Thursday, January 19, 2012

Blog Tour: Under the Same Sky - Genevieve Graham - When I'm Not Writing

First of all, a big THANK YOU to Corrine for allowing me to pop up here on your screen and say hello. Blog Tours are wonderful. Especially for someone living in a teeny tiny town in Nova Scotia.

Corrine suggested I write about what I do when I’m not writing, and I really had to think hard on that. Because when I’m not writing, I’m editing, since I have my own editing business (www.WritingWildly.com). But that’s relatively boring. What else?

Let’s see. Well, to begin with—oh, would you mind waiting a second? My daughter needs me to find something for her …

There. When I’m not writing I enjoy—Sorry. One sec. Other daughter calling me …

I’m back! I’d say reading is my favourite past time, and—Really? Right now? Okay. Sorry. I have to go grab a book for my husband.

Sorry sorry sorry. Back to what I was saying. I love to read, but for some reason I have trouble finding enough time for that. I suppose that explains the stack of half-read books on my bedside table, though—Just a sec. Something’s boiling over. Actually, l think I smell smoke …

Anyway, my favourite author, Diana Gabaldon, says the best thing you can do as a writer is to read … everything. That way you know what to aim for, and what to avoid. I aim for her brilliance in description, wordage, humour, well, basically in everything I write. Her books inspired me to write, and the greatest compliment I have received (from a few readers) is that my main male character reminded them of her incredible Jamie Fraser.

Other than writing, editing, and reading? We have a little dog named Murphy, who likes to walk a lot, and occasionally (not often enough) we go to the beach, which is ten minutes away. We also have chickens (with whom Murphy is not allowed to visit). I, a former Torontonian, never imagined I would enjoy chickens nearly as much as I do. We have five (one recently passed away), and each of them has a different personality. I let them out of their coop almost every day (they hate rain, so they’d rather stay indoors on those days) and they make a beeline to our pile of mulch, where they roll in it like puppies. They’re perfectly at home getting a pedicure from our daughters.

Two nights a week I—*sigh* Hang on. Laundry’s beeping …

Where was I? Right. Two nights a week I teach piano to children. My university degree is in music, and while I no longer perform on my oboe, I feel fortunate that I can pass along my love and knowledge of music. With all the electronic devices kids can choose to pound on these days, it’s a miracle to hear them say, “I want to learn piano.” I honestly believe every child should be raised within a cocoon of music. Preferably classical. There is nothing quite so healing for the soul. At any age.

And I love movies. We live a fair distance from town, so we don’t go to theatres much anymore, but the library is a wonderful source for movies, as is Netflix. And once I’m snuggled up in front of a movie, nobody asks me to do anything. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love them so much.

Above all, I love hanging around with my family. We drive each other crazy, then end up hugging and tickling and laughing. Or we have quiet times where we’re each curled up around our own favourite/most recent books, sometimes with a candle burning in the background. I’m incredibly proud of the family we’ve become.

So what do I do besides write? I guess not much …


Would you please add after my blog on Jan 18 that I will be at http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/p/my-favorites.html on Jan 19?


Thank you so much for being here today, Genevieve! It sounds like you keep pretty busy! ;) 

Genevieve Graham can be found on her website

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The year is 1746. A young woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond their understanding. They have had visions of each other their entire lives. And yet they have never met.
Now, with their lives torn asunder, Maggie Johnson and Andrew MacDonnell's quest to find each other is guided only by their dreams—and by the belief in the true love they share.

On the Carolina frontier Maggie Johnson’s family struggles to survive. Maggie’s gift of “the sight” and her visions show her a presence she calls Wolf. She watches him grow from a boy her age to a man even as she goes from child to woman.

Andrew MacDonald has always wondered about the girl he sees in his dreams. He is able to talk to her through their thoughts and vows that even if he must cross an ocean he will find her. They are thrust into different situations: Andrew fights for the doomed Jacobite cause and Maggie is captured by slavers, then rescued and brought into a kind, loving Native American tribe. They each believe in destiny and the power of the love they have shared forever.
Synopsis taken from goodreads.

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