Leslie Cox, a runner up in the Q4 Creative Nonfiction Essay contest for Ode to My Hands, is stopping by to tell us about the unexpected help she got with her writing from her grandmother, writing communities and some great memoirs to check out.
Prior to retiring from a career in health care administration in 2019, Leslie published articles and a guidebook for health care professionals, and then realized having become a published author, she could make the choice to write what she’s passionate about—her personal stories. Through her work, Leslie hopes to inspire readers by using her voice to speak her truth and maybe even make them smile. Her memoir is in editing phase, and she has a few more projects up her sleeve!
Leslie’s most recent work is published in Writer’s Digest Online,WOW! Women on Writing, two print anthologies, online literary journals and blogs. She enjoys continuous learning of writing craft by attending an abundance of workshops and events, online and in-person. Leslie serves on the volunteer leadership team of Phoenix Oasis Press, helping with community events and publishing of an annual anthology. When she is not reading or writing, you will find her enjoying nature, pets, and three grandchildren who are the loves of her life.
WOW: Congratulations on being a runner up in the Q4 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest for The Work of My Hands. It seems you were also a runner-up several years ago. How do you feel your writing has evolved in the five years since your first win?
Leslie:One word describes my writing life over the past five years—Growth! I finally have the confidence to call myself a “writer” which I thought had to be earned. Learning the writing craft will always be part of my life, whether through workshops and webinars, writers’ groups, or just reading wonderful writers whose books inspire me.
My last Muffin interview mentioned that I would be focusing on completing a memoir in 2020. Well, that goal was a little ambitious, but the manuscript is finally complete and in the capable hands of an editor/WOW instructor.
WOW: How exciting! It's always encouraging to see a fellow writer's big project come together. I'd like to think our contest (or at least promising us a memoir in your interview) gave you a nudge. Do you have any advice for any of our readers out there who are on the fence about entering the WOW - or any - writing contests?
Leslie:Absolutely enter writing contests, whether you have been writing for a long time, or just beginning your journey. I admit I was fearful in the beginning—I suppose it was mostly fear of rejection or just getting my words out there for others to read. I have since entered many contests and submitted my personal essays to several literary journals. The rejections do get easier with time, and then when an acceptance shows up, seemingly out of nowhere, the feeling of success is worth all the work and worry.
WOW: The magic of good news in our inboxes! Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to pen an ode to your hands?
Leslie: Well, I’m glad you asked! I initially wrote this essay for a course taught by WOW’s own Kimberly Lee, “The Body in Writing.” In that class, I wrote not only an ode to my hands, but also to my gut, my heart, and my whole body. I spruced up “The Work of My Hands” and got the courage to share it aloud with a writers’ club. The members seemed to relate with it, so on a whim, I submitted it to the WOW contest!
WOW: And to think it began with a WOW class. When you aren't in classes what does your writing day look like?
Leslie: I don’t have specific writing habits, but my head is constantly full of words and lines I eventually put on paper. I can write pretty much anywhere, at any time of day or night.
When I started my current project (historical fiction based on documents, letters and photos left by my grandmother when she died), I secretly asked her to help me write her story, and that night I wrote the entire first chapter in a dream. Detailed scenes were played out repeatedly—in Spanish! Her native language, except I was the one speaking. A few years ago, a similar experience happened when I dreamed about a specific memory from thirty years prior, woke up crying, and wrote it into my memoir.
WOW: What a powerful connection with your writing self. I dream scenes or snippets of writing which is why I always have a notepad by my bed. You're very active with a local writing community Phoenix Oasis Press. Can you tell us a little about what you do?
Leslie:POP is a small group of writers who love bringing writing experiences to the Arizona community through workshops, a book club, and supporting local authors at events or via social media.
We are in the process of publishing our third anthology around the theme of “curiosity.” My role was to receive online submissions via Submittable to ensure all guidelines were met before sending poems or essays on to the review team. Once the final pieces were selected, my role was copyediting.
POP leaders volunteer our time and energy simply because connecting with other writers is what we love to do!
WOW: Do you feel it is important for writers to find a community like Phoenix Oasis Press or WOW? Do you feel your volunteer work helps you with your own writing?
Leslie: In 2023, I wrote a blog for POP entitled, “How Giving Away Can Give You Back”—Generosity is key when it comes to building a writing circle. Writing can feel lonely at times, so having a community of friends who share their passion for writing is a gift that has not only improved my writing, but my life!
WOW: After retiring from a career that included writing for the healthcare industry, you've written everything from children's books to memoirs to essays to interviews. Can you tell us about a project?
Leslie: Well, this is a loaded question! I have several projects up my sleeve—at least two children’s picture books, a general nonfiction book, and the historical fiction novel I mentioned above. That is the project I’m most excited about because my grandmother had such an interesting life, as she would tell me—filled with intrigue, hardship, and love of family. I’m hoping she’ll help me (again from beyond), as I begin chapter two!
