Guest Post

I did not set out to become a professional writer. Instead, serendipity had a large role to play in my career. But my choice of profession did not surprise people who’ve known me since my school and college days. They expected it all along, given that they saw me acing essays and winning poetry and short story competitions.

They saw traits of a natural writer, someone who felt comfortable with words and who did not have to strive hard to come up with a decent essay or story even at short notice. People recognize a writer through a few essential traits especially the following.

1. Writers are voracious readers: I’ve been a bookworm since the time I was six when I discovered the wonderful world of books. I devoured any written material I could grab. Even today, I would rather curl up with a book than watch a movie or flip TV channels.

Most writers love to read. Their love of books makes them want to write, and the more they read, the better writers they become. Reading as much as you can about varied subjects, topics and viewpoints is the best way to stay current and improve your writing. Good writers know and understand this unwritten rule.

2. Writers are intuitive thinkers: Good writers are able to think deeper about any subject and delve into it instead of skimming through it on a superficial level. They know that without a good understanding of any topic or niche, then they cannot write comprehensively about it. So whatever their chosen genre or niche, they work to stay up to date and understand it thoroughly.

3. Writers are observant bystanders: A writer’s sub-conscious is always on the lookout for story ideas. They look at situations differently from others in their quest to find an interesting article or book.

They also know how use their creative instincts and spin a story the right way. For example, if the style is serious, they don’t cloud the narration with flashy language. If they have the liberty to spin a yarn, they do it to the best of their ability. In short, writers’ brains work overtime when they sense a story in any situation. They don’t rest until they sort through the idea and transform it into words that lead to a good article or book.

4. Writers are diligent researchers: A writer needs strong research skills consistently achieve success. You may know your subject well, but any story or article has to be thoroughly researched and the facts double-checked to avoid making mistakes and losing your credibility. Good writers know they must have the patience to plod through their research. Otherwise, they won’t achieve the kind of success that they want.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees. She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com.

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Linda Joy Myers‘ WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour.

About Linda Joy Myers Ph.D. She’s president of the National Association of Memoir Writers and a practicing psychotherapist. She is the author of The Power of Memoir and Don’t Call Me Mother: Breaking the Chain of Mother Daughter Abandonment, which won the Gold Medal Award from the Bay Area Independent Publishing Association in 2007.

How Writing Helps to Heal by Linda Joy Meyers

Most of us intuitively know that writing our thoughts and feelings helps us to feel better, but now research shows that writing helps to heal both the mind and the body. In 1999, the first studies came out about studies done by Dr. James Pennebaker and other that writing helps to heal such physical ailments as arthritis and asthma. Since then other studies have shown immune system improvements when a person writes about traumatic or upsetting events for only a few minutes. Traumas can include events such as war, natural disasters but many of us have suffered traumas from within the home through some kind of abuse or abandonment, or betrayal by a loved one.

Whether a trauma occurs at home or out in the world, it remains part of body memory and could even return in a flashback. During the last few years, a lot of new research has been done on the chemistry of the brain in regards to trauma and strong negative emotions such as rage and fear. Traumatic memories are stored differently than regular memories, which means that it’s harder to put them to rest and move forward. You might have recurring dreams or get stuck in a memory that repeats over and over again like a stuck record.

Writing your stories helps to put the past to rest, but some people are afraid of what they might encounter. I’ve learned that you can come at your writing indirectly, not confronting all the memories head on, by writing the light and positive stories as well. Pennebaker told his subjects that if a topic was too painful, they should write about something else, and the research shows that writing positive stories is about as healing as writing darker stories. You need to decide what path is better for you, and it’s important to take good care of yourself.

One way that writing heals is the weaving between being the narrator and the main character in a memoir story. This dual consciousness is part of the healing process, as the narrator helps us to develop a perspective on what happened, and the character “I” gets inside who we were then. When we write scenes using full sensual details, we take a small hypnotic trip to the past and live in our own skin for a while, then return to “now.” The process of writing and telling stories, especially if they are shared helps to heal and to change our perceptions of who we were and who we are now.

Interweaving Dark and Light Stories

It helps to weave back and forth between your dark and light memories to explore your healing stories and keep your emotional balance. Choose either the lighter or the darker topics. You may need to write a story several times to get through all the layers of your feelings.

