Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

I was excited to get the invitation from Bill Kenower from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association to write about platform for Author Magazine because I know writers struggle with how to keep evolving and growing a platform once they get one started.

Here’s an excerpt from the new article, “Grow For It: Activate & Reactivate Your Perennial Platform Power,” in the June issue of Pacific Northwest Writing Association’s Author Magazine:

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

The one word that best describes a writer’s platform is “process.” Your platform is creative, just as writing is creative. There is a beginning, middle, and an end to a platform project, but there is never an end to your platform progress from the moment it begins until your career is over. However, if you leave a distinct enough legacy, your platform will survive even after you are gone.

The other key word to define platform is “perennial” because your platform is never static. It is always in various stages of being planted, sprouting, blossoming, and then reorganizing itself for the next phase of your career growth.

So what is a writer’s platform? [Read More]

Think of your platform in natural, not supernatural terms, because you are a person, not a storm front. If you think of your platform as an extension of who you are and what you offer, you will enjoy the process of establishing and growing a platform and the platform you establish will have strong, sturdy roots.

Enjoy the article!

And if you like it, feel free to check out some of my other resources on writer platform, Get Known Before The Book Deal, Discover Your Platform Potential, and Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform.

I started working with mom writers long before Writer Mama was born, and I'll keep working with mom writers as long as I can keep inspiring mom writers to greater depths of success.

There is only one place to take writing and publishing classes with Christina Katz and that’s right here, via registration on this website.

In your Internet travels, you may stumble across imitators, but just because someone is offering a class with my book does not mean that you are getting the same experience you would get working with me.

My Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class is a unique experience because I have been cultivating my teaching techniques in this class alone since 2006. Even before I developed WPSS, I had been consistently teaching writers since 2001.

So accept no substitutes, folks. I continue teaching this class because I love inspiring and empowering mom writers. And in seven years of teaching this class I never cease to be amazed by the fresh, integrated ideas of my writer mama students. You might think that everyone would be writing the same stuff, but that never happens because every mom writer is unique.

If you are not a mom writer, I hope you will sign up for my 21 Moments Writing Challenge, which is designed for any writer in any genre. But if you are mom writer and you want to build unstoppable skills, then I hope you will stick with the writer mama.

Here is what students from this past year have to say about taking my Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class.

I was amazed at how much I accomplished and learned in just 6 weeks with WPSS. Worth every penny. Christina’s insight into my writer-self from just emails and my assignments was uncanny – and hugely valuable in figuring out my next steps. ~ Kristin M.

Christina’s freelancing bootcamp kicked my butt and took me to a new level of writing and productivity. I started out feeling inadequate and too intimidated to approach any markets. Then, Christina pushed me through six weeks of the “Short Stuff,” and I saw my work grow stronger. I am a freelance writer now; I have the skills to start submitting, and to represent myself well. ~ Laurie Z.

Take this class! But only if you’re prepared for hard work, honest, critical responses and a sightline toward a promising future. Christina is an empowering instructor who offers solid information, clear examples and precise instruction about how you can better your writing. Her focus is on you: your process, your knowledge and your work. What more could you want? ~ Kara G.

Christina’s class is invaluable for a new writer hoping to get her work out into the world. I would highly recommend it as a way to gain confidence and momentum. It left me excited for the work and that much closer to the writing career I have always envisioned. Thank you! ~ Garen G.

I will be making key updates to all of my classes over the summer to help make them better than ever. Then the next class begins August 21st. See the full fall schedule here.

I hope to work with you then!

I’ve been on something of a creative health kick this year. What I have been focused on is examining the way I treat myself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and the impact this treatment has on my success.

Like everything else, I find that self-help works best when I take it in incremental steps in a positive direction that work with my lifestyle until they become habit.

So here it is summer and I find that I have developed several healthy habits that have made a big impact on my overall health and creativity. I have become more present. I feel more alive and joyful. I appreciate myself more. I feel unconcerned with what others may think of me. And I feel like I am able to prioritize my most important work with satisfaction and without stress.

Here are a few of the habits I have incorporated:

1. Take the best quality supplements I can find

I have been taking one high quality health supplement this year that has made a big difference in my overall health and attitude. This supplement is a only made of food and by taking it, I can rest assured that I am meeting my daily food requirements, which apparently I was not meeting before. This product has improved by overall health and attitude by a mile and I highly recommend it. Then, about 45 days ago, after getting some recommendations from a Whole Foods employee, I added a handful of other supplements to my daily intake and, after a few adjustments, the results have been terrific.

