Manic Mommies Book Club

January 2012 Selection: Little Girl Gone

2011-12-13T10:45:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on Manic Mommies

Can you believe our book club has read 35 novels over the past three years? Discussing books with Jane Porter, Elin Hilderbrand, and Joshilyn Jackson… we’ve also talked to several debut authors over the years. Reading a range of books, from award winning titles to light summer reading, historical fiction to memoirs.

Some of you may remember the night I called in from the emergency room (an average day for a manic mom, right?) asking you to keep me company while my son was in surgery. We also have moms calling in from baseball practice, while grocery shopping, and one reader listens to our chats during chemo (sniff).

Whether you participate live while making dinner, from karate, or sneaking in a little time for yourself… I would like to thank all of you for making our book club a wonderful experience. As you can see, our book club holds a special place for many of us. Where else can you discuss a book with the author from the comfort of your home (in sweats), with a glass of wine?

To kick off our fourth year, we are reading/discussing a book BEFORE it’s published. What a treat

When: January 18th at 8PM EST
Call in details: 724-444-7444, Call id: 90383#, Pin: 1#

Synopsis: Madora was seventeen, headed for trouble with drugs and men, when Willis rescued her. Fearful of the world and alienated from family and friends, she ran away with him and for five years they have lived alone, in near isolation. But after Willis kidnaps a pregnant teenager and imprisons her in a trailer behind the house, Madora is torn between her love for him and her sense of right and wrong. When a pit bull puppy named Foo brings into Madora’s world another unexpected person—Django Jones, a brilliant but troubled twelve-year-old boy—she’s forced to face the truth of what her life has become.

An intensely emotional and provocative story, Little Girl Gone explores the secret hopes and fears that drive good people to do dangerous things . . . and the courage it takes to make things right.

November 2011 Selection: The Orphan Sister

2011-11-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

I love it when listeners recommend books for us to read, it’s even better when the author is available to discuss the book with us!

This month we are reading an interesting novel about triplets, exploring the relationships of a set of identical twins and their triplet sister who shared a womb. I always read/hear about twins and their connections but have never thought about how might this be different for the triplet who doesn’t share the ‘identical’ label.

I’m reading this book now and am enjoying it, I don’t know any ‘multiples’ so it’s quite interesting to read about the connections and isolation that could happen to someone.

Giveaway: Watch for a 24 book giveaway to post in the next day/two, on the Manic Mommies website

When: November 16th at 8PM EST

Call in details: 724-444-7444
Call id: 90383#
Pin: 1#

Synopsis: Clementine Lord is not an orphan. She just feels like one sometimes. One of triplets, a quirk of nature left her the odd one out. Odette and Olivia are identical; Clementine is a singleton. Biologically speaking, she came from her own egg. Practically speaking, she never quite left it. Then Clementine’s father—a pediatric neurologist who is an expert on children’s brains, but clueless when it comes to his own daughters—disappears, and his choices, both past and present, force the family dynamics to change at last. As the three sisters struggle to make sense of it, their mother must emerge from the greenhouse and leave the flowers that have long been the focus of her warmth and nurturing.

For Clementine, the next step means retracing the winding route that led her to this very moment: to understand her father’s betrayal, the tragedy of her first lost love, her family’s divisions, and her best friend Eli’s sudden romantic interest. Most of all, she may finally have found the voice with which to share the inside story of being the odd sister out. . . .

October 2011 Selection: The Midwife's Confession

2011-11-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

I scold myself each morning as I walk down the stairs with three things in hand, an iPhone, iPod, and iPad. How did I become this person? A better question might be, why am I okay with this?

The easy answer, I love knowing I can carry a stack of books with me. I am listening to The Paris Wife on my iPod, reading a memoir on the iPad and if I must confess…I’m listening to a business book on my iPhone during the day. My iPhone is also my listening option for podcasts (no headphones needed).

Reading from an e-reader most of the summer I had all but forgotten what it felt like to hold a book in my hands. Then my copy of The Midwife’s Confession arrived. I found myself enjoying turning the pages as I read. This story is a page turner!

I must confess… there’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands. I hope you enjoy this month’s book as much as I did.

Click here to read my review

Happy reading, Mari

Giveaway: Watch for a 24 book giveaway to post in the next day/two, on the Manic Mommies website

When: October 5th at 8PM EST

Call in details: 724-444-7444
Call id: 90383#
Pin: 1#

Synopsis: Dear Anna, What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry…

The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle—her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—described a woman who embraced life.

Yet there was so much they didn't know.

With the discovery of the letter and its heartbreaking secret, Noelle's friends begin to uncover the truth about this complex woman who touched each of their lives—and the life of a desperate stranger—with love and betrayal, compassion and deceit.

Review: Next to Love

2011-10-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Why Sarah picked it: It is no secret that I love historical fiction. Most of my career has been spent dealing with seniors and I have had a unique opportunity to see "history" through their eyes. Many of my patients either served in World War II or were wives who's lives were directly impacted by their brothers, husbands, and friends serving in the war. The stories I have heard from these courageous people are awe-inspiring and have given me an opportunity to have a different look at how wars directly impact everyone involved. When I read the synopsis for this book, I could feel it calling to me and knew that this was something that I needed to read.

Type: Historical and Biographical

Synopsis: A story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave, Next to Love follows the lives of three young women and their men during the years of World War II and its aftermath, beginning with the men going off to war and ending a generation later, when their children are on the cusp of their own adulthood.

Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the novel follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible-while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America-from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities-and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.

Beautifully crafted and unforgettable, Next to Love depicts the enduring power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.

Quick Take: This novel was a perfect combination of love, loss, and the profound effect that war can have on individuals. While the concept behind the novel was based loosely on the true and tragic story of the Bedford Boys from Bedford, Virginia, Feldman did a fantastic job of creating her own characters who's stories intricately weaved together to tell a memorable account of life during an important time in American history.

Having had the privilege to meet and speak at length with both men who served on the front lines and women who were forced into the workforce when their loved ones were called to war, I think it is safe to say that Feldman did a fantastic job of capturing the many emotions surrounding this time period and what happens when the war is over and life moves on.

The story follows three women who have been friends since a young age. Each chapter focuses on a different woman and while the other two friends may be present in the chapter, the chapter's focus is on one person's specific feelings and emotions surrounding the events that are occurring. I have read many other novels that have been set up in this same way and in some ways I think that other novels I have read recently may do a better job of allowing the reader to slip effortlessly between characters without having to stop for a moment to figure out exactly who you are reading about. I read many other reviews in preparation for writing this and found a few others who struggled at times with this same issue, but most reviews were glowing.

Overall, this was a good book which highlights feeling and emotions that so often are glossed over when soldiers return home. It was a good reminder that once a war ends, the struggles of those involved both at home and overseas continues for years to come. It was different than anything that I have read dealing with WWII and has me researching more about The Bedford Boys as a result.

Rating: 4/5
Source: netGalley

Review: Cheat on Your Husband (with your husband): How to Date Your Spouse

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Why Sarah picked it: The kitchen had been cleaned, dishes were done, laundry was started and the kids had finally fallen asleep. After having a moment to catch my breath, I made my way to the living room where I found my husband captivated by one of our many "screens" and I plopped on the couch to finish a book I had recently picked up.

Needless to say that less than 10 minutes later I turned the final page of the book and after several attempts to start a conversation with my husband who was still engrossed in his "screen" I found my way to my own "screen" where an email was waiting describing many new fall releases that were available to be read and reviewed.

This is how I learned of this book and in desperation I remember thinking "what can it hurt? Perhaps there will be something in here that I can actually use." The rest is history.

Synopsis: Too many women wake up in their marriages and ask themselves, "Is this it?" After years of sharing domestic duties, raising kids, and balancing careers, they can't help but wonder if they're living the life they've always intended to have.

In Cheat on Your Husband (With Your Husband), dating and relationship expert Andrea Syrtash shows women how to create more exciting and fulfilling relationships with their spouses (and with themselves) by reconnecting with the people they were when they fell in love. Using real-life examples of couples who have benefited from her techniques, Syrtash walks readers through exercises such as :

-King for a Day: For one day, surrender, control and let your partner take the lead when it comes to childcare, domestic duties, and romantic moments.

-Interview Your Partner: Ask him questions like Who were you before we got married? What part of your identity have you lost that you miss? What do you miss about our connection?
-Do Sweat the Small Stuff: Our daily lives are made up of ordinary moments. Most people let those moments become part of a mindless routine. Take back these easy opportunities to connect with your spouse.

Type: Nonfiction - Family and Relationships

Quick Take: I would love to say that this book changed my life and changed my marriage. I can't actually say that I enjoyed the book at all. I am a very open minded person and I have a general rule that no matter how much I may be struggling with a book, I will give it a chance and I will finish it. For the first time in a long time I almost broke my own rule and ditched this book before I was halfway through.

The synopsis made it seem as if there would be lists of things that couples could do to break out of routine of mundane everyday life. I was looking for different ideas, perhaps bulleted lists of different things to try, but instead I found simple reminders. If anything, this book is a good reminder of the value of communication, finding yourself and highlights the importance of dating your spouse. I think that I was expecting something different than what I received and I was disappointed and rather underwhelmed by the whole book.

While attention grabbing, I don't really feel as if the title had much to do with the concepts found within the book. If I hadn't read the synopsis and experienced a moment of frustration with my own husband just minutes before reading the synopsis I don't believe I ever would have considered reading a book with a title like this. Although I can't say that I have ever cheated, I have been on the receiving end; to me cheating is something that is secretive, deceptive and hurtful. Why would I want to do this with my husband? I guess I struggled with the overall concept presented in the title.

The book is broken into two sections. The first section focuses on modern marriage, how things have changed over the years, the chemical reasons for the feelings often felt initially during the dating period, communication and making time to "date" again (away from the kids). The second section focuses on the "cheating" both literally and figuratively with/on your spouse. What type of book with the word "cheating" in it's title won't dive into sex at some point as well. There are examples of different women and issues that they are having in their marriage; included in these examples are detailed ways that they can fix the issues.

While there were many real life examples of marriage throughout the entire book, I think where it lost credibility with me was in the fact that most of the marriages referenced were couples who had been married for only a few years. As we all know, things change and relationships change. Referencing couples who have been married only 3 years just didn't sell many of the concepts in the book to me.

If you need a reminder of the importance of communication, stop by your local library this fall and check out this book to skim through. If not, save yourself some time, talk to your husband, explain how you feel and make a little more effort to sneak away together to reconnect. It worked for me, it could work for you too.

Rating: 2/5

Source: netGalley

September 2011 Selection: Exposure

2011-09-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

We have been busy reading ‘fun/light novels with a message’ this summer, something we tend to do every year. We have enjoyed these books but now it’s time to turn to more serious topics.

This month we are reading a story based on true events; if you have teenagers in your home, this is an important story that you need to read. Technology can complicate parenting, in ways I hadn’t thought about until reading this book.

I hope you will read along with us.

Synopsis: Amelia Wilkes’s strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, Winsome High School senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate Anthony Winter. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents only after she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim, who teaches at their school, knows and keeps their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested.

Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.

As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous attempt to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.

When: September 21st at 8PM EST
Call in details: 724-444-7444
Call id: 90383#
Pin: 1#

August 2011 Selection: Deep Down True

2011-09-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

In August we met with author Juliette Fay to discuss Deep Down True.

We had a wonderful discussion, talking about motherhood, womanhood, friendship and self discovery.

If you were not able to join us live, the podcast is available on iTunes (search Manic Mommies Book Club). Or click below to listen:

Synopsis: Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice—even to telemarketers—but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school…and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.

I encourage you to visit the author's website to learn more about her and to read her blog. In June we talked with author Melissa Senate, Melissa recently interviewed Juliette Fay, click here to read the Q&A.

Upcoming Selections: September - December

2011-07-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

We are closing out the year with some wonderful books, moving from summer reading to more meaty novels. Two of the stories below deal with ethical issues/discovery, all the books deal with family struggles but are unique to themselves.

I read each in just a few days (I really couldn't put them down... I just had to find out what happened).

Book giveaway's are announced the first Wednesday of each month, watch for details on the Manic Mommies website. I hope you find time to read with us, read ahead, and enjoy the rest of the year - we have some fantastic selections and author discussions coming up!

September - December selections:

Exposure: In Exposure, Therese Fowler has written her most gripping novel to date—a ripped-from-the-headlines story of ardent young love and a nightmarish legal maelstrom that threatens to destroy two families.

Amelia’s strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate Anthony. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents only after she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim, who teaches at their school, knows—and keeps—their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested.

Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.

As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous attempt to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.

The Midwife's Confession: Dear Anna, What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry…

The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle—her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—described a woman who embraced life.

Yet there was so much they didn't know.

With the discovery of the letter and its heartbreaking secret, Noelle's friends begin to uncover the truth about this complex woman who touched each of their lives—and the life of a desperate stranger—with love and betrayal, compassion and deceit.

November selection: We are finalizing our Escape selection. Watch for details later this summer.

The Stormchasers: A powerful novel about twins who must confront a dark secret from their past. In this emotional and provocative new novel, Blum asks the question: How far would you go to protect a sibling-and at what cost to yourself?

As a teenager, Karena Jorge has always taken care of her twin brother, Charles. Obsessed with severe weather, Charles, who suffers from bipolar disorder, begins chasing storms. Refusing to take his medication, Charles soon involves them both in a terrifying tornado chase-with deadly consequences.

Now, two decades later, Karena must find her long-estranged brother before he reveals the dark secret from their past or hurts himself-or someone else. But there is only one way to find him: the storms...

Review: Countdown to Love

2011-07-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

Why Tracy picked it: My guilty pleasure is reality TV, specifically Survivor, Amazing Race, and the Bachelor. Countdown to Love is loosely based on the Bachelor series, where female contestants compete against other women to try to win the heart of the Bachelor. I was looking for something light and entertaining to read to kick off my summer, and this book seemed to be a good fit.

Synopsis: Abandoned at the altar, Kelly finds herself left holding not only the bouquet but also the exorbitant bill for an A-list wedding. Homeless, a once promising singing career floundering, and her life bearing an uncanny resemblance to one of her country music ballads, she reluctantly accepts a last minute offer to appear on a reality TV show akin to The Bachelor. Pitted against silicon-enhanced supermodels in four-inch heels, Kelly feels confident that she will be among the first would-be fiancées to be excused. Only, when the mysterious bachelor from New York City, Dillon, invites her to stay, Kelly finds herself thrust into the vortex of a game she doesn’t have the first idea how to play. Nursing her hopelessly broken heart while avoiding the foils of her fellow contestants, Kelly is oblivious to Dillon’s affections as she wades through hurt and betrayal to discover, in the end, that somehow she has landed firmly on both feet.

Leaving behind Music Row in Nashville, TN, for the majestic Grand Teton mountains, Countdown To Love takes readers on a journey from duplicity to sincerity as Kelly discovers that being true to oneself is the first step in finding happiness and everlasting love.

Type: Fiction

Quick Take: This lighthearted book certainly entertained me, and was a good summer read. It was at times a little unbelievable-Kelly, the main character, is left at the alter by her long-term boyfriend/fiancé. About a week later, if that, Kelly’s cousin convinces Kelly to be a contestant on the Countdown to Love show. I had difficulty believing someone would be engaged to be married one week, and then go on a reality dating show the next.

Kelly remains conflicted throughout the show taping-torn between falling in love with the Bachelor, Dillon, and wanting to resolve issues with her ex, Trevor. She seems to be determined not to fall in love with Dillon, even though he seems to be a perfect fit for her.

If you have seen Bachelor, then you will see a lot of similarities between the show and this book. Just like the TV series, the story’s contestants live in a mansion, there is cattiness between the contestants, and the expensive, unrealistic dates are highlighted.

I would love to see a character like Kelly to be cast on the show, because it would be a breath of fresh air. Kelly is unlike the girls that are typically cast on the show (or in this book’s cast)-she prefers wearing jeans and she seems more like a person I would be friends with than the typical Bachelor contestants. (For the Bachelor/Bachelorette fans, she’s more like an Ali than a Vienna…)

There is one part of the book that I especially enjoyed because it made me think-something that I wasn’t expecting from this “summer read.” Kelly, a Southerner, and Patrice, an African America, discuss what the Confederate Flag means to them. I gained a new perspective based on their dialogue, and I was able to delve into what my own thoughts are about the meaning of the flag.

I would recommend this to Bachelor fans looking for a light, summer read. It is fairly predictable, but on the whole, fun to read. If I were to pair this light-hearted book with a wine, I would suggest a sparkling rosé; a fun summer time wine to go with a good summertime read.

Rating 3/5
Source: Review Copy

Review: Traveling with Pomegranates

2011-07-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Why Jenny picked it: I recently read Traveling with Pomegranates, a memoir by Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees, The Mermaid Chair) and Ann Kidd Taylor. I chose the book because The Secret Life of Bees was an enjoyable read, and I wanted to find another book by the same author.

Synopsis: Sue Monk Kidd has touched the hearts of millions of readers with her beloved novels, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair, and her acclaimed nonfiction. Now, in this wise and intimate dual memoir, she and her daughter, Ann, a writer making her affecting debut in these pages, chronicle their travels together, and offer their distinct perspectives as a fifty-something and a twenty-something, each on a quest to redefine herself, and rediscover each other.

Between 1998 and 2000, Sue and Ann traveled together to sacred sites throughout Greece and France. Sue, newly aware of aging, caught in a creative vacuum, and longing to reconnect with her now grown daughter, struggles to find the wherewithal to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel. Ann, just graduated from college, heartbroken and benumbed by the classic question about what to do with her life, grapples with a painful depression. The intimacy of travel and the wondrous nature of the places Sue and Ann visit bring forth each woman's internal struggle and provide fertile terrain for reflection and inspiration. In voices candid and lyrical, this modern-day Demeter and Persephone explore the richly symbolic and personal meaning of an array of inspiring figures and sacred sites in Athens and Eleusis, Paris and Rocamadour, and places in between. They also give voice to a moving transformation of that most protean of human connections: the bond of mothers and daughters.

A wise and engrossing book about feminine thresholds, spiritual growth, and the relationship between mothers and daughters, Traveling with Pomegranates is both a revealing self-portrait by a beloved author and her daughter, a strong new voice, and a momentous story that will resonate with women everywhere.

Type: Memoir

Quick Take: In typical Manic Mommy style, I hurriedly reserved it online through the local library when there were a few free moments to find a book. In my rush to choose SOMETHING new to read, I had no idea it was a memoir written by mother and daughter! It was a pleasure to discover a captivatingly written, powerful account of their physical and spiritual journeys in Greece, France, and Turkey. At the time of their travels, both women were experiencing passages of life; Sue transitioning from the role of mother to “Old Woman,” and Ann from student to professional and wife. The style of the book, which moves effortlessly between narrative voices during parallel time frames, was straightforward and provided complementary points-of-view on events. It was easy for me to identify with their struggles – Ann’s twenty-something worries reminded me of my past, while Sue’s experience with menopause provided a glimpse into my future. I thoroughly enjoyed Traveling with Pomegranates and would highly recommend it!

Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Library copy

Review: Juliet

2011-06-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Why Sarah picked it: Historical fiction is probably one of my favorite genres to read. When a book pairs historical fiction and the infamous story of Shakespeare's "star-crossed lovers" I almost feel like I stumbled upon a book that was written just for me. I had every intention of picking up this book at some point in the near future but after last month's MMBC call with Priya Parmar and her glowing recommendation I knew that the time had come to pick this up.

Synopsis: Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved Aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie's twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key - one carried by her mother on the day she herself died- to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key send Julie on a journey that will change her life forever - a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went onto inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching it's pinnacle in Shakespeare's famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her - superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse - "A plague on both your houses" - is still at work and that she is destined as its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, can save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it? (Source: Ballantine Books)

Type: Historical Fiction

Quick Take: I would highly recommend this book. The descriptive quality of the writing alone made me feel like I was in Siena and I could accurately envision every step that the characters took. The descriptions literally painted a picture with the words upon the page and it has me longing to visit this ancient city. The facts regarding the 1340's and the events that occurred were historically accurate and further enriched the reading experience.

There are two separate story lines that take place within this novel. The story begins in present day and you quickly find yourself thrown back into the 1340's and experiencing the trials and tribulations of the times from two different perspectives. I have read novels like this in the past and have quickly became lost trying to follow two related, yet separate story lines, and have had a hard time keeping characters straight or following what was going on. This was not the case with this novel. Anne Fortier weaved the stories together flawlessly and beautifully; you would finish a chapter wanting to know more, yet all of a sudden find yourself over 600 hundred years back in time.

This novel is unpredictable and full of twists and turns; just when you think that you have it all figured out, you turn the page to find that you were wrong once again. The story lines do eventually merge into one as family secrets, rivalries spanning hundreds of years and history is revealed.

There is literally a little bit of something for everyone in this novel. If you like suspense or mystery, the false clues and twists will keep you turning the pages. If you like romance, you will not be disappointed with a different take on Shakespeare's famous couple and you will be rewarded with a modern day romance story as well. If history is more your cup of tea than Anne Fortier definitely delivers there as well and her research is flawless. Overall this was a enjoyable read and offered a little something different than most historical fiction novels out there.

Have you read this? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Rating: 4/5
Source: Personal Copy

Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School

2011-06-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Why Kim picked it: I was sent this book to read for The Manic Mommies Book Club June 2011 selection. Even if it had not been picked I would have been drawn to it as it has two of my favorite ingredients (pun intended), cooking (with recipes) and a setting in Maine.

Synopsis: Holly Maguire's grandmother was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy.

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend.