The darker topics

Freewrite about one of the topics for 15-30 minutes. See if your feelings, thoughts, and reflections shift after writing.  Journal about your observations. It always helps to keep an ongoing writing journal about your work.

Choose a memory that includes a positive quality and write that story.

Qualities of light

Further Reflections

• What happened during the writing, and afterward?
• Write a story where the beginning is darkness and the end is light, or the reverse.
• Balance your memoir writing sessions between dark and light stories to keep an emotional balance.

The path of emotional healing is often like cleaning out an old wound: it hurts while we are cleaning it out, but we feel so much better afterward. It helps to have an ongoing practice that keeps the healing progressing. Here are some suggestions for your regular writing sessions.

• Make a list of the darker memories that trouble you from time to time.
• Write down the age you were when these difficult times happened.
• Write down what you did to cope with the event at the time.
• How do you feel now about the incident?
• What would you have liked to happen differently?

Honor yourself during the process. Because the goal of this kind of writing is healing, give yourself permission to listen to the stories that arise naturally from within, stories that have an emotional punch for you. If you get stuck writing the same story, consider therapy or other emotional support.

Write about yourself at different ages and in new voices, you will be writing and witnessing from multiple perspectives, weaving a larger, more integrated story of your life.

Dark memories or trauma are resolved if you are no longer troubled by them. Resolution means that your life is not governed by your fears and you’re not disturbed when you remember the event. In other words, you remember it, but no longer have the emotional reaction that you had before. It’s become an event that happened, part of your life story, among many others.

Writing Tips

1. Protect your vulnerable self by distancing in the writing. First, write about what happened in the third person: “she” or “he” instead of “I.” Write as if you are watching the event in a movie.
2. Write a scene about a difficult incident, but make it turn out the way you would have wanted it to. Change the incident so it ends more pleasantly and positively.
3. Tell what happened before and after a difficult incident. Write around it, but not about the event itself.
4. Make a bare-bones list of what happened in the difficult incident and put it aside. Notice your feelings as you make the list.
5. Make a list of the dark topics or stories that you aren’t ready to write. List them by title or theme.
6. Make a list of the light stories, stories that bring you a feeling of well being, happiness, contentment, and safety. They may include memories about love, spiritual experiences, and miracles.
7. When you are ready, choose from the “light” list to write a story.
8. When you feel ready, write one of the dark stories.
9. Alternate as needed so you write your memoir in a way that feels balanced and safe.
10. Be brave — write your healing stories.

If you’re interested in writing to heal, check out Linda’s book, The Power of Memoir.

How does writing help you?

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Elisa Lorello’s WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour. We’re giving away a copy of her book Ordinary World. Read on to see how you can win.

About Elisa Lorello: She grew up on Long Island, NY as the baby to six older siblings. Growing up during the ’80s, Elisa covered her walls with Duran Duran posters and used lots of hairspray. She explored many passions, including drawing, tennis, and music, but in her early 20’s, exercised her gossiping skills while working as a manicurist. She now lives in North Carolina where she teaches academic writing at North Carolina State. In 2004, Elisa began her first novel, Faking It. Since then, Elisa has written a sequel, Ordinary World, and is currently co-writing a third novel with friend and former student, S.R. Paquette. That is, when she can tear herself away from her favorite form of entertainment–Facebook.

From Faking It to Ordinary World: The evolution of a character by Elisa Lorello

Andi Cutrone was conceived back in 1999 after I watched a brand new show that was taking popular culture by storm called Sex and the City. I had written an essay about how I envied Carrie and company for their boldness to talk about subjects that had been so taboo when I was growing up. A what-if had entered my mind: What if there was a woman who was so inhibited about sex that she needed someone to teach her the things she never learned and was too afraid to ask? And what if the person to teach her was a male escort?

It wasn’t until five years later that I actually did something about this what-if. Its original title was “The Escort”; three quarters into the first draft, I changed the name to Faking It. Because I didn’t believe myself to be a fiction writer (which is why it took me so long to start, but the idea just wouldn’t go away), I figured nothing was ever going to come of this project — no one would ever see it, and I would continue my academic career without a hitch.

