The Divining Wand

Before, during and after a work-in-progress, a published/debut author has likely read more than a few books on the art and craft of writing. Whether it’s for motivation or inspiration, favorites must exist to be read and reread — including fiction and poetry — whenever the need arises. With this thought in mind, The Divining Wand asked its authors:

What books do you keep nearby or go back to as you’re working?

And, for the final week of this question, the following authors replied:

~Eleanor Brown (The Weird Sisters):

“Stephen King’s On Writing to remind me why I do what I do, and anything by Maeve Binchy to remind me how to create loveably flawed characters and keep multiple plotlines going.”

~Eileen Cook (The Education of Hailey Kendrick YA, Unpredictable, What Would Emma Do? YA, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood YA, and Fourth Grade Fairy ages 9 – 11):

“My favorite writing books include: Save the Cat by Blake Synder, On Writing by Stephen King and Elements of Story by John Truby.”

~Beth Hoffman (Saving CeeCee Honeycutt):

“WORDS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE by Robert Greenman.”

~Allie Larkin (Stay):

“Sometimes, it helps to check back with BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott, to remind myself to trust my process and listen to my characters.”

~Judy Merrill Larsen (All the Numbers):

“I’ve recently become a fan of Donald Maass’ THE FIRE IN FICTION. I also like John Dufesne’s THE LIE THAT TELLS A TRUTH, and of course Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD. For sheer inspiration, I look to poetry.”

~Karen McQuestion (A Scattered Life, Easily Amused coming September 21, 2010, and Celia and the Fairies for ages 7 – 11, and Favorite YA):

“I love Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. I use it to brainstorm plot points when I write myself into a corner, I also periodically reread Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.”

~Meg Mitchell Moore (The Arrivals coming May 25, 2011):

“Lately I always have Claire Messud’s THE EMPEROR’S CHILDREN and Elizabeth Strout’s OLIVE KITTERIDGE near me. Within reaching distance, for sure. Any page of either of those books contains too many gems to count. Also Alice Munro. If I am writing away from home and don’t have access to my books sometimes I’ll just pull up any Alice Munro excerpt online and be so struck by the beauty and exactness of her descriptions that I am humbled and inspired to keep writing. ”

~Keetha DePriest Mosley [formerly Reed] (Culinary Kudzu: Recollections & Recipes from Growing Up Southern, More Culinary Kudzu: Recollections & Recipes from Growing Up Southern:

“I keep a Childcraft dictionary on my desk. Santa brought it the Christmas I was seven years old. Sometimes I thumb through it, enjoying the feel of the slick pages. Any time I open that dictionary, I’m taken back to the way I felt when I was a child looking at it: words were so much fun.”

~Sarah Pekkanen (Skipping a Beat and The Opposite of Me):

“My bible is Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell. I go through it with each book, scribbling notes and plot points in the margins. It’s fun to go back, now that I’m working on my third book, and see how the process evolved for the first two! I also really like Writing the Breakout Novel by James Scott Bell, On Writing by Steven King, and Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. I have stacks of books on writing but those are the ones I always come back to. As for what I read when I’m writing, I zip through thrillers! ”

~Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing):

“Carson McCullers’ “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” is almost always on my desk. James Woods’ “How Fiction Works,” because James Woods’ is both THE MAN and a genius and a great drummer. David Gates’ “Preston Falls” because he doesn’t mince words or suffer gilded lilies.”

~Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars and The Life You’ve Imagined, and The Things We Didn’t Say coming June 28, 2011):

“I love to read and re-read THE GREAT GATSBY and BIRD BY BIRD, though my copy of the latter is currently loaned out. I may turn that loan into a gift and just buy myself a new one. I miss it.”

~Emily Winslow (The Whole World):

“For the book I’m currently working on, math text books and a volume of Nabokov short stories.”

Announcement: The winner of The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton is Jane Cook. Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and your book will be sent out promptly.

Therese Fowler (Souvenir, Reunion) — respected and loved for her novels about choices and consequences, mistakes, misapprehensions, redemption, and love in all its forms — takes her storytelling to a new level with Exposure releasing May 3, 2011.

In a one sentence description: Exposure is a ripped-from-the-headlines story of intense young love and a nightmarish legal maelstrom that threatens to destroy two families.