As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories into every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed–and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Type: Fiction (Cooking)

Quick Take: I really liked it. At first I thought it might be a bit too sappy romantic, but those thought were quickly dispelled. I felt I quickly became part of the band of souls brought together in this warm house to learn about cooking and to heal. Once Holly starts following her grandmothers recipes to the letter, including the non-food ingredients she becomes a healer to those around her, and at the same times heals herself.

To me the affirmations and insights given by the wishes and statements each person adds to their recipe were very insightful as to their own issues and turmoil. Holly's grandmother was the town fortune-teller and everyone came to find out who they would fall in love with, but I think she was more than that. I saw her as more of a Shaman, a wise woman, who has healing powers and is amazingly insightful. Holly is insistent that she does not possess any of these traits of her grandmother though I disagree with her. She is at the center and the catalyst of all the healing that occurs to everyone she is involved with. She even has started a ripple of change in her grandmothers greatest enemy - Lenora Windemere. It is through this healing that she herself is healed.

Many times when I figure out how a book is going to end early on in my reading, I get bored, and find the book becomes predictable and tedious. With this book however, even though I did figure out how it would end, I was still captivated by how we would get there, and I wanted to stay involved with all the characters lives. I wanted more insight into life on this magical island, I wanted more opportunities to see how Holly would make her business successful, and I definitely wanted to sit in on more cooking.

So, all in all this was a wonderful book and I cannot wait to make some of these recipes and add some non-food ingredients to recipes of my own. Thank you Melissa for a great summer read.

Rating: 4/5 (highly recommend)

Source: Review copy

Review: Fundraising the Dead

2011-06-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Why Kim Picked it: I have felt that the world of fund raising would make a perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. It is a profession that relies on knowing a lot about wealthy people who have an interest in your cause. sometimes this information could be detrimental to the donor, the organization or even the fund raiser, so there are prime opportunities for a good plot. Earlier this year a colleague mentioned to me that she had just read a mystery that involved a fund raiser, and it was set in my hometown of Philadelphia. Well, how could I resist!

Synopsis: Written by Sheila Connolly. At The Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques, fundraiser Eleanor "Nell" Pratt solicits donations-and sometimes solves crimes. When a collection of George Washington's letters is lost on the same day that an archivist is found dead, it seems strange that the Society president isn't pushing for an investigation. Nell goes digging herself, and soon uncovers a long, rich history of crime. ~ (Source: Penguin.Com)

Type: Murder Mystery

Quick Take: This was a good attempt at creating a mystery in the fund raising world. I found it an enjoyable if quick and easy read. I enjoyed getting to know Nell and was heartened to find a kindred soul who enjoys being a fund raiser. She sees it as an opportunity to find people to support a cause she cares deeply about, The Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques. I loved her take on the Board and was thrilled that many of them recognized her importance to the organization, though she herself would never take credit. There were also many enjoyable scenes in and around Philadelphia which I always enjoy (as long as they are accurate), as well as interesting historical facts and a real sense of Philadelphia's social history and unspoken rules.

Many mysteries are formulaic and or just downright frustrating to read; the bad guy can easily be figured out by page 2, or the setting generic and adds nothing to the story, or the plot is so convoluted that the only way to be able to tell who the murder is is when they are revealed in the end using clues you were never told. These are the types of mysteries I hate to read. This book, luckily, did not fall into this category; I had not figured out who the bad guy was until nearly the end, as I mentioned before I enjoyed the setting and the premise, and I also really enjoyed the historical information that I learned about by reading this book. I do hope that the author will write more in this series.

Rating: 3/5 - Liked it and would recommend to others
Source: Personal eBook on Kindle

Review: Sisterhood Everlasting

2011-06-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

Why Tracy picked it: I started reading “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series with a group of my students when it first was released. I often read a lot of young adult fiction in order to find books that my students will enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed reading them as much as any book that I would pick for myself. I picked Sisterhood Everlasting because I was curious to see where the characters ended up now that they were closer to my age!

Synopsis: Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

Type: Fiction

Quick Take: Seeing as I had followed these characters from their high school years on, I knew I had to see where their lives ended up as they became adults. As much as I loved reading this book and couldn’t put it down, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone as a stand-alone book. However, if someone has read the series, it provided closure to a story that I have enjoyed over the years.

Sisterhood Everlasting follows four lifelong friends, Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena as they approach their thirties and have unfortunately drifted apart from the closely intertwined friendship they once had. Tibby organizes a group trip to Greece, in order to get the friends together and reconnect. They meet in Greece, but the trip is interrupted by a tragedy that sets the stage for the remainder of the novel.

I enjoyed reading this final chapter of the Sisterhood Series; I hope that when my daughter is older that she is able to meet a group of friends like the ones in the books. If I were to pair this book with a wine, I would suggest a California merlot; the varietal drifted away for a time, but is now making a comeback-just like the friends in this book.

Rating: 4/5
Source: Personal Copy

Review: Pillars of the Earth

2011-06-21T02:03:00.000-07:00

Why Erin picked it: One of my favorite feelings is to be reading a great book and know that I have another one waiting as soon as I finish it. With the latest book I read, the feeling was even better. I read Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, which was published 20+ years ago. My timing was great because I did not have to wait to read the sequel; it was released 4 years ago so I can go straight from Pillars on to World Without End.

Synopsis: Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known. Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life. The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett... .

Type: Historical Fiction

Quick Take: Follet is a fabulous story teller. His popular fiction has had devoted followers for decades. This departure from his familiar novels of international suspense was underrated when it originally came out in 1989. I hope a new generation of adults discovers this treasure, like I did. I was skeptical, at first, since I am a big fan of Follet’s other genre, but when my father suggested I read it, I decided to give it a try, and am very glad I did. Follet’s characters are so well developed that it is easy to keep track of the many people who make up this piece of spicy historical fiction that spans 12th century England.

The main players in the tale of a Prior and a Master Builder, whose common dream is to build a glorious cathedral, grasp the reader’s interest from the start. I was immediately invested in the lives of these complex men and their families. Pillars is a story that takes place in another time and place but is as timely and intriguing as one we could come across in People Magazine today.

Rating: I highly recommend this book. It will make a great summer read. I can’t wait to start, World Without End.

Source: Personal Copy

June Book Discussion - rescheduled to Jun 29th

2011-06-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that our June book club discussion will be delayed one week.

If you won a copy of the book in the giveaway, you should have received it by now. Everyone is buzzing about this one, such a fun book for summer!

Please feel free to leave a comment with questions/discussion topics (or email me).

Call now scheduled for June 29th at 8PM EST

Where: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 90383
Pin:1#

Original post

Review: A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into The Worst Place On Earth To Be A Woman

2011-06-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Why Sarah picked it: I like to read many different genres but sometimes I find that if I read too much of one genre all at once I become bored and reading isn’t as enjoyable for me. I had just overdosed on virtually a month of light and “fluffy” novels and was looking for something a little deeper, something that was a little more challenging. I was initially drawn to the book by it's title and cover images but after I took the time to watch the book trailer I knew that this was something more.

Synopsis: Lisa Shannon had what some would call a good life—her own business, a successful fiancé, a secure home. Then one day in 2005, shortly after her father’s death, an episode of Oprah changed everything. The show about women in the Congo depicted atrocities too horrible to comprehend: millions dead, women gang-raped and tortured, children starving and dying in shocking numbers. That day Lisa woke up to her dissatisfaction with the “good” life and to her role as an activist and a sister.

Type: Memoir

Quick Take: There are some books that just change you, they leave a lasting impression and when you turn the last page you are inspired to do something more. I was looking for a deeper book and received everything that I had hoped for from the moment I turned the first page.

The author, Lisa J. Shannon, takes you on a captivating journey from watching an episode of Oprah in 2005 to boarding a plane and traveling to the Congo to meet woman face to face who have lived through unimaginable horrors that unfortunately are viewed as commonplace within the country. She shines a light on the suffering that these Congolese woman are going through and gives them a voice. A voice that needs to be heard throughout the world.

If you have ever doubted the impact that one single person can have halfway around the world then you must read this book. It will inspire you to do more. I am very fortunate to live in the United States, in a place where I feel secure and feel valued for the role that I have in society; where resources are plenty and I have options, opinions and choices. If anything, this book will make you grateful for the freedom, choices, and options that you have and often take for granted. Lisa J. Shannon started a great momentum as only one person on a single lonely run. She proves that one person really can make a difference in another person’s life, women can help other women, and these women’s voices need to be heard.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Personal Copy

Exciting changes are coming!

2011-06-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know most of the mommies that read with the Manic Mommies Book Club are avid readers? You can catch us sneaking in a page while waiting in the carpool line at school, sporting practice, etc…

In the past we have posted only to announce book selections... well that’s about to change.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be adding profiles and reviews from our readers. If you are looking for a great book but don’t have time to read a bad one, hopefully one of us reads a genre you enjoy and can help you find a book worth reading.

If you are interested in participating and reviewing books for us, send Mari an email for more details.

It's an exciting day here at the MMBC!

July 2011 Selection: Violets of March

2011-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Last summer, by pure coincidence, my family moved the same day Erin’s family moved to New York. Even though our paths don’t cross in real life I found comfort knowing someone else was going through something similar. I remember July passing by in a flash, spending every minute unpacking and get settled (thriving on order… this couldn’t happen fast enough for me).

This summer I’m determined will find time to unwind and relax, taking in all that summer has to offer on the east coast. With fairs to attend almost every weekend, fun runs, parades… summer will be a new experience (so different than in the Midwest). I hope everyone finds time to unwind this summer, taking time to read on the deck, enjoying an upcoming road trip, baseball, time at the cabin, the choices are many.

Our July book selection was just released and I’m thrilled to say it’s getting great reviews!

Click here to read an author interview with Nicole from Linus's Blanket.

Giveaway: We have 24 books to giveaway, visit the Manic Mommies website for details. Giveaway closed

When: July 20th at 8PM EST
Where: Call-in details will be available a week before the call

Synopsis: A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

I encourage you to visit the author's website to learn more about her, read her blog, and to watch a book trailer that will leave you wanting more!

June 2011 Selection: The Love Goddess' Cooking School

2011-05-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ask and your wish may come true! We requested book ideas/suggestions earlier this year and a few Manic Mommies readers requested a book with a cooking theme. I'm happy to say we were able to find a great book that's about so much more than cooking.

Giveaway: Watch for a 24 book giveaway to post in the next day/two, on the Manic Mommies website

When: June 22nd at 8PM EST
Where: Call-in details will be available a week before the call

We are finalizing our book selections for the rest of the year - if you have a suggestion (title, genre, theme) please send Mari an email, we will try to accommodate the request.

Synopsis: Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.

But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Summer Selections (June - August)

2011-04-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly the year is going by - we just wrapped up our May giveaway and it's time to announce our summer selections. We pass a milestone this summer, our July book is our 30th book club selection. Some of our readers have read every one, it's been a wonderful experience.

I hope you find time to read with us, read ahead, and enjoy summer - we have some fantastic selections and author discussions coming up!

Click here to read our book selections for January - May

June - August Selections:

The Love Goddess' Cooking School: Camilla’s Cucinotta: Italian Cooking Classes. Fresh take-home pastas & sauces dailyBenvenuti! (Welcome!)

Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.

But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

The Violets of March: A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

Deep Down True: Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice—even to telemarketers—but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school…and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.

May 2011 Selection: Exit the Actress

2011-04-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

I enjoy reading historical fiction so this month I'm excited to announce that we are reading Exit the Actress. Having finished reading the book a few weeks ago I can tell you this is a delightful novel told with letters, articles and journal entries. We will have a lively discussion with author Priya Parmar late May and I can't wait to talk to her.

Giveaway: Watch for a 24 book giveaway to post in the next day/two, on the Manic Mommies website

When: May 18th at 8PM EST
Where: Call-in details will be available a week before the call

Synopsis: While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater’s proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart—and he hers—but even the most powerful love isn’t enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen’s diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about herself: I love: words, writing, books, water, sunshine, dear friends, a worn stone, peppermint, old maps, new cities, lost shoes, pocket watches, 1920’s dresses, handwriting, peonies, sea shells, 1930’s poetry, broken in boots and language.

My mother taught me to write. Whether it was a birthday card or a post it or a thank you letter, she encouraged me to really think about the capabilities of a line, of a rhythm. She made it exploratory and fun.

Then I worked for Eve Ensler, the playwright of the Vagina Monologues, and she wields language with such gorgeous dexterity. She can make people think and experience with words.

I loved being in academic. I loved the rigor and discipline of study. It was wonderful training to write a historical novel. I love history, story and the fictitious place where they meet. I love hearing about what readers love to read. I find it tells you so much about someone.

A favorite book? There are several that love in a wonderful flexible way that keeps them relevant and current in my life.

The Great Gatsby, I was asked once, who my favourite fictional villain was and I chose Daisy Buchanan. Her brittle, destructive, vigilance over her own happiness always shocks me. The irony of that being the exact element that keeps her unhappy is just genius.

Room with a View, Mr. Emerson’s unabashed love and hope for his son George always makes me feel brave and alive. George takes all that faith and puts it toward loving Lucy Honeychurch is such an active verb way. I love it.

Persuasion, I love the quiet steadfast way that Anne Elliot loves.

An Equal Music, It is just a shatteringly beautiful book.

For fun, I am reading Anne Fortier’s Juliet and loving it. For research I am reading about thirty books, among them, The Perfect Summer by Juliet Nicholson. It is about the summer of 1911 in the last moments before the world fell apart.

April 2011 Selection: The Four Ms. Bradwell's

2011-03-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm excited for this months selection! Meg Waite Clayton joined us in Napa (Escape 2009) to discuss The Wednesday Sisters so talking to Meg to discuss The Four Mrs. Bradwell's will be exciting for those of who met her a few years ago.

Meg will be wearing her pearls for our call and encourages each of us to do the same. :)

Click here to return to the Manic Mommies post for The Four Ms. Bradwells

When: April 20th at 8PM EST

Call Details: (724) 444-7444
Enter: 90383 #
Enter: 1 #

Synopsis: Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, best friends since law school, have reunited for a long weekend as Betts awaits Senate confirmation of her appointment to the Supreme Court. Nicknamed “the Ms. Bradwells” during their first class at the University of Michigan Law School in 1979—when only three women had ever served full Senate terms and none had been appointed to the Court—the four have supported one another through life’s challenges: marriages and divorces, births and deaths, career setbacks and triumphs large and small. Betts was, and still is, the Funny One. Ginger, the Rebel. Laney, the Good Girl. And Mia, the Savant.

But when the Senate hearings uncover a deeply buried skeleton in the friends’ collective closet, the Ms. Bradwell’s retreat to a summer house on the Chesapeake Bay, where they find themselves reliving a much darker period in their past—one that stirs up secrets they’ve kept for, and from, one another, and could change their lives forever.

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: With the publication of The Four Ms. Bradwells, I have three novels on bookstore shelves, and am working on a fourth which Ballantine will publish probably in 2013, depending in part on how fast I can write it. But I didn't start out being a novelist, I started out as someone who wanted to be a novelist but had no idea how one went about that - much less any faith in my own talent. I went off to the University of Michigan thinking I would become a doctor, one of the few educational and career paths I understood. I emerged after seven years as a corporate lawyer in a tidy blue suit, and it was years later - and only at my husband's gentle reminder that I wasn't getting younger - that I got up the nerve to give writing a serious try. I was thirty-two by then, and pregnant with my second son, who was eleven when my first novel was published. Writing, I've discovered, is a lot harder than it looks.

Along the way, I wrote short stories and essays, and more than a few pages that are in the proverbial drawer. I had great luck on the first piece I ever published, an essay called "What the Medal Means" which sold quickly to the only publication I could imagine it in: Runner's World. The other short nonfiction I've published has also placed relatively easily, but my fiction was slower going. I sent stories out again and again before they began to sell, revising each time before I mailed them until they did finally start appearing in publications that include Shenandoah, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Literary Review.

My fiction is not closely autobiographical, but I do draw heavily from my own emotions and experiences as I write. If you're interested, you can find quite a bit about how I've drawn from life for my writing on the Book Groups pages for each book. For starters, anything clever any child has done in anything I've written was likely first done by my sons Chris and Nick. Like Nelly in The Language of Light, I moved with them to the Maryland horse country that is fictionalized in that novel, to a farm that looked much like hers. Like the Wednesday Sisters, I've been raising them all the years I've been writing, developing the ability to write anywhere and anytime. Like Frankie, I moved a few times in my writing life, from Los Angeles to Baltimore to Nashville and now to Palo Alto, California. Growing up, I lived in ten different houses in Washington D.C., Kansas City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Jersey before I went off to college. Like Betts from The Four Ms. Bradwells, I went to the University of Michigan and Michigan Law, where I lived in a house with a ratty old couch on its porch that, again, looks remarkably like the Ms. Bradwells' law school home. Sadly, unlike Betts, I have yet to be nominated for the Supreme Court - but I'm still willing!

Friendships are definitely at the core of my writing; I'm blessed with remarkable friends who fill that particular emotional well for me, and support me as I write. Jennifer Belt DuChene, my lawschool roommate, remains among my closest friends in the world, as does my Tuesday sister and fellow novelist, Brenda Rickman Vantrease, and my Tuesday brother and husband, Mac Clayton. My writing is an homage to them, and to all my friends.

Do you have a favorite book that you find you keep recommending to people to read? Middlemarch AND To Kill a Mockingbird. Don't make me pick!

What are you reading now? I'm actually reading a draft of a novel called "Playdate," written by my friend, Leslie Berlin. Her The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley is a terrific story - and a book I relied on heavily as I was writing The Wednesday Sisters. "Playdate" is her first venture into fiction.

March 2011 Selection: Sanibel Scribbles

2011-01-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

When we were putting together our book selections for the first half of the year I asked for book recommendations from our readers. I'm please to say that this months book recommendation came from a regular participant with the MMBC and fellow book blogger. Thank you Jilleen for suggesting Sand in My Eyes. Click here to read Jill's interview with the author.

Update: We originally planned to read Sand in my Eyes, now we are reading Sanibel Scribbles which is the authors latest novel.

When: March 23rd (8PM EST)

Synopsis: After the shocking death of her friend, a woman embarks on a grief journey that takes her to a remote Florida island, then to Madrid, Spain. Along the way, she turns her own fear of death into a passion for living. Strangers entangle her in their secrets while revealing truths about life, death and things worth doing. They inspire her to re-evaluate the dreams she has for her life.

Three questions with the author:

Tell us a little about yourself: I live on Sanibel Island—a sanctuary island off Florida’s Gulf Coast—with my husband, three children and our brand new puppy! We live in what looks like a bird house on stilts. My children are 10, 8 and 4 and I find myself spinning in circles half the time like a chicken with its head cut off, going into the kitchen and forgetting why I went in there in the first place. There are mounds of laundry (clean laundry) on the floor of my bedroom. I am great at washing it but never find the time to fold and put it away. There is never enough time in a day for me to get done all that I want to get done. So much a mother does goes unnoticed and unrecognized, but I remind myself all the time that what we mothers are doing when our children are small is working on the underground roots, the things not seen but vital below the earth.

In recent years I have learned to say ‘no.’ There are infinite things a woman must do in her lifetime, more things she doesn’t want to do but has to do than there are things she wants to do and can. And whether she is doing what she wants to be doing or doing what she must, there is never sufficient time in a day to get it all done. I have learned to cut out that which isn’t needed in my garden, in my life—trimming away that which serves no purpose and benefits neither me nor others. And I’ve learned to space my plants appropriately. I feel that overplanting, crowding your days with too many commitments, activities and involvements leads to disease and fungus and the things you want to do won’t stand a chance at surviving.

When I start feeling exhausted, I choose to do nothing. I can recognize when I need a break and I no longer feel guilty for going to bed one night at nine o’clock, or for letting my house become a mess for a day. I think of roses and how women, like roses, need rest in order to bloom again.

Do you have a favorite book that you find you keep recommending to people to read? Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp, a non-fiction book about how to speak to the heart of your child. It describes how the things your child does and says flows from what is going on in their heart, so when we are trying to understand our children and when we are instructing and disciplining them, we need to speak to their hearts. The author not only draws on his thirty years experience as a pastor, counselor, school administrator, and father, but he also shares insights gained in ten years of teaching this material in conferences worldwide. There is a workbook that comes along with the book. Someone recommended the book to me and I have since mentioned it to several friends.

What are you reading now? I am ashamed to say … nothing! I am, however, writing my fourth novel. I know writers should always be reading and I have a strong desire to climb into bed at night and start a good novel but the truth is, I haven’t an ounce of free time. I’m truly a “Manic Mommy.” I only write while my three children sleep. My youngest goes to preschool only two mornings a week and I spend that time working out, cleaning the house, and all of a sudden it’s time to pick her up already. When my kids fall asleep at night, I hurry to my computer to write. I usually write from around 9 to 11 p.m. or midnight. My days of reading will return and I look forward to that, but for now, if I want to continue writing novels, I have to give up certain things, like watching television and sadly, pleasure reading.

February 2011 Selection: Healer

2011-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

This month we are meeting with Carol Cassella to discuss her latest novel, Healer. Carol holds high status with the MMBC - she was our first author interview! We had a wonderful time talking with her and I'm excited for her return visit.

The book was announced on the Manic Mommies website a few weeks ago, along with a book drawing (which is closed). The book club is open to anyone who would like to participate.

