Amanda Lauer's Blog, page 8
February 9, 2015
Interview with Working Mother Amanda Lauer
I had the honor last week of being interviewed by Erin McCole Cupp, author of the biblical historical fiction ebook “Working Mother.” The book is available on Kindle through Amazon for only $.99! Here’s the synopsis: “With her husband disabled and out of work and her child in mortal danger, a mother must leave her family and find work so they can all survive. The husband’s name is Joseph. The child’s name is Jesus. The working mother is Mary.” You should check it out! But before you do that, take a minute and hear what I have to say about being a working mother…
New post on Will Write for Tomato Pie
Interview with Working Mother Amanda Lauer
Here at Tomato Pie, we’re celebrating the release of my biblical historical fiction ebook “Working Mother” by celebrating the working mothers among us. Today we’re interviewing working mother Amanda Lauer!
What’s your name?
Tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband John and I have been married almost 34 years, we have three daughters and one son ranging in age from 23 to 29, we have a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law, and a precious 2-year-old grandson.
Imagine you’re at a dinner party. Someone asks the question, “So, what do you do?” What’s your answer?
The short answer is that I have a career in journalism and a mission to spread the word about true health through living water. The longer answer is I am an author (my book A World Such as Heaven Intended came out October 29, 2014 and has been on the best-seller list for Amazon for its genre several times in the last two months), I write and shoot photos for the Green Bay Diocesan newspaper The Compass and The Business News, I proofread for Saint Norbert College, and I am an independent distributor for Enagic Corp/Kangen Water (KangenWisconsin.com).
How do you think God uses your job to help shape you into all He made you to be?
Every day I am challenged to learn and grow through both my career and my mission. I’m always trying to be a better version of myself and God has brought many extraordinary people and circumstances into my life that have helped me do just that.
What benefits (besides the economical) have you seen to your family that are a direct result of your work away from home?
I would not be the person I am today without all of these experiences that have caused to me grow in my knowledge, communication skills and faith.
How do you balance any guilty feelings you might have in the tension between your workplace and your homespace?
Because I work from home, there is really no separation between home life and work life which can definitely be a challenge. Between my career and my mission it’s almost like having two full-time jobs. Each is equally important because they are a means of evangelizing for me so that does help assuage the guilt a bit. My goal is, when I step into my office or go to outside appointments, to completely focus on the work that needs to be done at that moment. When I close my office doors for the day, my goal is to focus on my husband and our time together and connecting with our kids, who all live out of state. It’s not always easy because the office is so close by and there’s always something I can be doing there. It’s a work in progress.
What is one thing that you would ask the people in your life to do to support you more?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks on my plate, give me the time and the space to do what I need to do to get a handle on everything. If you can’t give me that, then give me chocolate.
Great suggestion! Thank you, Amanda!
January 23, 2015
Let’s Start A Movement!
These thoughts have been brewing in my mind for a while but some things I recently noticed on Facebook inspired me to write this post today.
Social media can be a blessing or a curse. It can create powerful change, it can bring light to topics which need to be exposed, it can educate and entertain the masses. On the other hand it can be a source of pain, degradation and destruction. People have various opinions on everything under the sun and in general it can be fine to state your opinion in a respectful way. But when people on Facebook or Twitter criticize a person who has a different opinion or stance than they do on a particular issue and they make it a personal attack on that person (their character, their appearance, their voice, their religious affiliation), then that’s just downright mean and uncalled for.
As a human race we have common goals we strive for — health, safety, security, love and happiness for ourselves and our families. If every one of us just followed the Ten Commandments, life would be pretty tranquil on this planet. But, if that’s too much to ask, can we just be as nice as we possibly can be to each other? I propose that we start a movement, not sure of the name yet, maybe something along the lines of the Kindness movement? Or the Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? movement?
How about we hold ourselves and our fellow human beings to a higher standard. If people are talking about other people, whether in person or on social media, and they are being less than kind, let’s point it out. If you see a mean post about a celebrity, how about we comment with Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? or #isittrueisitnecessaryisitkind. It may be a bit uncomfortable at first but can you imagine how this world would change if people started standing up for common human decency and kindness?