2. Exercise vigorously and regularly

I have been leading Writers On The Move for two years now and I can’t thank the members of this group enough for helping me with exercise accountability. Thanks to Writers On The Move, I work out vigorously for 45 minutes three times a week. Regular exercise is hugely important for sedentary writers. I feel stronger, more flexible, and calmer thanks to regular aerobic and strengthen exercise. And I get to share the road to fitness with hundreds of other writers who are committed to the same thing.

3. Eat Better and healthier

This is always one of my greatest challenges because I like good food a little too much. However, I am definitely eating better than I have in years. Even just the addition of oatmeal for breakfast and brown rice bowls for lunch can be a big healthy eating improvement. And these foods are inexpensive and can save you money on your grocery bill in the long run.

4. Spend more quality time with my immediate family

Writing three books in seven years for Writer’s Digest and then promoting them was a lot of work and travel. So when I was offered the opportunity to submit another book proposal just after The Writer’s Workout was published, I declined.

I love my books and they make great teaching tools for myself and others, but the stress and strain that comes with traditional publishing these days can easily become unmanageable. There are many reasons for this and that’s another blog post, but the good news is that there have never been so many options in writing and publishing as there are now. And because I am exploring them, I get to spend more quality time with my immediate family, which has been beneficial to all of us. There has never been a better time to be a writer, and the range of options available to writers is one of the reasons why.

5. Cut down on stress and sleep better and longer

I used to be the queen of  waking up at four or five am, thanks to my big deadlines and because I am not a fast writer. I love nothing more than writing in a hushed house in the wee hours, but that can’t become a lifestyle without taking a toll on sleep and health. Now that I am doing my own projects, I sleep great and work regular, full-time office hours.

6. Keep up with regular health appointments

One of my least favorite things to do is making time for regular health appointments. So I am happy to report that I am completely up to date. I am just sorry this status doesn’t last longer.

7. Watch Ted.com videos

One of the best things I have done this spring is adding Ted.com videos to my workout time. I can watch two or three videos in the time it takes me to work out and as a result I am thinking more creatively, globally, and sustainably. If you are not thinking these ways, consider watching your choice of Ted.com videos. They span every topic imaginable and are incredibly entertaining and educational.

8. Work on projects I want to work on

I have a long list of exciting projects that I am working on. All of them benefit the world by making the world a more creative, expansive, colorful, playful place to live and work and express yourself. I am thrilled with the projects I am working on and I look forward to many, many more. Stay tuned for ongoing announcements as projects roll out, and not just in e-book form.

9. Make more non-work time for myself

Because I am healthier and more relaxed, I have been able to make more time for myself. Making time for myself is a huge part of refreshing my creative reserves so I can work to my highest capacity. More than this, making time for myself is crucial to my own happiness and feeling of spiritual connection. When I spend time with myself, I align with who I am and why I am here. Nobody else can do this for me, and I’m glad because I love taking time to just be. This balances out the stresses and strains of this busy, busy world that we live in.

10. Dwelling in possibility

Because I am healthy and present, I have greater opportunities to seize the moment. I can both work on projects that are planned and consider all of my possibilities. If you have not felt this way in a while, it may be because stress cancels out this instinct. But part of living the creative life, for me, has always including being able to embrace and explore possibilities and run with good ideas when they come in for a landing. I am open to all my best ideas and I am running with them, and this feels great.

How about you? How is your creative health? Are you taking good care of you? What does taking good care of you mean to you? What healthy habits can you add today? And how might a few new healthy habits benefit you and your family in the long run?

As I write this, I am not yet quite done wrapping up my classes for the academic year, however, things are definitely ratcheting down around here busy-wise, and it sure feels good.

I traveled a lot less this past year, and it really paid off in my productivity at home. I was able to launch a whole new initiative with my 21 Moments Writing Challenges and I’ve started the process of converting my considerable academic teachings into e-books. And of course, the whole time I wrote writing-related and parenting articles, which continue to get regularly published.

