Welcome Author, Lisa Rivero

[Oscar] motioned for me to sit next to him “This grand prairie”–he swept his hand toward the door– “is like a blank piece of paper. The way I see it, we come here to write our story on the land, acre by acre. Every homesteader’s claim tells a different tale.”
“What is your tale?” I asked.
Oscar grinned. “I’m still writing it,” he said.
~from Oscar’s Gift

The front cover of Lisa Rivero’s debut novel, Oscar’s Gift: Planting Words with Oscar Micheaux, bears four important words: Fiction for Young Historians. Oscar Micheaux, the first African-American filmmaker, bought a claim of land in South Dakota to homestead in the early 1900’s. He was a man of persistence and of wit, educated and creative. In her historical novel, Lisa Rivero shows how a man such as Oscar must have impacted the lives of those around him,  especially a young person like the main character, Tomas.

Lisa Rivero has plenty of publishing credits to her name, but this is her first venture into fiction. I doubt it will be her last. She has a knack for taking details of the past and weaving them into stories that touch today’s readers. Just take a peek at some of her Flash Narratives on her website, stories about her Great Aunt Hattie. You’ll see what I’m talking about, and you’ll likely want to read more.

I’m honored to host Lisa today to talk about her debut novel, Oscar’s Gift. At the end of her interview, leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for a free paperback copy of her book. Random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, October 18th, at high noon.

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CC: The blurb on the back cover of your book says that you grew up on the same reservation where Oscar Micheaux homesteaded. How did you come to learn about Oscar and his connection to your own history?

Lisa Rivero

LR: I am still amazed that I hadn’t heard of Oscar Micheaux until just a few years ago, since he homesteaded not far from my grandparents’ farm. I first read about him when I was doing some research about my ancestors for a writing project based on some family diaries. Although Micheaux is best known for his film making, I was captivated by his farming and writing. What must have the experience been like for an African American homesteader at the turn of the century on an Indian reservation? Then, when I began to read about his childhood and the intensity he brought to everything he did, I was hooked and knew I had to write about him.

Continue reading “Welcome Author, Lisa Rivero”

Wanted: Time to Write

Clocks

Today, you’ll find me over at Heather Cashman’s blog, Better Off Read, talking about time and where to find it.

…[T]ime remains a mystery. I can’t figure out how to tame it, so I try to tackle it — stretch it out or squeeze it in or steal a little of it here and there. When I started up my blog a few years ago, I knew time would be my biggest challenge, so I titled my blog “Writing Under Pressure,” as a reminder to myself of what I was up against, and as a battle cry.
Read more….

It’s funny how the writing world works (hello, alliteration). Just as soon as I sat down to put my thoughts on paper, Twitter went all a flutter with links to posts on other writers searching for time, too.

Do a quick search using “find time to write” on Twitter and…No, wait. Don’t. You should be writing. That’s the whole point of my guest post on Better Off Read. So, when you’re done writing for the day, jump back over here and pretend I’m your Twitter feed:

  • From @NataliaSylv: My results from last week’s #writing experiment: How Much Time Do We Really Need to Write? http://ow.ly/6gSDf #amwriting >> Where Natalia reveals what happens when you devote an entire day to writing. A whole day folks.
  • From @elizabethscraig: Tips for making time for your #writing: http://bit.ly/nS5adm >> Where Mary Carroll Moore guides you through an exercise in assessing your needs and making changes.
  • From @annerallen: Why the Rush to Publish? wp.me/p1cBdi-2l from Nina Badzin >> @NinaBadzin has written several posts on managing Twitter (while not letting it run your life). This post from Nina suggests that Twitter might not be problem after all (ouch).
  • From @LisaRomeo: Getting ready to kick a few you-know-whats next week when *I Should Be Writing* Boot Camp begins. bit.ly/nbeigJ #writing #writer >> Lisa Romeo offers an online class where she (and I quote) will “help you: create the time to write…develop and maintain regular writing routines, deal with writing obstacles….” Bingo.

Time is money, folks, or at least a lot like money. You spend what you earn. So, hop on over to Heather’s blog and tell us how you tackle time.

*photo credit: blue2likeyou on flickr.com

Sunday Discoveries

Found, in the freezer at our local grocery store:

Packer Country

Kemps Touchdown Sundae. Vanilla ice cream with a hint of fudge swirl and small treasures of chocolate footballs (complete with a caramel filling). It’s egg-free, nut-free, but not sugar-free, and it’s perfect for a rambunctious about-to-be-a-fourth-grader boy who’s trying to “beef up” for the school year.

Found, in my local library:

A Memoir after my own heart. Because reading food labels, on everything from ice cream to bread, is more about bypassing a trip to the ER than counting calories for me.

If you stand in the middle of the grocery aisle and study ingredients, or if the mention of a “pot luck dinner” makes you break out into a cold sweat, read this book. Sandra Beasley’s memoir touches on every aspect of food allergies, from the perspective of the allergic, those who care for someone with allergies, and even the research and science behind allergies.  I can’t say enough about how much I love, LOVE, this book. I have it on loan right now, but I want a copy for myself. I want to slip it onto my son’s nightstand in a few more years, when he’s too big for me to check his pockets for his Epi-Pen.

Found, in my schedule for fall:

Not enough time (27/365)Time. I was glad (ever-so-slightly) last Monday when my day job kicked in, and not just because my mornings and evenings became more predictable. As I considered my start and end times and my work schedule unfolded, my day planner revealed a secret: little pockets of time to myself each day. The impossibility of it all was matched with a dose of guilt, so I closed my calendar quick. Afraid to breathe. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but if you’re a mother and a writer, you know the value of any uninterrupted time (and the power in a second of guilt).

Free time is there, though. I’ve double checked.

Found, on Writer Unboxed:

Twitter Bird SketchTwo great posts by Nina Badzin on the Art and Science of Twitter, Part 1 and Part 2.

If you’re new to Twitter, and even if you’re not new, these posts are a must-read. Because when you suddenly discover a pocket of time, you don’t want to waste it on Social Networking. Nina Badzin explains how to make Twitter work for you, so that you can get back to work, doing what you love best.

What’s new in your kitchen, on your shelves, or in your reader?