Interview with Author Patricia Perry Donovan

Posted by Jocelyn on October 24th, 2017


To say that author Patricia Perry Donovan is inspiring is an understatement. When disaster strikes we often hear the familiar refrain, “look for the helpers.” Patricia Perry Donovan is a helper. She based her second novel, AT WAVE’S END on her own personal experiences during Hurricane Sandy. After seeing so many families torn apart and displaced by this devastating super storm that happened in her own backyard, she volunteered in any way she could. But this wasn’t the first time Donovan displayed selfless actions, over ten years ago she and her husband started a teen service group to offer volunteer services across the world. She writes “Hopeful Family Dramas,” and AT WAVE’S END is that and so much more!

Tell us the story behind the story. How did AT WAVE’S END come to be?

Three key ideas came together to inspire this book. The major catalyst for AT WAVE’S END was Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the East Coast in October 2012. When the storm hit, I was in the midst of writing my first novel, DELIVER HER. We lost power for about 12 days. In my coastal community alone, more than 500 families were left homeless in the storm’s wake. Fortunately, my home was far enough from the beach to escape damage. In the storm’s aftermath, and for many months afterward, volunteers helped wherever we could: shoveling sand from homes, community cleanup. My husband and I started a teen service group about ten years ago, so of course we found many opportunities to assist.

In the wake of such devastation and the bureaucratic red tape that hindered recovery, it was easy to feel helpless.  One thing that was always needed, however, was food, whether for the first responders at the beachfront or for the displaced families who came together to eat at a local church.  That’s partly why I placed two chefs at the heart of AT WAVE’S END—that, and my six-year expatriation in Lyon, France, the gastronomic capital of the world, which turned me into a foodie.

As we volunteered, it was impossible not to be touched by the emotions, courage and determination of the storm’s survivors as they coped with their losses and began to rebuild their lives (efforts that continue today). I wrote a few short stories at that time based on my own experiences or stories I heard, which later formed the framework of this book.

Secondly, several years ago, a friend mentioned she was considering entering a “Win a Bed and Breakfast” essay contest for a property in New England.  It was the first I’d heard of those contests, which I later learned are fairly common.  I tucked this away as a possible story idea; later, I created The Mermaid’s Purse bed and breakfast as a shelter for the storm survivors, and a place for Connie and Faith Sterling to repair their frayed mother-daughter relationship.

Lastly, there had always been a gold moon-and-stars locket in my mother’s jewelry box.  Its origins were vague, but I ended up with it and began wearing it a few years ago.  People always remarked upon it. I decided to make it part of Connie and Faith’s history.

A note on the book’s structure: AT WAVE’S END is divided into five sections, each named for a common stage of disaster recovery that I learned about during post-Sandy volunteer training: Pre-Disaster, Impact, Heroic, Honeymoon, and Disillusionment. Some experts believe there is a general pattern or cycle of phases that a community and the individuals in it go through from the time of impact of a disaster to establishing a newly reconstructed life. I found this an apt structure for the story I wanted to tell.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing AT WAVE’S END?

Even though the book is primarily Faith and Connie’s story, my greatest challenge was honoring the storm’s survivors and showing sensitivity to their plights. Above all, I wanted readers to feel their strength and courage and not to feel sorry for them. For this reason, I asked some friends who experienced great loss in the wake of Sandy to read my early drafts.

What is the message you want readers to take away from your book?

Ultimately, AT WAVE’S END is a novel of family drama and suspense. But it is also a story of love, loss and recovery. During the most devastating periods of our lives, we often are forced to reorder our priorities, and discover what is most precious. The things (or persons) we can’t live without. I want readers to feel hopeful after reading this book, and to understand that no matter how great one’s loss, whether it is trust or a relationship or material things, life is never so desperate that you cannot rebuild.

Describe your background.

I am currently a journalist covering the business of healthcare (a subject that creeps into my writing). I have a degree in journalism and urban communications, and have made my living as a writer my entire life. I began as a newspaper reporter for a small weekly paper in central New Jersey, then segued into corporate communications.  Following that, I spent about fifteen years as a technical writer and editor in the IT field before returning to journalism in 2004. In 2010, I began taking classes in fiction writing as a lark, and found that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the short stories I wrote at that time were published in literary journals.

