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Fierce, Funny and Female by Marti MacGibbon – Book Tour

I’m back with Lone Star Book Blog Tours to bring you a memoir by author, speaker and stand-up comedian Marti MacGibbon. Her life is certainly anything but ordinary, and her story is both heartbreaking and humorous, if that’s possible.  I’m also sharing a guest post that is right up my alley – her top seven writing strategies. Finally, we’ve got an incredible giveaway, so read on, enter and enjoy!

About FIERCE, FUNNY, AND FEMALE by Marti MacGibbon

A Journey Through Middle America, the Texas Oil Field, and Standup Comedy

  • Genre: Memoir / Drama / Humor
  • Publisher: Stay Strong Publishing
  • Publication Date: March 20, 2017
  • Number of Pages: 412 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY! 

Fierce, Funny and Female 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 FIERCE, FUNNY AND FEMALE

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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


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR, MARTI MACGIBBON

 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.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | YouTube |

GUEST POST: 
Marti MacGibbon’s Top Seven Writing Strategies

Don’t dream about it, agonize over it, or talk about it. Do it. Writing, like standup comedy, is best learned by doing. Sure, you want to be prepared and well-informed about the risks and benefits prior to the experience, but don’t hold back and obsess on every little detail of planning and preparation before you get started, or you run the risk of getting bogged down in perfectionism and the resulting procrastination that can block your process. Instead, jump in and go crazy. Really let yourself go; leave your ego in the backseat and don’t let it drive. Your process will guide you, and the process of writing generates new ideas as you go.

Write with an audience in mind. When you write to a potential reader, you automatically become more conversational, flexible, and realistic in your dialogue and description. Be intimate. Visualize a friend who knows you well and who would never judge you but will be honest and call you on your B.S. And perhaps this friend is funny, gets your sense of humor. When you do this, it’s easy to get into the flow. I visualize writing to an audience of one at a time. I’ve found that when I envision a collective audience of readers or try to think of myself “telling the world” something, it raises the stakes, chokes my fluidity. But that’s my experience. Your experience may be the opposite. The idea is to find what works best for you.  

Make use of tools that improve quality and work with an editor. Spelling, grammar, correct punctuation, and illustrious vocabulary are all available through a variety of channels. The internet has brought all the manuals of style and reference books to within a click’s distance. Word processing programs have spell check and every other possible device to ensure excellence. Keep a thesaurus and dictionary on hand. Beyond that stage, work with an editor. Every writer needs a second set of eyes, or as many sets of eyes as possible, to read, proofread, and then do it all again.

Associate with positive people, and get rid of any negative influences. Writing is a work of the soul. You want to take very good care of yourself and be sure that your environment is supportive. Don’t listen to naysayers who speak from their own fear. Instead, stick with the winners: positive thinkers: preferably writers who share the experience and will offer honest feedback, share pointers, and lead by example.

Description and detail, action and excitement are essential. Paint the scene with your words. Let the reader experience the entire moment, hour, day, or year through all five senses. Bring it all to life. The more detailed the description, the better. The character jumped in the car? What kind of car? What was the make, the year, the condition of the chassis, how did the engine sound? Did it sputter or purr? Action verbs create action in your story. Avoid passive voice at all costs. Keep your description fit and muscular; if it gets soft and flabby it won’t carry your story.

Define your writer’s voice. When writing, your voice is more than the message and ideas you’re communicating to your audience. It’s a style, rhythm, and cadence that’s yours alone. Each person’s speaking voice is unique as a fingerprint, so why wouldn’t a person’s writing voice be similar? When I write a first draft, I read it back to myself out loud to see if the words flow easily and conversationally. If they don’t, I revise and reread until I arrive at something that suits my ear. This strategy also helps with finding typos, repeated words, and awkward phrasing. When writing dialogue, this strategy performs very well for me. You may want to try it. 

Banish fear from your writing environment. Fear, more than any other obstacle, can hold you back from the fun, the satisfaction and the glorious discovery that writing brings. Whenever the scaredy-cat, monster-under-the-bed doubts and negative statements rise up in your consciousness, recognize them for the irrational, creativity-crushing lies that they are, and push them aside. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back from getting started with a project. You can always go back later and edit out any parts you don’t like. The main thing is to write, write, write until you find your rhythm, attitude, and voice. Just get that first outline down, paddle it out into the waves of creation, and keep riding those waves till you get your first draft done. After that, you hone and refine and polish and destroy and create some more until you have what you recognize as your work. Keep creating, and you’ll be delighted as your work continues to increase, multiply, inspire and thrill your readers. Create at every opportunity, build your skills, and your readership and following will grow, too. In standup comedy, we call that, “repetition and reputation.” Enjoy the process! 

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)

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

12/12/18 Excerpt Chapter Break Book Blog
12/12/18 Author Interview Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
12/13/18 Review Carpe Diem Chronicles
12/14/18 Playlist All the Ups and Downs
12/14/18 Guest Post Max Knight
12/15/18 Review StoreyBook Reviews
12/15/18 Excerpt The Clueless Gent
12/16/18 Review The Book Review
12/17/18 Guest Post That’s What She’s Reading
12/17/18 Scrapbook Page Kelly Well Read
12/18/18 Review Nerd Narration
12/19/18 Excerpt Forgotten Winds
12/19/18 Guest Post Momma on the Rocks
12/20/18 Review Reading by Moonlight
12/21/18 Review Missus Gonzo
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