And fellow authors offer this glowing, early praise:

“Complex, gripping, and rich with emotion, Fowler’s 21st-century Romeo and Juliet beautifully blends modern day drama with carefully drawn examinations of family, loyalty, honesty, and the power of love.” – Eleanor Brown, New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters

“Provocative, timely, and compelling, Therese Fowler’s Exposure will leave book clubs talking for hours.” – Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters and The Four Ms. Bradwells

“Headlines rarely reveal the truth. Exposure does. I truly couldn’t put it down.” –Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of Exposure for Monday, May 2, 2011 but, for the moment, let’s meet the author through her “official” bio:

Therese Fowler is the author of SOUVENIR, REUNION, and EXPOSURE (coming in May ‘11). She has worked in the U.S. Civil Service and in retail management, lived in the Philippines, sold real estate, earned a B.A. in sociology, sold used cars, was a substitute teacher, returned to school for her MFA in creative writing, and taught college undergrads about literature and fiction-writing — roughly in that order. With books published in nine languages and sold world-wide, Therese writes full-time from her home in Wake Forest, NC, which she shares with her husband, four amiable cats, and four nearly grown-up sons.

Now it’s time to get to to know the real Therese, upclose and personal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Rough start, leading to good fortune and optimism.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: “Each moment, only once.”

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Knowing my children are happy.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: That my children become seriously ill or injured.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Snorkeling around Tahiti.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: I’ve always thought I was Laura Ingalls in a past life.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: Hard to pin this one down, but Steven Spielberg is pretty darn impressive…

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: Please pass the salt. Can I have extra lime in that?

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: Painting as beautifully as Scott Mattlin does.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Raising my sons to happy adulthood (so far!)

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: I worry too much about things over which I have no control.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: I care deeply. Which is also sometimes a flaw.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: Not getting started on a writing career sooner.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: A tropical bird.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: You’d have to ask someone else.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: I have a soft spot for Rhett Butler.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: See above.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: Crash Davis, and I’d invite him over for a drink.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Seeing apostrophes where they don’t belong.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Getting outdoors–to walk, run, sun, hike, putter in the flower beds, or just stretch out on the porch and read!

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Singing.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Patience, warmth, honesty.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Popcorn with browned butter, salt, and Parmesan cheese.

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: Impossible to answer definitively, but here are five that come to mind:
Permanent-David Cook
Somebody to Love-Freddie Mercury
Mississippi-Train
Dust in the Wind-Kansas
The Trouble with Love is-Kelly Clarkson

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: Again, this varies, but here are five that come to mind easily:
Bel Canto-Ann Patchett
Snow Falling on Cedars-David Guterson
Lolita-Vladimir Nabokov
Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen
The Thorn Birds-Colleen McCullough

Extremely popular and down-to-earth, Therese is adored by her friends and fans. Become both on Facebook!

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away a copy of The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Meg Waite Clayton and The Four Ms. Bradwells. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.

Before, during and after a work-in-progress, a published/debut author has likely read more than a few books on the art and craft of writing. Whether it’s for motivation or inspiration, favorites must exist to be read and reread — including fiction and poetry — whenever the need arises. With this thought in mind, The Divining Wand asked its authors:

What books do you keep nearby or go back to as you’re working?

And this week the following authors replied:

~Stacey Ballis (Good Enough to Eat, The Spinster Sisters, Room for Improvement, the rest in Bibliography):

“Anne LaMott’s Bird by Bird. That always can motivate me.”

~Meredith Cole (Posed for Murder, Dead in the Water):

“I always keep the previous book in my series close by to make sure that I’m not writing something inconsistent in the new book. It’s sometimes hard to keep all the characters (and all their idiosyncrasies straight).”

~Tawna Fenske (Making Waves coming August 2011):

“I am desperately in love with books by romantic comedy goddesses Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, Janet Evanovich, and Kristan Higgins. I wouldn’t mind having any of those authors’ careers someday, but for now I will settle for stalking them and reading their books over and over.”

~Kate Ledger (Remedies):

‘As I was writing REMEDIES, at least for one stretch, the books nearby were Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections, Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day, Philip Roth’s American Pastoral–all of which struck me as a certain kind of writing: muscular and assertive and also straightforward. Some mornings, when I first sat down, I would dip into one of them, reread a small section, and remind myself that the key to it all is telling the story. And then I would get to work.”

~Randy Susan Meyers ( The Murderer’s Daughters):

“There are a few novels I re-read or dip into as a reminder of great writing, including Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux, especially for voice, anything by Rosellen Brown to reacquaint myself fusing character and story, Margot Livesy for the elegance of her prose, and Steven King for a reminder of page-turning plot.”

~Kim Stagliano (All I Can Handle: I’m No Mother Teresa: A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism):

“Strunk & White.”

