You Started WHAT after 60? Highpointing across America - blog tour and giveaway

Itching for a challenge when she turned 60, Jane Bertrand set out to reach the highest point of each state. Her strategic mistake was to start with the easiest ones, leaving the most strenuous for the end of this decade-long quest. She recruited over 50 family members, colleagues, and childhood friends to join her in this quest. Ostensibly a book about hiking and climbing, it captures the deep sense of friendship, further strengthened by bear sightings, lack of signage, lost GPS connectivity, muddy trails, snowfields, icy run-off, and tent loss encountered along the way.

Paperback: 284 pages
Publisher: Walnut Park Press (November 16, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1732847703
ISBN-13: 978-1732847705

You Started WHAT after 60? Highpointing across America is now available to purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

Book Giveaway Contest!
To win a copy of the book You Started WHAT after 60? Highpointing across America by Jane T. Bertrand, please enter via Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on January 14th at 12 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day on the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:
Jane T. Bertrand is a professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where she splits her time between teaching in New Orleans and managing research on Tulane's family planning projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Maine native, she moved to New Orleans over 40 years ago where she and her husband Bill raised their children, Katy and Jacob. Her recurrent travel to Africa in connection with international family planning work generated many of the frequent flyer miles that made this highpointing pursuit possible.

Find Jane Online:

Twitter: @JaneBertrand8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaneBertrandAuthor/

Website: https://www.janebertrand.com/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1785116.Jane_T_Bertrand

Interview by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

WOW: Jane, I have enjoyed your book immensely! Let me begin by thanking your for choosing WOW to help promote and spread the word about You Started WHAT after 60? Highpointing across America! It's always a pleasure meeting an adventurous spirit and having the opportunity for some Q& A. Let's start with what prompted you to share this story and publish it?

Jane: A decade ago when I turned 60, I decided to climb a mountain in every state but didn’t consider the idea of writing it up as a book. Halfway into this 10-year project, as I was about to start a 3-day road trip with my daughter and a friend visiting from the Netherlands, I hit on the idea of a book. Numerous people had and would be joining me, and it would fun to capture these adventures in written form. I wanted to thank each person with a physical copy of the book. Only afterwards did I realize that it might have wider appeal.

WOW: As a reader, I'm very glad you decided to share your story; it's a delightful and empowering read! Who has been your biggest supporter(s) and how so?

Jane: I’d have to name one supporter for the project of hiking the highpoints and another for writing the book.

Photo © Jane Bertrand

My colleague Dr. Julie Hernandez, who climbed four highpoints with me, was a key resource for the project for two reasons. First, she is an experienced mountaineer who as a teenager had been an alpine guide on rescue crews in France and this past summer had trekked in the Himalayas. Second, she and I work very closely together at Tulane University on several family projects in the DR Congo, and as such, Julie knows my professional life better than almost anyone. As the mountains began to escalate in difficulty, I leaned on Julie to provide coaching/company on the highpoints and/or coverage back in the office while I was away seeking summits. The section of the book on Mt Hood captures this relationship, where Julie was back in the office heading up our proposal writing efforts, while I was off in Oregon, preparing for one of the most difficult climbs I’d undertake as part of this project. We’d fit in Skype calls to discuss the proposal, as I prepared for Deep Snow Climbing School. “Julie, let’s trade places. You come out here and do Deep Snow Climbing School, I’ll come back and drink hot coffee while working on the proposal.” Julie fired back: “No playing hooky on Deep Snow Climbing School and no sending another student to take the test.”

My sister Liz Trowbridge Wild, herself the author of a children’s book published in the 1980s, agreed to review the manuscript and gradually became my invaluable editor. Initially, she limited her comments more to errors: typos, run on sentences, unclear statements. But soon she focused more critically on the substance of the book: the pace of the narrative (“Jane, get yourself up and down that mountain more quickly”), the tone of the writing (Jane, this description left me cold; put some emotion into it”), and the attitude (“Jane, that sentence makes you sound so entitled”). It was a tremendous gift to me that she threw herself into the project, clearly wanting the book to be as good as I could make it and offering her critical opinions with such honesty.

"The sections written soon after completing a highpoint flowed more easily onto the page."

WOW: Sounds like you have a lot of support. I love your sisters advice in particular. Speaking of advice, what advice would you give other writers who may want to follow in your footsteps?

Jane: If I had this to do over again, I would have begun writing the excerpts (or at least keeping a journal) at the time of each climb. Because I’d already visited 16 states before it occurred to me to write the book, I struggled to recall the detail of excursions that took place up to five years earlier. The sections written soon after completing a highpoint flowed more easily onto the page.