When: rescheduled to Mar 9th at 8PM EST
Call details: Dial: (724) 444-7444
Enter: 90383 # (Call ID)
Enter: 1 #

Synopsis: Claire is at the start of her medical career when she falls in love with Addison Boehning, a biochemist with blazing genius and big dreams. A complicated pregnancy deflects Claire’s professional path, and she is forced to drop out of her residency. Soon thereafter Addison invents a simple blood test for ovarian cancer, and his biotech start-up lands a fortune. Overnight the Boehnings are catapulted into a financial and social tier they had never anticipated or sought: they move into a gracious Seattle home and buy an old ranch in the high desert mountains of eastern Washington, and Claire drifts away from medicine to become a full-time wife and mother. Then Addison gambles everything on a cutting-edge cancer drug, and when the studies go awry, their comfortable life is swept away. Claire and her daughter, Jory, move to a dilapidated ranch house in rural Hallum, where Claire has to find a job until Addison can salvage his discredited lab. Her only offer for employment comes from a struggling public health clinic, but Claire gets more than a second chance at medicine when she meets Miguela, a bright Nicaraguan immigrant and orphan of the contra war who has come to the United States on a secret quest to find the family she has lost. As their friendship develops, a new mystery unfolds that threatens to destroy Claire’s family and forces her to question what it truly means to heal.

Healer exposes the vulnerabilities of the American family, provoking questions of choice versus fate, desire versus need, and the duplicitous power of money.

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: I am currently wearing lots of hats, so where do I start? I am first and foremost a mother. My husband and I have two sets of twins (I’ll go ahead and answer the question you’re asking—yes they are natural! Set two was quite the surprise!) That alone has made for an interesting life. I’m also a doctor. I started my medical career as an internist, but I wanted a bit more time at home with my family and changed specialties to become an anesthesiologist. I really do love my work, and I’ve never regretted making that change. Anesthesia is challenging, intense, creative, FUN (often) and still does give me lots of patient contact.

Then there is the writer. That was actually my mission in life from the time I was very young, but I kept getting involved in other things (medicine, babies) and never devoted the time and dedication that serious writing takes until I was in my forties. That’s not to say I wasn’t writing—I have drawers of partially finished manuscripts and I worked as a science writer for a few years. But it took a completely different level of commitment to finish a novel. It was much harder than I expected, but also much more rewarding. Other details? I grew up in Texas, lived in the Northeast for few years and then discovered the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Hard to think I’ll ever leave!

Do you write daily? I can’t write daily. Until my children are grown and I work less at the hospital , I’m afraid that will be impossible. But I highly advise all writers to try. Writing fiction, and probably non-fiction as well, is a bit like maintaining a dream while awake. Much as a dream can feel tangible and unforgettable right after you open your eyes, it’s often forgotten by the time you brush your teeth. I try to remember that whatever I would have written today will never make it onto the page unless I make time to put it there. What I write tomorrow may be just as good, but it won’t be the same.

What was it like getting your first novel published? Nothing short of awesome! I had no expectations of being published when I started Oxygen, though I certainly poured my soul into it. I think my path was easier than many new writers, and for that I am very grateful. I found a wonderful agent early in the game and they were able to sell my novel quickly. Still, there is as much work that lies on the other side of the ‘published’ wall as there is leading up to it. Promoting, marketing, learning a whole new industry, and still keeping your next book alive and growing. That has been a huge challenge for me.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? Although I would secretly love to own one, they scare me. I worry that the electronic model may drive our wonderful, critically important independent bookstores out of business, and they contribute so much to the variety and vitality of what is published and made available to the reading public. Regardless, electronic books are here to stay, so we need to hope that they will eventually open avenues for smaller presses and less commercial writers. But we really have to find a model that works economically. If digital publications drive publishers under, many brilliant voices will never make it into any kind of print. We need to pay for books if we want books to survive. I’m a huge fan of libraries, too, but I know so many starving writers who are not getting their second or third books published because their publisher lost money on their earlier work. Support the arts!

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Don’t give up!! Reading is easy and fun, so it is natural to fall prey to the myth that writing should always be easy and fun. That makes no more sense than believing a musician can make music without long hours of practice. Also, read carefully. When you discover a great book, take a paragraph or two and crawl inside it. Figure out what makes it work. Ask not only why the author put those particular words on the page, but why did he or she NOT choose other words, or a different point of view or a different voice. The beauty of writing is that there is always more to learn, always room to improve.

January 2011 selection: Helen of Pasadena

2010-12-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone for sending questions ahead of time, we could have kept talking for another hour if time allowed. If you weren't able to join us you can listen online (player located in the right column) or via iTunes by searching Manic Mommies Book Club.

Lian's Book Recommendation: Pictures of You (Caroline Leavitt)

Synopsis: Helen Fairchild leads a privileged existence. It only bothers her a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper Pasadena crowd, never finished that graduate degree in Classics, and never had that second baby. But the rigid rules of Pasadena society appeal to Helen, the daughter of Oregon fiber artists, even if she'll never be an insider. A hilarious social commentary about modern upper-middle class life meets a strong story of midlife reinvention.

Author Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a mother, sister, wife, friend and daughter. In addition, I write, talk and observe for a living. I’ve spent the last two decades working in media—from TV production to radio to magazines to digital content to novels. I created Satellite Sisters with my four real-life sisters to discuss issues of modern women on the radio and the web. And, I created The Chaos Chronicles to examine issues of modern motherhood with a humorous slant. I’m married, have two boys and a busy life in Pasadena, California.

When you start writing Helen of Pasadena, how much of the story did you have mapped out and how much of it emerged as you were writing? I have always been an outliner, even in high school when I was writing papers about The Catcher in the Rye, so having a detailed road map is an engrained part of my writing process. Especially because Helen of Pasadena was my first fiction, I wanted to know where I was going before I started writing. And the pacing of the book was very important to me; I wanted it to move along briskly, no dawdling! I really approached the format more like the three- act screenplay, than a traditional novel. I identified my key plot points before I every typed a word. I bet I had about 70% of the story mapped out as I started to write. I had cards for every scene, with the characters, the conflict and the resolution outlined. That being said, I was really surprised how many big, fun plot details came to me during the writing process. I think having a strong outline gave me confidence that I had enough “happening” in the book and my imagination just opened up during the day writing. I was so immersed in the story that I thought of almost nothing else. And lots of the extra details, situation and characters that made the book fun to write—and hopefully to read—came to me as I was writing. It’s definitely a writing model I will use again.

In the movie Helen of Pasadena, who would you LOVE to see play the roles of Helen, Patrick and Rochelle? I am terrible at the casting game. Ter-ri-ble! But, as I was writing the book, I did keep picturing Kate Winslet as Helen and Hugh Jackman as Patrick. I know, neither is American, but I know both could pull off those roles. The Rochelle question is tricky, because all I can see are the faces of actual news anchors in my head, bedecked in bright red jackets and overdone make-up! Maybe Bridget Wilson Sampras could pull off Rochelle! Not that she’s anything like Rochelle, I’m sure.

In the back of the novel you mention that your next novel will be a character spin off from Helen. Have you started the writing it? The second book in this Rose City trilogy is also set in Pasadena and involves a woman from history inspiring a contemporary woman, like Helen of Pasadena. That’s all the details you are getting from me! I am both superstitious and suspicious of revealing too much about a work-in-progress. I live in Holly-wood land where, yes, people steal ideas all day long! I have started the outline, some of the research and really prepping to write. I have do a little more reading and research, but I should be ready to write in February. I am working on clearing my schedule and getting focused.

You don't talk much about what you are reading on the podcast but I know you must read all the time. What is the last book you read? What are you reading now? You’re right; I should talk more about books! But in one hour a week, there are so many things to cover, I don’t often get to books. This fall, I did a series of author interviews on Satellite Sisters, so I was tearing through The Wave by Susan Casey, The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman and My Hollywood by Mona Simpson. If left to my own devices, I read mostly fiction and funny non-fiction. I just finished Juliet by Anne Fortier, which I enjoyed. A little history and a little romance. Now, I have the new Nora Ephron book and the new Steve Martin book on my nightstand for the holidays. I LOVE reading books by comedy writers; it’s a sub-genre for me that I consider a specialty. You know why? They are very funny! And I like to laugh.

Upcoming Selections: Jan - June 2011

2010-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that the Manic Mommies Book Club started two years ago? We have read dozens of books, and have grown from discussing books via email with authors (and online chats) to discussing books with the author on a conference call! Thanks Carol Cassella for being our guinea pig (I’m happy to say she is making another appearance in 2011).

We have read some great books and talked with wonderful authors. Most of the authors were new names to me but I’m honored to say I have discovered some new must read authors. I have read all of the published books by Jennie Shortridge, I think I had an author crush in 2009! I can’t wait for Kim Wright’s next book which is a character spin off from Love in Mid Air. This December we are talking to Kathleen Kent to discuss The Wolves of Andover (the prequel to The Heretic’s Daughter, one of my favorite books read this year) to name a few.

For the first half of 2011 we will be reading books that explore self discovery, trust and ethics, motherhood and personal dreams, the power of friendship, mixed in with a historical fiction novel set in the seventeenth century, and a cooking novel (with recipes). Four of the books were suggested authors or genre’s from manic mommies listener’s, so I’m please to say this list is truly a collaboration!

Jan – June 2011 Book Selections:

Helen of Pasadena: Helen Fairchild leads a privileged existence. It only bothers her a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper Pasadena crowd, never finished that graduate degree in Classics, and never had that second baby. But the rigid rules of Pasadena society appeal to Helen, the daughter of Oregon fiber artists, even if she'll never be an insider. A hilarious social commentary about modern upper-middle class life meets a strong story of midlife reinvention.

Healer: Claire is at the start of her medical career when she falls in love with Addison Boehning, a biochemist with blazing genius and big dreams. A complicated pregnancy deflects Claire’s professional path, and she is forced to drop out of her residency. Soon thereafter Addison invents a simple blood test for ovarian cancer, and his biotech start-up lands a fortune. Overnight the Boehnings are catapulted into a financial and social tier they had never anticipated or sought: they move into a gracious Seattle home and buy an old ranch in the high desert mountains of eastern Washington, and Claire drifts away from medicine to become a full-time wife and mother. Then Addison gambles everything on a cutting-edge cancer drug, and when the studies go awry, their comfortable life is swept away. Claire and her daughter, Jory, move to a dilapidated ranch house in rural Hallum, where Claire has to find a job until Addison can salvage his discredited lab. Her only offer for employment comes from a struggling public health clinic, but Claire gets more than a second chance at medicine when she meets Miguela, a bright Nicaraguan immigrant and orphan of the contra war who has come to the United States on a secret quest to find the family she has lost. As their friendship develops, a new mystery unfolds that threatens to destroy Claire’s family and forces her to question what it truly means to heal.

Healer exposes the vulnerabilities of the American family, provoking questions of choice versus fate, desire versus need, and the duplicitous power of money.

Sand in my Eyes: Twenty years ago, Anna Hott thought she could control everything — her crumbling marriage, her demanding children, her hectic life — by quitting her high-placed job in New York City and moving her family to tranquil Sanibel Island, Florida. But she brought her untamed emotions, her rage toward her cheating husband, and her yearning to write a novel with her. When her husband and children left the house for a week, Anna thought at last she would get her household, her novel, and her mind in order. Instead, her elderly neighbor Fedelina Aurelio knocked on her door bearing flowers and homespun wisdom, and when Fedelina's recently divorced son arrived, Anna had a test of passions and a test of truth. Now, at 56 with an empty nest, Anna Holt pulls out the incomplete manuscript she started that memorable week and — to find closure for her life and a conclusion for her novel — travels to Indiana to visit Fedelina who lives in a nursing home.

The Four Ms. Bradwell’s: Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, best friends since law school, have reunited for a long weekend as Betts awaits Senate confirmation of her appointment to the Supreme Court. Nicknamed “the Ms. Bradwells” during their first class at the University of Michigan Law School in 1979—when only three women had ever served full Senate terms and none had been appointed to the Court—the four have supported one another through life’s challenges: marriages and divorces, births and deaths, career setbacks and triumphs large and small. Betts was, and still is, the Funny One. Ginger, the Rebel. Laney, the Good Girl. And Mia, the Savant.

But when the Senate hearings uncover a deeply buried skeleton in the friends’ collective closet, the Ms. Bradwell’s retreat to a summer house on the Chesapeake Bay, where they find themselves reliving a much darker period in their past—one that stirs up secrets they’ve kept for, and from, one another, and could change their lives forever.

Exit the Actress: While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater’s proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart—and he hers—but even the most powerful love isn’t enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen’s diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

The Love Goddess’ Cooking School: Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.

But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

December 2010 Book Discussion: The Wolves of Andover

2010-12-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

If you didn't get a chance to join us when we talked with author Kathleen Kent in December be sure to listen to our discussion. You can listen online (player located in the right column) or via iTunes.

Synopsis: In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin's household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of his part in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. A love story and a tale of courage, The Wolves of Andover confirms Kathleen Kent's ability to craft powerful stories of family from colonial history.

Book Discussion:
Kathleen's book recommendations: Cleopatra: a life (Schiff) and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Summerscale)

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. Kathleen explained to us that she is a descendant to Thomas Carrier, have you researched your family tree? If yes, do you have any interesting stories to share?

3. I know we are talking about The Wolves of Andover but we spent just as much time discussing The Heretic's Daughter on our call. Have you read this book? Did you like it? If not, have you been to Salem? It's a haunting piece of American history.

And as I always end this post... what are you reading now?

Author Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up in Texas and attended the University of Texas in Austin. I had always loved writing, but wasn't confident I could make a living at it, so I spent twenty years living and working in New York first in commodities and then as Chief Operating Officer for a US company doing defense conversion work in Russia for the Department of Defense. I travelled extensively through the Former Soviet Union, and greatly enjoyed the career I had built. But always, in the back of my mind, was the thought that someday I would write the book that became The Heretic's Daughter. In 2000 I moved with my husband and son back to Texas and, retiring early from my job, made the conscious decision to begin writing full time. Little did I know it would take 5 years to research and write, but I was fortunate enough to have the support of my family and to find my agent who got me the publishing deal at Little Brown.

What was it like getting your first novel published? What is your writing schedule like? The success of my first novel has been beyond my wildest expectations. The book is now published in over a dozen countries, including such exotic places as Turkey and Taiwan. While writing the book my only expectation was that I get published. I had no academic standing to gain easy entree into research library records and the most ambitious writing project I had ever undertaken was to write short stories and poems for my own pleasure. The things I did have were disciplined work habits, a passion to write, and some wonderful stories that my mother and grandmother had passed down to me about my nine times great grandmother, Martha Carrier. It was a wonderful time of exploration and I travelled to Connecticut and Massachusetts several times to get the feeling of the places that were important to the story. I still do most of my best writing in the morning, and try to write some every day. Every once in a while, the muse will descend and I'll write late at night, or have to pull over while driving to jot down some notes.

When you start writing, how much of the story do you have mapped out and how much is organic? I usually start with a general outline and character development. I spend a lot of time playing with the characters in my head until I feel they're ready to be committed to paper. The outline is just a loose road map, which is often changed during the writing of the first or second draft. The narrative path I've picked may turn out to be not right for the character to take, or the story line may not be interesting enough. There is certainly a lot of organic processing during the first few drafts. After the second draft, though, when I'm polishing the third or fourth draft, the story line and characters are usually set.

If you could interview anyone, who would if be and why? What would you like to ask them? If I could interview anyone who is a writer, it would have to be Annie Dillard. To me she is the most wondrous word crafter in contemporary writing. But, I think she is a very shy, private person and sometimes the alchemy of the writing process is difficult to articulate. If I could interview a non-writer, it would have to be Helen Mirren. She seems to me to be such a fascinating woman (with emphasis on "woman", not "girl"); talented, humourous, well spoken, and at sixty-something totally fearless about wearing a bathing suit in person. Now that is a modern goddess!!

The prequel to The Heretic's Daughter is titled The Wolves of Andover, and will be released on November 8th. It chronicles the life of Martha's husband, Thomas Carrier; his involvement in the English Civil War and the event leading to the execution of King Charles I of England. I hope that you will enjoy reading this next book as well.

Nov 2010 Discussion Recap: The Good Sister

2010-11-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Several of us were anxiously waiting for this months book club discussion of The Good Sister. If you weren't able to join us this month, we had a wonderful conversation with Drusilla Campbell - discussing the book and we had a hard time not spending too much time talking about her next book which sounds so interesting. If you enjoyed The Good Sister you will want to read Little Girl Gone (to be published Jan 2012).

If you weren't able to join us, you will find this month's discussion on the playlist located in the right column.

Synopsis: Roxanne Callahan has always been her younger sister's caretaker. Now married, her happiness is threatened when beautiful and emotionally unstable Simone, suffering from crippling postpartum depression, commits an unforgivable crime for which Roxanne comes to believe she is partially responsible. In the glare of national media attention brought on her sister, Roxanne fights to hold her marriage together as she is drawn back into the pain of her troubled past and relives the fraught relationship she and Simone shared with their narcissistic mother. At the same time, only she can help Simone's nine year old daughter, Merell, make sense of the family's tragedy. Cathartic, lyrical, and unflinchingly honest, THE GOOD SISTER is a novel of four generations of women struggling to overcome a legacy of violence, lies and secrecy, ultimately finding strength and courage in their love for each other.

Discussion Recap:

Drusilla's book recommendations include: The Cookbook Collector (Goodman), and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (Mitchell)

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
2. What was your opinion of Johnny?
3. Do you think Roxanne handled the situation well? Did she frustrate you with some of her choices throughout the story?
4. Do you know anyone or have a personal experience with PPD? If yes, would you like to share your story with us? It's so important to realize that women do struggle and it's not a choice.
5. The author mentioned that Andrea Yates was the inspiration for this book, after reading this and thinking about Johnny.... has your view changed towards husbands when their wife has PPD? Do you see them as victim/survivors?

And as I always end this post... what are you reading now?

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: I was born in Melbourne, Australia and came to this country when I was a baby. My mom is one of five sisters and I'm the eldest of more than ten cousins and despite rarely seeing each other, I'm still tight with many of them. What amazes me is how much alike we all are. My Dad was an American and took us to live in a beautiful small town (big now) in Northern California. I was blessed with a wonderful childhood. I've always been a reader, a daydreamer, but most of all a storyteller, going back to sixth grade when I wrote a novel called "A Designing Young Teacher." My husband, Art, is a law professor and poet and we've been married a long time and still really like each other. We have two sons and three grandchildren, two large dogs and four horses.

What was it like getting your first novel published? What is your writing schedule like? Second question first. I don't have a set schedule which probably goes back to the years when Rocky and Matt were boys and I fit writing in when I could. However, I do tend to go flat out for several days or even weeks and then crash, rest, start again. The first question requires a longer answer than I think you want but I'll try to hit the high points. I've actually had two separate and very different writing careers. During the first one I wrote ten historical novels in four years and in order to do that I became addicted to a number of illegal substances. I went into treatment for addictions and came out of that a different woman. My style and subject matter changed radically and it took me almost twenty years to sell another book. During that time I continued to write but my style and subject matter had changed so much that one editor complained to my (then) agent: "Why doesn't she write like she used to?" For years I studied the craft, read constantly across all genres including the dictionary, kept a deeply boring and introspective journal, and wrote novels that no one wanted. When "Wildwood" sold to Kensington in 2001, I was overcome with relief and gratitude.

When you start writing, how much of the story do you have mapped out and how much is organic? I like to work from a narrative summary that keeps me aiming in the right direction but allows me to develop characters and situations freely. Sometimes I go off the map and find hidden treasures.

If you could interview anyone, who would if be and why? What would you like to ask them? Marilyn Monroe. I've always been drawn to real and fictional characters like Norma Ray whose lives go off the rails. In the real world these individuals come in for a lot of criticism and derision and judgmental moralizing, but I'm convinced that if we could see to their cores we'd be in sympathy with them. And what would I ask her? All the questions anyone would, plus those no one but me would think of.

October 2010 Book Discussion: If you lived here, you'd be home by now

2010-10-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful conversation with Claire LaZebnik last night. If you were unable to join us, you can listen to our discussion from the playlist in the right column or by downloading the podcast on iTunes.

Synopsis: From the well-loved author of Knitting Under the Influence and The Smart One and the Pretty One comes a new novel about a young single mother trying to move out of her family's shadow.

Rickie left home a long time ago-so how is it that at the age of twenty-five, she's living with her parents again, and sleeping in the bedroom of her childhood home?

At least one thing has changed since high school: She now has a very sweet but frequently challenging son named Noah, who attends the same tony private LA school she herself attended. Rickie fit in fine when she was a student, but now her age and tattoos make her stand out from all the blond Stepford moms, who are desperate to know why someone so young-and so unmarried-has a kid in first grade.

Already on the defensive, Rickie goes into full mother-tigress mode when her small and unathletic son tells her that the gym teacher is out to get him. She storms the principal's office, only to discover that Andrew Fulton, the coach, is no dumb jock. As her friendship with Andrew develops, Rickie finds herself questioning her assumptions-about motherhood, being a grown-up, and falling in love.

Book Club Discussion:
Are you looking for a good book recommendation? Claire just finished Freedom and says it's worth reading.

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. In the beginning of the novel Rickie doesn't want to volunteer at her son's school and is intimidated by the women 'running the show'. Do you volunteer at your child's school (or activities)? Have you had a challenging experience that you have overcome? or do you know women similar to the women Rickie has to interact with?

3. Did you read Rickie as a tough or vulnerable character? Do you like where she's headed at the end of the book?

4. What were your thoughts regarding Rickie's mom, how she handled both of her daughter's situations and her view on motherhood?

Lastly, what are you reading now?

Author Q&A

Tell us a little about yourself: I'm married to a TV writer (he works on "The Simpsons" at the moment) and we have four kids. Which means life is very busy.

What is your writing schedule like? I'm a mother first and foremost, so writing has to be fit in around all the rest. It's not too bad during the school year--I usually have time to write while the kids are in school. But summers are hard! I have someone home on pretty much any given day and it gets tough to find a block of time to work. Out of necessity, I've become a master at racing over to the computer and writing a paragraph or two when everyone's distracted. I keep my laptop in the dining room most of the time--near the first floor action but just slightly apart from it, so I can dash in and write whenever I find the time.

