Tag Archives: Homebound Publications

Memoir

A Google+ Hangout Interview with Memoir Author Cindi McVey: To Live in Paradise

10 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Cindi McVey

 

“Where we love is home–home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” Oliver Wendell Holmes,Sr.

 

I am very pleased to feature memoir author Cindi McVey in this Google+ Hangout interview. Cindi is the author of To Live in Paradise: A Memoir of Dreams Found and Dreams Lost in the Heart of Africa. Cindi and I met through her publisher at Homebound Publications, Leslie M. Browning.   I believe the mission of Homebound Publications as stated on their website resonates with Cindi’s memoir:

 

“It is the intention of those at Homebound to revive contemplative storytelling and introduce a new mythology that will directly aid mankind in the trials we face in the present.”

 

 

 

Book Description:

 

Book Cover
To Live in Paradise: A Memoir of Dreams Found and Lost in the Heart of Africa Book Cover

 

Her adventures include a cheetah attack, rioting crowds, inspiring safaris, and eye-to-eye snake encounters, shared with endearing characters who are her friends. Within this tale of an American’s affair with a vibrant yet imperiled land, also unfolds a story of loss for one of Earth’s last Edens.

Set amid the magic and struggles of Africa, To Live in Paradise is the poignant memoir of a young American woman who finds herself swept up in an intriguing new life in Zimbabwe, just as this paradise country takes a critical turn in its history. As the idyll unravels, the nation applauded as Africa’s success story plunges into a lawless land where tyrants rule. In a clash of humanity and earth, an unparalleled wilderness and a distressed nation both fight for survival.

My reviews can be found on  Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing and Shelfari.

Welcome, Cindi!

1495184_572276279515439_711216918_o
Memoir Author Cindi McVey

 

 

KP:  To Live in Paradise is a poignant memoir about a young woman’s journey to Africa and how that journey transformed her. At what point did you realize you needed to tell your story?

 

CM:As described in my book, there were often times when I was out in the wilderness or countryside by myself, usually on horseback, and I would look around me and say in my mind, “Hey everyone, look!  You guys have GOT to see this!”  I wished that others could experience the awesome beauty and sense of peace that I felt from being there.  It was only later, though, that the idea of sharing it by writing a book occurred to me.

 

KP:  Your connection to Africa seemed to be a powerful theme in your memoir. You personify both Africa and Zimbabwe by referring to them as “she.” When and how did you discover this connection?

 

CM:  Once again, I was often out in this grand wilderness by myself, but not for a moment did I feel alone.  It was as though a great, comforting presence was with me, and like we were speaking to each other.  This presence also felt distinctly feminine, like an aunt, big sister or wise friend. The wilderness definitely had a soul to me and was something more than an “it”.  Rather, a “she”.

 

KP: You use vivid imagery to bring the country and its people alive to your reader. Can you share with us how you were able to capture your experience is such rich detail? 

“A gentle rain had pattered down most of the day, but by early evening when I arrived home the sky had cleared to powder-blue.  I wandered out to the veranda where I could settle into the molded comfort of my woven-grass chair, and feeling peaceful, watched a brawny sun dip towards the horizon, making the droplets on every leaf sparkle. While I breathed in the misted evening’s intoxicating scent, I smiled to see my favorite birds—the dainty Blue Waxbills—delicately pick seeds from the bird feeder, until the rowdy Masked Weaver pushed his way in. Nearby, iridescent starlings shimmered blue-green and purple, as they hopped about on the lawn. Flocks of ribbon-tailed swallows swept high across the sky, while perky lizards darted about on the low brick wall in front of me. Even the trees seemed content, swaying to the subtle rhythm of the wind.”

 

CM: All my descriptions come from a heartfelt place, and this passage particularly so because, in addition to the sheer beauty of nature that I often describe in my book, this scene has a lot of personal meaning.  I’m also describing my home, so there is a comforting, secure feeling.  But it is also a home which I’ll soon be leaving, and so I’m feeling a little unsettled, which makes the small details of “home” become more poignant.

 

KP: Who is your audience and how do you plan to connect with them?

 

CM:  My aim was to appeal to a broad audience. I did try to incorporate elements that would captivate a range of readers, like some action scenes, plus themes we all can relate to, like being young and having dreams that don’t go exactly as planned.  And of course there is the obvious appeal for those who enjoy nature or simply yearn for adventure.

 

KP: What is the most important takeaway message you hope to convey to your reader?

 

CM:I hope readers come away with a greater value of wilderness and nature, how ever far away it may be, and feeling a tangible loss to its disappearance.  If we don’t realize that something is being taken from us, we won’t know to stand up for it, in whatever small way that we can.

 

KP: What did you learn about yourself through writing your memoir?