Although I edited every section of the book – highpoint by highpoint – multiple times, I wish I’d left more time at the end of the process to consider the space I’d given to different parts of the book. However, time ran out with a very real deadline propelling me to publication. In the final year before publication, my editor sister Liz tossed out the idea: “you should have a big party and invite all the people who accompanied you on the highpoints.” Six months before my 70th birthday, I invited the 63 people whom I’d recruited to hike/highpoint with me to a book launch in New Orleans on my 70th birthday. I then began the race against time: to get the book published a month before the party, so I could send them their copy and they could read up on the other people they would then meet at the party. The book launch gave me a non-negotiable deadline, which did wonders for finalizing the book but didn’t leave as much time as I might have hoped for that reflective review of the final manuscript.

WOW: Great advice - thanks again! Our readers are always looking for new ideas. What do you do to celebrate your professional successes? 

Jane: Whereas this book was written as a hobby, my day job is Professor at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. For academics, success is measured as a journal article published or a grant proposal accepted for funding. The “celebration” of the article tends to take the form of few emails exchanged, expressing as much relief to have it behind us as satisfaction that it’s in print. For a grant proposal accepted, we might break open a bottle of champagne, with the common refrain, “yes, but now we actually have to do the work that we promised in the proposal.”

The celebration of this book was different. Of the 63 people who accompanied me to one or more highpoints or hikes, 37 joined me for the book launch party in New Orleans. One climber sent in her regrets from the DR Congo, because the World Health Organization had called her to work on the front lines of the Ebola crisis; I considered that an excused absence. After a cocktail party hosted by a good friend/neighbor and a catered dinner for some 50 people, many of my highpointing “recruits” gave a short talk on our adventures. I took a friendly beating for my determination to achieve this goal and the numerous barriers we encountered in the process.

WOW: It takes a village, right? Sounds like you have a fabulous one! Are you part of a writing a critique group, why or why not? 

Jane: Because I wrote this book as a hobby instead of my main line of work, I did not look for this opportunity. I did have the invaluable assistance of my sister who became my editor.

Six months before I needed to have a final version published, I had the good fortune of learning that a colleague from a decade ago was also self-publishing a book (actually several books), and he was facing many of the same questions as I was: who to use as a copy editor, how to get the cover and format of the book designed, what book distribution services to use, how to promote the book on social media – which was unknown territory for both of us. Many an email flew back-and-forth between New Orleans and Albuquerque, as we tried to sort through the many questions related to self-publishing. On what was a very steep learning curve, misery loved company.

My feedback on writing style came from my sister/Editor: Liz Trowbridge Wild, who reviewed what I considered to be the near final draft. She poured hours into this task and provided invaluable feedback. We jokingly wondered if afterwards, we’d still be friends. To the contrary, it was a true “bonding experience.”

"I would have encouraged my younger self to realize earlier in life how restorative hiking is to the soul."

WOW: I'm certainly glad I asked that one - thanks for sharing so much about your process and those who helped you along the way.

What would your current self say to your younger self when it comes to writing and life?

Jane: The idea to highpointing (try to reach the highest point in every state) didn’t occur to me until age 60. And I didn’t take on the truly challenging mountains until late into my 60s. My only regret about this project was my inability to attempt the four most difficult highpoints (in Alaska, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming) that were simply beyond my physical capacity by age 69. I have no illusion that I would ever would have climbed Denali in Alaska, but a younger Jane Bertrand – with some training – might have attempted Rainier, Granite Peak, and Gannett Peak.

As to life in general, I would encourage my younger self to stay in shape and find a balance between my work/academic job/work-related international travel and time on the trails. This is especially true for someone living in Louisiana, where there is no mountain higher than 535 feet. I’d chosen employment and residence in a state didn’t provide the kind of outdoors lifestyle common in Denver, Colorado, or Seattle, Washington. Through highpointing, I was able to make up for lost time, but I would have encouraged that younger self to realize earlier in life how restorative hiking is to the soul.

Photo © Jane Bertrand

WOW: Sounds like great advice - I am always struggling with balance myself!

If You Started WHAT after 60? were turned into a movie what theme song would be appropriate?

Jane: No question, Chariots of Fire. But the audience would walk out over such a clichéd selection.

"I struggled to weigh the advantages of finding a publisher versus self-publishing, at a time that the self-publishing industry was growing exponentially."

WOW:  Oddly enough, I memorized that particular song for my 4th grade piano recital and can still play much of it by memory to this very day! What do you know now that you wished you had known before writing and publishing the book?

Jane: Perhaps there is no way to learn about the publishing business until one becomes part of the process. For three years I’d paid my monthly fee to the website Publisher’s Marketplace, never once using it for any meaningful purpose. Somehow $25/month served to demonstrate that I was committed to eventually publishing a book. When I finally identified a service that I wanted from this resource, I received back an automated message that they didn’t offer it. I discontinued my subscription and got serious about how to get this manuscript published.

I struggled to weigh the advantages of finding a publisher versus self-publishing, at a time that the self-publishing industry was growing exponentially. Even with a few good contacts in the publishing world, I failed to make any inroads. To get a publisher, one needed first to get an agent, which itself seemed a herculean task. As my timeframe shortened, I realized that self-publishing would be the best and possibly only option for me.

