Because survival is insufficient

     I do not play the piano, often.  Many days, I will walk by the piano without touching it.  (It needs dusting, badly!) Yet when I am lucky enough to attend a concert, symphony or just catch a talented performer on YouTube, I regret my lack of practice and want to sit down and practice. At that moment.  It makes me want to put in the work.  I want to play better.

     Emily St. John Mandel's writing makes me want to practice.  I want to write better.  I will never play the piano in Carnegie Hall.   I will never construct a novel as seamless as Station Eleven but appreciate that Emily St. John Mandel did.  The literary landscape is a little bit better because this book exists.

     After the end of the world as we know it,  a traveling symphony roams the Midwest, performing Shakespeare's plays along with classical symphonies.  "Because survival is insufficient," a quote a character has taken from Star Trek, is written on the side of their caravan.  This is a beautiful theme for the novel as it explores less what the characters had to do to physically survive and more what they do in order to live.

     The novel spans decades, effortlessly weaving in and out of time, connecting and contrasting the characters' lives before and after The Collapse.  My favorite character in this novel is Miranda, an artist who creates Station Eleven and regrets nothing.

Summer Reading List

     On the other side of Labor Day, it feels like summer should be over.  My kids have been in school for three weeks so our collective Summer Vacation ended a while ago.  It flew by far too quickly, of course.  I expected living in a hotel for the summer would slow our summer down.  The situation has made it easier for the kids to reach out and touch each other, breathe on each other, look at each other...but routines and getting up early still came too quickly.

     I have been out of school for quite a while but I still operate under the illusion that I will have more time to read during the summer and feel an obligation like I should be reading over the summer.  My TBR list grows but I don't accomplish half of the reading I planned.  I did manage to fit in a few!

     Tiger Hunting by Tracy Million Simmons had been sitting on my shelf for far too long.  I "met" Tracy years ago, online, as part of a Kansas writers' forum back when I was one of those.  I purchased a copy of her book as soon as it was available.  I don't know why I waited so long to open it up but I brought it along on our flight in July.  It was the perfect time to read her story.  Along with searching for a white tiger in Kansas, her book is about finding your lost voice.  I finished her book as we were landing in New Orleans which was exactly where I'd left mine.  I started a new story while we were there but hers is finished and lovely and has circus folk.  Go take a look!

     Someone Else's Love Story, by Joshilyn Jackson, is her best yet.  Yes.  I know.  If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I say that each time I pick up her latest book.  It's still true.  If you have read her books, you know what I mean. If you haven't read any of her books, are not sure where to start or if you aren't sure you have the time to commit to another whole novel right now, you are in luck!  Two of the main characters in SELS also have parts in a separate short story, my own miraculous.  You can get the e-book version for ninety-nine cents.  Go read it now.  You will then purchase Someone Else's Love Story.  It's like trying to eat one potato chip.  Once you get a taste, you will not be able to stop and you will have to read more about Shandi and her extraordinary son, Natty.    I have a vicarious crush on Walcott.

     The Rent Collector is a book I've read over a period of many months.  This doesn't sound encouraging as you're looking for a book that you can't put down and I'm admitting I did.  Lessons build upon each other however and this story was no less powerful read a few chapters at a time versus all at once.  We've all had countless vicarious journeys as we read to "escape."  This story is an excellent reminder of how learning to read is a true means of escape for someone who can't, otherwise.  Camron Wright has set beautiful stories, some familiar, amidst the stinging smoke of a trash dump in Cambodia.  Well worth the read.

     How to Have a New Kid by Friday.  You've heard of this one.  If you need it, you've probably already read it.  If you haven't, it's stuff you already know, but written in a step format so you can read a little each day and put it all together at the end.  (Of course, this is the one I read in one two-hour sitting).   I'm guilty of giving too many choices and too many chances so my own mom recommended this one to me too many times.  If you have the time, it has plenty of good reminders.  Otherwise, say what you mean, once and mean it.

     It is a "teacher in-service" day which means my kids have today off, giving them a nice four-day weekend to recover from the last three full weeks of school.  Looks like rain.  Maybe I'll get some writing in.  I have to, as that is the only way I feel like I've earned time to read.  I said I wasn't bringing many to the hotel but I still have a decent stack waiting to be opened.  Next on the pile is The Invention of Wings!  What are you reading this month?

Parental Guidance

Switching gears for a moment to review a non-fiction book (although the cynic in me suspects a few of the "correct" examples given in this book were fictionalized a bit).   Having said that, the examples of what to say and do were invaluable to me as most of the "what not to do" scenarios are exactly what I might say or do on any given day!

