Our guest today: Amy Sue Nathan
Why she rocks: We can't believe this is her debut novel! Can't wait for her next book! (Which sounds juicy, btw. Details below!)
Her debut: The Glass Wives (Out May 14th!)
The scoop on it: Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.
When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all. But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?
Our thoughts: We loved this book about the complexities of friendship! A must-read!
Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, May 12 after 12pm PST.
Fun fact: She hosts the popular Women's Fiction Writers blog! (In all her spare time!)
Where you can read more about Amy Sue: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and her website.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: AMY SUE NATHAN
DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do
1. First, believe in yourself and your story. If you don’t, chances are you won’t be able to convince anyone else to believe in it either.
2. Second, remember that kind criticism is your friend. It’s not easy (nor is the first “should”) but it’s essential.
3. Third, take a break when you need a break. I’m a big believer in letting things simmer and stew. When I’m stuck I don’t sit in front of the computer, I walk away from it. That seems to always allow me to find the answers to my plot or character issues or to get reinspired.
DON'TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn't do
1. First and foremost, ignore the naysayers. That means if someone rolls his or her eyes when you say you’re writing a book, or seems disinterested in your ambition, cross ‘em off your list. At least for a while.
2. Next, do not compare yourself or your book to others. I’m still working on that one.
3. Last but not least, don’t forget that what works for one writer doesn’t always work for another. Do what works for you.
MUST HAVES:
1. On your desk? I have learned to always have a drink on my desk, otherwise I tend to forget to get up and drink. That means coffee, water, sugar-free lemonade, or if I’m working at night, it could be wine!
2. On your Facebook feed? On my Facebook feed I always follow my writer friends. They inspire me.
3. App on your phone? The app on my phone I can’t do without is weather. It’s very important for me to know the temperature in many different cities. Tell me where you live and I’ll add it to my list.
LASTS:
1. Song you listened to on repeat? Confession time: I rarely listen to music.
2. Book you read? But the last book I read was THE LIFE LIST by Lori Nelson Spielman, which comes out July 9th. It was fabulous and I read it in less than two days!
3. Time you laughed? The last time I laughed was a few minutes ago when one of my dogs poked her nose in front of the computer. She wants to know why you don’t want HER to answer questions.
HOW MANY:
1. Agents did you query before you found "the one?" In total I queried 116 and my agent was somewhere in the middle.
2. Hours do you write per day? I don’t write every day, but when I do, it’s hours and hours and hours. I’m an all or nothing kind of writer.
3. Hours do you waste online when you should be writing? Online hours are wasted? I don’t think so! Okay, maybe. Sometimes. Okay—way too many.
BESTS:
1. Way to celebrate a book deal? My best friend of thirty-three years is flying out to celebrate with me. My son will be home from college and my daughter is staying home from school. We are having a small launch party to celebrate that night, but the big event will be at my local library a few weeks later. I think all of those things make it “the best” for me!
2. Trick to overcome writer's block? My trick for overcoming writers block is to block out writing. I walk away, do something else, forget about the issue or problem. The muse is displeased when ignored. Ta-dah! Problem solved.
3. Way to think of a book idea? Ideas come to me. I pretty much have nothing to do with them, except I write them down immediately so I don’t forget, which I’m apt to do.
NEXTS:
1. Show you'll DVR? I’m embarrassed how many shows I DVR. I love TV and I love documentaries. My DVR runneth over.
2. Book you'll read? Right now I’m re-reading THE THIRD SON by Julie Wu.
3. Book you'll write? The book I’m writing now is about a blogger, but not just any blogger. This woman misrepresents herself. Okay, she lies. It’s a story about those big life lies, what makes people tell them and what has to happen to compel someone to come clean and deal with the consequences. It’s also about the perils of getting lost in an online life at the expense of a real life. I also have two more books in the hopper. I have no idea what a hopper is, by the way, but that is definitely where my books are waiting for me and they’re pounding to get out.
Thanks, Amy!