We're back again with another incredible book going on a blog tour. It's My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett. This book is perfect for women who are rethinking their relationship with alcohol or at the beginning of their sober journey. Join us as we celebrate the launch of Lisa's blog tour with an interview with the author herself and a giveaway for you to win a copy of the book!
But first, here's more about My Unfurling:
Wicked hangovers. Scary blackouts. Ugly fights with friends. The results of binge drinking weigh heavily on Lisa May Bennett. She tries repeatedly to savor “just a few” glasses of wine—only to find herself passed out on the couch again.
Lisa has a bucket list full of exciting adventures with zero check marks next to them. Her anxiety and self-doubt are crying out for real solutions, not more booze. And her dream of becoming a published writer is fading away. She worries that her love of a good buzz will keep her stuck in this rut. Can she take charge of her life, or is she headed for a disastrous rock bottom?
This touching and funny memoir explores the childhood experiences that paved the way for Lisa’s drinking habit. She examines her complicated relationship with her mother, her experiences as a late bloomer, and her ongoing search for validation. In an engaging and relatable voice, the author shares how she began to “unfurl” without alcohol holding her back. But will she stay sober and discover how to truly thrive?
Anyone wondering if they'll ever burst out and follow their dreams will find My Unfurling compelling and hopeful.
ISBN-13: 9798985875003
ASIN: B09WZJXBCZ
Print length: 266 pages
Purchase a copy of My Unfurling on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
About the Author, Lisa May Bennett
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Lisa May Bennett is the author of the memoir My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking. She had a flourishing career in marketing and communications for more than two decades before finally embracing sobriety and chasing her dream of becoming an author. Her upcoming book will demystify the self-publishing process, and she hopes to encourage more people to tell and publish their own stories.
You can follow the author at:
--- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: Congratulations on your book, My Unfurling. I found it so insightful and rewarding to read. What inspired you to write this memoir?
Lisa: Thank you so much. Two things converged to make this book happen—my passion for writing and my decision to quit drinking. First, I had wanted to be an author since I was about 12 years old. I majored in creative writing in college and thought for sure I would be published by my mid-twenties. But it didn’t happen, mostly because I didn’t even try to make it happen. When I hit 50, I started wondering if my dream was ever going to become a reality. After some soul searching, I realized that the main obstacle standing in my way was my drinking habit. So, I decided to send alcohol packing and give myself a chance to make that dream come true. I wrote my memoir for the healing benefits of getting my story on the page and to share with others what a difference you can make in your own life when you eliminate your major obstacles.
WOW: That's amazing your solution of giving up drinking also became what your first book was about! What evolved about the book during your writing process?
Lisa: Partly because I’ve always been allergic to starting with an outline but also because I was using the writing process as a form of therapy, I sat down every day and wrote whatever I felt like—no order, no structure. This resulted in a big problem when I was done. I had to put everything into a story that actually flowed, and this was a lengthy process. I needed a theme to help guide me, and the unfurling theme emerged early on. But late into the editing process I was still combining chapters, pulling chapters apart, moving large passages, deleting passages, and adding new content that I could see was missing. It was actually kind of fun, but it took a lot of time. I will definitely be using outlines going forward!
WOW: I know that feeling! You chose to self-publish your book. What led you to that decision?
Lisa: I felt as though I wasted lots of time, decades actually, not working on building a career as an author. I wrote for work, so I kept my skills sharp, but for thirty years I didn’t write much that I could call my own. After I quit drinking, I took a writing course, and the woman who taught it recommended me to an agent. This was a great opportunity: I wasn’t just a random person sending this agent a query—I had an advantage. Unfortunately, she elected to take a pass after reading my first 100 pages. I wasn’t getting any younger, and I really didn’t want to waste any more time at that point. I’ve heard of people for whom it took years to find an agent and then several more years to find a publisher and a couple more years for the book to come out. I had already started doing research on self-publishing, so I chose to get busy making this happen for myself. As it turns out, I really enjoyed the process.
"It's never too late to bloom again and again. ... If you think you might have another bloom still in you, by all means do what you can to feed it and bring it into the light."
WOW: I love how you took that leap of faith in youself. I also love how you describe yourself as a repeat late bloomer. I kind of feel the same way about myself. What do you want to say for the late bloomers out there like yourself?
Lisa: It's never too late to bloom again and again. I felt stuck for a long time, stagnant. Once I got drinking out of the way, I started trying new things and writing for myself again. I felt as if I had been in a dormant phase, and now I was unfurling, like the leaves of a plant. I should add that it’s never too early, either. One of the things that held me back from quitting drinking sooner was that I didn’t think I had a serious problem. I hadn’t hit one of those big rock bottoms that you hear about. Luckily, I got tired of waiting for a big sign, and instead I started paying attention to the smaller signs. If you think you might have another bloom still in you, by all means do what you can to feed it and bring it into the light.
WOW: I love that! How inspiring. Confession: I'm an enormous fan of your book cover. Did you work with the cover designer on it?