~Therese Walsh (The Last Will of Moira Leahy):

“I have 21 (!) books on my desk that are necessary guides as I work through my current project. These books aren’t craft-related; they’re specific to this manuscript. The books I’ve used most this week: Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America ’s Hoboes by Ted Conover, and Hopping Freight Trains in America by Duffy Littlejohn.”

To be continued….

Announcement: The winner of The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry is Sara Mitchell. Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and your book will be sent out promptly.

Journalist and blogger Sarah Jio turns her attention to writing friction with the debut novel, The Violets of March coming April 26, 2011.

In an intriguing one sentence, the book is described: A heartbroken woman stumbles upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

And the early Praise is impressive:

“Mix a love story, history, and a mystery and what takes root? THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, a novel that reminds us how the past comes back to haunt us, and packs a few great surprises for the reader along the way. “—Jodi Picoult, author of Sing You Home & House Rules

“The Violets of March is a captivating first bloom of a novel, with tangled roots, budding relationships and plenty of twists and turns. Sarah Jio is one talented writer!” —Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Seven Year Switch

“An enchanting story of love, betrayal, and the discovery of an old diary that mysteriously links the past to the present. The Violets of March is a delightful debut.” —Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of The Violets of March for Monday, April 25, 2011 but, in the meantime, lets meet the author through her “official” bio:

A Seattle-based writer and the health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com, Sarah has contributed to major magazines including O, The Oprah Magazine, Woman’s Day, Cooking Light, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Redbook, Fitness, Marie Claire, Hallmark magazine, Seventeen, Health, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The Seattle Times, and many others. She has also appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition. Sarah has a degree in journalism and writes about topics that include food, nutrition, health, entertaining, travel, diet/weight loss, beauty, fitness, shopping, psychology, and beyond. Sarah is married, with three little boys, and a rascally golden retriever named Paisley who steals socks.

And now for an upclose look at who Sarah IS:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Caffeinated. Chaotic. Creative. Happy. Hopeful. Fun. Healthy. Sleep-deprived.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Right now at this stage in my life juggling work with motherhood, it all boils down to ‘keep it simple.’ I have three little boys (2, 4 and an infant born weeks ago) and I’ve learned that keeping things simple directly correlates to my happiness level.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: A happy home filled with my healthy little boys. All I can ask for! And, I’d add to that: Something on the horizon (anything) to look forward to. I love thinking ahead to the next thing—keeps me going and engaged!

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: The death of one of my children (oh I’m getting weepy just thinking of it!). And, rodents!

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Right here at home in Seattle. I’m a homebody! But, next up: Paris, with my husband. I was there by myself in 2006 for a cooking class, and I kept thinking, ‘why am I here in the city of love without the man I love?!’

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: That’s a tough one, but I like to think I identify with other female authors from the past, especially those that began their writing careers by publishing magazine stories, like L.M. Montgomery, of the famed Anne of Green Gable series (a fave of mine!). I’ve been reading biographies of Montgomery and I see so much of myself in her early years—her curiosity and imagination, her love of getting stories published in magazines, her drive to write as a career and a hobby. She definitely had the same spark and fire for writing that I do. It would be so fun to go back in time to meet her—just not during the winter. The Prince Edward Island winters were unbelievably harsh! Oh, and I think if I’d been a young woman in the 1920’s I would have been a flapper all the way.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: Too many to list. I could name dozens of public figures, but I’d say that when it comes right down to it, I admire my grandmother so much (VIOLETS is dedicated to her, Antoinette, and also my late maternal grandmother, Cecelia). She and my late grandfather, were huge supporters of my early “writing,” and encouraged me to keep at it.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: Oh too many to count—and many of them are the made-up, baby-talk words my boys have coined over the years. Rent-raunch anyone? That would be “restaurant.”

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: Singing. I wish I could hold a tune. In another life, I’d like to be a jazz singer and pianist. I’m a huge fan of jazz—old and new.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: My three sons! Carson, Russell and Colby. And I have a Tiffany charm bracelet that my husband got me with each of their names on little charms. I feel proud every time I look at it—and them.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: My work-a-holic tendencies. This has fueled my career, but it’s also meant little rest/peace at times in my life. I’m working on finding more balance so I don’t work on weekends as much as I have in the past. My husband and boys are always nagging me to get out of my office and join them for family fun!

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: Oh I feel like I’m giving myself a compliment here, which isn’t my intention, but I think I’m generally a very friendly person, and I hope that people feel a sense of warmth when in my presence. I probably don’t get it right all the time, but I tend to be like my dad: outgoing, talkative and—hopefully—outwardly focused. I think one of the best skills to hone is learning to be genuinely interested in others. It sounds so simple, but so many people struggle with this. My dad has it down, and I hope I’ve inherited the trait!

