Tag Archives: writing

Call Me Okaasan Book Giveaway and interview with Suzanne Kamata

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Help me welcome my friend Suzanne Kamata, and the excellent book she edited, “Call Me Okaasan, Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.”

I read this book of short stories and essays by 20 women writers from around the world about a year an a half ago, and the stories have stayed with me. You have to check this book out!

I invited Suzanne to talk to us about writing and motherhood. And to round out the week, Suzanne is offering one signed copy of her book to a lucky participant. Welcome Suzanne!

 

 

Call Me Okaasan Book Giveaway and interview with Suzanne Kamata

1. What is the hardest thing about being a writer and a mom?

Finding the time to write. Although I set aside one sacred day per week for writing, that day is often taken over by PTA meetings or school holidays or something else. I have all of these projects that I’m excited about and I become irritated when I can’t write, but sometimes the demands of motherhood subsume my writing time.

2. What leads you to write your books?

The book I’m writing now, which is a mother-daughter travel memoir, was prompted by my daughter’s desire to see the world. I figured I’d get a huge advance, like Elizabeth Gilbert, and we’d eat, pray, love in a variety of places, and then I’d write the book. So far it hasn’t worked out quite like that, though I was very fortunate to be awarded a grant by the Sustainable Arts Foundation for this project.

3. What has changed since you’ve been published?

It has allowed me to take my writing seriously. My family is, by and large, disinterested, and I live among people who can’t read English, so the motivation has to come from within.

4. What do you love right now about motherhood?

I love it that my daughter is now old enough to be a fun travel companion,and that my son is still a little bit willing to talk to me.

5. What do your kids think about your writing?

My daughter is my biggest fan, although she can’t read my writing. My son gives me high fives when I ask for them. I think they both think it’s pretty cool, although my son is a bit more reserved with his enthusiasm.

***

Suzanne Kamata lives in Japan with her husband and teen-aged twins. She’s the author of four books, including Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible (GemmaMedia, May 17, 2013) and the editor of three anthologies. She also serves as Fiction Co-editor for Literary Mama. Connect with Suzanne at www.suzannekamata.com.

For a chance to win the giveaway (a signed copy of Call Me Okaasan):

1. Leave a comment ON THIS POST.

2. Tweet, share on Facebook, Pin, about Suzanne and/or my Mother’s Day daily book giveaway for ONE MORE CHANCE to win and leave another comment letting me know what you did (note, it’s just one more chance regardless of how much you share).

So that’s TWO CHANCES per person if you are so inclined!

Winners will be announced for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) on Mother’s Day and chosen randomly from randomnumber.org.

Hollow Book Giveaway and Interview with Jena Morrow

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Hollow An Unpolished Tale by Jena Morrow

Hollow Book Giveaway and Interview with Jena Morrow

Jena Morrow’s memoir Hollow, An Unpolished Tale is an honest narrative about one woman’s struggle with anorexia nervosa. I loved reading this book, and heartily recommend it and its sequel, Hope for the Hollow: A Thirty-Day Inside-Out Makeover for Women Recovering from Eating Disorders. Jena is giving away a signed copy of Hollow. Thanks, Jena, for visiting, and talking about writing and motherhood!

1. What is the hardest thing about being a writer and a mom?

Two words: Time management. My peak time for writing has always been evenings, and as a mom who also works full-time during the day, my evenings are usually devoted to family time – and by family time, I mean helping my eleven-year-old with homework that would challenge a rocket scientist (clearly, I am NOT “smarter than a fifth grader”), cleaning up random household mishaps (How DID that jelly get on the ceiling, anyway?), etc. – and if I save my writing for after my son goes to bed and the house is clean, I will never write. So, it is an ongoing, ever-evolving challenge to schedule times to write – and then to “hurry up and be creative!” But, one day I will have the house to myself and I’ll have ample writing time – and I will miss the chaos. So I choose to enjoy the now.

