And the winner is....

Doraine Bennett!        *cheers*

You've won a copy of Bettina The  Bold by Fiona Page. 

Please contact me at: kidlitgail (at) gmail (dot) com with a snailmail address and I'll have Fiona send it lickety-split.

                                Random Acts of Publicity- Thursday
                          Part II of interview with Fiona Page  

          Yesterday, we met Fiona Page and talked about her new children's book, BETTINA THE BOLD. Fiona plans to take some of the stories she told as a professional storyteller in schools and now turn them into chapter books for kids.

           Today we'll talk about how her life has (or hasn't changed) after losing her sight and about her memoir, MY NIGHTLIFE IS 24/7.                                   

What have you found that you can still do with no sight that you thought you'd have to give up?

Dance! I love to dance all kinds of dances. I also thought I would never read again because audio books were not widely accepted in 1987. Now there are many options for reading.

What do you miss the most as a person without sight?

The freedom to do what I want when I want.

( I can relate to this as well. No matter how hard we work at maintaining our independence, the bottom line is that life now takes more planning and arranging. Going and doing something spontaneously doesn't easily happen when you no longer drive and/or need someone else for assistance. I struggle with this too.)

Yes, coping with challenges is an ongoing process! 

 

As a visually impaired person myself, I find characters in my stories frequently have vision loss or another disability, or one of their family members has a disability. Do you find a pull toward those sorts of characters in your stories?

My mother was disabled. She had two prosthetic legs. I like to show others that we all have something which is a challenge but it does not make us different because we all want to be accepted and have friends. It only inconveniences us until we find a way around it. I think I will write about my mother now.  

Ah, you come by your strength of character naturally, then!

Let's talk about your memoir, MY NIGHTLIFE IS 24/7. Would you tell us about it?

MY NIGHTLIFE IS 24/7 is about going from a being a sighted person to a sightless one. It's also about overcoming challenges with courage and conviction and moving beyond them. You know, we all have obstacles in our lives, some of them we did not choose for ourselves. We can, however, make a choice about how we will deal with those obstacles. I hope it will show others that life does go on.

Was writing your memoir a part of the healing and acceptance process after losing your sight?

Most definitely. I became blind in '87. Life became a whirlwind of learning (using a computer, cane mobility training, daily living skills). It was not until 2000 that I started writing out of desperation--I couldn't talk for two months. Through this long process--years of writing--I realized I finally accepted the "new" me. Accepting my blindness took ten years and then it only came in stages.

(I understand. I call it my "new normal" because what I previously called normal responses or situations all had to change.)

Absolutely!

Thank you Fiona for sharing your life story along with your written stories. You are truly inspiring and I'm glad to call you friend.

Remember.... leave a comment and an email address (unless I already have your address!) and there will be a book giveaway late Friday night. I'll post the winner on Monday.

If you're interested in purchasing a copy of BETTINA THE BOLD or MY NIGHTLIFE IS 24/7, you can click here. 

            "Random Acts of Publicity" week - Wednesday

     Three years ago, author, teacher, speaker Darcy Pattison created a program for writers to help other writers with publicity. A writer can choose any other writer friend to promote during the week following Labor Day. I decided to choose a new friend of mine, Fiona Page.

       Fiona is one remarkable woman. She is a professional storyteller, a motivational speaker, a radio show host, as well as a writer of a children's book and an adult memoir. Busy woman, right? Did I mention that Fiona is blind?

     Some 20+ years ago, Fiona went to the hospital to have some routine surgery. She left the hospital  sightless. She had to relearn how to do practically everything as a blind individual. That means dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning,meeting and talking to people, and figuring out how to get around, just to name a few. I can totally sympathize and empathize with her as I am going through the lose-your-sight-journey myself.

      Fiona seemed like the perfect recipient for "Random Acts of Publicity". Let me begin by introducing you to her children's book, BETTINA THE BOLD.

       Bettina is a butterfly who discovers, upon leaving her chrysalis, that she is blind. This creates problems for Bettina, especially in making friends until a blind bat shares strategies for overcome challenges.  BETTINA THE BOLD is available in paperback and as an audio book. A portion of the cost goes to Vision Rehabilitation Services in Marietta, Georgia, a wonderful organization that helps individuals like Fiona (and me) with mobility training and other skills needed for daily living. 

       I asked Fiona to answer some questions for me and I think I wore out her fingers! Part I of the interview is today and Part II will be on Thursday. Fiona has generously offered a copy of her book for a giveaway. All you need to do to win is leave a comment after the post (today, tomorrow, or Friday) with a contact email included. A random drawing will be held Friday evening and the winner announced Monday morning. (Sept 12th)

Welcome Fiona! Thank you so much for joining me.
Gail, I am delighted to be here. Thank you for thinking of me with a "Random Act of Publicity"!  

Okay, a few questions:  

Was the transition from being an oral storyteller to being a teller of written stories easy or difficult for you?

A storyteller uses so much facial expression and gestures that I found writing difficult at first. Showing in print is so different from showing in person, on a stage, with an audience.

 Did you want to be an author before you lost your sight or was it a way to adapt your skills?

I've always respected writers and love to read. I never dreamed that I could write. I found, at first, that organizing the paragraphs was frustrating for me. Writing started out  for my own "venting" and entertainment. When I lost my voice, it was a natural thing to turn to the computer to keep my mind occupied. It became cathartic as I wrote of my experiences. Soon I realized i wanted to leave a legacy for my family. From there it grew.

You lost your voice as well as your sight? What a terrible double whammy!
Yes, I had severe bronchitis and needed to "rest my voice" (translated that meant no talking) for two months! Can you imagine anything worse for a storyteller? Or someone who was trying to cope with sudden blindness?

Are you still doing storytelling? If not, do you have plans to go back to it?

In 2007, I cut back storytelling a lot, only going to the schools who had asked me back year after year prior to my blindness. The past four years I have been writing two books and telling stories more in a volunteer capacity. Now I will take Bettina the Bold on the road. My storytelling buddy who recorded the audio version with me will drive and I will demonstrate to the students the process for writing as an individual who cannot see . (Hint: I use a talking computer!) Then we will read the story aloud.

There are more question and answers from Fiona, but I think they will need to wait until tomorrow.

Remember to leave a comment here, and your email address, and you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy of BETTINA THE BOLD.