I’ve been teaching writers since 2001, and I’ve been coaching women since even earlier than that, and it’s time to get the best of my teachings into e-book and other formats. I am excited about the prospect, even though it involves a considerable amount of work.

So, while it may look like there is not much going on at chez ChristinaKatz.com this summer, don’t be fooled. I spent all year from August until now teaching, coaching, and encouraging writers to take their writing careers to the next level. And this summer, I will be practicing what I preach.

I’ve already started. I have the PDF version of Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit out and it’s going into broader distribution this week.

I have a beta version of The Art of Making Time For Yourself done and up for sale, and it will also be going out for broader distribution soon.

You’ll be hearing from me all summer, as I work hard with my support team to finalize and launch projects. But e-projects and class updates will be my primary focus, so you might not hear much else from me this summer. And then, when fall starts to roll around, you’ll begin to hear from me a whole lot more.

I have big plans for next year. I suppose I always have big plans, but in the future I intend to teach, coach and encourage as many writers as possible in whole new ways that I hope will compel and excite you.

And not just writers, I will also be doing more to encourage and inspire moms and women.

This past year, I have helped expert journalists create and launch thirteen e-books in micro-published form. I have helped many more writers build outstanding, professional platforms than I can count. And I continue to help teams of writers expand and grow expert presence in my Dream Teams.

As I have for many years, I continue to help unpublished writers start writing and get published. And I also help them learn to query and break into higher paying publications over time.

I promoted 42 women authors in May and celebrated their commitment to self-expression and their writing excellence.

I gave out five scholarships and an extra free class that were worth almost 1,800 dollars. I launched a new class in the fall, Become Your Own Imprint, For Micro-publishers. And I have seen a few of my students begin to blossom into the prolific publishers they are.

More than anything, I have taught eager writers how to focus, create and behave in a consistently professional manner. I am darn proud of all of the hard work I have done and the results and benefits that have manifested for others because of my hard work and commitment.

I teach skills that help writers prosper no matter what is happening in the changing publishing climate. It’s hard work, but I love it. And watching my students create and grow makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you, to those of you who worked with me this year. I hope to work with you again soon. Classes and Dream Teams start back up in August. And The 21 Moments Writing Challenge Rounds begin again on September 1st.

The next Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff Scholarship will be posted in this blog in mid-July. Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog via e-mail and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter, so you won’t miss any important updates.

Please register early for classes, Dream Teams, and writing challenges that will be coming back around before we know it!

Have a great summer, everyone!

I was speaking on the phone recently about making time for yourself, when I said that all the smartest choices I had ever made in life had come as a result of taking time for myself.

I was a little surprised to hear myself say this. So, I had to kind of pause and check myself and make sure what I was saying was really true.

Turns out, it is. All of the best decisions I have ever made in my life have come from listening to an inner calling, not an outer one. And that inner calling comes through when I spend time with myself doing the things that I love to do, no matter how simple.

Here come a couple of radical ideas.

Number one, we are living in times of absurd social pressure. And social pressure, or the idea that we need to behave like and in a pleasing manner towards others, is not a good thing. It’s closely linked to people-pleasing and people-pleasing is part of a disease, if you consider co-dependency a disease, which I do.

So, whenever you take time for yourself, you are bucking social pressure that is often telling you that your time would be better spent doing something else for somebody else. In other words, that you should be focused on the happiness of others, not on your own happiness.

Another radical idea that is part of making time for yourself, is the idea that each person has an inner authority and can follow it. I think we have seen some glimpses of this with all of the “find your passion” and “live the life you’ve always dreamed of” type of messages that are coming at us through media messages. But I am not sure that any of this type of rah-rah thinking is really going deep enough.

What’s radical about taking time for yourself is that you make space to connect with your inner authority, which means you are temporarily unplugging from the mania of the masses, whatever that means today, and giving yourself permission to relax.

What’s challenging, at least for me, is that there is a lot of pain, crisis and suffering in the world. And thanks to International media we all know all about it, all the time.

Makes it kinda hard to knock off for the day. Right?

And yet if we don’t take time for ourselves, to rest, relax, and regroup, we often can’t hear what our inner voice is saying. We miss out on the subtle, yet important marching orders that are trying to be heard.

If we don’t take time for ourselves because we can’t risk disappointing others, then we will never take time for ourselves. And then our whole life will become based on “have to” and “should.”

