In retrospect, Mary Katherine Backstrom wishes she’d done things differently on Facebook.
On her Facebook page in 2019, Backstrom, who was at the time a well-known mom blogger, shared a video of her son. In her automobile, she shared a humorous story with the passengers. Before leaving a Wawa store, she noticed a worker cleaning the windows of a grey Honda Pilot SUV parked in the parking lot of the establishment.
The winter season was a time of year when there were numerous holidays to enjoy. Backstrom sighed and thought to himself, “Aww, how wonderful.” Because Christmas is approaching, the gentleman made a kind gesture. When she reached the man, she gave him a bear hug.
The man was taken aback by the fact that he was wiping the windows of his own car, a grey SUV, at the time. Based on her research, she believes the man’s car to be an HR-V, which she believes is correct. So far, that video has been viewed by more than 120 million people.
So, what do you think 120 million some formidable Views here are worth? Allow me to tell you a very awful story about how much something like that is worth to someone like you. I was completely unaware that Facebook videos could be purchased at the time. Because I didn’t include any advertisements in the film, it was virtually completely worthless.
If there were advertisements on a video with 100 million some formidable Views here, that amount would be in the six-figure range. Nevertheless, she continues, “it’s only to give you an idea of how much money you could make.” Those with the most social networking clout may assume that they will be well-paid. That is completely insane.
How a teenager from Alabama became a social media sensation:
Even though Backstrom’s “Christmas Spirit Lady” video didn’t earn him a lot of money, it was critical to his ability to do his job duties effectively. Her blog is becoming increasingly well-known. Because of the footage, she was represented by an attorney.
As an added incentive, a book bargain is being offered. As Backstrom puts it, the film “alternatively transformed the path of my professional life, for which I will be eternally thankful.”
“Holy Hot Mess,” Backstrom’s second nonfiction book, was published on August 3 by Worth Books in the United Kingdom. The book will be published by Abingdon Press in 2020. Mary Katherine, or MK, as she is known, writes in an easy-to-read style about topics such as motherhood, faith, and, well, being a whole hot mess.
The places where he was born were in two different cities. Huntsville and Dothan were two of the cities that were considered. They were residing in Fort Meyers, Florida, during the time of the “Christmas Spirit Lady” film’s production, and they were the subjects of the video when it was shot.
In the meantime, they’ve returned to Huntsville, Alabama. In the years before she discovered her creative voice, Backstrom worked in real estate and as a waitress at a barbecue restaurant. She called in for the phone interview that followed a couple of days ago.
Yes, Mary Katherine, “Holy Hot Mess” was written totally during the pandemic. If that’s the case, how did it influence the story?
This was not the book I had intended to write in the first place. When I decided to write a book, it was in the summer of 2009, just before the epidemic started. According to the initial concept, I was attempting to assist my readers in constructing a road through the “mess” and to the other side. My conviction in my ability to accomplish this is misplaced. We were in the middle of an outbreak, and I had no idea what it would be like to navigate my way through the ensuing mayhem. As a result, I experienced a crisis, during which my editor called me and told me, “You’ve lost your way; this doesn’t make sense.”
It was past time for me to take a step back and reevaluate what I was doing at the moment. There really are situations when you are forced to make the most of a bad situation. Those moments are so significant that the only way to determine what they mean is to wait and see what happens.
As a result, I simply changed the title of the book. In the midst of the chaos, we must wait for the dust to settle before we can see God’s handiwork. This is life. “This is life; life is messy; we’re all in this together,” says the author.
That is to say, it was a difficult period (during the pandemic). No one, including myself, is interested in downplaying the severity of the situation in that location. Despite this, some positive outcomes have resulted as a result of the situation.
Backstrom’s book tour for “Holy Hot Mess” will make a stop in Trussville, Alabama, on August 6. In order to discuss the book, she will be appearing at Ferus Artisan Ales on March 23rd (101 Beech St., Ste. 111).
In Huntsville on August 8, she will be at Stovehouse, so be sure to swing by and say hello! (address: 3414 Governors Drive S.W.). Both activities begin at 6 p.m. on the same day. A $20 ticket includes a signed copy of the book, a reading from a chapter from the book, as well as live musical accompaniment.