I’d read online articles and a book on the topic of publishing, but I was still confused. What did Kindle Exclusive mean? How does one get a book listed on Amazon? What does Ingram do? Is it important to have an ISBN number? How did social media work in promoting a book? Because of my accelerated schedule for publication, I was making decisions based on expediency, not comparative shopping. For the most part, I got lucky.

WOW: I could have written that last paragraph myself - publishing is confusing!

What’s next for you?

Photo © Jane Bertrand

Jane: The title of the book leads people to ask: what is the book You Started WHAT after 70? going to contain? This experience has taught me that that I want to continue to spend time in the great outdoors and explore new corners/new trails to the extent possible. A handful of highpointers go on to climbing the highest mountain in every continent. Others start checking off the 3600+ county highpoints as a new goal to achieve. I’ve had my fun with trying to hit an established target (the 50 highpoints in the U.S.) The next phase will be more about taking advantage of opportunities that continue to keep me physically active and get me into the great outdoors.

I don’t see another book in the offing, but I have dubbed and quantified my determination to stay active as “Eight Outstanding Outdoors Adventures Annually.” I’ll start 2019 with an annual tradition of a three-day cross-country ski trip among the Maine Huts and Trails, with three other women, one of whom was my best friend in kindergarten (now 65 years ago). In March I’ll attend a professional meeting in Katmandu, Nepal, after which I hope to tack on a week of trekking in Nepal, which will be a first for me. In August, I’ll plan to climb Katahdin, the Northern Terminus on the Appalachian Trail, as part of my Maine vacation ritual. That leaves five more; any suggestions?

"Find the person that will level with you to make the final product as good as it can be."

WOW: You most definitely are a busy lady, so I won't keep you any longer, but lastly I need to ask: What advice would you give to others regarding feedback in writing? 

Jane: Seek it out! One advantage to a four-decade career as a professor in the world of “publish or perish,” is the thick skin one develops in receiving feedback on one’s writing. We often joke “if we don’t get critical feedback from your colleagues, it means they haven’t read it.” It’s easy to become enamored with the one’s own words and to think that one’s clever wording is going to be universally understood and appreciated. Find the person that will level with you to make the final product as good as it can be.

WOW: I'm looking forward to this book tour and hearing from other readers, how about you?  Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us today.

----------Blog Tour Dates

Monday, January 7th (Today) @ The Muffin
Jane T. Bertrand launches her tour of You Started WHAT After 60? Highpointing Across America with an author interview and giveaway.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, January 8th @ Fiona Ingram
Fellow author Fiona Ingram reviews the adventures story of Jane T. Bertrand's experiences highpointing across America in You Started WHAT After 60. Readers won't be disappointed in Ingram's review or Bertrand's memoir!
http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, January 9th @ Bring on Lemons w/Crystal Otto
Crystal Otto couldn't wait to get her hands on Jane T. Bertrand's story about highpointing across America! This busy farmer seldom leaves the farm and enjoyed every moment she experienced reading You Started WHAT After 60?. Find out more in her book review at Bring on Lemons today!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 10th @ Selling Books with Cathy Stucker
Learn more about Jane T. Bertrand as she is interviewed by Cathy Stucker at Selling Books. You won't want to miss this insightful interview about Bertrand and her memoir You Started What After 60? Highpointing Across America.
https://www.sellingbooks.com/

Friday, January 11th @ Breakeven Books
Don't miss a very honest book review about Jane T. Bertrand's You Started WHAT After 60? Highpointing Across America.
https://breakevenbooks.com/

Monday, January 14th @ Look to the Western Sky with Margo Dill
Author, Editor, and Reviewer Margo Dill shares her thoughts after reading the inspiring memoir You Started WHAT After 60? by Jane T. Bertrand.
http://margoldill.com/

Wednesday, January 16th @ Author Anthony Avina
Author Anthony Avina reads and reviews You Started WHAT After 60? - by Jane T. Bertrand. Readers won't want to miss this adventurous memoir about highpointing across America.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

Friday, January 18th @ BOL w/Michelle DelPonte
Michelle DelPonte offers her point of view after reading You Started WHAT After 60? by Jane T. Bertrand. Find out what this Wisconsin wife, mother, and autism advocate has to say about Bertrand's recount of her adventures!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, January 22nd @ Book Santa Fe w/Elizabeth Hansen
Description:Young reader and reviewer Elizabeth Hansen shares her thoughts after reading about Jane T. Bertrand's adventures in You Started WHAT After 60? Highpointing Across America.
http://www.booksantafe.info/booksantafeblog

Thursday, January 24th @ Choices with Madeline Sharples
Description:Fellow memoirist Madeline Sharples shares her review of You Started WHAT After 60? by Jane T. Bertrand. Readers at Choices will be thrilled by Bertrand's adventures in highpointing across America!
http://madelinesharples.com/

Wednesday, January 30th @ To Write or Not to Write with Sreevarsha
Sreevarsha reviews the inspirational book You Started WHAT After 60? by Jane T. Bertrand. Don't miss the opportunity to learn more about Bertrand's adventure highpointing across America later in life.
http://sreevarshasreejith.blogspot.co.at/

