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I am fascinated by your synopsis and can hardly wait to read the book. It sounds like it was a bunch of fun to write. Right? Hope it sells like crazy! Deni

Dear Deni, it was great fun to write! Thank you for your kind words :))
Lisa

West of Wawa sounds like an interesting ride! And I loved your One Piece of Advice...thanks so much for sharing.

Very nice post~@

What an interesting bio! I took a bus trip (GREYHOUND) one time from Houston to Austin. I thought it was so interesting--my husband said NEVER AGAIN. In line for the bathroom, this fellow bus passenger starts telling me how she just got out of jail, can't wait to see her kids, etc, etc. :) Anyway, I can imagine a bus trip would make a great novel with an interesting cast of characters. Good luck to you!

Oh my goodness Margo! Well, there's definitely a whole story in itself there!
Thank you everyone, for your lovely words :))
Lisa

Fascinating life Lisa! I'm an aspiring to be published writer and I love motivating comments like yours ( you didn't sound apocolyptic to me!). Wawa makes me think of snacks and sandwiches and the idea of a bus trip across a huge country like Canada sounds intriguing to say the least. I'm looking forward to reading this.

Thank you very much indeed Dear Kim! :)))
Lisa

Have you been back to south Africa?

Diane Baum
[email protected]

Thanks for a great interview Lisa! What was so encouraging to me was that you worked-on and off-for a long time on this novel. Sometimes I think we worry that if a project is taking too long maybe it's flawed and we give it up. Readers, how long have you been working on your latest project?

This sounds like a book I would definitely like to read! :) I think the press is interesting, too as I had never heard of Inanna Publishing--I LOVE YOUR rejection story. (And I also don't stake my rejections to the wall, but some editors. . .NO, just kidding.) Anyway, thanks for the interview. Would love to win this book.

Margo
http://margodill.com/blog/

How fascinating! As a 40-something mother of three children, I definitely struggle with body image. But the truth is I can't remember a time when I didn't going all the way back to when I was as young as 8 or 9. This is a book I'd love to read.

Congratulations on your success! I like your comments on rejection! Laura Ingalls Wilder once said, the end seems sad, but it isn't, really, it is only the beginning of something new. That was when she didn't graduate school, since she was getting married. However, she did teach, and eventually wrote the "Little House" series. I, too, want to write a series of books, about staying in one place when growing up (hers were about moving about when growing up).

I also have an ongoing book about being a mother of a child who has two rare disorders that make him the only one, worldwide, with both. After 22 hours of brain surgery at age 15 (talk about body image), I want to inform all parents on how to optimize their own children's potential for typical and atypical children. I know if I can cut it down to the most important steps, it would be more "publishable". However, I cut things down to a Flesch-Kincaid reading score of 12.0 or higher, that is my problem. Does your editor or publisher have that in mind when they want you to do re-writes?

Great article, interview, and giveaway! I am a survivor of anorexia and continue to struggle with food, body image, and disordered eating. I would love to read a copy of this book.

Dear Jennifer, thank you very much for your comments!

I would have to ask my publisher but I don't think (I am assuming) that she was that mathematical about it.

My rewrites were predominantly content based; to bridge gaps in the story (I made some assumptions in my mind), to fix timelines, take out excess padding, provide more detailed character insights and change internal narrative into dialogue.

And then, taking my cue from my publisher's suggestions, I would run with the ball, often getting back to her and saying "I hope you don't mind but I changed this too..." So it was a great collaborative relationship.

I would suggest you write it exactly as you need to, and then your publisher can guide you from there

I would love to read this book, and may even buy it if I don't win it. ;) The themes are of interest to me and the interview made me even more interested. Then there's the bonus of the writer inspiration aspect of the chat. Wow!

Thanks, and I'll be following this tour.

thank you MP - and everybody! The themes are indeed complex ones, so I really appreciate the support and interest :))

This book sounds amazing. I find this topic is such an important one and yet one that is rarely discussed. I also love to hear about other writers that work on a project for years!

I really enjoyed this interview. As someone who has struggled with my weight and self-image for many years I am really interested in The Hungry Mirror.

this is a topic that needs to be explored. Sounds great. I just did an article on Anorexia in the elderly...Eating disorders affect every age...unfortunately.

Dear Sarah, I realised, when I was about 35, that my issues weren't going to resolve themselves.

I somehow thought that I would reach a certain age and my brain would 'come right' or that I would just outgrow my concerns.

But I realised that if anything, issues become worse unless treated, and I had a vision of myself in my sixties, still suffering the same torments and I didn't want that.

Thank you for writing that story.