Interestingly, I never set out to write a novel.  However, in 2012 I won a novel-pitching contest on the basis of twenty or so pages I had written. Since my prize afforded me a consultation with a literary agent, I needed to come up with a completed manuscript. I spent the next few months writing the story that ultimately turned into my debut novel, DELIVER HER.

Describe your writing schedule. Do you outline? Any habits?

Typically, I rise early and try to write for a few hours. I try not to edit myself too much in the early stages but go back and edit once I have a solid draft. As far as habits, I start the day by reading the last page or two that I wrote the previous day to get back into that mindset. As my writing career progresses, there are many distractions: social media, proofreading galleys, perfecting pitches for future novels. I devote about 30 minutes each morning to social media. But the ideal I strive for is to block out everything else and write 1,500 to 2,000 words each day.

And on the “pantser or planner” question, I aim to be somewhere in the middle. For my first book, I spent several weeks creating an extremely detailed outline. Once I started writing, however, I never even looked at it! I learned I am a “seat of the pants” writer at heart. However, being under contract, looming deadlines don’t permit me to stray too far off course. So now, I work from a very high-level outline, but allow the story and characters a certain amount of leeway, letting them guide me but periodically reining them in. I do pause periodically to read and take stock of the story, recalibrating if necessary, but with a firm eye on the calendar!

What books are on your nightstand? What are you currently reading?

Of course, topping my TBR pile are the July and August releases from my fellow Lake Union authors: THE COMFORT OF SECRETS by Christine Nolfi, THE TRUTH WE BURY by Barbara Sissel, MRS. SAINT AND THE DEFECTIVES by Julie Lawson Timmer, and A BEAUTIFUL POISON by Lydia Kang.

Also in queue is BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman. I recently devoured MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY and A MAN CALLED OVE. I’m a devotee of his character development.

Finally, I’m dipping in and out of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, the first in Elena Ferrante’s trilogy. Her books require a particular mindset.

Which authors inspire you?

See Fredrik Backman above. I’m also in awe of Anita Shreve and Elizabeth Strout. Early on, I envisioned AT WAVE’S END as a series of linked stories a la Elizabeth’s OLIVE KITTERIDGE. I still aspire to write that sort of novel one day. Also, I’m currently analyzing Lisa Scottoline’s books. She is a master of suspense, instantly drawing her readers into her stories. I’m trying to learn from her.

What have you learned from this experience?

Many, many things! First, that you are never too old to try your hand at something new, and discover a new passion. That it IS possible to write a novel, word by word, paragraph by paragraph. That I should try not to be discouraged by negative reviews or other writers’ success, and instead remind myself that I HAVE WRITTEN BOOKS. That I should be receptive to ideas from talented editors, but that ultimately, the story is mine to tell (and sell!). That there is nothing more exhilarating than occasionally ceding control to your characters and watching where they will take you. (It’s a bit like using a Ouija board.) That book reviews matter for authors, and I should try to write a review for every book I read, even though I find that process a bit intimidating.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Clichéd, but put yourself in the chair. Make writing a priority. Find time every day to write, even if it’s only a few paragraphs. Good writing takes practice. Find a writing partner or writing group to critique your work.  It’s tempting but ultimately very isolating to write in a vacuum.

Also, read as much as possible. Read outside of your genre if you can bear it. Read about the craft of writing. (Stephen King’s ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT is required reading for all writers!) And please, please, please: write reviews for those authors.  Even one sentence matters. You can ask them to do the same for you one day once you’re published.

What are you working on now?

Besides ramping up for AT WAVE’S END publication, I’m polishing synopses and early chapters for two forthcoming (fingers crossed!) novels of family drama and suspense. The first centers on a case of medical identity theft, and the second on a teenage volunteer who goes missing while on a school service trip to Central America.

