Party with NADINE LAMAN!

by Ivana Marić, Croatia, guest blogger

Party, Party, Party...can you believe we have been partying for three weeks? Let's keep celebrating and give away more autographed books today! Everyone, world wide is invited...EVERYONE! Want free books? Play the game and/or comment in the comment section.

Carrie is the winner of Joy and Joyce's book yesterday. Congratulations! (email me, please)


Nadine Laman and I have met two months ago, but in many ways it feels much longer than that. Incidentally or not, we met on my birthday.

I had to see what was all the buzz about Nadine Laman and Kathryn’s Beach on Filedby. Seeing the words dyslexia and writer at the same page—in the same sentence, was my WOW moment. We started chatting, and Nadine heard my whining about lack of new books in English in our bookstores as I was unable to make online purchases. Not two weeks later, Kathryn’s Beach arrived at my home.

As I just commenced into my education on the world of publishing, Nadine answered many of my questions, sometimes even those unstated, on her blog, First Draft. Nadine is a mentor and friend who takes notice when I’m not around and takes time to email me and asks if everything is fine.

I am reading Nadine's High Tide. Kathryn is one of the most believable characters out there. Nadine's writing style is compelling in the sense you get a peek into Kathryn's mind and heart, making her all the more believable-and enjoyable.

What I learned from Nadine is that there are no obstacles in pursuing your dream-and if they still get in your way, how to easily avoid them.

With this blog party, which is really a terrific idea, she introduced so many great authors and readers I feel blessed to have met. She brought us together to celebrate what we love and what is our mission-writing our stories. Nadine magnanimously put others under the spotlight for the past few weeks. Today, Nadine, the stage is yours! Come out, take a bow and enjoy all that jazz!

Original music by Nadine's youngest son when he was 14. Photos from Seal Beach, California, taken by Nadine and family...often with a disposable camera (or a 35mm Minolta).




Thanks, Ivana. That was very sweet. You did a better job than I would have. I'm not surprised after the review you wrote for Kathryn's Beach. http://willingtoseeless.blogspot.com/2009/08/now-real-tss.html

I think everyone must know by now that Kathryn's Beach began as a short story emailed to a friend, a chapter a night. The whole thing was planned about as well as this blog party five minutes before I said, "Party!" (The planning came after the announcement.) In the short story, I gave Kathryn a frail but resilient personality. After Terrie, my friend, insisted I write a novel, then a second (the third was my idea), I was stuck with the characteristics I had given Kathryn in the short story.

Kathryn's Beach is the story of Kathryn's return home to resolve the past that haunted her. After knocking the wind out of Kathryn toward the end of KB and having her dust herself off, High Tide gave her a few more bumps and busies and laughs. All of the struggles and triumphs came together so she could meet her biggest challenge yet in Storm Surge.

I would rather not give away spoilers, since I know most people at the BLOG PARTY have not read my books, otherwise, ask me anything about the books, the differences in writing a trilogy, or my well documented ability to jump off cliffs!

Party game: As we were thinking about a party game, Nadine mentioned she hated Haiku poetry. I’m not a fan of it either, so let’s turn it into our advantage and have fun. Write a Haiku in the form 5-7-5 syllables that has to have the words Nadine and Beach anywhere in it. If it doesn’t give you a brain hemorrhage, do more than one. It’s not so difficult once you give it a try! (Oh yeah, giving away autographed books!)


This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?) -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com