2. What led you to write your book?

My first book, Hollow, is a memoir of my teen years and it tells the story of my struggle to overcome anorexia in an inpatient treatment setting. I always knew I would write books, and I think I just kind of felt like that one had to come first. It’s a story that had to be told so God could propel me forward from there to write about other things. The response I often hear from readers is that my story helps to deglamorize eating disorders; it keeps it real and tells it like it is, which isn’t pretty. And that was important to me, because just before I began working on the manuscript for Hollow, a dear friend of mine lost her life to bulimia at the age of twenty-nine. In the process of grieving her death, I remember saying to a friend, “Someone needs to tell the truth about these awful illnesses. It isn’t a lifestyle choice; people die.” And my friend pretty much suggested that I might be the one to tell that truth, by sharing my own story in a very raw, candid way. And Hollow was the fruit of that challenge.

3. What has changed since you’ve been published?

I now have a platform from which to speak, and I’ve had the honor of sharing my story at conferences and in workshops at churches and schools, etc, as well as on national radio broadcasts, podcasts, television, etc. It’s truly been amazing the places God has taken me – and the things He has asked me to share. It has allowed me to meet so many incredible people, both fellow writers and professionals in the treatment field. It’s always interesting to me the way authors are perceived, especially when we go out and speak; people tend to think we have it all together. For me, it has been rewarding and enjoyable to be able to go out and say, “Look, I’m just like you guys; I’m a total ragamuffin in need of a big daily dose of grace.” It seems to have a disarming effect on people, and I’ve had total strangers pour their hearts out to me at signings and on call-in radio shows, etc – and it’s very cool to be part of that kind of vulnerable, human interaction. It is truly an honor.

4. What is your favorite thing right now about motherhood?

Oh, wow . . . Well, my son, Jaden, is getting ready to enter junior high school after this Summer, so right now is a very fun and uniquely challenging season in my motherhood adventure! I absolutely love watching Jaden develop into a young man with his own individual opinions and convictions and beliefs . . . It’s fascinating to me how his personality is exactly the same as it was at age two, but he’s coming into his own and, essentially, becoming more of himself as he grows older. He and I are able to have tickle fights in one moment and have a deep conversation about faith or philosophy the next moment . . . I love it. Really, I think every age he has been so far has been my favorite! Also, he just cracks me up. Our house may not have a lot of “normal” happening, but it sure is a fun place to be sometimes; never a dull moment!

5. What does your kid think about you being a writer?

For the most part, I think he thinks it’s pretty cool. But I did have to enter into an agreement with him that I would run things past him before writing about him in a blog or an article, etc . . . Which I suppose is fair!

***

94c696dd90300a7f023549.L._V192567111_Jena Morrow’s debut book, “Hollow”, chronicles her nearly three-decade-long battle with eating and body image issues. In her second book, “Hope for the Hollow”, Jena takes readers on a thirty-day devotional journey to challenge eating disordered thoughts and beliefs in light of God’s Word. In addition to being a writer, speaker, and activist for eating disorder awareness and prevention, Jena works as the Alumnae Coordinator at Timberline Knolls in Lemont, IL, a premiere residential treatment center for women and girls battling eating disorders, substance abuse, mood disorders, self-injury, and PTSD. Jena makes her home in a suburb of Chicago with her son, Jaden, his pet snake Stephanie, and a mischievous cat named Prim. Follow Jena on Twitter.

For a chance to win the giveaway (a signed copy of Hollow):

1. Leave a comment ON THIS POST.

2. Tweet, share on Facebook, Pin, about Jena and/or my Mother’s Day daily book giveaway for ONE MORE CHANCE to win and leave another comment letting me know what you did (note, it’s just one more chance regardless of how much you share).

So that’s TWO CHANCES per person if you are so inclined!

Winners will be announced for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) on Mother’s Day and chosen randomly from randomnumber.org.

Please come back tomorrow to hear from Suzanne Kamata, editor of Call Me Okasaan.