WOW: We're at the tail end of Nonfiction November Month. Do you have any nonfiction titles to recommend?
Leslie:Goodness, there are SO many great ones! I have a whole library of General Nonfiction books, but Memoir is my favorite genre, and my TBR list is stacked tall! This year, those I had a hard time putting down included: Heavy (Kiese Laymon), Solito (Javier Zamora), The Distance Between Us (Reyna Grande), This Story Will Change: After the Happily Ever After (Elizabeth Crane), and You Could Make This Place Beautiful (Maggie Smith). That last one I’ve read a couple of times.
WOW: Your enthusiasm for writing just can't be contained. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Leslie:Thank you for this opportunity to interview for The Muffin!
I've recently begun writing a memoir. It's not official, because I'm not sure I have enough to say, but I've been working on it for a bit, and thinking about it more. At this point it's a very rough draft, and seems closer to a coming-of-age story than anything else. It also needs a lot of work.
The story begins in high school when my father was diagnosed with cancer. He died one month before I graduated. While my high school experience was different from that of my friends, I believe it's a story worth sharing. Part of it may serve as an apology for ignoring some important aspects of my life, and other parts may explain my less-than-stellar behavior and study habits.
I also consider it a healing journey. Outwardly, I handled the situation with grace. Inwardly, however, I was kind of a mess. When I began college I didn't do well, and it took a while for me to get back on track. Within that context, the word journey feels right.
I've figured out a lot of what I want to say, but came to a complete halt this past weekend when I heard one simple question: why? Why write a memoir? Why is this important, and why would people want to read it? After some soul-searching, I realized many people have a similar story to tell. I hear my own students talk about their own issues with family, and see comparisons. So why me? What do I have to say that others haven't already?
And then it hit me. Even though there are many stories like mine, maybe my story will help someone. That simple answer was enough to keep me going.
Mary Horner has begun a memoir that she hopes will help someone else dealing with a difficult situation.
It happens slowly over time—the fear of speaking up leads us to be silent more and more, and we drown our insecurities with the comfort of food far too often. The Romance Diet explores the root of these insecurities, what causes us to hold in our words and emotions, and explores the effects of these actions on our personal relationships.
Brave, raw, and unflinchingly honest, this book is a weight loss journey, a love story, a heart beating loudly on the page. Every day we battle against something—injustice, our spouses, our weight. Seldom do we acknowledge the real wars we wage. Repressing feelings and silencing our voices, we suffer under the surface, attributing emotional distress and unwanted pounds to the inescapable effects of hormones or age.
But weight gain, anxiety, and marital difficulties aren't always so easy to explain.
In her poignant and touching memoir, Allison doesn't offer recipes, exercise tips, or advice. Instead, she shows us how to stand up, express what we want, and develop empathy for ourselves and the people we love. In doing so, she provides invaluable insight for those seeking to lose weight, save a marriage, or make a significant life change.
The Romance Diet is available as an e-book and paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound. Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of The Romance Diet please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes Sunday, January 17th at 11:59 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
About the Author:
Destiny Allison was a professional and award-winning sculptor. Her work is collected by individuals, civic entities, and corporations worldwide. When an injury required her to re-envision her life, Allison did what she always does. She applied her explosive creativity and dog-with-a-bone tenacity to new endeavors.
In 2011 she was named Santa Fe Business Woman of the Year. Her community building efforts and innovative business model transformed a bankrupt shopping center into a thriving community and commercial center.
Since then, she has published two novels and opened a general store.
Allison believes that one’s life is one’s greatest work of art. Hence, she flows freely between mediums. Unafraid to make mistakes and always passionate, she lives in Santa Fe, NM.
WOW: Destiny, this is your third time touring with us. Welcome back! Can you share with us the story of how the events that take place in The Romance Diet first unfolded?
Destiny: I had been a steel sculptor, strong and successful. Then my back failed and forced me to give up my career and identity. Between the time of the injury and the start of the book, I gained a ton of weight. The book begins with a trip to the doctor to have the injury diagnosed. While there, I demanded a thyroid test because I didn’t believe the weight gain was my fault. I wanted a magic pill that would give me back my life. Turns out, no pill that would work for me. My injury was severe and permanent. It could be managed, but I couldn’t be a sculptor again. My thyroid was fine, but the blood tests revealed another problem. I had to get that problem under control and lose the weight or I risked my life, but I was too sad to deal with it. My husband suggested we do it together and that is the beginning of the book.
WOW: How long did it take you to write the book, from the first drafts to the revisions?
Destiny: I work fast and this story was begging to be told. It took three months to write and another two to revise.
