Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me - by Jenny Gardiner

My guest today on the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit Lit Blog Tour is Jenny Gardiner, author of the new memoir, Winging It, which is out today from Gallery Books.

Like many new bird owners, Jenny and Scott Gardiner hoped for a smart, talkative, friendly companion. Instead, as they took on the unexpected task of raising a curmudgeonly wild African grey parrot and a newborn, they learned an important lesson: parrothood is way harder than parenthood. Winging It is a hilarious and poignant cautionary tale about two very different types of creatures, thrown together by fate, who learn to make the best of a challenging situation.

A gift from Scott’s brother who was living in Zaire, Graycie arrived scrawny, pissed-off, and missing a lot of her feathers. Every day became a constant game of chicken with a bird that would do anything to ruffle the couple's feathers.

The old adage about not biting the hand that feeds you—literally—never applied to Graycie.

But Jenny and Scott learned to adapt as the family grew to three children, a menagerie of dogs and cats, and, of course, Graycie. Winging It is a laugh-out- loud funny and touching memoir, as Jenny vividly shares the many hazards of parrot ownership, from the endless avian latrine duty and the joyful day the bird learned to mimic the sound of the smoke detector, to multiple ways a beak can pierce human flesh.

Jenny Gardiner first appeared on the GCC tour as the author of the award-winning novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver. Her work has appeared in Ladies Home Journal, and the Washington Post. She writes a column of humorous essays for Charlottesville, Virginia’s newspaper, the Daily Progress.

Jenny lives in central Virginia with her family and took some time out from her busy schedule to answer a few questions...

What was the inspiration behind the writing of Winging It?

Winging It came about because people were always so darned amused at stories about our parrot. We could host a dinner party and spend half the night with people cracking up about the things she says and does. I have a column in our local paper and wrote a piece about her a while back. Readers were so interested in more and that grew into this book!

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?

You have to be really strong and true to yourself to tough it out in this business. And be your own biggest advocate. Publishing is not for the faint of heart. I think any creative venture is subject to the vagaries of subjectivity, so regardless of your ability it takes much more than just that to succeed. Sure, most often, you need to have writing chops (well, not that Pamela Anderson did, but still...). But you must have an unyielding faith in yourself and a whole lot of intestinal fortitude to withstand the rejections and to not take them personally. Because it happens to everyone. And there was a time when once you'd published your first book that meant all of your books got published. Those days are gone now, and most authors need to be content with slight incremental improvements in their career while the publishing industry weathers this economy and the really core-of-the-earth types of paradigm shifts that are happening in the business right now.

Who are the top three writers who have influenced your writing style?

Gene Shepherd (In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash); JD Salinger (Catcher in the Rye); Meg Cabot (just about anything--I love her voice)

What is the elevator pitch for Winging It?

Think David Sedaris meets Marley & Me, with a deadly beak

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

Learn the business. Network, meet people, understand how it all works so that you can figure out how to make sure you can advance. Read what is selling in the market and try to glean what trends are out there. Although don't write to a trend--write what's in your gut, and make it the best it can be. Remember those who are ahead of you in the business who take the time to help you out and remember to be that person when you become successful. It's a very tough business and it's really wonderful to have the kindnesses of others to usher you along as you navigate choppy waters. And believe in yourself. Don't let rejection get you down (easier said that done). If you start to feel your confidence waning, go back and read your best work, and remember that you're doing this because you love to write. And then write as if you love to write.

Get more info at Jenny's website HERE.

And be sure to check out Graycie the Parrot on YouTube and Jenny's video interview.

Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

My guest today on the Girlfirend's CyberCircuit Lit Blog Tour is Hank Phillippi, author of the brand new mystery DRIVE TIME from MIRA Books.

Investigative reporter Charlotte McNally is an expert at keeping things confidential, but suddenly everyone has a secret, and it turns out it may be possible to know too much. Charlie's latest TV scoop--an expose of a dangerous recalled car scam complete with stakeouts, high-speed chases and hidden-camera footage--is ratings gold. But soon that leads her to a brand new and diabolical scheme (incredibly timely!) that could put every driver in danger.

Charlie's personal and professional lives are on a collision course, too. Her fiancé is privy to information about threats at an elite private school that have suddenly turned deadly.

Charlie has never counted on happy endings. But now, just as she's finally starting to believe in second chances, she realizes revenge, extortion and murder might leave her alone again. Or even dead. When everyone has a secret, the real mystery is knowing when to tell.

