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For those of you who have birthed, fostered, or adopted a child, do you remember how quickly it was that everyone asked about the next one? Hardly had we washed or bought new diapers, counted the toes and fingers, and spent our first sleepless night, than family and friends were inquiring about the next one. I guess that's the same for books. Through the last three months of launching The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy, at every public event, I've had this question. I loved this so much, I can't wait for your next one. When will it be?
On the podcast WriteMinded, Kellye Garrett helped me sort through this question. Kellye wanted to be an author since the beginning but she was afraid to write. But there was always fear. And, despite all her accolades and publishing successes, she's still fearful of writing. This was helpful to hear.
Some of you know that I have a third book idea I've been percolating for some time and have written 100 pages of, or so, but at least fifteen years ago, so I doubt much of it counts. I have done some of the research and some of the plotting, but have yet to find the motivation to get started on it! So, I've given myself these six months of launch period to let it percolate some more; read books that might inspire me; talk to friends about the story; read some books of the time and place; and let my own little fears rest like duck down on a lake, neither sinking to the bottom nor floating upward to the sky. I hope this is a good period of respite away from writing deadlines to fill my tank for the third round.
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Up Next
October 4th - Conversation with memoirist Ronit Plank (Home is a Made Up Place and When She Comes Back) on her podcast Let's Talk Memoir. Will let you know when it's available
November 2nd - LIVE with Q and A: Conversation with Linda Joy Meyers for Featured Memoirist, National Association of Memoir Writers. 4-5 Pacific; 7-8 Eastern. Watch SM for details.
November 2nd - LIVE RADIO with Bobbi Jean and Jim Bell on LA Talk Radio Rendezvous with a Writer. 6-7 PM Pacific; 3-4 PM Eastern. Watch SM for details.
Take a Listen
For so many beloved and dear friends who couldn't participate in my launch events due to location, here are a few ways to join the conversation while listenning:
[Ruth add thumbnails and links for each]
--Daring to Tell
--WriteMinded
--The Morning Glory Project
--Tell Me About Your Father
--PatZi Gill
Launch Highlights!!
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So what does this all mean?
For now, it means three things:
Books matter — they bind conversation and meaning.
Live connections with readers help authors grow — we see our books in new ways through the eyes of them.
The world is full of generous, engaged, wonderful people who support our work and want to celebrate alongside us!
If there's a third book.....which I hope I'll muster.....I sure hope another live tour iwill be in order!
BOOK REVIEWS
Well, after many days of talking about MY book, I retreated to our cottage in Brooksville, Maine for a couple weeks of devouring beautiful books by others! I'll feature two here. And then it was back on the road to finish up launch events in Blue Hill, Brooksville, Brooklin, Dover-Foxcroft, and Searsport, Maine. Every town was a delight. Every question profound and relevant.
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Ann Patchett
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
I'm behind on Ann Patchett since I should be reading Tom Lake (next up) and I missed her in person in Portland becasue I was in Brooksville and missed her in person in Blue Hill becasue I was in Portland! Oh well. I'll look forward to that very soon. But for now I finally picked up this one again after not getting into it when I tried before. This time I loved it. Especially The Getaway Car and "The Love Between Two Women is Not Normal" and "The Bookstore Strikes Back." What a thrill to leran more about Patchett herself and all the things she loves. What a privilege to learn from her mastery of nonfiction, the "art of telling the truth as opposed to the art of making things up." And her essay on trying to join the Los Angeles police department is priceless. If you haven't quite gotten to it yet, please do!
David Levithan
The Lover's Dictionary
This was the book I needed right after my launch. Close in. Intimate. Beautifully written. All about replenishing one's soul while leraning about a wonderful author and following a love story. This one, non gendered, I assume explicitly, but also as proof that gender doesn't matter. What Levithan has done in a small, slim volume (which I always love just for their littleness) is give us a meditation on "how one talks about love." By way of words chosen like "aberrant" to "cajole" to "fluke" to "kerfuffle" to "solipsistic" to "zenith" he covers from A - Z the full arc of his love affair. Here's what we learn from "neophyte": "There are millions upon milions of people who have been through this before --- why is it that no one can give me good advice?" It's beautiful. Loved it.
Off to grandkids and a quick trip to hike in New Mexico with Ellen and then a full month on Cape Rosier to wrap up the season. To each of you friends and readers, I am truly grateful. THANK YOU and MUCH LOVE,