 

CM: You know, I’ve been told a few times in my life that I’m stubborn, and now I’m starting to believe it!  Actually, it’s not stubborn so much as determined.  I finished the first draft of the manuscript in 2001, and sent queries out that year as well.  It was 2013 before I signed a publishing contract.  Somehow I didn’t ever give up after rejection upon rejection, turning all comments into improvements, and trudging on.  It was sheer doggedness that kept me going at times.  It’s been a testament to how hard work and determination can truly pay off.

 

KP: Do you have any memoir writing tips for other writers who are writing a memoir?

 

CM: With memoir, the reader either needs to identify with you (as the main character of the book) or have empathy for you.  I’ve read memoirs where, as the story goes on, I start to dislike the main character (the memoirist). This was because I disagreed with choices he made, or hurts that he caused, for which he didn’t sufficiently show regret or try to rectify the wrong.  Maybe he did have regret in real life, but if so, that wasn’t adequately conveyed in his story.  All stories need “conflict”; just remember to adequately explain why you made the choices you did, or how you wished you done things differently.  You’ll be given greater leeway when your reader identifies with you on a personal level, but when appealing to a broader audience, make sure that any “conflict” gets fully explained.  In my case, in early drafts of my book, people needed to better understand why I would run off to a crazy place like Africa (of course, adventurers needed no more explanation.

 

KP: How can we buy To Live in Paradise?

 

Publisher direct at Homebound Publications

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Author’s website

You can also ask your local bookstore to order it if they don’t have it on their shelf.

***

Thank you Cindi  for sharing your memoir writer’s journey and for offering so many helpful tips. Writing from the heart is the key to inviting readers into our stories. You do that very well in your memoir.

 

Author Bio: 

I was born and raised in Alaska, by parents who loved the wilderness and felt blessed to have a home there. My parents made adventure commonplace, taking my sister and I skiing, clam digging, camping on the river and in the mountains, fishing, hiking and exploring. Life was about trying new things and living to the fullest.

So to them, my trips to Africa in my twenties were what life was meant to be: Discovering, experiencing the new and different, pushing the envelope. My decision to move there, however, and live 10,000 miles from home was met with somewhat less enthusiasm. But what could they say, having done the same themselves, moving all the way up north to Alaska and so very far from “home”.

As described in To Live in Paradise, I first owned an automotive engineering shop, overhauling engines. Later I owned an auto glass business, replacing windshields and door glasses in cars, trucks, buses and anything else. With a business degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage, having my own business was always a goal. Africa runs on entrepreneurship, and being self-employed was a natural path to follow.

I am part Alaskan, part African, all American, and for now, a bit of a gypsy. The reality of economics means Africa cannot be my home at present. But every day I hear her calling, feel her presence, and know that, surely, the time will come to return home.

 

Cindi can be found on :

Facebook: at Cindi McVey

Website: To Live in Paradise

 

How about you ? Have you experienced a bond to another country and its people through your travels?

 

Cindi and her publisher, Leslie Browning of Homebound Publications have graciously offered to give away a copy of To Live in Paradise to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

 This Week:

Saturday, 5/16/14: 

“New Funding Options for Authors”, a guest interview on Sharon Lippincott’s The Heart and Craft of  Life Story Writing  blog

 Next Week: 

 Monday, 5/19/14:

“A Dedication for Ever Faithful to His Lead: A Memoir Moment”

 

Thursday, 5/22/14:

“Google+ Hangout Interview with Mary C Gottschalk about Her Debut Novel, A Fitting Place”

 

***

pubslush-sig-logo200-2

The Pubslush Crowdfunding Campaign for my memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse was launched on May 12 and is 17% closer to its goal. The campaign ends a midnight on June 11.

 

By making a contribution you will help spread the messages of hope, resilience and courage to those seeking freedom from abuse. Here’s the link to the campaign:

http://pubslush.com/books/id/2076.

 

If you are unable to make a contribution, please share this link with others.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

Memoir Writing Tips, Writing to Heal

Finding Peace Through Memoir Writing: An Interview with Karen Levy

52 Comments

Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Karen Levy/@Homeboundpub

 

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” George Moore

 

I am very pleased to feature Memoir Author Karen Levy in this guest interview about finding peace through memoir writing. Karen and I met when her publisher at Homebound Publications, Leslie Browning contacted me to do a review of her newly released memoir, My Father’s Gardens.

When I finished reading her memoir, the main thought that surfaced was how memoir writing can help one find peace. My Father’s Gardens is a story of a young girl who comes of age in two languages, and on two shores, between warring parents and rules that change depending on the landscape and the proximity to her mother. It is a gripping story of heartache, conflict and ultimate transformation. My reviews can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.

Welcome , Karen!

DSC00594
Memoir Author Karen Levy

 

 

KP: You have a very compelling story, Karen, of moving between Israel and America every few years while you were growing up, based upon your mother’s whims. When did you decide to write about it? What was it like for you to resurrect painful memories?

