Renee interviews author Angelina Assanti

Tags

Family, Health, Humor, inspiration, Life

Angelina and I laughed over a cappuccino together during the Florida Library Association’s Annual Conference near Walt Disney World last month. Her quirky sense of humor (full disclosure: my family is from Boston) should serve her well as President-Elect of The Florida Authors and Publishers Association.

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.

I’m from a small town in Massachusetts that no one has ever heard of. I just tell people I’m from Springfield because everyone from New England knows where that is. I moved to Florida to attend college in Orlando, where I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. I live in Fort Myers now. I went back for my high school reunion and was reminded how funny everyone is up there. Sometimes when I give a speech in Florida, people don’t know I have a background in radio and stand-up comedy and I deliver a funny line straight and they don’t know if it’s a joke or not. (Massachussians always get it.) I write the copy for the shows and always loved writing. I just never thought it was an actual career option. I’ve had several regular jobs in my life, but I would get bored and quit. I’m a quitter. My parents can’t believe I finished a few books. I guess I quit being a quitter.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?
I got cancer a few years ago and went I went to the bookstore at the cancer center and asked for a funny book. The woman I asked looked at me like I was an alien and snapped, “No one wants a funny cancer book!” I’ll never forget her saying that to me. I proved her wrong. What a sucker! Not only did Thank God I Got Cancer…I’m Not a Hypochondriac Anymore! go on to win several awards and become a #1 bestseller in three categories on Amazon, but that very same cancer center carries the book and a few months ago, they gave me a beautiful, large crystal award for it. The pages in this book are literally ripped from the journal I kept while I was in treatment. I was never close to anyone who had cancer, so I wrote it like a playbook for cancer.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?
I hate to sound like a jerk but looking back, I didn’t really have many obstacles. I joined a writing group in 2012 when I realized I wanted to write a book and got lots of sage advice from people who had been both traditionally and independently published and asked people questions. I wasn’t afraid to admit I had no idea what I was doing. The writing community is very strange in that they want to help other writers succeed. You don’t find that in many professions. So, I’ve heard. I never stayed in one long enough to find out.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?
I’ve had a few but my favorite was in 2014. I was writing a book about recovery and Betty Ford allowed me to tour rehab and talk to the counselors and residents. They made me promise in return that I would write an upbeat, funny story about recovery. No pressure, there! I did win a national award in humor for Mark Taylor’s Checkered Past: Recovery Road (The Lottery Heiress) (Volume 2) the next year. Many people have contacted me and asked me when and where I went to rehab because they wanted to know I was in with them. I reply that I only did the research there and am not in recovery. I know that seems strange but people thinking I was in rehab is the compliment of my life!

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
I love anything by Dave Barry or Nora Ephron. I miss her. She was a great storyteller.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?
I don’t write in my manuscript every day. I do however carry a journal with me at all times and write in that every day. I used to keep digital notes in my smart phone until it crashed on me one day and I lost everything. I don’t chance it with technology anymore. I have heard several authors tell me their writing rituals but I’ve never heard any author have the same ones. We are all unique in our processes.

What are your interests outside of writing?
I used to be heavily involved with a rehab for homeless people but the cancer book has become the focus for my life right now. It’s hard to go through what I went though and come out the same person. When you’re in cancer treatment with the same people every day, some who are terminal, you wonder why it wasn’t you. It’s important for me to take the message out that early diagnosis saved my life and I had no symptoms of cancer. It was found on a routine exam. In Florida, someone is diagnosed with cancer every five minutes, so it’s important for people to know there are more survivors now than ever!

Share some tips for other Authors or Aspiring Authors: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.
The first thing you need to do is join a writing group. I recommend you go to an actual group and not an online one. You need to network and meet people. That’s a huge missed opportunity in the writing business. The second thing to do is hire a professional editor. I can’t tell you how many people tell me, “Oh, I don’t need an editor, my spouse said it was good.” An editor will tell you the truth but they will also know how to analyze things such as continuity problems, character development, point-of-view issues, etc. Your spouse will lie to you and say your manuscript is perfect to avoid being smothered. Then, hire a copy editor. They will make sure there are no glaring mistakes in the actual book format. You don’t want the same person doing those two jobs and most people don’t know that.
I wouldn’t say I’d do much differently than I did. One thing I do (that most people I know won’t do) is I travel two hours every month to go to one of my writing groups. It is filled with NY Times and USA Today Bestsellers. If you want to be successful as an author, you have to be with people who are more successful than you. They don’t mind sharing their knowledge. You can’t expect everything to come to you. You have to be willing to go after what you want. Lastly, I know an author who was in her 70’s when she wrote her first book and she has had several made into movies. It’s never too late to go after your dream!

