Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Guest Post & Giveaway with Karen White, author of The Girl on Legare Street

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I am very pleased to welcome Karen White, author of The Girl on Legare Street to Peeking Between the Pages today. I’ve read a few of Karen’s books and am a loyal fan now. She has a wonderful writing style that I really enjoy. I just reviewed this book yesterday and you can peek at my review right here to see what this lovely novel is about. Let’s sit back and relax with our favorite drink of choice and see what Karen has to say about how she finds time to write and where she writes…

Two of the most frequently asked questions I get during my book club rounds are how do I find time to write and where do I write? Believe it or not, the answer to both questions is the same—whatever works!

I’m the mother of two active teenagers, have a husband who frequently travels for work, and am responsible for the care and feeding of a dog and guinea pig. It’s a wonder I can find time to write the grocery list, much less two 100,000+ word books each year.

We’ve all heard the old adage “necessity is the mother of invention.” I realized that if I wanted to carve out a career as a writer out of my already very busy life, I would have to figure out how to squeeze more time out of the day—sort of like the way the IRS squeezes money out of me that I didn’t think I had. I’m not a big believer in “I don’t have time.” We’re all given twenty-four hours each day to make of it as we wish. Well, minus the demands on my time of two children who shall go nameless…

In the beginning, when I was just starting out and didn’t have a contract, I wrote in my home office on my desktop computer while my children were napping. When they woke up signaled the end of my daily writing time. After I signed my first contract and had a deadline to meet, I’d wake up half an hour earlier and once a week paid somebody to pick them up from preschool to give me a couple of extra hours.

Then the kids grew a little older, got a little more active and I got my first laptop. I’d bring it to swim lessons, horseback riding lessons, football practice, piano lessons. I joke that I should credit my car for helping me write during those years.

Still I struggled with being forced to write during times that I didn’t always find productive. My best writing time has always been—and still is—first thing in the morning when no other thoughts besides my book have entered my head. By getting up two hours earlier than the rest of the bed-hogs in my house on Saturdays and Sundays, I can get more writing done during that time than I usually accomplish during the week.

But now that I have two big deadlines each year, I’m writing all the time. For instance, I’m in the car right now (don’t worry—my daughter’s driving ) going to our Pilates class. It’s about a 20-minute drive and I figure I should be able to whip up a blog post in that amount of time. It’s finding time like this that makes a difference.

I no longer wait for the muse to hit me—I can’t afford it! I write every day whether or not I want to. Especially now with a book due in about a month. Writer’s block? Can’t afford that either. I just sit down and write. It’s always easier to fix a bad page than a blank one.

This end-of-book time is always the hardest. My favorite time is starting a book. I sit out on my huge screen porch that overlooks woods and horse pasture with a notepad and pencil—the only time I don’t use a computer—and just jot down what comes to my head. At least until the phone rings, or the dryer buzzes, or one of my children comes home from school and tells me they think they have strep. Nope—things haven’t changed all that much in the years since I first sat down and started to write my very first book. Except now I know that I can write at least a page while sitting in the pediatrician’s waiting room.
__________

Karen, thank you so much for joining us today with this terrific guest post. I certainly look forward to reading your next novel! All the best to you!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I have two copies of The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White, courtesy of Joy (thank you Joy), to share with my lucky readers. To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do, thank you and let me know please.
  • For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only as the publisher will be sending the books out. I will be drawing for the winners on Sunday, December 27, 2009. Good luck to you all!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This is the second guest post I've read by Karen, and I've decided she and I could be friends. I've got so much admiration for her. I know what my life is like (including two kids, five cats and a guinea pig) and she does all that plus write books. Ha! She writes guest posts in the car – I love it! I cannot think of two books right now that I want more than those I've been reading about. Please enter me (I'm a follower!).

  5. I am enjoying this book tour and look forward to reading The House on Tradd Street sometime soon (I purchased that book ealier this year based on bloggers' recommendations).

