Summer Kinard's Blog, page 27

The big launch this weekend

I hope all of you in the Triangle area of North Carolina can make it out to Fullsteam Brewery this Sunday from 3:30-7pm. We’re celebrating the launch of Can’t Buy Me Love. Our local bookstore, The Regulator, will be onsite to sell books from 3:30-5:30. You can find other information about the book, including excerpts and places to purchase online at my Light Messages page.

Can’t Buy Me Love launches June 9, 2013 at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC.

If you use an ereader, you might want to check out Can’t Buy Me Love on Kobo. Starting Friday, June 7, through June 9, Kobo is running a 30% off sale on Can’t Buy Me Love and other summer reads.

I hope to meet some of you this weekend!

Hamburgers and Tunes

I know. I thought of this video as well:

But I want to tell you about the best burgers in town. I first tasted a burger from Only Burger a few years ago, when their food truck came to a neighborhood event. Since then, we have haunted their brick and mortar location, eagerly carrying off our burgers and fries. (They make the best food for car dates with my husband when both children fall asleep en route.)

Because of the awesome at Only Burger, I wrote them into Can’t Buy Me Love. I didn’t have a chance to mention them by name, but it was an Only Burger food truck burger that Gabi ate the night Vanessa and Javier first met.

The Giveaway

We’re down to one week till the official release of Can’t Buy Me Love! While I can’t buy all of you burgers, I can give one of you a CD with music featured in the book. Just tell me your favorite burger in the comments, and you’ll be entered to win this Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis CD:

Enter to win this CD by commenting – what’s your favorite burger?

My favorite burger is an Only Burger turkey burger with cheddar and bacon, loaded (no mayo). If you know me in real life, I’ve probably either introduced you to these burgers or have tried to persuade you to join me there.

Contest ends Monday, June 3, at midnight.

Alright, get to answering, and don’t forget to check out Can’t Buy Me Love at these fine retailers:

The Regulator (our local independent bookstore) -They will sell books from 3:30-5:30 at the June 9 Launch party at Fullsteam!

iBooks

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Do Not Eat the Kipper Biscuit Planets and Other Secrets to Messy Parenting

A hallmark of Messy Parenting – literally.

What’s most extraordinary about the handwritten notice on our basement door is not that it is there at all, but that it took me a few days to notice it. We have a full basement, where the children play, we grown ups watch Doctor Who, Poirot, and Jane Austen films, and where I sing and my husband writes icons. I go down that stairwell several times on an average day. But I was in the middle of writing, you see, and the children and I had a book reading project in progress. By the time I noticed the sign, another household object was standing in for planets. My concern, therefore, was to find out why one must not eat the Kipper biscuit planets, not why someone wrote on the door.

Warning: If you are of the persuasion that walls and doorways are not meant to be scribbled upon, you will have to breathe into a paper bag to finish reading this post.

A friend asked that I write about my parenting style, which I’ll call Messy Parenting. So, I will do so a bit, but with a big caveat: There are lots and lots of ways to be a good parent. I have no interest in guilting anyone! That said, here are a few points in my parenting philosophy:

MESSY PARENTING GUIDELINES:

1. Grown ups have got to be themselves. Maybe because my whole family is deeply empathic, maybe because all kids can smell b.s. from a mile away, but the parents in our household have got to be real about what matters to us. We don’t parent in order to conform, and we don’t parent in order to force obedience. We also don’t emphasize the things we don’t care about. We absolutely make time for the things we love to do. Andrew must have iconography time. I must have time to sing and write.

2. Be messy. Marketers like to categorize people, things, and what they call “lifestyles,” because they want to sell us things. Pshah, I say. It’s okay to mix it up. Let children explore and be themselves, regardless of market forces. Recognize that girl/boy toys, clothing, parenting trends, cleaning products, and media are not morally authoritative. You can decide in your family what you really value, and make decisions based on those values. (We value reading, universal kindness and compassion, creativity, self expression, prayer, study, liturgy, and community building. We try to act accordingly.)

3. Be MESSY! If children are going to learn, they often learn best with their whole persons. That means dirt, science experiments, cooking experiments, water play, art supplies, building projects, tents, wall art, floor paint spatters, wet towels in strange rooms. (I try to keep up with the mess. Well, no, I don’t really. I try to manage it. But the point is, if that’s part of what you care about, go ahead and clean up right after. I value doing other things in my limited time, so I do.)