WOW:In between writing your first book, Shaping Destiny, you penned two dystopian novels. Was it difficult to switch gears back to non-fiction for The Romance Diet? Destiny: Not really. Non-fiction is a natural form for me. The novels taught me a lot and the fiction techniques improved my non-fiction significantly. Now, my non-fiction reads more like a novel and I think readers will enjoy it more.
WOW: The Romance Diet is a very personal—yet powerful—memoir. What was your husband Steve's reaction when you told him you had decided to write about the events surrounding your weight loss journey? Was he apprehensive or supportive?
Destiny: My husband actually suggested that I write this story. He has been amazing and has supported it all the way through. What’s interesting is how much the book has helped our marriage. When we were able to sit back and digest our experiences through the pages of the book, things we’d discussed previously really hit home. For example, when I was getting ready to send out the advance review copies to various magazines and review sites, he came to me and said, “I’ve been thinking and I realized I love you more than my ego.” I asked him to clarify and he said, “All my life, I’ve been taught to be a man. A provider. A protector. To do all the stuff I do. Now, I’m realizing that if I’m going to really support you and this book, if you’re going to be truly equal in this relationship, I have to give up my identity. I have to create a new one that makes room for you.”
Wow. Never saw that coming. Since then, he’s really working on his side of things and it’s been incredible for both of us.
WOW:That's so great to hear! And kudos to him for really listening to what you had to say. What was the hardest chapter to write in the book?
Destiny: The hardest chapter, and this is a spoiler, was writing about getting arrested. All the shame, guilt, and fear came to the surface in that moment and putting it on the page in a way that conveyed the experience made me relive it. That was awful and I still get butterflies in my stomach thinking about people reading it. I’ve learned a lot, but there’s still some residual shame.
WOW:I'm going to steal this one from the discussion questions in the Readers Guide at the back of the book. Based on the events described in The Romance Diet, what did you learn about your relationship with food?
Destiny: I learned that I have to care about it. Not just the caloric or cholesterol content, but the shopping and preparation, the flavors and textures. Food is a wonderful metaphor for how we love ourselves and choose our lives. I was eating what was placed before me. Now, I’m actively engaged.
WOW:What advice would you give to writer conflicted about sharing a revealing story through the pages of a memoir?
Don’t let fear rule you.
Memoir writers do something few are able to do. They release us from our personal hell and remind us we’re not alone. We let people become voyeurs into our lives so they are empowered to change their own. If we’re not willing to share the hard stuff, we’re not doing our job. It’s okay to fictionalize a name and blur some of the details to disguise someone in our story, but we can’t let ourselves off the hook. Otherwise, there’s no point.
WOW: You have one sentence to describe what The Romance Diet is about. Go!
Destiny: The Romance Diet is a memoir that probes the depths of marriage, self-destructive behaviors, and toxic cultural norms.
WOW:In addition to being an author, you've also proven yourself quite adept in business. Has the discipline you've learned in writing also helped you in your retail ventures?
Destiny: I’ve always said art is business and business is art. The trick to both of them, if there is one, is to be honest, genuine, and generous. If you’re not relevant, if your story doesn’t resonate, you’re dead before you ever get off the ground.
WOW: You wrote on your blog that you've only recently started considering yourself an activist? Can you expound upon that thought for us?
I never wanted to rock the boat in typical activist fashion. What I’ve realized as a result of The Romance Diet is that awareness is often not enough. I’ve been aware of key social issues most of my life. That awareness didn’t stop me from perpetuating ingrained behaviors that are destructive to me and the people I love. Knowing that equality is my right didn’t teach me how to be equal. Expecting equality and not knowing how to be equal created a huge identity crisis for me. I think most of this country is in the throes of a similar identity crisis. Whether it is tied to gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation, the crisis takes root in legislation that changed expectations without teaching people how to behave differently or supporting them through that change.
How is an action. I wanted to be equal, but I didn’t act equal. I wanted my husband to be sensitive to my needs, but I wasn’t sensitive to him. I didn’t understand that he was equally imprisoned by a different set of societal expectations. Until I did, nothing between us could change.
Consequently, I’m no longer calling myself a feminist. I prefer to use the word empathist because when you really get down to it, no one is equal yet.
Laws are great, but you can’t legislate identity or behavior. It is in the microcosm of daily life that behaviors change and new identities are forged. My activism is along these lines. I don’t see myself lobbying or protesting. Instead, my goal is to educate and train individuals, couples, and communities to recognize the systemic cultural norms that are poisoning them and to develop empathy for themselves and others. Without empathy, and its resulting behavioral changes, we will never be whole.
WOW: I can't wait for everyone else to check out the book. It created a self-awareness in me that I didn't even know was there. Good luck with all your future endeavors!