I'm NOT complaining: I am so lucky to be able to be a full-time mom and stay home with a sick kid and go to any school performances or games and STILL have the career of my dreams. I actually think having both was the key to my success. I had a nanny for a awhile and it wasn't until I found her another job and started taking care of the kids completely by myself that I felt emotionally freed up to write--it was like I had given myself permission to do something just for me because I had no guilt about not being with the kids enough.

What was it like getting your first novel published? Selling my first novel was literally a dream come true. I was a huge reader as a kid and all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a writer. Seriously: I had no other ambitions (or abilities). But it wasn't easy. I had two novels with two agents that never sold and it wasn't until this third agent and third novel that I actually sold one.

When you start writing, how much of the story do you have mapped out and how much is organic? I write a very loose outline that's probably about two pages. Very loose. Did I mention it's very loose? I have characters, a situation, a sense of where it's going . . . but scene by scene is pure invention. There's an amazing "ah-ha!" feeling when you're struggling with what should happen next and suddenly you have an epiphany and it feels almost obvious. But (probably because my process is so unstructured) I rewrite a LOT. There's often very little left of the original draft in the final version. Things clarify with time (and with my husband's and editors' notes).

If you could interview anyone, who would if be and why? What would you like to ask them? I just read for the second time this unbelievable graphic novel called ASTERIOS POLYP which is one of the greatest things I've ever read. The author is a guy named David Mazzucchelli and I'd love to sit him down and ask him all my questions about the book--because there are so many layers in both the writing and drawing that I could spend hours studying each page and still want to know MORE. So it would be fun to talk to him.

Of course, I just reread it, so it's on my mind. Ask me on another day, and I'll probably have another answer!

September 2010 Book Discussion: Room

2010-10-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful conversation last week, discussing Room for 40 minutes. Emma Donoghue wasn't able to join the discussion but she did answer our questions. With the author not available, we opted to not record the call (let's face it... we love the interviews!).

Synopsis: To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

Book Club Discussion:

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. What did you think of Ma's experience, being held captive for seven years? Think about her time before and after giving birth to Jack.

3. Did you find the escape believable and did you think Jack was older in Ma's eyes at times (to think he could play such an important role in the escape)?

4. Talk about Ma and Jack's time after the escape. What did you think about Ma's breakdown and Jack's reaction to the outside world?

5. Lastly, what are you reading now?

Thank you Emma for taking time to answer our questions!

I’m curious to find out why the author had a television in the room. Was this an addition during the seven years (maybe a sundaytreat) or was the TV as part of the Room from the beginning? Good question. I agonised over whether they should have a TV or not; I really didn't want them to watch it all day, but I thought that with no TV they might be living a rather 19th-century life, a premodern one rather than the modern-but-sealed-off-from-the-broader-world one I wanted for them. So I decided to make Ma strongminded enough to severely limit their watching, and that way Jack could have visual recognition of many things in Outside without truly understanding them.

This is a common question for writer’s but we are curious… have you thought about Ma and Jack and what their live might be like in ten years time? I've thought a little bit... what I hope for them is that they gradually become more and more like everybody else! They'll always be marked by their experience but they shouldn't have to always feel so strange and special.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process and how you stayed in a five year olds mindset for the entire novel? Was this as challenging as it seemed to us? No, this novel was easy: the story, perspective and tone came to me all in one go, and having a five-year-old son at the time made it pretty effortless to 'channel' Jack. What I struggled with was the balance between grim and upbeat, naive and satirical, slow and fast... lots of tinkering, basically.

Jack seems to have a bond with objects in the room, calling objects Plant, Wardrobe (capitalized). We would love to explore this with you, can you share a little more behind the purpose of this to a five year old? I saw him and Ma as a tribe of two, and I thought their religion would have a large element of animism: seeing a spirit in everything. My kids do that too, they automatically personalise, play and talk to every object they encounter. I figure Jack needs friends and Ma will encourage any way of getting them.

Breast Feeding: One of our readers emailed me to add one more question to the list. She’s wondering if you had gotten a lot of attention or criticism regarding the presence of breastfeeding an older child in this novel. Breastfeeding felt like a logical ‘must’ for Ma. Yes, lots of rather uneasy attention, almost all of it in the US. To me the breastfeeding made absolute sense on every level, because Jack and Ma are still living very much as mother and baby when the novel starts; they're never more than a few feet apart. She would hold onto any habit that comforts him. But in the US especially, many people are viscerally horrified at the idea of nursing a five-year-old...

Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Booker! As a writer, mother, and partner we are wondering how you do it all. Are you working on your next novel? I do it all with the aid of my partner (she got six months paid leave when each of the kids was born, which really helped) and then daycare; I manage to do things like email when the kids are in the house, but never actual writing. Yes, I'm working on the next novel now, an unsolved crime from 1870s San Francisco.

I appreciated Ma’s breakdown once the escaped and she knew Jack was safe. This made the story feel like it could have been a real experience for someone (albeit a horrific one). I'm glad this rang true for you! I (rather coldbloodedly) wanted Jack to be parted from Ma for a while so that he'd start growing up fast, but I also thought it was very plausible that someone would fall apart AFTER their escape; prisoners released from solitary confinement very often only develop psychological problems afterwards...

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: I'm an Irish writer, settled in Canada where I live with my partner and two small kids. I write all sorts of things but am best known for my fiction, both historical (for instance, SLAMMERKIN) and contemporary (most recently ROOM)

What was it like getting your first novel published? I was a graduate student whose first novel a host of publishers had rejected, the day my agent rang to say she'd managed to sell both my first and (unfinished) second novels to Penguin. I ran around the house whooping in glee.

What is your writing schedule like? It's determined by school and daycare: the minute the kids are out of the house I rush to my computer like a lover!

When you start writing, how much of the story do you have mapped out and how much is organic? I'm entirely inorganic: I plan everything, pretty much. If there's a good strong structure there's room for changes at a later stage, but the structure (and usually the first and last scenes) remain the same.

What are you reading now? I'm rereading Joe O'Connors STAR OF THE SEA (he's one of my very favourite Irish novelists).

If you could interview anyone, who would if be and why? What would you like to ask them? Emily Dickinson - but I doubt she'd agree to be interviewed!

The Escape 2010 selection: An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination

2010-09-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce our Escape selection: An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination. Author Elizabeth McCracken will join us on Saturday morning to share her journey to becoming a parent.

This book is a wonderful story about one woman's quest to become a parent. Each attendee to The Escape will receive a copy of the book and I'm happy to say we will be discussing this book with the author on Saturday morning (Nov 6).

I will post a recap of our discussion early November.

Synopsis: This is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending," writes Elizabeth McCracken in her powerful, inspiring memoir. A prize-winning, successful novelist in her 30s, McCracken was happy to be an itinerant writer and self-proclaimed spinster. But suddenly she fell in love, got married, and two years ago was living in a remote part of France, working on her novel, and waiting for the birth of her first child.

This book is about what happened next. In her ninth month of pregnancy, she learned that her baby boy had died. How do you deal with and recover from this kind of loss? Of course you don't-but you go on. And if you have ever experienced loss or love someone who has, you will hope to go on with the help and company of this remarkable audiobook.

With humor and heart and unfailing generosity, McCracken considers the nature of love, and grief. She opens her heart and leaves all of ours the richer for it.

August 2010 Book Discussion: The Island

2010-08-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful conversation with Elin Hilderbrand last night. If you were unable to join us, you can listen to our discussion from the playlist located in the right column or by downloading the podcast on iTunes.

Are you looking for a good book recommendation? Elin shared some books recently read that she loved: Every Last One, A Visit from the Goon Squad , and A Friend of the Family.

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. We discussed sisters and relationships on the call, if you have a sister... did birth order play an important role in your reading experience?

3. Did you connect with one character more than the others? If yes, why do you think this was so.

4. Did the book bring back memories of summer? Anything you would like to share with us? I know some of us have had poison ivy (I can't say I have though).

Lastly, what are you reading now?

Backseat Saints: Discussion Recap

2010-07-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post with a story - after reading a few chapters of Backseat Saints. I decided to download the audio book so I could listen while working in the yard. While enjoying the book I didn't realize I had disturbed a hornet's nest - I haven't been stuck since I was a young girl - ouch!

I have read all of Jackson's books, with exception of her first novel. Rose Mae is the main character in Backseat Saints and pulled forward from her Gods in Alabama. I have put this book on my hold list at the library.

We had a wonderful conversation with Joshilyn Jackson last night. If you were unable to join us, you can listen by clicking on the arrow below (you can also download to your computer/itunes by clicking on the link to the right).

This months call is edited down to just over 40 minutes:

In addition to the call, we are bringing back the online discussion for those unable to join us - or for anyone who has read the book and would like to participate.

Here are some questions to get the discussion started (answer any/all of them or simply leave a comment about your reading experience):

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. Discuss Rose Mae's journey and your view of her story. Did you read Gods in Alabama and remember her character?

3. Discuss the Gypsy and her role throughout the novel. Maybe Parker too, did you think he was Rose's brother?

4. What surprised you the most while reading this book?

5. It would be a disservice to not talk about the abuse (we see/read about it often on the news, in books, newspapers etc). Rose Mae's journey brings much change to her life. Do you know anyone who has escaped abuse? If yes, is there anything you can share with us?

6. Looking to the future: if Rose Mae were to appear in another novel by the author… where would you see her life (ie: in 5 years time)?

Lastly, what are you reading now?

August 2010 Selection: The Island: a novel

2010-07-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

We will be discussing The Island: a novel with the author on August 19 (8PM EST). Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

Synopsis: From New York Times bestseller Elin Hilderbrand, a new novel set on Tuckernuck, a tiny island off the coast of Nantucket. Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Instead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations.

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: I am Type A and completely overscheduled. I am married and have three children -- Maxx is 10, Dawson is 8 and Shelby is 4. I am a Little League mother; I spent all spring at games 4 nights a week and Saturdays, and my son Maxx made the All-Stars, meaning even more games and weekends away! My favorite things about summer are: the beach, my Jeep with the top off, cold champagne, corn on the cob, blueberry pie and flip-flops. (Note: baseball does not appear on this list.) I grew up in Philadelphia and I'm a huge Eagles fan. I jog 6-7 miles every morning. In the winters, because my husband manages a beach club that is closed, we pull our children out of school and take an exotic vacation. This past winter, we spent 6 weeks traveling through Vietnam. Next winter, we will go to Perth, Australia, which is my favorite place on earth. The two things I would really like to learn to do are: speak French and play the guitar. But who has the time???

What was it like getting your first novel published? It was a mixed bag. I was relieved to have sold it (to St. Martin's Press) but my advance was only $5000, so I could hardly quit my part time paralegal job. When the book came out, it was immediately chosen by People Magazine as Beach Book of the Week. And then St. Martin's immediately ran out of books. I actually didn't know anything about book sales at that point -- but oh, have I learned.

What is your writing schedule like? I write from 11-4 about 4 days a week in the summer. I have a live-in nanny who covers the children, God LOVE her! In the winter, I write at a remote location ( a friend's empty rental house in town) from 10-6. And when we are on our exotic vacations, I write six days a week while my husband covers the kids. I take one day off to snorkel or see the temples.

When you start writing, how much of the story do you have mapped out and how much is organic? I have certain things mapped out, but more than anyone might imagine is organic... as I'm writing, the process of discovery occurs...my characters tell me what's going to happen next. It's mystical, but I try not to talk about it too much or even think about it, because I don't want it to go away.

What are you reading now? I just finished The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. It was utterly fabulous. It all came together at the end in a way that made the whole more than the sum of its parts. It felt like witchcraft.

If you could interview anyone, who would if be and why? What would you like to ask them? The only person I would really like to interview is my father, Robert Hilderbrand, who died in a plane crash when I was sixteen. And my question would be: Are you proud of me? (Tissue, please!)

How Clarissa Burden learned to Fly: Discussion Recap

2010-06-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

I read How Clarissa Burden learned to Fly in about two days, while on vacation earlier this spring and it sounds like so many others have read this one quickly too. It's a fun book with a message - you will be appauled by Clarissa's husband and find yourself laughing at the same time.

This book is about one woman's journey, we all agreed that we think Clarissa is in a better place at the end of the story.

We had a wonderful conversation with Connie May Fowler, discussing the book, writing process and much more.

If you were not able to join us and have a question for the author, leave a comment to this post or email me and I will reach out to her.

This months call is edited down to just over 30 minutes:

Click above to listen (there is an option to download). The audio clip is also available to the right of this post.

July 2010 selection: Backseat Saints

2010-06-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

We will be discussing Backyard Saints with the author on July 21 (8PM EST). Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

Synopsis: Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

Author Q&A:
1. Tell us a little about yourself: My favorite color is orange. I have a hound dog, two cats, a beta fish, and an egg case that is getting ready to hatch up to 100 baby praying mantises, but I sneak off to look longingly at cats on PET FINDER most every day anyway. I love Kashi Vive cereal so much that when they pulled it from the grocery store, I wept hopelessly, and my husband drove to every Big Lots in a 50 mile radius and bought up the overstock; he gave me 50+ boxes of it for Valentine’s Day. I am an insomniac. My son is named after Samuel Beckett and my daughter, Maisy Jane, is named after a character in a Henry James novel. I hate to drive if I don’t have an audiobook. My husband and I met as teenagers and were best friends for seven years before we even kissed. (It was a doozy, though.)

2. Do you write daily? Between blogging and essays and interviews and novel writing, I probably do. Not at any set time, though. I know some writers swear by “writing hours,” but I elected to have children and pets instead of a schedule. Also, I lack an organizational skill. Yes, even one. I try to get up at four or five in the morning a couple-three times a week to work on the current book.

3. What was it like getting your first novel published? Surreal. The best part was seeing the physical actual book in bookstores. I would pick it up and touch all over it, marveling that an intangible thing, a story in my head, morphed first into a real novel with a word count and paper pages. I made it in my house out of words and my brain. Then I got an editor, and as a team we polished and honed it until it felt edgy and knife-sharp. Then our team got bigger as a herd of amazing people took our stack of pages and did a bunch of voodoo and fixed all the typos and came up with jacket copy and a cover that said something thematically true about the story, and sent it to another team who made thousands of thousands of copies exist. Meanwhile, still more people worked on marketing it and letting people know it existed while others distributed this gorgeous, amazing object that all of us had made together out of nothing, out of words----No! Less than that. Out of a thought. We all made it together out of a story I thought of in my head years before. Miraculous.

There were pitfalls I was too naïve to see, as well. Like most novelists, the first book I wrote was certainly not the first one that sold. gods in Alabama came out before I understood that everyone thinks your first novel is autobiographical, and that book has a wildly promiscuous, pathologically dishonest murderess for a narrator. She’s also charming and funny and has a huge heart, but she comes with some serious baggage. A lot of people made assumptions about me based on Arlene, and it was weird and dizzying and made me feel oddly defensive. Arlene is mine, yes, but Lord she isn’t me. I guess if I had looked ahead and seen Thalia in The Girl Who Stopped Swimming or, God help me, known Backseat Saints would be about Rose Mae Lolley, I would have realized there are worse fates than having people think I am secretly Arlene.

Now it has become funny instead of frightening whenever I run up against things people assume based on how they interpret my stories. For example, I have a couple-three bat-crap-crazy mothers in my books, and I remember one bookstore owner was absolutely floored to meet my real, actual, gracious, delightful mother. He was expecting something more complicated and mentally ill---perhaps with fangs.

What do you think of the electronic book? I worry about how Independent and physical chain bookstores will survive, and I really want them to survive. Handsellers are how new voices get noticed. I sincerely hope a business model will emerge that will allow the Indies to continue to make book buying personal. That said, I have to admit I enjoy the convenience of the technology. I probably read paper books 90% of the time, but I love my Sony Reader when I am traveling.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Put your heart into the writing, not being published or the idea of being published. The writing is the part you control. The business part, there is luck involved there, and the market, and what editor reads you on what day....The writing is just yours, and it always will be. The writing is what feeds you. Of course you push forward, you look for opportunities, you query and network. But you don’t live there. Live in the book.

It’s interesting – the more you focus on the writing part, the better you will get, and the publishing part is more likely to happen then anyway. When I teach at writing conferences, it’s very easy to see who is focused on their work. I always watch for those writers who ask craft questions and get that crazy, fervent eye-gleam when the conversation turns to how we get these stories and characters and worlds that are so perfectly realized in our heads to travel to the paper intact. That’s a long fraught trip, from head to paper. Those are the writers who interest me, and most of the time, you can see their passion reflected in the work.

What are you reading now? THE INVISIBLE BOY by Cornelia Reed. It’s dynamite---so racy and raw and compassionate and blackly funny. It’s the third book in her Madeline Dare series, and she just gets better and better.

Just for fun:
Favorite Season: Fall – the first time my husband and I kissed, the air had that crisp, apple smell to it, and every year now when that smell comes back it’s like I am re-breathing that happiness. (Told you it was a doozy.)
Morning or night: I love night but work better in the morning.
Favorite ice cream flavor: Edie’s French Silk
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: The Outback. I want to see marsupials up close and personal.

Love in Mid Air: Discussion Recap

2010-05-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I read a book that really makes me think, evaluate friendships, love and life - Love in Mid Air is one of these books.

We had a wonderful conversation with author Kim Wright, discussing the book, writing process and much more.

Love in Mid Air explores the friendships, marriage and happiness - or should I say, the quest for happiness and love.

If you were not able to join us and have a question for the author, leave a comment to this post or email me and I will reach out to Kim.

This months call is edited down to just under an hour:

Click above to listen (there is an option to download). The audio clip is also available to the right of this post.

We have a few book bloggers in the MMBC, click on the links below to see what they are talking about and their thoughts on Love in Mid Air:
Every Day I Write the Book
PeetSwea

June 2010 selection: How Clarissa Burden learned to Fly

2010-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

We will be discussing How Clarissa Burden learned to Fly with the author on June 16 (8PM EST). Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

Synopsis: How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is the transcendent story of a young woman who, in a twenty-four hour period, journeys through startling moments of self-discovery that lead her to a courageous and life-altering decision.

Author Q&A:

Tell us a little about yourself: I live on a sandbar in the middle of nowhere with my husband (I’m a newly wed with a marriage not yet two years old) and four dogs. We have no full-time neighbors save for a few folks down the road. A mama bear and her cub live in the back yard next to the bay. I keep the dogs in at night because of coyotes. I love it here. It gives me all kinds of time to think. I love to cook and fish. I love bad TV and good books. I garden; trying to coax life out of the sand is a mad act committed by a happy woman. I bird watch. I teach folks who love words and who have stories they must tell. I work on environmental and family violence issues. And I’ve taken up genealogy; what I’ve discovered never ceases to amaze, clarify, and confuse.

Do you write daily? I surely try.

What was it like getting your first novel published? My experience was totally a-typical and was one of the few times in my life when all the stars fell into harmonious alignment. I was in grad school and my professor, Carolyn Doty, said I needed to send my thesis (my first novel Sugar Cage) to an agent. She provided me a list of five names. She said, “When the first person on the list rejects the book, send the manuscript immediately out to the second person.” That process seemed way too logical for my artist’s brain, so I gazed at the piece of paper and tried to divine which name proffered good luck. The third one down was Joy. Easy wheezie. I sent the manuscript to her and, low and behold, she loved it. Within about a month, she’d sold it to an editor at Putnam whose name was Faith. Both Carolyn and Faith have passed away, but I still have Joy in my life and my editor ever since Remembering Blue is named Deb. She has brought me great luck too. Perhaps it’s the three-letter thing that’s working for me.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? I think they’re very, very cool. I don’t own one but I sat beside a woman on a plane last weekend who had a Kindle. I asked her to show me how it worked. Pretty impressive, I must say. And I’m totally excited about the Ipad—I’m a big Apple fan. I don’t think books you hold in your hands will ever go away, but these new devices aren’t going anywhere either. They’ll become more sophisticated even as they’re used by future generations of readers who are totally accustomed to the virtual world. I also think that there’s every possibility that people will read more because where they go, so too does their library.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Feed your mind: read, read, read.

What are you reading now? I reread the Great Gatsby once a year. And it’s that time of year again. Also, I’m looking very forward to reading Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna.

Just for fun:
- Favorite Season: Spring. We’re on the migratory path for monarch butterflies so it’s pretty awesome. Also, an astonishing variety of birds migrate through here. For the same reasons, I love fall.
- Morning or night: Morning, definitely.
- Favorite ice cream flavor: Rum raison
- If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: Africa

The Yellow House: discussion recap

2010-05-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

If you haven't had a chance to read The Yellow House, everyone who read the book would say they highly recommend it.

One of the gals reading with us read it in one sitting, she couldn't put it down. I received an email thanking me for a sleepness night from someone else (jokingly of course) and Jen read the book twice!

We had about a dozen women on the call and just as we were starting to discuss the book we encountered some technical difficulities forcing us to reschedule. The MMBC readers stayed on the call to discuss the book and we came up with several questions.

Take Two: Patricia and I met to discuss the book and had a wonderful discussion. I hope I asked all of your quesitons but if I forgot something, feel free to email me or leave a comment and I will reach out to her.

The call is about 45 minutes - spoiler alert... we did talk about the book, in detail.

Click above to listen (there is an option to download). The audio clip is also available to the right of this post (or click below).

Note: There is a little organic noise througout the call - I was using a new mic that is SUPER sensitive :). I had the window open, it was a beautiful spring day in Omaha, and if you listen hard you will hear some activity outside. It doesn't disrupt the call, promise. ~ next month I will attempt to record the call in a closet, with a glass of wine and good conversation with friends... that might be worth a picture ~

Our May selection is Love in Mid Air, we will be discussing the book with Kim Wright on May 19th.

