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

Megan's Way – Blogtour stop and Interview is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• September 17, 2009 -- Updated winner – Megan's Way (2)
• September 16, 2009 -- Winner – Megan's Way (0)
• August 23, 2009 -- Megan’s Way – Review (21)
• August 19, 2009 -- Frozen Tears – Review/Interview/Giveaway (36)

In Alaska’s stunning but brutal interior, where white and native cultures clash, Kale Weaver struggles to survive a devastating tragedy that becomes the genesis for allegiance to wolves and the circumstances making her target of a primitive superstition.  Aided by her best friend, a worn-out helicopter pilot, and the bond shared by a wolf shaman, she then struggles against what follows: the bigotry and rejection imposed on her and her half-breed son, until she is challenged by the ultimate ordeal.  Whatever the risks, she must fulfill a wish for her young son that she had never imagined for him.  But above all, Kale’s page-turning journey shows that love can triumph over life’s most dire challenges and painful losses.

Set in remote Alaska, Kale LeLand leads a rather basic life: job, boyfriend, good friends.  Her present and future is both joyfully and devastatingly changed when she meets Elliot Weaver, a local Ennuit, during a night out at the neighborhood tavern.  The connection is strong between them and they are ultimately married.  What follows is a story of their struggle to be live in both the native and non-native cultures of the area,  a tragedy that imparts a strong bond between Kale and the wolf population, the determination of Kale to understand the native’s anciet rituals and legends and ultimately Kale’s will to grant a wish when obstacles are constantly set in front her.

I am glad I took some time before reviewing this Frozen Tearsby Mary Ann MacAfee.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized I enjoyed the story.  The descriptions of the vast Alaskan wilderness, the frigid weather and the poverty of a native village paint a picture.  The relationships between Kale and Elliot, between Kale and her friends and especially between Kale and the elders of the Ennuit village are intriguing.  There are some “oh my gosh” moments where I was surprised when the story took a different direction than I was expecting.  I truly enjoyed the character of Kale.  Her devotion to her son, friends and the wolves was relatable and honest.

Rating:

Book information:
ISBN: 1-4392-1819-8
361 pages
no illustrations

The auther, Mary Ann MacAfee, was gracious enough to take some time to answer some questions concerning the book.  Please enjoy!  **Spoiler Alert**

1. With a background as a CPA and running/selling your own business, have you always had the writing bug?

Yes. I wanted to be a writer but my parents said they didn’t make any money. I think they were afraid they’d have to support me forever! My parents pushed me into studying business in the university so that I would be imminently employable. I was no sooner out of college working as a financial analyst when I had a CPM computer set up in the closet as my makeshift office and wrote stories . . . lots of them. My profession, albeit successful, was a means to an end.

2.  You give very detailed descriptions of Alaska, especially the Ennuit village (especially how isolated and impovershed the residents were).  How much research was involved in preparing to write this book? Have you ever visited Alaska?

The book evolved from years of reading what interested me: avalanches, rescues, and the uncertain diagnosis of what constitutes brain death, native myths and superstitions, and my deep love for wolves. I even took a 4-day avalanche survival course to increase my understanding of survival and rescues. I feel a bit like a charlatan in that I have never visited Alaska . . . yet. I’m waiting two more years for my son to enter college before my husband and I can spend an unspecified amount of time there. I lived in rural Woodinville at the foothills of the Cascades east of Seattle for ten years. The ethos (and terrain) was similar to southern Alaska in many ways. For several years, I jogged in a watershed preserve, home to bears, cougars, deer, beavers, and more. I carried pepper spray and a cell phone and was up close and personal to many of the animals indigenous to this area except for the shy bears. The closest encounter was watching the fat end of one disappear into the foliage! For the most part, I rely on reading for much of my impressions of the Alaskan landscape and the villages.

3.  Ennuit beliefs and traditions are a major element of the story.  Again, what was the research process?

Ennuit is a fictional name because I took much liberty in characterizing the race that was a conglomeration of Alaskan Native culture and American Indian. The similarity was the importance of animals to their cultures.

4.  What was your overall inspiration for the story?

Not long after relocating to the Pacific Northwest, in the span of two years, I had toxic shock when my son was born. Both of us whisked away and separated; me to ICU and him to neo-natal ICU. A week later, we were reunited with miraculously little collateral damage. A little more than a year later, I was hospitalized in isolation with viral meningitis then only months thereafter, lost my baby girl during labor when the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She had beautiful black hair and amazing ballerina legs. Holding her in my arms, I got the message loud and clear: joy and sorrow are partners, dealt with in the same blow. Death is inherent in life. Although my grief was just as real as it would be of a parent who’d lost an older child (I’d still projected my hopes and dreams onto that being) I had a deepened sensitivity for parents that suffer losing a child after raising them for several years as though a promise of a full life had made to them. It’s been my greatest fear in raising my son. I hope to have communicated my tribute to motherhood.

5.  What was the most enjoyable experience while writing this book?

All the other books I read during my research, how much I learned.