----------Blog Tour Dates
Monday, January 11 (today!) @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview with Destiny and enter to win a copy of The Romance Diet. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
Wednesday, January 20 @ Create Write Now
Most women struggle with body image and have difficulty loving the person they see in the mirror. Hear Destiny Allison’s personal story. http://www.CreateWriteNow.com
Friday, January 22 @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Destiny Allison pens an enlightening post on cultural norms and how they affect women’s self-esteem. Plus, Kathy Pooler reviews The Romance Diet. http://krpooler.com
Wednesday, January 27 @ Sherrey Meyer, The Writer
Have you ever felt invisible? Destiny Allison shares her own personal experience with it and the role it played in The Romance Diet. http://sherreymeyer.com
Friday, January 29 @ Puddletown Reviews
Sherrey Meyer reviews The Romance Diet on her book blog. http://puddletownreviews.com
Thursday, Feb. 4 @ Lisa M. Buske
The long-term effects of trauma is a theme in The Romance Diet. Destiny Allison tells her story. http://www.lisambuske.com/blog
Friday, February 5 @ Books & Such
Check out this review of The Romance Diet. http://teripolen.com
*****Book Giveaway Contest*****
Enter to win a copy of The Romance Diet! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce a winner in the Rafflecopter widget on Monday, January 18th!
America’s public school system is broken and M. Shannon Hernandez knows why, firsthand. After fifteen years in the teaching profession, three gut-wrenching realizations forced her to recognize that she must leave the career she loved so dearly. She knew that if she continued to work for a failing system, she would also continue to lose a little piece of her heart and soul every day.
You are invited into Hernandez’s classroom for the final forty days of her teaching career to understand the urgent need for school reform, clearly demonstrated in each story. You’ll witness the intelligence, vulnerability, and humanity of her students, and the challenges teachers like Hernandez face as they navigate the dangerous waters between advocating for and meeting students’ needs, and disconnected education policy.
This book is not only a love letter to her students, her fellow teachers, and to the reformed public school system she envisions, but also a heartfelt message of hope, encouragement, and self-empowerment for those who feel they are stuck in soul-sucking careers. It is an essential read for each citizen who is seeking a life comprised of more purpose and happiness, as well as parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers who know our nation’s education system is in desperate need of an overhaul.
Enjoy the book trailer for Breaking the Silence below.
Paperback: 166 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Mill City Press, Inc. (August 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1626529620
ISBN-13: 978-1626529625
Breaking the Silence: My Final Forty Days as a Public School Teacher is available as an e-book and in print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.
Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Breaking the Silence, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Friday, March 13 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
About the Author:
M. Shannon Hernandez is the founder of The Writing Whisperer, and her mission is to help heart-centered entrepreneurs and heart-centered authors find their brand voices, share their unique stories, gain more visibility, establish themselves as experts, and create authentic marketing messages, all through the use of smart content strategy and engaging copywriting. The Writing Whisperer was named one of Top 100 Websites for Writers by The Write Life in both 2014 and 2015, and Shannon has been featured as a content strategy and copywriting expert on many prominent podcasts and websites. She is a leading voice in the world of authentic business writing and heart-centered education reform, and she writes regularly for The Huffington Post. Shannon’s memoir, Breaking the Silence, chronicles her exit out of public education, after 15 years, and provides readers an intimate view of her journey to business ownership, finding happiness, and reinvention.
WOW:You wrote Breaking the Silence: My Final Forty Days as a Public School Teacher based on journal entries you wrote during the final days of your fifteen-year career. How long have you been journaling and how did it help you put together the first draft of your memoir?
Shannon: I have been journaling since I was about seven-years-old. Back then, I scribbled my most prized thoughts in my purple and pink sparkly journal, and then padlocked it closed so my siblings wouldn’t read it!
I never intended to write a book based on the journal I kept for those final forty days. I really just set out to record all the funny, clever things my students said, as well as the frustrations I had with “the system.” I wanted the journal to remind me, if I ever thought about going back into the classroom, everything I loved about teaching, but also everything that had stolen my passion for it.
The defining moment—when I knew I would use my journal to write a book—came when I was brought up on charges of misconduct in those final days, because I had shared a group hug with a group of students the year prior. It angered me, it hurt me, it cut deep into my heart and soul—and the journal then became a guide for my book. I took notes of everything that happened from that moment forward, and then, when it was time to weave the story together, I followed the outline. Some of the memories I wrote didn’t make it into my memoir, but about 85% of them did.
WOW:Our readers are always interested in hearing about an author’s path to publication. Can you tell us a little about yours? What was the publishing process like?
Shannon: Grueling. There is so much information to sift through when deciding to publish. I spent hours in research mode, because I knew I didn’t want to submit my manuscript to a publishing house—so the POD (Publishing on Demand) model is the one I went with, in the end.
Many have asked me why I didn’t send my manuscript to a publishing house. There’s basically three main reasons:
1. I didn’t want to change one concept in my story. And oftentimes, many rewrites have to take place, and publishers get the say-so when it comes to the final manuscript.