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers. To suggest an author interview, email her at rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

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Renee interviews author Nancy Beaule

Tags

author, books, children, Family, food, inspiration, writing

I met Nancy at a Writer’s Conference in Tampa Florida, and was impressed with her entrepreneurial career prior to writing her first children’s book. She’s working on a new young adult novel – welcome to MY genre, Nancy!

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up. Where you live now. Education. Work Experience. Share some things about yourself.

I was born in Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 36,000, although it is the second largest city in Maine. My claim to fame is that I grew up a couple of towns away from Stephen King and was born in the same hospital as Patrick Dempsey!
I graduated from Monmouth Academy and worked as an administrative assistant for 12 years before starting my first business, a print shop. I sold the printing business in 1993, then invented a product called the Pie Saver, which are foil rings that prevent pies from burning (based on my previous frustration of cutting strips of foil, only to have them fall off!) We made them in Lewiston for ten years and were in most of the Wal-Mart distribution centers. It was an exciting time, with many highs and lows – similar to Chutes and Ladders! One time I was on QVC and had to do a live demonstration on a table outdoors, next to the ocean. The wind kicked up and was blowing the foil rings all over the place. I had only 3 minutes to do the spot, (it was very nerve-wracking) but we sold out anyway.
I sold that business in 2006 and went on to create a new food called Pizzania, a hybrid of pizza and lasagna. Kids and teenagers loved it, and I felt it would be a perfect new frozen food item in supermarkets. We had some success getting it into Sysco and other distributors, however, producing small batches and delivery from Maine was cost-prohibitive and required too much capital to sustain a frozen food business.
And now I have published four children’s books, geared toward ages 3 – 10 (K – 3rd grade). My background is a bit uncommon for an author, but being an entrepreneur has given me the opportunity to wear many different hats along the way.
My husband and I (married 42 years) are now snowbirds, living in Florida during the winter months and spending summers at our camp on Tacoma Lakes in Maine. We have two children, a son and his family in Maine and a daughter and her children in Orlando, so feel blessed we spend equal time with each family, and especially the grandchildren!

What inspired you to write this book. What is the story behind this story?

I have always believed in healthy eating, especially amongst children. I’ll admit I cringe when I see a family with kids in the grocery store and their cart is piled high with junk food. I believe in the 80/20 rule, both for adults and kids — if you eat right 80% of the time you can still indulge in something sweet, or whatever treat you enjoy. For instance, I live a healthy lifestyle, but don’t take my daily ice cream away!
I started writing for my grandchildren and came up with a carrot named Chompy who gets super-power eyesight from drinking Chompy Juice, made from carrots. The kids love the exciting adventures of Chompy and his Munchy Bunch pals, especially the evil Candybar. The books also have a subtle nutritional message (carrots give super eyesight; Candybar loses a tooth from eating jelly beans, etc.). I sometimes bring a food group wheel to schools, which is very popular with the kids. They spin the dial and place the food they select into the proper food group.
I am also currently writing my first YA novel, a romance mystery based on a summer camp in Maine in 1972.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle.

Marketing! I am a natural introvert, so networking is a struggle for me. I am most comfortable in my office writing, rather than going to meetings or attending social functions. I know I am not unique to this challenge, as many writers are introverted. But I keep working at it!

What has been your biggest “aha” moment and success.

I would have to say when one of the schools made Chompy Juice for all of the kids, and they were pretending their eyes were bugging out. They were so excited about the stories and telling me how much they loved them. It was fun.

What author do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence in you and your writing.

For fiction, I like mysteries by James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham; I also love biographies such as John McCain’s “Faith of my Fathers” or Christopher Reeves’ “Nothing is Impossible,” – I find peoples’ stories fascinating!

