Author Guest Post: Holly Shumas + Giveaway

When people find out I’m a practicing marriage and family therapist as well as a writer, they ask if that’s where I get my material. The short answer is no; the long answer is that it definitely helps the creative juices to spend my days immersed in other people’s stories. My new novel, Love and Other Natural Disasters, tells the story of a woman who’s eight months pregnant when she finds out her husband has been emotionally involved with another woman for the past year. This hasn’t happened to any of my clients, though I have dealt with the issue of emotional affairs in my practice.
The best thing about my professional life is the balance: I get to spend half my time interacting, and the other half creating. And I like to think that each enriches the other. Having some solitary time to reflect and create lets me be more present with my clients; getting out of my own head and helping other people makes me a better writer and human being. It’s a lucky thing when your working life lets you express different aspects of yourself, so at the moment, I’m feeling pretty fortunate.
Please visit me over at www.hollyshumas.com for more about my books and thoughts on life, love, relationships, and writing. I’m always available for book clubs in person in the San Francisco bay area, or by phone. Thanks for reading!

Giveaway: Leave a comment to be entered to win Holly's newest book, Love and Other Natural Disasters. To enter, you must have a United States or Canadian mailing address (no PO boxes) Please provide a valid email address and tell me the last great chick lit book you read. There will be FIVE winners!