My Kitchen During Radio Interviews

Last week, I had two back-to-back radio interviews about Amish Peace. One live, one for podcast. This is what my kitchen counter looked like during those interviews:



The radio hosts are sent a Q&A sheet, plus bio info, plus a copy of the book for the interview. Being slightly neurotic, I wrote out answers to all of those questions, plus every other possible question under the sun, plus looked for stats and facts. Just in case they asked.

One host went right down the Q&A list. The other one made up his own Q's. Kind of odd ones, like "Do the Amish bathe?"

Sigh.

The first minute or so of the interview is painful--getting used to the host's style, awkward pauses, discovering with horror that blocking Call Waiting didn't work (Grrr! I hate that blocking thing! Sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't!). But once the interview gets underway, a rhythm gets rolling and it's really kind of fun.

Sort of.

When it's all over...I do the happy dance! And then feel like a popped balloon for the rest of the day.

Audio book now available

Beginning work on a new book is such an adrenaline rush. And then when the river ceases to surge, the realization of all the work before you slams you upside the head. A new emotion raises its fretful head. It's called anxiety.

Ironically, the new book creating such frazzled feelings is about dealing with stress. Maybe I'll be able to write a few new chapters based on the experience of actually writing the book. Kind of like singing a song about singing a song.

Anyway, the good news this week is the digital completion of my inspirational historical novel, The Distant Shore. A local actress and producer delivered an outstanding narration, bringing the characters to life with appropriate accents and inflections.

It's a wonderfully artistic rendition of the true story of young Emma-Lee Palmer, mysteriously banished from her family to an island in 1905. While there, she discovers a dark family secret and comes face to face with her worst fears in a life-or-death showdown of faith.

I'm so thrilled that The Distant Shore is now available on CD or MP3 (through my website www.DeboraCoty.com) and hope to make the sequel, Billowing Sails, available soon.

There's just something about hearing your story read aloud that brings chill bumps to your arms and a lump to your throat.

Finkelstein and Jesus

This story was sent to me by my friend Linda:

Jesus was wandering around Jerusalem when he decided that he really needed a new robe.

After looking around for a while, he saw a sign for Finkelstein, the Tailor..

So, he went in and made the necessary arrangements to have Finkelstein prepare a new robe for him.. A few days later, when the robe was finished, Jesus tried it on -- and it was a perfect fit!

He asked how much he owed.

Finkelstein brushed him off: "No, no, no, for the Son of God there's no charge!

However, may I ask for a small favor. Whenever you give a sermon, perhaps you could just mention that your nice new robe was made by Finkelstein, the Tailor?"

Jesus readily agreed and as promised, extolled the virtues of his Finkelstein robe whenever he spoke to the masses.

A few months later, while Jesus was again walking through Jerusalem , he happened to walk past Finkelstein's shop and noted a huge line of people waiting for Finkelstein's robes.

He pushed his way through the crowd to speak to him and as soon as Finkelstein spotted him he said: "Jesus, Jesus, look what you've done for my business!

Would you consider a partnership?"

"Certainly," replied Jesus.

"Jesus & Finkelstein it is."

"Oh, no, no," said Finkelstein.

"Finkelstein & Jesus. After all, I am the craftsman."

The two of them debated this for some time.

Their discussion was long and spirited, but ultimately fruitful -- and they finally came up with a mutually acceptable compromise.. A few days later, the new sign went up over Finkelstein's shop:

This and That

I'm so excited for Suzanne with her release of Amish Peace - it's a wonderful, seep-beneath-your-skin-and-change-you kind of book. And I mean change from the inside out. The only real kind.

Lots of people are seeking peace in our crazy, mixed-up world today. Just today my agent and I agreed on the theme for my next book should be coping with stress. It seems like everyone everywhere is trying to deal with an underlying tension, a stress not visible, but there nonetheless.

Perhaps it's the economy, the loss of jobs, the increase of fear and uncertainty about things we felt so positive about just last year. It's a strange time, all right.

I'm busy gearing up for the Florida Inspirational Writers Retreat coming up November 14. I co-founded this great little one-day writing retreat and we had wonderful feedback from last year's retreat - the debut year. We're hoping for double the participation this year and are planning very exciting guest speakers - maybe we can coerce Suzanne to come to Florida to be our keynote speaker next year!

If you'd like more into on the FIWR, please visit my website, www.DeboraCoty.com.

Happy Release Day!

Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World is officially released today!

Off to a running start, if I do say so myself!



If...when...you get a chance to read it...I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This book changed me.

For example, yesterday I was having a very non-Amish Peace-like day. Something important I was working on fell apart and fizzled to a death...and I was distracted and bothered all afternoon.

More than a little ironic on the release-eve of my book about peace!

So I took a long walk and tried to puzzle out why I felt so distressed. Two important questions came to mind:

Where was my focus? (On myself...not on God)

What was the simpler solution?

Answering those questions actually helped me to let go of the frustration I'd been feeling. That's the kind of "takeaway value" in the book, even for the one who wrote it!

