Linda Hoye's Blog, page 201

He is risen!

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He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

Friday List of Writer Resources

It's finally Friday!

It's Friday already!

If you're like me you may have mixed feelings on this last day of the work week.

Time goes by quickly when one has a lot of things to do. I work full-time at a corporate job and I'm getting ready to publish a book in a couple of months. Busy? Oh yes, I'm busy! So, in a sense I can't believe another week has gone by. There are things I had hoped to accomplish this week and didn't, but there are also things I finished up that I hadn't intended to. All in all it's been a good week.

On the other hand, I started asking myself when I woke up on Tuesday morning if it was Friday yet. It's such a treat to have two days when I have more control over how I spend my time. Busy? Yes, still busy. But busy doing things I want to be doing.

So, as we get ready to end into the weekend I'm starting a new Friday tradition here at A Slice of Life Writing. I'm going to share links to some writerly resources I've come across during the week that I think you might enjoy. I've come across other sites that do this on a regular basis and appreciate the opportunity to be introduced to new ideas, resources, and general food-for-thought.

So here are some things that caught my attention this week.

Christine Grote, author of Dancing in Heaven, shares some insight on how to use the f-stop to take the kind of photographs you envision. Since we got our DSLR camera a couple of years ago I have not taken the time to learn all that I need to and I use it mostly on automatic mode. Learning about the camera is on my list of things to do in retirement but I appreciate the quick tips Christine shares. She regular posts about gardening, self-publishing, and features a regular series called The Stitches We Leave Behind that I love.

The Web Teacher site has a post on copyright symbols that is a must-read for anyone writing content for the web or using content found on the web. This is important stuff.

At Linda Clare's Writer's Tips you'll find something to consider when you're ready to have an author photo taken. No need to wait until you're book is finished either, why not have a professional-looking author photo on your blog or website or other social networking sites like Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter?

I discovered Joanna Penn's site The Creative Penn a couple of weeks ago and it's become a favorite. This week she's sharing a video post about publishing and book marketing.

Check out Women's Memoirs for writing prompts, memoir writing tips, a sneak peek at Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnet's book Writing Alchemy due out next month, and a special pre-publication price on the book if you purchase early.

Finally, I want to bring your attention to a new online magazine called Adoption Voices Magazine . I had the honor of talking with publisher and Executive Editor, Jane Ballback, this week (more about that soon). For now, I hope you'll pop over and read some of the excellent articles written by contributors from all facets of the adoption mosaic.

I hope to spend some time in the garden this weekend–they're forecasting a sunny day tomorrow (oh may it be so). I've got an electronic galley of Two Hearts to begin proofing, and I'm thinking it might be a perfect weekend to go for a pedicure (my own little self-indulgent ritual of spring and summer).

I wish you all a blessed Easter weekend.

Alligator Pie

There was a collection of children's poems written by Dennis Lee and published in Canada in 1974 called Alligator Pie.

It was enormously popular and was awarded the Book of the Year by the Canadian Library Association in 1975.

I remember reading it with my children. I'd like to share it with my grandchildren too, but it's currently out of print. So I was delighted to hear on the CBC radio program The Next Chapter this morning that it will soon be available again–that's good news for me and the grands!

One of the benefits of my self-publishing Two Hearts is that it will never be out of print. I have, and will always have, exclusive rights to it. Whether it's June 2012, next year, or ten years from now, if there is a reader interested in my book, it will be available.  In the traditional publishing model the publisher makes the determination, based on sales, when to take a book out of print. And once it's gone, it's gone.

I've talked with authors whose books have been traditionally published who wish they would have self-published instead. They look forward to getting the rights to their books back so can self-publish and introduce their books to a new group of readers.

In 2011 15 of the 150 books on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list were self-published.

Kristen Lamb, author of the bestselling  We Are Not Alone—The Writer's Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It's Me, Writer recently suggested that we all hug an self-published or an indie published author. Check out her blog post to find out why.

Those who choose to self-publish are on the forefront of a new direction in publishing. Self-published authors are taking the reins out of the hands of the Big Six publishers and giving them back to the reader and the writer, allowing us to determine which books are successful.

I like that paradigm, don't you?

I'll leave you with a taste of the poetry in that children's book, Alligator Pie. Watch for the re-release of this classic Canadian book in May 2012 and pick up a copy for your own kids or grandkids.

Alligator pie, alligator pie,

If I don't get some I think I'm gonna die.

Give away the green grass, give away the sky,

But don't give away my alligator pie.

Alligator stew, alligator stew,

If I don't get some I don't know what I'll do.

Give away my furry hat, give away my shoe,

But don't give away my alligator stew.

Alligator soup, alligator soup,

If I don't get some I think I'm gonna droop.

Give away my hockey stick, give away my hoop,

But don't give away my alligator soup.

Q4U: Are there any books you wish you could buy today that have gone out of print?

Home

The word is so sweet. Four letters that, when I hear them, settle inside of my being. At the same time, they both settle me and  fill me with longing.