May 2010 selection: Love in Mid Air

2010-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Manic Mommies Book Club Selection: May 2010

We will be discussing Love in Mid Air with the author on May 19 (8PM EST). Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

Synopsis: A chance encounter with a stranger in an airplane sends Elyse Bearden into an emotional tailspin. Suddenly, Elyse is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the church. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom. In the end it will take an extraordinary leap of faith for Elyse to find--and follow--her own path to happiness.

Author Q&A

Tell us a little about yourself: I’m 54 with two grown children, a total southerner, and obsessed with my new hobby of ballroom dancing. Seriously. I tango in my dreams. Love in Mid Air is my first novel but for 30 years before that I supported myself as a food and travel writer. That’s a great gig because it took me all over the world.

Do you write daily? Almost daily, but I’m not one of those writers who does the same amount of work each morning, like 2000 words or four hours or something. When I’m in the grip of a project I tend to go on writing binges and then afterwards I’ll back off for a while.

What was it like getting your first novel published? When you’re writing a novel there’s always the feeling that it’s never going to be finished and that, even if you do somehow manage to complete the thing, you’ll never find an agent and sell it. I was lucky in that many of my friends are writers and when I got “Love” ready to go, my friend Alison introduced me to her agent. Even though it felt like the ultimate blind date, David and I connected over dinner in a little Italian restaurant in Brooklyn and he’s been a fantastic advocate for the book. I signed with him in November 2007 and he sold the book the next month. I’d worked on it for years so it was a bit of a shock how fast things actually came together. One of my friends says that being a writer is like being a cop – long stretches of boredom occasionally punctuated with moments of sheer terror. She has a point!

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? God bless anything that makes it easier for people to read, but, that said, I’m of the old school. I like to hold a book in my hand. I like the way they look on a bedside table and even the way they smell. A woman once told me she was a Kindle-ophile because she’s bought so many books through the years that her house is full of them and buying ebooks cuts down on clutter. I know what she means – every time I move I think “I have way too many books” – but for some reasons I still like the presence of books in my home. I would never define them as “clutter.:”

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Get to know other writers – either online, or by joining writing groups and attending conferences. Not only can we all help each other – like Alison did when she introduced me to David - but I think the isolation that most writers feel is simply unnecessary.

What are you reading now? Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom

Just for fun:
- Favorite Season: Fall
- Morning or night: Morning
- Favorite ice cream flavor: Butter Pecan
- If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: I’ve never been there, but Australia has always been my dream destination, ever since I wrote a report on it in fourth grade. I think I was enchanted by a picture of children surfing on Christmas Day!

Why is my mother getting a tattoo?: Discussion recap

2010-03-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

What an evening! This month we discussed Why is my mother getting a tattoo? With author Jancee Dunn.

If you weren’t able to join us I’m sorry to say you missed quite a night! The call was scheduled for 45 minutes but ended up lasting well over an hour. We talked and talked, about parenting, sharing stories about the newspaper clipping we receive in the mail (we shouldn’t joke too much though since we will be sending these to our kids someday) and so much more. It was quite a task editing this months audio discussion from 87 to 30 minutes! I can’t tell you how many times someone shared something private… only to say “you will edit this out, right?”.

If you weren’t able to join the call, click here to listen (there is an option to download). The audio clip is also available to the right of this post (or click below).

Note: I have a new mic for recording and it is VERY sensitive... the background noise happens to be my dogs chewing on bones, next time I will lock them out of the room! I kept the phone on mute so the participants couldn't hear them but you will hear faint noises. Enjoy!

- Click here to read Jill's review (Seaside Book Nook's review)

Here are some questions for you, the reader:
- What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
- Did you have a favorite story in the book?
- Lastly, do you have any questions for the author?

Here are some of the emails I received after the call:
- I am loving Why Is My Mother Getting a tattoo? so far! I started reading it while waiting for my daughter at karate the other day and was cracking up so much I had to move outside to read it. The other parents were looking at me a little strange. I am now at the part where both parents have to be on the phone and stories repeated. So true, my parents do this to me all the time and it drives me nuts!

- I am so very sorry I was late to the call. Jancee was hilarious. I didn't get a chance to share my "clipping" story.

I used to work for Waste Management. My family would send me photos of funny looking dumpsters or Port-a-Potties or ones in funny places. Truly odd. I'd get an envelope with a photo or two and a post-it telling where the shot was taken. Nothing else.

- The call on Wednesday was phenomenal! It felt like such good girlfriend time and was the high point mid week that has allowed me to get through the rest of this week. I have to share with you that yesterday morning I was going through the mail and there was an envelope in there from my own mother with nothing other than newspaper clippings. The highlight for me had to be a story of a dead beaver that some spring breakers decided would be cute dressed as a mechanic while holding a energy drink. It made me laugh, thinking of our call, and kept me smiling all day as I went about my normal routine.

Do you receive Newspaper Clippings in the mail?

Thank you Hachette: upcoming selections

2010-03-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

A special thank you to Hachette Book Group, our exclusive partner for the Manic Mommies Book Club! Click here to read the details on the Manic Mommies homepage.

We have locked down our book selections for the rest of 2010!

Love in mid Air (May): A chance encounter with a stranger on an airplane sends Elyse Bearden into an emotional tailspin. Suddenly Elyse is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the community. She finds herself cutting through all the instincts that say "no" and instead lets "yes" happen. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom.

How Clarissa Burden learned to Fly (Jun): How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is the transcendent story of a young woman who, in a twenty-four hour period, journeys through startling moments of self-discovery that lead her to a courageous and life-altering decision.

Backseat Saints (Jul): Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future.

The Island (Aug): A captivating novel of summer and surprises from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.

Selections for the rest of 2010 include (the books are so new that we do not have book jackets to post yet):

Room (Sept): An astonishing novel narrated by a five-year-old boy who lives, with his mother, held captive in a single small room. Written by Emma Donoghue

If you lived here you'd be home by now (Oct): From the well-loved author of Knitting Under the Influence and The Smart One and the Pretty One comes a new novel about a young single mother trying to move out of her family's shadow. Written by Claire LaZebnik

November Escape selection TBD: We are excited to announce that we will have two book selections in November, one for the escape and a second for scheduled as usual.

The Good Sister (Nov): An astonishing novel narrated by a five-year-old boy who lives, with his mother, held captive in a single small room. Written by Drusilla Campbell

The Wolves of Andover (Dec): A love story from the heart of America's history by the author of the national bestseller The Heretic's Daughter (Kathleen Kent).

April 2010 Selection: The Yellow House

2010-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Manic Mommies Book Club Selection: April 2010

We will be discussing The Yellow House with the author on April 21 (8PM EST). Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

You will find an author interview/discussion posted in the right column. Don’t worry about spoilers, the conversation focuses on the authors background and writing experience more than the plot and ending to the story. The MMBC is even mentioned on the call!

Synopsis: THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life. She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore.

BN.COM reader review: (5 stars) The Yellow House is a captivating debut, bountiful and beautifully written. The beginning trudges along, but Eileen will capture you quickly after. Her story will make you smile, make your heart pump, make your breath quicken, make you cry. You will hope for the best, and fear for the worst. You will laugh at Eileen and her anger and feistiness, she has a sailor's mouth and the temper to go with it. You will feel her heartbreak and her desire, you will know her anguish and rapturous delight, you will relate to her because she is the warrior in all of us. You will love Eileen, and you will love The Yellow House.

Author Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born in Northern Ireland and lived in England before emigrating to the U.S. at age 20. I pursued a career in the finance area for many years, but finally was able to make the leap to my first love - writing. Becoming a writer is the realization of a dream.

Do you write daily? When I was writing The Yellow House I was also working full time and travelling a great deal for business. So I was not able to write every day but took chunks of time when I could on weekends and holidays. Now that I'm working on a deadline for a second book I find more and more that a daily writing routine is the only way to finish a novel within a set timeframe.

What was it like getting your first novel published? I met my agent through pure serendipity. I was on a business trip to New York and a friend cancelled a dinner engagement. Alone in the hotel restaurant I met a woman who runs a fitness studio in NYC and she invited me to join her and some of her clients on a wellness week in Jamaica. Something told me to grab the thread and so I took a chance and went. Lo and behold, two of the women there were literary agents, and I told one of them about a book I was planning. The rest is history. Although, I have to say that when I got the phone call that we had a two book contract I couldn’t think of anything to say for about a day.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? At first I didn't like the idea of them. But since then I have spoken to a lot of people - mostly on airplanes - and they all say if the story is good you get caught up just as if you are reading a book. And I think people buy more books because its so easy to download them. In the end if it means more people read my book then I'm happy.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? First of all write about something that is really important to you – that fires your passion. Writing a novel is a major undertaking of time and emotional energy - so it should be about something you care deeply about. Second of all - it's true what they say about revising - a book is not so much written, as re-written, so be prepared.

What are you reading now? Colm McCann's Let The Great World Spin; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout; and two memoirs: Nothing was the Same by Kay Jamison, and Just Kids by Patty Smith.

Just for fun:
Favorite Season: Definitely Fall - which is what I miss most since I'm living in Dallas

Morning or night: I think mornings are fantastic - full of promise - but unfortunately I miss most early mornings because I'm a "night person".

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mint chocolate chip.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: Australia and Japan. But I would be delighted to travel almost anywhere in the world.

The Wife's Tale: Discussion Recap

2010-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

What a night! We were thrilled to discuss The Wife’s Tale with Lori Lansens with about a dozen other women.

At the end of my work day I was able to fit in a quick workout before getting on the call. I know a few mom’s listened with their kids in the background, Heather joined from work, and I believe Kim took the call while on the bus (traveling from NYC to her home). We started our discussion talking about a mom who listened to our January book club while waiting for her children at Karate. We are truly on the move, trying to find time for us!

If you were not able to join us last night you will find a 30 minute clip posted for your listening pleasure (see link on the right column). More importantly, if you haven’t had the chance to read this book yet I encourage you to read it. This is the story of a woman who is lost, paralyzed by life. She has stopped living and when her husband goes missing Mary Gooch is forced to take make some decisions. Along the way she begins to find herself, meeting some wonderful people, discovering that she is a priority and can survive!

I need to give a special thank you to Lori, I was having some computer issues for the first few minutes of the call and had to reboot my laptop (ugh) – while I did this Lori shared a bit about her life. She’s married, with two children and lives in California. Her first three books take place in Canada, where she is from and she is working on an idea for her fourth novel. You can hear all about it when you listen to the audio clip.

We have a few bloggers that are also MMBC readers. Gayle with Everyday I write the Book has posted her review. Leave a comment with the link to your review, if you are reading/writing with us. I"m aware of two or three others (they haven't posted yet though).

Here are some questions for you, the reader:
- What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
- Did you have a favorite part in the book?
- How did your opinion of Mary Gooch change from the beginning of the book to the end?
- Lastly, do you have any questions for the author? If yes, leave them here and I will send a list to Lori.

The following recap is in my own words:

Overcoming fears: We discussed that Mary is fearful to the point of not being able to live her life. Fear is a state of mind, when Mary boards the plane for the first time she overcomes a fear and begins to realize flying isn't so scary. As the book continues we watch Mary overcome many fears.

Women going through a divorce seem to relate to Mary, they have a great opportunity to recreate themselves

Mary’s voice: This book has little dialog since we are listening to Mary work through her issues. Why? Mary is looking into a mirror in the first paragraph and shes sharing her 'internal landscape'. The story is told with only Mary’s voice so we can understand that she feels cloistered.

Mary’s high school weight loss: Lori shares the dirt story that we were all talking about! It’s an unbelievable story – listen to the clip to hear the complete story. It’s based on tur events.

Author’s weight struggle: Yes, Lori has struggled with her weight over the years; she wants everyone to remember you do not need to be over weight to have issues with food. Mary Gooch is just one woman and this is one woman’s weight loss story.

The Ending: One reader commented on the ending and mentioned it was satisfying. As mentioned before, this is Mary’s story and the truth of Gooch remains a mystery (we never hear from him).

Where to you see Mary today? This is a tough question! Many readers have asked for a sequel and some would like to read Jimmy Gooch's story. Lori has thoughts about Mary but she doesn’t want to spoil her version because it changes as time goes on and she wants the reader to hold onto their vision for Mary.

Writing habits: Lori writes daily and has been known to set her alarm (she doesn’t want to write through the end of the school day - in true manic mommy fashion!). She treats writing like a job and starts each day editing the previous days work.

What’s next for Lori: She’s thinking about writing setting her next book in Golden Hills (the California location in The Wife’s Tale)

Current reads and favorite authors: Lori is reading The Self Esteem Trap (a parenting book). She enjoys Phillip Roth, John Irving, Margaret Atwood and many more.

Audio Link: If you were unable to join us, you can listen by clicking on the arrow below (you can also download to your computer/itunes by clicking on the link to the right).

Next month we will be discussing Why is my Mother getting a Tattoo with Jancee Dunn

March 2010 Selection: Why is my Mother getting a Tattoo?

2010-01-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

Manic Mommies Book Club Selection: March 2010

We will be discussing this book with the author on March 17. Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

A 24 book giveaway will be posted to the Manic Mommies website within the next week.

Click here to read my review - I am expecting a lot of storytelling and getting to know everyone a little more come March. We were sharing stories last week after we finished discussing April and Oliver and I shared just one story from the book.

Synopsis: Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? explores this phenomenon–through both Dunn’s coming to grips with getting older and her folks’ attempts to turn back the clock. In a series of hilarious and heartwarming essays, Dunn conspires with her sisters to finagle their way into the old family homestead, dissects the whys and wherefores of her parents’ obsession with newspaper clippings, confronts the seamy side of the JC Penney catalogs she paged through as a kid, and accompanies her sixtysomething mother to a New Jersey tattoo parlor, where Mom is giddy to get a raven inked onto her wrist. And Dunn does it all with humor and insight.

Type: Fiction, 224 pages, Trade paperback

Author Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself: I am 43 and live in a converted church in Brooklyn, New York with my husband, Tom (who is also a writer) and my baby, Sylvie. I have written three books: But Enough About Me, a memoir on my life as a rock journalist for Rolling Stone, a novel called Don't You Forget About Me, and my latest book, a collection of essays entitled Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo? And yes, she got a tattoo, at the age of 67: a big black raven on her wrist. My mother isn't exactly a biker, either. She's a member of her garden club in New Jersey and wears pink cable-knit sweaters. I write frequently about my family. They used to protest and throw around phrases like 'this is off the record,' but now they don't even flinch. At every family get-together, I harvest new material.

I also write for many magazines, among them Vogue and O, The Oprah Magazine. And I was once a veejay on MTV2 for five years. I'm proud to say I was the oldest female veejay in the history of Viacom.

Do you write daily? I do. I write when the baby naps, so it's this sort of concentrated burst. I had the baby right before I turned 43, so I think this will probably be my only one, and I really want to enjoy her. So I don't have a nanny, or daycare, or anything. It's been a challenge, to say the least, to try and earn a living during her nap times. So far I'm squeaking by.

What was it like getting your first novel published? The day it came out, I ran down to the Barnes and Noble in my neighborhood. I literally ran. I burst in the door and there it was, piled on a table near the entrance. I grabbed a book and burst into tears. The security guard was watching me with concern. I think he thought I was a deranged person, which might have something to do with the stained sweatpants I was wearing at the time.

It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. It has been my dream since I was a small child (which is kind of a weird dream for a kid) to get a book published. That's all I ever wanted.

Then, of course, I lurked by the table, pretending I was a customer, to see if anyone picked up the book. I was probably reading a prop book upside down.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? I'm old-fashioned. I like holding a book. I understand why electronic books are popular, especially among travelers, but I just love the experience of holding a book and turning the pages. Books are like friends to me.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Read, read, read. Quality books will seep into your own writing. And I got the hang of writing in other people's voices by listening to people's conversations on the subway, and then running home and trying to replicate them on my computer. It was a very helpful exercise.

What are you reading now? Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which is excellent, and The Children's Book By A.S. Byatt. And Baby 411, my favorite baby advice book ever.

Lastly, share one or two of your all time favorite novels read, excluding classics: I love novels that completely immerse you in a time and place. To that end, I highly recommend The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, a creepy ghost story about the remaining members of a venerable old English family who live in Hundreds Hall, a crumbling mansion in the countryside. I wasn't wild about the ending (I could go on here but I don't want to give anything away) but until then, I thought the novel was perfection, the sort of book where you're so absorbed reading it that you're irritated to stop for a meal or take a shower.

Just for fun:
Favorite Season: Autumn. I do everything autumnal that I possibly can: pumpkin picking, shuffling through the leaves, drinking hot apple cider. Buying mums. Making molasses cookies.

Morning or night: Morning! I'm up at 6:30. It's particularly nice in New York City, where I live, because the cars aren't out yet and the air is as fresh as it's going to get. I bound out of bed for my coffee and newspaper. It never gets old! It was very easy to adjust to an early-rising infant, I must say. She wakes up at 6:30, too.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate peanut butter from Haagen-Dasz, which I can never find but oh how I love it. And apparently they have a special flavor called Fleur de Sel Caramel, and I've searched everywhere in vain. One day I will find you, Fleur de Sel Caramel!

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: I love to travel and have a long, long list: Buenos Aries, Budapest, and Kenya are at the top.

MMBC: April & Oliver Discussion begins today!

2010-01-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Manic Mommies Book Club is a year old this month!

Congratulations to everyone who read with us in 2009 and we welcome all of those who will be reading with us in 2010.

If you read April and Oliver but didn't have the chance to join the call I do have a few questions for you. As always, you can answer any or all of them or just leave a comment expressing your opinion.

Here are some questions for you, the reader:
1)What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
2)Both April and Oliver grew up without their mothers.
3)How was this important to the story?
4)Did you have a favorite part in the book?
5)How did your opinion of Bernadette change throughout the book?
6)Both April and Oliver grew up without their mothers.
7)How was this important to the story?
8)Lastly, do you have any questions for the author? If yes, leave them here and I will send them to the author.

We do have a few blogger's reading along with us. If you have blogged about the book, please leave the link to your post!

The following is a recap in my own words:

Tess has thirteen year old twins and is busy juggling family, writing and is also a teacher. April and Oliver is her first novel which was published in 2009. She is working on a second novel.

Tess start writing April and Oliver several years ago, it started as a short story. She put it to the side for a time and completed in a few years later.

April and Oliver are both motherless in the book, we wanted to know if mothers were included in any draft: The mother’s were not in any draft of the novel. Oliver makes a life change when his mother dies during his senior year of high school. He decides not to follow his mothers wishes and gives up music, making the decision to study something practical (law). April’s mom could have had a physical presence in the novel but with April being responsible for raising her younger brother Tess realized that April was really alone in life.

Was Buddy alive in any draft? He was never alive in the book but is such an important character to the storyline. He is alive in a way, by memories.

Is April based on anyone you know? She wears a thick personal to cover her vulnerabilities and has a resemblance of a passing friend but is really a fictional character.

Did you start this book knowing the general plot or did you begin with by creating characters and follow their journey? Tess mentioned that she starts with characters, weaving their history into a story. She doesn’t know what will happen until the words are written. She expressed being as surprised as we were at times during the book!

Use of water is throughout the novel, do you have an affinity with water (which is also the books cover). Tess found this question very interesting, she likes to view water as our subconscious (its unspoken, echoes the forces) and expressed being pleased with the cover.

Bernadette (Oliver’s fiancé): We wanted her to hold her ground and stand up for herself. Did Bernadette change from the beginning to the end of the writing process? She did transform quite a bit from the first draft to the final version. Bernadette thinks with logic and doesn’t view April as a threat. Over time she sees that Oliver is spending too much energy/time with April. We did wonder if they would get married and were a little shocked by the events on their wedding day.

Other highlights:
- We also discussed Nana and her resemblance to Tess’s grandmother. Tess’s grandmother also had a necklace that she wore daily.
- The story of the kiss in the diner is loosely based on a true events.
- Tess has completed the first draft of her next novel
- Tess teaches writing to middle school students and loves helping children discover the passion of writing
- She tries to write during the day, when her children are at school

February 2010 Selection: The Wife's Tale

2009-12-31T07:01:00.000-08:00

Manic Mommies Book Club Selection: February 2010

I'm pleased to announce that we will be discussing this book with the author on Feb 17th at 7PM central. Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

If you would like to enter the book drawing for one of 24 copies, watch for details on the Manic Mommies website (details should be up in the next week).

Update Jan 11: Winners of the book giveaway have been notified. Congratulations: Angie S, Osheta, Lacy J, Amy, Carissa, Janet, Shelle, Randy Teri, Jennifer C, Andrea T, Kim, Julie C, Christy L, Dale, Emily, Rose, Kim I, Jill W, Sarah C, Sharon, Vicki, Amy H, Heather and Adriene

Author Q&A
Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up in Ontario, Canada in a rural farming community not far from the Detroit border. All three of my novels are set in full or part in the landscape of my youth. The population of the town where I was born is considerably less than the number of Manic Mommies listeners - a thought that humbles me. I'm a 47 year old mother of two - Max is 9 and Natasha, 7. My husband and I have been together for twenty-six years and lived in downtown Toronto until three years ago when we moved to Southern California where he works as producer/director on the television show "24".

Do you write daily? I struggle, like any working mom, to balance the duelling demands of motherhood and career. I take my children to school in the morning then return to my computer for a solid six hours of work before I have to leave to pick them up. I write 5 days a week when I'm working on a novel. When I'm not writing I am full-on Mommy, taking my kids to soccer practice, supervising homework, playing catch in the backyard. The time in between the final editing of a book and the launch of it has thus far been taken up with the job of promoting the book (in some cases touring with it) and perculating the next. This is the time when I can take a few walks and read novels and allow the next set of characters to emerge from behind the curtain. It's also a time for me to reconnect with non-fictional characters since I badly neglect my friends when I'm writing.

