Author Guest Post: Heather Hummel

Thank you to Heather Hummel for writing this interesting blog post for Books Etc. I really enjoyed learning more about her ghostwriting experience and I hope you do too!

The Mystique Ghostwriting

There is an air of mystique that comes with “author” as the label that defines you. People are intrigued by the behind-the-scene-goings-on of author-hood. They wonder how authors string together tens of thousands of words, let alone come up with plots, characters, and a compelling story. Now throw the role of ghostwriter into the mix and their heads could spin wool.

The characters in my fictional Journals from the Heart series come into my head and tell me how it’s going to be! They show up in my mind and take me along each step of their journey…in other words, my protagonists own me while I write their novel!

But, my role as a ghostwriter is quite different. I wear a different pen for each client. Being a ghostwriter does not mean you’re hidden away behind the scenes pounding out words for your client. It’s a very interactive approach. Since I work with people ranging from public figures to celebrities to corporations, I have to be quite flexible and diverse in my writing. The number one challenge is writing in the client’s voice. This means leaving any personal agenda (i.e. ego) aside while stepping into their shoes, learning their voice, their message, and their agenda for delivering it. That doesn’t mean I don’t coach and guide them; they hire me for my expertise in writing, formula and format of a manuscript. It becomes such a collaborative effort more so in some cases more than others that by time the first draft is complete, I have to step aside and touch base with Heather Hummel again!

The ghostwriting project that launched my career was Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008), co-written with Valerie Ramsey (my mother), who became a model at the age of 63. It’s often assumed that it was easy for me to write from my mother’s voice. But, it’s not that simple, especially when penning a self-help book. As I wrote, I constantly thought about the reader and what they would get out of the message, which is to seek new challenges at any age while staying healthy in body, mind and spirit. As the writer, I interviewed nutritionists, healthy aging experts and a Pilates instructor. After manuscript submission, I continued to collaborate on edits with John Aherne, our editor at McGraw-Hill. Susan Lucci and I wrote the Foreword and the Introduction respectively. In Gracefully’s case, I did receive public recognition as “with Heather Hummel” acknowledgment on the cover. (I’ll touch more on ghostwriters’ credits in a minute.) 

Just recently I signed on with Tamra Barney of the Real Housewives of Orange County as her ghostwriter.  I love the essence of her book! Its ultimate message is that once you learn to love and appreciate yourself, you will attract people into your life who love and appreciate you back. The book delves into her personal life, some of which millions of viewers witnessed on Sunday nights, but it also blends in aspects that people don’t know about Tamra. Ultimately, it inspires and helps others who are going through a divorce and reinventing their lives. It’s has been a very collaborative effort. I tell Tamra that just like a personal trainer whips your body into shape, a ghostwriter whips your book into shape! With her story and message, I can do what I do best editing, co-writing and consulting her on the formula and format of the book right up to working with the publisher and the book’s release, marketing and promoting. In this case, I do receive book cover credit: “with Heather Hummel.”

Another nonfiction book that I’m ghostwriting is almost ready to be sent to the client’s publisher. In this case, I’ve signed a NonDisclosure Agreement (NDA), but I can say that it’s a book that will change the way readers perceive dating and finding the love of their life. I will be able to promote and discuss it in great detail next spring when it launches. In this case, I will not receive public credit for authoring the book because having my name on the cover would not fit into the client’s corporate brand…or mine, for that matter. 

By keeping myself open to new ideas and projects, I have not pigeon-holed myself into one genre. That can certainly work against a writer, but if done right, it can push you in directions you never thought possible.

Heather Hummel is the author of the Journals from the Heart Series. She is an award winning author and celebrity ghostwriter. Her published works include:
Journals from the Heart Series: Whispers from the Heart and Write from the Heart
Nonfiction: GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe and  Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age - Merit Award of the 2009 Mature Media Awards
Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living.
Visit Heather’s website, follow Heather on Twitter, and "Like" Heather's Fan Page on Facebook.

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Whispers from the Heart

I'd like to start off by saying thanks to author Heather Hummel and Samantha at Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for allowing me to be part of the Whispers from the Heart blog tour!

Let's begin with the synopsis:

Whispers: The heart's way of speaking...

Madison Ragnar is a high school English teacher determined to connect with her students, to finish the next running race with a respectable time, and to avoid ever falling in love again.

But life has other plans for Madison. A man named Michael shows himself in the most unexpected places, raising questions from her best friend, Olivia, and issues around Madison's last relationship.

In the classroom, the death of a student prompts her grieving ninth graders to depend on her for answers. They turn to journal writing as a form of understanding the weight of what's happened in the walls of their teenage existence.

When Madison meets Phil, who throws a wrench in her declaration to not fall in love, it seems that her escape through miles of running is the only real footing she has in life.

Will fate determine Madison's life? Or will she have a say in its outcome?

I thought this was a really sweet book. It didn't take me long to read but I really enjoyed getting involved in the story.

As much as I enjoyed the book overall, there were just a couple of things that didn't sit well with me. Madison left a less than ideal relationship a few years prior to the start of this novel but has been paranoid about her ex tracking her down ever since. I can completely understand that but what I don't really get is how she reacts to Michael showing up all the time. Her best friend, Olivia, is completely freaked out and is convinced Michael is stalking her and was sent by Madison's ex to find her. Madison, on the other hand, appears to have absolutely no problem with Michael. I understand that she can tell that he doesn't seem like a nutter and won't hurt her, but if you're so concerned about an emotionally abusive ex finding you, shouldn't you be a little more worried? I don't know if it's just me who feels like this but the emotions surrounding Michael were a little strange to start off with. I will say though that you need to hold onto your hats when it comes to this mysterious stranger. Hummel has a wonderful twist up her sleeve that I did not see coming!

The other thing that didn't flow for me was Madison's class and the death of one of her students. While this was a good storyline, I didn't quite see how it fit with the overall plot of the novel. Madison is teaching To Kill a Mockingbird to her students and I kept waiting for an obvious connection to her life and the novel. Perhaps there was one but I missed it as...ok, ok, I confess...I've never actually read To Kill a Mockingbird. There was just something about this additional storyline involving her class that didn't quite fit in to the overarching plot of the novel. That being said, losing a classmate is a hard thing for any teenager to go through and I think Hummel did a good job of showing how her students react and how they grow up in such a short amount of time due to this tragedy. I have a feeling that the "journals" part to the series name, Journals from the Heart, relates back to the journaling that the students do. To anyone else who's read the book - do you agree?

I must say that I really did like Madison as a character. She seemed to really know herself and even realizes what her major flaw is. I liked reading about her falling in love and reconnecting with that part of herself. She offers a lot of lessons to the reader and I think everyone will come away from Whispers from the Heart with some sort of message.

Overall, I enjoyed Whispers from the Heart. I liked the journey Madison goes on and the people she meets (and falls in love with) along the way. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the Journals from the Heart series - Write from the Heart.

Want to learn more about Heather and her books? Follow her on Twitter (@HeatherHummel) and like her fan page on Facebook.

Happy reading :)