Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win copies of my book for their book club. Here's the winner, Hillary Briffa, on why she loves her book club:
"I'm part of a 'transatlantic' book club of four sassy ladies who studied at University together (all girls who did War Studies oddly enough!) then had to go our separate ways (UK, USA & Japan!). We convene through the ever-so-handy internet and our love of books supersedes distance and time zones, helps keep us in contact and lets us explore and grow together with the characters we read about. My book club shows me that frustrations, tears, laughter and joy can be universally shared and for that I'm blessed and grateful."
I'm so excited for Hillary and her sassy friends to read and discuss my book. If you're bummed you didn't win this contest, better luck next time!
I've found it's gotten really hard to buy clothing manufactured in this country. We don't really make anything here anymore. See, there are laws that keep companies from exploiting American workers so those corporations get around it by firing American workers and exploiting workers in foreign countries instead.
And for some reason, we're still allowed to buy those products. We try not to think about it when we see a $2 shirt. What a bargain! We don't consider the human cost. It's a really cute shirt.
Last week, John Oliver tackled this issue in a way only he can. I hope you'll watch the video because he explains it so much better than me. This problem didn't go away. We just got tired of thinking about it.
The truth is that American-made clothing often costs more. That extra money you're paying is the real cost of getting that thing without mistreating other human beings. It's the price of being a good person.
It's hard, I know. My New Year's resolution was to buy only American made clothing. So far I've purchased five items, including a pair of True Religion Jeans on Amazon for $60. (They're usually $200, but I waited for them to go on sale. You can put US made items on your wish list and wait for the price to go down.) Amazon lets you search for things with "US Made" as the criteria.
Mostly, buying American clothing on a budget means purchasing things less often. When I see that adorable $2 shirt, I know I can't have it. My wardrobe is smaller, I do laundry more often. I wear things until they actually get holes in them.
And today, I designed this American made t-shirt, because tackling the bigger problem is going to take bigger solutions:
Meryl: “Streep goes on to describe how a cinematic landscape dominated by men and male stories has all but demanded girls learn to empathize with male characters. But boys have rarely been required to do the opposite, because they have always seen male experiences reflected back at them in literature and film. ”
Me: “When a subject is written by a man, it’s considered universal because men see stories about men as universal and men make these definitions. Because assigned reading is so heavily male, women have been taught to find universal themes in books written by men and about men. The opposite is not true. Men have not been required to find universal themes in books written by women, about women. They have rarely even been required to read such books.”
Book clubs are fantastic. They get people reading. Sometimes they give people a night away from kids and responsibilities. Maybe they're a way to socialize and connect with your community.
Why do you love your book club? Send me a tweet @katieorourke78 (or post a comment here) and whoever has the best answer (ie: my favorite) will win free copies of my new book, A Long Thaw, for every member of their book club. (I'm thinking between 5 to 10 members, but I'm flexible.)
Here's a bit about the book:
A Long Thaw is
contemporary women’s fiction, perfect book club fiction. Cousins Abby and Juliet were born into one big, close family. But when
Juliet’s parents divorce, it tears the family apart and sends the girls in very
different directions.It’s a story about
the power of secrets and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Praise
for A Long Thaw: “A big-hearted and deep-thinking novel about two
young women navigating the peaks and valleys of love while relying on their
friendship and family bond to keep them balanced along the way.” -Mary Vensel White,
The Qualities of Wood
Book clubs are a writer's best friend. Let me be a friend to your book club!
I "met" Kevin on Authonomy.com, a site where writers support or compete with each other. (Sometimes both.) Kevin has a big personality behind that tiny avatar. He pulls no punches and takes no bullshit. He has the kind of blunt, unapologetic style that makes him a great writer and, I figured, a great interview. So I made him agree to sit down with me (virtually, I assume we were sitting) and talk about the release of his new book, A Fistful of Salt, and his thoughts about the publishing industry.
Okay, so tell me about your book. What is it about? What kind of audience is it for? Why should people read it? Well they should read it because its an excellent story, why else? I specifically wanted to write a book with broad appeal across age and gender. I wanted the book to be the kind of thing you can read then pass to your husband and he can tell his mates down the pub and they can tell their wives and mothers etc. It's literally for anyone who just likes a good yarn about regular people getting themselves into a whole heap of trouble in a very short time. It's a love story between an introverted cabbie and his childhood crush, who happens to be off the rails. But as they rapidly get themselves into hot water with some very evil villains their humanity inevitably begins to prevail over their societal roles and they become first friends and then lovers. It's ultimately a story about human frailty and the fight played out in all out hearts between good an evil and how we sometimes fail but sometimes we succeed. It's a feel good story with a lot of bad stuff in it. Pretty much the same as life.
What do you think about genre? Is it a helpful guide or a straight-jacket?
I think of it like sex. Some people like it one way, others like it another way, and most people just like it with a lot of action and a healthy amount of humour. So If you bring a straight jacket to your lover's house then you're going to get tied up and the best of luck to you. Me? I like to think passion and vigour are the greatest components to writing and sex. So that's what I bring.
To read the entire interview, check it out at TodaysAuthor. If you'd like to read Kevin's interview of me, you can check out his site here.
I saw a talk once about the Myers-Brigg personality test and how the classic personalty type for a writer is the polar opposite of the promoter. And yet, with self-publishing, you have to be great at both.
Since the launch of A Long Thaw, I've been wearing my marketing cap. It's stiff and itchy and, well, I've never looked good in hats - but I'm working it! I've done a half dozen guest blogs and interviews and I have more coming in the next few weeks. For the complete list, check out the media page at my author site.
I sure hope I'm not wearing people out with my frequent updates. That's what's so weird about self-promotion: it feels braggy and arrogant, but it's essential if I'm going to get my work noticed.
So, here's a bit of promo for today, one of my Amazon reviews of the book you should all be clicking that link to buy for $2.99:
"Starts quickly and doesn't slow down. I kept turning pages to see what would transpire next. Realistic characters and family dynamics. Lovely read."
Mary Kubica's debut, The Good Girl, is better than any debut has a right to be.
This book had been on my list for awhile when I heard Kubica speak at the Tucson Festival of Books. She told the kind of "how my agent found me when I wasn't even looking" story that tends to make unagented writers feel stabby. She comes across as sweet and soft-spoken and uncomplicated.
I read her book anyway and I was so surprised to find such a gritty, complex story that is, in places quite dark. The characters are flawed and even damaged, yet she manages to express their humanity so that readers feel compassion for them within the first few pages.
The alternating first-person narrative is also something I wasn't expecting in a debut. The Good Girl tells the story of a kidnapping through the perspective of the girl's mother, the detective working the case, and the kidnapper. And it totally works. It also tells the story in two time periods: before and after the abduction. And it totally works. The plot is original and has unexpected twists. I haven't had this much fun reading since Gone Girl.