 

KL: The moving was due partially to whim and partially to my father’s work, but my mother suffered bouts of nostalgia that pulled us away from America when she missed Israel and towards America when she tired of Israel. Leaving was always accompanied by heartache, and it was frequent enough to become a familiar, somewhat exciting but also dreaded emotion. At the same time, that gypsy life became second nature, so staying in one location for lengthy periods of time while appealing, was also unfamiliar and when it became quite obvious that America had become permanent, once I married and had children here, there was a restlessness that I needed to handle in some way. And writing about it allowed me to travel great distances in my mind and on paper and give voice to emotions I was uncomfortable or incapable of expressing out loud. So while painful, it was also a release.

 

KP:  Did you keep a journal when you were younger?  If not, how were you able to resurrect so many memories in such vivid detail?

 

KL: I had a few diaries which I was very excited to go through once I decided to write, since I thought they would be a treasure trove of information. Yet they were quite disappointing and probably one of the dullest reads a teenage diary has ever afforded. They seemed to be more an account of daily activities instead of thoughts and emotions, they switched languages and started and stopped whenever we moved. And I believe that at some point I had the notion that my mother was reading them, so that may very well be why they contain absolutely nothing that reveals what I was actually doing or thinking beyond the very superficial. In other words, they were pretty useless sources of information. So I began to ask questions of anyone who was willing to dredge up the past, of which few people were. Fortunately I recall scents and textures and sounds quite vividly. I seem to embed places in my mind, how Jerusalem stone feels beneath my fingers, what an Israeli morning sounds like, how a California summer evening smells. I inhale locations.

 

KP: Your unique voice comes through and your writing has a lyrical tone to it. How did you find your voice?

 

KL: I’d like to think that it found me. I stopped trying to be someone else and allowed myself to be nothing other than who I am. The writing, like me, speaks its mind in as honest a way as it can, and I realized  that I appreciated other writers who took risks and spoke from the heart. It feels more satisfying to read and write that kind of voice.

 

KP:  You structured your memoir as a series of vignettes, very effectively I will add. How did you decide on this structure?

 

KL: I came across this style of writing in Sandra Cisneros’ book, The House on Mango Street, and I remember thinking to myself that I could do that, unlike full-fledged novels that seemed, and still do, like a daunting challenge to take on. Writing in what I like to think as snapshots, gives the overall effect of looking through a photo album at someone’s life, and listening to a story that is attached to each picture. Part of me also thought that it would be easier that way, soon to find out that getting the conclusion just right for each vignette was not as simple as it seemed.

 

KP:  What is the main message you want to convey in your memoir?

 

KL:  My quest has always been to find home, to find a place where I belong, and through this writing and from experience, I discovered that home can be found in more than one place, and among certain people, as well. For the longest time I thought I had to make a choice but it doesn’t work that way. Both countries have made me feel at home in different ways. This desire is not mine alone. I believe many of us need to know when and how we will be able to tell that we’ve arrived where we belong.

 

KP: You take us on a journey of self-discovery and ultimately to a point where you have reconciled the conflicts of your past. Did writing this memoir help you find that sense of peace?

 

KL: I believe it has to a certain extent. Because of this duality that has always been part of my life, there will forever be an underlying restlessness. My heart and mind are always in two different places at the same time, but overall, that discovery that I didn’t need to choose between them, that I could love both, was a relief. And writing about it all certainly allowed me to figure it out by forcing my hand in a sense, to examine so many pieces of my life.

 

KP: Do you have any memoir writing tips you’d like to share with us?

 

KL: Try to find a theme around which the information will revolve, otherwise you might feel as if you need to tell your audience everything, and that isn’t necessary. Be as honest and authentic as you can. Be yourself. If writing comes from the heart it will reach an audience.

 

ps_2012_07_15___09_11_47
Author, age 2 , with her father in Michigan

 

 

ps_2012_07_15___09_11_47
My Father’s Garden by Karen Levy

My Father’s Gardens can be ordered from Amazon or Homebound Publications

 

 ***

Author’s Bio:

Karen Levy is an Israeli-American writer. Born in Israel, Levy spent most of her childhood traveling between her native land and the United States. Commuting between these two countries and having a keen eye for detail have afforded Levy the knowledge necessary to recount the immigrant experience in a very candid style. Following her military service, Levy pursued her studies in the United States where she earned a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of California at Davis, and an M.A. in English/Creative Writing from Sacramento State University where she teaches composition and interpretation of literature.  Her work has appeared in Welter Magazine, So to Speak, the Blue Moon and The Meadow. She lives in Davis, California with her husband and two children.

 

 

How about you? Has writing helped you to find peace?

 

Karen has graciously agreed to give a way a copy of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments or questions below~

 

 

Next Week:  “The Role of Faith in Finding Freedom From Domestic Abuse: An Interview”