So I relied on what I knew. Fresh out of my masters program, it seemed natural that Andi would be a rising star in rhetoric and writing studies, and my idealism came shining through. (It wasn’t until I was well into the novel that I saw the happy accident of this decision.)

Andi Cutrone resembled me in other ways — short, native Long Islander, Italian-American background, Gen-Xer. We liked the same foods and the same music. We both lived in southeastern Massachusetts. I gave her two overprotective brothers who were also musicians. I could relate, being the youngest of five brothers and a sister in a musical family.

Those were the jumping off points between which I could then draw a storyline. But the resemblance pretty much ended there. For all those similarities, there were many differences. I spent way less time in Manhattan than she did, for starters. I get along with my parents. I don’t know any escorts. I’m much less insecure. She’s much more scholarly. I’m a bit more optimistic. She’s a bit more sarcastic.

Truth is, Andi had come to life, and it was a life and voice all her own. Rather than my deciding where she should go and how she should behave, she told me her secrets and why she reacted the way she did. She talked to me a lot. I didn’t always want to go where she took me, but I had no choice but to listen to her. There was a truth to be told, but it was to be told on her terms, not mine.

By the time I started Ordinary World, Andi looked and sounded very little, if nothing, like me. She had lived a life that was nothing like mine. She was married, had an advanced career, and shed many of the insecurities that had plagued her in Faking It.

In short, she had it all. And thus, the next what-if was conceived: What if she lost it all?

I love Ordinary World because it contains much more depth and complexity than Faking It, and that’s not to say that Faking It was shallow and predictable. But Andi is confronted with how she’s going to get through the day rather than how her outfit looks. She’s faced not with trying to keep up appearances, but trying to find even a modicum of normality. Instead of wanting to be loved, she resists love. Whereas Faking It was about Andi coming to terms with who she really was, Ordinary World was about her growing into a new sense of self under extraordinary circumstances.

There were times when I wanted to grab a cup of coffee with Andi and talk teaching. There were times I thought she was way bolder than she gave herself credit for. There were times when I didn’t like her behavior, when I wanted to knock some sense into her. There were times I wanted to hug her close and be her sister. I loved her that much. Still do.

As I said, when I’d first started Faking It, I didn’t believe myself to be a fiction writer. The only thing I promised was that I would write the book I would want to read. I succeeded. By Ordinary World, I knew I was a fiction writer. I still use a lot of what I know, but I’ve learned to surrender to my characters. They’re the real storytellers. I’m just the one getting it on the page.

Win: For a chance to win a copy of Ordinary World, please leave a comment at least 50 words long about a character you want to create or have created. Or write about your favorite character in a book. You have until 11:59pm on February 23, 2010 to qualify for the drawing. The unbiased and robotic Random.org has the honor of picking the winner.

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Laura Cross’ WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour. We’re giving away a prize. Read on to see what you can win.

About Laura Cross: She is an author, screenwriter, ghostwriter, freelance book editor, and writing coach specializing in nonfiction books and script adaptation (book-to-film projects). She writes two popular blogs, www.NonfictionInk.com and www.AboutAScreenplay.com, and teaches online writing workshops. Her latest book is The Complete Guide To Hiring A Literary Agent: Everything You Need To Know To Become Successfully Published. You can download a free chapter, view the book trailer, read the full table of contents and purchase the eBook at www.GetALiteraryAgent.com.

The Supplies You Need to Build a Writer’s Platform by Laura Cross

Literary agents and publishers are looking for nonfiction writers with established platforms. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to land a book deal or acquire an agent without one. A platform encompasses the ways you are visible and attracting potential readers. It conveys your expertise and influence. Every author’s platform strategy will be unique to him or her. One size does not fit all. You must follow a path that is natural for you and your writing. However, there are five essential components or supplies you need to build a writer’s platform:

1. Understand Your Brand Image: Establish an author identity and use it consistently throughout your material. Your personal brand is how you package and present yourself to readers to distinguish and differentiate yourself from other writers.

