Maggie Marr

This Little Mommy Stayed Home

2009-07-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

The cover for This Little Mommy Stayed Home by Samantha Wilde is absolutely adorable...

Samantha's new book is out and she stopped by to answer some of my questions.

Tell me a little about your book.

Joy McGuire, a seemingly normal person with a seemingly normal marriage, has a baby, after which point, nothing is normal again. Not her breasts or her belly or her heart or her marriage. It’s a hilarious, rueful, laugh-out-loud post partum tale about the grueling work of the first nine months of the first baby when change is an urgent necessity that you wish you could run away from.

What got you writing in the genre in which you write?

Being who I am, I suppose. I think my genre is chick lit, yummy mummy lit. It just came out of me that way, actually. And then it landed in a genre. Sassy, funny stuff about motherhood really only has one genre, in fiction, for the most part.

Favorite thing about being a writer?

The actual writing, the living inside the worlds of my characters, and some sense that some time, somewhere, my words may make someone laugh, may make a difference, for an instant.

Least favorite thing about being a writer?

Being alone. I’m a people person. I don’t love sitting in front of my computer.

What is the most interesting thing that's happened to you since becoming a published author?

I started blogging. I am afraid of blogs, so this still surprises me. It’s been alright. I’m a ludite. I’m into in-person community, but I’ve learned a lot and made some connections.

What's your writing process/writing environment like?

I wrote THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME while lying in bed, eating chocolates, during my infant son’s nap times. I write quickly, with the sense of an impending cry from the nursery. I write without looking back and look back later. I write in a sort of frenzy, but mostly I write in my head, so when I have my hour, I can go, go, go.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten about writing?

My mother, Nancy Thayer, has been quoted as writing, “It’s never too late, in fiction or life, to revise.” We laugh, because this is true and also not true. (When it’s on the shelves, it’s too late.) Still, it helps when I’m writing to know there is a time later to perfect things. She also always said to me, “put it in your work.” I do. I put it all in my work. It’s a great place for things, the good, the bad and the ugly. And it makes of a mess, a meaning.

What's next for you?

I just finished my second novel I’LL TAKE WHAT SHE HAS out from Bantam in 2010. It’s about envy. Another topic I know nothing about.

Everyone She Loved by Sheila Curran

2009-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone She Loved by Sheila Curran, a fellow member of the GCC, pubs today. Sheila agreed to stop by and answer some questions about her latest book. Isn't this a fantastic cover?!

Tell us about your latest book.

Four women, friends since college, live in a charming southern beach town. One of them, Penelope, has more money than God. Which may be why she insists on playing the deity from time to time. Despite her beauty and inherited wealth, she becomes preoccupied with what might happen to her husband and children if she died. So she talks her husband into signing a codicil to her will. If she should die, he won’t remarry unless the new wife (and more importantly) mother, has been approved by her sister and three best friends. Years go by, the codicil gathers dust, and more than its share of hilarity, until the unthinkable happens and everyone she loved must find their way without Penelope. Simply told, it’s old money in the New South, romantic confusion, legal entanglements, and the unbreakable bonds between four women – and a
man.

What pulled you into this story, and as a writer made you think ‘I have to write this’?

For the full story, readers should go to my website and click on Backstory. But the short version is this: in some states, if a parent hasn’t named a guardian in an official will, their children can be taken into foster care if the parents die. I was talking to a friend about how difficult it is to make the choice of who, among my siblings and friends would be the best replacements for my husband and I. Suddenly, I said, “Oooh. You know what would be worse? What if I died and John fell in love with someone who was just awful?” I thought for a minute more and said, “I know. What if he couldn’t remarry unless my sisters and best friends approved?” I knew, deep down, that whatever happened, as long as my friends and family approved of the new wife, then she’d be good for my kids. So I began to imagine a character like me, except she’s really rich, has had even more reasons in her life to become a bit of a control freak than have I and she is so charming in her ridiculous catastrophizing that her husband and friends finally say, “Enough, already! You’re not going anywhere, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll sign the damn thing.” So begins the premise for my novel, the plot of which is set into action by my character’s codicil. It’s about motherhood, wifehood, childhood, and most of all, the sisterhood of great friends who’ve come of age together.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?

