Welcome to the WhiteFire Publishing Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to go back to stop #1 and collect all the clues in order. Once you have them all, you’ll have uncovered a secret message. Turn that in at the final stop for a chance to win one of THREE amazing prize packages!
The Hunt begins at Roseanna White’s site
- Take your time! You have all weekend to complete the Hunt—entries will be counted until Monday June 26—so have fun reading all the posts along the way and getting to know each author
- Lots of extra prizes! Many of the authors are featuring unique giveaways as well, for even more chances to win!
- Submit your entry for the grand prizes back at Roseanna White’s blog.
On an evening flight from Des Moines, Iowa to Colorado Springs, the man in the seat behind me quipped, “We’ll be catching up with daylight on this trip.” Voila! The perfect title for my memoir.
A few years later, WhiteFire Publishing issued me a contract for this manuscript, a compilation of essays, quotes, and women’s stories. The process of nurturing this work to publication taught me so much about life, even though I was a late bloomer with my writing.
I learned that memoir borrows some fiction techniques, such as grounding the reader in each new chapter. And of course, the genre requires imagination.
You may be singing your heart out like this little wren in our back yard, but must alert the reader to the whys and wherefores.
Memoir relays one’s unique journey, but mine definitely benefitted from editors’ objectivity. In the end, the published books delivered to my door one day gave me deep satisfaction. I believe I may have hugged the Fed Ex man.
Taking the journey is one thing, but turning your private writing into public writing entirely another, and I’m so grateful WhiteFire gave me the opportunity.
From there, the road has stretched on to writing World War II fiction focused on characters’ journeys. Their joys and sorrows become as real to me as my next door neighbor’s.
But for me, memoir needed to come first – making meaning of my own experiences. Eudora Welty wrote, “To imagine yourself inside another person…is what a story writer does in every piece of work; it is his first step, and his last too, I suppose.”
Here’s the Stop # 7 Scoop:
You can order my book at: http://amazon.com/author/gailkittleson
Clue to Write Down: imagination
Link to Stop # 8, the Next Stop on the Loop: Joy Palmer
Need the full list of stops?
Melody Carlson (hosted)
All finished? Submit Your Entries!
And now, for my own little giveaway! I’m adding a World War II replica flour sack dishtowel to our group giveaway, since that era affected my childhood so much, and therefore plays into Catching Up With Daylight.
Jot a comment here, perhaps about how memoir has touched you, and leave a LIKE or a smile on my FB author page (if you’ve already LIKED it) to qualify.
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I loved reading about all you learned while writing your memoir, Gail! Such a special genre, such a special book of yours! 🙂
Thanks, Rachelle.
Your a new author to me, YAY!
And you’re a new reader, Karen – sounds like a win-win! Thanks for stopping by.
And don’t we LOVE new readers !!!!
Absolutely!
Gail, thanks for sharing Catching Up With Daylight with WhiteFire.
Hey, June – isn’t this fun?
Boy, this book sounds sooooooooo good! I will be reading it!
Thanks, Beverly.
You will love it, Beverly !!!
Love your writing always, and what a cute giveaway.
Yours is VERY impressive, Christine. Glad we’re doing this.
Hi Gail! Thank you for this post!
Also, just wanted to let you know that your link for Joy Palmer’s post didn’t lead me to the post next in this loop. I did find it by looking on her blog, though. 🙂
You are a new author to me. I love collecting and looking at things that have history.
Sorry, Deana, there seem to be a few glitches, but you made-do. Hope you win!
OOPS, that comment was meant for Danielle, Deana. And I know what you mean – if I can learn most about history while I’m reading, whoo boy!
Hi Gail, we are friends on facebook. I have not read any of your books yet. Your World War II replica flour sack dishtowel is very nice. Thanks for a chance to win.
This has been a fun scavenger hunt!
I have several things that belonged to family members that have special meaning to me.
Blessings,Tina
Thanks, Tina – so glad you stopped by.
Oh, I love flour sack towels! I took a few from my mother’s stash when we cleaned our her apartment before she moved into the nursing home. I think they’re the best!
Me, too. They dry so fast, for one thing. Thanks for visiting!
Would love to read your books!
Thanks, Susanne.
I love the name of your memoir and the dish towel is so sweet and charming!
Potential titles occur to me almost every day, Kelly, and Catching Up With Daylight was certainly one of the best. I had another title for the memoir before that one popped up. Glad it did!
I bought my own piece of nostalgia yesterday! My Dad had a 1949 Ford Woody Station Wagon when we were kids! My sister had posted a picture of a toy car she got for him years ago. Mt 100 year old Mother has it now. I was out shopping with a friend in a bargain shop and low and behold!!! There was another toy Woody! It WAS a bargain! It now graces a shelf in front of a picture of my Dad alongside a replica ornament of our childhood house! I love old things! Thanks for the scavenger hunt!
Good for you, Paula – I can picture your dad’s photo and the woody. This hunt is really fun – so glad you could join in.
Your memoir sounds amazing, and I love the title, Gail!
Quite the process to see it all come together, and Roseanna designed the BEST cover…thanks.
This dish towel is amazing.
Would love to read your memoir. Thank you. Blessings
The bicycle on that towel represents a chapter in the memoir, Lucy, and one of my novel characters, an Iowa farm wife, rides her bicycle a lot on country roads. Thanks for visiting.
I would love to read your memoir.
Thanks, Caryl. Hope you’re able to.
I have not read your memoir, but it sounds fascinating!
Thanks, Roma. Memoir is one of my favorite genres – making meaning of the past.
Hi!
You are a new author to me.
Great – I love it when I meet a new author! I appreciate you stopping by, Becca.
Thank you for being a part of this scavenger hunt. I just liked your FB page. All of us have life memories that can inspire or help someone else!
Hi, Gail!! I have always loved memoirs – I love learning about other people!! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity – I had previously liked your Facebook page.
So many gifts in other people’s stories!
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