Q: What do you regret most?
A: Oh dear, this could easily become a confessional booth, but I’d bore you! At present, I have few major regrets (thank goodness for that!), but I do wish I didn’t get that Poodle-esq perm in the 5th grade. Good grief, what was I thinking?

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: I’d love to have the skills of a pastry chef. I’m a huge fan of cooking, and do fairly well with baking, but to be able to make fancy pastries? I would love to have those skills!

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: Maybe my curiosity? I have a degree in journalism and have been writing for magazines for 10+ years, so I’m naturally driven to ask a lot of questions and get right to the heart of a matter.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Off the top of my head, probably Anne, of Anne of Green Gables (you have to love that spirited redhead!). I used to be such an Anne fan—I even had an Anne of Green Gables cookbook as a girl. True story.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Well, when I was a child, I was pretty fascinated by Cruella de Ville in “101 Dalmatians!” I also think that Nellie from “Little House on the Prairie” was a pretty terrific “mean girl.”

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I played tennis as a child and teen, and there was a time when I really and truly wanted to grow up to be just like Jennifer Capriati, the teen tennis sensation of the 80’s/90’s. I think it would be fun to meet her, though I’m not sure what I’d say—maybe I’d confess that she used to be my idol and that I also tried to style my hair like hers. Oh dear, the memories.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Wearing shoes in the home. We have a no-shoes policy in our house (as annoying as it is to some of my best pals—but they understand!)–I just can’t stand the idea of tracking in mud, dirt, germs and whatever was stepped on in the public restroom into the house! Yuck!

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Mothering! But sometimes it makes me really crazy, too. Like today, when my 2 year old dumped orange juice on his brother’s head.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Again, probably a jazz singer/pianist like Diana Krall (I’m a huge fan!). But I’d get stage fright and it would be a huge flop. Better stick with writing.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Integrity. Loyalty. Kindness.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Simple pasta dishes with lots of veggies and Parmesan!

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: So hard to answer this one, as I have so many, but I’ll share the five fave songs that were a huge part of my writing of THE VIOLETS OF MARCH—songs that inspired so many scenes:
*Toshiko by Jessica Williams (a gorgeous piano ballad which is also the backdrop to my book trailer!)
*Until (a song written by Sting, but I adore the versions by Connie Evingson and Stefon Harris)
*Where I Stood, by Missy Higgs (such a thought-provoking and gorgeous song)
*Body and Soul, by Billie Holiday (this song is a personal favorite and also one that was of great importance to the characters in my book)
*The Waters of March, by Susannah McCorkle (this song INSPIRED my book, which—a little history—was originally titled “The Waters of March,” but got a name change before publication!)

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: The list is constantly evolving and changes with the seasons, but these ones definitely come to mind: “The Secret Garden” (such fond memories reading as a child!); “The Little House on the Prairie” series (I loved being in Laura’s world!) and the “Anne of Green Gables” books; Maeve Binchy’s books (too many to list—I love her magical story-telling); “Years of Grace” (the 1931 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel that I read while working with my editor on THE VIOLETS OF MARCH); and most recently “Sarah’s Key,” a book that really moved me.

Talented, creative, and almost ready for anything, Sarah Jio is a debut author to follow on Twitter and become a friend/fan of on Facebook.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away a copy of Jael McHenry’s The Kitchen Daughter in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Jael McHenry and The Kitchen Daughter. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrows post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.

Before, during and after a work-in-progress, a published/debut author has likely read more than a few books on the art and craft of writing. Yet not all motivation or inspiration comes from books on writing, in fact favorite novels are just as likely to be kept close at hand. With this in mind, The Divining Wand asked its authors:

What books do you keep nearby or go back to as you’re working?

And this week the following authors — including Laura Dave, the most recent addition to TDW — replied:

~Claire Cook (Seven Year Switch, Must Love Dogs, Life’s A Beach, and the rest in Bibliography, and Best Staged Plans coming May 31, 2011):

“I think of it as self-medicating with writing books. I keep a pile of them beside me as I write a novel, and flip through them as needed, not really for specific info but for their calming properties. The two I pick up again and again are Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Carolyn See’s Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and other Dreamers.”

~Laura Dave (The Divorce Party, London Is the Best City in America, and The First Husband coming May 12, 2011):

“Slouching Toward Bethlehem, The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, The Feast of Love, The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Everything Changes, Something Borrowed, The Lost Legends of New Jersey and On Writing.”

~ Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy):

“I keep books of poetry by W.B. Yeats, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Mathew Arnold to read when I need beautiful words to inspire me. I always have my online dictionary and reference website open. I consult both, but especially the latter, often throughout the process. For regular reading, I try to keep a good mystery by my side, and if there are none, I will always go back to The Chronicles of Amber* by Roger Zelazny.”

~Rebecca Rasmussen (The Bird Sisters coming April 12, 2011):

“I always keep Mary Oliver’s poems close to me when I’m writing. Sometimes I read a poem or two before I get started on my own work to remind myself to be mindful of my word choice and to enjoy the process even when it is frustrating me. Mary Oliver often celebrates life in her writing, from birds and trees to people and great loves, sometimes losses, which is what I am trying to do in mine.”

~Lori Roy (Bent Road):

“I have a well worn copy of Janet Burroway’s WRITING FICTION A GUIDE TO NARRATIVE CRAFT. The pages are highlighted, paperclipped and flagged with sticky notes. I also have several novels from favorite writers that I will open at random and read from whenever I find myself stuck.”

~Leah Stewart (Husband and Wife, The Myth of You and Me, Body of a Girl):

“It depends on the book I’m writing. For my last, because it was first person and relationship-driven, I kept looking at Nick Hornby’s HIGH FIDELITY, Curtis Sittenfeld’s PREP, and Richard Ford’s THE SPORTSWRITER.”

Announcement: The winner of Friendship Bread by Darien Gee is Janel. Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and your book will be sent out promptly.

Following the success of her national bestseller The Wednesday Sisters, Meg Waite Clayton returns with another tale of friendship in The Four Ms. Bradwells available in local bookstores and at online retailers now.

A Literary Guild Book Club Fiction Selection
 and A Mystery Guild Selection, the book’s one sentence description promises: A page-turning novel that explores the secrets we keep, even from those closest to us, and celebrates the enduring power of friendship.

And its early Praise confirms:

“This is a stirring and compelling novel about women’s changing roles.” –-Booklist

“Fans of Elizabeth Noble, Ann Hood, Elin Hilderbrand, and other luminaries of female friendship fiction will find much to captivate them.”–Library Journal

“An exquisitely written novel about the heartbreaking and heartwarming moments of life and friendship and everything in between, The Four Ms. Bradwells will resonate with you long after you’ve turned the final page on these wonderful women. Don’t miss a second of their journey.”—Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of Time of My Life and The One That I Want

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of The Four Ms. Bradwells for Monday, April 18, 2011 but, in the meantime, let’s meet the author through her “official” bio:

Meg Waite Clayton is the author of the national bestseller, THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS, THE LANGUAGE OF LIGHT, which was a Bellwether Prize finalist, and the forthcoming THE FOUR MS. BRADWELLS (Ballantine, March 2011). She’s also hosts the blog, 1st Books: Stories of How Writers Get Started, which features award-winning and bestselling authors sharing stories about their paths to writing and publishing. Her short stories and essays have been read on public radio and have appeared in commercial and literary magazines. She’s a graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan Law School, and lives with her family in Palo Alto, California.

Now, for the upclose and personal profile, as Meg reveals:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Living the dream with family, books, and pen

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”— Eleanor Roosevelt

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: A warm manuscript

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Losing one of my sons

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Somewhere I’ve never been before. Top choice at the moment: Iguazu Falls

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: Identify? I’m not admitting that!

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: I’m going to narrow the field to living writers, and say Harper Lee.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: “anyway” in speach. “and” in writing

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: Singing

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: My sons – can they count as an achievement? They are both amazing, but I suppose I can’t claim all the credit for them. So if not them, then my books

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: Oh, just name any one of the seven deady sins!

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: (running though the seven virtues, which admittedly I had to google first: Prudence? Not so much. Restraint? Ha!)
I’m probably not bad at love, although perhaps that’s cheating. It’s easy to love back, given all the love I get.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: That Mac had to propose seven times before I said yes. What was I thinking?!

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: A novelist.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: Freckles. If I spend too much time in the sun, they start to run together so that my face looks dirty. Seriously.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Dorothea Brooke from Middlemarch

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Lucy Steele from Sense and Sensibility

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I had the great thrill of meeting the athlete I most wanted to meet – Joan Benoit Samuelson (winner of the gold medal in the first women’s Olympic marathon) – at a breakfast the day before a half marathon we both ran a few months after The Wednesday Sisters released. I’m afraid I stammered something incomprehensible.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: selfishness

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Can I say this one in polite company?

