Tour Guest Post & Giveaway! Ms. Conception by @JenCumming @InkSlingerPR

Ms. Conception Synopsis:

Abigail Nichols has tried everything from rash-inducing herbal creams to acupuncture in a desperate, last-ditch effort to get pregnant. Wedged into her iPhone schedule among new business pitches and rebranding design meetings is Abby’s ovulation cycle, along with potential opportunities for illicit afternoon quickies. With all of their hopes and savings on the table, Abby and her husband Jack enter the whispered world of fertility clinics.

Along with a meddling mother-in-law, competitive pregnancies, and constant obligatory sex, Abby’s baby-track mind conspires to ravage her career, her marriage, and her sanity. One thing she knows for sure: a healthy sense of humor (and the occasional glass of red wine) is the best coping strategy. One thing she wishes she knew: whether it will be enough.

Ms. Conception is an honest but light-hearted novel inspired by the ups and downs of fertility treatments and the emotional burden that rests on those trying to conceive.

Buy Links:

Paperback

 Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

eBook

Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Kobo | Nook | Apple | Google Play

Guest Post

Writing versus Pregnancy

My first novel, Ms. Conception, has been born to the world. In reality, writing my book has been a little like getting pregnant and having a baby.

Year One of Trying to Get Pregnant:

We tried to get pregnant on our own. My life revolved around taking my temperature and timing sex with my ovulation schedule. And we waited, beat ourselves up, and got incredibly discouraged. It was time to ask for help.

Year One of Writing:

I dabbled at writing. Truthfully, I had no idea how to write a book. I would sit in front of my computer, hands at the ready on my keyboard, and wait for inspiration. And boy, did I wait. When I wasn’t waiting, I was beating myself up for my failures and getting really discouraged. It was time to ask for help.

Year Two of Trying to Get Pregnant:

We started seeing a fertility doctor. We monitored my cycle every few days, which included blood tests to track my hormones and ultrasounds to follow the growth of my follicles. I rode a rollercoaster of emotions between hope and despair. Our friends and family did their best to be supportive, but no one really understood what we were going through.

Year Two of Writing:

At the suggestion of a friend, I enrolled in two writing courses. I learned how to create my storyline and where to place my important plot points, and my characters stared to grow. I loved the classes and felt my creative juices start to flow. My family and friends were very supportive of my new-found interest.

Year Three of Trying to Get Pregnant:

I felt like I lived at the fertility clinic. At work, I thankfully had a new boss who supported my parenthood quest, and my stress levels came down a fraction. We entered the world of IVF, which elevated the hope and despair levels thanks to the intensity of the drugs involved. We felt isolated, alone, and desperate.

Year Three of Writing:

I continued on my learning journey, applying to a prestigious program that accepted students based on the quality of their work. I think I surprised myself by being accepted. I buckled down and spent the next few months working with a Canadian author as my mentor. I finished the first draft of my book and started the revision process. I opened myself up to criticism, which was scary, and had a few early readers take a look.

Year Four of Trying to Get Pregnant:

Success! We had a baby girl. She is healthy and her parents are so happy.

Year Four of Writing:

After many revisions and countless drafts, I felt my book was ready for the world. On May 4, 2015, Ms. Conception entered the world. She is healthy and Mom is very happy.

Jen Cumming

Jen Cumming Bio:

Jen Cumming had two dreams: to be a mother and a writer. The first was much harder than she’d imagined, but it gave her plenty of material for her second dream. Now she’s realized both and traded drug cocktails and early morning line-ups at the fertility clinic for juice boxes and evening PTA meetings.

Jen’s latest dream is to live in a small village in France and eat croissants. Being allergic to wheat might hamper that dream, so in the meantime she does her best to balance life with two young children and run a business with her husband in Toronto. She loves to spend time at the cottage in the summer, ski in the winter, and travel whenever she can.

Links:

Author website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

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