The Highlands, San Antonio, and Hawaii!

So, Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar continues to travel. Above she's hanging out in The Highlands! Thank you Amanda!

Here she is in San Antonio Texas. Melly left a post it note on it, inviting (or imploring) whomever found it to take it home with them and read it. She left it at an educational center, which thrills me. The idea of teachers reading my book, and possibly looking at children differently because of it. Well...I just can't think of anything more gratifying than that. It's the whole point.

And below, Janie made it to a public Library in Hawaii, courtesy of Wanda!

Makes my heart sing. And chuckle, because I would totally be that person who visited the library on a dream vacation to Hawaii.

I pray that whoever happens upon my book will read it and find a way to look at the shame they carry in their own lives, and begin to release it. We're all in this together.

Love.

Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar Goes on Vacation!

It started when my friend Betsy left a copy of Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar in a hotel library in France(above). She loved the idea of someone a world away being compelled to pull it off the shelf and then finding connection with my story.   

And then Melly, she went on vacation to my old stomping grounds, Washington DC. This is what she wrote when she posted the photo on Facebook... "Released this book on the orange line and said a prayer that the person who needs it will find it." How sweet is she? We both thought it kind of cool that "Daughter" wound up in DC, in real life and on Melly's vacation. The orange line was always my favorite. "Next stop, Rosslyn!"

Elizabeth Aquino left a copy at The China Peak Inn, near Yosemite, where she waited to pick up her son from summer camp. The copy she left had a sweet view of The Sierra Nevadas (at least 'til someone finds it).

Carrie Link reports she left a copy in La Pine, Oregon while she was on vacation. 

And I left a copy in the hotel I stayed at last weekend in upstate NY, for my in-laws 50th anniversary. She's overlooking a beautiful golf course. 

There are still a few places Daughter is headed. I'll keep you posted. Is it okay to be jealous that my book is more well traveled than I am? 

Thanks to all who are taking part in her excellent adventure. This is really fun. If you'd like to take Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar on vacation with you, and leave her for someone to find, let me know. I still have a few copies left for this purpose. 

Author Exposure Review

A nice review from the Author Exposure blog. It really speaks to why I wrote the book. After reading the review, someone asked me if I thought my book would be good to give to a friend who is considering marrying an alcoholic. I never thought about "that person" as my audience, but who better to read Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar?

If "that person" reads my book, and if it helps inform their decision and save her/or him (and any future children) some heart ache? I'd feel really good about that.  

I feel like my own mom had no idea what she was getting herself into. She was like that metaphor about the frog in the boiling water. I'm not saying alcoholics are not deserving of love. I'm not saying you shouldn't marry one. But it would be best to go in with your eyes open, and have firm boundaries about what you will and will not tolerate.

Coming Down the Mountain and Women on Writing: Nice words about Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar

It was so nice to stumble upon this blog post at Coming Down the Mountain:A Writer's Blog! Karen Gowen, writer of said post runs a website called celerytree.com, a gathering place for self-published authors to market and sell their books. I put Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar up on Karen's site a couple of months back, because I thought she offered a really nice opportunity for independently published authors to support one another. She didn't tell me about her post, I came across it when I mumble googled myself. Yes, I googled myself. There I said it. Don't act like you've never done it. It's a perfectly natural thing to do. And technically I didn't google myself, I googled my book.

I was also recently featured along with three other writers in an article by Chynna Laird for Women on Writing. It is about taboo topics. Chynna is a prolific writer and a survivor, and an amazing special needs mom. She blew the lid off of taboo topics with her own brave memoir, White Elephants. She tells her story with such grace and understanding for her mother who was mentally ill, and subsequently very abusive. I really recommend her book. The scene that is coming to me now is of a loving aunt, who took her in and loved her, and no doubt changed the way she looked at herself and the trajectory of her life.



Those of us who have survived childhood trauma know how important these people are. The ones who offer a leg up. The ones who see something of value in us, even if shame keeps us from seeing it in ourselves.

I just love writers supporting other writers in telling their stories. Thank you Karen. Thank you Chynna.

And thank you to my Grandmother Doris Wilson, who by being thrilled every time I walked in the door as a child, led me to believe I might be lovable and good.

Reading at Mac's Backs

My first ever reading was at Mac's Backs on Jan 28th. It was a whirlwind for me which you can read about here. It was a wonderful evening, which was great, and then I kind of bottomed out the next day, feeling vulnerable and exposed. I guess it's all part of the process of writing memoir, especially memoir which deals with family secrets and dysfunction. I can't help but think it must be a completely different thing to write fiction.

I am so appreciative to everyone who turned out for the event.

I'll remember it forever.

My first reading is coming up Saturday

I posted this at Full Soul Ahead! today but it's relevant, so I'm posting it here as well.

This Saturday at Mac's Backs, I have my first reading ever. I'm trying not to over-think it. I'm trying not to under-think it. I want to be prepared. I sort of feel like I've gotten on a roller coaster ride and it's edging up the mountain and I'm all... on second thought....can we stop this thing? I'm not so sure about this. But it will all be okay.

It will be fine. Fine.

I know plenty of writers who do readings all the time and act like it's no big deal, but they must have had a first time. And I bet they were at least a little scared. And my book is really personal.

I'll be reading with another writer, Terre Maher. We spoke on the phone the other day and she seems lovely. That helps. We discovered in our conversation that we have much in common. Weird Stuff. No accidents stuff. I'll tell you about it after the reading, unless you live in Cleveland and want to come. Then you'll find out on Saturday.

Wish me luck. Wish that my lip or eye doesn't start to twitch. Wish that I don't read too fast. Wish that people show up. Wish that I wasn't such a nervous Nelly.

You know, it's strange. I used to work in radio. I had a White House press pass. I interviewed "important" people and my pieces were played on radio stations all over the country. Outwardly, I was intimidated by no one. I was once chastised by my boss for "not being awestruck enough" about covering the President's State of the Union address. My reply to him was,

"These Congressional Reps and Senators sit down on the can like everyone else."

One of my young colleagues almost did a spit-take over that one. The kahunas of my younger self astound me. But the bravado I used to carry around in my twenties has long since burned off. That's a good thing. Bravado is just masked insecurity afterall.

Now it's just me, being more real, which means sometimes being afraid.

Reading aloud from my memoir in public is a little scary but so what?

It will be fine. Fine.

It totally will.

Mac's Backs
7PM Jan. 28th
1820 Coventry Rd.
Cleveland Heights

Leah's Thoughts

Recently I had the honor of being interviewed by blogger Leah Singer. She is a voracious reader and I am so thrilled my book was her first read in 2012! Her blog is really beautiful, and her writing is gorgeous and inspiring and she just seems like one of those genuinely good, nice people!  

Thank you so much for supporting Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar Leah! I look forward to reading your book one day!