Tuesday, February 5th @ World of My Imagination with Nicole Pyles
Description:Nicole reviews and shares her thoughts after reading the thrilling account of Jane T. Bertrand's adventures in highpointing across America in You Started WHAT After 60?. Join readers at World of My Imagination and find out more about this great read and inspirational author!
https://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/

*****BOOK GIVEAWAY*****

To win a copy of the book You Started WHAT after 60? by Jane T. Bertrand, please enter via Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on January 14th at 12 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day on the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

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7 comments book blog tour, book tour, climbing, highpointing, hiking, jane bertrand, jane t bertrand, storytelling, travel, travel author, travel book, you started what after 60?

Lily Iona MacKenzie Launches her tour for Fling!

...and giveaway contest!

Lily Iona MacKenzie’s debut novel, Fling! is a wildly comic romp on mothers, daughters, art, and travel. While the main characters are middle-aged and older, their zest for life would draw readers of all ages, male or female, attracting the youthful adventurer in most people. The heart of the book is how they approach their aging selves and are open to new experiences.

About Fling!: When ninety-year-old Bubbles receives a letter from Mexico City asking her to pick up her mother’s ashes, lost there seventy years earlier and only now surfacing, she hatches a plan. A woman with a mission, Bubbles convinces her hippie daughter Feather to accompany her on the quest. Both women have recently shed husbands and have a secondary agenda: they’d like a little action. And they get it.

Alternating narratives weave together Feather and Bubbles’ odyssey. The two women travel south from Canada to Mexico where Bubbles’ long-dead mother, grandmother, and grandfather turn up, enlivening the narrative with their hilarious antics.

In Mexico, where reality and magic co-exist, Feather gets a new sense of her mother, and Bubbles’ quest for her mother’s ashes—and a new man—increases her zest for life. Unlike most women her age, fun-loving Bubbles takes risks, believing she’s immortal. She doesn’t hold back in any way, eating heartily and lusting after strangers, exulting in her youthful spirit.

Readers will believe they’ve found the fountain of youth themselves in this character. At ninety, Bubbles comes into her own, coming to age, proving it’s never too late to fulfill one’s dreams.

Paperback: 272 pages
Genre: Comedy and Family
Publisher: Pen-L Publishing (July 1, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1942428294
ISBN-13: 978-1942428299
Twitter hashtag: #FlingMac

Fling! is available as a paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local independent bookstore.

Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Fling! please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Friday, July 31st at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:
A Canadian by birth, a high school dropout, and a mother at 17, in her early years, Lily Iona MacKenzie supported herself as a stock girl in the Hudson’s Bay Company, as a long distance operator for the former Alberta Government Telephones, and as a secretary (Bechtel Corp sponsored her into the States). She also was a cocktail waitress at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, briefly broke into the male-dominated world of the docks as a longshoreman (and almost got her legs broken), founded and managed a homeless shelter in Marin County, and eventually earned two Master’s degrees (one in Creative writing and one in the Humanities). She has published reviews, interviews, short fiction, poetry, travel pieces, essays, and memoir in over 140 American and Canadian venues. Fling, one of her novels, was be published in July 2015 by Pen-L Publishing. Bone Songs, another novel, will be published in 2016. Her poetry collection All This was published in 2011. She also teaches writing at the University of San Francisco, is vice-president of USF's part-time faculty union, paints, and travels widely with her husband.

Visit her blog at: https://lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com

Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-Iona-MacKenzie/829244327113557

Follow her on Twitter @lilyionamac

----- Interview by Crystal J. Otto

WOW: Thank you for choosing WOW to help promote your book. We are looking forward to a great tour!

Lily, We are going to start with a really tough question: Who or what inspired you to write and how have you been instrumental in encouraging others?

Lily: I wish there was a simple answer to this question. No one inspired me to write. Something in me had to write. I was a high school drop out, and I didn’t have parents who understood there was such a thing as an artist’s or writer’s vocation. When I was in my mid-20s and working as a customer service representative for Olsten Services, I recall telling a co-worker that I wanted to be a writer. But I honestly didn’t know where those words came from. At that point in my life, all I had written were letters. English had been my strong subject in high school before I dropped out. But the only poem I recall having read at that point was Poe’s “The Raven,” and that had happened before I quit school.

But I did begin to keep a journal while going through a depression when I was 28, and that practice continues until today. I also went into therapy. That commitment helped me to discover myself as a writer and led me to major in creative writing as an undergraduate. Later, I also earned a Masters degree in creative writing and another in the humanities. The rest is history.

How have I been instrumental in encouraging others? I’ve taught expository and creative writing over the years, and that has exposed me to gifted students. It’s been a privilege to support their process.

WOW: Support is incredibly important for all of us. Have you found book clubs and writers groups to be a good place to find additional support and encouragement? What has your experience been?