2. I didn’t have time to waste. I knew what I wanted the title to be, and I knew that I couldn’t waste 2 or 3 years (or more) waiting to get published, with a time-sensitive story.
3. I loved the title I had crafted. And I didn’t want a publisher to change it.
WOW: You launched your company The Writing Whisperer while planning your exit strategy from teaching in the public school system. How did you first get the idea for it and the types of services you would offer?
Shannon:This is detailed with much passion and insight in my book. I knew that I was an excellent teacher. And I also knew that I had always been passionate about writing. Let’s face it, writing is hard—even for those of us who love it. It takes lots of skills of various types, it takes patience, and it takes persistence. And above all? It takes heart—a love of the craft that rise above frustration, and says, “Yes, I will continue on, and see the project to the end.”
All of these reasons shaped the first services I offered through The Writing Whisperer. I basically branded myself as a content coach. I taught people how to write better for their businesses, and I coached them along the way, when they were discouraged or lost in the process.
WOW:One of the services you offer through The Writing Whisperer is coaching other memoir writers. What do you think makes you stand out as a writing coach?
Shannon:Besides my passion for writing and my upbeat can-do-anything attitude, I’d have to say it’s the strategy piece for the memoir genre. A brand new client can come to me with an idea for her memoir, and within a 45-minute conversation, I have helped her to identify the overarching theme, the structure the book will follow, and we’ve started outlining the chapters. I’m blessed with a brain that can see the big picture, as well as work out the fine details so my authors start writing from day one.
WOW:You worked as an educator for fifteen years, and now continue to advocate for education reform without the fear of repercussion you faced in the public school system. You describe yourself as “a teacher for life.” Can you tell us a little more about that?
Shannon: This question made me tear up and cry. I am a teacher for life. I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, when I lined up my stuffed animals, Cabbage Patch dolls, and little sister, Kristi, and taught for hours. Teaching was always, and will always be, a part of who I am. I find happiness in teaching people all kinds of things.
This past week, my neighbor needed help with her bread machine. I answered the text, did some troubleshooting, and we got her on the path to fresh baked bread in no time. My husband recently needed help with writing a few speech proposals for a conference. After drafting, he called me over to revise and edit. The good news? He was chosen for two slots at the conference. And recently, a reader of my book emailed me, and said she too wanted to reinvent her life, and asked me how she should go about getting started. All of these are teachable moments. All of them feed my soul and continue to show me that I can teach and inspire daily.
WOW:What has been the overall response to Breaking the Silence? Have you heard from a lot of educators who’ve shared similar stories to the ones you describe in your book?
Shannon:I purposely put my email address at the back of my book. I want to be a resource to people and help however I can. I, of course, believed in my story—but it took so much vulnerability to write about those final forty days and the loss of my childhood dream. I wasn’t sure how the book would be received by fellow educators across the country. Would they think I had quit and had no right to talk about education after leaving? Would they be inspired by my story?
I took a gamble, wrote from the heart and soul, and the response has been humbling. I have heard from teachers and administrators and parents across the country who write to me to share one of three things:
1. To thank me for speaking the truth about what is happening behind closed school doors.
2. To tell me that my book has helped them to heal, in one or another, or has inspired them to fight more for student-centered reform, fight more for their own happiness, or to fight more for a personal or professional reinvention.
3. To tell me that they too, have been brought up on bogus charges by bullying administrators, and that my book is helping them to heal. They know they are not alone. They don’t have to live in shame anymore. The realize these incidents are not isolated and that they are not a “bad” teacher.
WOW:Your work in education is far from done. Could you tell us a little bit about the podcast that launched last week, and how you got the idea to talk about education reform through the lens of love?
Shannon: Wow! I am loving my podcast journey so far, and have recorded about 15 episodes to date. Here’s a brief synopsis of the show, Transforming Public Education: Creating REAL Reform Through Compassion, Love, and Gratitude: The Transforming Public Education Podcast is dedicated to helping teachers, administrators, and parents create a school environment where students of all ages can’t wait to get their days started! Through interviews, personal insights, and conversations, you’ll learn how to transform public education by creating REAL reform that begins with you.
I’m a professor at Brooklyn College, as well as a consultant in NYC public schools. I see a lot of problems—and quite sadly, these problems could be solved, rather easily, if people thought outside of the box, sat down and talked with one another to address the issues, and put students FIRST in the entire education reform battle. I believe love—and the voices of teachers and students—are the missing ingredients in education reform. My podcast is all about highlighting what is working in schools, what could be improved at the very local, school-based level, and how to go about doing that. Think savvy advice, from those who are doing it well, and practical tips to implement the next school day.
WOW:The Write Life website has named The Writing Whisperer one of The 100 Best Websites for Writers for the past two years. Can you give us some tips for writing and producing posts that attract the attention of so many visitors/readers?