4. Maintain family rituals. We happen to be religiously pious, so we have family customs surrounding our devotion. But we also take tea together, allowing the children to practice hospitality and have their turns pouring. Turtle hunting is another ritual. The children explore the garden looking for turtles when I go out to weed. It’s always the same, though we rarely find a turtle.

4a. A good eater is a child who can make conversation at the dinner table. Such a one does not usually materialize till age 6 or later. Train your child in the way you would have him or her behave at the table, not just to eat what’s put before him in record time.

4b. Let your child’s sleep habits follow your family’s ideal patterns, not the disembodied advice of someone trying to make a name for his/her method. Our children go to sleep after we sing them Compline. That makes them “good sleepers” in our context. Find what works for yours.

5. Don’t brag. Love the snot out of your partner and children and yourself, but don’t dirty that love by acting like it’s earned instead of given. You can share the cool things that happen, sure. But the whole, my kid is so smart because I did this thing right or you did that thing wrong, is actually not true or loving or good. So maybe develop a new habit instead. Look for the good in your family and for the good in others, and rejoice whenever you see good!

6. Laugh. Laugh with them, not at them.

7. Turn off the TV. Yes, I watch some shows online. But you know what’s always going to be there? Shows. What’s not always going to be there? Them. The ones you love. So love them now, and if you survive them, I guarantee you that all of the Real Housewives episodes will be there for you in your grief. Not that you’ll care.

8. Turn down the pressure. Your first born is going to overachieve anyway. Stop taking so much credit. They will all learn to read eventually unless there’s something else going on with them, in which case, calming down is not going to hurt them. Read to your littles, but don’t make them learn to read before you’ll take them on a family vacation. Teach them about the world, but don’t punish and judge them based on their skills. Let them have one place in the world to learn and grow without the reward/punishment system our society mistakenly thinks makes for better characters. Our minds are always capable of expanding, not just when we’re little. Give them time to play and grow at their own pace, and take the long view.

9. Respect human dignity. Well, respect the dignity of all life, but especially fellow humans. We don’t make our children talk to strangers or show affection they are uncomfortable showing. We let them follow their personal comfort zones with others. But they are not allowed to shun or be rude to others. They must acknowledge that other people are there, to greet them and see them, because we believe that humans have worth. (In our family, we talk about how all humans are in the image of God.)

10. Emphasize repentance and forgiveness, not perfection and grudges. Be okay with change, but change together.

Alright, those are the broad lines of my parenting philosophy, Messy Parenting. I hope you enjoyed reading!

 

(And don’t forget! Even messily parented children have to go to college one day. Please consider purchasing my novel, Can’t Buy Me Love, available now in print and coming soon to an ereader near you!)

 

 

The New Domesticity and other big news

This week, I had the privilege of participating in Indy Week’s roundtable discussion on the new domesticity. Emily Matchar has written an informative book called Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity, and I get to go hear her read at a local independent bookstore this evening! (The Regulator, 7pm) I started reading Ms. Matchar’s book, and I did the recognition dance. My friends keep chickens! I crochet and cook from scratch! My characters sew clothing! I grow food and herbs in my garden! And so on.

The flourishing sage in our herb garden.

Not only am I one of the women who has left the traditional job market to rear children, homeschool, garden, and try to build community around simplicity, but some of the women in Can’t Buy Me Love also reflect this cultural shift. I’m going to write a brief series of essays on how I came to embrace the idea that women’s work can be a healthy part of women’s lib. But today, there’s even bigger news!

You can see why I like to drink coffee at Bean Traders.

Amazon has just released the print version of my book! {Can’t Buy Me Love Print Version} If you like to read paper books, go check it out!

One more thing: To celebrate this suprise early release, I’m giving away Kitty, Daisy & Lewis’ Dig CD! It makes up part of the soundtrack to my novel, Can’t Buy Me Love. Leave a comment saying whether you read e-books or printed books, and you’ll be entered to win!

Enter to win this CD by commenting – print or ebook?

Contest lasts till next Tuesday night.

Don’t forget to order Can’t Buy Me Love on Amazon, pre-order for Kindle | Nook, or wait till June 9 if you’re local, and pick up a copy at the launch party or a local bookstore!