Getting to Calm, by Laura S. Kastner, Ph.D. and Jennifer Wyatt, Ph.D.  belongs on every parents' bookshelf!  My copy now rests in a very easy to reach/consult spot, snuggled between  T. Berry Brazelton's Touchpoints and Christie Mellor's The Three Martini Playdate.  As this book offers strategies for dealing with tweens and teens, I've come to it a little late but after reading it from cover to cover, I feel reassured that I may not be TOO late.  (If you have younger children, get this now and read this now--before you are in the midst of some of these scenarios.)  My two older children are 14 and 12 years old, and many of the chapters in this book apply to our situations today.  (The authors suggest keeping this book to refer to the appropriate chapters when needed--when these issues arise--but I found at least 11 of the 14 chapters useful NOW and the other 3 were still worth reading.  I WILL need them!)

I am still working on the calmness.  The authors detail a four-step plan to achieving the calm.  The stories/examples they provide in each chapter offer invaluable instruction as you witness parent/teen interactions.  Some go swimmingly well and you see WHY.  Some plummet quickly and things go horribly wrong and you see WHY.  Changes have been implemented in our house and more are coming.  And now, when I yell and nag, I understand where I've gone wrong much sooner.  It's a process. ;-)

Speaking of where I've gone wrong however, the book made me feel better.  Written by a professor of psychiatry and a psychologist, the authors show where parents go wrong without laying blame.

I usually use this space to discuss reading or writing fiction but once in a while, there are a few other must-have books out there that you should know about.  This is one.  If you are a parent, give yourself this book.  If you are not a parent, give this book to someone else in your life--somebody needs it!

Wild

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I must go camping.  Outdoors.  I don’t want to do it but I suspect, deep down, that I cannot.  I wonder if I should give it a shot.  As I began reading Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” I compared her experience level at the beginning of her journey to my own. I thought if she could hike the Pacific Coast Trail from the Mojave Desert to the Bridge of the Gods on the Oregon-Washington border, I could possibly survive a few days out there.  Probably.

The memoir is exquisitely written, covering the author's physical and spiritual journey on the Pacific Coast Trail.  We're about the same age--she is one year older.  Cheryl left her home, her family and her marriage behind in the first week of June, 1995 to head down to Mojave, California and hike back up to the Pacific Northwest.

I was headed there myself that week, albeit in a car.  I did not leave my marriage behind--though just two months earlier I'd vowed to let it leave without me.  By the time June arrived, I'd decided to go with my husband and we each drove a car over 2,500 miles from New Orleans to Tacoma, taking turns chauffeuring the dog.  

In 1995, I remember thinking that I should have already finished a novel--the same thought the author has during her hike.  

I could publish a novel.  I want to do it but I suspect, deep down, that I cannot.  I wonder if I have truly given it a fair shot.   I finished reading “Wild.” I compared Cheryl Strayed's writing style to my own and am both inspired and humbled.  There is still a chance I could make it as a hiker.

Who will be your book this season?

Buying a book is a worthwhile investment.

Buying a book written by a friend of your friend is cool.

Buying a book written by your friend is awesome!

Slowly filling a shelf with books written by people you know (or knew) is priceless!

Burning with excitement!

It's here!  I am so excited for Jen!    I have been lucky enough to see Jen's drafts evolve into this captivating novel and now you can read it, too!  The Burning of Isobel Key is here!

The Burning of Isobel Key

New Adult/Contemporary

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.

At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.

She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her.  Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

THE BURNING OF ISOBEL KEY, available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon Fall 2012.

Paperback: $14.95

E-Book (Kindle or Nook): $2.99

Book Extras

Official Book Website | Book Trailer | Reading Guide

Grab Your Copy

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads

Barnes & Noble | Createspace 

 

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn’t crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Published & Upcoming Works

• The Burning of Isobel Key: Contemporary new adult with a spattering of historical mystery.  Coming October 2012
• Priestess of Moab: Historical fiction.  Coming Spring 2013

Favorite Genres

• YA: anything!
• Historical fiction
• Paranormal

Connect with Jen

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | 

| Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

Cover reveal: "The Burning of Isobel Key," by Jen McConnel

 How was your summer?   I didn't mean to take such a vacation from blogging but am happy to be back!  The kids are back in school, we are falling into routines and I have time to get back to writing, editing and blogging!  Of course, just when I think we are settled into our schedules, I realize that it is Tuesday.  Tuesdays are always our crazy days but today we added one more activity to the calendar and I became an Aunt again!

The good news keeps coming!  The cover for Jen McConnel's novel, "The Burning of Isobel Key" was released today!  Finish all of your "beach reads" now so you'll be ready to dive into this one!

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.

At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.