 

Interview with Author Jaime Hansen

Posted by Jocelyn on October 23rd, 2017


According to Jaime Hansen, Expanding the Conversation started as a book, “but it’s really a much broader theme. It’s a call-to-action to get more people involved in the discussion around entrepreneurial ideas, leadership, women in business and bringing together different perspectives in business ideas. Hansen has built a website that is becoming a central portal for anyone interested in business and the dissemination of ideas to gather, learn and discover.”

In today’s rapidly changing business atmosphere, it is more important than ever that women stay one step ahead of the conversation. Working with Jaime and helping to spread the word about gender differences in the workplace was inspiring and energizing. She spoke to us about her book, her business and the future.

Tell us the story behind the story. How did EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION come to be?

Most of my career I’ve worked in male-dominated industries.  I’ve been very fortunate and never found this to be a problem; if anything, I felt it gave me an advantage in standing out.  That said, I’ve always been very aware of the gender imbalance in business.

In the last five years or so, I’ve watched this subject heat up in the media.  I think all talk on this topic – good, bad, and ugly – only helps bring more light to an issue that certainly needs to be fixed.  The problem for me is that the rhetoric has become very angry, and accusatory, and . . . one-sided.  Consequently, I feel like it has fallen on deaf ears.  People only seem to be talking (and listening) to like-minded people. There has also been a lot of talk about fairness and equality – which are great in principle, but sort of irrelevant in business.  For all these reasons, I think the last few years of heavy attention have actually brought about very little change to women in business.

So the idea behind the book, was as simple as the title. I really just wanted to expand the conversation – honestly and objectively – and get more people (women and men, current leaders and future ones) included in the dialogue.  A big part of the problem, from my perspective, is that we don’t incorporate different, sometimes unpopular, points of view to some of these age-old challenges.  My goal for this book was to start to do that in a thought-provoking, data-driven, and collaborative way.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION?

The most challenging aspect of writing Expanding the Conversation was probably around keeping my ‘voice’.  I don’t write like a conventional business genre writer nor, to be honest, do I speak like one in real life.  But while it’s acceptable to be different in this way once you’re an established author, for a first-time writer – an atypical voice is not necessarily a selling point. There were many times I thought about (and was often advised to) switch over to write with authority and die-hard conviction, in other words to use a more ‘professional’ voice.

But ultimately those parts always sounded fake to me, and felt sort of like the antithesis of my entire premise.  Expanding the Conversation is NOT an expert account or a how-to manual of any sort.  It’s intentionally about opening up the dialogue to include new – sometimes opposing – points of view in an effort to look at things differently.  So in the end, I’m glad I stayed with my genuine voice, as I personally think it’s one of the biggest differentiators for this type of book.

What is the message you want readers to take away from your book?

There are actually a few messages in the book, including: leading with intent, taking the time to reframe perceptions, and maintaining authenticity.  But I think the biggest take-away is that leaders need to actively start seeking opportunities to leverage different characteristics for a competitive advantage.

People have started to see ‘equality’ as ‘sameness’ and that is a huge mistake.  Men and women are equal, for sure, but not for a minute the same.  Gender differences should be embraced and exploited – meaning made full use of and applied strategically for complementary, competitive advantages in business.

Describe your background. 

After graduating from Northwestern with a degree in the mathematical methods of the social sciences, I started my career as an economic consultant with an incredible firm in Washington, D.C.  A few years later, while earning my MBA at Duke, I “discovered the Internet,” became enamored with the technology sector, and moved to California immediately after graduation.

I got a job at Yahoo and found I was really good at business development – building relationships with strategic partners and collaborating with cross-functional teams.  I worked in digital media for a while (first at Yahoo, then for a stint at Fox), before switching over to software technology and a company called Cornerstone onDemand, doing similar business development and strategic alliances, but this time on a global scale.  I’ve worked with so many great people, with different leadership styles and teams, and after a while I decided it was time to take a pause and write this book on expanding the conversation.

Describe your writing schedule. Do you outline?  Any habits?

