Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Guest Post by Julie Metz, author of "Perfection" and Giveaway

Please join me in welcoming Julie Metz, author of Perfection (my review) to The Book Chick today. Today she shares what it's like to balance being a parent and being an author.

"Writing and mothering are a tough fit.

But if you are determined enough to overcome the obstacles of never having enough sleep and never having enough hours in the day, you’ll make time to write, while doing laundry, shopping for food, supervising homework...

The best advice I received early on was to sit for twenty minutes a day. See what happens. There will be days when you have to force yourself not to pop up to make soup or put clothes in the dryer, anything to avoid the task at hand…but if you stick with it, it will become a habit and before you know it the pages will be piling up.

On the up side, as a mom, you’ll never lack for material, the best kind, the stuff you can’t make up, the details and richness of everyday life. What you cannot gather up from your own life and reconfigure for your story, you’ll find at the playground, at your friends’ houses, at the supermarket.

On the down side, you’ll think twice and three or four and ten times about using it. You’ll worry about offending neighbors, your mom and dad, your aunts, uncles, and especially you’ll worry about embarrassing your kids. For whom you are already an embarrassment (so who wants to make thing worse than they already are?).

On the up side, once you have written your story, you’ll might be surprised to find fans among many of those very people you worried about offending. People don’t always consciously appreciate the truth, but they do always appreciate a good story, well told."

Thank-you to Julie for stopping by today! Courtesy of BookSparks PR I have one copy of Julie Metz's Perfection to give away. To enter:
 
1. *Mandatory Entry* Leave me a comment and let me know that you would like to win this book. Please include your e-mail address or a way for me to contact you in your comment. No e-mail= no entry.
 
2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and let me know in a separate comment that you are now a follower. Already a follower? Let me know in a separate comment that you are.
 
3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Facebook it, blog about it, add it to your sidebar, or Tweet about it. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you leave me a separate comment to let me know what you did.
 
This contest runs until November 22, 2010 at midnight and is open to US and Canadian mailing addresses. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. Good luck!

20 comments:

  1. I have heard such wonderful things about this book! I would love the chance to read it.
    Thanks!
    candc320@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for featuring this memorable book. I would appreciate reading this story. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. Your blog is wonderful and thanks for this great giveaway which appeals to me. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. Glad to see that good things can come from sad times. I would love to read this. Thanks

    ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

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  5. This book has been on my wishlist for a while, I would love to have the chance to read it. Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    infiniteshelf at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'd love to read this one. I like what Julie says about being a mother and a writer. I might have to practice the 20 minute advice myself. Seems impossible, but so does motherhood sometimes.

    lostlibrarygirl@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a follower with Google Friend Connect.

    lostlibrarygirl@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  8. I tweeted:

    http://twitter.com/#!/LostLibraryGirl/status/2772825249161216

    lostlibrarygirl@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  9. Would love to read this one!

    JHS
    Colloquium

    jhsmail at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  10. have read good review of this book...thanks for the chance to read it :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. follower :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I loved this interview! I know that taking just a bit of time (in my case, to read, not write) is difficult to make yourself do, and as a blogger, I also get the "Mom, please don't put that on your blog" request .. often! This book is already on my wishlist, so I'd love the chance to win!

    Julie @ Knitting and Sundries
    knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for the chance to win!!

    areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I also follow!!

    areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would like to win this book

    dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I follow with GFC

    dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'd definitely love to win this book, I've seen it on a few blogs and it looks great.

    strandedhero at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. This sounds like a great book! Thanks for the chance.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  19. GFC Follower

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  20. Tweet! Tweet!
    @NancyeDavis

    http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/6900900152999937

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete