Guest Post ~ Connie May Fowler

I am very happy to have Ms Fowler here with us today. I must apologize first. I had received this book to read and review for her visit, but being under the weather I'm behind in my reading and didn't get a chance to get this read before today. BUT it is in my very short TBR stack and I'm getting to it VERY soon. Now, without further ado......

Lori, I am thrilled to be writing a guest post for your blog—which is, by the way—completely fabulous. And I’m so happy you asked me to write about how I got started writing.

My childhood was defined by poverty and violence. And books? They were a stalwart refuge. I escaped into books and discovered role models and hope. In the world of literature, I learned that some children actually knew they were loved and that gentle kindness could be a way of life. For me, writing was a natural outgrowth of all that reading I did.

I was, I admit, a scribbler savant. I wrote broadly: plays, short stories, poems, songs. But it wasn’t until I went to graduate school that I penned my first novel. I wrote Sugar Cage as my graduate school thesis and Putnam published it in 1992.

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is my seventh book. I am grateful and surprised that my passion for the written word has actually turned into a career. And believe me, I take none of it for granted. I’m perpetually surprised that my books find their way into print and, also, perpetually delighted that they land in hands of readers. It’s a profound joy and privilege to know that my novels might help others find their way out of whatever darkness they might be experiencing. For me, my journey was one word, one paragraph, one page, one book at a time.

Thanks again, Lori, for letting me visit. I wish you and your readers many hours of happy reading!

  

About the book ~

Set amidst the lush pine forests and rich savannas of Florida’s Northern Panhandle, HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY tells the story of one woman whose existence until now has seemed fairly normal: she is 30-something, married, and goes about her daily routine as a writer. However, it is soon discovered that ghosts, an indifferent husband, and a seemingly terminal case of writer’s block are burdening Clarissa’s life.  She awakes on the summer solstice and, prodded by her own discontent and one ghost’s righteous need for truth, commences upon a twenty-four hour journey of self-discovery.  Her harrowing, funny, and startling adventures lead Clarissa to a momentous decision: She must find a way to do the unthinkable. Her life and the well-being of a remarkable family of blithe spirits hang in the balance.  Connie May Fowler demonstrates her keen abilities as a storyteller in this remarkably original novel about an unexpected mid-life awakening. This is an empowering story that will resonate and be discussed for years to come.

About Connie May Flower ~ 

      Connie May Fowler is an award-winning novelist, memoirist, and screenwriter.  Grand Central Publishing will publish her most recent novel, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, April 2, 2010.  She is the author of six other books: five critically acclaimed novels and one memoir.  Her novels include Sugar Cage, River of Hidden Dreams, The Problem with Murmur Lee, Remembering Blue—recipient of the Chautauqua South Literary Award—and Before Women had Wings—recipient of the 1996 Southern Book Critics Circle Award and the Francis Buck Award from the League of American Pen Women. Three of her novels have been Dublin International Literary Award nominees. Ms. Fowler adapted Before Women had Wings for Oprah Winfrey. The result was an Emmy-winning film starring Ms. Winfrey and Ellen Barkin.  In 2002 she published When Katie Wakes, a memoir that explores her descent and escape from an abusive relationship.  Her work has been translated into 18 languages and is published worldwide.  Her essays have been published in the New York Times, London Times, International Herald Tribune, Japan Times, Oxford American, Best Life, and elsewhere.  For two years she wrote "Savoring Florida," a culinary and culture column for FORUM, a publication of the Florida Humanities Council.  In 2007, Ms. Fowler performed in New York City at The Player’s Club with actresses Kathleen Chalfont, Penny Fuller, and others in an adaptation based on The Other Woman, an anthology that contains her essay “The Uterine Blues.”  In 2003, Ms. Fowler performed in The Vagina Monologues alongside Jane Fonda and Rosie Perez in a production that raised over $100,000 for charity.  Domestic violence shelters and family violence organizations have honored her with numerous awards.  In 2009, she received the first annual Peace, Love, and Understanding Award from WMNF Community Radio.  She is currently working on her next project, a novel titled Euphrates in Paradise.  In addition to writing, Ms. Fowler has held numerous jobs including bartender, food caterer, nurse, television producer, TV show host, antique peddler, and construction worker. From 1997-2003 she directed the Connie May Fowler Women Wings Foundation, an organization dedicated to aiding women and children in need. From 2003-2007 she served as the Irving Bacheller Professor of Creative Writing at Rollins College and directed their award-winning visiting author series Winter With the Writers.  Ms. Fowler travels the country, speaking on topics such as writing, self-employment in the arts, literacy, domestic violence, child abuse, environmental issues, and popular culture.  She teaches writing workshops and seminars globally and is the founder of Below Sea Level: Full Immersion Workshops for Serious Writers and serves on the faculty of The Afghan Women's Writing Project.  She is a Florida native. 

Make sure to visit her website HERE

Click How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly this link to order your copy today!

And now you can check out the book trailer!!!!

  And don't forget to check out her other titles too!

 

Make sure to check out these other blogs where will Ms. Fowler will be stopping by today.

http://www.justshortofcrazy.blogspot.com
http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com
http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com
http://thebooktree.blogspot.com
http://www.mybookbuds.com
http://www.armsofasister.com
http://wiseowlbookreviews.com
http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com