Lily: I’ve been part of a small book club for many years. What I’ve loved about the group is discovering books that I otherwise wouldn’t have chosen on my own. It’s forced me out of my comfort zone into works that challenge and inspire. We’ve read works like The Constellation of Vital Phenomena, a masterfully constructed novel about Chechnya, and The Traveler of the Century, one of the best books of 2014.

I’ve also participated in an on-line writer’s group for a long time. I started it because I wanted to continue to receive the valuable feedback that fellow experienced writers can give one another. So I sent out a message to graduates of San Francisco State’s Masters’ in Creative Writing program and invited those who were interested to get in touch. The group members have changed over the years, but we continue to give each other important comments on our fiction. By the time each person has remarked on a submission, it adds up to one expert editor’s response. It’s been enormously helpful to have these readers’ views.

WOW: Sounds like it was time well spent. Speaking of time, how do you manage to get everything done, stay on task, and use your time to your fullest?

Lily: Before I had a book in pre-publication, I didn’t have too much trouble keeping to my one hour a day schedule. I usually can fit in that amount of time, and I’ve produced an amazing amount of material over the years as a result: three poetry collections, one of which is published; four+ novels, two of which are on their way to being published, and I’m sure the other ones will as well; a short story collection; travel articles; reviews; memoir; and much more. But at the moment, marketing responsibilities have made it difficult to be as faithful to this regime. I look forward to when I can resume it!

WOW: You certainly are focused and driven: such an inspiration for all the rest of us!

Who is your favorite author?

Lily: I really don’t have a favorite author. There are too many that I admire and regularly return to for inspiration. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one such writer. His One Hundred Years of Solitude found me at a time when I needed a model for the magical realism approach that seems natural to me and inhabits much of my work. I’ve read nearly all of his books and return to them frequently. He’s a kind of muse.

WOW: Support (as well as inspiration) is incredibly important in any career, but especially as a writer. Who has been most supportive of your writing through the years?

Lily: My husband has been exceptional in not protesting when I need time to write. His field is the 19th and 20th Century novel, so as a reader, he’s perceptive and extremely thoughtful. In my acknowledgement in Fling!, I refer to him as my first and best reader.

WOW: Sounds like you two are a great team! How do the two of you celebrate your successes?

Lily: Success is relative. I’ve published many things, and it’s always satisfying to have one’s efforts recognized in this way. However, I’ve been writing for so many years now, that when one of my books finally is published, my response is “It’s about time!” But my husband always wants to do something special to acknowledge a new publication and will bring home champagne for us to share.

WOW: On the flip side of success, what about rejection? Not that we ever want to be rejected, but let’s face it…it’s all part of writing and being published. Do you have some words of wisdom for others?

Lily: Finding a responsive reader for one’s work is challenging. I’ve sent out many stories/poems/essays over the years that didn’t get picked up immediately. But if you believe in the piece and it’s worth being published, then it will eventually find a home. Persistence and doggedness is essential to succeed as a writer.

WOW: That’s a great way to explain it; thanks for sharing! What’s next for you Lily?

Lily: Bone Songs, another novel, will be published in 2016, so I’ll be spending some time in the next few months revising that book. I’m also two-thirds of the way through a collection of short pieces entitled The Sinner’s Club. Each character is part of the same church setting and has an intriguing story to tell. The various sections offer a kaleidoscopic view of this particular religious community and its characters’ foibles. Since I’ve written a total of four novels, I’m eager to focus at the moment on short fiction and poetry. I’ll be interested to see what will tempt me to tackle another longer work.

WOW: Thank you so much for choosing WOW! and for today’s wonderful interview. We look forward to your future books and hope to see you again in 2016 and beyond!

----------Blog Tour Dates

Monday, July 27 (today) @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, July 28 @ Choices
"Poetry and Perception" is the topic today at Choices by Madeline Sharples. Read this insightful guest post by author Lily Iona MacKenzie and find out more about her latest novel Fling. One lucky reader will also win a copy of their own to enjoy!
http://madelinesharples.com/

Wednesday, July 29 @ Selling Books
Find out what Lily Iona MacKenzie has to say about writers groups as she stops by the blog of Cathy Stucker. MacKenzie's debut novel Fling! is quickly climbing the charts, you won't want to miss a moment of this exciting book blog tour!
http://www.sellingbooks.com/

Friday, July 31 @ Ava Louise
"Writing Memoir" is the topic at the blog of author Ava Louise. Thank you to fellow author Lily Iona MacKenzie for this fabulous guest post. Reader can stop by and learn more about this topic as well as MacKenzie's debut novel Fling!
http://avalouise.net

Monday, August 3 @ Bring On Lemons
Linda Juul reviews Fling! by Lily Iona MacKenzie. Don't miss this review as well as a giveaway to win your own copy of this debut novel.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 4 @ All Things Audry
Join fellow author Audry Fryer as she reviews Fling! by Lily Iona MacKenzie.
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 5 @ MC Simon
Lily Iona MacKenzie shares insight about "Writing Like an Architect" as she writes the guest post for Mc Simon Writes. Find out more about this topic as well as MacKenzie's debut novel Fling!
http://www.mcsimonwrites.com/