I usually start with a character, their name, and one or two quirks they have. I am a dismal failure at outlining, I just write and get into their heads and they will often tell me what happens next, even when I’d planned something entirely different.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

Get up, make lunches for my family, say goodbye, drink coffee, head up to my room, try not to go on the internet, try to get directly into my work-in-progress, try not to answer the phone, try not to get up and walk around the house straightening things up, try not to go on the internet. The procrastination progress is lengthy and most days I fail to resist one of the temptations. I work until about noon, then I work out, then eat lunch, then try to go back to my work. By 3 I go to pick up my daughter from school, tend to whatever needs to be done around the house, answer emails, get dinner started and have a cocktail with my husband when he returns from the office. I almost never work at night, because my brain is fried.

Do you have a vice that you’ve given up, but long to continue?

Well, this is odd, because I really didn’t intend to give this up but since having radiation treatment for cancer last winter, my taste buds have changed to the point where I can’t drink more than a glass of beer or wine. I should be very happy since my love for festive beverages really worried me, but I miss being able to go out with friends and get that happy buzz I once did.

How do you promote your books?

For my first book, Diana Lively, I traveled to cities where I had friends and they threw big parties. This year, since I’ve been sick, I’ve cut back on travel plans a little, but I am going to have parties in Tallahassee, Atlanta, Sarasota, New Hampshire, New York and Denver. I am doing readings and signings at local bookstores, which I’ll be sure and post on my website. Right now there’s one July 7th at Barnes and Noble in Tallahassee on July 7th, a fundraiser July 9th at the Tallahassee Garden Club with my dear friend Julianna, and a reading at Barnes and Noble in Jacksonville. I’d be delighted to do phone interviews, chats or skype visits to book groups. Most of what I’m doing this year is through the Web, because I’m still a bit weak.

For you, what is the most difficult part of being an author?

The only difficult part is the feeling that it’s up to me to find enough readers to get enough word of mouth to keep getting paid to write novels.

What do you love about being an author?

I love the process of having an idea and following it out, of getting to know and love my characters and getting lost In their lives. In some ways it’s like playing ‘house’ when we were little kids, letting go and living in an imaginary world.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a novel set in mid-town Atlanta, among transplants who’ve settled there around a small, lovely park. It’s very germinal at this point. I’m getting to know my characters, researching their occupations and so forth. I may also eventually write a family memoir that combines generational dramas and traumas with my siblings adventures with cancer. That’s just playing in the back of my head right now and may come to nothing, but someday I will translate the extraordinary experience of growing up in the world I did. It may be a novel, or a memoir, and it might not get written for a long time.

The Proposal

2009-06-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to see this film! Perhaps because I love romantic comedies? Perhaps because Sandra Bullock may be the best female comedy actress of this generation? Could be because Betty White has impeccable comedic timing? Or maybe because Ryan Reynolds is too cute for words? Whatever the reason, I love to laugh, and if the trailer is any indication...I'll definitely giggle at this one.

Oh...and the lead character...her name is Margaret too (although hopefully the Satan's Mistress moniker doesn't apply).

Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover

2009-06-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

It's a wonderful thing that one of my favorite people in the world, and someone I call a real friend, is also one of my favorite writers.

Today, Ally Carter's third book in the Gallagher Girls series comes out. I've read Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover and it is just as fab (perhaps even better) than the first two. So anyone who loves Young Adult fiction or for all you Mom's out there w/pre-teen and teen girls THESE are the books to buy.

But here, check it out for yourself...

Fingers and Toes Crossed

2009-06-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

New manuscript finished and I just sent off to agent! Aaaah...a sigh of relief. Now, must finish pilot.
xomaggie

The Hangover

2009-06-06T14:38:00.001-07:00

So, I love movies. Perhaps that is why I watch them, write them and unmercifully critique them. Last night Chadaddy and I went to see The Hangover. And let me say...Instant Classic. Yes, I laughed and laughed and then....laughed some more. I love comedies and truly this ranks right up there with Animal House and Ferris Beuller's Day Off. I kept waiting for this comedy to go off the rails, as so many do the end of the second act, but au contraire mon frere. This little semi full of sunshine just kept on rolling. Kudos to you Mr. Todd Phillips for a brilliant comedy and to the writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore. Excellent Job. Oh and the great thing about this trailer...still super funny bits in the movie..you haven't seen.

