THE CHOICES WE MAKE, by author, KARMA BROWN

Hannah and Kate became friends in the fifth grade, when Hannah hit a boy for looking up Kate's skirt with a mirror. While they've been close as sisters ever since, Hannah can't help but feel envious of the little family Kate and her husband, David, have created—complete with two perfect little girls. 

She and Ben have been trying for years to have a baby, so when they receive the news that she will likely never get pregnant, Hannah's heartbreak is overwhelming. But just as they begin to tentatively explore the other options, it's Kate's turn to do the rescuing. Not only does she offer to be Hannah's surrogate, but Kate is willing to use her own eggs to do so.

Full of renewed hope, excitement and gratitude, these two families embark on an incredible journey toward parenthood…until a devastating tragedy puts everything these women have worked toward at risk of falling apart. Poignant and refreshingly honest, The Choices We Make is a powerful tale of two mothers, one incredible friendship and the risks we take to make our dreams come true. 

Some Q & A with Karma:

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

Well, I’m always writing it seems, but in between the words I love to run, bake (I bake a lot – it’s both a stress reliever AND a procrastination tool for me), read, and hang out with my little family, whose company I enjoy immensely.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

When I started writing my first novel (which is now gathering dust in a drawer, as is the fate of many first books) I was a marketing director, so I did most of my writing in the morning before work or late at night. Then I had a kid, quit my “day” job and started freelance writing, and still found I only had time (and energy) to write before dawn. Now that my daughter is in school, I have more time during the day to write but I find old habits die hard – my best, most creative time is still early (like, 5am early) morning.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

I’ve been asked at book clubs if I would change anything in my first novel, and the answer is always, “Not a thing.” The book is not perfect, and that’s just fine. As for what I’d change about the journey to publication…I wouldn’t worry and stress the way I did the first time around. Talk about a losing battle! You can control so little about the publishing process, which is incredibly frustrating to us Type A sorts. So if I could go back to when my first book was on submission, I would likely ask my agent to only contact me when there was an offer!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Essentially my advice is this: If you want to be a writer, then be a writer. Which really means write every day (even if it’s only 100 words), read every day, and focus on the BIG goal. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day annoyances and struggles, but you can’t let those take you off course. I like to tell people I got published through a combination of coffee, the habit of early morning (daily) writing, and grit.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

The hard parts: Writing in isolation; looming deadlines when your creativity has taken a vacation; lack of control (over everything, except the actual words); there are no weekends, or days off; putting yourself out there to be critiqued and reviewed; trying to balance writing with family; getting published!

The best parts: Writing in your pjs if you want; the creative process; doing what you love, every day; meeting other authors and becoming a part of the writing community; hearing from readers; sharing your words; holding your book for the first time, and seeing it on the shelf; getting published!

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans? THANK YOU. Seriously, it’s that simple. J

KARMA BROWN is a National Magazine award-winning journalist, freelance writer, and author of the international bestsellers COME AWAY WITH ME (MIRA/HarperCollins)—a Globe & Mail Top 100 Books for 2015—and THE CHOICES WE MAKE (MIRA/HarperCollins). 

A former marketing director and copywriter, Karma now spends much time mulling plot lines in coffee shops and lives just outside Toronto with her family. 

Her third novel, IN THIS MOMENT (Park Row Books/HarperCollins), will be published June 2017.

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