The Ride
By Kristina McMorris | February 22, 2011 |
Today’s guest is debut author Kristina McMorris, whose novel, Letters From Home, releases today! Publisher’s Weekly has called Letters From Home “Ambitious and compelling…[a] sweeping debut novel.” Not that we’re surprised. Kris’s book has already received a dozen national literary awards, and an RWA Golden Heart nomination; had book club rights sell to Doubleday and Reader’s Digest; and had foreign rights sell to publishers in China and the U.K. I’m thrilled she’s here with us today to talk about the road to publication–and give a signed copy of her book to one randomly chosen commenter, too. Enjoy!
The Ride
Clearly an overload of hormones was to blame. I was pregnant with my second child (which means I had no logical excuse not to know better) when I decided I would fill my imaginary surplus of free time by writing a novel. I wasn’t a creative writer. I was barely a reader—unless you count such literary gems as Hippo Goes to School or Where Is Ducky’s Tail?
Yet, somehow it occurred to me that writing—and publishing—a novel couldn’t be that hard. Besides, I was inspired. A discovery of my grandparents’ wartime courtship letters had gifted me with an idea for a great movie. But since I seemed to be short on a film crew…and cameras…and a craft service table at the time, I decided instead to write a book. Because that’s what a non-reader/non-writer should tackle as her first project: a novel-length book set during an easily researched era like, oh, World War II. I had, after all, seen Saving Private Ryan at least twice, which certainly added to my qualifications.
“If nothing else,” my husband had assured me, “we can print copies at Kinko’s and give them away to the family.”
Come to think of it, based on my not-so-brilliant first draft, that might have been his gentle way of preparing me for the slew of form rejections he foresaw streaming in from New York. Fortunately—for many people’s sake—that manuscript underwent many a revision. Along the way, I learned about writing, I researched obsessively, I watched “Band of Brothers,” and yes, I read books (a profound concept, I know.)
See, by the time I figured out WWII women’s fiction wasn’t “hot” in the marketplace, it was too late. I’d already finished the book, and I wasn’t about to give up without a fight. Thus, I continued on my mission until the planets aligned, the market shifted (in my favor), and my agent called with a contract offer.
My second child is now almost five, and release day is but a few weeks away. When a box of the finished copies arrived at our house this week, both of my sons gave me a huge hug, and the oldest one said, “Mommy, I’m so proud of you. You worked sooo hard for this.”
And that’s when I realized my greatest accomplishment: I’d managed to provide my children with tangible proof of what hard work and determination can bring.
So thank you, pregnancy hormones, for sparking this insane journey. Had rationale been calling the shots, I would have run screaming the other way—and I would have missed out on an incredible ride.
What spurred your own literary journey? Had you known what you were in for, would you have dared to take the first step? Did pregnancy hormones ever make you do anything out of the ordinary?
To celebrate the official release of Kris’s debut, she’s offered to give away one signed copy of Letters From Home to a WU reader. Please leave a comment in this post to be eligible. Please visit Kris’s website to learn more about her book, read excerpts from her grandfather’s courtship letters, and more, and follow the links to find her on Twitter and Facebook.
The cover of the book is beautiful. And the story of your journey to publication is inspiring. Five years is a long time to stay true to a dream. No wonder your kids are proud of you. Good luck with the launch and wishing you much success!
Judy (South Africa)
Thank you, Judy!
Congrats for your determination. I can’t wait to read it.
Though I have not yet had the honor of being pregnant – I could only imagine what those hormones might whisper into my ear.
If only the bookstores were open at 6:30am, I’d be there to snatch a copy of this tantalizing read! Good luck with this debut!
What?! The stores didn’t open at dawn today especially for my release? Shocking. LOL. Thanks for your warm wishes, M.E.!
What spurred my literary journey? Ha ha, an A+ in third grade… And yes, knowing everything I know now, and knowing everything I don’t know now, I would still have taken the first step. And the second. And all the rest.
Congrats on everything, and thanks for sharing your hilarious pregnancy hormone story. :)
Congrats on that A+, Kristan! LOL. Glad you enjoyed the post.
~5 years is a very long gestational period, but now that your baby’s out in the world, I can only imagine the joy (and pride!) you must be feeling. Congratulations!
(I love the cover AND the premise–can’t wait to read it.)
It’s rather scary to imagine being pregnant for five years, isn’t it? Ha. Thanks so much for the kind words!
Congrats on the book and great reviews!
I wish my pregnancy hormones made me productive. Instead they spurred me to do crazy things like hide the family recipes (from whom, I am not sure) and give all my suits to the Salvation Army.
By the way, WWII women’s fiction was absolutely hot in the marketplace. Off the top of my head, here are a few recent bestsellers:
The Piano Teacher
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Also The Book Thief, but maybe that got categorized as YA rather than women’s lit.
Mari, the idea of your hiding the family recipes is hilarious! The suits, not as funny. Yikes!
You’re absolutely right about those fabulous WWII-era WF novels… however, they all hit the market in 2009 — the same time my publisher offered a contract. And yes, I’m happily riding the wave those authors helped create!
As for the The Book Thief (one of my all-time favorites!) – yep, that was marketed as a YA, though I’m still scratching my head as to why. I found it much more mainstream than that. I think I’ve given away at least a dozen copies to friends as gifts. Just amazing.