The Rules of Inheritance Book Giveaway & an Interview with Claire Bidwell Smith

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The Rules of Inheritance Book Giveaway & an Interview with Claire Bidwell Smith

rules of inheritance

Every day this week, in honor of Mother’s Day coming up on May 12th, I am doing an interview with a writer/mother whom I admire.

Claire Bidwell Smith is the author of The Rules of Inheritance, a moving memoir about grief, family, and “how to overcome some of life’s devastating tragedies.” I devoured this book. The prose is breath-taking, and I identified, and learned from Claire’s grief journey. One lucky reader will win a signed copy of Claire’s book. Thank you, Claire, for taking the time to address motherhood and writing here on the blog!

 

1. What is the hardest thing about being a writer and a mom?

The hardest thing about being a writer and a mom is finding a balance in which I’m devoting enough time to both roles. Obviously being a mom takes priority, but I also feel that to be a good mom I have to be true to who I am, which is a writer, so it can get a bit muddled at times. I’m always wishing that I had more time to write, but I know that my role as a mother feeds me in emotional and creative ways that make me a better writer. I guess in a lot of ways, they go hand in hand, even if sometimes they seems to be working against each other.

2. What led you to write your book?

My book was really born out of a desire to give back in some way. I began writing it after I’d been working as a grief counselor in hospice for a number of years and I wanted to create something that would make people feel a little less alone in their grief process. I saw so many people struggling to make sense of Elisabeth Kubler Ross’s 5 Stages of Grief and so I thought that perhaps if I used my own story as an example of how fluid and interchangeable they are, it would make someone’s life a bit easier.

3. What has changed since you’ve been published?

I think the only thing that’s really changed since I’ve been published is how many people I connect with on a daily basis. I get messages from readers every day. They write to share their own stories and to tell me the ways in which my book shaped their own process. Every time I get one of these letters I feel like my intention for the book came true.

4. What is your favorite thing right now about motherhood?

My favorite thing about motherhood is how much more I laugh now. My daughters are constantly doing something that literally has me doubled over and I realize how serious my life had been before them. It’s such a gift.

5. What do your kids think about you being a writer?

My oldest daughter (age 4) talks all the time about how she wants to be a writer when she grows up, but I don’t think she really has any idea what I do. For all I know she could think that being a writer means traveling a lot, drinking a lot of wine, and having constant dinner parties. Which I guess is kind of true. But really, I hope that one day they’ll both think it’s pretty cool that I worked as hard as I have to create a book that I hope means something to a few people.

Headshot-5Claire Bidwell Smith lives in Los Angeles. She is a psychotherapist specializing in grief, and the author of the  memoir The Rules of Inheritance (Penguin 2012).

Claire received a BA in creative writing from The New School and a MA in clinical psychology from Antioch University. She has written for many publications including The Huffington Post, Salon.com, Slate, BlackBook Magazine and Chicago Public Radio. Her background includes travel and food writing, working for nonprofits like Dave Eggers’ literacy center 826LA, and most recently bereavement counseling for a hospice in Chicago. Find out more about Claire on her website www.ClaireBidwellSmith.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

For a chance to win a signed copy of The Rules of Inheritance:

1. Leave a comment ON THIS POST.

2. Tweet, share on Facebook, Pin, about Claire and/or my Mother’s Day daily book giveaway for ONE MORE CHANCE to win and leave another comment letting me know what you did (note, it’s just one more chance regardless of how much you share).

So that’s TWO CHANCES per person if you are so inclined!

Winners will be announced for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) on Mother’s Day and chosen randomly from randomnumber.org.

Please come back tomorrow to hear from Jena Morrow, author of Hollow.

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Use Your Words, A Writing Guide for Mothers Book Giveaway & Interview with Kate Hopper

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Use Your Words, A Writing Guide for Mothers Book Giveaway & Interview with Kate Hopper

Use-Your-Words-JacketMed.

Kate Hopper, author of Use Your Words, A Writing Guide for Mothers, and the upcoming memoir Ready For Air, is giving away a signed copy of Use Your Words today on the blog. I own a copy of Use Your Words, and recommend it for any mom thinking of picking up the pen.