What was it like getting your first book published? I started writing short stories when I was 20 years old and went on to write some terrible plays and then screenplays, a few of which were produced. I had a brief career as an actor - my biggest claim to fame being that I was cut out of the Al Pacino movie Sea of Love. My husband and I lived in an apartment over a grocery store in downtown Toronto, struggling artists (he was an actor turned filmmaker) trying to pay the rent. We were filmmakers together for a short time and had both invested years trying to produce a screenplay I'd written and wanted to direct. When the financing for it fell through for the third time my husband shook me out of my disappointment by suggesting I take some time away from the film business to write the novel I'd been talking about writing for fifteen years. We also decided it was time to have a family. I was several chapters in to Rush Home Road when I discovered I was expecting. Writing Rush Home Road was an emotional journey - maybe it was the pregnancy hormones - but I felt I'd found my place as an artist. I finished the first draft of the novel in the days before my son was born and my husband read it for the first time and we discussed the characters and plot during the hours that I was in labor. After my son was born, I revised the work on the few occasions that he napped outside of the stroller. I had no connections in the book business and sent the manuscript to a literary agent whose address I got from a directory. Some time later I received a call from her saying she'd found Rush Home Road in the slush pile, and read it, and wanted to represent me. The book was sold at auction in US, Canada and the UK. A fairytale - too ridiculous for fiction.

Can you share some tips for aspiring writers? I often hear writers talk about the difficulty of confronting the blank page, or dealing with writer's block. The tip I might offer to combat both is just keep writing. I spend each morning editing the previous days work which gives me a running start and creates a flow for the work to come. I'm not always certain about the path that I'm taking but I keep writing. The truth reveals itself to the writer when her or she hits a wall and must go back, like travelling a maze, and start again at another point.

We often hear the refrain "write what you know" which is a phrase that shouldn't be taken too literally. Perhaps "write what you love" would be more accurate.

What am I reading? Joeseph O'Neill's Netherland. Fantastic!

Kindles and Sony Readers: I like to hold a book in my hand. I like to turn the pages and refer to the cover art and to gaze at the author's image. I understand and appreciate the attraction people have to the digital readers but they're not for me.

Just for Fun:
Favorite ice cream? Pralines and cream

Morning or night? I rise early, 5:30 am, and have a quiet dark hour to myself before I wake my children.

Favorite season? The spring has always been my favorite season. When I lived in Canada I was moved by the brilliant yellow Forsythia that blossomed after the last snow. Now I live in southern California and love the way the winter rains make green our parched landscape.

Where would I visit? My husband and I made several trips to Europe before children and we both fell in love with Italy. We've promised our young ones that we'll take them to Venice one day.

MMBC: Oxygen Discussion begins today!

2009-12-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

After dinner was served (takeout Thai for my family and Kim mentioned making supreme nachos) – we had a wonderful discussion with Carol Cassella. I received several emails after the discussion expressing how much the readers enjoyed listening to the author. Thank you to everyone for taking time from your family and busy lives to discuss the book with us.

Let’s get right to it!

Carol is married with two sets of twins, is an anesthesiologist and finds a way to fit writing into her schedule. She starting writing as a hobby but did mention she has always wanted to write a novel and drew upon her life to build aspects of the book. There are two main characters, Marie is a woman with no family and focused on her career and her sister who’s life focuses on family (they are opposites).

The plot twist comes from the fear doctors have, they do not want to harm their patient. She also wanted to write about issues with malpractice and decided to write about her own worst nightmare and what happens when a doctor loses control.

Here are some questions for you, the reader:
- What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
- Did you have a favorite character (include why you liked the character)?
- Did you have a favorite part in the book?
- How did your opinion of Marie change from the beginning of the book to the end?
- We didn’t talk about the men in Marie’s life, on the call but I wonder what you thought of Joe.
- Let’s talk about Jolene’s mom. Did you like her as a character?
- Lastly, do you have any questions for the author? If yes, leave them here and I will send a list to Carol.

The following recap is in my own words.

How would the anesthesiologists protocol change if the patient has an existing relationship with the doctor, versus coming to the hospital via ER? It varies depending on the situation (some surgeries take longer, we are not selected by a doctor or patient). They don’t always have a lot of time to establish a relationship and trust is the most important, the first five minutes are critical.

How did you come up with the plot for the book? Did you start with the characters or the idea of the story? When she started the book Carole mentioned that she thought she knew the characters well but they changed with each revision of the novel (as the plot was tweaked). At some degree every character can be a reflection of an author. The more history you give a character the more they can make decisions on their own.

One reader mentioned getting angry at Marie for taking the blame – why was she the only one? Is that what happens in real life? The author reminded us that this is a work of fiction but it is a realistic scenario. With no bleeding, and no obvious place to cast blame it is common for the anesthesiologist to take the blame since they give the go ahead.

Jolene’s medical issue (defect) wasn’t laid out nor did the author include an autopsy in the first draft. Her editor reminded her that readers want answers, they need a conclusion.

How long did it take you to write Oxygen? It took 3 ½ years. Her goal was to write a book for her children. She did get an agent quickly and when the book wasn’t sold she told us that she started burning copies of the book - on a whim sent it to one more agency. A few months later they called, and it was sold within weeks.

Did her family/friends participate in the editing? How did she take their input? While it’s important to get an outside view but hard to take sometimes. Be selective, find someone who is honest and objective – as a writer you have to have a tough skin.

With the death of a child in the book we had to remind some people reading with us (MMBC) to push through this part of the book. When people pushed through Jolene’s death we did learn the book wasn’t centered around this. Was this intentional? She wasn’t sure she wanted to have the patient be a child but it was more realistic with drug doses. Children are vulnerable, our medical system is not fair. She wanted to show this in the beginning and then move from this aspect of the story.

Are you working on a second novel? Her second novel was going to be about human trafficking – when she did the research she couldn’t write about this topic.

Her second novel, out Summer 2010, and is about a woman completing her medical residency (she is married and learns she is pregnant). Flash forward 14 years - she doesn’t finish her residency and ends up working in the medical field with a focus on the financial situation of a family and helping those in need.

What are you reading? Olive Kitteridge

Carol is a member of the Seattle Seven – a group of writers who support each other and are working to raise money for children’s literacy.

The feedback she has received has been so moving. She mentioned a letter from a mother who lost a child during surgery – it broke her heart. The author would love to hear from anyone who has a question or would like to comment on the book. You can visit her website to reach her.

She was off to a piano recital for three of her daughters. Thank you Carol to talking with us this week!

A few of us stayed on after the call to share what we are reading:
- I’m reading The Woman who named God
- Robin is reading People (she’s in book club for the wine)
- Kim just started Brooklyn and is enjoying it
- Sharon French women don’t get Fat (tip: swap OJ for champagne for breakfast!)

Jan 20 Book Selection: April and Oliver

2009-12-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

Manic Mommies Book Club Selection: January 2010

I'm pleased to announce that we will be discussing this book with the author on Jan 20 at 7PM central. Watch for details as we get closer to the date.

If you would like to enter the book drawing for one of 24 copies, watch for details on the Manic Mommies website (details should be up in the next week).

Synopsis: The story of April and Oliver, two inseparable childhood friends whose existences again collide with the sudden death of April's younger brother

Author Q&A:
Tell us a little about yourself: The Nuts and Bolts Answer: I grew up on Long Island, but have lived many places within the United States and abroad. I am married with two children, and teach writing to middle school students. My work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Boston College Magazine, Cottonwood, Stylus Anthology, Newsday, and elsewhere through syndication. An excerpt of April & Oliver was published in Agni and subsequently nominated for the Pushcart Prize. I have a Masters in Education from SUNY Buffalo and an MFA in Fiction from Bennington College.

The Amorphous Answer: I enjoy noticing the way light from a window patiently traverses a room over the course of a day. Clouds capture my attention, as well as bird songs, swaying branches, and gusts of wind. My propensity to stop and notice makes me an oddball. At the same time, I live a life teeming with deadlines, appointments, and responsibilities. How do I manage? Not very well! Every day, life gives me ample opportunity to laugh at myself.

Do you write daily? When I am in the momentum of a project, I write daily. I like being swept up by a story and surrendering to it. When I have that kind of relationship with a piece, hours pass like minutes. As a mother and teacher, however, I don’t often have hours at a time. Sometimes schoolwork and other responsibilities take over, in which case I write in snatches.

What was it like getting your first book published? It took time for me to hone my skills as a writer. At some point, I gave up on the idea of publishing and decided to focus on teaching. Nevertheless, I kept writing because it is what I do. I worked on April & Oliver on and off for years, periodically stuffing it in a drawer for long stretches. It was my good friend, novelist Sasha Troyan, who encouraged me to haul the manuscript out one more time. Having been away from it for so long, I reread the manuscript with a blend of satisfaction and horror. Because so much time had passed, and because I myself had changed, (the stretching effect of parenthood), I could clearly see what rang true and what did not. It was as if I was reading someone else’s manuscript, and knew precisely what to fix. When I was satisfied, I sent it to an agent, and promptly forgot about it. Six months later, the agent called, asking to represent it. Two days later, the book was sold. I feel very grateful for my good fortune.

What do you think of kindle? Electronic publishing makes particular sense for subject areas where content is constantly being updated, such as science textbooks. It can also help spare our kids’ spines, not to mention a tree or two. Personally, I do not enjoy reading novels electronically. I like the tactile experience of reading, dog-earing, underlining, and hearing the whisk of each page as I turn it. However, I think people should enjoy books in whatever format is easiest for them. Currently, I spend hours in the car driving my kids to school, travel soccer, etcetera, and have taken to listening to books on tape. Given the demands of my life at the moment, if I were not listening to audio books, I would not be doing much reading at all. Therefore, I think people should enjoy books in whatever format is most accessible to them, whether kindle, audio, or old fashioned paper.

What is one tip you can share with aspiring writers? At the Squaw Valley Writer’s Conference some years ago, I had the privilege of working with the late Ted Solotaroff. He said in a lecture that during his tenure as founder and editor of The New American Review, he saw many gifted writers come and go. The ones who went on to become accomplished authors were not necessarily those who showed the greatest natural talent, but those who simply did not give up. My main advice is to keep at it, and always trust your own deepest instincts.

What are you reading now? I recently finished Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. Presently, I am in the middle of a reread of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Next in the queue is Herzog by Saul Bellow. The last paragraph of The Road left me so astonished that I am still having dreams about it.

Name some of your all time favorite novels, excluding classics: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez; Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro; The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje; The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

Upcoming Book Club Selections

2009-11-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce our book club selections through July 2010!

- Watch for book giveaways on Manic Mommies the first week of each month (ie: early Dec we will hold the book drawing for the Jan selection)
- We will be speaking to each author to discuss the book for 30-40 minutes
- In addition to the author discussion we will host an online discussion for those unable to joining the call and want to participate with us
- Watch for an author Q&A as a companion to the book giveaway each month.

Jan 20: April and Oliver, by Tess Callahan

The story of April and Oliver, two inseparable childhood friends whose existences again collide with the sudden death of April's younger brother

Feb 17: The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens

With sharp humor and delicate grace, The Wife’s Tale follows Mary Gooch – morbidly obese and living in denial – as she pursues her husband across the country.

March 17: Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo?, by Jancee Dunn

Despite her forty years and a successful career as a rock journalist, Jancee Dunn still feels like a teenager, especially around her parents and sisters. Looking around, Dunn realizes that she’s not alone in this regression: Her friends, all with successful jobs, marriages, and families of their own, still feel like kids around their moms and dads, too. That gets Dunn to thinking: Do we ever really grow up?

April 21: THE YELLOW HOUSE by Patricia Falvey

The story of a young woman fighting to reunite her family and reclaim their ancestral home during the war for Irish Independence.

May 19: LOVE IN MID AIR by Kim Wright

As she approaches forty, a woman struggles to find a new kind of happiness in this sexy and surprising debut novel.

June 16: HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY by Connie May Fowler

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is the story of a woman in her mid thirties as she tracks one day in her life during which she ultimately transcends the quagmire of her middle-aged existence and leaves her husband.

July 21: BACKSEAT SAINTS by Joshilyn Jackson

Synopsis: Rose Mae Lolley's past is littered with bad men. From her earliest intimate relationship with her father's fists to the string of bad news boyfriends she dated and ditched after leaving home, she has always courted trouble. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee," she's managed to tamp down the fierce and dirty girl Rose Mae once was under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats and lunches cooked for the church bazaar. Trapped in a marriage thick with love and sick with abuse, Ro performs her role of dutiful wife perfectly in her new home in rural Texas, gracefully working in her husband's daddy's gun store in between making eggs, ironing shirts, and taking her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered on the outside by her husband and on the inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy - one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, Texas back to her hometown of Fruiton, Alabama, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate - death by marriage - and become a woman who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

MMBC: Oxygen (Dec 16, 7PM Central)

2009-11-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

We held the book drawing of twelve free copies of Oxygen a few weeks ago. Congratulations to: Connie, Elizabeth, Sharon, Jill, Tara, Theresa, Natasha, Jennifer, Jessica, Tracie, Trisha and Jennifer - the books are in the mail!

If you didn't win a copy of the book and are interested in discussing the book with the author on Dec 16, please send me an email with your contact information.

I plan to use Talkshoe.com to host the call, which will let each of us select our communication method (Cell, Lan line or Skype).

I will post more details a week before the call is scheduled.

MMBC10: Oxygen

2009-11-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

Oxygen is our tenth selection for the MMBC. We will be discussing the book on December 16th with author Carol Cassella. Watch for details for a book giveaway this week on the Manic Mommies website.

BN.com reviewers give this book 4.5/5 stars! I have read the book and will post my review separately, it’s a page turner!

BN Review: This story is truly a page turner. It is the story of an anesthesiologist, Dr. Marie Heaton, and gives a graphic, realistic read of her daily life and one day, a tragedy. It is centered in Seattle, a place that I've visited often, and it's description of the area and places is right on the money. It's also not "just" a medical read, it gives romance and a wonderful mystery/twist. It doesn't hurt that the author is, really, an anesthesiologist! Would love to find another book by the author someday. Soon!

A conversation with Carol:

Tell us a little about yourself: I am currently wearing lots of hats, so where do I start? I am first and foremost a mother. My husband and I have two sets of twins (I’ll go ahead and answer the question you’re asking—yes they are natural! Set two was quite the surprise!) That alone has made for an interesting life. I’m also a doctor. I started my medical career as an internist, but I wanted a bit more time at home with my family and changed specialties to become an anesthesiologist. I really do love my work, and I’ve never regretted making that change. Anesthesia is challenging, intense, creative, FUN (often) and still does give me lots of patient contact.

Then there is the writer. That was actually my mission in life from the time I was very young, but I kept getting involved in other things (medicine, babies) and never devoted the time and dedication that serious writing takes until I was in my forties. That’s not to say I wasn’t writing—I have drawers of partially finished manuscripts and I worked as a science writer for a few years. But it took a completely different level of commitment to finish a novel. It was much harder than I expected, but also much more rewarding. Other details? I grew up in Texas, lived in the Northeast for few years and then discovered the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Hard to think I’ll ever leave!

Do you write daily? I can’t write daily. Until my children are grown and I work less at the hospital , I’m afraid that will be impossible. But I highly advise all writers to try. Writing fiction, and probably non-fiction as well, is a bit like maintaining a dream while awake. Much as a dream can feel tangible and unforgettable right after you open your eyes, it’s often forgotten by the time you brush your teeth. I try to remember that whatever I would have written today will never make it onto the page unless I make time to put it there. What I write tomorrow may be just as good, but it won’t be the same.

What was it like getting your first novel published? Nothing short of awesome! I had no expectations of being published when I started Oxygen, though I certainly poured my soul into it. I think my path was easier than many new writers, and for that I am very grateful. I found a wonderful agent early in the game and they were able to sell my novel quickly. Still, there is as much work that lies on the other side of the ‘published’ wall as there is leading up to it. Promoting, marketing, learning a whole new industry, and still keeping your next book alive and growing. That has been a huge challenge for me.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? Although I would secretly love to own one, they scare me. I worry that the electronic model may drive our wonderful, critically important independent bookstores out of business, and they contribute so much to the variety and vitality of what is published and made available to the reading public. Regardless, electronic books are here to stay, so we need to hope that they will eventually open avenues for smaller presses and less commercial writers. But we really have to find a model that works economically. If digital publications drive publishers under, many brilliant voices will never make it into any kind of print. We need to pay for books if we want books to survive. I’m a huge fan of libraries, too, but I know so many starving writers who are not getting their second or third books published because their publisher lost money on their earlier work. Support the arts!

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Don’t give up!! Reading is easy and fun, so it is natural to fall prey to the myth that writing should always be easy and fun. That makes no more sense than believing a musician can make music without long hours of practice. Also, read carefully. When you discover a great book, take a paragraph or two and crawl inside it. Figure out what makes it work. Ask not only why the author put those particular words on the page, but why did he or she NOT choose other words, or a different point of view or a different voice. The beauty of writing is that there is always more to learn, always room to improve.

What are you reading now? The Little Stranger by Sara Waters. Really enjoying it! Also, Sing Them Home, by Stephanie Kallos, and a lovely book that hasn’t been published yet—Lies of the Heart by Michelle Boyajian.

Lastly, share one or two of your all time favorite novels read, excluding classics: Excluding classics? Does All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy count—it may be a classic by now. I think it’s my favorite book of all time, though I have never been one for having favorites. Tomorrow I might say something different! I also love A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry, and I think Alice Munro is brilliant.

Just for fun:
Favorite Season: Fall! I’m looking at some gorgeous leaves right now. But ask me again in spring when the flowers are blooming.

Morning or night: I love early morning, but absolutely hate getting up early, so I miss too many, unless I’m running to work.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mint chocolate chip.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: India. I have always wanted to see it!

MMBC8: Waiting for Daisy - discussion recap

2009-10-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Manic Mommy Book Club met last week to discuss Waiting for Daisy. With ten women on the call, from across the country, we had a lively discussion. One might think we were old friends having dinner together or a book club with a long history. We had so much to talk about.

Waiting for Daisy is a memoir, written by Peggy Orenstein. Her story begins when she tells her new husband that she’s not sure she ever wants to be a mother. It ends six years later after she’s done almost everything humanly possible to achieve that goal, from fertility sex to escalating infertility treatments to forays into international adoption. (source: author website)

Jumping right in, our discussion became personal quickly as we discussed our overall impression of the book, sharing the struggles of motherhood and the expectations we put on ourselves (and those put upon us). We all enjoyed the book and felt a bond with Peggy. We loved her writing style and the emotions carried off each page, tugging at our hearts.

We talked about our own quests for motherhood, if it was planned on unexpected. Some of us talked openly about the decision to put off becoming a parent for years, only to face the challenges of infertility. Most of us who feel we are in control of our lives, we want to neatly ‘check the box’ as we move through life and infertility is a journey no one plans for.

At the beginning of the book the author tells a story about an evening out with friends. She was amazed to find everyone talking about their children, which made us wonder how the author feels now that she has children of her own. We were in agreement that its easy to talk about our children and often have to tell ourselves ‘tonight I’m not going to talk about my kids’, only to talk about them most of the night. One member of our book club mentioned she looks forward to travelling for work, it’s not expected that she talk about her family and she can take a brief respite from parenting.

Join in the discussion:
- Looking back, are you the parent you thought you would be?
- If you read along with us, please share your thoughts about the book.

There are so many pages in the book that touched our hearts, a few tears were shed and we all agree that we highly recommend this book. Our next book selection is The Wednesday Sisters. We will be discussing this book live, with the author, on November 7th. Watch for details in the upcoming weeks.

MMBC: Waiting for Daisy update

2009-09-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

The Manic Mommies bookclub is evolving!

Next week we will have our first ever live call to discuss Waiting for Daisy. Watch for a recap to post next week.

The call is scheduled for 7PM CST, Wed Sept 23 (on TalkShoe.com)

Do you have a question for the author? If yes, please leave a comment or send your comments/questions to me via email.

Note: We will not be reading a book in October with the Napa trip scheduled for the first weekend in November. I can’t wait to discuss The Wednesday Sister’s with Meg Waite Clayton… in person!

Our December selection is Oxygen. I finished oxygen last week, it’s an eye opener (another solid BC selection). We will be discussing this book with the author, Carol Cassella, on December 16th.

Be sure to click over to the Manic Mommies site for see what’s keeping them busy this week!

Book selections for the rest of 2009

2009-08-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to annouce our book selections for the rest of 2009. I have read our September and November selections, they are really good books. I will be reading Oxygen in the next few weeks and will post a review.

Happy Reading, Mari

September 23: Waiting for Daisy

In addition to our written discussion, I’m pleased to announce we will attempt our first skype book discussion. If you are interested in joining us, please send me an email with your Skype name or phone number with ‘Waiting for Daisy Sept Skype’ in the subject line and I will add you to the distro. I will send a reminder the week before the call, to confirm who can attend. With this being our first call, it will be a MM only call (to avoid technical issues with a full audience).

November 7: The Wednesday Sisters

We will be discussing this book with the author, in person while at the MM Escape in Napa! If you are not able to join us and want to discuss the book, I am working on a way for you to join us in Napa. Watch for more details as we get closer to the event.

This book is available at Target

December 16: Oxygen

In addition to our written discussion, I’m pleased to announce we will discuss the book with author Carol Cassella, via Skype. If you are interested in joining us, please send me an email with your Skype name or phone number with ‘Oxygen Dec Skype’ in the subject line and I will add you to the distro. I will send a reminder the week before the call, to confirm who can attend.