    I have such wonderful things about her writing style, and am anxious to experience it myself.

  8. I read and reviewed Tradd Street just a couple of weeks ago and loved it. I would love to win this book and read it.

    bthgordon[at] yahoo [dot]com

  10. I have read a couple great reviews on this book and would love to have the opportunity to read it.

    I follow the blog through Google Reader.

    ktulanko AT aol DOT com

  11. I was really intrigued by your review yesterday so I would like to be entered!

    nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

  13. Thanks for offering this great giveaway.

    I follow your blog and can be reached at

    sleepingbette at yahoo dot com

  14. I'm always excited to see a mom succeed while raising her kids at home. Gives me hope! amythomas at gmail dot com

  16. wow, she must be a really focused person if she can write a book while watching swim lessons, etc. She sounds like a really dedicated writer. I'd love to win this one.

    florida982002[at]yahoo.com

  18. I love this guest post, but I don't know how she could write in the car – that would make me sick. No need to enter me – I have the book.

  19. I've been anxious to read both of Karen White's recent novels since reading several very positive blog reviews. I liked her comment today about it being 'easier to fix a bad page than a blank one' — Thanks for the giveaway.

    And I am a follower through Google Reader.

    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

  21. I read The House on Tradd Street and loved it so I've been wanting to read the sequel. I'd love to win this.

    forwhlz at gmail dot com

  28. I would love this one! This is such an interesting series.

    I am a follower!

    jgbeads (at) gmail (dot)com

  29. Great guest post and thanks for sharing this with us, Karen.

    Dar, no need to enter me since I reviewed this book already and loved it.

    I'll post this in my sidebar for you!

  37. Thanks, Dar, for the review–I'm so glad you've been enjoying the series.

    I'd like to mention that there will be 2 more books coming–one in Fall 2011 and one in 2013. I'd love to have them out earlier, but I've got three more books in between (not in the series) that should keep ALL of us busy while we wait. 🙂

  38. PS The oddest place I've written lately is in the waiting room for my last mammogram (yes, wearing that funny robe).

    Hey, you do what you have to do!

  41. I really liked this post and I am inspired by how she manages to squeeze out extra time on her day for writing. I need to follow her example! I'd love a chance to win a copy of the book as well, so please enter me in your giveaway. I am also a follower of your blog as well.

  42. I really liked this post and I am inspired by how she manages to squeeze out extra time on her day for writing. I need to follow her example! I'd love a chance to win a copy of the book as well, so please enter me in your giveaway. I am also a follower of your blog as well.

  43. I really liked this post and I am inspired by how she manages to squeeze out extra time on her day for writing. I need to follow her example! I'd love a chance to win a copy of the book as well, so please enter me in your giveaway. I am also a follower of your blog as well.

  46. I love the idea of taking a laptop and writing at after school activities…brilliant! Please enter me – I would love to read this book. I'm also a follower. And you can find my tweet at @testeinbock.

    tabitha.steinbock[at]gmail[dot]com

  49. This book sounds so good! Enter me please!

    +2 I am a follower.

    emily DOT wittenberg @ gmail DOT com

  51. HI Dar, there's no need to enter me for the giveaway, but just dropping to say hi to you and the author! 🙂

  60. I loved the description that Karen gives of her writing process. I totally understand how the morning before anyone gets up is the best and most productive time during the day for writing or doing other jobs. I look forward to reading this book. Please enter me in the giveaway.

    I am a current follower through Google Friend Connect.

    bstilwell12 at comcast dot net

  62. I really want to read Karen White's books. They sound wonderful and I love her guest posts.

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway Dar!

    Aimala127 AT gmail DOT com

  64. I would love to win this book! My book club is reading The House on Tradd Street right now!

    +1 for comment
    +2 I am a subscriber through Google Reader.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    isaacson.holly[at]gmail.com

  65. OOO! It would be great to win a copy of this book! Thanks so much for the chance.

    geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

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