Lisa: Thank you! I really enjoyed working with my cover artist, Mary Ann Smith. I found her on the Reedsy website, and once we had a contract, I sent her a bunch of covers that I liked, including one very specific image that I had in mind. She sent me five different rough ideas, and this one immediately grabbed my attention. It made me completely forget about my original idea. In fact, Mary Ann didn’t have to make many changes to the rough concept—I was absolutely smitten with it. We played around with the colors a bit but kept coming back to the same combination. I’m very pleased with how it conveys motion—it feels like a work in progress, like me.
WOW: Yes! Great description. What surrounds you as you write?
Lisa: I’m a visual person who likes to have everything where I can see it. So, I have a couple large white boards with To Do lists, accomplishments, and the contents of my books on them. I have Post-its in every color all over my walls with bits of information, key dates, and inspiring quotes. There’s so much swirling around in my brain that I need to see it in front of me. It might look chaotic to some people, but it keeps me sane.
WOW: I'm a big fan of organized chaos myself. What are you working on now that you can tell us about?
Lisa: My second book is about self-publishing. Through the course of researching how to self-publish my first book, I joined quite a few online support groups. Every day on those groups I see posts from aspiring authors who don’t know where to start and who aren’t sure if they can handle the marketing part of self-publishing. I wanted to write a book for them—to let them know that they, too, can do it. I want to prepare these future authors for the road ahead, because there’s a lot involved in publishing and marketing your own book, but also to inspire and encourage them. I plan to release it next spring, along with a workbook.
WOW: I can't wait to see it! Best of luck on your book and your tour!
-- Blog Tour Calendar
October 30th @ The Muffin
Join us at WOW while we celebrate the launch of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett. Read an interview with the author and enter for your chance to win a copy of her book.
October 30th @ Book Q&As
Visit Deborah's blog for a Q&A with author Lisa May Bennett.
November 2nd @ A Slice of Life
Visit Linda's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about being a caregiver for an aging parent while trying to stay sober.
November 3rd @ The Faerie Review
Lily shares a spotlight of My Unfurling on her blog.
November 5th @ A Storybook World
Join Deirdra for her spotlight of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
November 7th @ Sweet Silly Sara
Visit Sara's blog for her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
November 10th @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how her writing deepened and solidified her sobriety.
November 11th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy's blog for a spotlight of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
November 13th @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
Join Lisa for her interview with Lisa May Bennett, author of My Unfurling
November 15th @ Freeing the Butterfly
Visit Michelle's blog featuring a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how anxiety played a part on her reliance on alcohol.
November 17th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog for a review of My Unfurling.
November 18th @ Book Room Review
Don't miss a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how being sober has helped her build self confidence and pursue her dreams.
November 20th @ Word Magic
Join Fiona's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about why your life doesn't have to be completely falling apart in order to benefit from giving alcohol the boot.
November 23rd @ Cheryl M-M's Book Blog
Visit Cheryl's blog for her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
November 25th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Don't miss a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about breaking old patterns and talking back to the voices inside her head.
November 28th @ Writer Advice
B. Lynn Goodwin shares her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
November 29th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog for a guest book reviewer who will be sharing their thoughts about Lisa May Bennett's memoir My Unfurling.
November 30th @ The Mommies Reviews
Glenda reviews My Unfurling, a memoir by Lisa May Bennett.
December 1st @ Fancy That!
Visit Nicole's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about going sober in middle age after decades of drinking.
December 3rd @ Nita Sweeney's blog
Join Nita for her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.
***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****
Enter to win a copy of the inspiring memoir, My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking by Lisa May Bennett! Fill out the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win. The giveaway ends November 12th at 11:59 CT. We will choose a winner the next day and announce in the widget and follow up via email. Good luck!
9 comments:
Wonderful interview, Nicole and Lisa. :) Congratulations on your memoir, Lisa! I love that you wrote about this topic, and I SO relate. I had a ten-year "writer's block" and didn't realize that drinking was keeping me from writing, until I became sober six years ago. I've been writing and publishing creative nonfiction essays mostly, and working on a couple different memoirs. But I'm thrilled to be writing again. I'm with Nicole - I love your cover! Your memoir is on my TBR list, and I'm looking forward to it. Wishing you the best of luck on your tour! :)
Thanks so much, Angela! I quit in 2017, too! It always seems weird to say "I'm glad you related to my book," when it's about a subject like this, but I am glad that it's reaching people who resonate with my message. I will have to let my cover designer know that she's getting compliments. Best of luck with your writing.
I feel it is a wonderful and amazing thing when one's overcomes weaknesses and sin.
I love hearing and reading about their experiences. It always is inspirational to me.
Congrats on your book! Looks wonderful :)
An important book to help others who are struggling in similar areas.
Looking forward to this! I enjoy true stories about how people achieve their dreams and overcome obstacles
I would like to hear about the author's journey.
Thanks you everyone for the kind comments! I hope you enjoy my book.
Even though I don't suffer from any of these issues, I would still find this helpful because I know so many who are.
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