Shannon:Ah, this has been so rewarding to make this list for the second year in a row! This award is actually based on readers recommending their top writing websites. I didn’t know this until I asked this year, but when I did ask the chief editor over at The Write Life, she told me that readers voted for my website because it was authentic, real talk, and had actionable, teachable, practical tips. (Ha, you see, I am a teacher for life!)
I think too that because I am so committed to producing weekly content—that of high quality and that which is helpful to my audience—my audience sees that I practice what I preach. What I mean by this is that I am always telling people to be REAL in their language, and then you get to a post like this one about how writing first drafts is like a trip to the gynecologist, and you can’t help but think, Damn, she really did just go there and write about this very real thing women experience at their annual exams. I also believe that consistency plays a huge part in my website’s success. When a blog is updated weekly, people want to see what is happening, and they come back to find out more.
WOW:Do you currently have any other books in the pipeline? What are the topics that interest you most as far as what you might like to write about in the future?
Shannon:Ha! I get this question all the time. Heres’ the truth: I have about a million more books I’d like to write. But, I am committed to marketing this one well, for at least three years, before I dive into another book. Writing a book is no joke—I put my life on hold for 2.5 months so I could finish my book. I have never been one for dragging out projects. And then, I realized, the editing was the REAL work—haha, and I had to then edit for another 4 months. And the fact of the matter is, while I do love writing, I also want to have a bigger impact on the world, and that means I need to get my book into more hands. And that means…marketing the book to the best of my ability.
As far as topics for the future, there are many. I am a rural girl transplanted right into the heart of Brooklyn, New York. My hometown has less people than the highs schools here (Fairbury, IL, population 4000). I moved here for a new experience and because my husband lives here, and boy-oh-boy, do I have some culturally-shocking stories to tell. I think I could write an entire book about being a transplant, and what I have learned about myself over the years—the good, the bad, and the beautiful.
I have always loved being transported to another place through travel writing. And, it looks like I’m headed to the perfect destination to really dip my fingers into the ink well and get started. In June, I’m traveling to Bali to do some work with a company there, to volunteer with baby elephants (Eeek!), and to experience rice paddies and Indonesian culture. I’ve toyed with putting personal pieces like this on The Writing Whisperer blog, and maybe, just maybe, this will seal the deal. I think my readers would like to get to know me a little better, through my experiences and travels.
Tuesday, March 10 @ Create Write Now
M. Shannon Hernandez talks about "Reinventing Your Life, One Journal Entry at a Time" in this inspirational guest post. http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog Wednesday, March 11 @ Writers on the Move
Change is possible. Shannon Hernandez shares the story of how she went from a school teacher to a business owner in four months flat. http://www.writersonthemove.com
Thursday, March 12 @ Renee's Pages
Find out why you should read Breaking the Silence in this review by Renee Roberson. http://www.reneespages.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 17 @ All Things Audry
Readers are reaching out. Shannon discusses some of the feedback she's received since the publication of Breaking the Silence. http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 19 @ Margo L. Dill, Children's and YA Author: Be Unique. Be Strong. Be Yourself.
Do you want the courage to live a truly audacious life? Shannon Hernandez shows how you can in this guest post. http://margodill.com
Friday, March 20 @ Choices
You can write a life-changing memoir. Shannon offers her tips in this guest post. http://madelinesharples.com
Monday, March 23 @ Women's Writing Circle
Shannon Hernandez describes how her life improved after 15 days of saying "no." http://www.susanweidener.com
Monday, March 30 @ Sioux's Page
Sioux Roslawski shares her review of Breaking the Silence: My Final Forty Days as a Public School Teacher. http://siouxspage.blogspot.com Tuesday, March 31 @ Kristine Meldrum Denholm
Shannon Hernandez gives five tips for writing about your passion. http://www.kristinemeldrumdenholm.com
We have a few more dates left in Shannon's tour, so if you'd like to join us contact Renee (renee[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com).
Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.
Get Involved! If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.
*****BOOK GIVEAWAY*****
Enter to win a copy of Breaking the Silence by M. Shannon Hernandez! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget THIS Friday, March 13th!
When Amber Lea Starfire discovers boxes containing a lifetime of her mother's journals and letters, she realizes she's been given a rare chance to unlock the enigma that had been her mother--but will her mother's writings reveal the woman she remembers, or someone else altogether? Not the Mother I Remember tells the story of a sensitive girl raised by an exceptional and unconventional woman during a time of social change, gradually exposing the true nature of their relationship and their extraordinary bonds.