This book is available at Target
Watch for a book give-a-way late fall

MMBC7: A Reliable Wife Discussion begins today!

2009-08-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Originally posted in Big Tent… view comments for full conversation.

Today we start discussing ‘A Reliable Wife’. I encourage everyone to visit the MMBC Blog to read the Q&A with Robert Goolrick. His answers may spark a discussion topic for you, or maybe another question to ask everyone. This dialog is meant to be a discussion between friends – let’s keep the discussion casual and hopefully we will continue learning something new about each other along the way.

Feel free to answer any/all of the questions below:
- What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
- Deception… what did you like/dislike about Catherine?
- This is a story of despair, what were your thoughts while reading this book?
- Ralph and Antonio have a sex addiction, would the story be different without these scenes?
- Did you have a favorite character (include why you liked the character)?
- Did you have a favorite part in the book?

A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick answers our questions!

2009-08-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you Robert for answering our questions!

Our discussion begins tomorrow – I will post questions for us to discuss in the morning.

This is a very interesting plot, did you know Ralph’s journey from the beginning? No. I knew I wanted to write a book about people who were not good, but who struggled to find something of the goodness and meaning of life. Actually, the first scene I imagined from the book was the last one, with Catherine and Ralph in the garden. Then I had to figure out who they were and how they got there.

In your interview you mentioned reading classics as a child, in what way did characters from these books carrying into this story? The classic novels-- Dickens, Trollope, Austen, Tolstoy, the books I read as a child so I would have something to talk about with my aged grandmother, all carry at their center a strong, good, story, often about redemption of some sort or another. I particularly like Austen, who has a trick which never fails to satisfy -- all the happiness comes at the end, all of a sudden, like a magic trick. So it is with Ralph and Catherine. I find a lot of contemporary fiction to be all context and no content, so that, even though I like the process of reading new books, very few of them stay with me for long. I just can't remember the story.

Did you have to research much as you wrote this novel? I’m always interested to learn how easy/challenging the writing process is for authors. I had already read Michael Lesy's WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP many times, but I read it several more. I did some research into St. Louis and Chicago, but not exhaustively. I don't consider this an historic novel. It doesn't attempt to recreate a period or tie a story to important events. The characters are very contemporary people, who are removed from us by time, and put under a microscope.

Catherine... I don’t know if I liked her or hated her. What is your impression of Catherine? Catherine, like all the main characters, is the kind of adult an abused child grows up to be. I am moved deeply by the abuse of children; I have written about it before. They are both deeply disturbed and, at the same time, strangely innocent and hopeful. Catherine, Ralph and Antonio are all facets of this, and not everybody can be saved from the consequences of damage over which they had no control.

If I was Catherine I would have ran quickly after learning about Ralph’s past. Why do you think she decided to stay? He had everything she wanted. And, when what she wanted began to change, she discovered that he was, in fact, a kindred soul, and offered what her heart needed to heal.

Why did Ralph want Antonio home so badly knowing that he was not actually his son? He felt guilty about the way he had treated Antonio as a child, and he wanted to redeem himself through his son, and continue his name after his death.

If Ralph knew he was being poisoned, why did he allow it to continue? When he realized that Antonio wasn't coming home and that Catherine was lying to him, he completely gave up his last hope, and was ready to die out of his own guilt and shame and foolishness.

Do you think about Ralph and Catherine’s future after the book ends? Are they happy, does the baby life or does despair continue to be part of their lives? I think about their future a lot, and I hope that their moment of happiness lasts. Maybe I'll write a sequel. Would that be a good idea?

The writing style comes across ‘cold’ for lack of a better word – was this intentional? I thought it added to the reading experience but this might be personal opinion. Ralph and Catherine come across heartless yet loving, manipulative and deceptive. I think the writing style played an important part in my experience. I want the reader to feel what I write in the body as well as the brain. I hope it is vivid and almost tangible. I wouldn't have called it cold, but it is alternately terse and poetic, kind of like life.

Hannah's Dream: Discussion begins today

2009-07-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

Originally posted in the Big Tent.... view comments for full conversation.

Today we start discussing ‘Hannah’s Dream’. I encourage everyone to visit the MMBC Blog to read the Q&A with Diane Hammond. Her answers may spark a discussion topic for you, or maybe another question to ask everyone. This dialog is meant to be a discussion between friends – Let’s keep the discussion casual and hopefully we learning something new about each other along the way.

A few of the questions below were sent to me from other readers, thank you for your questions! Some were taken from the author’s website.

Feel free to answer any all of the questions below:

What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

Did you have a favorite character (include why you liked the character)?

Did you have a favorite part in the book?

Harriet Saul is initially portrayed as the villain in Hannah’s Dream, but does she deserve it?

Did she change over the course of the book, and if so, how? Why?

What’s the deal with Johnson Johnson? Is he a savant, a fool, or a genius?

Sam and Corinna treat Hannah as the reincarnation of their stillborn daughter. Do they mean this literally or figuratively?

Will Sam and Corinna ever travel to the Pachyderm Sanctuary to visit Hannah?

Hannah’s Dream: Diane Hammond answers our questions

2009-07-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you Diane for answering our questions! Our discussion begins Weds under the Big Tent – I will post questions for us to discuss Wednesday morning. Check back tomorrow!

How did the idea for the story come to you? From 1996-1998, I was lucky enough to serve as press secretary for an ailing killer whale named Keiko, the star of the hit movie Free Willy. I spent every day standing on the pool-top, interpreting for the world media what the handful of men and women were doing as they restored him to health both physically and mentally, spending hours in his icy pool swimming with him, petting him, playing with him and challenging him. The relationships I saw unfold between the staff and Keiko over those two years were powerful, individual, complex and deep. In the end, at its most pure, Keiko’s rehabilitation was a love story.

When Keiko was moved to Iceland for eventual release back to the wild, I left the project. I had thought, once it was over, that I’d write about it, or at least about some of the issues and conflicts it raised. But the story was simply too close and too filled with baggage.

My husband, who’d led Keiko’s rehabilitation, suggested, instead, that I write about a different species—an elephant, say—and see if that freed me to base a work on fiction on my Keiko experience. I agreed that it might be a good idea, and even went so far as to learn about elephants, but still didn’t have a story and let the idea languish. Then, purely by accident, I stumbled upon footage of a weeping man standing by the side of an Asian elephant inside a travel truck. And in that moment, I was given my main characters and a situation that was complex enough to fill a novel. My intention was to inform this story with what I’d witnessed so powerfully during my Keiko years.

It’s so interesting to learn while reading and Diane has such an interesting background (I’m jealous). I would like to ask her if how long it took for write this book, was the story building for years or did the story come to her after she left the zoo/animal world: It took a year to write the story, once I’d met the main characters, and another six or eight months to refine it. It is as pure a work of fiction as I’ll probably ever create, though it was based on the Keiko years. And after my initial research, I was never in the presence of an elephant again as I wrote the book.

When developing the story, where did you start? Did you start with the characters or the storyline? I consider myself to be plot-challenged. I’ve never been able to write to a storyline developed before the actual writing begins, and even then it’s sometimes it’s difficult for me to identify a plot amidst what my first editor termed “throat-clearing,” by which she meant the exploratory character development that doesn’t end up in a final work, but is integral to its development. In the case of Hannah’s Dream, I simply started writing about Hannah, an Asian elephant; Samson Brown, her long-time keeper; and a somewhat dilapidated zoo in Washington State. The rest of the story, including the conflict and all the supporting characters, arrived in piecemeal fashion, and during the writing itself. I remember turning to my husband one day, for instance, and announcing with genuine surprise that there would be a pig in the book—Miles, Truman and Winslow’s potbellied miniature pig. Who knew why Miles appeared in the first place—certainly I didn’t, but it seemed like a good idea to go along with it! And this was just as true for Johnson Johnson, Reginald Poole, Rhonda and the others.

I enjoyed the side story of adding Diabetes to the story, I would be interested to learn why the author chose diabetes (does she have a personal connection or just to add depth to the story): I needed an ailment that would lend urgency to Sam’s need to retire, but I didn’t want to use something acute like cancer, which inevitably introduces the prospect of death, but rather some serious but chronic illness. Diabetes not only filled that bill, but often produces unhealing ulcers, especially on the legs and feet, which gave me a nice parallel between Hannah’s health problems and Sam’s.

What research into animal behavior in general and elephants specifically did the author do? Though I’d love to pass myself off as a dedicated and thorough researcher, it’s not true. I spent a day with several very devoted and experienced elephant keepers at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, picking their brains and asking every single question I could think of: common health issues for elephants in zoos, elephant body language and expression, food preferences, etc. In addition, I haunted the excellent website of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN.

There appear to be several themes throughout Hannah's Dream (Reincarnation, faith and religion, renewal) - How did the author's views on these topics influence the writing? Oddly, although I don’t consider myself a spiritual person, and have never practiced any religion (though I would say I’m an agnostic rather than an atheist), spirituality and religion often play big parts in the lives of my characters. In Hannah’s Dream, Sam and Corinna deal with tragedy both with the help of and, in Corinna’s case, despite their religious beliefs. The notion of reincarnation also strengthens their devotion to Hannah. For the record, however, I’ve never experienced a feeling or example of reincarnation in my own life.

The characters are evolved and well written, I would be curious to hear how the author developed Harriet. We learn of her childhood and on page 156 I was taken aback by her mother’s statement “I’m sorry but if you were my daughter, I would know you, I would love you.” Each character is unique and with multiple levels, did you have to research to create any of the character or are they merely fiction? Do you know someone like Harriet’s mom? On the one hand, I’d say unequivocally that the characters in Hannah’s Dream are works of fiction, but on the other hand, I believe that fiction writers, like magpies, assemble our characters from shiny bits we’ve scavenged from our life experiences, however subconsciously. I did meet a woman whose mother, like Harriet’s, sustained a serious head injury and never again recognized her as her daughter.

I also believe that, with the exception of sociopaths and psychopaths, there are very few truly bad people, only damaged ones. Harriet’s childhood, for instance, was hugely injurious, and she spends her adult life doing the best she can with the damage she sustained in her youth. Harriet is one of my very favorite characters in Hannah’s Dream. Others are Max Biedelman and Johnson Johnson.

I found this last question on the author’s website:

Most of your characters have very close relationships with animals, even above and beyond Hannah. Do you write your animal characters the same way you write your human characters? One of the greatest challenges in writing Hannah’s Dream was to avoid anthropomorphizing—endowing my animal characters with human qualities. To be honest, I’m not sure how well I did: Miles, in particular, is an irrepressible character to whom I gave a very strong sense of whimsy and humor. In my gut it felt right, and animals do sometimes laugh, so I think I got away with it. Hannah, too, though clearly an elephant, has a personality that is entirely her own, transcending but hopefully not violating her elephant-ness. And let’s not forget the thuggish Kitty, one of three cats belonging to Johnson Johnson. He is 100% cat—but then, I have cats of my own, so I knew I was on solid ground there!

MMBC 8: Waiting for Daisy

2009-07-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

Book Giveway Closed

Waiting for Daisy is our eighth selection for the MMBC. We will begin discussing the book on Wednesday, Sept 23rd. The author and publisher have generously donated 24 books. If you are interested in participating please send me an email with your address and ‘Waiting for Daisy’ in the subject line.

BN.com has 25 5 star reviews! I have read the book and to avoid delaying the announcement, I will post my review separately. I can share my experience reading this book – I have a close friend who has been trying to have a baby for years. As I turned the pages I kept saying, I remember ‘friend’ telling me this, telling me that, she felt the same way, etc! I told her about this book and she bought copies for her mother and sister to read. She often feels isolated and this book was welcoming.

An easy read, a must read for anyone who has not dealt with infertility and a sound companion to anyone having dealt with infertility.

A conversation with Peggy:

Do you write daily? I work very regular hours—usually starting between 8-9 and ending either at 3 if I’m picking up my daughter from school or at 5 or so if I’m not. I Three days a week I try to get up at six and take a yoga class before going to work. And about 75% of the time, I actually succeed.

What was it like getting your first novel published? I don’t write novels, but my first non-fiction book was kind of a fluke. I was a magazine editor at Mother Jones and had written some for the New York Times Magazine and Vogue. A study came out on girls and self-image issues and an agent I had worked with (buying pieces of her client’s) knew I was interested in teenage girls (I’d written some about my own girlhood) and asked if I had any ideas how to make the study into a book. So I wrote a 3-page proposal to her out of my head, having done almost no research. Then I left town for a week on vacation. This was before email and cell phones, so I had no contact with home. When I came back, there were a zillion messages on my machine saying to call the agent. I needed to write a thirty page proposal in three days, she said, because sixteen publishers were interested in my “book.” As it turned out, I turned thirty, quit my job to go freelance, got engaged, and got a book contract in the space of three weeks. I spent about a year after that freaking out.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? If they keep people reading all kinds of books, great. However, that said I think readers should know that the royalties writers get for e-books are not proportional to the increased profit publishers make. In other words, while we get a greater percentage of the sale for ebooks, since ebooks are cheaper, that doesn’t add up to greater income for us. Meanwhile, the publisher makes SIGNIFICANTLY more since they save on printing costs. So until writers share more of the profits, I’m against ebooks. Writers already get screwed so many ways, and technology keeps making it WORSE (not getting paid when our work is reprinted on magazine web sites, for instance) even as the potential for publishing profits grows greater.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? Marry a man who cooks. If a guy cooks, he knows how to shop for food and odds are good that he knows how to do all manner of domestic tasks. Which means you won’t have to do everything. Which means you might be able to carve out time to write after you have children.

What are you reading now? Laura Rider’s Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

Lastly, share one or two of your all time favorite novels read, excluding classics: Well, since my book is a memoir, I’ll share my two favorite memoirs instead: “Drinking: A Love Story,” by Caroline Knapp and “Autobiography of a Face” by Lucy Grealy (though after you read Grealy’s book you MUST read “Truth & Beauty,” by Ann Patchett, which is about her friendship with Grealy. Grealy died of a heroin overdose in 2002).

Just for fun:
Favorite Season: spring in Northern California
Morning or night: morning, though before age 35s would have said night.
Favorite ice cream flavor: mint chocolate chip
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go: My favorite cities are Tokyo, Honolulu, London and Paris in that order, and I’m pretty happy alternating among them, which is what I’ve done for about ten years. But I would like to see Thailand, China and Madagascar.

Type: Memoir, 256 pages, trade paperback

Synopsis:
Waiting for Daisy is about loss, love, anger and redemption. It’s about doing all the things you swore you’d never do to get something you hadn’t even been sure you wanted. It’s about being a woman in a confusing, contradictory time. It’s about testing the limits of a loving marriage. And it’s about trying (and trying and trying) to have a baby. Orenstein’s story begins when she tells her new husband that she’s not sure she ever wants to be a mother; it ends six years later after she’s done almost everything humanly possible to achieve that goal, from “fertility sex” to escalating infertility treatments to New Age remedies to forays into international adoption. Her saga unfolds just as professional women are warned by the media to heed the ticking of their biological clocks, and just as fertility clinics have become a boom industry, with over two million women a year seeking them out. Buffeted by one jaw-dropping obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual in America and Asia, along the way visiting an old flame who’s now the father of fifteen, and discovering in Japan a ritual of surprising solace. All the while she tries to hold onto a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures and disappointments. Waiting for Daisy is an honest, wryly funny report from the front, an intimate page-turner that illuminates the ambivalence, obsession, and sacrifice that characterize so many modern women’s lives

Reviews:
“Moving and bittersweet, Waiting for Daisy is as funny, thoughtful, biting, reflective as filled with fruitful self-doubt and cautious exuberance, as its author.” – Michael Chabon, The Adventures of Kavelier and Clay

"A gripping memoir of one woman's quest for a baby ... honest, fascinating, and wholly enlightening."-- Cathi Hanauer, author of Sweet Ruin and editor of The Bitch in the House

November Book announced!

2009-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Our November book was announced by Erin and Kristin this week! Click here for details and a book giveaway

Eating Heaven - Discussion begins today!

2009-06-24T05:52:00.003-07:00

I have been patiently waiting to discuss Eating Heaven for a few months. Reading this book I kept thinking it would make the perfect book club selection, an insecure woman looking for love mixed with family secrets and situations. Special thanks to Jennie Shortridge for donating the books and allowing us to discuss her book online this week.

If you haven’t read the book, don’t worry… you will still be able to join in the discussion. Below is the synopsis:

Nothing gets Eleanor Samuels's heart racing like a double scoop of mocha fudge chunk. Sure, the magazine writer may have some issues aside from food, but she isn't quite ready to face them. Then her beloved Uncle Benny falls ill, and what at first seems scary and daunting becomes a blessing in disguise. Because while she cooks and cares for him-and enjoys a delicious flirtation with a new chef in town-Eleanor begins to uncover some long-buried secrets about her emotionally frayed family and may finally get the chance to become the woman she's always wanted to be.

I read this book in just a few days and I expect many women will connect to Eleanor. When the book opens we learn that Eleanor is a writer and aspiring chef (she loves to try new recipes and cook). We get the sense that she’s overweight and as part of her job she takes an original recipe and manipulates it into a healthy, low cal, low fat option. As she takes inventory of life, simply put she’s not happy. As you get to know Eleanor you might find yourself loosely comparing her to the character from ‘she’s come undone’ at the beginning and by the end Eleanor is transformed into a woman in control of her life and her future.

So to get us started, I have a several questions to guide our discussion:

- Did you like the book?

- If you were behind a dumpster with ice cream... what would you do?

- Eleanor... she's an average everyday woman. How 'big' do you think she is? Could you imagine her as a friend? What kind of advise would you give her?

- What was your opinion of Bennie and his role in the family?

- What did you like/dislike about Eleanor’s mom, Bebe? Do you know anyone like her?

- The discussion of thin versus healthy – so true. Eleanor’s mother is always nitpicking her weight, even when she’s losing it. If you have a daughter, how would you handle this situation? What advise would you give Bebe?

- Eleanor’s men – Did you take the men in her life to mean anything more than what they were? In what way is she still looking for a father?

- Benny’s illness brings the family together at the end – for anyone with a serious illness in their family, has your experience been similar? In this book Eleanor is the main caregiver and puts her life on hold. How did she feel when Benny had the incident and moves to the nursing home?

Eating Heaven: Jennie Shortridge answers our questions

2009-06-24T05:52:00.001-07:00

Dear Manic Mommy book club members:

I'm so delighted and honored that you chose to read Eating Heaven for your June book. Your questions are intriguing, and I hope I do justice to them in my answers here. I also have a few questions of my own below!

All best wishes,
Jennie

The author says in the back of the book that this book was a rework of a piece she had abandoned and then reworked. Is this final product what she envisioned when she started reworking the book? It's so much better than I imagined it could be, because by then I'd written another book and had some actual skill and craft under my belt. I'm so glad it wasn't my first book, after all. There's a reason first novels from beginners aren't usually published! I was able to more fully develop themes and ideas and characters. And the Buddy the cat made an appearance, and I loved that she was in it.

I read that the author did research on eating disorders for the book. What was her inspiration for exploring this issue in the book? I was angry (am angry) at the way our society treats women and eating and food, and I thought one way to get at that would be to have someone suffering from it in an extreme way. I have friends and family with eating disorders, something that was VERY rare until fairly recently. I didn't hear it being talked about in a very real way anywhere else, except for sensationalist news pieces on anorexics, complete with horrifying photos. I just wanted to talk about it in a real honest way, and I didn't want to do any disservice to those dealing with it, so I talked with eating disorder doctors and a nurse, friends who binge, and read everything I could find. I even sat down to binge, on purpose, one day with cookies, my favorite food. I found I couldn't get that far into the package without naturally just stopping, and I'd always thought that if I allowed myself to binge, I would. This told me so much about the actual disorder, that it is chemical and hardwired in the brain, not something that people do just because they're greedy or weak. I can definitely be both of those things, yet I couldn't binge.

Where did the recipes come from that Ellie "made" in the story? Especially the one for "shecret shauce". I wrote and tested all of the recipes, except for Shecret Shauce, which is actually my dad's special marinade, from my childhood. I called him when I was writing the book to confirm the ingredients, and he said them the same way Ellie's dad did. I had to laugh, realizing that i'd completely stolen every detail from my dad.

I love to cook, have cooked occasionally in cafes, and have been a recipe developer, so it was a natural to include Ellie's creations for Benny.

Was Bennie the father of any of the three sisters? I kind of like to leave that up to the reader. I sprinkled a lot of clues, but as with our own parents, there are things we can just never know for sure, you know? I have a feeling that whatever you're thinking is the right answer, though.

Why did Yolonda leave Benny and never divorce him? I don't remember that they didn't divorce, but I also don't remember writing that they did, so . . . It was my intention that they were split up for good. As in divorced.

Why did Bennie and Eleanor's mother never restart their relationship? If I followed the timing correctly, it seems they had at least one opportunity to restart the relationship. By the time Bebe was in a place to be with Benny he no longer wanted her. He wanted to stay with Yolanda, so Bebe took it into her own hands and poisoned that well by telling Yolanda about she and Benny. Then Benny REALLY didn't want to be with her. He rejected her.

There are many directions for personal growth and happiness at the end of the book, yet not a perfect ending (I love that the story ends this way). If you wrote a flash forward at the end of the book, how would you see Eleanor’s life? Ah. Again, that's for the reader to decide. What do you think? I hope she's still with Henry, cooking together and enjoying each other's company. I'm a romantic.

Now, my questions, or rather, some questions I get asked by other book groups:

Just how "big" is Ellie? I really wanted to portray Ellie as the woman we all feel we are when we're not at our best. I didn't want to use any numbers or measurements, just that feeling of "too big," so that everyone could relate. You know, if you say size 16, some people will think "That's not very big," while others may think that's heavy. How big did you picture her?