Award-winning investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan is on the air at Boston's NBC affiliate. Her work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution. Along with her 26 EMMYs, Hank has won dozens of other journalism honors. She's been a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate and an editorial assistant at Rolling Stone Magazine working with Hunter S. Thompson.

Her first mystery, the best-selling PRIME TIME, won the Agatha for Best First Novel. It was also was a double RITA nominee for Best First Book and Best Romantic Suspense Novel, and a Reviewers' Choice Award Winner. FACE TIME and AIR TIME are IMBA bestsellers and the latter has just been nominated for an AGATHA award for Best Novel of 2009. DRIVE TIME earned a starred review from Library Journal. Hank is on the national board of Mystery Writers of America.

Hank stopped by to answer a few questions...

Growing up, did you ever think you’d be an investigative reporter?

Definitely—not. You know, I have a funny juxtaposition of desire to be in the spotlight—and sheer terror of being in the spotlight. I love my job in TV—and have to go live and unrehearsed all the time. Confession: I’m still terrified every time. I want to be perfect, and when you’re on live, you can’t possibly be. That’s one reason why I love investigative reporting—there’s more time to work, and dig, and polish, and produce, It’s like making a little movie, and I can make it as perfect as possible.

Anyway, my sisters and I used to create musical shows when we were all young, and perform for our parents in our backyard. I did acting in high school and college. I wanted to be a DJ on the radio for a long time! But I thought I would be an English teacher, or a lawyer for the Mine Workers union, or for awhile, a political activist.

(My mother, though, says she always knew I would be a television reporter—but I think that was just her way of rationalizing that all I did as a pre-teen and teenager was read books and watch TV.)

I knew from my first Nancy Drew that I loved mysteries. Nancy was my first best friend—I was a geeky unpopular kid, and it was such a relief to go home and hang out with Nancy. She was smart, and made it be okay to be smart. She was confident and inquisitive and resourceful. I loved that. But being a TV reporter was not in my sights. Little did I know!

How did the character of Charlotte ‘Charlie’ McNally come about?

I have NO idea. She was born when I got a weird spam in my email. It was what looked like lines from a play by Shakespeare. I thought--why would someone send a spam like that? And it crossed my mind--maybe it's a secret message.

I still get goose bumps when I think about it. And I knew, after all those years of wanting to write a mystery, that was my plot. And that turned out to be the Agatha-winning PRIME TIME. But Charlie? Well, I knew I had a good story, but who would tell it? A television reporter, of course. And she just instantly popped into my head. Named, fully formed. I knew her perfectly.

The other characters were more difficult to get to know. But now, Charlie surprises me a lot! And I love when that happens.

Is she anything like you? Has she ever done anything you wouldn’t do to get your story?

When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in—when “you” are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery… and I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction. It didn’t really happen.”

 But a couple of things: I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years, and so it would be silly in writing a mystery about TV not to use my own experiences. Think about it—as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it’ll be seen by millions of people! It’s high-stakes and high-stress—literally, people’s lives at stake--and I really wanted to convey that in the books.

 And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can’t say, and reveal things I can’t reveal.) We’re both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs.

But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She’s single—I’m happily married. She’s ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She’s braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

What is your advice to fledgling writers and journalists?

For journalists: Don’t be afraid. Be very afraid. Be scrupulously careful. Think. And think again. Never give up.

For writers? On my bulletin board there are two quotes. One is a Zen saying: “Leap and the net will appear.” To me, that means: Just do it. The other says “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” And I think that’s so wonderful—just have the confidence to carry on. Writing is tough, arduous, not always rewarding in the moment—but no successful author has ever had an easy path. When you hit an obstacle, pat yourself on the back. You’re a writer!

Thanks, Hank, and we wish you continued success with your novels!

Everyone Else's Girl by Megan Crane

My guest today on the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit Lit Blog Tour is Megan Crane, author of Everybody Else's Girl, her critically acclaimed second novel, which is out now in the UK.

Meredith does things for other people. She irons clothes for her boyfriend, she attends her ex-best friend's horrendous hen party for her brother (who's about to marry the girl) and she moves back to her parents' house to look after her dad when his leg is broken. She's a good girl and that matters. But when she gets back home, all is not as Meredith remembered. Especially Scott, that geeky teenager from her old class at school. He's definitely different now. And so, it seems, is she. One by one, her family and old friends start to tell her some home truths and Meredith begins to realise she's not so perfect after all. Maybe it is time she stopped being everyone else's girl and started living for herself...

