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*This interview is part of Sarah Pinneo's blog tour hosted by KMS Public Relations.
When did you discover your love of writing?
My third grade teacher, Ms. Bacon, told me that I was going to be a writer. I think we'll have to give her the credit for this discovery!
My third grade teacher, Ms. Bacon, told me that I was going to be a writer. I think we'll have to give her the credit for this discovery!
Why did you decide to make the leap from co-authoring a cookbook to writing a novel?
I'd always wanted to write a novel. Always. Co-authoring a cookbook, with my best friend from the seventh grade, was tons of fun. Writing the novel was much harder (and lonelier) but ultimately more fulfilling.
I'd always wanted to write a novel. Always. Co-authoring a cookbook, with my best friend from the seventh grade, was tons of fun. Writing the novel was much harder (and lonelier) but ultimately more fulfilling.
Describe some of the similarities and differences between being a food journalist and being a novelist.
With journalism, the feedback is more immediate. You pitch a story and then learn very quickly whether or not it will work for the magazine. A novel is so much more solitary--you slave over it for a year, and then wait with sweaty palms while the publishing world decides whether or not to smile on you. In spite of that, I'm a girl who likes the long form. I want to do more with a subject than I can manage in a 1000 word feature.
How did you come up with the idea for Julia's Child? What was your inspiration?
When I had my first child, I found myself in a new world where moms were encouraged to analyze their every parenting decision. Instead of getting torn down by all the angst, I thought it would make great fodder for comedy. I wanted to write about motherhood's choices.
But I couldn't write about a woman who sat around on the park bench arguing food choices with her peers. That would be too much like my own life--too dull. I needed a heroine who was smack in the middle of the discussion, on a professional level. And that woman turned out to be Julia.
With journalism, the feedback is more immediate. You pitch a story and then learn very quickly whether or not it will work for the magazine. A novel is so much more solitary--you slave over it for a year, and then wait with sweaty palms while the publishing world decides whether or not to smile on you. In spite of that, I'm a girl who likes the long form. I want to do more with a subject than I can manage in a 1000 word feature.
How did you come up with the idea for Julia's Child? What was your inspiration?
When I had my first child, I found myself in a new world where moms were encouraged to analyze their every parenting decision. Instead of getting torn down by all the angst, I thought it would make great fodder for comedy. I wanted to write about motherhood's choices.
But I couldn't write about a woman who sat around on the park bench arguing food choices with her peers. That would be too much like my own life--too dull. I needed a heroine who was smack in the middle of the discussion, on a professional level. And that woman turned out to be Julia.
What have been the best parts of the publishing process? What have been the most challenging?
Meeting other petrified, hopeful authors has been fabulous. I've made some terrific friends along the way. The challenging part has been learning that the struggle never ends. First you finish the book, and then undergo the agonizing process of finding an agent. When that finally works out, you do a happy dance in your kitchen, figuring it would all be downhill from there. But you're never done selling your novel, not even after it's published.
Luckily, I was able to pour all of that wisdom into this book. Because starting an organic food company is a lot like trying to make your publishing dreams come true. I interviewed a dozen foodie mompreneurs for this book, and they were inspirational. Yet they all struggled mightily.
What do you hope readers will take away from reading Julia's Child?
Our passions are worth it, even if our goals change midstream. Julia's Child is part Cinderella story, part cautionary tale.
Tell us about your website 'Blurb is a Verb.'
Getting a novel out into the world is tricky work, and there's no manual. For debut authors, there is only on-the-job training. Blurb is a Verb is a collection of essays by authors who have walked that road. They talk about adventures--and misadventures--in book publicity. Some of the stories are poignant, and some of them funny. But they're all by real people who put themselves "out there" to try to sell books.
What are you working on next?
I have two half-written novels, one of them an historical, and one another contemporary with food themes. I wish I knew which one would be finished first!
Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you or your books?
Thank you!
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To be entered to win a copy of Julia's Child, please leave a comment. We will randomly choose one winner on Friday, March 2nd. This giveaway is for US residents only.