Thanks for stopping by!
A great life lesson for your boys. I clearly remember saying nearly those same words to a close friend visiting the house, oh, let’s see; yeah, five years ago. He came up to my office, coffee in hand, and asked what I was doing. I said, “Reseach, about the Roman Empire.” He asked me why, etc. After I told him I was thinking of writing a novel, and received the incredulous look, I said, “It can’t be that hard. Look at all the mediocre work that gets published.”
We still laugh when he asks me how publishing my mediocre work is going.
Congratuations on writing what your heart led you to, and not trying to follow the market, and seeing it through to fruition. I love the concept, and Band of Brothers gets to me every time I watch it. Sounds like a must read to me. Good luck!
That’s too funny; I’m glad I’m not alone — regarding the blissful ignorance AND Band of Brothers. Thanks for the warm wishes!
Seems like a pregnancy can have unexpected outcomes!!!!!
Congrats on your book!
Patricia
Thanks, Patricia!
Congrats on your book coming out. I too have letters I have wanted to turn into a book. Mine are from my grandparents they wrote while she was here and he was in Ireland, circa 1901- 1910. There probably isn’t a market for immigrant fiction either but i still want to tell their story.
Kate
Kate – Those letters must be amazing. I’m sure you can guess what MY advice would be….write the book! Stories about a 90 y.o. man remembering his days in the circus wasn’t “hot” either, but that doesn’t seem to be hurting Sara Gruen.
Thanks for the kind words, and good luck!
Congratulations on your book! The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to read it!
I’d always known I wanted to be a writer, but the incident that put me on this particular journey took place in 2005, when my parents bought an apartment, rented it out, then quickly realized that the tenants had taken off and left the place a mess. I kept wondering what had happened there, what was the story they’d left behind. Since I couldn’t figure it out, I decided to write it myself. The finished product evolved a great deal, but that’s what started it all!
Oooh, I LOVE where the premise of your story originated. What I’ve learned after writing two historicals is, true stories can be the most captivating of all.
Thanks for stopping by! :)
Congratulations on your journey, Kristina, and for now reaching the ultimate destination!
Thank YOU, Larramie, for all your warmth and support!
Pregnancy hormones? Try pregnancy hormones plus mental chaos! I’m bipolar and my first novel was directly inspired by my experiences (fears, really) as a bipolar, pregnant woman. I wished my worst case scenario nightmares on her, and the book was born.
Congratulations on your long awaited baby!
Laura – Understanding your character — in such a unique and intriguing situation — must have given great depth to your story. Good for you for channeling those fears into a creative outlet.
Thanks for the warm wishes!
Hmm. Being of the male persuasion, I’m not quite sure how to go about applying this technique. : )
Ray – Listen closely. I want you to go to the store today and pick out a 7-lb. watermelon. Then I want you to stuff that watermelon under your shirt…..for at least 6 months.
Or you could just sympathy-eat by gobbling up a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s, lol.
Congrats on your book release! I know about those pregnancy hormones – my writer’s instinct kicked in with my two pregnancies too! Thankfully, my kids and my stories are growing up nicely together. Keep enjoying the ride!
Nancy – I think Stephenie Meyer was pregnant when she wrote Twilight too. Definitely a hormone thing. Thanks for the well wishes!
What an inspiring story! My book, “Hollywood and Catholic Women” grew out of my masters thesis and is currently being updated. Congratulations on your book’s publication and the beautiful story.
Kathryn Schleich
Your story is so inspiring; I bet your positive attitude helped at every step of the process.
I decided to write novels after writing to a Swiss author I admired: and she wrote back and was really encouraging!
It was like she gave me permission to get started.
Can’t wait to read your book!
Congratulations to you! It sounds like a lovely story, and I like how it links the generations of your family as well. What a beautiful cover.
Congratulations on your release! I love historical fiction, so I’m very excited to get your book. I think I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer; for me, it stems from my love of books. When some kids are saying they want to be teachers and doctors, I said I wanted to be a writer!
Kristina,
Congratulations on your book. I am an avid letter writer (500 letters/cards last year), former Sailor (30 years in the Navy) and lover of all things Japanese. For me, you are a jackpot. I’m anxious to read your book. I am fearful that we’ll lose much of our history because people don’t exchange letters today as they have in the past. Imagine yourself trying to compile the tweets between your Grandmother and Grandfather to write a book. Not very likely. Keep writing !!!
Kathryn – Thanks for the warm wishes, and good luck with “Hollywood and Catholic Women!”
Allison – I love what you shared about the Swiss author. For me, too, it seems that certain people came into my life to give me just the encouragement I needed to keep at it!
Donna – Thanks so much. I’m so happy my grandmother is alive to enjoy this journey with me.
Jessica – For me, when other kids said they wanted to be teachers and doctors, I was debating between wanting to be a belly dancer and a nun (not because I was Catholic, mind you, but because I loved their “outfits”). Probably had something to do with my love of The Sound of Music.
Mike – I couldn’t agree with you more about the history that is being lost without letter exchanges. I’m so impressed with how many you write annually! And I love that I’m your jackpot, lol. Thanks for the kind words. :)