You can watch it here.

xoMaggie

Obama Rocks The Casbah

2009-06-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Each day, I love our President more.

Romance In The Backseat

2009-05-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I participated in a Round Robin short story at Romance In the Backseat. Kristan Higgins did the first segment. If you want to read the whole story (and I recommend reading the whole story) then click here.

If you only want to see my segment, it is here.

Enjoy and happy reading!

xomm

In Over Her Head by Judi Fennell

2009-05-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

My fellow GCCer Judi Fennell's latest book In Over Her Head hits stores on June 1. Judi was kind enough to stop by my blog and answer some questions about her life as an author and her new book.

Tell us about your latest book.

When Erica Peck, one terrified-of-the-ocean marina owner, finds herself at the bottom of the sea conversing with a Mer man named Reel, she thinks she's died and gone to her own version of Hell. When the Oceanic Council demands she and Reel retrieve a lost cache of diamonds from the resident sea monster in return for their lives, she knows she's died and gone to Hell.
When they escape the monster and end up on a deserted island, she amends her opinion - she's died and gone to Heaven. But when Reel sacrifices himself to allow her to return to her world, she realizes that, Heaven or Hell, with Reel, she's In Over Her Head.

What pulled you into this story, and as a writer made you think I have to write this?

I was looking for a new fairy tale to twist (after Beauty and The Best, Cinda Bella, Fairest of Them All) and I got the idea to do The Little Mermaid but make HIM the Mer. Once I started, the story and characters took over. When I got to Chum I was laughing so hard I knew I had to finish it, even if people looked at me funny when I told them about my "little talking fish" story.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?

Total pantzer. I've had to come up with synopses for the partials, but the stories have definitely changed. Heck, they change as I write them. I think we're going down Road A, then wham! A character says something or does something and we're off on Tangent B. It's fun while it reveals itself, but it can also be a bit scary as you're trying to meet deadlines: will this all work out or am I writing myself into a hole. I've found that if I let the characters be themselves, it does work out in the end.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

There's no typical day for me. I'm a wife, mother, president of my local chapter, employee, friend, volunteer, etc. It's a juggling act to keep all the balls in the air and sometimes they might get dropped, but I try to pick them up as fast as I can and get them dancing. My husband is incredibly supportive and the man can do laundry, cook a great meal, yardwork and clean like nobody's business. He's my Prince Charming.

If you could only own and read 5 books for the rest of your life, (excluding your own) what five books would you choose?

I can't pick. I just can't. That's like making me pick between my children. Can't do it. I love to read and would always wonder what I'm missing. Torture.

For you, what is the most difficult part of being an author?

Sitting. Seriously, it's painful. I've joined the gym to get some exercise and my husband bought me a top of the line massage chair for Christmas. Of course, here it is, June and the thing hasn't arrived. We ended up canceling the order and are looking for a new supplier. I want that sucker!

What do you love about being an author?

I love being able to tell my stories. I love having people telling me they were entertained by my screwy sense of humor. I love hanging out with other authors because they "get" the people talking in your head.

Whats next for you?

Books 2 and 3 are scheduled to release in November 2009 (Wild Blue Under) and February 2010 (Catch of a Lifetime) and I'm working on the proposals for more stories under the sea.

Round Robin Short Story at Romance In The Backseat

2009-05-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Wow. The universe is an amazing place. So remember how I mentioned that I adore Kristin Higgins? She is one of the authors that helped me make a return to my original love (the pun isn't intentional) romance fiction. Just the other day I got an email from Terry Kate the creator of the website Romance In The Backseat. Seems RITBS has an ahem 'short story' (which is rapidly turning into a book) going. Terry invites authors to write 750 to 1000 words as part of the story. Terry asked me to do a segment and guess who has written two parts of this short-story-turning-into-a-book project....hmmm? Kristin Higgins. Uh-huh. So now I can say I've written a story with Kristin Higgins. That's right, little old moi. Just knocking around some ideas with my best-selling author friends. Oh..and their are others...other authors that are just as magnificent; Megan Crane, Cat Johnson, Allie Boniface, Toni Andrews. My portion posts on Saturday be sure to check it out here.