Kate has been a huge influence in my writing pursuits. Her desire to help mama writers is amazing, and she does it all while producing astonishing work herself. Talk about a great literary citizen, not to mention a cherished friend! I cannot WAIT for Kate’s memoir to come out!

1. What is the hardest thing about being a writer and a mom?

Both roles are hard in their own ways, but probably the hardest part of being a writer mom is finding the time to write. I try to reserve Monday mornings for writing when both girls are in school, but these mornings have recently been taken over with teaching/editing responsibilities. The rest of the week I’m at my day job or with my youngest, Zoë.  I try to be flexible and remind myself what I’ve learned over the last nine years trying to juggle writing and mothering and life: I need to be patient, and the writing will get done, just much slower than I initially think it will.

2. What leads you to write your books?

I’m drawn to the page again and again, but the reason I’m drawn there shifts with each project, and also as I grow and change. With Ready for Air, I felt a desperate need to both share the story of my daughter Stella’s premature birth, but also to write against the still-perpetuated myths of motherhood. That was what drove me to the computer every morning for several years.

Use Your Words grew out of my Motherhood & Words class, which I teach online and at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.  I wanted to make that class available to a much wider audience of women interested in writing about motherhood, and that was what led me to my computer day after day as I was working on that book.

I’m now very slowly working on a novel (and I use “working on” loosely). I chose to move into fiction because after Ready for Air and Use Your Words I needed a break from myself on the page, and I wanted to explore and imagine lives beyond my own. I love the freedom to invent in fiction, to let my main character develop on the page as I’m writing. It’s such a different process than writing creative nonfiction; it feels like playing. My goal is to carve out more serious time for work on that project this summer.

3. What has changed since you’ve been published?

Well, writing is still hard work, no matter how many books you have out in the world. But having Use Your Words published and Ready for Air being released this fall has definitely helped to get my name out there, which has increased the amount of editing, teaching, and presenting I’m doing. The books give me a sense of legitimacy, which is silly, but true. I do think I’m taken more seriously now.

4. What is your favorite thing right now about motherhood?

I love the ages of my girls right now: 9.5 and 5. I take note daily of the ways they are developing into their own independent people. My goal for myself right now is to really celebrate and admire them every day (even on the hard days).

***

KHopper-UYW-Headshot1-200x300Kate Hopper is a writer, teacher, editor, and mother (and wife and daughter and sister and friend…the list goes on and on). Primarily, Kate writes about motherhood: the dark side, the humorous side, the places where these two intersect. She loves finding good writing that combats the myths of motherhood still perpetuated in our society and speaks honestly about what it’s really like to be a mother.

Kate has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Minnesota, where I taught literature and creative writing. She currently teach a variety of classes at The Loft Literary Centerin Minneapolis, including Motherhood & Words®, a class for women interested in writing about motherhood. Kate also teaches an online version of Motherhood & Words®. Visit her teaching page to learn more about her upcoming classes.

Kate’s writing has appeared in Brevity, Literary Mama, mamazine, Minnesota Parent,MotherVerse, Preemie Magazine, nytimes.com, and the Minneapolis StarTribune. Her first book, Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers, has just been published by Viva Editions. Her memoir, Ready for Air: A Journey Through Premature Motherhood, will be published by University of Minnesota Press (Fall 2013).

Connect with Kate at www.katehopper.com, at motherhoodandwords.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

How to enter the giveaway for Kate’s book:

1. Leave a comment ON THIS POST.

2. Tweet, share on Facebook, Pin about Kate and/or my Mother’s Day daily book giveaway for ONE MORE CHANCE to win and leave another comment letting me know what you did (note, it’s just one more chance regardless of how much you share :) .

So that’s TWO CHANCES per person if you are so inclined!

Winners will be announced for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) on Mother’s Day and chosen randomly from randomnumber.org.