Ha!  Although I’ve read countless books proclaiming that the most successful people tend to be early risers, my life – and my mind – just simply do not work that way.  I spend the early morning with my kids before school, then a couple hours reading news and social media feeds, with the rest of the day dedicated to research (books, articles, podcasts, and sometimes live interviews).  Then it’s back with my family for dinner and early bedtimes (I have young kids).  Almost all my creative work – brainstorming, outlining, and the actual writing etc. – occurs at night.  The two notable exceptions are that I find myself doing some of my most creative thinking while driving and in the shower.  The driving is less intentional, but I often find myself taking very long showers in the middle of the day when an idea starts to brew and I want to flush it out a little.

What books are on your nightstand? What are you currently reading?

I recently finished Humilitas (John Dickson) – which I enjoyed and have just started Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself (Dr. Joe Dispenza).  I am also reading Venture Deals (Feld and Mendelson) for the second time and I’m in the middle of Delusions of Gender (Cordelia Fine)

Who inspires you?

In a word, I’d say: Entrepreneurs.  And to clarify, I don’t only mean that in terms of a profession, but rather those that have an entrepreneurial state of mind.  Real entrepreneurs boast three characteristics that I find truly inspiring – guts, passion, and creativity.  By nature, this type of person thinks beyond the norm.  An entrepreneurial mind is always curious and willing to try new things.  The kicker is that they have to put themselves out there to do it – so they often risk pushback or critique by merely mentioning their non-mainstream idea.  That’s not an easy thing to do, at least not for me, and it’s an especially difficult trait out of which to make a habit.  So those people that do this on a consistent basis – those are the people that inspire me to keep trying to change things on my end.

What is one of the most important lessons you have learned in business?

 One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in business is that everyone has a story.  Or more appropriately, everyone has his or her own story.  In my experience, business (like life), basically thrives on people and relationships, and no two are alike.  Almost every time I assumed to know a person’s story or background, I missed a crucial element.  Once I learned to see people as unique individuals with their own histories, interests, and motivations, it was easier to collaborate and devise plans that inspired everyone involved.  From my perspective, it merely takes direction to execute, it takes understanding to inspire.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“Do more things that scare you.”   At first, I thought this was advice to just loosen up or become a better risk-taker.  But gradually I learned that the things that truly “scare” us, rarely present real danger.  More often than not, the reason we’re scared to do something is simply because the outcome is unknown. We don’t know if people will react well to it, if we’ll like it, if we’ll be good at it.  And thus, this fear stops us from even trying new things in the first place.  That’s crippling because it not only stunts personal growth, it also prevents us from being inspired by new experiences.

Once I was able to look at things through that lens, the opportunity cost of NOT doing the things that scared me became far greater than the so-called risk of doing them in the first place and it changed almost every facet of my life, both personally and professionally.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a few things now.  I’ve had the opportunity to do some great interviews and speaking engagements around Expanding the Conversation, which have been a fantastic way to engage further on additional ideas around these topics.  In addition to promoting the book that way, I’m also continuing to collaborate on videos, articles, and round-table discussions to continue that dialogue.

I’ve also been doing a bit of research and due diligence around a new venture fund, specifically directed at “underdogs”, or people who historically lack access to capital.  My hypothesis is that many of these overlooked, underestimated entrepreneurs would create great (and very successful) companies, if only given a chance to get started.  So part of what I’m working on now is a potential plan to put my money where my mouth is in order to give them the opportunity to prove me right!

Make Your Bed Every Morning

Posted by Jocelyn on October 4th, 2017


I was recently reading an article by Tim Ferriss, the creator of the wildly popular 4-Hour Series (4-Hour Workweek, 4-Hour Body, 4-Hour Chef) where he lists his 5 Morning Rituals to Help You Win Your Day. After asking 100+interviewees about morning routines, he came up with some similar themes. One of them struck me as a particularly poignant, no-nonsense, and simple ritual that could very easily be applied to the writing life.

MAKE YOUR BED EVERY MORNING

How does this help a writer succeed? Because it is a simple act that not only teaches you how to develop a habit, but it allows you to create a sense of calm, order and peace in your life. Writers have a tendency to live very much inside their head and this can sometimes feel like a chaotic and confusing place to dwell. By creating a calm environment, writers can feel more in control of their lives.

Ferriss goes on to quote Naval Admiral William McRaven’s commencement speech at the University Texas at Austin:

“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.”

