Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Lone Star Book Blogger Tour: Fierce, Funny, and Female ***AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY!***

FIERCE, FUNNY,
AND FEMALE
A Journey Through Middle America, the Texas Oil Field, and Standup Comedy
by
MARTI MacGIBBON
Genre: Memoir / Drama / Humor
Publisher: Stay Strong Publishing Publication 
Date: March 20, 2017
Number of Pages: 412 pages


  SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY! 


This book is the celebrated prequel to the critically acclaimed, nationally award-winning and bestselling memoir, Never Give in to Fear. In her raw, vivid, and unabashed style, author Marti MacGibbon delivers a sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious, always engaging account of her passage through trauma, betrayal, and loss in adolescence and young adulthood to discover her inner badass self. As one of the first women to work as a laborer in the Texas oil field, she set off explosives and staked oil wells before realizing her childhood dream of becoming a successful standup comic. Marti introduces readers to a wide range of characters in her life: from sleazy authority figures, wannabe Sixties musicians and crazed Corn Belt cult leaders, to Texas oil billionaires and wildcatters, to wild-eyed redneck coworkers who robbed banks on their lunch hour―in the company truck. The book includes scenes with iconic comedians, Hollywood entertainment industry moguls, and a legendary bluesman, and offers insights into resiliency, courage, and self-empowerment.

WINNER, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in Humor
WINNER, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in Women’s Studies 
WINNER, 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards in Women’s Health
WINNER, 2017 Beverly Hills Book Awards in Women’s Issues 
WINNER, 2018 Independent Press Award in Humor
WINNER, 2018 Independent Press Award in Women’s Studies 
WINNER, 2018 New York City Book Book Award, Women’s Studies
FINALIST, 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Memoir (Overcoming Adversity)



PURCHASE THE BOOK
┃ Amazon    Baker and Taylor 


INTERVIEW WITH MARTI MACGIBBON


What cultural value do you see in storytelling?

Culture is an accumulation of stories told through literature, speech, music, visual art, dance, sports, film, science, religion, and politics. Storytelling is an art form that’s carried humanity forward through the ages. How we tell stories develops along with our technology. In the beginning, we gathered around a fire¾breakthrough technology at the time¾and as we gazed into the flickering, mysterious flames, storytellers inspired, informed, cautioned, and entertained. Heroic tales, adventure stories, and love stories lift our spirits and point us toward the brightest and highest aspirations. Stone Age tech and Digital Age tech differ wildly, but storytelling remains. At its heart, storytelling is the conduit for human connection, empathy, and inspiration. We tell ourselves moment-to-moment stories all day long. Awareness is the key because our stories propel us forward; they morph into attitudes and actions. In this way, our individual stories directly contribute to the collective story¾the world we live in.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

When you’re writing, you’re communicating your innermost feelings and ideas on the page. You want it to sizzle and reverberate with passion and authenticity. A writing project is intimate; it’s your partner. Choose to write about something you can live with. When I wrote Fierce, Funny, and Female, I had to wake up with it in the morning and go to sleep with it at night. Some of the things I described in this memoir were painful to recount, but I’d remind myself I was writing a comeback story…and I love comeback stories. The telling required me revisiting some traumatic experiences from long ago, but I knew it was necessary to revisit those things in order for the description to hit the page, genuine and raw. I lived in peace with those parts of the book because I’d previously gone through a process of forgiving both myself and others. And, I worked with a trauma therapist, so I felt safe while writing, even in the deeply emotional moments.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

The Texas part of this book was and is my favorite part. Telling the crazy, outlandish and wild stories from my oil field days turned out to be the most fun. Back then, working in the Austin Chalk felt like the Wild West to me. I visited Texas twice on research trips, and whenever possible, drove to the scene of past adventures. I contacted and met with former colleagues and supervisors from those days, to make sure my memories were accurate, and we shared a lot of laughs. My colleagues, engineers and surveyors, assured me the Austin Chalk boom not only felt like the Wild West, it lived like the Wild West. I also delved into the archives of the Bastrop Advertiser, Texas’s oldest newspaper, to confirm the details of one particular story, (about some gargantuan marijuana plants) and in the process talked with local citizens who remember it happening. The very dignified and genteel members of the Bastrop Historical Society assisted me and never once raised an eyebrow when I asked to research a story about the discovery of giant marijuana “trees” in the pine woods and the kerfuffle that followed.
If you could speak with any accent from anywhere in the world, what would you choose and why?