Where can I find Henry? I seem to have invented many women's idea of the dream date, a man who will cook for us and make us laugh and be kind and tender, and love us no matter what size we are. He's a complete figment of my imagination, I'm sorry to say, although he has my husband's facial features and kindness, and a dear friend's sense of humor.

A Reliable Wife - books claimed in record time!

2009-06-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

I’m pleased to announce that the giveaway of our August book selection, A Reliable Wife, closed within hours of the announcement. I hope you will still read with us!

Below is the Amazon link to purchase the book, which has a Kindle and audio formats available:

Amazon, A Reliable Wife

You can purchase this audio from iTunes and Audible as well.

MMBC 7: A Reliable Wife

2009-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

A Reliable Wife is our seventh selection for the MMBC. We will begin discussing the book on Wednesday, August 19th. The author & publisher have generously donated 12 books.If you are interested in participating please send me an email with your address and ‘A Reliable Wife’ in the subject line.

The book giveaway is now closed (in record time)!

Click here for details and an author interview.

The Local New - Discussion begins today!

2009-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

Originally posted in the Big Tent.... view comments for full conversation.

Today we start discussing ‘The Local News’. I encourage everyone to visit the MMBC Blog to read the Q&A with Miriam Gershow. Her answers may spark a discussion topic for you, or maybe another question to ask everyone. This dialog is meant to be a discussion between friends – Let’s keep the discussion casual and hopefully we learning something new about each other along the way.

A few of the questions below were sent to me from other readers, thank you for your questions! Feel free to answer any all of the questions below:

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?
2. Did you have a favorite character (include why you liked the character)?
3. Did you have a favorite part in the book?
4. What did you think about Lydia and the inspector? Was the inspector letting her ‘tag along’ or did he see value in her involvement.
5. Lydia’s mom… what did you see to be her strengths/weaknesses?
6. Current events – many of us read this book when Sandra was missing and found days later only to learn that someone close to the family killed her. How did this weigh on your mind as you read the book? Were you emotions more ‘present’ with this tragic event in the news as you read the book?

Miriam Gershow answers our questions

2009-05-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you Miriam for answering our questions! Our discussion begins Weds under the Big Tent – I will post questions for us to discuss Wednesday morning. In talking with many of you offline, I expect we will have a lot to share/discuss. Check back tomorrow!

1.This is your first novel, can you share the experience since release date? The experience has been heady, surreal and exhilarating. I had a short book tour for about three weeks, first around the Pacific Northwest and then back in Michigan. Giving readings was more fun and energizing than I had imagined. I’ve even enjoyed reviews – to an extent; I know some authors avoid them completely, but I couldn’t resist them my first time out. For the first month, I read every review and was quite happy with how well-received the book was. Walking into bookstores and seeing the book on display still makes me giggle. The best part, though, has to be hearing from readers. Those are some of my favorite emails. For years, I have written authors when their books have touched or moved me, and to be on the other end of that is just plain wonderful.

2. I have a general question for the author, I hear many writers can not read while they are writing, does the author read fiction while writing fiction? Absolutely, I read. I also know of those writers who can’t read while writing. But I read voraciously, especially while writing. It’s constant inspiration. While writing The Local News, I read a lot of first novels. Jonathan Evison, Lauren Groff and Antoine Wilson all stand out as authors whose debut works particularly spurred me on.

3. I'm interested in is knowing if the initial idea for the story was Danny (as a missing person) or did the author know she wanted to write the story from the siblings point of view when she started writing the book? I always knew the book was Lydia’s. The very first scene that came to me was Lydia in the convenience store, arguing with Kito about hanging the Missing Persons poster. I came to care deeply about Danny by the end of the book, but Lydia was my first love. From the time I started the book, I was most interested in the question: What if someone went missing and the person left behind was secretly relieved?

4. After a school move and Danny no longer participating in a 'resource' program he seems to have become quite popular. As the book progresses we learn that Danny continued to struggle with his education. How did Danny's intelligence impact the story and him driving off with Elvin Tate? I'm wondering if the author has had experience with 'resource' and I'm also curious if parents reading this book have commented (would they make this decision, to let their child come out to resource at some point). My child uses 'resource' for learning and I'm not sure how I would make this decision. Very interesting question. I don’t have direct experience with a resource program, but I’ve been a college instructor for the past seven years, so I’m familiar with different learning styles. In regards to Danny’s decision to go with Elvin Tate, I never thought of that in terms of Danny being unintelligent. I thought about it in terms of the sometimes dumb decisions teenagers make without really thinking them through. Danny had learning disabilities, but I still think he was a smart, savvy kid in many ways. Part of why I first explored the idea of Danny as a person with learning disabilities is because I wanted to figure out the deeper vulnerabilities of his character. I didn’t want him to just be some big, brutish bully. I think it was some of those same vulnerabilities – he didn’t have the best impulse control, he was not the most critical thinker – that may have led him into Elvin Tate’s car.

5. Lydia is lost, her parents are grieving and disconnected. When Lydia is driving with her Dad (page 247) ..." I remembers a little bit that he loved me, so I loved him a little back." This was so touching and my heart ached for her and her family. Was it hard to write this book? I would like to know if the author is a parent. I’m not a parent yet. My husband and I are delightedly awaiting the arrival of our first child in August. As for difficulty writing the book, I have to admit, it wasn’t hard for me to write in the way people sometimes expect. It wasn’t a daily exercise in pain. I loved Lydia so much, especially her wry voice, her intelligence, and her unique take on the world, I most often just looked forward to returning to her each day, even when the subject matter was painful.

6. I know this is fiction and everyone reacts differently to situations and tragic instances (like this). How would this story be different if told from the parents view? Another interesting question. It would have been an entirely different book had it been told from the perspective of the parents. Like I said, I was initially most interested in Lydia’s mixed feelings about Danny’s disappearance. Lydia’s parents have no such mixed feelings. Their story would likely have been more of one of pure, naked grief. Also, I’m sure their perspective of their relationship with Lydia was more complex and nuanced than Lydia was able to see. Teenagers – especially independent, precocious ones like Lydia – often feel forgotten by their parents. And while Lydia’s parents definitely withdrew into their own grief due to these extraordinary circumstances, had this story been told from their point of view, I’m sure both parents would have noted their love for their daughter and likely perceived more of their small efforts to reach out to her.

7. I was happy to see the mom's character evolve at the end of the book. It was sad seeing Lydia's relationship with her family as an adult. How do you see their relationship 10 years after the last page of the book? If Lydia has children? I’m glad you said that about Lydia’s mom, as I wanted readers to find some solace in her evolution. In many ways, I don’t concretely envision Lydia ten years after the book ends. Part of being able to finish my journey with Lydia involved letting her go after the final page of the book. That said, I see the end of the book as the beginning of an evolution for Lydia, as well. I see her capable of one day having richer, deeper relationships with people, including with her parents. And as for Lydia as a mom? I wouldn’t rule that out. In fact, it warms me to think of that possibility.

8. Lydia's class reunion - is she happy as an adult? I’m going to leave this question up to reader interpretation. The idea of “happy” when it comes to the lives of my characters – or my own life, for that matter – is often a complicated proposition. I’m interested to hear what you think as readers about this. I will say this much -- in looking at Lydia’s interactions in Part IV with her mom, with David Nelson, with Lola Pepper, even with paunchy Ben who wants to reminisce about Danny, I certainly see Lydia as someone who wants to strive toward happiness as a 28-year-old more than she did as a 15 or 16-year-old.

9. The characters seem so genuine, has the author ever had a personal connection to a kidnapping case? If not, what was her motive to write the book? Thank you for saying that about the characters. I haven’t had a personal connection to a kidnapping. As I said, my initial motivation was to delve into the mind of a survivor who had ambivalent feelings about someone going missing. While this book is very clearly about a missing boy, I see it being even more about a young woman’s coming of age. I really wanted to explore how Lydia would come to terms with her own complicated mix of loss and grief, and how she would grow through and out of this experience.

10. Who was the author's favorite character to write? Honestly, I loved them all, except for Elvin Tate. Lola was probably the character who surprised me the most, in terms of running deeper than her bubbly exterior initially revealed. Bayard was a great deal of fun to write, if only for his complete, unflappable apathy. David Nelson has a special place in my heart. As does Tip Reynolds. But no one rivals Lydia for the character I just plain enjoyed being with and enjoyed exploring and enjoyed rooting for for 357 pages.

11. I read that you didn't do any research on child abductions for the book. Why did you choose not to do research? One part of it is that I like to make things up. That’s why I love writing fiction. I did do some necessary fact checking to make sure I got procedural issues and details right. Another part of the decision to eschew research had to do with how I viewed the book. All the way through, I saw it as Lydia’s journey. Danny’s disappearance is definitely a huge part of that journey, but Lydia’s emotional life and her progression through high school and adulthood, and her negotiation of her friends and family and community all interested me far more than nitty-gritty details about the disappearance. So I wasn’t particularly drawn to research in that realm. Had this book been a detective novel from, say, Denis’s point of view, I’m sure I would’ve delved into research about real life missing children cases.

12. I read that you like to write in the library. Do you do all of your writing there? I don’t. Most writing happens in my home office. However, the library is my second favorite venue. I use it when I need to get away from the distractions of home and give myself an intensive couple of hours with the work. At the library I have to be quiet and write – no trips to the fridge, no phone calls, no playing with my cat or going to the mailbox or unloading the dishwasher or any of the many tasks that I can preoccupy myself with at home.

Thanks for all of your questions. I’m delighted that you’ve read The Local News and appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts about it with you.

MMBC6: Hannah’s Dream

2009-05-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hannah’s Dream is our sixth selection for the MMBC. We will begin discussing the book on Wednesday, July 22nd. The author has generously donated 12 books.

If you are interested in participating please send me an email with your address and ‘Hannah’s Dream’ in the subject line.Click here for details and an author interview.

The Life Room - discussion starts today!

2009-04-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

Originally posted in the Big Tent.... view comments for full conversation.

Today we start discussing ‘The Life Room’. I encourage everyone to visit the MMBC Blog to read the Q&A with Jill Bialosky. Her answers may spark a discussion topic for you, or maybe another question to ask everyone. This dialog is meant to be a discussion between friends – Let’s keep the discussion causal and hopefully we learning something new about each other along the way.

A few of the questions below were sent to me from other readers, thank you for your questions! Feel free to answer any all of the questions below:

1. What was your overall view of the book? Did you enjoy it?

2. Did you have a favorite character (include why you liked the character)?

3. Did you have a favorite part in the book?

4. The author mentions that she grew to like Eleanor as she wrote her. How did you feel about Eleanor as a person?

5. Steven and Eleanor keep getting together then splitting up. Is this because Steven is running away from Eleanor or is she actually pushing him away?

6. Eleanor keeps picking lovers that are very much like her father. Why, then, did she choose to marry Michael, someone who is so different?

7. Did you believe that Eleanor was really concerned with her husband and children as she traveled abroad? How about when she returned home?

Jill Bialosky answers our questions

2009-04-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you Jill for answering our questions!Our discussion begins Weds under the Big Tent – I will post questions for us to discuss Wednesday morning. In talking with many of you offline, I expect we will have a lot to share/discuss.Check back Wednesday!

I would like to know how the author came up with the storyline. Did she start with Eleanor as a character and the book evolved from there or did she want to write about art/Anna K/lectures (given her writing background) and the character developed along the way? The idea for the novel grew out of my character, Eleanor Cahn. I wanted to explore the nature of our erotic selves. Are they a compilation of the various intimate relationships we have been involved in? Does one relationship inform or predict the next? How do our past relationships inform our present relationships? And I also wanted to explore the idea of passion and responsibility. Are they mutually exclusive? Once I settled on my character and her vocation as an academic, I decided she would be writing a paper on Anna Karenina, and wrestling with some of the themes in that great Russian novel.

Where did the idea for the "life room" come from? The “life room” is a room where a painter paints from a live model. Once I began working on Eleanor’s relationship with Adam and the scenes where Adam paints her, the idea of the “life room”— an intimate room sealed off from the rest of reality—became more interesting for me. It is a very intimate space—and so is the relationship between artist and model. As I began to explore that conceit further, I found that the “life room” also served as a kind of metaphor for Eleanor and her exploration of her many selves, as mother, wife, academic, thinker, and lover.

Eleanor seems very confused in her head and with her life path, was it challenging writing her as a character? I see her as being more complicated than confused. It was challenging in a good way to write her into being. I grew to like her enormously and it was hard, by the end of the book, to finally let her go. She’s struggling with important questions and concerns and at the heart she is struggling to be a good person in the best sense—to know and accept herself.

Did the author have to research a lot to write this book? The paintings, art references, writing etc… how did she decide upon the paintings to include in the book? I did some research for the book. I read a lot about art and about the artistic process. As part of the research, I sat for an artist while he drew me. Some of the paintings in the book were paintings that have moved me over the years.

What was the connection to Stephen’s obsession with fire? Did Stephen start the fire at the house in Colorado and the club in New York? When I was working on Stephen as a character, I wanted to find some kind of exterior action that would convey his internal self. He’s a deeply conflicted character, like Eleanor in some ways, at war with his many selves. And he’s also angry. Starting fires is his attempt to control his inner chaos. His fatal flaw is his narcissism—his inability to see how his own actions impact others. I’m not sure he knows it, but he’s dangerous to others because he’s dangerous to himself. In that way, I think he differs from Eleanor. She is certainly self-involved in her quest to understand herself—yet she is aware, perhaps all too aware, of how her actions will impact others, including her family.

Steven, William and Michael are so different from each other. Was it fun writing these characters? Are they completely fictional or did you draw on past relationships/friendships to help create them? Was this challenging? Yes, they are different. They are completely fictional, but they have aspects I see in people—including myself—from all walks of life. Steven, William, and Adam are all artists of one type or another to a certain degree. And Michael, a doctor, represents the rational, scientific being. Creating character is complicated and eerie; the way a character suddenly comes to life and announces his or her self. Actions inform who characters are. Otherwise they are inert.

All of the men are so different. Was there a conscious decision to make each of Eleanor's loves so different or did that just evolve organically? To some degree, they evolved organically, though I had some ideas of who I wanted them to be.

How did the author's own romantic relationships impact Eleanor's relationships or the inherent struggles b/w the roles many of us juggle (wife, mother, employee) and our "true" selves? The book is a fiction, as are the characters. Of course, many of the concerns of the book are concerns many women have about the demands of being a wife, mother, and having a career or vocation, and also being a passionate person. When I was young many of the heroines I loved in literature ended up killing themselves when passion was at stake. That was a head-scratcher. I thought, let’s see what happens when a thoughtful woman considers saving herself.

Near the end of the book, I found myself really frustrated with the dance between Eleanor and Stephen. I wanted her to either do it (cheat) to end the curiosity or find the resolve to stay faithful to her family. Did you intend to have the reader feel that way in the end to get a sense of what Eleanor must have been feeling? I did want to create tension. The tension is whether Eleanor will transgress or not. I wasn’t quite sure all the way through the writing what she would do. I suppose that kept me interested in her and her plight. One of the early readers of the book said she got tired of Stephen. I thought to myself, well I suppose Eleanor is tired of him too! And yet, we all have had people in our lives we can’t shake for one reason or another. Why would Eleanor be any different?

Does Eleanor come to some peace when Steven leaves the city, after they sleep together? Given her character, I half expect her to have a breakdown. She doesn’t sleep with him! Only a kiss. I find her to be a strong character, though everyone I suppose is capable of breaking down. It’s what makes us human. I think Eleanor finds a certain amount of peace, but as she says, she doesn’t want the quest to ever end, and I suppose part of the quest is to remain vulnerable to a certain degree, otherwise we are dead inside, incapable of evolving.

Whose voice was "talking" to Eleanor in the restroom at then end, God's, or her own, which she has been seeking to nurture throughout the novel, or someone else? I wouldn’t touch that one with a ten foot pole. I like your many interpretations!

Do you see Eleanor and Michael staying together after the book ends? I think that is for the reader to decide.

Did you know how the story was going to end when you started? Did you ever think that Eleanor might end up with Stephen? As I said earlier, I did not know what was going to happen to Eleanor and Stephen. It was the not knowing that kept the book alive for me. I hoped only to capture the struggle.

MMBC 5: Eating Heaven

2009-04-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

Note: Book giveaway closed April 17th, you can still read along with us. Watch for details next month

Eating Heaven is our fifth selection for the MMBC. We will begin discussing the book on Wednesday, June 24th. The author has generously donated 24 books. If you are interested in participating please send me an email with your address and ‘Eating Heaven’ in the subject line.

Click here for details and an author interview.

MMBC4: The Local News (May 20)

2009-04-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Local News, written by Miriam Gershow, is our fourth selection. We will be discussing ‘The Local News’ May 20. Miriam generously donated 24 copies of her book to the MMBC, all copies have been sent to the readers. You can still participate in the MMBC if you didn’t receive a copy of this book. You can purchase the book at nearly all book stores (or online), you may also be able to find a copy at your local library.

Below you will find an author Q&A below to learn a little more about the author, enjoy the book everyone!

Synopsis:
Even a decade later, the memories of the year Lydia Pasternak turned sixteen continue to haunt her. As a teenager, Lydia lived in her older brother's shadow. While Danny's athletic skills and good looks established his place with the popular set at school, Lydia's smarts relegated her to the sidelines, where she rolled her eyes at her brother and his meathead friends and suffered his casual cruelty with resigned bewilderment. Though a part of her secretly wished for a return of the easy friendship she and Danny shared as children, another part of her wished Danny would just vanish. And then, one night, he did.

In the year following Danny Pasternak's disappearance, his parents go off the rails, his town buzzes with self-indulgent mourning, and his little sister Lydia finds herself thrust into unwanted celebrity, forced to negotiate her ambivalent--often grudging--grief for a brother she did not particularly like. Suddenly embraced by Danny's old crowd, forgotten by her parents, and drawn into the missing person investigation by her family's intriguing private eye, Lydia both blossoms and struggles to find herself during Danny's absence. But when a trail of clues leads to a shocking outcome in her brother's case, the teenaged Lydia and the adult she will become are irrevocably changed, even now as she reluctantly prepares to return to her hometown.

Relentlessly gripping, often funny, and profoundly moving, The Local News is a powerful exploration of the fraught relationship between a brother and sister and how our siblings define who we are.

Praise for ‘The Local News’:
Miriam Gershow is a novelist, short story writer and teacher. Her debut novel, The Local News, has been called “deftly heartbreaking” with “urgency and heft” by The New York Times, as well as “an accomplished debut” (Publisher’s Weekly) with a “disarmingly unsentimental narrative voice,” (Kirkus Reviews).

"The Local News is the story of a life created around loss. Gershow's book is deeply sympathetic, often painful, and always utterly believable. Not a book you're likely to put down once started, nor to forget once finished, a remarkable achievement." - Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club and Wit's End

Miriam answers a few questions:

Tell us a little about yourself (biography): I grew up in Michigan, spending most of my childhood in a suburb not unlike Fairfield in The Local News. In 1994, I got on an Amtrak train and checked out the west coast, moving to Oregon shortly after. I've lived here ever since - 6 years in Portland, the rest in Eugene, where I still live now, except I've added a husband and an extremely spoiled cat to my household. For my day job, I'm an instructor at the University of Oregon.

Do you write daily? When I'm working on a project, yes. The nice thing about a day job at a university, is that my teaching schedule is only two or three days a week, and even on those days, I can usually squeeze some time in before or between classes. Between projects I tend to take a stretch of time off, up to several months.

Are you working on a new book or have an idea for one? I am, but I'm superstitious about talking about projects too early. So I'll just say it's very different in tone and style from The Local News, though I once again - and not intentionally - find myself back in the realm of sibling relationships.

What do you think of the electronic book (kindles and such)? I think anything that helps people to read books or helps make books more popular and accessible is excellent. I know people who swear by their Kindle, and I have several friends who've bought my book via Kindle. Great. Personally, I don't think I'll ever buy one, though. I love the sensory experience of holding the book and turning the pages. I can't see easily giving that up.

What is one tip that you can share with aspiring writers? The one tip is to focus on the writing, itself, as much as possible, without getting too preoccupied about things like getting published or finding an agent. The business end of things is daunting and distracting. I kept myself out of it for as long as possible, and just kept my nose to the proverbial grindstone. Give yourself time to really figure out how to write and how to write well - which can be a long and slow and scary process with plenty of setbacks - before turning your attention to the publishing industry. And while you're busy with the writing, find a few trusted readers who understand what you're trying to do, and who can both cheerlead and be healthily critical of your work. (I suppose that's technically two tips).

What are you reading now? A short book of essays by Larry McMurtry about Texas and reading and family and cowboy myths. It's called "Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen." It was a loan from my father-in-law, who is a big McMurtry fan. He and I have wildly divergent book tastes most of the time. I'm normally a reader of contemporary fiction. But his recommendations always end up diversifying and deepening my library.

Lastly, share one or two of your all time favorite novels read, excluding classics: It's hard to pick just one or two, so I picked three. I love Lorrie Moore's Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? for its economy and tenderness and sharply witty voice.

I love Charles Baxter's The Feast of Love for its intelligent hopefulness and for its seamless braiding together of multiple narratives.

And I love Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita for its muscular playfulness with language and, of course, its deeply twisted and deeply flawed, yet deeply sympathetic narrator. That book's an interesting one - it's taken up such a place in our popular culture that people tend to think they really know it even if they haven't read it. I was one of those people. But knowing the most salacious details of the story has nothing to do with truly knowing that book. Once I read it, it made me think differently about how to write sentences.