2. Develop and Promote Your Expertise: Are you the go-to expert in your field? You can establish your expertise through:

• Professional credentials
• Writing articles
• Being featured on radio and television, and in print media
• Testimonials and endorsements
• Speaking engagements
• Teaching workshops, seminars, teleclasses, and webinars
• Hosting your own online radio show or podcast
• Creating informational products
• Being a resource for reporters, journalists, and television producers
• Sending out press and news releases
• Creating and distributing online informational videos
• Answering questions via LinkedIn groups and YahooAnswers
• Blogging and guest posts

3. Have an Internet Presence: Every potential author needs a website or blog. If you already have a web presence when you begin approaching media you will have an edge over other writers. A blog can add to your credibility, help you establish your expertise, and provide a means to capture potential readers for your database.

4. Build A List of Contacts: Publishers want to know just how many potential readers there are for your book. The number of fans you have from Facebook, followers on Twitter, connects on LinkedIn, and subscribers to your blog provide tangible figures. Producing a weekly or monthly e-zine or newsletter is an effective way to grow your list of contacts. Your website and blog can include an opt-in page to capture subscribers.

5. Engage In Community: You can network through local and regional events, national conferences and conventions, and online social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Online networking sites give you access to connections and a platform to share your writing and expertise.

Your turn: What are you doing to establish and grow your author platform?

Win: You can win a class (choose from any of the classes — Meryl is jealous because she doesn’t qualify!) or a digital copy of her book. For a chance to win, please leave a comment at least 50 words long answering her question. Or write about your favorite character in a book. You have until 11:59pm on February 16, 2010 to qualify for the drawing. The unbiased and robotic Random.org has the honor of picking the winner.

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Fiona Ingram’s WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour. Fiona, author of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, joins us all the way from South Africa. We’re giving away a book — not Fiona’s as her popular book went fast. Read on to see what you can win.

About Fiona Ingram
“My story-telling career began at age ten!” She entertained my three younger brothers and their friends with serialised tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity. The never-ending story was called “Gruesome Gables,” and it certainly was gruesome! Haunted houses, vampires, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favorites in the cast of characters. Although she doesn’t have children, she has an adopted teenage African child, from an underprivileged background who is just discovering the joys of reading for pleasure. She lives in Johannesburg and has been freelancing for 15 years. Visit Secret of the Sacred Scarab and Fiona Ingram’s web sites.

How Writers Can Do Faraway Marketing by Fiona Ingram

I am a South African author with a successful children’s book published in the United States. It has been an enormous challenge for me to become known in the U.S. while living so far away. An author platform and marketing plan are vital and should include a mixture of traditional and online marketing.

However, given the distance problem, many “real” author events are impossible for me in the U.S., such as book signings, author readings, speaking at meetings/groups, etc. I have focused on maximizing all possible online opportunities instead.

When I began, I had a vague idea that marketing was important. I just didn’t know how much! Many writers feel all they have to do is write. That’s the easy part. Marketing is the hardest part of getting your book noticed. Here are some of the best steps I took in my book promotion.

• I opened a marketing folder while still at manuscript stage, and began researching to familiarize myself with all online marketing possibilities. I collected notes on everything and gradually formulated a plan of action. I began with industry e-zines and newsletters, which offer a wealth of information. Many book publishing and author marketing companies offer free newsletters, as well as links to more sites. I learned everything I could about publishing, getting books into bookstores, approaching agents, getting book reviews, upcoming book competitions, blogging, online marketing, podcasts and online interviews, keywords for internet listing … the list is endless.
• A press kit is vital. My publisher produced a professional kit and sent it to all interested/relevant publications. They also sent out online press releases.
• A good author web site is possibly the writer’s best online marketing tool. List your social web sites, include book info/reviews and perhaps a first chapter, a cover image, radio or video interviews, a book video, a contact email and press material. From here, you can launch your blog or fan club, set up Twitter and put your website on many social sites simultaneously. Showcase your work on author sites as well (e.g. Authorsden and Jacketflap).
• Giving away books is another excellent strategy. Depending on your reader target market, contact libraries, schools, local bookstores, book clubs and reading groups and offer them a book. I have sent books through my publishers to anyone interested in reviewing the book. They get to keep the book, and I get a review for my author site.
• Write articles on the art of writing, your genre, or just the publishing process. You can add these to your personal web site, as well as your book web site. Also, load them onto Google and sites that accept articles. I have written several articles, as well as adapting my guest blog posts on child literacy to articles.
• I got Googled! Get a Google Alert to notify you every time something comes up about you and your book, link other sites back to your own to increase your ratings and give you credibility, set up a Blogger alert, join Google’s Library page, keep track of your site’s performance with Google Analytics and much more.
• Discover amazing Amazon: This is the largest online book site and you need to be on it. Amazon will also review your book if you approach them; you can also put up other reviews on your book.
• One of the best steps I took was an online book tour or blog tour. Virtual book tours are a fantastic promotional tool for authors to connect with readers through book blogs. Tours usually include a minimum number of tour stops on a variety of blogs, and can include a book image, a review, links to the author’s website and blog, and purchase information. Blog hosts usually also link back to other internet outlets, thereby increasing your coverage.
• Book Competitions: Competitions broaden your author profile because people in the industry will read your book. Even if you don’t win, you may get a Finalist or Honorable Mention, and that’s the kind of detail to put in your press release.

