Good morning, everyone! I can’t believe this is it for summer. Many kids are back in school already, and my three start brand new schools this next week. I LOVE it here on the California coast–can’t believe we really live here—and hope that soon we’ll be out of boxes and have furniture in all room. Happily, my library/media room was finished yesterday and is scheduled to be stained next week so fingers crossed I’ll soon have all my books out and available to me!
Speaking of books….we are wrapping up my Summer Reading feature on my blog with NY Times bestselling author, Karen White, who has an amazing, loyal following, and wonderful, complex stories. Karen and I share the same editor—Cindy Hwang–and I’m a huge fan of Karen’s writing, work ethic, and success. Please help me welcome, the lovely Karen White!
The Price of Fame
By now I’m sure everybody’s seen the nude Las Vegas photos of Prince Harry. My 20-year-old daughter was horrified (as she has planned on being Mrs. Prince Harry since she was about 13), and then severely disappointed that a person with such a public profile would so easily allow himself to become tabloid media fodder.
Granted, I’m not anywhere nearly as recognizable or as well-known as Prince Harry, or Justin Bieber or even Kim Kardashian. Still, I’ve become more and more aware in recent years that I might not be as invisible as I had thought.
About a year ago, I was waiting for a dressing room at Anthropologie when a woman came up to me and asked if I was Karen White, the author. Thankfully, my hair was washed and I was wearing makeup and—even better—my daughter (who is barely aware that I do anything besides her laundry) was with me as a witness.
I was thrilled beyond belief. And a little appalled. Here’s a little known fact: writing is not a glamorous occupation. We aren’t paid to work out with personal trainers, nor do we have a staff of stylists on hand to make sure we always look red-carpet worthy. When I’m at home working, I look like a homeless woman: holey sweats, an old t-shirt, fluffy slippers, no makeup, and my hair in a blob on top of my head. I’m always afraid that the UPS man will call the authorities about the squatter he thinks is living in my house.
I’ve been recognized as “Karen White the Author” at a Boy Scout meeting, the grocery store, and nail salon, and once at the vets, I was asked to sign the back of a magazine.
So what does this have to do with Prince Harry? Well, it’s too bad he wasn’t raised by a Southern Mama. I was taught from the cradle that one always keeps a tube of lipstick handy and one always behaves in public because one never knows who’s looking. Or taking pictures. Yes, I might look like I belong on the cover of National Geographic when I’m at home working, but I have learned that I need to at least wear clothes and put on lipstick when crawling out of my writing cave. I also always keep in mind what I’ve taught my almost-adult children: never do anything you don’t want photographed and freely distributed in the cybersphere.
My young nephew recently asked me if I was famous. “Well, no,” I replied. I’m not sure at what point one become famous, but I’m pretty sure I’m not there. It probably involves more than being on the bestseller lists or being recognized at the local Kroger.
“How will you know?” he persisted. I’m not really sure, but I would bet it doesn’t require playing strip billiards or being photographed getting out of a limo without proper undergarments. I’d like to think that being famous means being on the top of my game, writing the best books that I can, and being recognized for being a writer who tells compelling stories about people readers care about.
I’m currently working on my summer 2013 book—my first hardcover release. After my last two novels made the top 20 of the New York Times bestseller list, my publisher determined that it was time. They will be putting a lot of effort into making it a successful release, and I’m busy making it the best book I’ve ever written. Will it make me famous like JK Rowling or Stephenie Meyer? Maybe. Maybe not.
Regardless, I’m pretty sure I won’t be having a $20 million wedding and then getting divorced a month or two later. No, I’ll probably just stick an extra tube of lipstick in my pocket and be prepared to be recognized in a few more places. And then I’ll get busy writing the next book. Because that’s what I do, regardless of how many people know who I am.
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Karen, thanks so much for joining us today! I’m thrilled you were able to join us here on my JaneBlog and am so excited to read your next book. I know it will be incredibly successful and I’ll be one of the first in line to buy it!
Readers and friends, to learn more about Karen, visit her at http://www.karen-white.com and for a chance to win two Karen White novels, along with a fun beach tote of goodies, including a Ty Gurney Surf School water bottle, and Starbucks card, please leave a comment below and tell me about your summer, and/or what you are doing this weekend, Labor Day weekend. That’s right. Just chat with me and you’re entered!
The Karen White Contest runs through Friday night, Sept 7th, and the winner will be announced on Saturday Sept 8th in the comment section below, too! So be sure to check back to see if you won and contact me with your details since I don’t hunt you down. It’s the winner’s job to follow up with me. Mean of me, but true. Now get back out in the sunshine and enjoy your day!
xoxooxx
PS The Good Woman is apparenty shipping from Barnes & Noble so fingers crossed you will be getting your copy soon! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Since my novel, The Meryl Streep Movie Club, was published a couple of months ago, I’ve shared the story behind its inspiration: how six years ago, while I was going through a divorce, I rented five Meryl Streep movies and my life ended up changing. Seriously. I’d spent a sad-sack weekend on my living room couch with tissues, popcorn, a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s, and had a Meryl marathon. I watched the breathtaking Out of Africa, the hilarious, poignant Defending Your Life, the beautiful Kramer Vs. Kramer, the sharp, touching Postcards from the Edge; and Heartburn, a favorite I hadn’t seen in a while. Brilliantly written by Nora Ephron and famously based on her second marriage and divorce, Heartburn made me laugh for the first time in months. Just when I needed to hear it, there was Meryl Streep’s character saying: “And the dream breaks into a million tiny little pieces. The dream dies. Which gives you a choice. You can stick with it, which is unbearable, or you can just go off and dream another dream.”
I propose that instead of using our birthdays to list all of the ways we came up short, all of the things we could have done better and all of the instances where we let ourselves (and others) down, we take the day to lavish ourselves with love, adoration and tenderness. Swaddle ourselves in the softness we save for others.
I’ve got another wonderful guest author hanging out with us this weekend. Readers, please help me welcome the wonderful Kaira Rouda, who lives in Laguna Beach…just a stone’s throw from me. So excited to be neighbors with Kaira. And now without any further delays, let’s introduce Kaira!
I’ve been a fan of light murder mysteries a la Jessica Fletcher and Susan Isaacs. Not bloody, just surprising. And the notion of an unreliable character appealed to me, too. So I’ve mixed some mystery into the traditional chick-lit, beach read. I had so much fun writing this book – and I’m proud of how it turned out. I’d be honored if you gave it a try!
In just two days time, I will be joining over 400 authors–yes, 400 authors!!–at the Anaheim Convention Center in California for the 2012 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing! It’s an amazing, crazy, crowded, wonderful event, as we’re all there signing, and buying books, to help raise money to promote literacy and if you’re going to be in the area, or can get to Anaheim, you should go. It’s a great cause, and selfishly, I’d love to see you.
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