Author Interview

World of Writing - Author Interview

Today we will be interviewing author Michelle Moore; mother to three boys and founder and president of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit that addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events. Her new book, A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time, shares the stories of 12 amazing moms who are setting the world on fire helping others. She invites our readers to visit her website (Mothers-Grace.org) and visit her at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. *Special shout out to publicist Leslie Barret (of PRByTheBook.com) for suggesting today's guest for our blog :)

Q: So glad to have you on our blog, Michelle :) Let's start with learning a little about who you are behind the scenes... how would do you think a good friend might describe you?

A: I think most of my friends would describe me as very authentic, real and balanced across my life. I think they would say I am a good mom to my 3 sons, a friend that would go to the ends of the earth for the people I love and a person that makes things happen. 

 

Q: Do you use certain tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal? 

A: It sounds corny but I can get paralyzed like everyone else from overthinking and setting too many goals. Having structure and keeping a handwritten “to-do” list help keep me on track! Physically scratching things off my list makes me feel like I am moving things forward. Also finding peace when working on the tasks that aren’t very fun helps take you out of that paralysis. I find that good music, fresh air, exercise, iced tea, candles burning, and getting centred, will get me focused enough to knock stuff out. 

Q:How do you determine or evaluate "success"? "happiness”?

A: Happiness for me is having healthy, loving relationships. Of course, with friends and family, but most of all with my sons. I find complete joy when I’m hanging out with them, chatting and laughing hysterically at their witty sarcastic humor. Another source of happiness for me is traveling all over, taking in the scenes and people, and just getting out and seeing the world especially with my sons, partner, or girlfriends, with no agenda or rush. Lastly, laughter on a daily basis is a sign of happiness for me. 

Q: What was your path to publication?

A: This was a very long journey! (20 years in the making) I can say that it was a divine journey and a calling! I think because I lost my mom at 5 years old, I found myself subconsciously looking for meaningful and impactful connections with other moms. Amazing women who were facing adversity started dropping into my life in quite miraculous ways; then we began working together in their communities, and ultimately, many became my lifelong friends. Then I became one of them, a mom in crisis with cancer and a very sick child. All at once I understood their souls even more. My life came full circle, and the book telling each of their stories, practically wrote itself.

Q: What are the biggest surprises you’ve encountered as a writer?

A: I would say one of the biggest surprises is the editing process. Mine took a long time and just when you think you have nailed something, an editor tells you it's grammatically incorrect. Editing was very arduous for me! The other surprise is when it was finally done, I really couldn’t believe it was done and bound and for sale. After years of work it is surreal to see the finished product!

Q: That is so true - it is often surprising how long it takes once the manuscript has the final edit done, there's a lot more to do; all the beta readers, creating the formatted proof, cover design, and other stages involved behind the scenes. Even when you've put out a few books, I feel, one still feels the weight of the work and time involved before the book has a release date and the marketing plan begins. There's always learning involved no matter how many books you've released, that's for sure. Speaking of marketing - could you share some of the tools you've decided to utilize?

A: I am currently engaging on social media, sending out press releases and sharing with friends. I am also working to book speaking engagements where I can speak about Mother’s Grace and the incredible women in the book as well. 

Q: How much time do you devote to marketing your book?

A: I work with a wonderful PR company (PR by the Book) and they have me doing media interviews, writing articles and a virtual book tour; as such I put in at least a few hours a week toward marketing.

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