 

Do something and keep doing it

There was a lot of hubbub last week as women stepped forward to point out all the bad feelings evoked by Mother’s Day. The most salient point that was raised was the assumption in our culture that parents are more virtuous than non-parents or non-traditional parents. Of course we all know that parenting does not automatically signify good character in the parent. And it’s very wrong to dismiss the goodness and love that people offer whether they are parents or not. But no one pointed out the reason the parental virtue myth persists. Parenting (in a functional family) is a form of self-discipline. Taking care of children is a repetitive, often exhausting process that requires a great deal of moderation – balance – for a parent to live a healthy, full life. Parents get credit for virtue because they get credit for disciplining themselves.

Hercule Poirot: virtuous man.

Thus, we circulate an idea of parents as virtuous. This shorthand hides a lot of ugly truths and beautiful lives. On one hand, not all parents are virtuous or self-disciplined. Child abuse is rampant. On the other, men and women with fabulously disciplined, productive, and creative lives are dismissed out of hand either because they are not parents or because they are parents and no one has bothered to see how they are making things work. What makes for a better person in this world is not family setting, but the rigor of good habits.

My husband is a virtuous man, too. Here he is teaching our daughter about watering plants.

A cousin recently wrote me to ask how to make meaning in her life. I answered that she needed to find one small thing worth doing, and to keep doing it. Tend a small garden, go pet shelter animals once a week, run a mile, cook a meal, or any measurable activity, and then keep doing it. After a few weeks, our minds stop feeling they have to protect us from ourselves and go ahead and let slip our hearts’ desires. Discipline makes us trustworthy to ourselves, and it makes us good human beings to others. (And it’s how we can do things like write, and sing, and dance.)

So, let’s change the conversation if we’re looking for what is praiseworthy. A good habit will go farther than a good bio in adding to the dignity of the human family.

Giveaway: To Beer or not to beer?

There’s only one month left to pre-order Can’t Buy Me Love! {Kindle | Nook | Print} The book releases on June 7! To celebrate, I’m giving away a custom Nook or Kindle cover from the OhKoey Etsy store, which has quantities of beautiful cases to choose from. To enter to win, all you have to do is comment on this post with a yes or no answer to the following question:

Do you like beer?

Make sure to fill in your email address when you answer so that I can contact you if you win! Winner will receive a Kindle or e-reader sleeve of her/his choice from the OhKoey store, shipped to her/his home address (U.S. entries only). Full disclosure: I don’t get kickbacks from the OhKoey store, and they are not affiliated with me. I chose the OhKoey store because the beautiful fabrics and designs they offer reminded me of the bright, gorgeous fabrics so loved by Vanessa, the protagonist of Can’t Buy Me Love!

Why do I want to know if you like beer? Two reasons: 1. Much of Can’t Buy Me Love is set in a brewery where Vanessa tends bar, and 2…

Can’t Buy Me Love launches June 9, 2013 at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC.

Good luck on winning! All entries must be in by midnight on Friday, May 10, 2013. Again, don’t forget to include your email address on the comment form!

Opera explained by a mouse

This is what we do on weekends when a toy mouse has that look in his eye.

Don’t forget to pre-order Can’t Buy Me Love by Summer Kinard: Nook | Kindle | Print

Opera and Country Music are Cousins

…Probably cousins who were long lost and maybe ought not to have drunk so much the other night before all was revealed.

But seriously, ever since I started studying opera singing seven years ago, I have been astonished at the ways that my passion for opera feeds on my upbringing with country music. That’s probably why the characters in Can’t Buy Me Love had so much affinity for ballads both bluegrass and Bellini. I called their [my] musical taste Banjopera.

The author of Can’t Buy Me Love, Summer Kinard, embodying banjopera style.

Oh, would you look at that? My recent foray into Wagner is showing up in photos! Before I get too carried away, here are some affinities shared by country music and opera:

1. Each has an entire sub-genre of drinking songs. Country folks, you know the ones from operas, because they tend to show up in the background of spaghetti sauce commercials. Opera peeps, you probably at least know “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” and “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” and maybe even, “I Like Beer.” Though we know you won’t admit it.

2. They don’t shy away from talking about domestic violence. And usually the perpetrator comes to a bad end (after the soprano dies).

3. They are your basic two choices of musical style if you want to sing about loving someone who cheats on you. “I’m Lookig for Something in Red,” meet “Dove Sono.”

4. Class warfare is writ large.

5. If you love someone, you had better be prepared to sing about it and give it all you’ve got. Whether that’s a high C or just a lot of belting over a big guitar build up, it had better be said big if you are saying it at all.

