One of the joys of being a writer in this community is getting to know other talented authors and their work and sharing the resources that keep us doing something that we love: writing books. My friend Christine Smith, author of More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B, recently emailed me with the opportunity to join a “blog hop” in which I answer some questions about my writing and spotlight a couple of my favorite authors. Sounded like fun.
I first met Christine Smith at a Northwest Women in Boating event when she announced her book and then again at the Seattle Boat Show we sold out books side by side at the Captain’s Nautical Supplies booth. Christine and her husband, Jeff, run a floating bed and breafast aboard the M/V David B, a beautifully 65-foot wooden workboat that she writes about restoring in her book More Faster Backwards. Her book takes you through the journey and frustrations of turning a (possibly irrational) dream into reality. I encourage you to check out her book, which will inspire you to push past your doubts to the rewards that hard work can bring.
In the spirit of the bloghop, here are answers to questions about my book and writing process:
What is the title of your book?
Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey. Though some people tried to talk me out of that title, most people tell me they love it. I wanted to pick a title that was memorable and poked fun at the main characters for setting off on a grand adventure on a tiny boat and the humorous situations that often produced.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Real life. My stranger-than-fiction life. I sailed with my husband for seven years around the Pacific on a 31-foot boat during which we faced many “character building” opportunities. Along the way I sent updates to family and friends, which were shared far and wide. I kept hearing from people on my mailing list and many I’d never met how fascinating and well written my stories were. Many people wrote to say “You’ve got to turn this into a book.” I’d always secretly longed to write a book but was never sure what to write about. Then it became obvious that this was my first story. Since then I’ve thought of a number of other story ideas, the most obvious being about my husband’s around the world voyage and shipwreck as a teen, which I mention in Tightwads on the Loose.
What genre does your book fall under?
My book is a humorous travel adventure story, but it’s also a voyage of discovery. On Amazon and in many independent bookstores, you can find it in the travel, memoir, outdoors or boating sections. And people can buy it directly from my website, of course.
Which actors would you choose to play you in a movie rendition?
One evening at a cocktail party with a big group of friends the hot topic for discussion somehow became “Who would play us in the movie.” The consensus was that George Clooney should play my husband, Garth, and Jennifer Aniston or Reese Witherspoon should play me. These actors all share a talent for playful, quirky situational humor that would match the tone of my book. Of course, I would be ecstatic if Tightwads on the Loose became a movie! And if these actors played the parts, even better.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Tightwads on the Loose tells the story of Wendy and Garth, lured to sea by the promise of adventure, who buy a boat that fits their budget better than it fits Garth’s large frame and set sail for an open-ended voyage, never imagining they’d be gone for 7 years or cover 34,000 miles at the pace of a fast walk.
How did you publish your book?
I met with quite a few agents and editors who were interested in my book, but when I realized how long a delay I would incur going the traditional publishing route, how fast the industry was changing, and how much of a cut publishers get for the little they do, I decided to go my own way. I had speaking and marketing opportunities falling into my lap, I had an entrepreneurial skillset, and I didn’t see what advantages a publisher offered to a new non-fiction author like me. Since I made my decision, a number of successful authors told me that if they were to publish today, they would choose to self-publish. I learned everything I could about publishing, hired editors and book designers, and have been pleased with how everything has turned out.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
During our voyage, I made copious notes and shared snippets from our adventure in magazine articles, emails and blog posts. These were helpful when I sat down to write the “definitive” story of our voyage. We had so many zany adventures, it was tough to choose what to leave out. I wrote the manuscript over four years, sharing it with my writer’s group and making edits along the way. I highly respect the opinion of the talented writers in my critique group. They have exacting standards and make liberal use of their red pens. (I do recall even Proust got a heavy dose of red pen treatment after we failed to notice quotation marks around his prose!) When my book draft was complete, I then hired a couple of editors to go through the entire manuscript and I made revisions from there.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
One book that comes to mind is Bill Bryson‘s hilarious best seller, A Walk in the Woods, about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Another couple are J. Maarten Troost‘s funny travel books, Sex Lives of Cannibals, Getting Stoned with Savages and Lost on Planet China. And, of course, my friend Janna Cawrse Esarey‘s quirky Motion of the Ocean, about honeymooning with her husband aboard a sailboat. Together on Top of the World by Robin Simons and Susan Erschler is another comparable book about the first couple to climb the fabled seven summits. I think my book would appeal to people who enjoyed these books and these authors.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
While I was writing the book, friends constantly asked me how my book was coming and when it would be out. During the times when I got discouraged or overwhelmed, those comments and questions helped carry me through my doubts. Whenever I shared stories with my writer’s group and they laughed while reading, I knew I had something worthwhile.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Tightwads on the Loose is a fun, fast-paced adventure story about living life in the moment and following your dreams wherever they may lead. Countless “fans” have hunted down my email address and written to say that my book was a fast read and tell me how they stayed up all night or skipped work to finish it. Others recounted how their spouses would chuckle while reading it and then stop to read portions aloud to them. It means a lot to me that people have had so much fun with the book. And even though it takes place aboard a sailboat, it appeals to people who know nothing about sailing. It’s an adventure story about exploring the world while living off-the-grid, perfect for the armchair adventurer or those afflicted with wanderlust.
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And now, let me introduce you to a couple of my author friends. My author picks are Kathleen Alcalá and Bernadette Pajer, who I met through a couple of fun Seattle7writers events raising funds for literacy.
Kathleen Alcalá is the author of a collection of short stories, three novels, and a collection of essays. Her work has received the Western States Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award for Fiction, and twice received the Washington State Book Award. She teaches creative writing at the NW Institute of Literary Arts on Whidbey Island. We met through the NovelLive! event and I have admired her leadership in developing community for writers on Bainbridge Island, as well as her award-winning work. Her historical fiction is what I’ve found most intriguing. Her novel Treasures in Heaven, the last of three novels set in 19th Century Mexico, received the 2001 Washington State Book Award. Treasures in Heaven is about the things we yearn for, but can never quite grasp. Set at the end of the 1800′s in Mexico City, Estela arrives from the north in search of her lover. She finds work as director of a school for street children conducted by an eccentric, wealthy woman. The school expands to include the mothers, and Estela becomes a participant in the feminist movement of the time. The astonishing things she learns about the world transform her into what we would recognize as a modern woman. Check it out here.
Bernadette Pajer is the talented author of the Professor Bradshaw mysteries, a series of fast-paced whodunnits that reveal Seattle in the time of Tesla. I first met Bernadette when she was promoting her first mystery, A Spark of Death, in a bookstore where I was also doing a book event. I took home a copy and promptly devoured it, then passed it on to my husband who did the same. From there we spent more time together at various Seattle7writers events raising money for literacy and promoting reading and the work of local authors. We’ve shared stories and resources. In the time since we met, she’s published her second Professor Bradshaw mystery, Fatal Induction, which I also adored, and complete the manuscript for her third and I have published my book, Tightwads on the Loose. Her third book in the series, Capacity for Murder, hits the shelves in June.
I’d bet you would enjoy the work of these authors, so take a moment to check them out.