Thursday, August 6 @ Kathleen Pooler
Join Lily Iona MacKenzie as she writes about "Timing and the Creative Process" as the guest author at Kathleen Pooler's Memoir Writer's Journey today. Learn more about MacKenzie and her debut novel Fling!
http://krpooler.com/

Saturday, August 8 @ Hott Books
Today's guest author at Hott Books is Lily Iona MacKenzie with a guest post about revising your writing. Learn more about this topic as well as MacKenzie's debut novel Fling!
http://www.hottbooks.com/

Monday, August 10 @ Create Write Now
Don't miss today's guest post at Mari McCarthy's Create Write Now. The topic is: "Writing as a Spiritual Path and an Exercise in Trust" written by Lily Iona MacKenzie as part of her book blog tour for her debut novel Fling!
http://www.createwritenow.com/

Tuesday, August 11 @ Lisa Haselton
Lily Iona MacKenzie authors today's guest post at Lisa Hasleton's blog. Don't miss this topic of "Blogging" and find out more about MacKenzie's debut novel Fling!
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 13 @ Linda Appleman Shapiro
Fellow author Linda Appleman Shapiro will be reviewing Fling! by Lily Iona MacKenzie. Don't miss this insightful blog stop.
http://www.applemanshapiro.com/

Friday, August 14 @ Slay the Writer
Fellow author Trisha Slay reviews the debut novel Fling! by Lily Iona MacKenzie
http://trishaslay.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 Fling! by Lily Iona MacKenzie! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget THIS Friday, July 31st!

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5 comments author interview, blog tour, Fling!, Lily Iona MacKenzie, Mexico, travel, women's fiction

Take a Literary Tour and Find Stories

Spring arrived in my home state - Nebraska - about two weeks ago. (We experienced snow and ice on May 1. Yikes!) Spring means rebirth, a fresh start, and. . . vacation time!

Our state tourism commission conducts a summer travel program known as the Nebraska Passport. It runs for five months, featuring 80 stops and 10 themed tours.

Here's why I'm excited: one of this year's tours is titled "Turn the Page." Yup! A literary tour around the state showcasing eight of the top spots, including libraries, book stores, and author sites.

I'm doubly excited because I can already sense the wide range of stories I'll be able to market after completing this particular tour. I envision travel, historical, culinary, business, features, and sports stories to come to fruition, and I'm betting I will be able to sell to local, regional and national markets!

Travel and writing = win/win for me!

Need an example? I'll start with the first stop: The Sisters Grimm, an old barn-turned-bookstore-photo gallery-coffee shop. Located in the state's panhandle, this business is located in a village with a population of 125. I will write stories about:

• Regional History. It's a railroad town and the historic Lincoln Highway runs through it. Since it's the anniversary of the Highway, regional publications are printing stories featuring spots along the route. A horrific train accident occurred here in 1916. I've already sent a query to both a railway and history publication about the possibility of a story based on the incident.
• Business. How does a book store survive, let alone thrive, in a small town? I'm going to discover their secret for success.
• Food/Travel. I've heard from friends that the coffee shop serves some of the best pie they've ever been served. I located a publication that is interested in a desserts feature based along a particular stretch of road. Looks like I'll be ordering strawberry rhubarb, sour cream raisin, and fresh peach pie!
• Agriculture. A local farmer and his family milk sheep. (At our place, we milk cows. 250 of them.) This would make a great story about diversifying a farm.

Plus, I'm bound to find other story ideas while I'm there!

If I can generate this many stories from one stop, just think about the number of articles I could write and sell if I hit all 80 stops!

"Turn the Page" also visits five sites associated with Nebraska's "Big Six" authors : Willa Cather, Mari Sandoz, Wright Morris, John G. Neihardt, and Bess Streeter Aldrich. I can only imagine the possible stories that will spring from my visits.

One of the reasons I'm most excited about the tour is simple; I hope a whole new generation and group of readers discover the literary treasures we have in our own backyard.

Selling stories won't hurt either. :)

Does your state tourism commission offer a similar program? Have you visited and/or written about the literary treasures in your state?

by LuAnn Schindler

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3 comments author sites, generating new ideas, literary tours, LuAnn Schindler, travel, travel and tourism, travel writing

Catherine "Cat" Larose, author of Any Color But Beige, launches her blog tour

& book giveaway contest!

We've all heard the saying "The straw that broke the camel's back." What's your straw? The event that would cause you to straighten up and say, "That is IT! I am going to change my entire life!"

For Catherine "Cat" Larose that straw was a Paris sunset full of amazing colors...in stark contrast to her usual life that was, well...colorless. Her memoir, Any Color But Beige: Living Life in Color, chronicles her journey from her colorful childhood to the predictability and security of a beige suburban marriage to the major life changes that she initiates in her quest to live life in color. Any Color But Beige is a tale of metamorphosis, international travel, and romance as exciting and enthralling as any novel.