Then I woke up this morning to an e-mail with disappointing news about another project. This time, though, I shook it off.

Release date or no release date, life just keeps truckin' on. Know what I mean?

Mini-Articles for Media

This article was written by bestselling author Tricia Goyer.

The more I try to market my books, the more I understand that success comes when I make it EASY for the media. With the help of my publisher, I send interview questions, photos, blurbs about the book, endorsements ... anything that will make it easy for them to promote me.

Recently, I also learned the value of writing short articles to mail out as press releases. When writing them consider: 1. length (short), 2. advice (helpful), and 3. material (timely). Here's a sample of one I sent for Valentine's Day!

Five unique marriage challenges faced by Gen Xers and how to tackle them! 1. Gen Xers saw more divorces than successful marriages. The divorce rate doubled between 1965-1977 and Gen Xers were the victims. 40% of us spent time in a single-family home before age 16. We grew up in families with step-moms and half-siblings and living every other weekend with a different parent and faced the loneliness and alienation of our splintered families. As married adults, Gen Xers can meet their spouse’s need by speaking encouraging words, which are like gold stars to a Gen Xer’s heart … and by never using the D-word. As author Madeleine L’Engle once said, “There are a lot of marriages today that break up just at the point where they could mature and deepen.”

2. Without role models, many GenXers turned to music, movies and television for examples of healthy relationships. Now, we often we model our relationships after television sitcoms. We are good at quick comebacks and sassy remarks, without taking time to consider the other person’s heart. We also want our problems wrapped up in thirty minutes or less! Instead, Gen Xers need to understand that unrealistic expectations can hurt our relationships. We also need to treat out spouses with honor and respect, even when we don’t feel like they deserve it.

3. Our teen relationships were intense and often included sexuality, leading to intense breakups and the resulting baggage. By the time many GenXers walked down the isle, they’d experienced several “pretend-marriages.” Spouses can break free from these bonds when we realize the truth about love, the truth about emotions, and the truth about intimacy. It’s knowing that what we had in the past wasn’t love … and emotions don’t rule. True intimacy is choosing to share our hearts and our struggles with the one we’re committed to for life.

4. Gen Xers were starved for quality time, so they appreciate balance. Doing too much stresses us out. The first thing Gen Xers need to do is realize the impact of our faced-pace lives, and then make plans for peace. It’s cutting out things that won’t matter ten years from now and focusing on the things that will.

5. Gen Xers were labeled the “slackers” and the “grunge” generation. The generations before didn’t think we’d amount to much. Because of this, Gen Xers strive hard to prove themselves. We aren’t content just “living life,” we want to reach our full potential. Spouses can encourage each other to follow their heart dreams. This starts with asking your spouse out his/her dreams, then offering encouragement and support! Contributed by Tricia Goyer, author of Generation NeXt Marriage

The good, the bad, and the insane.

It was a week of near disasters and glorious victories. Pits and peaks Mountain tops and sink holes. Typical writers' terrain.

Pit: After driving 4 hours to speak to a writer's group, I noticed the sky was getting ominously dark. Three miles from the venue, the torrents broke loose. With nowhere to park near the appointed building, I was forced to run through the downpour with my dinner plate-sized umbrella (which the wind turned inside out almost immediately) in my dry clean only suit and heels.

The wide expanse of parking lot? Well, to quote a famous title, a river ran through it.

As I traversed the first ankle-deep puddle, I watched helplessly as my box of books perched atop the wheeled suitcase carrying my presentation materials tipped - in slow motion - and descended to the wet earth. My books, my precious slaved-over, paid-for books that could not be returned, scattered far and wide as the deluge did it's best to ruin as many as possible.

At least my tears blended in with the rain and tendrils of hair dripping down my face.

Only 5 people braved the elements to attend.

Peak: Two days later, my hometown Tea Tasting/Book Signing at a lovely Tea Room was a smashing success. sunny skies, gorgeous surroundings, lots of old friends to hug, a delicious lunch, and more than 80 books sold.

Pit: My long anticipated first nationally broadcast interview on NBC was preempted by a dog food commercial. After notifying hundreds of local fans to tune in or tape the Daytime show on our local affiliate, WFLA, Spouse and I watched with bated breath for the entire hour and . . . no Mom Needs Chocolate interview. So deflating.

Frantic calls to my publicist followed, then her queries to the show's producer. What happened?

It turns out the segment containing my spot was sold to an advertiser (money, of course, trumps everything else) locally, so the interview aired all over the rest of the country, just not on our Tampa affiliate. Most embarrassing for me and difficult to explain to the fine folks who came home from work, flipped on the recorded show, and watched the whole hour expecting to see me. I was bummed all day.

Peak: A wonderful hour-long radio interview with WMMK Talk Radio. Yay! Redemption!

Pit: My agent isn't crazy about the title or content of the new book I've been slaving over.

Peak: But he wants it anyway. By the end of the week. Yikes!

So there you have it - a typical week in the life of a writer. The good, the bad, and the insane.