Not the Mother I Remember is available in paperback and e-book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About the Author:
Amber Lea Starfire, whose passion is helping others tell their stories, is the author of Week by Week: A Year’s Worth of Journaling Prompts & Meditations (2011) and co-editor of the anthology, Times They Were A-Changing: Women Remember the '60s & '70s, released in 2013. A writing teacher and editor, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from University of San Francisco and is a member of the California Writers Club in Napa and Santa Rosa, the Story Circle Network, National Association of Memoir Writers, and International Association for Journal Writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors. www.writingthroughlife.com.
Book Review of Not the Mother I Remember
By Renee Roberson
I began reading Amber Lea Starfire’s book Not the Mother I Remember on a Saturday afternoon and was already halfway through it before I went to bed that evening. Simply put, I quickly became immersed in the story of Jacqueline “Jackie” Carr, a teacher, writer, and mother of six, and a woman determined to experience all life had to offer, despite how it affected her relationships with her children.
The memoir begins with a preface describing how Starfire and her brothers make the decision to place their mother, suffering from Alzheimer’s, into an assisted-living facility. During the course of cleaning out her mother’s apartment, Starfire opens a storage closet and discovers boxes and boxes of her mother’s writing and correspondence. While elated at what she has found, she is also scarred from years of battling with her complicated mother and knows she is not yet ready to face the story behind who Jackie Carr really was. Only after her mother’s death in 2007 does she begin the arduous process of sifting through the letters and journal entries. It is then that she also officially changes her name from Linda Peterson to Amber Lea Starfire.
I was fascinated by the story of how Carr sold all her belongings after divorcing her husband and took two of her children (including the author, who was 10 years old at the time) on a 365-day world tour that included Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Japan and many other places. But that fascination turned to disbelief as I discovered that Jackie also left her children with virtual strangers at different times throughout that year as she went off on separate adventures of her own. I questioned how a single mother during that time period could balance supporting herself and her children and be actively involved in as many things as she was. (The progressive Jackie also earned her pilot’s license at one point, purchased a small plane, and took Starfire and her brother on a whirlwind summer flying tour).
Starfire describes the anger she felt toward her mother as “the Tar.” She writes, “Sometimes, when she pushed me too hard, it cooled and solidified and shone like brightly polished obsidian, with painfully sharp edges. And during those times we tried to make up with each other, it became watery and brown, weak as tea.”
What makes this book unique is how Starfire layers her own narrative with excerpts from Jackie’s letters and diary entries, which takes the story to a whole different level. She also includes photos, copies of her mother’s typewritten work history, real estate transactions, publishing history, travel excursions and more. Readers can also get a glimpse of an obituary that Jackie wrote for herself in 1998.
The book is best summarized with the following observation from the writings of Jackie Carr:
“I played life as if it were a race with “winning” as the goal. I won: twenty-five years with one man, several mad love affairs, six children and sixteen grandchildren, two advanced degrees, eight books, travel around the world. I wanted to be financially secure. I won that race too. I loved winning just as I loved loving—for the feel of it.”
Not the Mother I Remember is no ordinary memoir, and because of this, I highly recommend it. Starfire’s writing is clear and strong and she tackles this difficult subject matter in a way that is both poignant and cathartic. I think this book will appeal to readers who also enjoyed The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.
As the popularity of creative nonfiction increases, the genre brings up an interesting debate: is every word supposed to be true? If events are recorded in a memoir, were they supposed to happen just that way? If a writer is investigating a true crime, is it okay for her to make up dialogue between the criminals if she gets really close to what was probably said? Recently, I read the book: You Can't Make This Stuff Up by Lee Gutkind, who is the editor and founder of Creative Nonfiction magazine. The book discusses what creative nonfiction is, provides popular examples done well, and instructs writers how to create a nonfiction piece.
Creative nonfiction is a nonfiction story that is told with fiction elements: dialogue, setting details, scenes, characterization (of real people), and so on.That's where the creative part is supposed to come in--not in the facts--but in HOW the facts are revealed.
Part one of Lee's book would be interesting to anyone who loves to read and discuss what they read. The author writes about some of the most infamous cases of writers who claimed to write a true, nonfiction account of their lives; when in all actuality, it was false—sometimes the entire story made up.
The account most people know about is James Frey and his book, A Million Little Pieces, since Oprah chose it as one of her book club selections. Because of her recommendation, two million copies of his book sold, and Frey became a household name. Then it was discovered that most of his story was completely untrue. He did more than make up some dialogue or create a composite character for simplicity sake--Frey lied.
This is one of the extreme examples that Gutkind discusses in his book during the ethics section; but there are actually more writers (more than I realized!) that fudge the truth just a bit. But still, they claim that they write creative nonfiction. For example, David Sedaris admits that because he writes humor based on his life, that sometimes he must exaggerate or make up dialogue to get a laugh. Some of the funny lines in Naked? Completely fabricated!
John Berendt made up dialogue and rearranged the story chronology in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil! Several people from Frank McCourt's home town claim that he didn't exactly tell the whole truth in Angela's Ashes, and they state they've found over 100 discrepancies.