Praise for Everyone Else’s Girl:

"Megan Crane rules! Cancel your evening plans: You won't want to stop reading until you've devoured every delicious word."
—Meg Cabot

"Amusing, heartfelt and emotionally sophisticated chick-lit." —Kirkus

"Crane prevails with refreshingly real human emotions and reactions. In this book, actions have consequences, and no one gets off easy, despite appearances." —RT BookClub

Megan is a USA Today bestselling author who has written five women’s fiction novels, many work-for-hire young adult novels, and five category romances (under the name Caitlin Crews) since publishing her first book in 2004. Her novel, Frenemies, was a BookSense Notable in July 2007.　She teaches various creative writing classes both online at mediabistro.com and offline at UCLA Extension's prestigious Writers' Program, where she finally utilizes her MA and PhD in English Literature. Megan lives in Los Angeles with her comic book artist/animator husband and too many pets.

Megan took a break from writing and caring for her menagerie and answered some questions...

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?

There is writing, and then there is publishing, and there is only one part of that I can control: the writing.

What are you reading now?

I just finished the latest in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, which is SO GOOD. Wow. I can hardly wait for the next book!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

What's that? "Not writing??" I don't think I know what that is... But when it happens, I like to read some of my towering to-be-read pile.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

Just write. No one can tell your story the way you can, and no one will get to read it until you write it.

Visit Megan at her website here.

And follow her on Twitter here.

The Wishing Star (Nozomi no Hoshi) is Here!

In my new novel, Love in Translation, fledgling singer Celeste Duncan, after receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysterious family heirlooms, is off to Japan to search for a long lost relative who may hold the key to the identity of the father she never new. When Celeste learns to sing a haunting Japanese enka song called “Nozomi no Hoshi (The Wishing Star)” her life changes in ways she never imagined.

Now this fictional song is brought to life. My husband, Manabu Tokunaga, wrote and performed the music (and also produced this video!). I co-wrote the lyrics with Hiro Akashi. Hope you enjoy the music video of the theme song for Love in Translation.

Catch of a Lifetime - by Judi Fennell

My guest today on the Girlfriend's Cybercircuit Lit Blog Tour is Judi Fennell, celebrating the release of Catch of a Lifetime, the latest in her "Mer" series.

About Judi:
Judi Fennell has had her nose in a book and her head in some celestial realm all her life, including those early years when her mom would exhort her to “get outside!” instead of watching Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie. So she did—right into Dad’s hammock with her Nancy Drew books.

These days she’s more likely to have her nose in her laptop and her head (and the rest of her body) at her favorite bookstore, but she’s still reading, whether it be her latest manuscript or friends’ books.

A three-time finalist in online contests, Judi has enjoyed the reader feedback she’s received and would love to hear what you think about her Mer series. Check out her website at www.JudiFennell.com for excerpts, reviews and fun pictures from reader and writer conferences, and the chance to “dive in” to her stories.




Contest
To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com

Judi was kind enough to take time out to answer some questions...

Name three songs that would be perfect for the soundtrack for Catch of a Lifetime.
Come Sail Away because, hey, we're talking mermaids, oceans, sharks and a chase on the waves. Kiss Today Goodbye (from A Chorus Line) because of the tone. When the black moment hits, it's pretty much what Angel does for love. And, Can't Touch This, by M.C. Hammer. Maybe it's because there's a kidnapping shark in the story named Atlantic City Hammer—or A.C. Hammer, for short.

What is the elevator pitch for Catch of a Lifetime?
A Mer princess on a mission to save the planet meets the one Human who could help her do it. Too bad he wants Normal in his life and a mermaid is as far from Normal as he can get.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I wish I knew. LOL. I feel like all I do is write these days. Except when I'm doing mom/taxes/wife/homeowner stuff. I need more hours in the day.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?
Learn your craft and write. Keep writing. Submit your work to contests or critique groups (Charlotte Dillon has a great online critique group that helped me tremendously and several of us formed our own online group from it). Listen to the feedback and if a lot of people are saying the same thing, take a look at it. Don't take feedback personally; you have to pour your heart and should into your story but then let it go and analyze it objectively. Yes, I know, easier said than done. But you have to because, in the end, your story is a product and you need it to be a good one if you want to sell it.