And this is why I write about this topic. I write about it because unplugging from the frantic pace of the human race is necessary for me to know what I really, truly, deeply think and feel.

And knowing how I think and feel and listening to what I need and want is a crucial part of making happy and healthy decisions for myself and my family. For me, making time for myself is an important aspect of being a healthy adult in a world that says that playtime is over once you hit adulthood. Unless you choose to relax in adult-approved, typically expensive, and often not very fun ways.

I do not know an adult who could not benefit from some down time–from spending a little time just the way she wants to spend it.

So, if you haven’t had any time for yourself lately, I encourage you to take some. It is a radical act. And maybe in knowing that, you will be better able to surmount the internal and external challenges that prevent you from taking a little time do whatever it is you really want to do.

Well guys, I was about ready to fall over after this giveaway. Organizing and hosting it is a ton of work on top of an already full writing and teaching schedule.

If you are feeling grateful and you’d like to thank me, supporting my work in the world is the best possible way to do this.

Thanks in advance for your support. I always appreciate it!

As for our giveaway authors, I am sure they would love nothing more for you to thank them by purchasing their books and adding them to your summer reading lists. If you are a winner and you can thank your author directly, I certainly appreciate it.

If you can help them spread the word about their work with a book review or a blog post or even just buzzing their work on social media, any and all support is appreciated.

I enjoy hosting the giveaway because I love supporting women and mom authors. I was blown away by the level of quality and professionalism in the giveaway this year. I feel like we all deserve as much success as can possibly come our way.

What an incredible bunch of creative and hard-working women! Please join me in thanking them by commenting here, if you feel so moved.

Winners will be contacted directly by e-mail. Because of this, I won’t be publishing a round-up of winner names.

Everyone receiving books should have them in hand by the end of June. Please let me know if you do not receive your books by June 30th. And please allow some time for busy, touring authors to get books to you. I know they will just as soon as they can.

Here is the complete list of authors and books one more time:

April 30: Julie Kibler, Calling Me Home LINK (one winner)

May 1. Caroline Grant and Lisa Catherine Harper (editors), The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage: True Tales of Food, Family, and How We Learn to Eat LINK (one winner)

May 2. Nicole Baart, Sleeping In Eden LINK & Amy Hatvany, Heart Like Mine LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 3. Monica Drake, The Stud Book, A Novel LINK (one winner)

May 4. Kerry Cohen, Seeing Ezra, A Mother’s Story Of Autism, Unconditional Love, And The Meaning Of Normal LINK (one winner)

May 5. Christa Hines, Confidently Connected, A Mom’s Guide To A Satisfying Social Life LINK (three winners for three e-books)

May 6. Anita Hughes, Market Street, A Novel LINK & Heather Barbieri, The Cottage At Glass Beach LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 7. Jennifer Margulis, The Business of Baby, What Doctors Don’t Tell You, What Corporations Try to Sell You, and How to Put Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Before Their Bottom Line LINK (one winner)

May 8. Nichole Bernier, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D LINK & Randy Susan Meyers, The Comfort Of Lies LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 9. Gina Barreca, They Used To Call Me Snow White…But I Drifted LINK (one winner)

May 10. Sharon Short, My One Square Inch of Alaska LINK & Amy Nathan, The Glass Wives, A Novel LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 11. Jen Karuza Schile, Captain of Her Crew: The Commercial Fishing Mom’s Guide to Navigating Life at Home LINK (three books for three winners)

May 12. Mother’s Day Multi-book Author: Yona McDonough, A Wedding In Great Neck LINK & The Doll Shop Downstairs LINK, The Cats In The Doll Shop LINK, All The Available Light: A Marilyn Monroe Reader LINK, Eve And Her Sister: Women Of The Old Testament LINK (illustrated by the author’s mother, Malcah Zeldis)

May 13. Lara Krupicka, Family Bucket Lists, Bring More Fun, Adventure & Camaraderie Into Every Day LINK (three e-books for three winners)

May 14. Laura Whitcomb, Under The Light LINK & A Certain Slant Of Light LINK (both books for one winner)

May 15. Krysty Krywko, Late-Onset Hearing Loss, A Parent’s Perspective LINK (three winners for three e-books)

May 16. Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train LINK & Jessica Maria Tuccelli, Glow LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 17. Judy M. Miller, What To Expect From Your Adopted Tween LINK (three winners for three e-books)