Blessings Come in Strange Packages

2009-05-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Friday I got what most, including me at the time, would consider bad news. But over the weekend I dissected this bad news and realized that the news is truly a blessing in disguise.

As many of you know, before becoming a writer I was a motion picture agent and before that an attorney. I am licensed to practice in Illinois and in Colorado. In January of this year I decided to study for and take the California Bar Exam. You need a 1440 to pass and the pass rate in California is atrocious. In fact this February it was 30%...that's right, 30% of the people taking the exam passed.

And, I was not one of them. I received 1436.

I passed the written portion but stumbled on the MBE. At first I was sad, upset, and frustrated. I studied so very hard for the exam. I knew that I hadn't practiced law in 8 years and put forth a very dedicated and strenuous effort to pass. So when the results posted on Friday, I was upset that I could work so hard for something and not get what I wanted.

But then it clicked.

I did get what I wanted. I've been asking for guidance, for a sign. Something that let me know that I was going the right direction with my life. I even asked for good news on Friday. And I got it.

Here was my sign, that my life is on the right track. I came to California to work in entertainment and be a writer. And I am a writer. I make my living as a writer no matter how posh or how meager. I have a new book. I have a dozen meetings lined up with film executives. I have a great screenplay that is close to having some amazing attachments and I am getting ready for television pitch season. How many more signs could God possibly give me that I am meant to be a writer? Well, I guess one more...and it came on Friday. Sometimes you really have to be smacked on the head to see what's right in front of you.

So, if I ever truly want to practice law again I can move back to Colorado or Illinois. But I have my sign now, that while I live in California I am meant to write.

xoMaggie

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

This gets a hard R rating.... But is toooo funny to pass up.
Happy Mother's Day!

Inspiration

2009-05-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

Wow, Nike does it again... Loved this.

Scripts, Pitches and Conference Calls

2009-04-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

So the script...let's call it The AE is making the rounds to the ladies. I will NOT name drop, no I won't. But if you are a romantic comedy junkie like I am you can *guess* who the 'ladies' are...you know the usual suspects for the girl in the 'girl meets boy' part.

The pitches?! Ugh. Well we know what the next script is going to be. (More on new script in a different post.) And we've got four ideas for television pitches this year just need to narrow that down. Now if you, like me, find it slightly annoying when people use 'we' when they mean 'me' never fear, I've not co-opted a habit I dislike in others. The 'we' is for my co-writer in screenplay land. Mike McCafferty. Yup. We are a duo...a dynamic one. Mr. McCafferty is a comic, improv guy and used to be a character on The Invisible Man. Now you can see him on an upcoming Mac commercial. (Perhaps I'll post our bio next week.)

Conference Calls? Well we had a big one, just last week. Lots of people...I think 6 to be exact. But alas the pitch wasn't right...so take two next week.

Still editing the Romance.

xoMaggie

Hard At Work

2009-03-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I am hard at work on my final pass of my next manuscript! My goal is to have this last pass complete before the BIG birthday at the end of the month. Think I can make it? Hmmm...probably with some solid effort. Of course there are still children to be taken care of, laundry to be washed, pitches to be honed and scripts to be written (and please God willing sold!) But I plug away hopeful and happy with this story. This is my first LOVE story. A contemporary romance. Yes, I've fallen back in love with the genre that was my first 'grown-up' reading as a child. I remember stealing so many of my Mother's books...books I am sure that I wasn't meant to read. But pilfering them nonetheless and LOVING these books. I also remember falling away from them as I grew older and had so many 'other' books to read. Now, I've fallen in love with these books again. I am just finished Kristan Higgins newest book Too Good To Be True. A great read. As per my usual, after reading a book I enjoyed I wanted to check out the author..and I can't find a web page! Is it possible that Kristan Higgins has no web page? Is this the case? I was shocked. Let me know dear readers if this is true.
xomm

Mark Your Calendars

2009-03-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

So I am a big believer in community and the power of a community to effectuate great change. The power of the group being exponential instead of additive. And it's about time for the World to take another stand in the protection of our Mother.

