FeedEverybody’s Talking About Surprises with WOW!
March 16, 2011 in Book Club Possibility, Helping Girls and Women Around the World, High School Teachers Tags: Helping Women and Girls around the world, WOW! Blanket Tour, WOW! blog tour
I am writing today’s post as part of the WOW! Women on Writing Blanket Tour for
Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris. This debut novel is the story of three young women during World War II and the identity misunderstandings they and the men in their lives have. Ask yourself: Can a soldier fall in love with a woman through letters? What happens if the woman writing the letters is different from the woman he met the night
before he shipped out, the woman he thought was writing the letters? Is it still love or just a lie?
The first thing I thought of when I read this prompt–talking about surprises–was how my daughter was born 6.5 weeks early. My water broke one morning; and that night, there she was. That was one heck of a surprise!
But in keeping with the theme of my blog, I decided to write about the SURPRISE of finally finding a publisher for my middle-grade novel, Finding My Place. I remember writing and rewriting that book when I would take it to my critique group. That was the first step. Then I talked to an agent at a writing conference, and she told me to send it to her. I had established a relationship with this agent, and so she sent me back a personal letter with WONDERFUL advice for making the novel better. I followed her advice, and to my SURPRISE, the book was a TON better. Even my critique group thought so. (Those agents do know what they are talking about. (wink) )
However, that agent stopped representing what I wrote, (which was no surprise), and so I started sending out the manuscript myself. Soon, I queried, and Walker and Company in New York requested the entire manuscript. I sent it with high hopes, which were soon shattered when the editor wrote me back a lovely letter that basically said there was no money in this book. Well, did I ever think I wanted to be rich and famous? 
She suggested I try the school and library market. 
So, I sent a query to smaller presses and actually received a letter from two that wanted to read the whole thing. One of those happened to be White Mane Kids, and they offered me a contract in July of 2007. I sent in my revisions in December 2007. And to my surprise, I am still waiting for the book to be published. (There’s a lot of surprises, huh?) The problem is the economy, and White Mane Kids put a hold on publishing new material until the economy improved. Last I checked, I was third in line. I will one day hold my book in my hand–and I can’t wait for the surprise of what that feels like.
Like many authors, Kristina (author of Letters From Home) has had a wild selection of “real jobs”–everything from wedding planner to actress to publicist. She finally added novelist to the list after she got a peek at the letters her grandfather wrote to his sweetheart (a.k.a. Grandma Jean) while he was serving in the Navy during World War II. That got her wondering how much two people could truly know each other just from letter writing and became the nugget of her novel.
In honor of her grandparents, and all the other families kept apart by military service, Kristina is donating a portion of her book’s profits to United Through Reading, a nonprofit organization that video records deployed U.S. military personnel reading bedtime stories to their children. You can learn more about the program at http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/.
If you comment on today’s post on this blog or any of the others participating in Everybody’s Talking About Surprises, you’ll be entered to win a special surprise prize! It includes a personalized copy of Letters
from Home, a Big Band CD, Victory Garden seeds, and more. To read Kristina’s post about surprises and a list of other blogs participating in Everybody’s Talking about Surprises visit The Muffin.
March 16th, 2011 at 8:27 am
Margo, you must have been so pleasantly surprised!
What a good news story about the book!
Patricia
March 16th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Very interesting Margo!! I. too, have a series of letters my father wrote to my mother in the last few years of the thirties that I would like to work a novel around.
March 16th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
What a great idea for a book. “Letters From Home” sounds fascinating and endearing.
—Tami
March 16th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
I surprised myself in writing and reading historical fiction – especially since I HATED history as a kid/teen.
So go figure.
I love the idea for this book – sounds wonderful!
March 16th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I, too, cannot WAIT to hold your book in my hands….an autographed copy, of course!
March 16th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
I love, love, love the theme of this book, and to read about the surprises that other writers have experienced is quite inspiring!
As a new writer, I read everything I can get my hands on, and this will be one of my next picks!
Thanks so much for sharing.
March 16th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Loved the post by Kristina. The book sounds amazing!
And Margo, I remember when you posted on Facebook that your daughter was born. That was a wonderful surprise!
Ruth
March 16th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for the contest.
March 16th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Wow, would I be SURPRISED if I found out I won this fabulous prize! What a wonderful cause she donates to – just picturing what these videos are like and what a blessing they must be to military families brings tears to my eyes.
March 16th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Fascinating post, Margo! I loved the way you wove your personal stories through Letter From Home. Congratulations to Kristina McMorris on the publication of her debut novel!
March 16th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Wow, Margo, I didn’t realize your little one came so very early. Hope she is doing well now. When my Gwendolyn arrived early it was only by 4 weeks. She was 4.5 1/2which I thought was wicked small. I can’t imagine a baby 6.5 weeks early!
Hope your book gets published soon. It is wonderful to hold your own book in your hand, which, of course, is no surprise!
March 16th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Hi Margo! Please enter me in the drawing for these fabulous prizes! I’ve already heard good things about this book from other readers and I would LOVE to receive a signed copy….I LOVE all things that pertain to the 1940s and WWII….I also LOVE Big Band music, so I would definitely listen to the CD….and Victory Garden Seeds…yes I would LOVE to have them and plant them, too! OOhhh—oooohhh…pick me! Pick me!!
March 17th, 2011 at 12:49 am
Margo – Thanks so much for participating in my tour! The notes from commenters are wonderful. (If the winner were chosen according to enthusiasm, Becky would certainly be at the top of the list, lol.)
My fingers are crossed that you’ll soon be holding a fancy, finished copy of FINDING MY PLACE in your hands!
March 17th, 2011 at 8:09 am
Hi Margo,
I commented on your blog several months ago that my son attended the same elementary school that you did. That son surprised me by his birth also. He was nearly 3 months early, weighed 3 pounds, spent the first six weeks of his life at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. That was 34 years ago and the only time in his life he’s been early to anything.
Babies, books, and life. . . all full of surprises!
Linda Gammon
March 19th, 2011 at 6:14 am
Hi all–
Thank you for all the wonderful comments. I also love the program that Kristina is supporting. I never knew about it until I was involved with this blog tour.
Linda Gammon–you are the lucky winner from this blog. That means that I turn your name into WOW! to be entered into drawings for other prizes. I’ll let you know if you win anything!!
Thanks for sharing your story about your son. It sounds very similar to mine, except Katie spent a month at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis when she was born.
Thanks again everybody for your stories and comments!
Happy reading and writing,
Margo