Home.

I love this arrangement of the song Home performed by Michael Buble. It's one of a number of songs Gerry and I use for road-trip music. We listened it to it over and over again a few years ago when we were driving toward the place I called Manderley.

The Canadian Tenors perform a beautiful song called Home I'll Be that touches me equally.

"Saskatchewan's warm wind wraps around me. "You are home," she whispers. I've heard that one can't go home again but don't want to believe it. I want to be home; I need to be home. " (From Two Hearts: An Adoptee's Journey Through Grief to Gratitude.)

What does home mean to you? Is it a place? People? A feeling? Do you ever need to be there as I once did?

Publishing: My Choice

The publishing world is changing quicker faster than most people can keep up with, myself included. While I was writing my memoir I tried to keep up by reading about the changes that were happening and listening to the excellent teleseminars put on by the National Association of Memoir Writers. I didn't arrive at the end of my writing  journey completely in the dark.

There are many options to consider when thinking about publication. The stigma that once existed around self-publishing is largely disappearing, as more and more writers are opting to self-publish print on demand (POD) books with companies like Lulu or CreateSpace.

With the rise in the popularity of e-readers like the Kindle, Nook and the iPad some authors are publishing only in e-book format. Author Amanda Hocking began self-publishing young adult ebooks in 2010 and by early 2011 she was selling an average rate of 9,000 books every day. In 2011 she signed a contract with St. Martin's Press for four books at price of two million dollars!

There are a plethora of smaller independent and university publishers like Seal Press and Coteau Books, there are the big boys in New York like Simon & Schuster and Random House, and there is Amazon who recently announced they are entering the publishing arena and paid $800,000 for a memoir by actress and director Penny Marshall.

I read an article yesterday about author, Kathryn Stocket, and her own journey to publication. I love this story about Stocket's tenacity and perseverance as she faced rejection sixty times before finding an agent and ultimately a publisher for her book. I especially enjoyed reading about her reaction to her very first rejection letter.

"Six weeks later, I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, "Story did not sustain my interest." I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I'd gotten my first rejection!"

I received my first rejection for a story I submitted to Chatelaine magazine when I was a teenager. I worked hard on that story, my dad even had one of his secretaries type it up for me, but alas, it didn't wow the judges of the contest at Chatelaine. As a teenager I collected rejections for other pieces of prose and poetry. The number of rejections was poorly balanced next to the few acceptances I had, but that's the way of a writer, I thought at the time.

But in the twenty-first century it doesn't have to be that way.

Self-publishing has lost the stigma it once had and today there are many high quality books of all genres being self published. The advantage of being published by a traditional or indie publisher as compared to self-publishing just aren't there any more. Consider the following list of just a few excellent self-published books. (Check out the author sites and offer them some encouragement too!)

Karen Walker, author of Following the Whispers
Jan Fishler, author of her adoption memoir Searching for Jane, Finding Myself
Joanne Demaio, author of Whole Latte Life
Adoption expert Nancy Verrier's self published books The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child and Coming Home to Self: The Adopted Child Grows Up have been adoption-related classics.

In June I will join the ranks of self-published authors when Two Hearts: An Adoptee's Journey Through Grief to Gratitude, published by Benson Books, is released. I couldn't be happier.

The Benson Books imprint design is my own, I own the ISBN, I approved the cover design (after nixing two others), I approved and suggested changes to the interior font and design. In short, all the rights to Two Hearts are mine and I'm in the driver's seat.

Scary? You bet! Empowering? Absolutely.

Rainy Day Reflection

I came out of the office this afternoon and noticed the rain.

In and of itself that's nothing new. I live in the Pacific Northwest. I often notice the rain.

But today, as I walked to my car, the warm rain falling all around me, I realized I was thankful for the "liquid sunshine" falling all around me. That was something new.

The weekend was spectacular around here–the kind of warm and sunny weather we long for after a wet, dark, and dreary winter–and I spent much of it in my garden. (You can check out my gardening blog, A Grandma's Garden to see pictures.)

The seeds I planted on Saturday were on my mind today as I watched the rain fall and considered how it would benefit them. I couldn't help but reflect upon my farming ancestors and how their livelihood and experiences of life depended on what the weather brought.

In a good year, crops and gardens flourished and they profited. In a bad year, and there were many bad years, crops failed, there was little food to eat, and no grain to sell for income. Yet year-by-year, through good and bad, they raised their children, they fell in love, and experienced times of happiness.

I had a conversation with someone today about learning to "go with the flow" in times of uncertainty and how that's really the only way to weather the storms around us. I suspect my ancestors must have internalized "going with the flow"; they had no choice in many ways.

Sometimes I think part of the reason for our worry and stress is because we think we have too much influence on our circumstances and too many choices to make every day. What if we were dependent solely on the weather to determine if we prospered? We would, of course, realize we had no control or influence on the weather and would have no choice but to learn to take things as they come. We would pray and trust that God would work things out for the best. What if there was only one brand of laundry detergent to choose from, and we made it ourselves? We wouldn't waste even a second wondering if there was something better. We'd be satisfied and thankful for what we had.

