On Wednesday morning, Porcha and I along with a group of about 20 authors, moms, bloggers and friends gathered at Akasha Restaurant to talk about getting published. Of course, we missed Anne Simon, my step-mom and co-author who lives in Virginia. From Blogs To Books was the theme of the event I co-hosted with Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, who writes the eco-lifestyle blog, Mommy Greenest and is one of the new authors who spoke about publishing.
Over coffee and scones, we heard Jenny Feldon tell us about the ups and downs of signing her first book deal. Her blog, Karma Continued, is one of my favorites and is what led to her book deal for the just-released memoir, Karma Gone Bad.
Jenny is friendly and articulate. We met a few years ago through our blogger group. She’s wanted to be a writer since she was a child and her passion shines through every word. Her insight into finding a book agent, dealing with rejection and landing a publisher were invaluable. But, that was just the start. Writing the book was an intense, all-consuming process for Jenny that began every morning at 4:00 a.m. before her young kids woke up.
Karma Gone Bad begins with Jenny reluctantly leaving NYC and her life as a newly married Upper West side urban professional, because her husband has taken a job promotion in Hydrabad, India. Upon arriving in India, she is hit with extreme culture shock…loneliness, food poisoning and months of subsisting on peanut butter sandwiches. Her visions of life as a glamourous expat wife are squashed immediately, like the gigantic mosquitos she must constantly swat away when her husband is bitten within the first week and contracts a life-threatening illness. After a tumultuous first few months, that almost ends her marriage, Jenny realizes that it is not “India that needs to change, but her.” This memoir is absolutely captivating, an I-can’t-put-down book for any mom and a work of non-fiction that will also make a great book club selection, holiday gift or vacation reading for a girls getaway. Visit KarmaGoneBad.com for more information. Buy the book at Chevalier’s, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
My friend, author and parenting humorist, Sarah Maizes has just published her second kid’s book, On My Way To Bed, a lively, hilarious story about getting her daughter, Livi, to bed. The second in a series, Sarah told us how she found a publisher for this beautifully illustrated book. She described the numerous book signings, author appearances and pressure to write the next book. She’s been on the Today Show! What’s next? A Livi doll to go with the third book! Go Sarah! The preschool-early elementary school set will delight in this topsy-turvy bedtime story. Visit SarahMaizes.com for reviews and author information. Buy the book at Children’s Book World, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I think I’ve already told you that the Second Edition of Beyond The Brochure: An Insider’s Guide To Private Elementary Schools In Los Angeles is a lot thicker than the First Edition. That’s because we’ve added 3 new chapters, more sample written applications, more letters of recommendation and new test questions. We’ve expanded the list of school and added a chapter on the Pasadena region. Throughout the book, you’ll hear Anne Simon’s voice, her calm wisdom that only comes with 30 years as a private school headmaster. So what are you waiting for? Get your copy now at Chevalier’s, Children’s Book World or Amazon.
Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is a former magazine editor, mom of three and the founder of Mommy Greenest, a popular eco-friendly lifestyle blog. But what I love most about Rachel’s blog is her balanced, nonjudgmental approach to how we can all eat more healthfully, use chemical free products and avoid damaging our beautiful earth. Rachel’s new book, The Big List Of Things That Suck: An Essential Encyclopedia Of Eco-Information To Help You Shop, Talk And Live Better Without Annoying Your Friends, is a funny guide about how to live an eco-friendly, sustainable life without becoming a “sustainabully”. How cool is that? Visit MommyGreenest.com to buy the book.
Thank you to Emi Jay, Gaia Herbs and The Wonderseed for your fabulous gift bag donations!