What and where is your favorite restaurant and why is it your favorite?
If I'm not going to Outback Steakhouse, I'm either jonesy-ing for Chinese food (Hunan Chicken) or Olive Garden. But then, I love food (as my waistline will confirm), so pretty much any place is good with me.

Best of luck with the book, Judi!

Writing Meme

A fab friend and wonderful blogger, Mary Witzl of ResidentAlien, invited me to take part in a "writing meme." I'd never heard of it, but found it to be an interview with myself about writing. This was a lot of fun and I'd like to thank Mary for the opportunity. Probably every writer would enjoy taking a break from writing to answer these questions whether for publication or just for herself.

1) What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

I think I have some early drafts of some of the first novels I wrote. I know I have a lot of the agent rejection letters. Ha! The last thing I wrote is the thing I’m working on now: my next novel.

2) Write poetry?

Not poetry, but song lyrics. I’d done this a long time ago and just recently got back into it. I’m writing them in English and Japanese.

3) Angsty poetry?

Nope.

4) Favorite genre of writing?

Novel. I used to write short stories back in the day, but I think it would be difficult to write one now after having the luxury of pages you get with a novel.

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?

Probably Mariko in my latest novel, “Love in Translation.” I don’t find her so annoying, but I know some readers do. Hopefully she is redeemed in their eyes by the end of the book.

6) Best plot you've ever created?

I do feel that plot is my strong point and I owe a lot of that to having studied with Martha Alderson who runs Blockbuster Plots.

7) Coolest plot twist you've ever created?

“Love in Translation” has a few plot twists that I enjoyed putting together.

8) How often do you get writer's block?

I do get it from time to time because I have a hard time writing new material. So when I get like this I usually work on revising another part of the novel. But sometimes I just have to force myself and write something new even though I deem it crappy.

9) Write fan fiction?

No, I’ve never tried, but it would be cool to try my hand at “Mad Men.”

10) Do you type or write by hand?

The most handwriting I can handle now is a signature. I’ve been typing since I was 14 and I adore it.

11) Do you save everything you write?

I try to because you never know when you might want to repurpose content.

12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?

Yes. No idea is a wasted idea.

13) What's your favorite thing you've ever written?

The most recent thing I’ve written.

14) What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?

Hopefully my two novels!

15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

I’ve written romantic scenes and my MFA thesis has a Japanese teen character. As a pop idol singer she goes through lots of angst.

16) What's your favorite setting for your characters?

Japan and San Francisco.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?

Two: a novel and a non-fiction project.

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Yes. I won in the Literary/Mainstream Fiction category in Writer’s Digest’s Best Self-Published Book Awards in 2002 for my novel, “No Kidding.”

19) What are your five favorite words?

check is in the mail

20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?

Celeste Duncan in “Love in Translation.”

21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?
From real life, made up life, and the situations and themes I want to write about.


22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?

No.

23) Do you favor happy endings?

I favor endings that are appropriate for the story.

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

I’m very concerned about spelling. I know basic grammar but the grammar police have often ticketed me for obscure infractions.

25) Does music help you write?

Sometimes. When I’m writing about Japan I like to listen to Japanese music.

26) Quote something you've written.

In Japanese, we call someone who acts like she doesn’t have a brain a bokenasu—a dumb eggplant. And I realize now, after everything that’s happened, that this is a perfect description of me: a stupid vegetable.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

My guest today is Beth Hoffman, debut author of the delightful Southern, coming-of-age novel, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, which will be released on January 12 by Pamela Dorman Books (Viking). Kim Edwards, bestselling author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter says: "CeeCee is a sweet, perceptive girl with a troubled family, and this story of the summer that transforms her life is rich with hard truths and charm. This book unfolds like a lush Southrn garden, blooming with vivid characters, beauty, and surprises."

Beth's journey to publication reads much like a Cinderella story. And I heartily concur with her advice to writers looking to get published.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is your first novel. Can you tell us about your road to publication? How did you get an agent? And how long did it take to find a publisher?

Within a few hours of sending my e-query to Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management in New York, she requested the first three chapters. The following day she asked for the entire manuscript. Two days later my email dinged with a message from Catherine. I was certain the email was a rejection and I didn’t want to open it! But when I did, I was delighted to read Catherine's words—she loved my novel.

