Thursday, September 27, 2007

If Life Hands You Donuts, Eat Them

In case any of my faithful blog readers are also literary agents in disguise, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek on the book I'm writing:

If Life Hands You Donuts, Eat Them (And Other Lessons Learned Growing Up in Rural America) is a narrative nonfiction containing around 24 chapters (14 are complete, the remaining are in various stages of completion). Each chapter hosts an originally titled "Life Lesson" such as "If You Can Find Your Best Foot, Put it Forward", "Boys Always Look, Sometimes They Notice", "If Someone Gives You a Load of Crap, Carpe Diem", and more. The title summarizes the short story (typically around 1000 words) that follows. All the stories are true stories from my childhood growing up in rural Iowa and Pennsylvania in the late 70's and early 80's.

As the oldest daughter of six children, raised in a conservative, modest home, many of my life experiences, while seemingly ordinary at the time have taken on a new look and deeper meaning over time.

Invariably each story lifts and builds while providing subtle humor, practical application and an enduring theme. As people read my work, I expect they will feel more connected to their own roots and quickly identify with the "Life Lessons" whether they grew up in a big city, on the coast, or in rural America.

I am excited about another chapter for my book that I completed around 6AM this morning. D3 woke up early and after I wrestled her back to sleep, I found myself wide awake with a clear writing mind.

This morning's work, is titled: "Farm Pets" is Just a Fancy Title for Food

And a few quotes from the text include:

"...We sat each afternoon on the couch back in front of the living room picture window, waiting for Daddy to come home, hoping that day would be the day he’d bring us a sick, dying, abandoned baby farm animal, that we could call our very own..."

"...As a farm girl, I knew enough about these sorts of things to realize you don’t get hamburger from pigs..."

23 comments:

  1. Cool Deb! *puts on a sophisticated voice* Welcome to the world of writers!

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  2. Three words spring to minD

    WE WANT MORE!!!

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  3. Every time I eat meat I'm eating someone's pet? That's so sad. - Oops, gotta run... my burger's burnin'.

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  4. Can't wait to read the finished product. My Mother just finished her 2nd book. Will send you a signed copy when published. Meeting your parents for the first time , I know you must have some very interesting and funny chapters. Good for you, Debbie.

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  5. I'm with David, we want more! I love the title.

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  6. Deb..

    Can't wait for this to come out, and the title is brilliant.. catchy and something that makes one pick it up from the shelf and browse through it!! Come on, we are waiting with bated breath!!

    have a great weekend with the kiddies, the hubby and the rest of the famille...

    :)
    C

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  7. Eve,

    I'm not in your league, that's certain.

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  8. David,

    Good! That's the hope. That a couple million people will want more!

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  9. Joanne,

    Yeah, Dad was a bit of a pain in the neck growing up, but he makes a great character for a book.

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  10. Stacy,

    You're awesome! Thanks for the ego boost.

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  11. C,

    Let's hope someday it does come out! While I've already planned in my mind the marketing blitz with Krispy Kreme and have my Today Show interview polished, I seriously realize it is a long shot to even get it published!

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  12. "If someone give you a load of crap, Carpe Diem."

    This made me spit out a slight bit of my lunch. Very funny.

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  13. Excellent--can't wait for more!

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  14. Suldog,

    Stick your lunch back in your mouth, please. Didn't your mom teach you any table manners?

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  15. C-Dub,

    So glad you are excited. You don't own a publishing company by chance do you?

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  16. How exciting! There's a reason your blog has such a following. I hope you get on Oprah with this book!

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  17. I meant to say EONS ago that I was SO PROUD OF YOU (which, I'm sure, means a great deal coming from a complete lunatic). In fact, I would sing the Mister Roger's "I'm proud of you song" in it's entirety, but it's much better in person with sweeping gestures.

    You'll get published. Your writing is hysterical, insightful and many other clever and good things I cannot access from my muddled brain at the moment. And bear in mind that I, Kate the Curst, am saying you'll get published, and I am often a big fat PESSIMIST.

    I cannot wait,
    Kate who cannot wait,
    of Le monde de fromage de Kate

    P.S. How did you get your hands on David McMahon's book? (Someone reading your entries in chronological order would think I could SEE INTO THE FUTURE.) There were used copies here and there (which could be fine, but OH THE GERMS - kidding - secretly I just like the feel of new books - unless they are old, OLD books that are charming and have the old,OLD book musty smell, but I'd love to buy it new (which I think would be an advantage to his royalties anyway).

    P.P.S OOOOH! Do you need a Nom de Plume? I'd LOVE to come up with possibilities...

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  18. I forgot: I intended to say that I'd buy your book on the strength of the title alone. But I (being a selective snob) would spell it "doughnuts."

    Then again, simplicity can be so elegant...

    Not simplistically,
    Complicated Kate,
    of Le monde de fromage de Kate

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  19. I'm realizing that if you put all my somewhat (ha) verbose comments on various sites together they could be a book - not a very interesting book - but a tome worthy of the crazy people. (?)

    Fondly,
    Kate of Le monde de fromage de Kate

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  20. Kate,

    Could you You Tube the Mister Rogers song? I'd love to see it!!

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  21. Kate,

    I appreciate your optimism. I am a pessimist too, according to DH, but I call it being a realist.

    I'm glad you like the title. Iw as wondering about the spelling, but Donuts is shorter than Dougnuts, and the title is already so long... So I don't know.

    Oh, and I'd be the first in line to buy a book of yours!

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