With the New Year and its accompanying resolutions is right around the corner, Any Color But Beige is the ideal inspiration for readers who want to shake up their lives to celebrate 2012.

You can enjoy the book trailer for Any Color But Beige (also shown below) and a video of Cat wandering the colorful streets of her hometown and celebrating her book's release with friends.



Hardcover: 232 pages
Publisher: Friesen Press (August 2011)
ISBN-10: 1770674896
ISBN-13: 978-1770674899
Twitter Hashtag: #NoBeige

Any Color But Beige: Living Life in Color is available at Amazon in print or as an e-book for Kindle.

BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST: If you would like to win a copy of Any Color But Beige, please leave a comment at the end of this post to be entered in a random drawing. The giveaway contests closes this Thursday, November 17 at 11:59 PM, PST. For an extra entry, link to this post on Twitter with the hashtag #NoBeige, then come back and leave us a link to your tweet. We will announce the winner in the comments section of this post on the following day, Friday, November 18.

BOOK CLUB CONTEST: Cat is also sponsoring a Color-tastic Book Club Contest so you can share Any Color But Beige with your favorite book club! Visit any participating blog before Friday, December 16 and leave a comment on the Any Color But Beige Blog Tour post with the words "Book Club Contest" in the message. If you win, your book club will win 10 copies of Any Color But Beige, a virtual visit from Cat at your next book club meeting, and several other surprises. Don't miss this fabulous giveaway!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Catherine is one part hot blooded Latin and one part wild eyed Celt. She's the oldest of seven children raised in a large Irish/Italian family--Catholic, of course. But family and friends think of her as the gypsy. She's spent her life studying, living, and working all over the place. Cat is forever destined to wander. Blessing or curse? Grandma V. had her pegged long before she ever left her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio when she gave her red-headed Italian granddaughter this advice, "All you need is a place to hang your hat."

When she isn't writing, Cat sells color for a living. What does that mean? When you go to a home improvement store and choose a paint color, those little color chips are made by the company Cat works for. They produce color chips for the automotive industry, cosmetic industry, and of course your local Home Depot. It was while she was on a business trip to Paris that Cat decided to add a little color to her life.

Stay in touch with Cat at:
Cafe Girl Chronicles Blog: http://cafegirlchronicles.wordpress.com

---------Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Hi Cat! Welcome to The Muffin. Please tell us how Any Color But Beige began.

CAT: I was in Italy and I'd had my heart broken by a friend turned lover. Because we shared a space for a while post-breakup, I spent as much time as possible in a cafe. I began to write to clear my head and heal my heart. I initially ended up with a bittersweet essay entitled "Ain't No Such Thing as a Hollywood Ending." It was a bit negative but it reflected my mood at the time.

WOW: Well, we're all allowed a little negativity after a relationship. But what made you realize that "Ain't No Such Thing as a Hollywood Ending" wasn't just an essay, it was the beginning of a book?

CAT: That came about organically. I didn't set out to write a book. I showed my essay around and it seemed to resonate with the people who read it, both men and women--after all, heartbreak is universal. One friend asked if this was the beginning of a book. She planted a seed that took root but grew gradually. I got into the habit of writing and before I knew it I had 200 pages.

WOW: The habit of writing! I think that's something we all strive toward. How long did it take you to complete those 200 pages?

CAT: The first draft took five months and doesn't resemble the book at all. I wrote every night from 7:00 to 11:00 pm, I took some vacation days to have long writing weekends and I wrote when I traveled. Jet lag is a wonderful thing if you can make it work for you. I'd be wide awake in a hotel room in London at 2:00 am and so I would use the time to write. My day job is pretty demanding so I use every spare second.

I eased off a bit with the second draft, which took a year. My friends saw me a bit more often. I write to instrumental movie soundtracks--my favorite composer is the great Ennio Morricone. Any Color But Beige (much more positive title, don't you think?) was born while listening to Cinema Paradiso and The Mission.

WOW: Did you ever worry about how friends and family might be less than thrilled about their portrayal, and how did you deal with those worries?

CAT: Yes, but there's nothing I can do about it. I was careful to change identities and distinguishing characteristics as much as possible. Since it's my story I asked myself--"So what's the alternative?" and the answer was an even worse scenario, i.e. not telling my story. That was not an option.

WOW: While reading Any Color But Beige I was struck by how much your memoir reads like a novel. Did you consciously write it with that voice in mind?

CAT: No. I actually write like I speak. So many of my friends who know these stories paid me the compliment of saying, "I could hear your voice when I was reading the book." I have a great ear for dialogue. I believe in telling a good story not just a resume of names, dates, and events.

WOW: Did you feel you were influenced by any other writers, memoirists or novelists?

CAT: Yes, and it's a list a mile long: poets, playwrights, novelists, historians. I'm constantly writing down quotes, dog earing pages or going crazy with the highlighter. So many books, so little time; that's the problem with writing: it cuts into my reading time.