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Again, that would be novelist. Pinch me!

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Generosity of Spirit
Intelligence
Thoughtfulness

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Extra Dark Chocolate

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: And So it Goes by Billy Joel, when sang by my son Nick.

I could list four others, but they would be such distant seconds…

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Middlemarch by George Eliot
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

A believer in the power of women and the value of friendship, Meg Waite Clayton is an author to learn from by following her on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away a copy of Darien Gee’s Friendship Bread in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Darien Gee and Friendship Bread. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.

Before, during and after a work-in-progress, a published/debut author has likely read more than a few books on the art and craft of writing. Whether it’s for motivation or inspiration, favorites must exist to be read and reread whenever the need arises. With this thought in mind, The Divining Wand asked its authors:

What books do you keep nearby or go back to as you’re working?

And this week the following authors replied:

~Robin Antalek (The Summer We Fell Apart):

“While I admire so many great writers whose books grace the shelves in my office, I cannot read or refer to fiction while I am deep into my own fictional world. As a matter of fact I have an occupational short attention span for reading anything while I am writing. Instead I would say I use visual stimulus. I find the works of the photographer Sally Mann, Tina Barney, Diane Arbus, the paintings of Alice Neel, Lucien Freud and John Currin, among many, many others to be so inspiring. For me, looking at these works is actually a different kind of “fiction” there are so many stories hidden in the pictures.”

~James King (Bill Warrington’s Last Chance):

“The Forest for the Trees” by Betsy Lerner
“Coaching the Artist Within” by Eric Maisel
“Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Browne & King (no relation)
“Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott

~Catherine McKenzie (Arranged, Spin):

“I re-read Jane Austen at least once a year. The Harry Potter series too. If I need something gently, I might re-read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books or the Anne of Green Gables books. I wouldn’t say I go back to them necessarily, they are just constantly in my life.”

~Camille Noe Pagan (The Art of Forgetting coming June 9, 2011):

“For general writing advice and inspiration, I love Stephen King’s “On Writing”. To see how smart humor can be done right, I go to Lorrie Moore’s short stories (“Like Life” is a favorite). But the one book I return to again and again–both when I’m writing and when I’m not–is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Prodigal Summer”. For me, it’s the whole package: great dialogue, amazing description and, most importantly, a wonderful story with the perfect blend of tragedy and triumph.”

~Melissa Senate (The Love Goddess’ Cooking School, The Mosts YA, The Secret of Joy, the rest in Bibliography):

“I constantly reread four on the craft of writing: Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott; On Writing by Stephen King; Making A Literary Life by Carolyn See; Escaping Into The Open by Elizabeth Berg. I love craft books. Not so much for the exercises or how-to, but for the comfort, the yes, this is hard.”

~Wendy Tokunaga (Midori By Moonlight, Love in Translation):

“Since I’ve been busy doing teaching and manuscript consulting, I’m tending to have a lot of craft-of-writing books on my desk, which are always helpful to consult, whether it’s for my students, clients or myself. Some of my recent favorites are: “Hooked” by Les Edgerton, “The Modern Library’s Writer’s Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction” by Stephen Koch, “The Making of a Story” by Alice LaPlante and the classic “bird by bird” by Anne Lamott.”

To be continued….

Announcement: Happy Debut Day to Lori Roy and Bent Road!

AND

With a major thank you to Rebecca Rasmussen’s publisher, Crown, there are now two copies of The Bird Sisters for the Giveaway. The winners are Jennifer Gravely and Hira H. (Enamored Soul). Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and one book will be sent out promptly, while the other book will be Pre-ordered for its release on Tuesday, April 12th.

Skilled amateur cook and creatively talented writer Jael McHenrty combines Julie & Julia with Jodi Picoult in her debut novel, The Kitchen Daughter to be released on April 12, 2011.

In a one sentence description:

The Kitchen Daughter is about a woman who discovers she can invoke ghosts by cooking from dead people’s recipes.


And the critical reviews prove the book a literary feast:

“Skillfully rendered from Ginny’s point of view, McHenry’s debut novel is a touching tale about loss and grief, love and acceptance.” — Kirkus Reviews

“McHenry’s debut novel is a sensitive and realistic portrait of someone living with Asperger’s. Readers looking for good family-themed women’s fiction will enjoy this novel, and the magical element of the cooking ghosts will appeal to fans of Sarah Addison Allen.” — Library Journal

“…an intelligent and moving account of an intriguing heroine’s belated battle to find herself.” — Publishers Weekly

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of The Kitchen Daughter for Monday, April 11, 2011 but, in the meantime, let’s meet the author through her “official” bio:

Jael McHenry is a talented and enthusiastic amateur cook who blogs about food and cooking at the SIMMER blog. She is a monthly pop culture columnist and Editor-in-Chief of Intrepid Media. Her work has appeared in publications such as the North American Review, Indiana Review, and the Graduate Review at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She lives in New York City.