Below is a copy of my post on Facebook from this morning. These are the thoughts that wake me up from a deep sleep in the middle of the night! I can’t rest until I know I’ve captured that divine inspiration!
What do you think? Are you in? Let’s start a movement and see how many lives can be changed!
This poem, written in 1872, is timeless. In this day and age of social media its message is even more important. Just because a person is a public figure — whether it’s politics, the film industry or professional athletics, it doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable to ridicule them (their looks, their intelligence, their faith, whatever). This just seems like another form of bullying. The things you write on Facebook, would you really say that to someone in person? We’re all God’s children made in His image. “Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” should be something for all of us to consider before we talk about other people. Or in the words of Thumper, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”
“Is It True? Is It Necessary? Is It Kind?
Oh! Stay, dear child, one moment stay,
Before a word you speak,
That can do harm in any way
To the poor, or to the weak;
And never say of any one
What you’d not have said of you,
Ere you ask yourself the question,
“Is the accusation true?”
And if ’tis true, for I suppose
You would not tell a lie;
Before the failings you expose
Of friend or enemy:
Yet even then be careful, very;
Pause and your words well weigh,
And ask it it be necessary,
What you’re about to say.
And should it necessary be,
At least you deem it so,
Yet speak not unadvisedly
Of friend or even foe,
Till in your secret soul you seek
For some excuse to find;
And ere the thoughtless word you speak,
Ask yourself, “Is it kind?”
When you have ask’d these questions three—
True,—Necessary,—Kind,—
Ask’d them in all sincerity,
I think that you will find,
It is not hardship to obey
The command of our Blessed Lord,—
No ill of any man to say;
No, not a single word.
Mary Ann Pietzker – 1872
January 14, 2015
It’s getting exciting now
Wow, a lot has happened since A World Such as Heaven Intended was published in October. There have been book signings (that was somewhat surreal), virtual interviews, a story in The Post-Crescent newspaper, a blurb in The Compass newspaper, a free Kindle version giveaway (2,100 books distributed in 72 hours, wow!), the book has hit the #1 spot on Amazon Kindle several times in the last two months, and one day it was #1 on Amazon for Kindle and #3 on Amazon in paperbacks in its genre.
I’m so glad I have an amazing publisher, Full Quiver Publishing, headed up by Ellen Gable Hrkach, guiding me through this process. I thought writing the book was the hard part, that’s nothing compared to marketing it!
My next book signing is scheduled for Saturday, February 7 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Christian bookstore On This Rock, 216 W. South Park Avenue, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Stop in and say hi if you’re in the area!
Recently I read something that the most big-time goals you should set for the year is three, that’s about the most any person can focus on in one year’s time. My big three for 2015 are 1) achieving the next rank advancement in my company (KangenWisconsin.com) by welcoming a lot more people to our Kangen Water family, 2) getting contracts on the sequel to A World Such as Heaven Intended and the novel I’m working on now, a young adult story set in the 1970s on the topic of bullying, and 3) having a family vacation with all of our children, their significant others/spouses and our grandson.
It’s going to take a lot of dedication and organization/time management to complete all of these, but I’m committed to the cause!
Hope everyone reading this has a blessed 2015 and you achieve all your goals! Feel free to share here if you’d like, I’ll root you on!
November 14, 2014
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
7QT: INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR AMANDA LAUER
Welcome to Seven Quick Takes Friday, hosted by the lovely and talented Jennifer over at Conversion Diary Jess at This Ain’t the Lyceum.
Remember when I reviewed this book?
The author of A World Such as Heaven Intended has stopped by the tomato pie shop to have a little chat with us. Let’s welcome Amanda Lauer!