I'm not naive enough to think that the lives of our farming ancestors was easy and that they just accepted their lot without struggle and strife. What I am suggesting is that we may have somethings to learn by considering their lives.

Contentment, gratitude, acceptance, and faith to name just a few.

Thank You

Since announcing the pending publication of my memoir, Two Hearts: An Adoptee's Journey Through Grief to Gratitude,  last week I've been overwhelmed by all of your good wishes and generosity. Thank you, friends and family, for all of your support. Every one of you who have left a comment here, on Facebook, via email, or in person, has blessed my heart.

Over the next few weeks I am inviting you to come alongside of me through the pre-publication journey as I share what I've been learning along the way. The publishing landscape has changed a lot in recent years and I suspect the changes are far from over. The path I'm thrilled to be on today may look completely different a few years from today, or it may not. Who knows?

One of the things I'm excited about is preparing to go out on the virtual road in June when Two Hearts is released. Back in "the day" authors went on tour when their book was launched but now, in the twenty-first century, we have other ways of connecting with people and I'm looking forward to have the opportunity to embark on a book blog tour in June. Through this virtual tour I will introduce you to other special people and we'll have an opportunity to meet new friends. I believe we'll all be blessed along the way.

Today I just want thank you, and invite you to stay with me as I share my journey and do what I can to increase adoption awareness.

Book Announcement!

Linda Hoye was given away at birth by her Mennonite mother and adopted when she was five months old. Her adoptive parents died when she was barely in her twenties, putting into a motion a pattern of loss that would continue for many years as those she called "family" departed from her life. Over the course of twenty years she reunites with members of her birth family–including three sisters and four brothers–but there is never a reunion with the woman who gave her life.

Two Hearts charts a course through a complex series of relationships stemming from the author's adoptive family, her maternal and paternal birth families, a troubled first marriage, and ultimately the family she is grateful to be part of today. It is a tale of what it was like to be raised during the era of closed adoption when the process was shrouded in shame, and reveals how the secrecy of closed adoption hurt those the process was intended to protect. Ultimately, this is the story of a journey to truth that will offer hope and inspiration to anyone whose life has been touched by adoption.

"Linda Hoye lifts her voice to tell an important story about being adopted during a time of great ignorance and darkness. Her voice is one we need to listen to. Read her book. Her story matters."

- Jennifer Lauck, New York Times Bestselling author of Blackbird, Still Waters, Show Me the Way & Found.

  Coming June 2012

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It's Still Not Too Late at Ninety-Eight

Do you ever kick yourself for opportunities you let slip through your fingers?

Are there times you reflect upon "what might have been" if you had taken another path or made different choices?

Have you given up on any of your dreams?

Well, let me introduce you to Captain James Arruda Henry. Captain James didn't learn to read until he was ninety years old and, after mastering both reading and writing, wrote a book when he was  ninety-eight. Impressive and inspiring, right?

English novelist, George Eliot once said that "it is never too late to be what you might have been" and I believe it.

What goals have you set for yourself for the next five years? What dreams do you hope to achieve? Five years from today you'll be five years older than you are today and you could have fulfilled those dreams, you could be on the way to fulfilling them, or you could be exactly where you are today–still dreaming.

Today, on the first day of spring and my dad's birthday (who would have been ninety-four today), I encourage you to keep dreaming and keep reaching for those dreams. Be they simple or grand they are your dreams. Take a step, take a class, make a list, spend some time in quiet reflection, lift those dreams up in prayer, but do something to move yourself farther along on your journey.

Call them dreams, visions, hopes, desires, or passions, we've all got them them. Commit to them, believe in them, and don't give up on them. Ever.

What dreams are you making plans to achieve?

 

My Heart Still Breaks

A few weeks ago I told you about a news story out of Australia depicting years of what amounted to stealing babies from young unwed mothers between the 1940s and 1970s. You may recall the account of one doctor who, as a young medical student, witnessed newborn babies being taken from their mothers. His account was chilling.

The day after the story broke a Senate inquiry recommended that the Australian government issue a formal apology for forcibly taking babies from many thousands of unwed mothers.

I should think so.

A few days ago I was stunned to read that similar stories are coming out of Canada where it seems there was a similar practice from the 1950s to the 1980s, and that Canadian provinces from Quebec westward will soon be hit with class-action law suits. This news story will break your heart as you read of the inhumane treatment these young women endured as their babies were stolen from them.

I can't help but think, once again, of the trauma inflicted on the newborn infants as well as the victimized young mothers. These children lost their mothers, their fathers, their heritage, and very likely grew up feeling disconnected and lost. The mothers, I'm certain, never completely recovered from the horror.

I've often quoted Maya Angelou here: "When you know better you do better."

I pray we all know better now.