Megan's Way – Blogtour stop and Interview

Well, it is the fifth stop on the Megan’s Way blog tour.  I have had the great fortune to have already read and reviewed this lovely book.  The story is honest, heart breaking, humorous and inspirational.  Melissa Foster was kind enough to be interrogated regarding her experiences in writing this heartfelt story.  So, without further ado:

Megan’s Way covers a very serious topic in a very open manner with some humor thrown in).  What was your inspiration behind the book?

The main inspiration for Megan’s Way came from the surgery that my mother had years ago. She told me that she’d had ovarian cysts, and the surgery was just to remove her ovaries. Little did I know that she was keeping the rest of the story from me. She failed to mention (for several years) that the doctors thought it might be cancer, and an oncologist was in the operating room to see for himself. She also hadn’t told me that if she’d had the cancer, then she had also decided that she wasn’t going to undergo treatments. That threw me way off – from a very selfish, childish perspective, how could she leave me?

I so enjoyed the banter and love between Megan and her daughter. Have any of your children read the story and if so, do they feel it was realistic?

It’s funny that you ask – My step daughter began reading it and told me that it was difficult for her because it was too much she was living it! So, I suppose she felt that it was very realistic!

Which part of the writing process was a surprise?

Oh my gosh, so much of it was a surprise to me! The personalities of everyone except Megan and Olivia, who I had pretty much envisioned before I started writing, came as surprise to me. Holly and Jack’s relationship, and certainly Holly and Peter’s was a complete surprise to me, and I had no idea that Olivia would have a boy in her life either. When jason appeared, he was like a breath of fresh air!

The ending was also a suprise. I had no idea where the book would end, and then suddenly I knew the story was complete.

Which part was most difficult?

I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, so I will not divulge the actual secret, but Holly’s secret was the hardest for me to write. I wanted to convey the severity of her act, but I also wanted the reader to understand what was going on in her mind at the time. I had hoped that even the harshest reader would be able to empathize with Holly and the emotional struggle that led her to such an irrevocable decision.

You chose to go the self-publishing route. How daunting of a road has that been?

Self-publishing was not a decision I made lightly. My husband really wanted me to get Megan’s story out there so I could continue on with my other writing without distraction. Eventually, I gave in and self-published, with his unyielding support.  The self-publishing route was not difficult, and certainly less daunting than querying agents for a year.

I have owned a Human Resources consulting firm for over twenty years – marketing is my game, so to speak, so the aspect that people find the most difficult, the marketing process, is something that I am very familiar and comfortable with. But my feeling is that even if I had secured a literary agent before publication, agents do no market your book. That’s the author’s (or publicist’s) job. I happen to love people, so marketing is a joy to me!

The only negative side to self-publishing, in my opinion, is that typically an author needs sales upwards of 5000 to attract large publishers and literary agents. That’s a large number, but one I hope to surpass. I’m certainly not afraid of the challenge. I truly believe that Megan’s Way will find its way through reader referrals, and eventually, the right agent will read it and move forward.

The final outcome of publishing, through a literary agent or self-publishing, is having your story read. People are reading Megan’s Way, and for that, I am thankful.

Are there any other works in progress? If so, can you give a little hint?

I just answered this today for someone else, so I’m going to give you the same information (sorry!), because I don’t want to reveal too much in a different interview.

I am working on rewriting my first nove, The Knowing.  The Knowing is a mystery with a paranormal twist (of course), which takes place in my hometown, Boyds, MD over a seven-day period. Here’s a little glance into The Knowing:

When seven-year-old Tracey Porter slips away unnoticed from the local park, it ignites fears and mistrust throughout the small town. Molly Tanner is blissfully unaware that the visions she has had her entire life are about to become horrific and compel her to step out of her safe little existence and begin a dangerous and emotional investigation. Laughed at by the police, and unable to ignore her visions, Molly takes matters into her own hands and begins a dangerous, clandestine investigation to save Tracey.

Weaving her way through the darkest cavities of people’s lives, Molly uncovers potentially lethal secrets held by highly respected residents of the small town, and finds herself forced to make decisions with life altering consequences. When all clues point to the local pastor, whose brother was beaten to death twenty years earlier for his association with a prior abduction, it only intensifies her mission to save Tracey and right the wrongs of the town.

And now for some non-book questions:

What are the 3 items you absolutely cannot leave the house without?

My cell phone, my purse, and a pad/pen.

What is on your bookshelf?

I’m currently reading The Help, and on my bookshelf are The Wednesday Letters, Shanghai Girls and What the Dead Know. I have ordered When She Flies as well.

The Women’s Nest is a great site (I have spent some time browsing around). How did that come about?

I am thrilled that you have browsed around! Log on and join us!

The Women’s Nest (or the Nest, as I call it) is a social and support community for women, which came about for me to reach out and connect women across the world. I had wanted to open a venue for women to read, gather and gain free medical and financial advice, etc., but there were a few problems with the idea. The first was that I didn’t want to leave my family for hours-on-end to run the business , and the second was that it would only connect those women in the central location. The Nest ofers a venue for such activities, all free, to all women! We have forums, blogs for each member, a book club (which hosts guest chats with authors), free professional medical and financial advice, and in general, a great escape from the chaos of our daily lives.

You can log onto the Nest from work, home, cell phones, just about anywhere there is an Internet connection. We are very lucky, the women on the Nest are wonderfully supportive and fun. There’s no nastiness on our forum boards, and we don’t allow websites, sales, or promotions, so there’s no spam. Although I must admits, as the Founder, I have plugged Megan’s Way!

The Nest offers a private, anonymous way to talk through hard times and gain valuable insight from other women who may be sharing the same issues. You can laugh, cry, hang out, shout, joke or simply visit. I have no monetary gain from the Nest, in fact, I’m in the red yearly! LOL! It is my labor of love, and the friendships I have made and fostered are truly a gift.

Christine, I have really enjoyed your questions, and I am thankful that you are sharing your review, and this interview, with others! I am happy to answer any reader questions – through you or through email – at any time!

Thank you Melissa for the opportunity to read your wonderful book and to share it with others!

I have to say, I have logged onto The Women’s Nest and there truly is a wide variety of information, chats, blogs…pretty much something for everyone. I would highly recommend taking a peek!

photo courtesy of The Women's Nest

Now, there is so much more fun in the next few weeks of the Megan’s Way blog tour. If you would like more information concerning the next dates and destinations on the tour, mosey on over to Melissa’s informational website. There you will find not only the tour information but also a little about Melissa, her blog, other upcoming events (including a chat with Melissa on LibraryThing, October 1st through the 15th) and how to contact Melissa for yourself.  You can also check out a great interview with The Gazette.Net – an online Maryland newspaper where Megan really opens up about experiences in writing and publishing Megan’s Way. And don’t forget, today (midnight CST) is the final day to enter to win a copy of Megan’s Way courtesy of me – I just have to share the book love!

photo courtesy of Megan's Way website

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