6.  Are you working on anything new at the moment?  If so, can you give a hint?

I am working on another story, not a sequel, but with some of the surviving characters. On her deathbed, Sarah, the old Ennuit woman at the village, has asked Kale to become Innicot’s (the feral child) caregiver. Kale has only recently lost her own son. There is a twist that I can’t give away!

And a some non-book questions:

What are the three things you must have when leaving the house?

Cell phone, keys, and sunglasses. I am a very practical person.

What is on your bookshelf?

Before I donated most of my books now that I’m an avid Kindle user (though still limited selection of books) I had an eclectic collection of Stephen King, Alice Hoffman, Alice Sebold, Stephen Hawking, John Krakauer, Alan Lightman, Jeffery Archer, Michael Crichton . . . now on Kindle I have Charles Martin and John Hart, for starters.

I have include something Ms. MacAfee said in one of our email exchanges concerning her avalanche survival course.  I think it would work in deflecting her feeling of being a charlatan.   I wouldn’t be able to do it!

In my avalanche survival training course, our final act was to get buried in Blewitt Pass in the cascades with a beacon so we could be rescued. When the instructor said I’d write a better account of an avalanche if I participated with the mostly men volunteers, I said I didn’t need to commit murder to write about one! Guess that applies to using Alaska as my story’s setting.

Winners announced!

Please check the giveaway tab for the list.

Thank you for stopping by!

Frozen Tears – Review/Interview/Giveaway is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• August 4, 2009 -- Giveaway/Interview/Review – Dancing With Ana (25)
• November 2, 2009 -- Loving chocolate in style (reviews/giveaways) (47)
• October 26, 2009 -- Simon’s Cat – Review/Giveaway (32)
• September 15, 2009 -- Megan's Way – Blogtour stop and Interview (4)

Dancing With Ana by Nicole Barker would definitely fall under the young adult category when being shelved at the bookstore, but I believe any parent of a teenage girl would benefit from reading this story of friendship, despair, love and acceptance. The story focuses on 16 year old Beth and her three best friends – Rachel, Jenny and Melanie. The girls have different personalities and come from different home lives but this seems to bring them closer together as each girl has a place in the group. Problems arise when the girls decide they need to lose “a few pounds” and start a severe diet to reach their goal weights. One of the girls may be taking it too the extreme. Will the devotion of her friends (and a great new boyfriend) help her before she goes too far?

I am a mother of a teenage daughter and I am constantly trying to put myself back in time to when I was a teen in an attempt to understand some of the things she is going and has gone through during this tumultuous time in her life. This story is a good reflection of teen friendship, love and disappointment. Teens think with their hearts  instead of their brains. They fall in love in a split second, they are hurt by the smallest word or gesture, they internalize and personalize everything and life seems to move in fast forward. The book flowed like a teens day. Ms. Barker seems to have the knack of looking at life through a teenager’s eyes and heart.

Ms. Barker was generous enough to spend some time answering a few questions concerning her new book.  Please enjoy!

1. Is this your first published work?
   Yes
2. When did you discover you wanted to be a writer?
   I’ve always written, even when I was a little girl.  My writing became more consistent during college.
3. Why did you decide to write a book for the young adult audience?
   I feel a special affinity with this audience.  I vividly remember what it’s like to be this age.  It is such an important, fantastic and crazy time!
4. You mention on your website that you were cleaning up after breakfast and the idea for the book came to you.  Was there a particular experience you or someone close to you had or was the idea like a bolt of lightning?
   The premise of the book just came to me out of the blue.  I sat down, started typing and forgot about the breakfast dishes.
5. You also said that the original thought was a story about four teen girlfriends.  Did the main “character” of Ana (anorexia) come later or was it part of the original conception?
   I knew I was writing a book about friendship as much as I was writing a book about coping.  From the start, anorexia was going to be the mechanism of the main character.
6. What was the most difficult part of writing this book?
   Rewriting it, over and over and over…
7. The title is wonderful.  How did you come up with it?
   Anorexia is tricky.  I think our society struggles to understand the “why” of anorexia.  Just as there are thousands of girls and women, and boys and men, who suffer from this disease, there are just as many who merely dance with it.  They are in pain, it’s just not as apparent.  The dilemma is when they lose sight of the choice to face their issue in a healthy manner.  At that moment, they are no longer dancing with ana…they are living, breathing, worshipping her.
8. The four main girlfriends are a close group of very different personalities.  Were their individual stories based on women you have known or are still in your life?
   These girls represent a tapestry of the phenomenal women in my life.  The friendships I’ve had enabled me to write about the relationship between the four girls.
9. Your dedication is beautiful!  It conjured up memories of those girls that have influenced me throughout my life – friends and family – and what my daughter means to me.  You also mention your husband.  By any chance, is he your Jeremy?
   Thank you!  It’s a gift to be able to look back at all the girls and women who’ve been a part of your life and understand the impact.  There is no question, without a doubt, my husband is my Jeremy.
10. Do you have any other projects in the works?  If so, can you tell a little about them?
    Yes, currently I’m working on another YA (Young Adult) book set in the Northeast.  My main character is Lily, and she has two best friends.  There’s a love story…
11. Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?
    I love hearing from you!