The thought of churning out 70,000-100,000 words in order to reach that elusive goal of completing a book seems daunting and overwhelming. But as Anne Lamott famously explained in her enormously popular writing book, Bird by Bird, you need to break things down into manageable tasks.

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” – Anne Lamott

E.L. Doctorow had similar words of wisdom, “[Writing is] like driving a car at night: you never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Ferriss, and William McRaven, offer some good, solid advice for writers at every level. Writing is a habit that needs to be developed over time. Be consistent and write every single day. One word after another, after another, after another will help you reach that seemingly impossible word count and get you that much closer to achieving your dreams.

5 Tips for Preparing the Perfect Book Signing

Posted by Jocelyn on September 18th, 2017


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Imbedded in the dream of being an author is the vision of attending book signings. Whether you are hopeful for a line around the block or just a chance to have your family, friends, and mentors gather in one room to listen to your journey, it is both a rewarding and humbling experience. For some authors a signing turns into a great way to connect with readers, hear their questions and build a fan base, for others it can be a crush to the ego when the only people in attendance are the store owner and a few random shoppers. First off, don’t be discouraged. I once attended a book signing in downtown Boston for an extremely successful, New York Times Bestselling author and there were about 4 people in attendance, one of them being a man who simply wanted to sit down and take a nap. But the author did something wonderful, she spoke to us as if we were her friends, she was funny, told great stories and had all four of us (the man eventually woke up) laughing and eager to buy her books. By taking the time to connect with us, she built lifelong fans. That being said, book signings are not easy endeavors. They require tenacity and a thick skin. Here are a few tips for preparing your book signings:

1) Plan

Where do you want to sign? Is there a local, independent bookstore in your home town? Do you have a busy Barnes & Noble nearby? Are you planning on traveling to visit friends or for business and have extra time on your hands? Map out a plan for where you would like to set-up some signings. Keep in mind that all of these are not going to come to fruition. It can be very difficult and time-consuming to get a bookstore to approve a signing because it is not as simple as just arriving with a pen in hand. The store has to work within its own calendar of events, it has to promote the event and determine how many books will be needed. They are also going to want to know if the book is available through standard distribution channels and whether or not unsold books can be returned.

2) Pitch 

Reach out to the media that is based near your signing location. Find the local papers, magazines and radio stations that cater to that particular area and let them know (well in advance) that you will be making an appearance. You are not necessarily inviting them to come to your event (if they do, super!) but it is a way of letting them know that you will be in the neighborhood on a specific date and there is a local “newsworthy” angle that may be of interest to them. Reach out to the media outlets in the closest major city, as well. Most newspapers (small and large) have an events section. At the very least, you can get your signing or appearance mentioned in their calendar section. Talk to the special events coordinator at the bookstore where you will be signing. Most likely they reach out to the local media on behalf of the bookstore, but it’s always good to coordinate and get a feeling for what kind of outreach they will do.

3) Prepare

What are you going to do once you get to your signing? Will you be doing a reading? A question and answer? A small speech about the writing process or your journey to becoming a published author? You don’t have to have everything scripted but it is a good idea to have a general idea of what you would like to do and say once you get to your event. It is also smart to get there early. It will give you a good feel for the venue and prevent any chance of being late to your own signing. You don’t want to leave your fans waiting.

4) Polite

Send a thank you card. Call the bookseller after the event to thank them for hosting or even send a small gift basket. These are all nice ways to endear yourself to a local bookseller, someone who most certainly could have a hand in helping to build your audience.

5) Publicize 

Take pictures at your event and share them on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Write a blog post about your event. Show future venues and media outlets that you are comfortable with public events so that they will keep you in mind. It will also show your readers and fans that you are a real live person and not just a name on a book. You could also have a friend take some video of you speaking or reading and put that on your website.

Book tours are not for everyone but if it is something that you have dreamed of doing or something that your publisher suggests you do, then these are just a few ways to make sure you cover all of your bases and do it right. There is no way to guarantee that an author event goes smoothly and there is no such thing as a “perfect” book signing but being prepared is a good way to banish some of those jitters and get you and your book out into the world.