One of the best perks of being a writer is making friends with amazingly talented writer and, when you're lucky, getting to read an advance copy of an upcoming book. This fabulous book releases on April 13 and I can't wait for the world to get their hands on it! 

From Goodreads: 
When Paige Meyer gets an email from a DNA testing website announcing that her father is a man she never met, she is convinced there must be a mistake. But as she digs deeper into her mother’s past and her own feelings of being the odd child out growing up, Paige begins to question everything she thought she knew. Could this be why Paige never felt like she fit in her family, and why her mother always seemed to keep her at an arm’s length? And what does it mean for Paige’s memories of her father, a man she idolized and whose death she is still grieving? Back in 1975, Betsy Kaplan, Paige’s mom, is a straightlaced sophomore at the University of Kansas. When her sweet but boring boyfriend disappoints her, Betsy decides she wants more out of life, and is tired of playing it safe. Enter Andy Abrams, the golden boy on campus with a potentially devastating secret. After their night together has unexpected consequences, Betsy is determined to bury the truth and rebuild a stable life for her unborn child, whatever the cost.

When Paige can’t get answers from her mother, she goes looking for the only other person who was there that night. The more she learns about what happened, the more she sees her unflappable, distant mother as a real person faced with an impossible choice. But will it be enough to mend their broken relationship?

Told in dual timelines, Little Pieces of Me examines identity and how the way we define ourselves changes (or not) through our life experiences.

Last week, I mentioned the editorial feedback that sent me into a wee bit of a tailspin and a not so wee rewrite. What happens when a pantser who learns about her story through writing the draft has to write a new draft in one month? She tightens channels her inner nerd and plots.

Step 1: Take notes on the editorial letter. I highlighted the feedback that jumped out and waved a "me, me" flag. And I prioritized the big changes and the not so big but still important ones. 

​Step 2: Decide what stays. There were scenes or details in the original that I wanted to keep so those pages got marked. Whenever I pulled a scene from the old version, I'd mark what new chapter it went into. By the time I'm done with the rewrite, all of those stickies will have been discarded. 

Step 3: Planning Boards. I pulled out the lovely W-plot chart that, honestly, I haven't used in a couple of manuscripts. Each yellow sticky is a finished chapter. Because my story revolves around a specific timeline, I printed calendar sheets and used the pink stickies to help track when things are happening. The blue and green stickies are chapter/scene notes that are still to be written and when I think they'll happen. Once the become real scenes, I transfer that information to a yellow note and up on the W graph it goes. 

And that bottom calendar is to keep me honest on progress. It's insanely satisfying seeing the number grow. Bonus, it's given me a far better appreciation for what I can achieve and and what affects my productivity. 

What have I learned from this process?

• Anything is doable with the right motivation.
• Deadlines!
• I love getting nerdy with visuals and planning but a card-carrying plotter I will never be!

It's hard to believe we've been in this surreal state of isolation for almost a year now. There are so many things I miss about life pre-COVID. One of the biggest ... hugs. 

So I made my own. One day, we'll be able to hug again! In the meantime, sending virtual hugs to anyone who needs one! 

This book has been a double dose of awesome -- not only is the story fabulous but I loved every minute listening to the narrator. And I promptly ordered a tree version because there were passages I had to read, not just hear.

From Goodreads:
A novel of survival, love, loss, triumph—and the sisters who changed fashion forever

Antoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel know they’re destined for something better. Abandoned by their family years before, they’ve grown up under the guidance of pious nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.

The walls of the convent can’t shield them forever, and when they’re finally of age, the Chanel sisters set out together with a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy to a society that has never accepted them. Their journey propels them out of poverty and to the stylish cafés of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy - and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. But when World War I breaks out, their lives are irrevocably changed, and the sisters must gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other.

I have a confession ... I was silly excited to get my editorial letter last month. I decided to work with a developmental editor after hitting a pretty nasty crisis of confidence. The manuscript wasn't bad but it also wasn't as good as I knew it could be.  

So, yeah, I was expecting some substantial changes. And then came the email ... dum, dum, dum ... 

10 pages, single-spaced of editorial notes and embedded notes within the manuscript itself (multiple notes on pretty much every page). 

I read the letter, then read it again. And then I cried. She'd been able to get into my head and extract the story I'd wanted to write. 

