Q & A with Maria Buscher

Thanks for being here today., Maria. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

Thank you for having me, Rebecca. I’ve been writing in one form or another for most of my life, but it wasn’t until my Rock ‘n Roll dreams of stardom erupted in flames that I decided maybe I’d write that book after all. After several starts and stops, I finished my first romance novel in 14 months. Somewhere in the course of that year I figured out what I was doing. The second novel was much better, and so was the third. I have high hopes for the fourth. I think I’m on a roll.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you? 

The hardest part of this business is the rejection. There are so many great writers, so I try to remind myself when I get a rejection it doesn’t mean I’m a bad writer. In some ways it could mean I’m not quite “ready for prime time”, but beyond that it could also mean my particular voice is not quite right for the publishing line or maybe they already have an author with a similar voice and style.

And also perhaps when I arrived in the slush pile, the editor might have just finished reading four stories in a row about secret babies and marriages of convenience, and one more was the last straw. Or maybe she had a bad day because she ran out of chocolate. All good things to keep in mind.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life? 
I will tell you that once I had the misguided idea that I could be a sales person. A friend convinced me of this fallacy. I wound up in a networking group in which I was required to speak in public and make a presentation. And a funny thing happened – I didn’t die. I’m not saying I was very good, but somehow I got through it. And each time got a little bit easier. So this is also good for shy authors to know. Even if it feels like you’re having a heart attack you are more than likely not.

Great tip LOL. What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

Just remember that no matter what it looks like, even that loud and boisterous funny lady in the crowd (it won’t be me) worries what you’re thinking about her. We’re women, and it’s what we do.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

My book is sitting on the desk of a Harlequin editor, so perhaps a letter writing campaign insisting that I be published post-haste? I’m just kidding. You can see an excerpt of my latest work in progress on Nanowrimo, called Loving the Enemy.

I have a self-published Kindle short story, which won Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest 2010 Awards. It’s called Pink Shoelaces, it’s YA and based on a tragic event that occurred in my small town several years ago.

Available now at Amazon.

Where can my readers find you on the web?
Twitter @mariabuscher

Maria Font Buscher (Facebook)

www.romancingthewriter.blogspot.com

LET FREEDOM RING!

Please help me welcome inspirational romance writer Debby Lee to my blog. This is her very first guest blog, so let's help her relax and have fun. FYI--she's giving away a free book and Starbucks gift card to one lucky commenter who posts by Sunday night (July 4). See her comments near the end of the post.

Here's Debby Lee: Our Forefathers marched through sleet, snow and hail to fight the British with shoddy weaponry, minimal ammunition, and sorely lacking in food and shelter, all to bring us freedom. The odds were against them, but they forged ahead anyway. They had a dream of overcoming tyranny to find a better way of life and they didn’t let fear and intimidation get in their way.

As I write this blog on the week our country celebrates its freedom, I think of some of the issues that have held me captive. Issues that have caused me to draw into the shadows of life and sit comfortable unnoticed.

I wasn’t a real big kid growing up. If anything, I was down-right scrawny. Anybody who knew me then would surely agree. This made me feel vulnerable and thus retreat into the shadows of the school’s hallways and hide in corners. I didn’t think anybody would notice a little thing like me anyway. Well, the Colonials were a much smaller force than the Redcoats, yet look what they were able to accomplish. Although they were hopelessly outnumbered they were able to defeat the enemy. Don’t let the lack of strength or any kind of weakness keep you from dreaming big. Set your goals high and then stretch, and reach higher.

Like everyone else in life, at times I’ve been taken advantage of. Trauma happens. Heartbreak can keep us in the shadows licking our wounds and preventing us from venturing forth and staying the course. Don’t be afraid to grieve properly, it will make you a stronger person. But don’t be complacent with unfairness either. When the Colonials were taxed unjustly, they dumped a boatload of tea into the Boston Harbor. They didn’t stand for injustice and neither should we. Venture forth anyway. Stand up for what’s right even if it costs.

Failures are another thing that has caused me to withdraw. It seems that everybody notices failure making it difficult and scary to try again. Sometimes it’s easier to stop trying than to risk drawing even more negative attention. But where would our country be if our forefathers had given up after the Battle of Bunker Hill or at Elizabethtown? They reached deep down into their hearts and found the courage to try again, and kept fighting until the enemy surrendered. How glad I am that they didn’t give up. Let me encourage you to be bold, be brave, be willing to find courage to stand up and try again.

Lots of folks tend to think of colonial times during the Fourth of July, but let us not forget the sacrifices of other brave souls who have fought for freedom. There are scores of military personnel who have faced combat on a number of battlefields. There are those who have defended this country over the waters of Pearl Harbor, in the jungles of Vietnam, and currently in desserts of the Middle East. These soldiers are every bit as courageous as the ones who fought with rusty muskets hundreds of years ago. They have earned and deserve our respect, our honor and our praise. Don’t be shy about telling them so.

The struggles for freedom also happened in the streets across America as Susan B. Anthony marched and protested to give women the right to vote. It happened in factories as Rosie the Riveter took up the drill and built airplanes that were eventually used to protect our country. It happened on the steps of Washington DC as Martin Luther King proclaimed "I have a dream . . . I have a dream . . . I have a dream!"

In closing, I hope you will bring honor to those who have fought for this country by doing all you can to make it a better place to live for others. Break free from the chains of fear and intimidation and be the best person you can be. Remember to always pursue your dreams no matter how dark it may seem. Like a caterpillar that struggles to free itself from the constricting cocoon, realize that light and freedom are out there. Spread your wings and fly high my friends.

What do you dream of breaking free from? What fears are you willing to face in order to achieve victory? What goals are you willing to strive for in spite of overwhelming odds? Please be willing to share, I’d love to hear your story. Those who leave a comment will be entered in a drawing for a devotional book I’m published in and a 10 dollar Starbucks gift card. Those who visit my website and sign up for my newsletter will be entered in another drawing for an additional devotional book and 10 dollar gift card.

Debby Lee has always enjoyed writing poetry, short stories and in her diary. Her work has been published in numerous newsletters, college journals, e-zine’s and in a book of devotions. Besides RWA, she belongs to the Christian Writers Guild and the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is happily married, has five children and lives in Centralia Washington with her family. Reading is one of her favorite hobbies. Her other interests include traveling, being active in her local church and cheering for the Seattle Seahawks. You can learn more about Debby Lee here.