May 18. Marci Nault, The Lake House LINK & Barbara Claypole White, The Unfinished Garden LINK (two winners, one for each book)

May 19. Heidi Smith Luedtke, Detachment Parenting, 33 Ways To Keep Your Cool When Kids Melt Down LINK (three copies for three winners)

May 20. Therese Walsh, The Last Will Of Moira Leahy LINK (one copy)

May 21. Kelly James Enger, Writer For Hire LINK, Six-figure Freelancing LINK, and Dollars & Deadlines LINK (all three to one winner)

May 22. Mia March, Finding Colin Firth LINK and The Meryl Streep Movie Club LINK (one winner for both books)

May 23. Cindy Hudson, Book By Book, The Complete Guide To Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs LINK, plus Mother-Daughter Book Club Meeting Planner Guides Collections One LINK and Two LINK, and the Cultural Explorations Collection LINK (one winner for book + e-books)

May 24. Lela Davidson, Blacklisted From The PTA LINK, Who Peed On My Yoga Mat? LINK and Sexy, Smart & Search Engine Friendly LINK (one winner for all two books + one e-book)

May 25. Kathleen McCleary, House And Home LINK and A Simple Thing LINK (one winner for both books)

May 26. Malia Jacobson, Sleep Tight Every Night LINK and Ready, Set, Sleep LINK (three winners for three sets of e-books)

May 27. Erika Robuck, Call Me Zelda LINK and Hemingway’s Girl LINK (one winner for both books)

May 28. Christina Katz, Writer Mama LINK, Get Known Before The Book Deal LINK, and The Writer’s Workout LINK (one winner for all three books) and Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit LINK, Author Mama LINK, and Discover Your Platform Potential LINK (one winner for all books and e-books, I will also throw in a Writer Mama bumper sticker) and a copy of my brand-new e-book, The Art Of Making Time For Yourself LINK.

May 29. Heather Vogel Frederick, Spy Mice: The Black Paw LINK, For Your Paws Only LINK, and Goldwhiskers LINK (one winner for all three books)

May 30. Caroline Leavitt, three copies of Is This Tomorrow LINK (three winners)

May 31. Jennie Shortridge, Love, Water, Memory LINK, When She Flew LINK, Love and Biology At The Center Of The Universe LINK, Eating Heaven LINK, and Riding With The Queen LINK (one winner for all five books)

If you would like to see images of all the books and authors, please visit the giveaway Pinterest page for 2013!

Thank you for participating. Thank you for spreading the word. And thank you for being you.

Welcome to the final day of the 2013 giveaway! I am so pleased to welcome Jennie Shortridge, who is generously sharing her complete body of fiction with one lucky winner. Jenny is on tour now for her latest novel, Love Water Memory, but she took a few moments to share with us what self-expression means to her. Please help me welcome, Jennie!

Introducing Jennie Shortridge

Jennie Shortridge has published five novels: Love Water Memory, When She Flew, Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe, Eating Heaven, and Riding with the Queen. When not writing, teaching writing workshops, or volunteering with kids, Jennie stays busy as a founding member of Seattle7Writers, a collective of Northwest authors devoted both to raising funds for community literacy projects and to raising awareness of Northwest literature. Learn more about Jennie at http://www.jennieshortridge.com.

Learn about Love, Water, Memory from Gallery Books, April 2, 2013

A bittersweet masterpiece filled with longing and hope, Jennie Shortridge’s emotional novel explores the raw, tender complexities of relationships and personal identity.

Who is Lucie Walker? Even Lucie herself can’t answer that question after she comes to, confused and up to her knees in the chilly San Francisco Bay. Back home in Seattle, she adjusts to life with amnesia, growing unsettled by the clues she finds to the selfish, carefully guarded person she used to be. Will she ever fall in love with her handsome, kindhearted fiancé, Grady? Can he devote himself to the vulnerable, easygoing Lucie 2.0, who is so unlike her controlling former self? When Lucie learns that Grady has been hiding some very painful secrets that could change the course of their relationship, she musters the courage to search for the shocking, long-repressed childhood memories that will finally set her free.

Learn about When She Flew from NAL Trade 2009

Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she’s wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.