Please come back tomorrow to hear from Claire Bidwell Smith, author of The Rules of Inheritance, a moving memoir about grief, family, and “how to overcome some of life’s devastating tragedies.”

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Mother’s Day Daily Book Giveaway

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Mother’s Day Daily Book Giveaway

Next week is going to fun here at www.gillianmarchenko.com!

It’s hard for me to believe that my memoir will be published by the end of 2013. All that work, all that time away from my kids, all that rejection … it makes me want to showcase other talented authors and find out more about how they balance writing and motherhood.

Which is how I came up with the idea of a Mother’s Day book giveaway.

A stunning group of authors graciously agreed to answer questions about writing and motherhood.

And guess what?

They each are donating a signed copy of their book!

Here’s the line up for the interviews and book giveaways:

MONDAY: Jennifer Grant, author of Love You More, a moving memoir about adoption,  and MOMumental, an honest, fun, and introspective look at motherhood. I’ve read both books. You don’t want to miss this interview! Jennifer is giving away a signed copy of each!

TUESDAY: Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and the newly released Bread & Wine. This book is beautiful. Shauna writes about the importance of community around the table, and in life. Shauna is giving away a signed copy of Bread & Wine!

WEDNESDAY: Kate Hopper, author of Use Your Words, and the upcoming memoir Ready For Air, is giving away a signed copy of Use Your Words, a writing guide for Mothers. I own a copy of Use Your Words, and recommend it for any mom thinking of picking up the pen. I cannot WAIT for Kate’s memoir to come out!

THURSDAY: Claire Bidwell Smith is the author of The Rules of Inheritance, a moving memoir about grief, family, and “how to overcome some of life’s devastating tragedies.” I devoured this book. The prose is breath-taking, and I identified, and learned from Claire’s grief journey. One lucky reader will win a signed copy of Claire’s book as well.

FRIDAY: Jena Morrow’s memoir Hollow, An Unpolished Tale is an honest narrative about one woman’s struggle with anorexia nervosa. I loved reading this book, and can’t wait to read her next book, Hope for the Hollow: A Thirty-Day Inside-Out Makeover for Women Recovering from Eating Disorders. Jena is giving away a signed copy of Hollow.

SATURDAY: Suzanne Kamata is a writer mama living in Japan with her Japanese husband and kids. You have to try for the amazing book Suzanne edited entitled Call me Okasaan: Adventures in Multi-cultural Mothering. A seasoned author, Suzanne’s most recent book published is Gadget Girl, the art of being invisible. She is going to talk about writing and motherhood, and yes, she is also giving away a signed copy of Call Me Okasaan.

For a chance to win the book of the day you have to:

1. Leave a comment ON THE DAY the author is interviewed.

2. Tweet, share on Facebook, Pin, etc … for ONE MORE CHANCE to win (again ON THAT DAY) and leave another comment letting me know what you did (note, it’s just one more chance regardless of how much you share :) .

So that’s TWO CHANCES per person if you are so inclined!

Winners will be announced for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) on Mother’s Day and chosen randomly from randomnumber.org.

There are so many wonderful books out there by mothers. I contacted the first five that popped in my mind. But now I am thinking of so many more, I’m going to have to do this again!

The book giveaway starts MONDAY!!

Help spread the word!

What is a good literary citizen?

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What is a good literary citizen?

This is my definition: a person who supports creativity, who esteems work, and helps others grow in their craft. It’s a person who buys books (and lots of them!) and networks on behalf of authors and writers she or he admires.

Read the rest of this post at my agency’s blog, The Wordserve Water Cooler, today, and find out about a fun Mother’s Day bookish giveaway I will be doing … here.

*In an effort to pay it forward in the literary world, I am doing a daily author interview and book giveaway (from writers who happen to be mothers and write about it) the week of May 6th, leading up to Mother’s Day. Drop by to hear from great authors such as Shauna Niiequist, Jennifer Grant, Kate Hopper, Claire Bidwell Smith and one more (waiting on a confirmation). Details coming!!