6. There is no sadness in opera or country music, only heart-rending or soul-crushing agonizing grief and despair and longing. Like love, sorrow is best said big. Opera people and country folks make eye contact through their tears, as they wait for their favorite performers to make them cry. A lot.

7. God is big. Here’s a little story. When I was a kid in Houston, the sky was huge. We used to sit on the hood of our car to watch lightning storms that were miles away. They were absolutely terrifying and also thrilling. God was dang big in Texas. And God is huge in opera and country, too. That’s why sopranos sing so loud and why so many Southerners play country songs at church funerals.

8. They are both part of me. I used to listen to country music in the car, then sneak off to my bedroom to watch PBS opera broadcasts on an 11 inch black and white analog TV (the kind with a dial that fell off)  in my bedroom. I’d shoo my siblings off or make them sit in my lap with a, “Shush. That tenor’s singing.” These musical traditions are part of the way I talk about love, and I hope they’ll speak to you as well when you read my books.

Can’t Buy Me Love by Summer Kinard  is available for pre-order at the following links for :  Nook | Kindle | Print

Authors in Bloom Blog Hop and Giveaways

Writing Like a Mother on the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop! April 10-19, 2013. Enter to win a Nook or Kindle, plus a $25 gift certificate AND prizes on each blog!

Local flavor permeates my forthcoming novel, Can’t Buy Me Love, and a lot of that flavor comes straight from the garden! To celebrate the return to gardening this spring and my book’s availability for pre-order on Kindle, I joined the Authors in Bloom blog hop. Participating in the hop enters you for a chance to win an e-reader of your choice (Kindle or Nook) and a $25 gift certificate for compatible ebooks! I am also giving away a beautiful Amy Butler tote for participants here at Writing Like a Mother.

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Tips, recipe, and giveaways for the Authors in Bloom blog hop: Amy Butler “Sara” tote, Jane Austen pocket notebooks, chocolate mint, Summer’s scones.

In My Garden

I live and set my books in Durham, North Carolina, which was just declared the South’s Tastiest Town by Southern Living Magazine. Durham has a rich, diverse, and creative local food movement, so I don’t have to go very far away in this place to find an amazing selection of local produce. But there are some things I grow in my own yard. Here are a few:

Culinary herbs. I grow four types of mint, thyme, parsley, oregano, basil, chives, and sage. If you want to start gardening but don’t know where to begin, I recommend starting with herbs. The easiest to grow if you have sunlight are basil and parsley. The easiest if you have dappled shade (in a hot climate) is mint. Mint spreads all over and flourishes in part sun, contrary to the “full sun” label. It doesn’t do as well in shade, but it can take a lot less sunlight than you might think. Lemon balm, which features in my book Can’t Buy Me Love , has similar tendencies. All of the mints are pretty easy to care for, tolerate some shade, and will reward you with fragrance and flavor.
Medicinal herbs. Even if you don’t use herbal medicine, it’s nice to know you could! We cultivate lamb’s ear, cat mint, geraniums, Irish moss, bee balm, dandelion, clover, and lavender, among others.
Edible plants for teas. Lavender, bee balm (a.k.a. wild bergamot), mint, and roses all make pleasing aromatic tisanes or are useful for scenting other foods. You can even set aside a jar of sugar with herbs in it for a few days to flavor special teas or coffees. And of course, all of these make lovely garnishes.
Tomatoes. As I said before, we have loads of local food sources here. I am in easy driving distance of three farmer’s markets, and the grocery store where I shop usually has local tomatoes as well. But there is nothing comparable to plucking your own warm tomatoes for cooking or slicing.

TIP:

Chocolate mint smells like mint and chocolate, and it works well in savory cooked dishes as well as adding an unusual note when used fresh in a variety of foods or teas.

If you can grow only one edible plant, make it chocolate mint. You can sprinkle it on salads, cook it into lamb dishes, use it in place of basil, add it to mojitos for a surprise note of flavor, add it to your tea or coffee brew, or just pluck a sprig to enjoy the scent and appearance. It spreads, so it will fill out a container, it can tolerate part sun, and it’s a perennial (in my zone!).  (We have about a 7 month growing season here in my temperate climate, so adjust as needed for where you live.)