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals.

Almost every day! I created my own reward system — if I have time to watch a favorite TV show, then I have time to write; in other words I can’t watch the show until I have written a certain number of words each day. I also think about the characters and story of my YA novel, even when I’m not writing.

What are your interests outside of writing?

I love nature and anything outdoors — fishing, camping, swimming. I go on every roller coaster with my grandson, even went sky diving for my 50th birthday! Also enjoy baking, reading and anything with the grandkids.

Share some tips for other authors or aspiring authors. Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.

I started my writing journey two years ago and took very helpful on-line courses through “Writestorybooksforchildren.com” — They occasionally offer deeply discounted rates, so I took advantage of those rates at the time. I also find a book called “The Emotion Thesaurus” invaluable — it’s becoming dog-eared so we know it’s getting used. I also got my first book illustrated very inexpensively through a site called Fiverr.com — they offer all kinds of services starting at only $5.

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author The Anchor Clankers. To suggest an author interview, email her at rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

A hug in my hand

Tags

author, Family, inspiration, Life, motherhood, relationships, wedding

My college experience included membership in a sorority which promised to “establish a perpetual bond of friendship” among its members. The promise turned out to be true.
Back then, my “Little Sister” gave me a pansy handkerchief (our sorority flower) which I carried at my wedding as the traditional “something blue.” Since then, it has traveled to college graduations along with Arlington National Cemetery to bury my parents.
Next week, my son will be married in Texas and I have scrupulously tried to follow the unspoken rules established for the mother of the groom: “Simply show up, shut up and wear beige.” It is a role which is the least important and the most invisible.
This is a destination wedding (with a limited guest list) so few friends will be with me to watch my son become a husband. Instead, my emotional support will lay folded inside my pocket, in the form of a pansy hanky. Along with drying tears, it will serve as a hug in my hand and a reminder of the friends who care.
Delta love and mine, Roxanne.

 

 

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of “The Anchor Clankers.”

Amelia Island Book Festival

Tags

books, Family, Festival, Life, read, school, writing

There’s nothing more exciting than sharing your story with readers.
I just returned from the Amelia Island Book Festival, a three-day event designed to bring the people who create books together with the people who love to read them.

More than 100 authors and publishers attended, to sell and promote books, distribute related information and – particularly in the children’s author area – even offer merchandise such as tee shirts and toys. Celebrity chef Jacques Pepin winked at me as I walked past a long line of fans waiting for his autograph in their cookbooks.

I was happy to see lots of little ones (some in strollers) with their parents, who roamed the Author Expo while instilling a love of lifelong learning. Ticketed events supported the award-winning “Authors in Schools Literacy program,” which brings authors into schools and buys a book for each student of the author they meet.

I can’t think of a nobler cause, can you?

Renee Garrison is the author of an award-winning young adult book, The Anchor Clankers.

Aging parents and their pets

Tags

aging, Elderly, Family, Home, Homeowner, Memories, Parents, pets

A stray Jack Russell terrier wandered into my mother-in-law’s driveway one Christmas and quickly made a home in her heart. Mom loved having “a furry child” by her side to keep her company throughout the day. She named the dog Joy, which is exactly what the animal brought for more than a decade, comforting Mom through the death of two husbands.
Joy – like most cats and dogs – was very in tune with her owners’ feelings. Pets sense when someone is upset or unhappy and are excellent at providing instant comfort.
She also was a great protector, barking at any perceived threat. Having a dog made my mother-in-law feel safer in her home and may have allowed her to stay there, longer.
Studies have found that owning pets provides health benefits, too, including decreased blood pressure and cholesterol. Even heart attack survivors are more likely to live longer if they have a pet to keep them company. Joy motivated Mom to go outside for walks, which also afforded her a social life as she chatted with other pet parents in the neighborhood.
Yet in addition to being a companion, pets are a responsibility. So when her beloved Joy recently died, my mother-in-law decided not to get another dog. Though having the house to herself seems a little daunting, the 91-year-old admits that she can no longer care for an animal.
Sadly, I am relieved.
Pets need as much love and attention as a child, and eventually that may be too much for an elderly parent to manage. What happens when a pet outlives its owner? Who inherits the animal? Shelters are filled with the sad, sweet faces of pets whose owners passed away. How do adult children plan for the inevitable, with pets and aging parents?