An avid reader and history buff since childhood, Amanda Lauer fulfilled a lifelong goal with the publication of her debut novel, A World Such as Heaven Intended. Lauer learned the technical aspects of writing as a proofreader in the insurance, newspaper and collegiate arenas. Over the last ten years she has had more than twelve-hundred articles published in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. Lauer is the co-author of Celebrate Appleton, A 150th Birthday Photo Album, and contributed to the books Expressions of ITP…Inside Stories, and Living Virtuously — Keeping Your Heart and Home. In addition to her writing career, Lauer is involved in the health and wellness industry, striving to spread the message of true health — physical, mental and financial. Residents of northeast Wisconsin, Lauer and her husband John have been married thirty-three years. They are involved in their church and community and in their spare time travel for business and pleasure, play golf, run, bike, read, and further their education in the area of personal development. They are the proud parents of four young adult children, have a son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and are grandparents to one grandson.
And now, without further ado, here’s all you ever wanted to know about Amanda Lauer and A World Such as Heaven Intended!
-1-
Tell us about your most recent work. How did the idea come to you? How long did it take you from start to publication?
My debut novel, A World Such as Heaven Intended, was released October, 2014. I’m a freelance writer by trade and one of my jobs is writing for local newspapers. I had written an article about a family’s Civil War memorabilia and the gentleman told me the story of his great-great-great uncle’s experiences in the Civil War and I thought it could be the basis for an excellent book someday. An acquaintance of mine was working on a book herself and she challenged me to write one chapter of a book each month and we’d get together and copyedit each other’s manuscripts over coffee. So it took two years to write the book, then two years to find a publisher. In that time frame, I only queried twelve publishers because our daughter was a Make-A-Wish Child, so most of my energy was spent caring for her. About a year ago I queried Full Quiver Publishing and was offered a contract earlier this year. In total it was about a six-year process.
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Idea, research, editing, design…What was your favorite part of working on this project? What was your least favorite?
My favorite part of working on this project was writing the dialogue between the main two characters, Amara and Nathan. I was literally laughing out loud as I wrote some of the lines and at times crying when the conversations got deeper. I also really enjoyed researching and learning more about the Civil War. I’m a history buff and it was fascinating delving further into this subject. My least favorite part was all the revisions. I realize now that every bit of feedback that I got made helped turned this book from a good story to a fantastic novel but it was a little disheartening at times. One particularly harsh criticism about the book literally had me walk away from the project for nine months; it was daunting considering what had to be reworked. But again, it made it the book it is today.
-3-
Tell us about how this work came to reach us: did you go the self-publishing route or did you contract with a publisher? What was that like?
From day one I was determined to go the traditional route and find a publisher who believed in this work as much as I did. While I could have done self-publishing since I am also a copy editor and proofreader, I never pursued that seriously. I had thought about getting an agent at one point, but did not want to put the time and energy into that endeavor either. By the grace of God, my book made its way into the hands of Ellen Gable Hrkach of Full Quiver Publishing. She is a fantastic publisher and editor, and her insight really brought this book to life. Plus her husband James did an outstanding job creating the book cover. If this book turns out to be a million seller someday, I will have that team to thank!
-4-
What other things in your life do you juggle in order to keep at your writing? How’s that working out for you?
In addition to working on novels, I write for the Green Bay Diocese newspaper The Compass, I write for The Business News, I proofread for Saint Norbert College, I do product testing for a local personal product manufacturing corporation, I write product reviews online, I do commercial acting and modeling, and I own my own business that promotes true health — financial, mental and physical (www.KangenWisconsin.com). There’s never a dull moment around here, but I wouldn’t trade my life with anyone, I thank God every day because I’m so blessed with all these opportunities.
-5-
Setting, characters, plot, mood, tone… What would you describe as your greatest strength as a writer?
My greatest strength as a writer is the technical aspects of writing. Years of proofreading other people’s works helped me to figure out the mechanics of writing so I feel that I see the big picture and attend very closely to details. I do love writing dialogue, especially lines that reflect my sense of humor!
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Conversely, if you could change one thing about your writing style, what would it be and why?
Having worked in the newspaper arena for many years, my writing is very concise. We are generally limited to 800 words per story. I would love to be able to enhance my work more with descriptive wording but that just isn’t my style at this point.
-7-
Lastly, where can we find your work, a. k. a. give you our hard earned cash?
My book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Thanks for your support!
Thank you, Amanda, for chatting with us! Now, readers, go pick up your copy of A World Such as Heaven Intended!
