My RRBC Spotlight Tour

I just completed a blog tour organized by the Rave Reviews Book Club.  This is a group of indie authors who have come together for community and mutual support.  Every month, active members have a chance to be chosen to be highlighted by the club in a number of ways (Spotlight Author, Members of the Month, Book of the Month, Member of the Week, etc.).  The choice is based largely on the quality of support you provide to your fellow members,  so the more you put into helping others, the more you get out of participating in the club.

The tour was a blast.  My hosts were lovely and generous.  They gave me a chance to share about my life, my process, and my work.  I got a nice uptick in sales as well as a chance to strengthen my online presence by being featured in so many different blogs.  Additionally, it was gratifying and heartwarming to get to know some of my fellow writers via our discussions of my posts.  I was also thrilled to be interviewed by the inimitable Bill Ward on the Rave Waves Internet radio channel.

I encourage you to check out my posts and interview, as well as the Rave Reviews Book Club itself.  I've had great fun since I joined at the beginning of 2016, and I've learned a great deal from my fellow members.

Book Review: The One Discovered by Yvette Calleiro

This YA fantasy novel follows the awakening of high school senior Sofia, who discovers that she is not the normal teenage human she always thought she was.  Half-brothers Angel and Ar’ch turn up in her small town, and all heck breaks loose.  They are on a mission to bring Sofia and her mother home, so that Sofia can save their people, the Diasodz. Naturally, some evil forces have a real problem with that plan.

I found Sofia to be a relatable, true-to-life, and interesting protagonist. I thought her relationship with her mother was touching and realistic. I appreciated the sensitivity that the issues of adoption, egg donation, and surrogacy were explored, specifically with how the author highlighted Angel's healthy, honest upbringing as compared to the unhealthy secret-keeping in Sofia's family.

Overall, the story is well-written and the characters sympathetic.  The pacing is good, and the ending sets you up to want to read the next installment.  The descriptions are effective, and the author reveals just enough information about the Diasodz to pique your curiosity, much like Ar’ch arouses Sofia’s own curiosity.  I will definitely be reading the sequels.

RRBC Recruitment: My Responsibility as a Writer

Today is Recruitment Day for one of the author groups to which I belong, the Rave Reviews Book Club.  It's a great group if you're looking for some marketing and learning opportunities and you're willing to help out your fellow authors.  The theme this time around is "My Responsibility as a Writer."

It should go without saying, but my first responsibility as a writer is to write good stuff; that means you need both good ideas and good execution.  One without the other is pretty pointless.

I also feel an obligation for my books to have some socially redeeming value.  I write supernatural fantasy at the moment.  I'm not ashamed to say that it is escapism at its finest.  Even so, I try to say a few things about life in the course of the adventure.  I include characters that are gay, lesbian, and bisexual, and I make them real people, not caricatures consigned to serving only as villains.  I include people of color as well as biracial individuals, and they aren't just there to be the first people to die.  Representation matters.  It matters to people of color to see themselves represented in stories.  It matters that most pop culture is often white people from cover to cover.  Diversity enriches the reading experience for everyone.  It teaches empathy and an appreciation for what makes America great.  It isn't tokenism to believe that the default race of every character needn't be white.

I feel that one more responsibility that I have as an author is to promote reading and literature in general.  One way I do this is by promoting my fellow writers.  RRBC is a great place to do that.

So, writers and readers, I recommend you give the Rave Reviews Book Club a glance.  You might like what you find.  Tell them I sent you.  ;-)

My Happy Hysterectomy

When you have gynecological problems severe enough that you start googling things like "hysterectomy," you quickly find that the internet is a wast expanse of horror stories.  There is an endless supply of women who feel like they have ruined their lives by removing their misbehaving uterus and/or ovaries.  You find yourself reading one tale of woe after another.  You find people who make surgical menopause sound like a curse from the devil himself: warping your personality, ruining your sleep, and killing your sex life.  You'll find whole groups devoted to keeping women "whole."

Well, I'm here to tell you that I am perfectly fine with my total hysterectomy and oophorectomy.  Thrilled, even.  Delighted.  Relieved.  Happy.  You get the picture.