Mark your calendars; March 28, 2009 8:30 pm. 60 minutes surrounding the globe.

Welcome Back

2009-03-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hey ho! I'm back. I'd like to welcome myself back to my own blog, as well as hopefully all my kind and faithful readers. Yes, it seems I did take a sabbatical of sorts. Blame the holidays, sick children, finances, a spec script and a ton of other duties and obligations. And yet, I missed my blog fiercely. You'll note I didn't post much except for other authors with debut books. But now I am back...with a vengeance.

So what's new and what's up? Well let's see. Spec script? Still very much alive and out in the world. Fingers and toes crossed that it will sell and promise PROMISE that I will let you guys in on it just as soon as it does.

Number two...hmm..almost finished with a new manuscript. Almost. Doing a final pass before turning it into the most fabulous of literary agents; Miss Kristin Nelson. Then godspeed that it finds the right home.

Also...another script, in the works. You may or may not know that I love romantic comedies LOVE THEM. So am writing madly in that genre w/my writing partner Mike McCafferty. Right now we are working w/a fabulous producer on a great idea for a new romantic comedy...will share the news when I can.

Finally...hmmm...what else. Well, once I put the new adult manuscript to bed and have an excellent draft of the new script, then I am turning my focus to the rewrite of my first Young Adult book. So excited about this manuscript and its potential.

Wow, seems like I've got a ton of work to do... Guess I better get after it!
xoMaggie

The Rich Get Richer

2009-02-08T10:53:00.001-08:00

Anyone else have a problem with these numbers? Time for Washington to stop stacking the deck against the middle-class. See below....

The richest Americans' share of national income has hit a postwar record, surpassing the highs reached in the 1990s bull market, and underlining the divergence of economic fortunes blamed for fueling anxiety among American workers.

The wealthiest 1% of Americans earned 21.2% of all income in 2005, according to new data from the Internal Revenue Service. That is up sharply from 19% in 2004, and surpasses the previous high of 20.8% set in 2000, at the peak of the previous bull market in stocks.

The bottom 50% earned 12.8% of all income, down from 13.4% in 2004 and a bit less than their 13% share in 2000.

The IRS data, based on a large sample of tax returns, are for "adjusted gross income," which is income after some deductions, such as for alimony and contributions to individual retirement accounts. While dated, many scholars prefer it to timelier data from other agencies because it provides details of the very richest -- for example, the top 0.1% and the top 1%, not just the top 10% -- and includes capital gains, an important, though volatile, source of income for the affluent.

The IRS data go back only to 1986, but academic research suggests the rich last had this high a share of total income in the 1920s.

Scandal by Carolyn Jewel

2009-02-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

Nothing is quite as fun as a really good romance and Carolyn Jewel has a new one out this week; Scandal. Carolyn stopped by to answer some questions about her writing life and her book, Scandal.

Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've done?

HAHAHAHAHA! The dishes?

What's the main thing you hope people take away from your book?

A burning and insatiable desire to buy my backlist and everything else I ever write for the rest of my life. And to tell everyone they know to do the same thing. OK, seriously, I just hope they enjoy the heck out of the story.

What is your process of getting out a first whole draft? How long might it take?

I print out drafts from time to time because the words look different on paper. I rarely have a complete draft. I just have more and more words that make up a mess that needs constant and massive fixing which I do constantly until somehow the story isn't a mess any more. And then it's done.

If you could only own and read 5 books for the rest of your life, (excluding your own) what five books would you choose?

Villette by Charlotte Bronte, Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Some edition of O'Henry Best Short Stories, A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh.

Name 3-4 of your favorite musical artists/groups. Did you use any musical references in your novel? If so, do they play a significant role?

