2 Broads Abroad: Moms Fly the Coop by Deborah Serra and Nancy Serra Greene (guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I am happy to have a guest post from author Deborah Serra, who shares her method of...

SCHEDULING THE DAY

By Deborah Serra

I am a big believer in a disciplined work schedule. That is something I share with Nancy, my sister and co-author of 2 Broads Abroad: Moms Fly The Coop. When it comes to work -- our schedules are immutable. It’s a fundamental necessity if you’re a hands-on mom trying to juggle work, kids, a dog, a house, and a husband – not in that order (sorry, honey). We wanted to give 100% to each thing, which I’ve been told is mathematically impossible, but only made it a more appealing challenge (since those math-folks are always so sure of themselves).

For me now, with my three kids in college, I have more flexibility, but I still follow this same routine – perhaps because it works, or perhaps because I’m just stubborn. My husband is a morning person, you know the people who pop out of bed at some early ugly hour with a big smile on their face, and all you want to do is slap them? I wake up unsure what country I’m in. This blurry state is my best writing time – go figure. I go directly from sleep to computer and words on the page, sometimes without leaving the bed. It is so easy for me to sink into a story when I’m just barely conscious and before my mind is battered by all the exigencies of the new day, and before it begins making those lists in the background. As the day wears on, and interruptions (more commonly known as life) begin to chip away at my concentration, I always look back, grateful I began the day by writing early.

I usually work, which means: write pages, research those pages, or stare into space blankly wishing for pages, for about six hours, five days a week. With this schedule, I was able to be a full-time writer and a full-time mother concurrently -- a modern day miracle.

I think time management is the most important skill a writer must master. Once writers are sure of where and when they work best, then it really is all about discipline. It means having to tell confused friends and persistent school teachers over-and-over “I’m working ” – since they don’t get it, thinking because you’re home you must be available. Everyone else must be told regularly that while, yes, you’re home, and you are indeed available at a second’s notice to any of your children, you are not available to them. I cannot even fathom how many times I have said “No, I can’t (fill in the blank) I am working then.” Of course, they find out I’m a writer and they become even more dubious. Evidently, we are an untrustworthy lot.

So, even now with my kids gone, my writing days are disciplined and regular. My schedule remains fairly unaltered: start work immediately, drink copious amounts of coffee, work straight through to around 2:00 p.m. and then go do the rest of life.

Writing 2 Broads Abroad: Moms Fly The Coop was a different experience because I co-authored with my sister. It was so enjoyable to talk out story lines with her, to relive cherished memories, to make decisions on which elements worked, and which reminiscences were entertaining enough to include. Writing together with someone who shared my history, my goals, and my genes was a delight. I still tried to keep to my schedule, but there were days when Nancy had the pages and while waiting for Nancy’s input I could allow myself to daydream a little. I dearly love to daydream.

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2 Broads Abroad: Moms Fly The Coop

by Deborah Serra and Nancy Serra Greene

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GENRE: Nonfiction, Motherhood, Travel Memoir

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BLURB:

When sisters, Deborah & Nancy, discovered that motherhood was a temp job they decided to run away from home. After packing up that last kid for college, and facing the sad stillness of their suddenly quiet homes, they decided to leave the country. 2 BROADS ABROAD: MOMS FLY THE COOP is a funny, irreverent, occasionally poignant travel tale of their impulsive road trip around Ireland.

In this witty warm-hearted adventure, they experienced some of Ireland’s quirkier history while sharing universally relatable stories of maniacal school coaches, neurotic neighbors, and tiger moms. Having kicked that empty nest into their rearview mirror, the sisters took off careening down the wrong side of the road, making questionable choices, getting trapped in a medieval tower, sneaking Chinese take-out into a famous cooking school, drinking way too much, and gaining a changed perspective on their lives ahead.

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EXCERPT

When we thought about the phases of our lives at each juncture of change: our own departure from home, our first real job, our marriages, the birth of our children, all of the big phases of change held out something new for us.  This change was shaping up very differently.  This change was loss – complete dissolution of the fundamental family structure forever and that was all.  We had to plan.  We needed to be proactive.  The alternative was to be left standing frozen in time, in a life that had moved on without us, and to become observers and visitors in our kids' lives. Not acceptable. So, we set our imaginations loose.

We considered our location. Now that we knew we were leaving – where could we go? 

“Angkor Wat,”  I said.

“Wat what?” Nancy asked.

“It’s the largest temple in the world, built in 1125.”

“Where is it?”

 “Cambodia.”

“Uh, huh. Deborah, I was thinking more along the lines of a bucolic vineyard in Tuscany.  You know, stroll along the hills, sample the fruit of the vine, nectar of the gods?”

“Oh.  Okay, how would you feel about a camel trek in Morocco?”

“Probably sore, smelly, and hot.  And I understand camels are mean and they spit.  They spit, Deborah. What about a civilized boat ride down the Rhine River in Germany?  They have castles and I know how you like castles.”

“I do like castles, but don’t you think we should go more exotic?”

“This is our first trip together.  I’d like to steer clear of nations at war, places we’d need to wear a burka, or can’t speak the language, or ride on an angry animal.  Surely we can agree on somewhere.”

“I’ve always wanted to see where grandma’s family came from.”

“Me, too!”

“With a little research and a rental car we can see the entire island in a couple of weeks.”

“Perfect. Ireland it is!”

Buy Link:

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Deborah Serra has been a sought-after screenwriter for twenty-five years having written for NBC, CBS, Sony, Lifetime, Fox, and others. She was a recipient of the 2012 Hawthornden Literary Fellowship. Her first novel was a semi-finalist for the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Award given by the Faulkner Society in New Orleans, LA.

Nancy is a graduate of San Diego State University. She worked in medical sales before stepping away to raise her two children, at which point she became: Team Mom, Snack Mom, PTA member, Assistance League Volunteer, and the list is never-ending. Nancy was the editor and publisher of the Buffalo Hills Echo newsletter with a circulation of 1400. She also designed and managed her community website.

www.2BroadsAbroad.com

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here