out well in the long run.

If I don’t fool myself about my weight, I’m going to slowly and steadily get to that number I want to see before I go get those official author photos I hope to need one day soon!

And if we don’t fool ourselves about what we like just for the sake of giving away a prize, our readers here will keep trusting us to deliver information about the stories we believe in.

Happy weekend, readers. Keep it real!

One Day prize pack winner!

Katie Saba is our winner for the One Day prize pack! Congrats, Katie! (Check your Facebook mail so we can send your goodies!)

Thank you all for reading What Women Write and sharing your favorite summer reads. Hope you'll stop back by often, and if you get a chance this weekend, check out the movie ONE DAY, which starts Friday (August 19)!

(And ... if you want to, check out my new movie review site at what women watch, where I posted a first review today--for One Day, of course!)

One Day prize pack giveaway!

By Julie

A few Thursdays ago, I had the pleasure of attending a press screening for One Day, based on David Nicholls' novel (NOT by a woman, but we award a few honorary tiaras around here, ya know). I'm launching a new blog soon where I'll be reviewing what women WATCH, and will likely start off with this delightful film, which opens in theaters Friday.

That's all I'll say about the movie right now. In the meantime, we were lucky enough to score a prize pack to give away to one of our readers. All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog telling us what your favorite beach read of the summer has been and we'll enter you in a completely random drawing.

We'll announce the winner through a post here again late Thursday. Deadline is noon Central Standard time 8/18/11! Please be sure to leave an email address or sign on in such a way that we can notify you by email or watch for the announcement so you can send us your mailing information ASAP after the announcement. (U.S. mailing addresses able to accept FedEx deliveries only, please!) We'd love if you'd let all your friends know, too! You don't have to be a regular visitor at What Women Write, but we sure hope you'll come back and check out what's on the table again. (Teaser: one very special guest coming up soon! Aspiring writers won't want to miss it!)

The prize pack includes: a beach bag, towel, nail polish, novel, journal, cosmetic bag, and a bookmark. Can you say FUN!? And if you haven't read ONE DAY yet, check it out. I haven't read it, but loved the movie and hope to read it soon!