Paolo Nutini, James Blunt, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters. Scandal does not include any musical references, but if it had, it would not have been any of these four. Lord Banallt would probably prefer John Lee Hooker while Sophie would actually prefer Vampire Weekend for having written Oxford Comma.

What's your Writer Fantasy--i.e., to see your book make into a feature film, to be on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 consecutive weeks, etc.?

Hmm. My fantasies typically involve Adrian Paul or Jet Li. But I could live with 40 weeks on the NYT bestseller list. If I had to.

What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication?

Dorothea Brande's section of Tapping the Unconscious in "Becoming A Writer” which included this warning; "If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, give up writing. Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy early as late." (79). Alas, I failed miserably and repeatedly at her freewriting exercise. It seems I am a no-talent amateur with delusions of grandeur. I can't explain my ten (counting through the end of 2009) published novels, given this failure. I think I must be a freak of some sort.

Brande's book taught me that writing advice can, and possibly should, be ignored. Writers follow different paths to success and one path is never more valid than another. What works for me may not work for you and there's nothing wrong with that. The point is to actually go out and find what works for you.

Did you have any input on the cover, and are you happy with the finished product?

My editor at Berkley, Kate Seaver, sent me some cover art by someone she was thinking of using to see what I thought of his style. She also asked me for my ideas and for samples of covers I liked. As it happens, I am completely clueless about what makes a good cover (aside from knowing a good one when I see it attached to somebody else's book). My samples were all fairly dreadful. They were great for books that were not mine, though. The people whose business it is to create covers that sell books ignored me, thank goodness, and came up with a very passionate cover that conveys the emotion between my hero and heroine. I love my cover and I am really, truly grateful for the talented people who worked to make it come together so wonderfully.

Tell me a little about what inspired your book?

Terror. I'm only partly kidding. Just about all my books are inspired by the terror of believing it isn't working and that, working or not, I won't be able to finish on time. More seriously, Scandal is set during the English Regency period (which was 1811-1820) and I very deliberately drew on my grad school research on a woman who wrote during this time period. Women of the English upper classes had few resources if the men in their lives did not, for whatever reason, fulfill their cultural obligation to take care of their female relatives. Writing novels was one of the few things a woman could do, openly or secretly, to make money. I was astonished to discover that the money a novelist could expect to make in 1815 isn't much different than it is today. The chief difference between then and now lies in the copyright. In 1815, publishers bought the copyright outright. The author was paid once and that was it. Today, authors typically retain the copyright to their work.

Where do you write? Describe your writing space – is it a cluttered mess or minimalist heaven?!

Since my son plays on a traveling soccer team, I am often writing in the car during practice or before games. The backseat of my car is minimalist and I typically get a lot done since there isn't much else to do. During crunch times, I also write in the car during my lunch break. My room, where I do most of my writing (when not in the car) is a cluttered mess. My dog sleeps on the chair tucked behind my back while the cats take turns on my lap.

What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.

In June, 2009, Grand Central Publishing will release My Forbidden Desire, the second of an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance set in a world that includes mages and demons. Indiscreet will be an October 2009 historical from Berkley Sensation.

Best Friends

2009-01-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends sent me this link. A piece written and read by author Kelly Corrigan. It is lovely and it made be cry...in a good way. Enjoy!

Swimming Upstream Slowly by Melissa Clark

2008-12-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

Just in time for last minute holiday book buying...and the perfect book for readers on your list...Swimming Upstream Slowly by Melissa Clark

Melissa is the creator and executive producer of the award-winning television series, 'Braceface', and has written for shows on the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Fox.
She was kind enough to answer some of my questions....

Tell us about your latest release and the inspiration behind it.

"Swimming Upstream, Slowly" is a novel about Sasha Salter, who wakes up one day to find she is pregnant. Only problem is she hasn't had sex in over 2 years. The doctor's diagnosis is that Sasha's body has been harboring a 'lazy sperm'. Sasha must now open up the Pandora's box of her past loves to figure out which of her exes is the father - and what the future holds in store.

