Band of Writers ...

We had our first Book Beginnings Writer's Group tonight and it was wonderful to meet everyone (face to face)! I am so excited for our next meeting so we can share our stuff. There is really something GREAT about having a support team to help you get through one word, page, and book at a time.

Cheers to making things happen!
Special thanks to the people at Adventures Underground for letting us meet at their store.

PS: Watch out for great stuff from Mary, Kami, Kara, Tara, Joleen, Tracy, and Wendy :) - The writing band begins ...

Do you want to be part of the fun?! Assignment #1: Write an introduction for your book. Be ready to share it on September 4th, 2008.

"One heart, many voices" by Emily Cushing

Author Blogview with Emily Cushing

Book Title: One Heart, Many Voices: Daily Inspirational Thoughts from Relief Society Sisters Around the World
Published by: Cedar Fort Inc.
Release Date: October 2007
Website: www.calendarquotes.com

Emily, what inspired you to write the book?
The idea for my book came on a very ordinary day in a very simple way. Two of my neighbors told me they loved my daughter's pants, which had material sewn around the bottom of each pant leg, and they asked me where I had purchased them. The pants were actually hand-me-downs from my sister's daughter. My sister had sewn on the material because she has a very petite daughter whose pants tend to become floods on her before she has grown out of them at the waist. By sewing on material, my sister's daughter is able to wear her pants for a longer period of time. As I explained this to my neighbors, they became very excited because they both have petite daughters and they thought this idea would work well for them.
That night at dinner I related this conversation to my husband. I told him that I thought women needed to share more of their good ideas with one another. This comment was the catalyst for many more ideas that occurred to me that night. Each idea built upon the last until I eventually decided that I would get women from all over the world to submit their favorite scripture or thought and its importance to them in their lives. One Heart, Many Voices is a compilation of all of those submissions.

What is your favorite chapter in the book and why?
One Heart, Many Voices is a small day-by-day book which sits on a desk or bedside table; therefore, it does not have chapters. Rather, each day brings a new page with an inspirational thought from a different woman from around the world. I have so many favorite pages in the book. There are submissions from women who are students, single, married, divorced, mothers, grandmothers, widows, etc. I have learned so much from these diverse and amazing women.

Do you have other books you have written? If yes, what are they?
No, but after this book was published, ideas kept coming. So I am currently working on other manuscripts.

Is there a particular event that stands out to you that helped you become an author? Not really. I do remember my teacher asking me in fourth grade what I wanted to be when I grew up and I replied, "An author". With this particular book, I think just following through to the very end is what made it happen.

Was there a person in your life who believed in you more than you believed in yourself? If so, who was that person? Yes. My husband, Travis, never once doubted that I would be able to get enough submissions to publish the book. He encouraged me from that very first conversation over dinner. In the very beginning stages I also shared my idea with my friend Kristy who was working on something she wanted to get published. She sent me her query letter, which was a big help because it made me realize that I just needed to be brave, write the letter, send it out, and hope for the best. Sometimes all it takes is one person to believe in what you're doing and give you the encouragement you need to keep on going.

What advice would you give to writers wishing to have their works published?
Just do it! Meaning, take time each day to write your book. And then send out your query letters and don't get discouraged at rejection. I sent out four query letters. I received three no's and one yes. But I read that the author of Flags of our Fathers received over thirty no's before he received a yes. And his book went onto become a major motion picture.

Who is your favorite author? Two of my favorite authors are Herman Wouk and James Michener. Historical fiction is my favorite genre.

What is your favorite quote? There are so many great quotes in the book. But one that comes to mind is a quote that was featured just two days ago. It reads "There is no way to be a perfect mother, but there are a thousand ways to be a good one." As the mom of four, this is a great reminder that the little things we do in our children's lives each day are the things that make the biggest difference.

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Side notes: My sister, Amy, sent me this inspirational calendar for Christmas and I love it! Thank you Emily for all your hard work in putting this calendar together. It is really a beautiful collection of wisdom and love. (If you have the calendar ... check out the write up for July 20th, 2008) :)

The Well-Adjusted Child by Rachel Gathercole

Author Blogview with Rachel Gathercole

Book Title: The Well-Adjusted Child
Published by: Mapletree Publishing Company
Release Date: June, 2007

What inspired you to write the book? I have spent years witnessing my own homeschooled children and their homeschooled friends enjoy really rewarding and beneficial social lives as a result of homeschooling, above and beyond what they could have gotten at school. And at the same time, I have spent those same years hearing almost everyone we have met say, "But what about socialization?" or "I have thought about homeschooling, but I've decided not to because I want my kids to be socialized." I had read studies and other research that supported the idea that socialization was a benefit of homeschooling, I looked around for a complete information source I could refer these people to. When I found that one did not exist, I felt compelled to create one. And I have been very glad that I did.

What is your favorite chapter in the book and why? I can't say I have a favorite chapter. I think the book is a total journey taking the reader from the usual, default assumptions and ways of thinking about homeschooling and socialization (and even childhood) to a new, more accurate picture and perspective on what homeschooling really entails and how it affects kids and families. At least that is my hope! So I couldn't really isolate one chapter as the best or most important.