I had the trifecta: uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and recurring complex ovarian cysts.  The fibroids made me severely anemic.  The cysts would twist and bleed, sending me to the emergency room in agony in the middle of the night.  All of them conspired together to make my periods a nightmare of pain punctuated by rivers of blood to rival the book of Exodus.

Now, I could have been more conservative in treating these problems once they were finally diagnosed.  I could have had the cysts surgically removed for biopsy, saved some ovary, kept the uterus.  I could have treated with hormones and prayed that would be enough, and if I had been interested in preserving fertility, that would have been the way to go.  But our family is complete, and I was weary of managing problems that could possibly be eliminated with surgery.  I didn't want this all to continue hanging over my head, leading to future suffering and future surgery down the line.

So, at 36 years old, I decided to get rid of the whole shebang.

And I am totally fine.  I'm better than fine.  I feel better than I've felt in ages.  I certainly feel more "whole" than I did with garbage organs junking up my abdominal cavity with blood and inflammation all the damn time.  And I've been lucky that my estrogen patch works like gangbusters: no mood swings, nor hot flashes, nor insomnia.  I haven't gained so much as a pound.  I don't feel like less of a woman.  None of the dire things I read about have some to pass.  I am perfectly happy with my decision.

Would your surgery go as well as mine did?  Who knows?  Only you can decide how to treat your own problems, in light of your own particular situation and desires.  Surgery always has risks and always causes pain, even if you're lucky enough to go the minimally invasive route, as I was.  There is a sense of loss in forever closing the door to childbirth.  That grief is real, and it's something you need to have a plan to process, preferably before you go through with the surgery.  If you lose your ovaries, it might take you time to balance out your hormone replacement with the help of a good doctor.  You may not luck out on the first patch you try like I did.  But please don't let the internet terrify you out of considering surgery if you and your doctor think it will help you.

There are good stories, too, among the Hystersisters.  It's just that most happy people don't bother talking about it on the internet.

Author Profile: Julie Watson

It's my pleasure today to profile New Zealand Author Julie Watson.  Her book Born for Life: A Midwife's Story serves as both memoir and history, detailing both her personal journey as a midwife and a mother of loss and the changes in maternal care that have taken place over the course of her life.  Very well-reviewed, I commend this book to anyone interested in exploring both the miracles and tragedies of childbirth.

From her bio:

"Julie grew up in a small rural town in New Zealand.
She started work in the local maternity annexe on leaving school at the age of sixteen. She met Barry and was happily married until the unexpected death of her second baby at birth. This tragic event in her life led to depression loneliness and despair.
Life was full of challenges and it was during this time that Julie became a Christian. In her late thirties she did her training to become a nurse and a midwife fulfilling a life long dream. 'Born for life' tells her story and she hopes it will encourage others to follow their dreams even with life's difficulties.
Julie has traveled extensively and has worked in several countries around the world, caring for women of different cultures and nationalities. Midwifery continues to be her passion and love."

You can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Moment of Gratitude for Singing in the Car

I was singing along to the car stereo the other day, and I had a revelation: I hadn't enjoyed that simple pleasure in months.  Months, people.  Like, at least six of them.  I've been feeling so cruddy this year that I hadn't even had the energy to sing in the car.

Those of you who know me know how much I love music.  I've been singing in groups and choirs since I was a kid.  But before my surgery, I was so anemic that I couldn't get through a hymn without getting dizzy from shortness of breath.

So, here's to you, Dr. Nguyen, gynecologic surgeon extraordinaire, and thank God for modern medicine.  

Book blogger profile: Patricia Green

Avid readers and indie authors know that book bloggers make the world go round.  Patricia Green is one of those bloggers in the trenches of the internet, helping to highlight the great books that deserve attention.  She wears many hats, serving as an editor, beta reader, and writing coach in addition to being a veteran reviewer.

Her blog, entitled Room with Books, features reviews, naturally, and everything else book-related, from interviews to blog tours.  A faithful member of Rave Reviews Book Club, she's built connections with many independent authors.

If you're a lover of the written word, stop by her site, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.  Happy reading!