Thoughts on being two people at once, a mom and a writer

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© Aeolos | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

© Aeolos | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Thoughts on being two people at once, a mom and a writer

(I’m on vacation … So enjoy this recycled post today!)

OK, so I am a mom. Obviously.

I usually have stains on my shirt. I sweat a lot from picking kids up and down all day, and if I am talking to you in a public place with my children in tow, I am typically looking out of the corner of my eye to ensure that they don’t run away.

I’ve been a mom for over twelve years. It’s one part of my personality that is constant. Whether I am grumpy or happy, chubbier or thinner, motivated or lazy, I’m a mom.

It’s what I know.

Enter stage left a quiet desire that has risen up to become a writer. Not just a “please excuse Evangeline from school on Tuesday because she had a doctor visit” writer, but the other kind. The type who actually spends a good amount of BOC (butt on the chair). A person who actually produces readable work.

I remember distinctly when the dream actually took root in my heart. We were on vacation in Florida and Sergei and I were hanging out late at night in a hot tub (this all sounds very sophisticated and a tad bit romantic, doesn’t it? But honest, we were just talking).

“I think I want to write a book.”

“I mean, I think I want to be a writer.” I looked at my husband sitting in the other corner of a 6′ to 8′ bubbling pot of water.

Here is a crucial part to my story. My husband’s answer.

“You should. Let’s make it happen.” (Awesome husband, right?)

Once we returned home from vacation, Sergei and I set up a schedule that allowed me time to write.

And I did.

Some days I ignored laundry. Some days I ignored my kids.

A funny thing started to happen inside me. I began to feel more like myself. Like Gillian. Sure, I was still Lainie and Zoya and Polly and Evie’s mom, but there was also space in my head to think, to process, to create, to write.

Six years later, even with several magazine articles, and essays under my belt and a book deal for my memoir, I am still trying to balance two people at once, a mom and a writer. And it must be said that hands down, if one were to trump the other, it would be mom.

But, I have to say, my writing has made me a better mom.

My girls see me pursuing my goals. They see that I am happy writing things down. They see that they can have more than one dream in life, and with God’s help, can do things relatively okay most days.

I think that is worth being two people.

Don’t you?

On being ‘liked’: validation, social media, and Jesus

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(This post first appeared on Dancing With The One You Love in February of 2012. It still resonates today.)

On being ‘liked’

My morning routine usually goes one of two ways.

Up at six, four kids out the door to school by seven forty-five a.m., a cup of coffee in hand, a Bible opened in my lap, and a few quiet moments of reading and talking to God.

Or, if I’m honest, my morning goes another way. Up at six, four kids out the door to school by seven forty-five a. m., and a mad dash up to the computer by eight o’clock. Sometimes a craving rises up in me that can’t even be quenched with morning coffee. I sit in my tiny orange chair and wait for the computer to brighten, and try to look nonchalant although no one else is around. The computer purrs and I quickly click on my Facebook account. Did anyone respond to the witty status I wrote last night? Has anyone new ‘liked’ my author page? How many ‘friends’ does my husband have today? Oh, man, I have like five hundred more than him!

Do you ‘like’ me? Check yes or no.

Instead of a Christian woman, a writer, a mother of four, I am suddenly the school girl who receives a note in class. Do you like me? Check yes or no.

And a little box is checked off somewhere deep in my heart.

More times than I care to admit, my morning routine lies behind door number two.

I have become a social media junkie.

What about they people who really do ‘like’ me?

Lately, I have started to wonder if I give my husband Sergei as much attention as I give to refreshing my Facebook home page. Do my children know that I ‘like’ them best of all? Do they know that I am interested in the status of their day? Does my family know I am their biggest fan?

My first defense is to blame Twitter and Facebook and blogging. Yes, I was never like this before a giant cloud of all the people I have ever known were right at my fingertips. There was a time when I actually had to call someone on a telephone with a curly beige cord. But those days are gone. Now I can communicate with anyone from the comfort of my living room while I’m still in my pajamas.