The idea was born because I was having lunch with a friend and overate. I lifted my shirt to expose my bloated belly and the friend said, half joking, "Are you sure you're not pregnant?" and I said, "Yeah, right, from a lazy sperm." I went home that night and started outlining the idea for a movie. I decided, eventually, to write it as a novel instead.

If you were in charge of casting the movie adaptation of your book, who gets the call?

Natalie Portman gets the first call. I think she could bring depth and humor to the character. If she's busy making another movie or doing something wonderfully humanitarian we give Jennifer Gardner a jingle. She's likable, vulnerable. If she's having a baby then we try Drew Barrymore because she has nailed these roles in the past. There are lots of male parts in this movie, too. I'd love to see Emile Hirsch do a romantic comedy.

Tell us a little about your writing background.

My dad is a writer, so I was always playing on his typewriter and writing on legal steno pads. I wrote short stories from the time that I could write. I studied writing and literature in both college and graduate school. In my 20's to mid-30's I worked as a writer in television. I created a kid's show called "Braceface" which ran for 5 seasons. I loved that experience, but really wanted to write a novel, so I quit my own show and set out to write "Swimming Upstream, Slowly." It was the best risk I've ever taken!

Is writing your main job? If not, what do you do for your real source of income and how does it impact your writing?

I still consider writing my main job even though I'm now teaching at the college level. In between grading, preparing lectures, meeting with students, etc. I somehow manage to find time to write. When I wrote "Swimming..." it was my only job. I had the luxury of time and money from the TV show. Now, my writing time is more precious because it is limited.

What comes most naturally for you to write, dialogue? plot? character? And what's hardest?

I love writing dialogue. I've written a few plays in the past and found it incredibly satisfying. I learn so much about my characters through what they say. I often have the feeling that they speak through me and I'm just listening and transcribing their words. I know a lot of writers feel this way. It's hard for me to slow down and be descriptive - really describe a setting or something. I am very aware of this and tried to do it more consciously in the new book.

What is one of the nicest compliments that you have ever received about your book(s)?

"I read it in one sitting." Since it took a year and three months to write, I am amazed and flattered when someone tells me they zipped through it.

Did you have any input on the cover, and are you happy with the finished product?

I was actually very disappointed with the cover at first. I was under the false impression that I had a say in the cover. I suggested a few ideas and then showed them a piece of art I saw at the Venice Art Walk. They were all received with a lukewarm attitude. Once day I got an email titled, "Cover!!!!!!" There were so many exclamation points that I knew I was in trouble. When the cover downloaded, I broke out in tears. A girl blowing bubbles was NOT how I saw my cover. Who was that girl, anyway? Why was she blowing bubbles? After calming down, I phoned the editor and explained my dismay. They made some compromises, like removing the almost-exposed breast and some other things that irked me. Clearly I have not made peace with the cover yet, however, I do think it pops and people have told me that they bought the book BECAUSE of the cover, so I'm humbled by that.

What do you love most about this book?

I appreciate this question because I feel a little weird loving it so much. I feel genuinely tender toward my characters and feel very disconnected to the fact that I created them. I appreciate their personalities and foibles. Every time I reread the book, I enjoy going on the journey with them all over again. When I was writing the book I had that swoony feeling of romantic love. I couldn't stop thinking about it, I bumped into things all the time, etc. I've never told anyone this before!

What's the most surprising thing that has happened to you on your publishing journey? Have you learnt things about the industry you never knew before?

I was invited to speak at the Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival. There is a famous food writer named Melissa Clark who writes for the NY Times and I was sure they meant to invite her. I wined and dined with the likes of Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Edwards. I gave a talk during which I explained that I thought they invited the wrong Melissa Clark. The audience thought it was hysterical. They were cracking up, but I was really venting my insecurity. The head of the program came up to me after the reading and said it was great, but never assured me... a few months later a friend, after hearing that story, told me she knew the other Melissa Clark - they had been in a wedding together - and gave me her email. I wrote about that experience and she replied, "That's okay, everyone thinks I wrote the lazy sperm book."

Who was the first person you told when you got The Call announcing you'd sold your first novel?