I read the editorial again, this time with highlighters. I pulled out my W plot board and sticky notes (matching colors to the highlighters), and fresh storyboard pages and sat down to map out the edits. For those who've read any of my writing blog posts, you know I'm not a plotter when drafting. I am, however, a planner when it comes to revisions.  This is when my inner nerd comes out.

But the more I looked at the structure, the clearer it became that the book I wanted to write wasn't really the book I'd written. 

Instead of revising existing pages, I opened a new word document and started with Chapter One. There are passages that I'm cutting and pasting into the new document but most is new writing. I've never written so many words in such a short period of time and there are still plenty of times when I catch myself doubting the direction I'm going. But I can honestly say, I've also never been this excited about dumping more than 2/3 of a manuscript.

In a number of my writing groups, the conversation has come up about writing books set during 2020 and into 2021. How will we, as writers, handle the pandemic? I've so far, avoided having to address that, setting my work in progress in late 2021 when, fingers crossed, masks and social distancing and restrictions won't be a concern.

Like so many people, we've fallen into binging Netflix and Apple TV, instead of tuning into the programs we normally would have been watching. Last month, however, we started playing catch up with a couple of the programs. Some programs have moved on as though life hasn't changed. Those, interestingly enough, don't bother me. 

But there are a couple of programs that are dealing with the pandemic and those, I was surprised to discover, make me uncomfortable. 

We've kept a very low profile since the beginning of this. We have groceries delivered except for the occasional trip when I really need something and can't get a delivery slot; our only interaction with friends is outside, socially distanced, and even then limited to only a handful of people; my son is doing virtual school and my husband works from a home office in the basement; and the only other place we go, is the climbing gym where they're doing a good job of keeping numbers down with reservation blocks and reduced occupancy, and constant cleaning. 

I admit that I get twitchy when we are out and I see someone not wearing a mask or not wearing it properly, or if I'm in line at the store and someone gets too close. 

So, when a character takes their mask off in a public place or around other people or doesn't socially distance, I cringe and comment and my family threatens to ban me from watching that program.

What I've learned, is that I'm not nearly as okay as I like to pretend I am. It comes in waves and it hits at weird times and I'm often surprised at what triggers it. Maybe, at least for now, I need to stick with binge-watching pre-2020 programs. 

The only thing that hanging out with writer friends, is getting to cheer on their new releases. And I'm so excited to have Cara here today to talk writing -- both fiction and nonfiction -- plus mugs and dogs and seriously can you stand the cuteness in that picture????? 

Oh, and coconut because ... COCONUT!!!!!! 

If we were at a coffee shop, what would you order?
Tea! Some kind of black tea with an interesting flavor. My current favorite is Salted Caramel Chocolate tea, but I also love anything with coconut in it!

I’m so excited that Blind Turn is available for everyone to enjoy (I’m so honored that I had the opportunity to read an advance copy). What was the idea (or coffee bean maybe? :-) ) that triggered this story?
Thanks so much for being a reader. The support I’ve gotten from other authors has made publishing during a pandemic a little less lonely. 
 
As far as the inspiration for Blind Turn, the hardest thing I’ve done as a mom is teach my kids to drive. After having their lives in your hands for years, suddenly you have to put your life in their hands. About the time my oldest was learning to drive, there was a horrific accident in the county just east of us. A young driver hit an Amish buggy and killed the family inside. That accident haunted me and probably made me jumpier than need be in the passenger seat. I couldn’t shake it, so I wrote through the idea of how lives move on after a good kid does something so terribly tragic. It helped remind my worried mama soul that even in the worst of circumstances, we can find a way through.
 
You also write non-fiction. How do you juggle the demands of two very different writing endeavors?
Sometimes I don’t do it very well! I tend to lean in one direction or another when a book is in its launch period. But dividing my days does help. The nonfiction mornings are busy and active—lots of email or research or phone calls, plus sometimes I’m testing out a product or an idea. I can write nonfiction fast, so that’s the tempo of my mornings. I can also write nonfiction pretty much anywhere/anytime and love a good deadline. For fiction I have to switch gears. I definitely need quiet and solitude to work. When my kids were living here, that meant I didn’t write fiction in the summers because there were too many chances of being interrupted. (And I’m not nice to people who interrupt me when I’m in the midst of a story…just ask my poor husband.)
 