And as a Christian, what about Jesus?

But whom I pay attention to is not my computer’s fault. This issue is much deeper than that. If I am not looking to Christ alone for validation, I will look in other places. And more distance from God, means a dimmer witness, less attention to my family, more world, less Jesus. It’s my fault. Worldly validation is like taking a hit of some drug. It feels good for a while and then tapers off. You end up feeling worse than before. You quickly start looking for another fix.

He’s the one who ‘liked’ me first.

The only lasting validation I can count on is from Jesus. And the only way I can ensure that I am showing my family the attention they are due is by stepping back, laying my sin at the foot of the cross, and asking Jesus to reset my priorities for his glory alone. The mornings I choose door number one, and take a few quiet moments alone with God is like 1,000 likes for my soul.

And they are true likes. They are “I like you so much that I died for you” likes.

What about you? Are you handling the things of the world well in light of your faith? Do you struggle with being ‘liked’? Would love to hear your thoughts on this one!

The Next Big Thing Writer Blog Hop

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The Next Big Thing Writer Blog Hop

I was tagged by Kelley Clink to participate in something called The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Just what is a blog hop, you ask? Well, this is a blog chain that originates from She Writes. Each person tagged answers a series of interview questions and posts them on his/her blog or website while also linking to five other writers. Those writers then answer the questions, post and include links to five other writers and so on and so on.

Here we go!

What is the working title of your book?

KRASATA, A memoir of Motherhood, Down syndrome, and Surprising Beauty.

Where did the idea come from for the book? 

I am a lifelong journal keeper, but after the birth of my third daughter and her diagnosis of Down syndrome, writing became a necessity. The first year of her life I wrestled a hallowing grief over the child I expected and the mother I was to become, on the page.

My journaling delved deeper as my daughter grew. Images, situations, and details bobbed up to the surface of my consciousness. A fear of brokenness – broken people, broken things, and ultimately, my own broken heart, had been tucked inside me since childhood. I wrote, and a thought nagged. Perhaps these words were meant to be read by others? A memoir emerged.

What genre does your book fall under?  Memoir, Literary Creative-Nonfiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  Seriously? I HAVE NO IDEA. So I asked my writer friend Kelley. She suggested:

Tom Hardy Picture

Tom Hardy for my husband Sergei. (Although I think his picks would be the guy who plays Ron Swanson or Steven Segal).

Claire Danes or Drew Barrymore for me.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

KRASATA (“beauty” in Russian) starts with a mother whose faith nearly breaks by the birth of her daughter with special needs and ends with the unexpected beauty of an unwanted child redirecting her life and pointing her back to what matters most.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  I am currently represented by WordServe Literary Agency. God willing, we’ll go through traditional publishing, but I am open to other avenues as well.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  Three years. Then I spent two more years re-writing it twice with the help of hired professional editors.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  

Yeah, I got this answer because of all the work I had to do to put together a book proposal!

A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker, Bethany House Publishers

The Shape of the Eye: Down Syndrome, Family, and the Stories We Inherit (MEDICAL HUMANITIES SERIES), Southern Methodist University Press by George Estreich.

Expecting Adam, A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck, Three Rivers Press

There are several more books in this group, and also others dealing with humor and faith.

A Story for those who have faith and for those who don’t, think of this book as Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies (only not as well-written, and my pastor husband won’t let me use all the cuss words I want to :) ) meets Amy Julia Becker’s A Good and Perfect Gift.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My daughter Polly.

Don't be afraid of Ds

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?  

What else? Let’s see … A boy with one leg stuck between the bathroom door and a wall, having a baby on foreign soil, the love scene with my pastor husband, a missionary hiding out from her family and numbing her hurt with Chardonnay, God chasing me down, eventually seeing past Down syndrome and falling in love with my child, returning to Ukraine to adopt another child with Down syndrome three years later.

OK, I’m tagging:

Annette Gendler

Kim Van Brunt

Deanna Smith

Ellen Stumbo