Catherine phoned shortly thereafter, and we talked for nearly an hour. I liked her immediately and didn’t even need to take a day or two to think about it—I accepted her offer of representation on the spot. She explained that the publishers were at the Frankfurt Book Fair and that she’d wait to send my manuscript to a few selected editors when they returned to their offices. She sent out the submission the following Monday morning.

On Tuesday Catherine called and told me that several publishers were already interested. Within an hour she called back with a staggering offer from Pamela Dorman (of Viking). It was so exciting that it didn’t seem real.

You were the president and owner of an interior design firm in Ohio before writing your novel. How did you make the leap from CEO to novelist?

During the busiest year of my professional life I developed pneumonia and nearly died of septicemia. While convalescing at home, something inside me shifted, and that’s when the longing to write reemerged. I say reemerged because I had loved to write since I was a little girl and had hoped that one day I might write a novel. But I didn’t see how I could fulfill the demands of my career and write at the same time, so I returned to the design studio.

For several years I secretly waffled back and forth, wondering if I really had what it took to write successfully. Then, in 2004, it was like all the planets lined up and I knew that if I were to going to write a novel, it was now or never. I sold my portion of the design business, went home, and began to write. It’s one of the gutsiest things I’ve ever done.

What was the inspiration behind Saving CeeCee Honeycutt?

When I was nine years old, I had taken a train from Ohio to visit my Great Aunt Mildred who lived in Danville, Kentucky. She picked me up at the station and drove me through town, the whole time talking a mile a minute while I craned my neck to see all the lovely old homes and buildings we were passing. When we arrived at her home and I got out of the car, it was culture shock of the best kind. There I was, a shy little girl from a rural farm area, standing in the shadows of towering trees as I peered up at her massive old Greek revival home. I was awestruck.

Everything I experienced and witnessed during my first visit to the South made quite an impression on me. Add to that my fascination with mother/daughter relationships and eccentric personalities, and I had the solid bones of my novel. And lastly, my love of Southern architecture took me to Savannah, and that’s when I had all the ingredients I needed for CeeCee’s story.

What advice would you give to those looking to get their first novel published?

Edit! Edit until you’ll think you’ll die. We writers become almost blind to the flaws in our manuscripts, and it takes discipline to step out of our writer’s shoes and pick up the proverbial red pencil. But I believe that’s the best thing we can do before submitting a manuscript to a literary agent or publisher.

And, there’s one more thing that makes an enormous difference in the final polishing stage of a manuscript: read it out loud as if you’re standing in front of an audience. By hearing your story, you’ll pick up any bumps that need smoothing, and, you’ll know if the dialog rings true. In my opinion, nothing can help a writer edit a manuscript better than reading it aloud.

Who are some of the writers that have influenced you?

I don’t know if I’d say they influenced me per se, but I have always loved the writings of Reynolds Price and the late Laurie Lee.

What's next for you on the literary horizon?

Though I’m certain I’ll write another Southern novel, the details haven’t yet taken form. As soon as my author tour is behind me I’ll have more time to think and develop a storyline.

I'm a big cat lover. Tell us about your three cats.

Sadly, I recently lost my beloved DeeDee Snow to cancer. It was devastating. So my current furry child count is down to two. Both are males and rescues: I found Bob as a kitten six years ago. I followed his footprints through the snow and discovered him huddled beneath my porch. My husband and I rescued Oreo during an ice storm last winter. And our two boys couldn’t be more opposite.

Bob is a huge, solid black bobtail—weighing in at nearly 20 pounds. He’s a momma’s boy and can be standoffish with strangers. Little Oreo is a tuxedo kitty, and he’s the happiest cat I’ve ever known. For Oreo, every day is magical and he’s not ashamed to up and explode through the house with sheer delight. I think Oreo is so grateful to have a home and be loved that he just doesn’t know what to do next.

What and where is your favorite restaurant and what makes it your favorite?

Before being diagnosed with celiac disease, my absolute favorite restaurant was Barbetta on 46th Street in New York. I adore fine Italian cuisine, and Barbetta’s is out of this world. I’m hopeful that they’ll offer some rice pastas in the future so I can enjoy their fabulous entrees again.

Beth is about to embark on an author tour. Check out her website to see if she'll be making it to your area.

Thanks for stopping by, Beth, and best of luck with the book!