But what good would all those herbs be, without a nice tea to go with them? That’s why I am sharing my personal scone recipe. I will warn you that this scone recipe has been developed for and by Southerners in the United States. It is neither as hard nor as dry as the scones we ate in the UK, and it resembles the texture of your favorite Southern biscuit. I modify this scone recipe often, making it savory, gluten-free, dairy-free, and even Vegan (though that variation changes it into an entirely different base!). [The Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free version of the recipe was so hard-earned that I'm keeping it to myself for now, to be shared in the bonus material of my next book, where it features.] I have noted the recommended substitutes if you would like to make the recipe without dairy or gluten, but the photo is of the recipe as written.

Summer’s Scones

Writing Like a Mother author Summer Kinard’s scone recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached white flour (or “white whole wheat”)

[I used 1.5 cups white flour, .5 cup almond meal. That's why the scones spread a bit more.]

2/3 cup of unrefined cane sugar

3 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1.5 teaspoons sea salt

1 stick of cold pastured butter (salted or unsalted)

1 duck egg, slightly beaten  (chicken eggs are fine, too)

1 cup heavy cream (may use half and half)

Splash of vanilla extract (add to cream)

Splash of almond extract (add to cream)

Half cup to 1 cup Soy-free chocolate chunks (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to mix well. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, butter knife, or fingers. I find that it works best to cut the butter in a few times with the pastry blender, then to squeeze the butter into the flour with one’s hands, until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs and there are no large lumps of unincorporated butter remaining. Add cream, extracts, and egg to the flour mixture. Stir a few times with a fork, then add chocolate chips (or other add-ins, such as currants, raisins, candied ginger, nuts, dates, or fresh berries), and stir a few more times till flour is just moist. You only want to turn the dough about a dozen times total. It’s a wet, shaggy dough, especially if you lower the gluten content. Drop the dough by heaping forkfuls (about a handful of dough) onto an ungreased baking stone or a metal baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving at least an inch all around each. [Note that if you substituted any of the wheat flour for gluten free, the scones will spread more.] Depending on scone size, you will have 10-14 drop scones. Bake for about 12 minutes, then check for readiness. The scones should be golden brown. My current oven runs a little cool, so I usually bake my scones for 16 minutes. But check at 12! My old oven only took 12-13 minutes. Remove when the edges of all of the scones are golden brown, and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm or cold. These scones make an excellent delivery mechanism for jams, butters, and creams. They are best when shared with friends.

Notes and Variations:

For Gluten-free scones, use almond meal and oat flours along with the appropriate amount of xanthan gum. I do not recommend using coconut flour.
For Dairy-free scones, substitute coconut oil for the butter. Do not use liquid oils or vegetable shortening if you can help it. You need a natural saturated fat. If coconut oil is not available, palm oil will do. Substitute almond milk or coconut milk for the cream.
These scones should not be attempted in low-fat or whole wheat form. The texture will be wrong and they will taste gross. If you make them that way, I shall not claim the results!

Now for what you’ve all been waiting for…

The Giveaways!

In my novel, Can’t Buy Me Love (coming June 7, 2013!), the main character LOVES to sew, and she adores Amy Butler fabrics. [Gee, it's like she read my mind! I love Amy Butler fabrics, too!] When the opportunity arose to join this blog hop, I knew that I wanted to share that love with you all. That’s why I’m giving away to one lucky participant, this brand new Amy Butler “Sara” tote!

100% cotton, features contrasting fabrics inside, Amy Butler tote retail value over $60.

This tote features a side laptop pocket, two deep side pockets, and a cellphone pocket within. I did not want to mar its brand new beauty by proving it, but educated guess, it would hold a small toddler! This bag is perfect for summer travel, crochet or knitting projects, carrying your writing or reading gear to the local cafe – especially if you win the free Nook or Kindle! – or for use as a handbag.

To Enter to Win the Tote:

You may either “Like” my author page on Facebook (see side bar for quick link) AND leave a comment on this post saying how you would use the tote bag and that you liked my page, OR
You may pin one of the Can’t Buy Me Love pins from {THIS BOARD} to your Pinterest boards AND leave a comment on this post saying how you would use this tote bag and that you repinned my pins.
YOU WILL BE ENTERED AN ADDITIONAL TIME FOR EACH PIN OR LIKE! That means that you have up to five chances to enter, simply by liking my author page on Facebook, repinning each of the four pins, and commenting here to say how you would use the tote bag and telling me that you liked/pinned all.
NOTE: If you use different names/handles on Facebook and Pinterest than on your comment, specify in your comment so I can make sure to give you the number of entries you deserve.
You MUST enter an email address on the comment form in order to win my prize and to be entered to win the Nook or Kindle and $25 gift certificate for the Authors in Bloom blog hop! We have to be able to contact you if you win.

