"My Favorite Mom" CONTEST
The "My Favorite Mom" spa basket contest. In honor of Mother’s Day, Margaret would love to hear and share your favorite story about your mother (or someone who is like a mother to you). To enter the contest go here and share your story to win one of TWO fabulously scrumptious spa baskets! She will be posting the stories (with your permission of course) on her blog.
Oh, if you leave a comment on this post (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-favorite-mom-blog-tour.html) and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of A Mother’s Heart Knows for your very own!
INTERVIEW
Margaret, describe yourself for our visitors.
I’m just your regular mom. I’m a former NYC banker, who is now a full time mom. I’m also following my passion of writing and serving in the community and in my church.
BIO: Margaret lives with her husband and two daughters in a Chicago suburb. Her book, A Mother’s Heart Knows was published by Thomas Nelson in 2005. Go Back and Be Happy, a co-authored book will be published by Lion Hudson in July 2008. Margaret has been featured on Greg Wheatly’s “Prime Time America,” TLN’s “Aspiring Women,” and LeSea’s “The Harvest Show.” Margaret writes freelance articles for The Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. Notable interviews include Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Kinkade, Susan Branch and Dr. John Gottman. Margaret also wrote a feature article for crosswalk.com. With a master’s degree in international business, Margaret became a vice president in the corporate finance division of a New York City bank and worked there from 1986-1993. Supporting charitable causes is important to Margaret. For the past five years, she has served on the board of directors for WINGS, an organization that helps abused women and their children get a new start in life.
How do you find time to connect with God?
Every spare moment…lots of times it’s in the car wash. I try to stay constantly connected.
Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?
I would have to say contemporary women’s fiction is my favorite (both Christian and general market). The last three books I read were The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (very well written), The Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury (on audio), and Anne Lamott’s Grace Eventually.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
It’s been a roller-coaster. In a nutshell, it began when I started writing a neighborhood column for a local newspaper. It helped build my credibility as a writer. I began submitting material, but all I heard was "you need an agent". So then I put it all on the floor and just prayed, "God, if this is meant to be, please send me an agent."
A few days later I contacted a friend who worked for one of the major Christian publishing houses and she gave me the number of Francine River’s agent. (Ha, ha) So I called and bless her heart, she was very gracious. She said that she couldn’t represent me, but she gave me a phone number of someone who might. That number turned out to be the wrong number, but well, long story short…God provides even in a wrong phone number. Because I ended up connecting with Cheryl who became my first agent. Cheryl helped me get my first book published. She passed away a few years ago and now my agent is Janet Grant.
Besides getting an agent, the second thing I did was go to writing conferences. I would say that’s my number one piece of advice…take advantage of writing conferences.
Tell us about your current book?
Go Back and Be Happy will be released in the UK this summer, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia this fall, and here in the states in January 2009. What happens when life changes in an instant? Is faith enough? Go Back and Be Happy recounts the near-death experience and miraculous recovery of Julie Papievis. Feel firsthand what it’s like to wake up from a coma, paralyzed from a severe brain stem injury after a teenager runs a red light. Share in the joy and personal pain as Julie faces the everyday struggles of reclaiming her life. Read how God provides grace in an unbearable circumstance.
I’m also working on a book of collected essays called Pearl Girls. This project all began with the metaphor of the oyster – which was swimming beneath the waves when something unexpected happened. A piece of sand got stuck inside its shell and caused great pain. Nacre soon coated the piece of sand and transformed the unexpected source of pain into a beautiful pearl. Like the oyster, we, too go about our everyday lives when the unexpected happens. Yet God’s grace covers our pain and transforms it into a beautiful pearl. The mission of Pearl Girls™ is for women to collaborate and help make a difference in the lives of other women and children. Yes. We all can make a difference. Please visit the Charity Links at the Pearl Girls website to see specific organizations which Pearl Girls™ will help with the first project – a collection of essays written by women to inspire and encourage others who are facing a similar journey. Some of the contributors are Robin Jones Gunn, Debbie Macomber, Tricia Goyer, Victoria Jackson, and more.
Where can visitors find you online?
My website is in the process of being redesigned. www.margaretmcsweeney.com
You can also find me at www.pearlgirls.info and http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com
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