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Keep those cards and letters coming

Tags

Community, Family, Life, love, Memories

In the days of cell phones, email and text messages, letter writing can seem hopelessly outdated. My son recently informed me of his refusal to support the greeting card industry so I should not expect a Mother’s Day card.
Fortunately, I’ve saved a drawer full of handwritten notes from him as well as from his sister:
“Mom, I feel like lately we’ve gotten to be really close and I can talk to you about almost anything.”

To their father:

“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my dad. I hope you can come and visit me often in Chicago.”

I have no idea how to convey to my child that writing and receiving letters will always offer an experience that modern technology cannot touch. Twitter is fine for broadcasting what you’re eating for lunch, and email is fantastic for quick exchanges of pertinent information. But when it comes to sharing your true thoughts, sincere sympathies, ardent love, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along an invisible superhighway will never suffice. Why?

The impact of handwritten cards and letters lasts far longer than any text or email offered in our high-tech world. Years after they are written and sent (and even after their senders and receivers are gone), letters remain to be read, appreciated and preserved. I love seeing the familiar handwriting of my late grandmother and grandfather on old documents. Letters protect our memories in a way that technological communication cannot. They are tangible, personal and real, in every sense of the word.

Computers and smart phones may prove more efficient, but they can never take the place of this kind of sentimental history.

Letters create lasting memories.

 

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of “The Anchor Clankers.”

Comfy on a couch

Tags

Architecture, Community, decorating, Design, Family, Florida, Home, Homeowner, Houses, Humor, Memories

When you live a short drive from “Mickey and Minnie’s house” in Florida, you have overnight guests at least once a month. In the event of a big crowd, a few may even stay on your couch. Here are a few ways to make guests feel comfortable and welcome, even when they’re bunking on a sofa bed:

1. Replace end tables with dressers: Being able to unpack is key to feeling at home. To avoid mysterious piles of clothing in your living area, use a small dresser in place of a traditional end table to give guests space for their things.
2. Clear out closet space: Luggage can take up valuable real estate in tight quarters, so making room for your guest’s luggage in your closet helps both you and them feel better about sharing a small space.
3. Arrange an amenity area: Whether it’s your coffee table or end table, make sure your guests have useful items such as a small fan, an alarm clock and a table lamp within arm’s reach.
4. Stage a plug-in hot spot: Set up a designated charging area for phones, laptops and tablets. That way, guests can recharge at the end of a long day without having to hunt for outlets. Don’t forget to leave your WiFi password.
5. Provide bedding storage: Carve out a place where bedding can be stored during the day so that your sofa can be used while you are entertaining your guests. Try a chest, closet or storage ottoman.
6. Stock the liquor cabinet: Your guests won’t mind their accommodations at all.

 

Look for more inspirational home ideas in Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof,” available on amazon.com

The challenge of downsizing

Tags

aging, children, Community, Family, Home, Houses, Life, lifestyle, thoughts

If you read the definition of “Down·size  (doun’siz’)” in the dictionary, it sounds easy: To reduce in number or size. To simplify (one’s life, for instance), as by reducing the number of one’s possessions. To become smaller in size by reductions in personnel or assets.
But for me, “downsize” means both a logistical and emotional challenge. It isn’t simply about getting rid of physical things: It’s also about releasing the emotional attachment that comes with them.
It recently took an entire month for me to move from one house to another. Children’s report cards, letters and photos require sorting and savoring. Friends who sell large homes and move to smaller ones appear equally unable (or unwilling) to dispose of their memories. We’re all saddened by adult children who are dismissive of childhood trophies and memorabilia that don’t blend with their current decorating scheme. We know one day, they will regret it.
When my friends ask, I offer one piece of advice: Get outside help.
I turned to my sister when the reality of needing to downsize finally settled in. A pragmatist, she honed her skills with a move to Brussels, Belgium followed by the sale of a large home in McLean, Virginia before downsizing to a townhouse in Annapolis, Maryland.
She ruthlessly attacked my closets and garage with the empathy of an avenging warlord.
Guided by the mantra, “When in doubt, throw it out,” we packed 14 carloads of household items and clothing – including my 1977 boxed wedding gown – and donated everything to the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia County. (The organization provides emergency and transitional housing for families in need.)
When we were finished, I felt no regrets – only relief. Actually, I felt a bit of satisfaction, too: The manager of The Neighborhood Center thrift store confided that our donations had boosted their revenues for more than a month!