She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her.  Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

More about the author:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child.  Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia,and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

The Burning of Isobel Key is her first novel.  She also writes YA fantasy.

http://isobelkey.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451403.Jen_McConnel
@ProDeaWriter
jennifermcconnel.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/jenmcconnelauthor

Her best, yet

It took me far too long to finally read a grown-up kind of pretty.  Do not make the same mistake.  If you have not yet picked up this book, go do it.  Now.
(You can read the rest of this post later.)

I've raved about Joshilyn Jackson's writing before, saying the only thing I liked better than her latest book was her blog.  I like this book better.  (I will still visit her blog on a near-daily basis, mind you, but you must go get this book).

It sucked me away from my kids on our plane ride home last weekend.  It kept me from my own writing this week and I had to finish it last night.  HAD to, you see because 1. I had to know and 2. I promised to spend this time WRITING and I could NOT until I finished this book.

Go get it.  You're welcome.

Looking back

It has taken far too long to tell you about Karen Abbott's American Rose.  I was lucky enough to win a hard copy of this book!  (That makes this delay inexcusable but please forgive me and go out and buy this book.  Now.)  The book is the story of New York as much as it is the story of Gypsy Rose Lee.  I am so glad I read this book before my trip to New York in August!  It helped me to see so much of the city in a new way, especially Times Square.  I love history and it never ceases to amaze me how little human nature differs, over time!  It was a great read I won't soon forget.  (I can't!  My daughter is enamored with the show "Toddlers and Tiaras" and there is a stage mom in every episode that reminds me of Rose, Gypsy's mother!  Almost 100 years have passed since Rose was pushing her daughter, June, along the vaudeville circuit claiming that her daughter was destined to be "somebody."  I hear the same words in my living room today, but vaudeville has been replaced by reality television.)

I am sure you read The Help long ago.   I have been meaning to read the book forever but just got around to finishing it last week.  Though wonderful reviews abound, I knew I had to read the book when I read about it in Food & Wine magazine.  (They featured many of the recipes from the movie.)  Kathryn Stockett's writing was wonderful.  I love southern writers and southern writing but so many writers slow the story down by trying to capture dialect.  I have had to stop and re-read so many words so many times to understand what the characters are supposed to sound like.  Ms. Stockett's writing is spot-on.  Perfect.  Her characters in this novel are unforgettable, the writing is compelling and the food sounds delicious--though it will be a while before I enjoy chocolate pie again!

School daze

The older two went back to school on the 16th and my little guy started preschool yesterday.  So you're probably thinking that with all three kids in "school" I finished revising the novel, finished reading a book and folded all the laundry, right?

I was really, really close.  I went to the dentist, bought a new bra and a coffee.  Whee!

But I am revising the novel.  At 0-dark-thirty.  I've been getting less sleep during this last week than when I had newborns but I just might get this done, yet!  (Delirious, bleary-eyed edits have GOT to be good, right?)

How's your week going?

Greetings, Friends!

Liebster means "friend" in German.   I don't speak German (despite having a German maiden name) but am honored to be nominated for a friendship award, in any language!  Many thanks to Jen McConnel for this honor!  (I am also VERY late in posting this thank you here.  I've known Jen less than a year but unfortunately, she has already learned that I am always late.  I'm working on that!)

This award is intended to connect bloggers, specifically those with less than 200 followers. In accepting the award, I must:

* Show my thanks to the blogger who gave me the award by linking back to them.
* Reveal my top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
* Post the award on my blog.
* Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet—other writers.
* And best of all – have fun and spread the karma.

I want to thank Jen McConnel again for the lovely nomination and she is also my first "pick."  I met Jen at a writing conference last October and she has been very encouraging here, on this blog, as well as in reading and commenting on some of my writing.  I sent her a confusing, mess of an excuse for a "draft" and God bless her, she still read it!

I am also nominating Tracy.  I've never met Tracy in person but we became online friends when we were both Kansas writers.  (She still is but I've moved over to Indiana).  Tracy always has an encouraging word here and inspiration on her site.

I'd like to introduce you to Caryn Caldwell.  Caryn is another writer I've never met but always so encouraging!  She is another mom-writer but is further along in her journey than I am--I love reading success stories!

Renee shares some wonderful ideas about getting into the world of your characters--as well as real survival stories about trying to balance writing with being a mother and wife.  Renee is yet another "friend" that I've never met in real life but I knew I'd like her as soon as I saw the title of her blog!

Aaron is the other friend on this list that I have met in person.  In fact, I'm sure we met before the internet existed!  He's an excellent writer and we attended a writing conference together 14 years ago but we'd been friends for years before that.  I decided to take the plunge and begin writing my own blog after reading his.  So, who knows?  If not for Aaron, I might not have started a blog, would never have met so many writers online and would never have learned the German word for friend. :)