Okay, now for a couple of non-book questions:

1. Tea or coffee?
   Coffee, with soy milk and Truvia.
2. When you have to run errands, what 3 things must you have with you?
   Cell phone, purse and chapstick.
3. What is on your bookshelf?
   Lyrics 1962-1985, Bob Dylan, Skinny Bitch, Fory Freedman and Kim Barnouin and The Twilight Series, Stephenie Meyer.
4. What is on your IPod/CD player?
   The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, The Doors, No Doubt, Linkin Park…too many to name.  I’m obsessed with music!

Winners announced!

Please check the giveaway tab for the list.

Thank you for stopping by!

Giveaway/Interview/Review – Dancing With Ana is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• August 19, 2009 -- Frozen Tears – Review/Interview/Giveaway (36)
• November 2, 2009 -- Loving chocolate in style (reviews/giveaways) (47)
• October 26, 2009 -- Simon’s Cat – Review/Giveaway (32)
• September 15, 2009 -- Megan's Way – Blogtour stop and Interview (4)

1. Have you always wanted to be a writer? I started writing poetry as a teenager; it helped me express my feelings and try to make sense of the world around me. In July 2000, I began writing human interest columns for a Features syndicate.  This opportunity was brought to my attention by Danny “Dirty Dan” McBride, former lead guitarist of Sha Na Na.  He was my mentor and greatest source of inspiration. Sadly, Danny passed away on July 23, 2009.

• Are there any authors that inspire/motivate you? I am partial to Mary Higgins Clark, especially her novel You Belong to Me.  Another writer who has inspired me is contributing editor, Roger Rosenblatt, who wrote a fantastic article called My Broken Chair.  It was published in Modern Maturity, March-April 1999 edition.  I happened upon this article by chance and I read it from time to time; it never fails to evoke sentiment in me.

• How long did it take you to complete He Who Sings Last? I had written a short story in 1995 that eventually evolved into my novel, He Who Sings Last.  I was looking at an old photo of myself with Sha Na Na’s Johnny Contardo taken back in 1983 and it begged to tell a story.  I wanted to write something with a twist.  And so, I turned the tables around with the celebrity-fan concept and began writing!

(Side note for the next question, Lisa had emailed me and mentioned that she once had a crush on a member of Sha-Na-Na which did give her inspiration to write her book)

• I have to say, I love the photo of you and Johnny Contardo.  I loved Bowser (I know I was odd).  Did your crush on Johnny help with writing the character of Miranda? Absolutely.  I not only wrote her character from my own perspective of being a fan, but the way I believe some fans take their feelings about celebrity idols to extremes.

• The book gave me the feeling of listening to an old mystery show on the radio (those programs that were on before television).  I could actually hear the narrator, characters and sound effects.  Will this be available on audio? I think it would be a great audio book. Thank you; however, the book is not currently available as an audio version

• Are there any other people currently or from the past that helped you develop your other characters?  Especially Jimmy Covelli, such a good bad guy and I would hope that your Johnny Contardo was much nicer in your meeting. Yes.  Several of my characters are based on people who have come into my life over the years.  I have exaggerated their traits to enhance the storyline.  And yes, Johnny Contardo was very pleasant in our meeting.  Unlike Jimmy Covelli, he did not proposition me with a sinister decision to ponder!

• Can you hint any little suprises to come in the sequel?  Any new characters? The sequel starts out action-packed and will keep the readers guessing throughout.  There will be several new characters who come into the picture and add new dimensions to the storyline.

• Is there anything you would like to share with your readers? The most difficult part of writing He Who Sings Last was imagining how Miranda Madison would feel after meeting Jimmy Covelli almost nineteen years later.  I was totally stuck at that point in the story.   I had the chance to meet Johnny Contardo after many years; I took the experience in and decided which direction I wanted the book to go.

Now, if you don’t mind, a couple of fun questions:

• When you leave to run errands, what 3 things must you have with you? Credit card, keys, and cell phone.

• What is currently loaded on your I-Pod/CD? I have a wide variety of songs on my iPod.  I listen to everything from Led Zeppelin and Dr. Hook to Natalie Merchant and Sean Kingston.

• Do you have a new celebrity crush? No, I can’t say that I do.  Celebrity crushes have been left in the past along with my childhood innocence of life and love.

I certainly appreciate and thank Lisa for taking the time to answer some questions.  Your kindness and correspondence have been greatly appreciated and I cannot wait for the next installment!!

Interview – Lisa Laird DiRosso is a post from: booktumbling

©2012 booktumbling. All Rights Reserved.

posts you may enjoy

• September 15, 2009 -- Megan's Way – Blogtour stop and Interview (4)
• August 19, 2009 -- Frozen Tears – Review/Interview/Giveaway (36)
• August 4, 2009 -- Giveaway/Interview/Review – Dancing With Ana (25)
• July 27, 2009 -- Who did it? (3)