The worlds of fiction and nonfiction publishing have been very different experiences, but there is plenty of overlap. I worry, often, that I can’t dig deep enough into either to be truly successful. It’s made me redefine success. Its also made me face up to the limits of what one person can do in a day. 
 
I love that you've been able to redefine success and limits. That's something I'm still struggling with. Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on next?
I'm wrestling with too many projects and am hoping to settle on just one or two soon. I’m exploring another ‘dog book’ idea—working through the storyline and writing scenes. I’m also marinating two different fiction manuscripts—one is mostly finished but my agent is demanding a huge overhaul, so to avoid that task, I’ve been dabbling with another one that is nearer to my heart (but not quite so ‘commercial’). Plus, I have a nonfiction project about parenting and breaking an unruly horse (I promise there is overlap!), that has languished a long time on my laptop.
 
That last one made me laugh. My teenage boy is much easier than the majority of horses I've worked with. :-) Back to the coffee shop. Do you eavesdrop on folks at neighboring tables or tune everyone out?
I eavesdrop terribly – even if they aren’t speaking. I love to watch body language, study wardrobe choices, guess ages, and imagine lives. I can tune everyone out if I must. I wrote my newspaper column and started my first blog in a coffee shop, four hours a week while my oldest son was taking fencing classes.
 
Finally tell me something about yourself that will make the people at the next table scoot closer to hear better … or maybe scoot further away. ;-) 
I grew up with Chris Coons, the senator from Delaware who took Biden’s seat and was recently in the running for a cabinet seat. His mom was my piano teacher and became one my mom’s best friends, so our families spent time together. I even lived with Chris (as a roommate) briefly when I was in Wilmington. He convinced me to be a mentor for his I Have a Dream project and he taught me how to make homemade pizza. He’s a great guy—the real deal when it comes to wanting to help people and make the world a better place. Plus, he’s wickedly funny and smarter than anyone I know.

Where to find Cara ... 

www.carawrites.com

whowillletthedogsout.org

Facebook and on Instagram

In addition to starting a notebook for each project, I also create a Pinterest board. During the drafting phase, I keep the board private because I'm superstitious (don't judge!) and I don't like sharing story information before the story is ready for prime time.

The types of images I save: locations, objects that pique my interest and have a part in the story (even if only a small mention), animals that remind me of a character in the book, recipes, or anything else that fits with the story.

The one thing you won't find, though ... photos representing the various characters. I've always resisted putting an actual face to the people in my mind. Likewise when I read, I don't want someone else's vision hijacking my imagination. 

You can check out the story boards for The Distance Home and Carousel Beach, and see the images that inspired me during the writing process. 

In keeping with giving a shoutout to something that's making me particularly happy on the last Monday of the month, today's happy moment is courtesy of MasterClass. 

I'd looked into this in its early days but, honestly, didn't give it the time it deserved for no other reason than, well ... it was one more distraction I didn't need. Then a couple of years ago, my son took an interest in some of the courses and I signed up for a membership. But, in typical form, I never made the time to watch the classes that intrigued me.

The following year, I renewed and this time, I started watching. We're in our third year and I admit, I'm completely hooked.

Whenever I start a new writing project, I seek out books that have some similarities to what I'm working on. The magic ingredient that drew me to this book was the shipwreck. I absolutely loved these characters and the different POVs.

From Goodreads:
As the First World War rages in continental Europe, two New York heiresses, Sydney and Brooke Sinclair, are due to set sail for England. Brooke is engaged to marry impoverished aristocrat Edward Thorpe-Tracey, the future Lord Northbrook, in thewedding of the social calendar. Sydney has other adventures in mind; she is drawn to the burgeoning suffragette movement, which is a constant source of embarrassment to her proper sister. As international tempers flare, the German embassy releases a warning that any ships making the Atlantic crossing are at risk. Undaunted, Sydney and Brooke board the Lusitaniafor the seven-day voyage with Edward, not knowing that disaster lies ahead.

In London, Isabel Nelson, a young woman grateful to have escaped her blemished reputation in Oxford, has found employment at the British Admiralty in the mysterious Room 40. While she begins as a secretary, it isn’t long before her skills in codes and cyphers are called on, and she learns a devastating truth and the true cost of war.

As the days of the voyage pass, these four lives collide in a struggle for survival as the Lusitania meets its deadly fate.