Do you have other books you have written? If yes, what are they? Yes, books in the desk drawer. . . but no others published yet!

Is there a particular event that stands out to you that helped you become an author? I had a professor in college who said something to me that made a big difference (though he has no idea, as I'm sure he was just talking in his usual way). I went to his office before writing a paper and told him I had an idea for my paper topic but I wasn't sure if it was important enough, or a significant enough issue to write a whole paper about. He said, "That's the first dumb thing I've heard you say. If you can articulate something that is obvious to you, you are always doing us all a favor. Period." I have thought about that conversation many, many times, and it always gives me the gumption to go ahead and write it down, and send it out--whatever it may be.

Was there a person in your life who believed in you more than you believed in yourself? If so, who was that person? Well, I think in a certain way, writers and artists always have to believe in themselves without relying on others to believe in them, because you have the vision in your mind long before you have any product to show for it. Once the book is written, it seems easy to find people to get behind it. But I would say that if anyone believed in me more than I believed in myself, it was my husband and kids. I think my kids thought of me as a bestselling author even when I had only one article published! And my husband has always been extremely supportive as well, helping arrange time for me to write and query publishers and so on long before I had a completed book to show for all that time!

What advice would you give to writers wishing to have their works published? There is no substitute for doing your homework. Research the publishers you are considering, find out what they publish, what they are looking for, and so on. Learn how to write a good query or book proposal, and then write the best one you can. If you are writing articles, read the magazines you are submitting to. Publishers have very specific needs, and your chances of getting published will greatly increase if you take notice of them!

Who is your favorite author? I'm not big on favorites. I don't tend to have them, or even to view things that way. But right now, I really love a book by Drs. Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate, called Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. I would buy a copy for every parent I know if I could.

Do you have an author website? What is it? Yes. It's www.rachelgathercole.com. Please check it out!

What is your favorite quote? There again, I don't tend to have favorites. But I think often of the quote, "This, too, shall pass." It has so much bearing on life and on parenting in particular. It applies to the good and the bad. The challenging times do pass, but the good stuff will pass you by, too, if you don't stop and enjoy it. That holds a lot of meaning for me, and helps me keep things in their proper perspective!

Thanks so much for thinking of me and for the opportunity to answer these questions!
Best wishes,
Rachel

The Call to Brilliance by Resa Steindel Brown

Blogview with Resa Steindel Brown -

Book Title: The Call to Brilliance by Resa Steindel Brown
Published by: fredric press.
Release Date: January, 2007

What inspired you to write the book?
My children inspire me. They have shown me who we are at birth and how we can bring that miraculous divinely inspired being into adult life. They encouraged me to document our experiences so that others may benefit from our journey.

What is your favorite chapter in the book – and why?
“Stephen,Just Stephen” I enjoy reading about Stephen as an adult. It shows how the ‘chaos’ he was so good at creating as a child has facilitated him as an international entrepreneur with a big heart. It shows how what might appear to be our worst challenges can become our greatest strengths.

Do you have other books you have written? If yes, what are they?
I am currently working on a manual that well help others put their own journey into process.

Is there a particular event that stands out to you that helped you become an author? I would have been a writer, but not a published author, had it not been for the faith, dedication, and vision of my youngest son, Matthew. Had he not taken the document, published it, promoted it and passionately believed in the message it brings into the world, it would never have become a book. It would still have been a document sitting in hundreds of files buried in my computer, and I would still be someone who writes, but not an author.

Was there a person in your life that believed in you even more than you believed in yourself? If so – who was that person? When editing this book (20 years of writing) seemed like an impossible job, my husband just wouldn’t let me give up. Every night I went to bed feeling overly tired and overwhelmed. Every morning, sitting on my nightstand, was a gift…a love note and a new round of edits.

What advice would you give to writers wishing to have their works published?
Don’t quit.

Who is your favorite author?
I don’t have just one favorite. I read different books for different reasons. I really respect William Glasser, M.D., Joseph Chilton Pearce, Thomas Moore, Parker Palmer and a number of others who focus on the issues I think are vital to the way we see life and raise our young.

Do you have an author website? What is it?
Our website is http://www.thecalltobrilliance.com/

What is your favorite quote?
“Follow your bliss.” - Joseph Campbell.

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Thank you Resa for the blogview - :) Your book really touched my life and the way that I view my children and their personal inner brilliance. My favorite quote from the book - "Every story is a love story regardless of the content because it teaches us about us."

The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch) by Caroll Spinney

Lessons from a Life in Feathers

This inspirational book gives readers the behind the scenes of the beginning days of Sesame Street and Caroll’s journey to play the role of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. I loved reading about his passion for puppets and the steps he took that eventually landed him the job as the most popular and famous bird ever!

Favorite chapters: “Become who you always were” and “Give it a Month.” Both of these chapters helped me appreciate Caroll's commitment to his dreams and inspired me to never give up on mine! Yeah, I shed a few tears while reading this book.

If you get the chance ... grab this book. It’s wonderful even if you are not a Sesame Street fan!

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-wing bird
That cannot fly.
~ Langston Hughes