WOW: Do you have any advice for us?

CAT: I can't say this enough, if you're serious: Get an editor, Get an editor, and Get an editor. There are lots of good people out there. I have an amazing editor I'd be happy to recommend.

WOW: What are you working on now?

CAT: A book similar to Any Color But Beige: Living Life in Color but using other people's colorful stories.

WOW: We can't wait. Because if there's anything to be learned from your memoir it's that we can never have too much color in our life!



(Shown above) Any Color But Beige (Book Launch) from Marrone Video on Vimeo.

---------Blog Tour Dates

Tuesday, November 15 @ Empty Nest
Is it time to recreate yourself? Cat Larose tells how she began life with a fresh slate and gives away a copy of her memoir Any Color But Beige: Living Life with Color.
http://emptynest1.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 16 @ Musings from the Slushpile
Cat Larose is giving away tips on speaking or "Dear God, Please Don't Make Me Sound Stupid" as well as a copy of her memoir.
http://blog.juliealindsey.com

Thursday, November 17 @ Misadventures with Andi
Andi, who had misadventures all over the world, reviews Any Color But Beige--a memoir full of traveling. Return tomorrow for more fun!
www.misadventureswithandi.com

Friday, November 18 @ Misadventures with Andi
Inspired by Cat Larose's globetrotting? Your next trip will be great if you follow Cat's recommendations for the five things everyone should have int heir suitcase. Also enter to win Any Color But Beige to read on your next trip!
www.misadventureswithandi.com

Tuesday, November 22 @ Selling Books
Learn everything you wanted to know about Cat Larose, author of Any Color But Beige.
http://SellingBooks.com/

Wednesday, November 23 @ A Writer's Life
Learn from Cat Larose, a world-wide traveler, how to explore new destinations with Five Things to See or Do in a New Place. Cat is also giving away a copy of her memoir Any Color But Beige: Living Life with Color.
http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 29 @ Mom-e-Centric
Meet color-guru Cat Larose in living color during her podcast plus enter to win her memoir Any Color But Beige.
http://www.momecentric.com

Friday, December 2 @ Words by Webb
Don't miss the "5Ws with Cat Larose" mini-interview today as well as a review of her memoir Any Color But Beige.
http://jodiwebb.com

Tuesday, December 6 @ CMash Loves to Read
Cat Larose, the Queen of Color, stops by with a quiz about how colorful your life is. Learn something about yourself and enter to win Cat's memoir about travel, romance, and yes--color!
http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com

Wednesday, December 7 @ Me and Reading
In the mood for a surprise? Stop by when Cat Larose guests posts at Me and Reading--a blog coming to us all the way from Estonia! Cat will also be giving away a copy of her memoir Any Color But Beige.
http://www.ingasilbergbooks.com

Thursday, December 8 @ Writer Inspired
Now we finally know why you haven't finished your novel! Your walls are the wrong color! Color-guru Cat Larose shares the ideal colors for your writing space and gives away a copy of her colorful memoir Any Color But Beige. Don't miss your chance to also enter her Color-tastic Contest for Book Clubs!
http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

Friday, December 9 @ Kritter's Ramblings
Learn more about yourself and color with a fun quiz from color guru Cat Larose. You can also enter to win a copy of Cat's memoir about embracing a colorful life: Any Color But Beige.
http://www.krittersramblings.com

Monday, December 12 @ From the TBR Pile
Are you brave enough to bare all? Your soul that is...to write memoir! Cat Larose writes about baring all and gives away a copy of her memoir Any Color But Beige.
www.fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com

Wednesday, December 14 @ Laurie Is Reading
Stop by to learn more about Cat Larose, the colorful author of Any Color But Beige. You can also win a copy of her memoir and be inspired to make your life more colorful!
http://lauriehere.blogspot.com

Friday, December 16 @ For the Love of Reading
LAST CHANCE to win a copy of Cat Larose's memoir Any Color But Beige, the perfect book to give you a new attitude for a new year. Cat will also be sharing her ideas on why travel can help improve your writing skills.
http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.com/

BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST: Enter to win a copy of Any Color But Beige by Catherine Larose. Here's how you enter:

1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post! Leave a comment or ask Cat a question to be entered in the random drawing.

2. For an extra entry, link to this post on Twitter with the hashtag #NoBeige, then come back and leave us a link to your tweet.

The giveaway contest closes this Thursday, November 17th, at 11:59 pm, PST. We will announce the winner in the comments section of this post the following day--Friday, November 18th, and if we have the winner's email address from the comments section, we will also notify the winner via email. Good luck!

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PS. Remember, if you mention "Book Club Contest" in the comments section of any of the blog stops on this tour your book club will be entered in Cat's Color-tastic Book Club Contest and have a chance to win 10 copies of Any Color But Beige and a virtual appearance from Cat!

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28 comments Any Color But Beige, author blog tour, book giveaway contest, Cat Larose, essays, memoir, travel