Friday, January 27, 2012

Welcome Back Genevieve Graham!

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Genevieve Graham back to the Authorial Moms Blog--her debut book, Under the Same Sky, is out and I have to tell you, I loved it! Take it away, Genevieve!

I’m Proud Of All My Babies

As a mom, there’s nothing on earth as moving as watching your child do something truly wonderful. It can be something as fantastic as performing on stage or something as sublime as holding a door open for someone. Or it could be when your toddler first switches from “no” to “please”. Baby steps, right?

Then one day, someone comes to you and says something like, “I just wanted to tell you how much I like your child. She’s so respectful/funny/happy/smart/polite/whatever.” The first time someone said something like that to me I thought I might burst, my grin was so big. Once I got over that incredible high, the realization settled into something even more satisfying, though on a different level: I had something to do with that.

Sure, there will always be someone who says your kid is too noisy/mopey/whiney/wild/whatever. Critics, right? Everyone’s a critic.

In my editing business, I regard everyone’s novel as if it were their “baby”. I understand the love, the pride, the connection that exists between an author and their book, and I know that submitting a novel to an editor is scary—like the first day of school. Will my kid be popular? Will they be a wallflower? Will they fit in or is the teacher going to call me about their bouncing uncontrollably outside the box?

My husband and I have two beautiful daughters, 11 and 13 years old. They’re hardly babies. But I have an announcement: I have a newborn, too.

No diapers, no 2 a.m. feedings, but this one has me almost as excited. Like our girls, they were created from nothing but love, though the labour was hard work and took a little longer.

Under the Same Sky is my debut novel. And all of a sudden people are coming to me saying things like, “I just wanted to tell you how much I love your book.” I’m so proud of the book: the characters I love, the story that raked me over the coals, the settings that made me long for a vacation … and I’m proud of myself.

Sarah knows what I’m talking about. Her debut novel, A Man Of His Word met with terrific reviews! Congrats, Sarah!

I didn’t write Under the Same Sky until after I turned forty. I was so busy with our kids that I didn’t even read much until a few years ago. I’d never imagined myself as an author, but having started, I can’t stop. I love to write, to create, to bring new characters and stories into the world. When readers connect to those stories then feel compelled to recommend the book to a friend … well, I don’t think the thrill will ever fade.

Genevieve Graham graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her future husband in a chairlift lineup and subsequently moved to Calgary to be with him. They have recently settled in a small, peaceful town in Nova Scotia with their two beautiful daughters. Writing became an essential part of Genevieve’s life a few years ago, when she began to write her debut novel, Under the Same Sky.

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4 comments:

Sarah M. Anderson said...

Thanks so much for stopping by, Genevieve! How has the book release been going for you?

Genevieve Graham said...

Crazy busy! But so much fun. And I'm meeting tons of great people. Thanks for inviting me here today!

Kaki said...

I'm so proud of the both of you! Almost nearly famous authors bursting onto the scene with so many great reviews. I LOVED both of your books and am so glad there will be more to come. I've seen each of your books in stores lately and both times I had to hold myself back from grabbing the nearest person and saying, "I know her! You gotta buy this book!"

Genevieve Graham said...

Aww Hi Kaki! You've been such a tremendous support for us both! And ... I have pushed your book in a few faces, you'll be happy to hear!