Do not stop marketing: Even when your book is out there, don’t stop spreading the word! Do something every day (either online or physical) to continue your marketing thrust. Remember — marketing doesn’t sell books … marketing gives you exposure and exposure sells books.

Win: Since we’re on the topic of children’s books, we’re giving away a copy of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs by Cindy Hudson. To win, leave a 50+ word comment by 11:59pm December 9 about a favorite children’s book and why it’s your favorite or an experience with children’s books. The unbiased and robotic random.org will pick the winner.

Image from orangeacid

Today’s guest blogger is Andy Hayes. Andy and I are tweet buddies and we love to talk writing among other things. He is that travel guy from Edinburgh, Scotland. Stay tuned to this post if you want a chance to win a copy of Andy’s eBook.

Newspapers Might be Dead, but Good Copy Isn’t by Andy Hayes

Most mainstream media would lead you to believe that the newspapers will soon be dead, or at least reborn into something new. Entrepreneurs have long known the value of giving their customers great content via flashy websites, interesting blogs, and catchy newsletters. But are you writing content that sells, or are you headed the way of the newspaper?  Double check your copy against these five tips and tweaks.

Write for Somebody. Everybody Isn’t Interested. There is a classic copywriting technique that has been around for ages, yet businesses and writers fail to take advantage of it:  write as if your customer were sitting next to you, listening in. If you write for the masses, they’ll tune out, because they’re not interested. Now if you’re talking directly to someone, perhaps they’ll be more curious in what you have to say. Test it out: how does it read if you add a “Dear John,” or “Hello Susie,” to the top of that sales copy?

Headlines: They’re Really Important. We’re living in an age of information overload, without a doubt. I tried to find a whimsical quote to insert here about the number of blogs being written, but it seems we stopped counting because it’s growing too fast, which I suppose is a whimsical quote in itself. If you don’t write snappy, catchy, interesting, and relevant headlines, nobody is going to read the rest of your words. You really need to work on these; don’t be afraid to go back and change if something isn’t working.

Are You a Real Person?  Show It! Bland, boring, tight-lipped corporate copy has gone out the window — and I say good riddance to it. Welcome to today’s marketing copy: warm, friendly but not too friendly, and full of personality. If your business was a person, who would it be like?  (If you’re a one-person business, I hope the answer is you.) Your sales copy should talk like that person.  Keep in mind your ideal customer; maybe they’re nerds who respect and understand your technical jargon, or maybe they’re scared and need handholding from a motherly figure. Now having a personality doesn’t mean it gets personal; make it professional and clean up those typos. Otherwise, relax and just write like you talk.

Ask Them To Do Something. People are lazy. That’s not a revelation by any means, but when it comes to online sales, people are really lazy.  You need to give people directions — very explicit, clear instructions. If your sales process has multiple steps, tell people what to do each stage of the way. Look at it this way:  the last thing on every page of your website (besides that copyright stuff in the footer) should be the answer to this question: “What do I do now?”

Quality over Quantity. When they say less is more, they mean it. As mentioned above, we’ve hit maximum information overload. When you can say it with less words, with less bullet points, with an image instead of text, do it.

About the Author: Andy Hayes is a professional writer and published author. He is the managing director of Travel Online Partners (TOP), the go-to resource for small businesses in travel and tourism for help with online technology. For more tips and tricks, have a look at TOP’s online writing guide, Write Right Online, the perfect cure for any lifeless sales copy.