In this case, less is definitely more.

Check out Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring Everyone Who Lives Under a New Roof,” available on amazon.com

The children who never leave us

Tags

death, dogs, euthanize, Family, grief, loss, pets, sadness

 

The sight of her hairbrush nearly killed me.
I’d put all of her toys away before that final trip to the vet. Her ceramic dishes had been washed and packed in the garage. But I’d missed the brush that I’d used on her silky hair hours earlier. It lay on my nightstand, next to the eye drops she would never need again.
I crumpled and cried, as I have done many times since….once in a store aisle where dog toys and beds were displayed. Another time, as I admired a bolt of aqua fabric until I realized it was printed with tiny white dogs.
I loved her for 17 years – about the same age my children were when they left for college. But they came home for holidays.
She will not.
You might think the absence of a blind, deaf dog who rarely made a sound would not leave a large void in my life.
You would be wrong.
Dogs are the children who never leave us, who always are available to be loved.
That is quite a lot.
I’ve always sympathized with friends who had to euthanize their pets. (In fact, one still cannot speak of the occasion without bawling – though it happened several years ago.) My sweet friend Lynn suggested that I find the toys still bearing Dixie’s scent and breathe it in. Kind Beth confided that she carried a collar in her purse for years after her beloved pet died.
I slipped Dixie’s nametag on my bracelet and it jingles the way it once did on her collar. I take comfort in this, because it reminds me of the days when she still could run to the door and greet me.
The grief comes in waves, as I remind myself of the many blessings in my life. My children – who left long ago – are healthy, prosperous and living in faraway cities. For this, I am grateful.
But I wonder how long it will take me to heal from the loss of my youngest, four-legged one…

Remembering mom

Tags

arlington national cemetery, cremation, Family, Home, jewelry, Mother, Mother's Day, motherhood, urn

May is the month we remember our mothers – whether they’re living or not.
My mother died in May, 2007. She rests with my father, at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. At the time of her death, many active duty military personnel needed burial, too, so our family waited three months for a “widow’s interment.”
That delay caused my sister and I to decide on cremation (simply because an urn is much easier to store in your guest room than a body in a casket.)

While selecting the container that would be buried at Arlington, I purchased a piece of urn jewelry – specifically, a necklace with a small compartment designed to hold the ashes of a loved one. According to the ads, “Cremation jewelry allows you to hold that special someone close to you.”
All I can say is that it seemed like a good idea at the time.

However, when the gold teardrop pendant arrived, it required a special tool to open the small compartment – something neither I, nor the undertaker, owned. Which is why I arrived at an elegant jewelry store clutching a tiny bag of my mother’s ashes in one hand and a gold necklace in the other.
The jeweler maintained his composure when I made my request. With a bit of flourish, he unfolded a black velvet cloth on the glass counter and produced something resembling a dental tool. After unscrewing the back of the pendant, he removed a wire twist-tie from the top of the baggie, poured a bit out and began tapping her inside.

“I’ve never been asked to do this before,” he admitted solemnly, as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. I wanted to say something reassuring, but quite honestly, nothing came to mind. After all, I’d never done it either.

Unfortunately, there was a bit more of Mom than there was space inside the necklace. So as the jeweler screwed the back onto the pendant, I did what anyone does automatically – without thinking – when they are faced with dust at home: I blew it off the glass.

Instantly horrified, I watched the particles float to the carpet.

The giggle in my throat – the kind that usually starts in a church pew and erupts into uncontrollable fits of laughter – began.
I’m not sure how long we cackled and chortled, or if the jeweler stepped out for a drink as soon as I left………..
However, I am certain of this: My mother would appreciate even a part of her spending eternity in a jewelry store.

Happy Mother’s Day.