Bonus!

Repin all four pins to enter for a chance at these notebooks themed after the dances in Jane Austen’s novel!

I’m a sucker for Jane Austen novels, and this Easter season always makes me think of Darcy and Elizabeth. {sigh} So, for all of you who repin all four pins on {This Pinterest Board}, I will enter you to win a set of four mini notebooks themed after the famous dances in Jane Austen’s novels! Just make sure you note in your comment that you pinned all four pins, and I’ll enter you!

All contests run from April 10-April 19, 2013. Winners will be notified by April 21, 2013. International entries are accepted as well. Please note that I am in the U.S.A., so post may take awhile if you win!

Thanks for participating! Don’t forget to visit the other authors on the Authors in Bloom blog hop! You must participate at all of the blog hop sites in order to win the Kindle/Nook!  Just Click Here for the links!

For complete rules, visit the Authors in Bloom home post.

Interview with Author Margaret Arvanitis

Happy Monday, readers! I have a treat for you today. Imagine talking with a children’s writer who not only raised five children of her own (not to mention grandchildren and great nieces and nephews), but also brings a long career in early childhood education to the table. What insights might we gain into the writing life from such a person? Well, you don’t have

Writer, Mother, Grandmother, Early Childhood Educator, and Author Margaret Arvanitis joins us today on Writing Like a Mother.

to imagine, because Margaret Arvanitis is here today to tell us about her writing life! Grab a cuppa and settle in. Don’t forget to read to the end, where I have some exciting news.

How many children do you have, and what are their ages?

I had five children within ten years. All of them have had the trauma of turning fifty.  I tell them that their life is just beginning.

If your children have moved away, how did you write when they were home?

As you can imagine raising five children with ages so close together left little time to write. I wrote mostly poetry when I could get at my typewriter  (no computer at that time). However when each one was little I told them fairy stories I made up as I put them to bed. I was a stay-at-home mom until my youngest one started to school, then I started my own preschool. I had time to write short stories that I shared with my preschool students. When I needed a story to meet my curriculum I developed puppet dialogues with “Back Yard” characters such as Merle Squirrel, and Bitty BlueJay, and Beebeau Bumblebee. I also wrote short stories. A few have been published in magazines.

What do your children think of your writing?

They are busy with their own lives raising their own children, but they are proud that I am writing and following through with the publishing of my books. Plus it keeps me out of their hair.

In which genre do you write? If you write for middle grade or young adult, do your children read your books?

I write for middle grade readers, books I call Fables. A fable is a tale embodying a moral using fantasy, legends, and mythical creatures, such as Mermaids, Elves, Pixies, Selkies, Leprechauns, Fairies, Imps, and other known characters. Each fable is an exciting adventure with a hint of romance. My Fables are for mid-grade reader, and for younger listeners. Written in short chapters they are perfect for teacher reading to students. I have published the first two, THE LEGEND OF ELPANDA PAWS, and FORBIDDEN WINGS: A MERMAID’S STORY, as e-books and print books. Number three, PIXIES OF THE FERNS will be on the market by early Spring.

And yes I think they have read them. They send the information out to their friends. I have eleven grandchildren, from ages 7 to 30, living in three states (not near me, I’m sorry to say.) My youngest granddaughter is reading the books and is loving them. She is so proud she can read Grandma’s books and she shares them with her classmates. The grown-up grands read the books to their young children, and the older greats read them and share them with their classes. So I have an admiration following not only from my family, but from nieces, nephews, and their children. One of my nieces, a proficient reader herself, is my beta reader.

How does your writing affect your family life?

Since I am not around my family (they all live in other states), I can allot all my time to writing.

I live with my twin sister, who illustrates my Fables and is an outstanding author herself. We each have our own writing space and meet in the evening for our evening meal and TV watching or whatever we find to do that isn’t writing. (Such as walking on the beaches, gardening, shopping, etc.)

What is your typical writing pace?

It has taken me a year since I e-published my first book. In that time I wrote my next book. I usually can put the story skeleton down in a month or so. Then there is a process of reading each chapter (three or four at a time) to my critique group. Since we meet monthly, this takes time. Next the story must be edited and sent to my beta reader. While she is reading it, the cover, illustrations, and all the rest that goes into a book must be finished before it can be published. My historical books have been written years ago, so it takes less time to get them into a publishing form.

Beginning, middle, or end? Which part of a book/story do you most like to write?

The beginning, where I can create the characters. They become my friends, and when I have to get them in trouble to push the story on, I sometimes feel bad for them.  The ending is the hardest, but they sort of drive me to the end … You know every writer has a muse, and I depend on mine to help me out of a block. I love to rewrite after the story is set in place, to add dialogue and action, like shaping a figurine after it has its shape. Maybe that is called, ‘tweaking.’

Where do you write?

In my room at my desk. I work on a desk Macintosh, in front of my picture window, and have printer and all the set up I need to do what I need to do. My window looks out at my flower bed, and a big tree, which either is motionless on our pretty Oregon days, or dances in our blustery, rainy days.  I can rest my eyes by looking at the hummingbirds feeding and the chipmunks and Oregon’s little squirrels sit in the bird feeder until the Steller Jays chase them away. I can also look out at our view of the Bay where fishing boats and sailboats (on warm days) dot the water.

Now I’m inspired! What a beautiful setting for writing. What inspires you?

Children and nature. All my fables come with thoughts of what children like to read: they like Mermaids, and Pandas, and Pixies, and even leprechaun ladies, which no one has ever seen. My next fable may just bring one to the light.

Do you write with background music? A soundtrack?

I seldom write with music or any other sounds. Unless I am editing my work. Then I will listen to my all time favorites songs I’ve downloaded to my Kindle Fire.

What is your beverage of choice when writing?

Just water. I always have a bottle of water within reach.

What’s next for you?

I am in the process of writing and publishing historical fiction, timed in the mid 1800’s. The protagonist is a boy, patterned after my sons at the age of twelve. This series is a coming of age story about a young boy growing up in the pioneer life in the Midwest. The first of a series of three, Hank of Twin Book One: Journey of Change, will be launched sometime in April.

Is there a story you think ought to be written, but not by you?

Interesting question.  I would like to see less violence in YA books; more history with true facts that would bring history alive to young readers. Books with a positive look at life giving them ideals for living a good life.

What are you reading?

I read a book a week. I like most genres. Thanks to Amazon and my Kindle Fire, I keep a backlog of books to read. Right now I am reading In Ruth’s Memory, from Kim Scott’s series, Regarding Ruth.

Who are some authors who inspire you?

Oh my, there are so many. Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series, Destinies by  Karleene Morrow, and The Mill River Recluse, by Darcie Chan.

You are the fourth person to mention Outlander to me in the past couple of months. I will have to read the series now! Which books have stayed with you long after you’ve read them?

Richard Bach’s Johnathan Livingston Seagull, and his other books, such as The Bridge Across Forever. Also Deepak Chopra’s, The Daughters of Joy.

Do you have a favorite color or palette that shows up in your writing?

Not really, I like to add humor in my characters.

What’s your background? How does it play into your writing?

I’ve taught both preschool and early grade students for many years, owning my own pre-kindergarten school in Nebraska while raising my own children. As a teacher I’ve read hundreds of books to my students, and if one book didn’t keep their attention, I never read it again to them. I know what children like to read and hopefully I carry that knowledge to my books.

Do you have other creative pursuits that feed into your writing?

If I had a dollar for every hour I’ve spent in PTA meetings and school boards, I would be rich. And I am still strongly interested in the education of today’s children.

Where can we find you on the web?

I hang out several places; You can find me on Facebook {here}. This is probably where best to find me.

To see my career in writing, check out my blog {here}.

To see my books, one can go to my Author’s pages at:  Amazon | Smashwords

Thank you, Margaret! I loved hearing about your writing life. I hope a lot of the readers are encouraged by your story. Best wishes!

Readers, if you are a writing parent (blogger or author) and would like to be featured in an interview, I would love to hear from you! Like my Facebook page and message me there, or email me at summerkinard {at} gmail {dot} com.

Now for some exciting news! This week begins the Authors in Bloom blog hop. Check back Wednesday morning for a chance to win a Kindle and other amazing prizes, and join me as I share my favorite scone recipe and garden tips! See you then!

Speaking of Kindle, don’t forget to pre-order Can’t Buy Me Love for Kindle!