Now it’s time to look beyond all that and get to know Jael, upclose and personal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: A small town girl, citified along the way.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: “To be calm is the highest achievement of the self.” I read it on a teabag.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: I wouldn’t – I don’t want to jinx anything!

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Just the run-of-the-mill stuff – car accidents, roller coasters.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: On a beach chair in Lanai, Hawaii, overlooking the ocean. Reading.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: You’ve heard the saying “Well-behaved women rarely make history?” I’m really well-behaved, so the people I identify with, we’ve never heard of them.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: My mother.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: No one who is actually cool uses the word “cool” as much as I do.

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: I’ve always wished I could run.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: In college I was on “Jeopardy!” – I didn’t win, but I made a killing in consolation prizes.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: Constant and insidious overthinking.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: I want everyone to be happy.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: That we only get one go at life, since there are so many fascinating and amazing things to do with it.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: I kind of like being me!

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: Apparently I don’t have one – people always tell me I remind them of someone else they know.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Westley from The Princess Bride.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Also from The Princess Bride: Prince Humperdinck.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I hardly know any athletes – I’d probably want to meet the two Harlem Globetrotters who were on “The Amazing Race”, Flight Time and Big Easy, just to talk about what their experience racing around the world was like.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: When someone walking too close behind me steps on the back of my heel. It drives me NUTS.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Cooking.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Supermodel. (I could never constrain my eating enough to maintain a model’s weight, but you did say “fantasy.”)

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Kindness, humor, respect.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Toasted everything bagels with butter.

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors by Moxy Fruvous
Vampires in Blue Dresses by Margot & the Nuclear So-and-Sos
Fast As You Can by Fiona Apple
Shipbuilding by Elvis Costello
Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: Lady Oracle and Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
All About Braising by Molly Stevens

Incredibly creative and engaging, Jael McHenry is a new author to follow on Twiter, become a fan of on Facebook, and be a regular visitor to her SIMMER Blog.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Rebecca Rasmussen’s The Bird Sisters in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Rebecca Rasmussen and The Bird Sisters. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.

At one time or another, before as well as during her/his writing career, a published author has likely read more than a few books on the art and craft of writing. Whether it’s for motivation or inspiration, favorites must exist to be read and reread whenever the need arises. With this thought in mind, The Divining Wand asked its authors:

What books do you keep nearby or go back to as you’re working?

And this week the following authors replied:

~Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, Children of the Waters):

“Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott, Story by Robert McKee, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.”

~Therese Fowler (Souvenir, Reunion, and Exposure coming May 3, 2011):

“I like to read John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist every now and then, along with Stephen King’s On Writing. They’re conversant and inspirational. I like Francine Prose’s Reading Like a Writer, Anne Bernays’ What If?, and Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway. Then there are the novels that I pull from the shelves when I need to remember what gorgeous writing looks like–we all need role models, after all: Bel Canto by Anne Patchett is a favorite.”

~Ann Wertz Garvin (On Maggie’s Watch):

“It changes. I fall in love with authors every week. I’m in no way a monogamous reader. I’d hate to be my reader girlfriend because I could never commit. So sometimes I read Erma Bombeck, Nora Ephron, Elizabeth Berg and other days it’s Jackie Mitchard, Jane Hamiliton, Elizabeth Strout. I use books to get permission for oddities in my writing. Since grammar and punctuation is often beyond me (my spell check program is so totally superior and snarky), I like to get the nod from authors who take liberties with language.”

~Sarah Jio (The Violets of March coming April 26, 2011):

“For fiction, nada. I rely on my brain and sometimes good ol’ Google to check a fact. (Though when I’m researching a new book (or even just a book idea), I try to get my hands on every relevant book I can find on my subject/time period. This is the fun part! For instance, recently, I have been researching the 1920’s and loving the book “Flapper,” for a new novel I’m working on). But when I’m doing a magazine story, I’m always referring to the latest and newest nonfiction books—self-help, diet, fitness, etc. I have a huge stack of these books on my desk at any given moment.”

~Caroline Leavtitt (Pictures of You, Girls in Trouble, Coming Back to Me, the rest in Bibliography):

“John Truby, The Anatomy of Story. Brilliant structural advice.”