But then Jess discovers a girl and her father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts—and curses—of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she’s never dared. Because even though she’s used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken…

Learn about Love and Biology At The Center Of The Universe from NAL Trade 2008

Upon learning that her college sweetheart husband has been seeing another woman, Mira Serafino’s once perfect world is shattered and she wants no one, least of all her big Italian family, to know. She takes off—with no destination and little money—heading north until her car breaks down in Seattle. There she takes a job at the offbeat Coffee Shop at the Center of the Universe, where she’ll experience a terrifying but invigorating freedom, and meet someone she’ll come to love: the new Mira.

Learn about Eating Heaven from NAL Trade 2005

Nothing gets Eleanor Samuels’s heart racing like a double scoop of mocha fudge chunk. Sure, the magazine writer may have some issues aside from food, but she isn’t quite ready to face them. Then her beloved Uncle Benny falls ill, and what at first seems scary and daunting becomes a blessing in disguise. Because while she cooks and cares for him-and enjoys a delicious flirtation with a new chef in town-Eleanor begins to uncover some long-buried secrets about her emotionally frayed family and may finally get the chance to become the woman she’s always wanted to be.

Learn about Riding With The Queen from NAL Trade 2003

Take the long way home…

Full of big dreams of the fast life, Tallie Beck hit the road at the age of seventeen to become a rock ’n roll star—and vowed never to look back. Now, at thirty-four, she’s little more than a down-and-out singer who smokes and drinks too much and knows better than to make promises she can’t keep. Dumped by her latest band and low on cash, Tallie has no choice but to go back to Denver. Back to her crazy mother, and her resentful younger sister, Jane, who’s never forgiven her for leaving.

But seeing her family again after all these years stirs something unexpected in Tallie. And after so many miles on that long, exhilarating, scary—and often lonely—road, she’s looking back to trace some wrong turns, and figure out the way to where she really wants to go…

I asked Jennie three questions about our giveaway’s theme topic, self-expression:

1. Is self-expression an important part of your life today, why or why not?

Self expression has always been a big part of my life, in one way or another. I’ve written stories and poems since childhood, and drawn pictures. I’ve been a singer most of my life as well. There’s something about being able to express your “you-ness” that feels vitally human. Ants and rhinoceroses don’t necessarily seem to have this desire (that we know of), so there’s something that drives us to do it beyond survival. I’m going to guess it’s all about connection, in addition to self discovery.

2. What does self-expression mean to you and how do you do it in the world?

Obviously these days I publish novels, but I’ve written my entire life even when not publishing. I will say that being published brings an incredibly satisfying dimension to the experience. When I wrote my first novel, I didn’t know I would have readers beyond my friends and family, so when readers started to be in touch, telling me that my book had touched them in some way, had some impact on their thinking or emotions, I was astounded. And pleasantly so. My early life was hard, and I feel that I learned a lot very early on. It feels amazing to be able to tell stories that might help others understand what it means to survive and grow and thrive through hardships.

3. How does your self-expression impact the world—your family, your friends, your readers, and everyone else?

It’s been my mission to write honestly about difficult topics, things like mental illness and infidelity and death. These aren’t uncommon topics, of course; they affect most of us in some way. I want to infuse these experiences with raw and tender realism while providing hope for those of us going through them. I’ve written about things that I first had to ask my family if it was okay to write about, and they’ve always been one hundred percent supportive, encouraging me to write the tough stuff. I recently joined a group called Professionals Affected by Mental Illness, and we support each other in going out into the world to talk openly about mental illness in a real way, and in so doing, help to destigmatize it. It’s very much part of what I think I’ve been trying to do all along.

And Now, Your Turn…

You remember how this works right?

Please read the complete rules at least once!

I ask you a question.

You answer in the comments for your chance to win a book each day.

Please just respond once, even if you make a typo.

Answer in the comments in 50-200 words (no less and no more to qualify to win one of today’s books).

Connection is something that can happen in surprising ways. What are some of your favorite ways to connect authentically with others via self-expression? In what ways does any of your self-expression lead to more and deeper connection(s) in your life?

Ready, set, comment! I will hold the drawing tomorrow and post the results here in my blog.

Thanks for participating in the Writer Mama Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway!

And thanks for spreading the word. We will be giving away great books by wonderful women authors all month.

View the complete list of authors and books.

View the giveaway Pinterest board