I’d want to speak with a Texas accent because it sounds like music to me¾always did, and I’m not kissing up because this is a Texas blog tour. Maybe it’s the rhythm and pace of the words. When I hear a genuine Texas accent, I tend to feel more relaxed and optimistic, and it reminds me not to take myself too seriously.

Do you have a mantra for writing and/or for life?

Look back, learn, and whenever possible, laugh.

What is your favorite quote?

Can I share two?

Here’s one of my faves, from Ursula K. Le Guin, about storytelling:

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”

Here’s another, from acclaimed sci-fi author Frank Herbert:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” 
  


PRAISE FOR FIERCE, FUNNY, AND FEMALE:
“Being funny is a survival skill. Fierce, Funny, and Female is not only a survivor’s tale but an inspirational story of overcoming the unthinkable, again and again…Her courage and comedy make Fierce, Funny, and Female a winner.” — Foreword Clarion Reviews 

“An effervescently witty…chronicle of perseverance and the power to overcome the darkest of days…Perhaps the most rewarding chapter in this chatty, affecting book is the concluding one, where MacGibbon lists the tried-and-true pearls of wisdom that continue to sustain her…” — Kirkus Reviews 

Fierce, Funny, and Female is a thoroughly engaging memoir packed with witty observations, high adventure, and a glimpse of behind-the-scenes Hollywood. Highly recommended!” — Midwest Book Review

“MacGibbon is a natural storyteller, and her life story is a most interesting one. The characters she has run across during her life journey are well-drawn and absolutely fascinating, particularly the good ol’ boys in the Texas oilfields.” — San Francisco Book Review



A compelling speaker and storyteller, Marti MacGibbon delivers high-energy presentations and writes books on overcoming adversity, addiction and recovery, and inspiration, with humor and a genuine, down-to-earth style. She’s experienced critical situations that no human being should have to face. In the past, she hit rock bottom in every possible way as a hard-core drug addict, was homeless, and was trafficked to Tokyo and held prisoner by Japanese organized crime. Her story of triumph is testimony to the power of the human spirit. Marti lives her message. She reveals simple, effective strategies that anyone can use to get back on track, build resiliency, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of humor.
Marti is a bestselling author, inspirational speaker, certified addiction treatment professional, Gorski certified relapse-prevention specialist, and member of the National Speakers Association. She’s been interviewed in Entrepreneur, Investor’s Business Daily, on ABC-TV, CBS-TV, and numerous radio shows. And she’s funny: Marti traveled all over the U.S. as a professional standup comic and performed at the Hollywood Improv and Comedy Store. She is founder, producer and host of Laff-aholics Comedy Benefit for Recovery, an annual charity fundraiser in Indianapolis featuring nationally headlining comedians. She also serves on the outreach committee of IPATH, Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Task Force.
║ Website ║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ Instagram  
 ║ Goodreads  Amazon Author Page  YouTube 
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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
Each of Three Winners Gets a Signed Copy of the Book PLUS:

FIRST PRIZE: 
$100 Spa Finder gift card + $25 Starbucks gift card + Moroccan oil sample collection 

SECOND PRIZE:
Estee Lauder Limited Edition Gift Set + $25 Starbucks gift card

THIRD PRIZE:
$25 Starbucks gift card.
DECEMBER 12-21, 2018
(U.S. Only)
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
12/12/18
Excerpt
12/12/18
Author Interview
12/13/18
Review
12/14/18
Playlist
12/14/18
Guest Post
12/15/18
Review
12/15/18
Excerpt
12/16/18
Review
12/17/18
Guest Post
12/17/18
Scrapbook Page
12/18/18
Review
12/19/18
Excerpt
12/19/18
Guest Post
12/20/18
Review
12/21/18
Review
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