~Kristina McMorris (Letters From Home):

“When it comes to an author’s voice, I connect most with Jodi Picoult. Her lyricism, analogies, and often simple statements that convey profound beauty are a great inspiration, specifically whenever I find myself struggling to write after being away from a manuscript too long. And the opening sentences of her novels? Wowsers. I dare any reader to stop after reading only the first line.”

To be continued….

Announcement: The winner of Bent Road by Lori Roy is karenk. Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and your book will be Pre-ordered for its release one week from today.

When Darien Gee was about to publish her first novel, her husband– Darrien Gee — was also releasing his first nonfiction golf book. Although their two genres were miles apart, to avoid any confusion Darien took the pen name of Mia King and became the author of Good Things, Sweet Life, and Table Manners. That was then and this is now, specifically April 5, 2011 when the first Darien Gee novel Friendship Bread will be released.

Although brief and simple, this one sentence best describes the novel: An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.

Even the following early praise offers a taste of the story:

“As comforting, warm and delicious as a slice of freshly-baked friendship bread.”— Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Promises to Keep

“The wonderful characters in Friendship Bread face life-changing adversity of the sort that either brings us down or transforms us into better people. Darien Gee has a writer’s heart and a baker’s sense of mixing it all just right. The result is a book you will read over and over.”—Nancy Pickard, New York Times bestselling author of The Scent of Rain and Lightning

“Deliciously entertaining! You’ll root all the way as these characters stumble toward forgiveness, understanding, and, ultimately, celebration. A perfect book club selection, Friendship Bread is a treat worth sharing with all the women in your life.”—Kate Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Friday Night Knitting Club

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of Friendship Bread for Monday, April 4, 2011 but, in the meantime, let’s meet the author through her “official: bio:

Darien Gee is an author, wife, and mother of three. She’s a Libra Monkey, a chocoholic, and of late, an Amish Friendship Bread addict. A former California resident, Darien served on the board of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and ZYZZYVA, an award-winning literary journal. She’s an alum of Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Her next Avalon novel, Memory Keeping, will be published in 2012 by Ballantine Books.

And now let’s get to know Darien, upclose and personal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Learning more and more about myself every day.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Do the things that bring you joy, and let go of the things that don’t.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Being true to yourself and feeling good about it—no guilt, no anxiety, no second guessing, no explaining.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Fear. Fear has a way of turning you upside down, of making you stop listening to yourself. It is, both figuratively and literally, a killer.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Let’s see … I live in the rolling green hills of a beautiful tropical island in the middle of the Pacific with a husband and three children I love and who love me … I think I’m good! But if pressed, well, France or Italy would be runner-ups, provided I have my gang with me.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases
A: Really? Seriously? No, really?

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: I’d love to be musically gifted with a gorgeous singing voice and the ability to play guitar and piano.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: I had a home birth after a cesarean. I’m such a wimp when it comes to pain that I never thought I’d consider this option, much less go through with it. But I did, and it was an incredible experience.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: I don’t say no when I should.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: My intuition.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: When I get into other people’s business. There’s always a tendency to render an opinion or get involved in a situation that you may have strong feelings about, but it really has nothing to do with you. If anything it just makes things worse—you think you’re helping, but you’re really not.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: I’m told I talk fast and have a lot of energy.

Q: Who is a favorite fictional hero?
A: For me, every protagonist is a hero whenever they overcome odds and have a stronger sense of themselves by the end of the book. I just finished Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman—CeeCee is a wonderful, sweet character that you root for all the way.

Q: Who is a favorite fictional villain?
A: General Woundwort from Richard Adams’ wonderful novel, Watership Down.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: Tiger Woods. Was it worth it?

Q : What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Overflowing laundry hampers. It’s just not right.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Homeschooling my kids or possibly starting up another business. I’m an entrepreneur at heart.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Movie producer.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Kindness, compassion, intelligence.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Kale. But I’d have to have access to olive oil and an oven, too.

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: I’m always changing so my tastes are always changing. Here’s what I’ve been listening to the past year:

Begin Again by Colbie Caillat
Bottle it Up by Sara Bareilles
I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
Never Know by Jack Johnson
Somewhere over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Q: What are your 5 favorite books?
A: I’m always changing so my tastes are always changing—even favorite classics move to the back burner from time to time. I’m happy to crack open any of the following books, anywhere in the book:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Friendship Bread is more than a novel, discover what Darien is planning by following on Twitter, becoming a fan on Facebook, and a friend at the Friendship Bread Kitchen.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Lori Roy’s Bent Road in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Lori Roy and Bent Road. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.