A good example
On his blog and in his book, Gutkind writes that he can accept some "exaggerating an event or situation, or compressing time periods, or creating composite characters" and that it "may possibly help a nonfiction writer make his or her point more effectively—although I believe this is only rarely truly necessary."
It’s a crucial decision for writers to make if they are going to tackle the genre: are they going to tell the truth without embellishments?
Personally, I was disappointed when reading this section of Lee's book--so many writers don't stick to the 100 percent truth. But then I thought: maybe it's really difficult to do this--I don't write much in this genre, so maybe I don't know. I have written some essays, and I have included dialogue, and I think I have the dialogue right; but it's as I remember it--so who knows for sure?
How do you feel about this issue? How much of a creative nonfiction piece is it okay to "make up"? If you write memoir or creative nonfiction, do you create dialogue or make up characters, etc, to smooth transitions? As a reader, how do you trust the writer?
I started thinking that perhaps books should say on the cover: Based On a True Story--just like many movies do. . .
Several summers during my childhood, I took art lessons. My mom's wishful thinking since I never showed any natural talent. My dogs looked like frogs. My frogs looked like logs. And my logs looked like...well, OK, my logs did look like logs. But who could mess up a log? So I put away my pencils and paints in favor or pens, typewriters, and eventually computer keyboards. But this weekend I found myself back in art class when I attended the Write It Right writers' conference.
During a "Turning Memories Into Memoirs" workshop with Shirley Brosius she encouraged us to pick a neighborhood from our childhood and draw a map in ten minutes. My houses were squares with the family name printed on them, the streets wiggly lines(I couldn't draw a straight line if my life depended on it), the creek, the playground, the candy store. Shirley was right! As I drew the map memories were popping into my head that I scribbled around the edges of my map.
Although I'm not a memoir writer I do write personal essays. In the past a photograph, experience, even a smell or sound would inspire me to write a personal essay. But I've found another tool to encourage the writer within me. This weekend I've doodled maps of my college campus, the floor plan of the house I grew up in, my children's schools, even the mall where I worked my first job. I'm amazed by the list of ideas I now have for personal essays. The ideas don't even come from studying the maps. They seem to leap into my head as I'm actually doing the drawing.
I suggest you draw a few of your life maps today. And thank Shirley for the ideas that they encourage!
Jodi Webb is a WOW! Blog Tour organizer and writes the Words by Webb blog. She has written hundreds of magazines articles and is teaching a WOW Class "Finding Experts and Interviewing Them" this May.
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far. I can’t believe it’s half over already.
This weekend has proved to be one of great insight for me. Two of my brothers, Cam and Ian, came to visit me this weekend. It was a wonderful visit especially since we hadn’t seen one another in about seven years. I’ve always found it so comforting that no matter what chaos exploded around us, my siblings and I have remained close.
Homemade wine was poured, scrumptious barbeque was devoured and memories flowed. We laughed, we cried and we hugged as we each took turns pulling out our memory cards from the corners of our minds (as well as what’s happened since we last got together). As I listened and shared, I wondered: who would share our hilarious childhood antics and who would tell our stories of closeness and survival after we’ve passed on?
Now that I have children, it’s become important to me to leave my stories behind – both of my life and of their lives - as I saw it. Here are a few things you can try to preserve your own memories:
(a)Start a baby journal. This is a little book you write down all the goings on during your child’s baby years and beyond. I started one during pregnancy with each of my children. I record what pregnancy was like, what I craved, what happened in the world at the time I was pregnant, what they were like as babies, recorded their development achievements and anything exciting that happened in their lives. I plan to record things until they grow up so they can read about their lives from my eyes and in my voice.
(b) Create a scrapbook. This has become a popular way to keep memories alive. Scrapbooks are like photo albums with a boost. If you go to a craft store, you have so many options to make your scrapbook original and personal.
(c) Build a memory box. This can be a chest you put together from Ikea or an old chest you fix up. You can even decorate an old cardboard box. The idea is to create a personal box to keep photos, letters, journals or other memory treasures that tell a story of your life or the life of the person you made it for.
(d) Leave a legacy. Collect stories from all your family members and put them together in a book to unfold the story of your family. You can use this idea for your children, for a valued friendship or anyone else you adore and want to remember and be remembered.
This weekend also reminded me of my dear grandmother. Grandma loved to tell us stories of her youth. She was a young thriving artist living alone in New York with a bunch of schoolmates and, oh, the stories she told. Sadly, Grandma was slowly taken from us – a victim of Alzheimer’s - and her stories faded as her memory did. I wished one of us thought to record her stories at the time. Now, I make sure mine will always be here – long after I’m gone.
There are so many different ways to create memory treasures. How will you make sure your memories stay alive? Can you think of other ways?
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