Win: To win a copy of Write Right Online ebook, please leave a comment at least 50 words about your favorite writing tip or book. You have until 11:59pm on December 7, 2009 to qualify for the drawing. The unbiased and robotic Random.org has the honor of picking the winner.

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Kristin Bair O’Keeffe’s WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour. I first met Kristin through Christina Katz. Since then, I’ve read her book, exchanged a few tweets and emails and absorbed her column in Writers on the Rise. (Stay tuned in this post if ya wanna win this book!)

About Kristin Bair O’Keeffe
Kristin Bair O’Keeffe is the author of Thirsty and an American who lives in Shanghai, China. She is also a voracious reader, a happy mom, an engaging teacher who believes in “telling the best story you can…believing in your writing…and working your arse off,” a fierce advocate for the end of domestic violence, and a writer who spends as much time as possible in writerhead. To find out more, visit www.thirstythenovel.com or Kristin’s blog at www.kristinbairokeeffeblog.com.

Now… post from Kristin Bair O’Keeffe.

Congratulations!

You’re a Mom and an Author!

(Gulp…)

The Beginning

On September 26, 2008, I was in an orphanage in a small village in Vietnam. On that spectacular, unforgettable, life-changing day, a nanny placed my eight-month-old daughter in my arms for the first time.

Three weeks later when our adoption was complete, my husband and I wrapped our arms around Tully and each other, finished up our Vietnam journey, and returned to our home in Shanghai, China.

On October 24 — less than a month after I officially became a mom — I got an email from David Sanders, the director of Swallow Press. “We would like to publish your novel Thirsty,” he told me.

Huh?

Seriously?

After all the dreaming, work, sweat, worry, anticipation, rewrites, excitement, ups-and-downs, paperworkpaperchasingheartsmashingheartopening, I achieved two lifelong dreams in less than one month’s time.

Mom.

Author.

Mom.

Author.

Good gracious me.

What Next?

Of course, all the gorgeous things that are supposed to happen when you become a mom and when you become an author happened:

• I fell in love with my daughter. Deeply, madly, sweetly.
• I read and reread (and um, yes, reread) the email from David Sanders, rejoicing in the fact that my debut novel finally was going to make its way into readers’ hands.
• I obsessed about formula, vaccinations, and pediatricians.
• I nested and made a comfy home for our family.
• I obsessed about the quality of water in China and prayed that our bottled water was as safe as they said it was.
• I obsessed about what the cover of Thirsty would look like and wondered if I’d get a chance to say “yea” or “nay” or if the worst happened, “Have you lost your bloody mind?”
• I obsessed about… (you see the trend here, yes?)

But…

then the reality hit. Suddenly I had to edit my novel AND take care of my new baby…at the same time. While I’d dreamed of both things happening, never had I expected them to happen in the same month.

Kristin Bair O'Keeffe and daughter Tully

Now when I look back, I can’t quite figure out how I did it, but I guess that’s the mystery of human will. I was determined not to have any childcare help during Tully’s first months at home…the three of us had a lot of bonding to do as a family. So while Tully was awake and Andrew was at work, she and I were a team…the dynamic duo. We wandered the streets of Shanghai, danced, played, read books, touched noses, and got to know one another.

While Tully slept (during naps, early in the mornings, and late at night), I edited.

Was I exhausted?

Yes.

Was I cranky at my husband?

Oh, gosh, yeah.

Did I neglect important friendships?

Too often.

Was I deliriously happy?

Yes.

Did I finish the edit?

Barely, but yes.

Ta Da!

Now…jump in time to October 1, 2009. Thirsty is in bookstores. Tully and I are in the United States for a mini-book tour. She is a happy, silly, healthy, brilliant, stubborn toddler. I am a happyhappyhappy, silly, healthy (and yes, sometimes stubborn) mom with a great husband and terrific friends who all nurtured me through my happiest, most challenging new mama moments. I am also an author.

Win: To win a copy of the book, please leave a comment at least 50 words about parenthood, the place where you grew up or a favorite locale. You have until 11:59pm on November 25, 2009 to qualify for the drawing. The unbiased and robotic Random.org has the honor of picking the winner.