I have a crazy publishing story, which is far too long to explain here, but the short of it is that I knew through a third party that an editor was going to call me and make an offer. I had been talking to my parents along the way, when it was going to happen, but hadn't yet. As I said earlier, my dad is a writer, so he was giving me advice, etc. When the editor finally called, I had to pretend I knew NOTHING. It was the best and only acting job of my life. When we finally hung up I phoned my parents and simply said, "She called," and then we all broke out screaming.

Writers are usually big readers too. How do you make time for reading and what are you reading at the moment?

I'm reading "Bright, Shiny Morning" by James Frey and "Veronica" by Mary Gaitskill. A reader reads, just as a writer writes. You somehow find the time.

What's next for you?

I JUST completed a draft of a new novel, "Imperfect". It is another medical anomaly type of story, but very different than "Swimming..." This one is more of a coming-of-age story. I sent it to my agent last week and am now on pins and needles waiting for her response.

The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

2008-11-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember that Jessica Brody stopped by a couple months ago with her latest release The Fidelity Files...but Jessica is one of our newest GCC members. Welcome Jessica! I have the pleasure of hosting her and her fabulous book a second time...

Tell us about your latest release and the inspiration behind it.

The Fidelity Files is the story of a beautiful, L.A. woman who works as an undercover “fidelity inspector,” hired by suspicious wives and girlfriends to test the faithfulness of the men in their lives. Except no one in her life knows what she does. Her friends and family all think she works for an investment bank.

Before I became a full-time writer, I worked in a very corporate environment. And like all corporate jobs, there were a certain number of “alcohol-related” events that I was expected to attend. I would often find myself at work happy hour functions in nearby bars, observing the interactions between single and non-single co-workers as their behaviors gradually declined from professional to something else entirely. Something hardly capable of being described as “appropriate.”

Witnessing these “indiscretions” upset me on a profound level. I secretly wished that someone would tell the “conveniently” absent significant others about what their husbands/wives/boyfriends/ girlfriends/fiancés really did while attending these “obligatory” and supposedly “uneventful” work functions. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I was brave enough to think it…but not exactly brave enough to go knocking on people’s doors with bad news. You know what people tend to do to “the messenger.”

So instead I created a character whose job and purpose in life was to do just that. To reveal the truth to anyone who wanted to know. To knock on all the doors that I never had the courage to knock on. An invincible superhero-esque woman whose quest is to fight against the evils of infidelity. But of course, she soon finds out…she’s not as invincible as she once thought.

What's been your biggest surprise about getting published?

How LONG it takes for a book to hit the shelves! Holy cow! I was a young woman when I sold that thing. I really wasn’t expecting it to take that long. I thought six months maybe, nine tops. But from the time I got the publishing deal to the time it was actually available in stores was 19 months! And I recently sold a YA novel to another publisher and that one is going to take 24 months to release. I’m still not entirely sure why it takes so long but that was definitely an unpleasant surprise. Especially for someone like me who get frustrated when it takes longer than ten seconds for music to download.

Do you write from a character or from a plot idea?

I’m definitely more driven by character. I like thinking up interesting characters with intriguing back stories and then forming a world around them. Like, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a story about a woman who tests men’s fidelity for a living?” Then I go forward from there. “What would her life be like?” And “What kind of interesting things would happen to someone like that?”

Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?

The writing process is very random for me. It all depends on the day. Because I tend to be equally right and left brained, sometimes I feel as though the writing process is just a constant struggle (or sometimes clash) between the two sides of my brain to come up with a consistent way to write a novel. I write outlines, because my analytical side tells me it’s the right thing to do, but then halfway through the story, I come to the conclusion that I only write outlines so that I’ll have something to deviate from. I create complicated spreadsheets (a nod back to my days as a strategic analyst) for my storylines and page counts and pacing only to abandon them halfway through. And yet, despite this seemingly random chaos, it all feels perfectly natural to me. As if it was designed specifically for a purpose. So I suppose, my lack of a defined process is a process in itself.

Now that you are published, what (if anything) have you changed about your writing routine?

I hate to say it, but I tend to procrastinate a lot more now than I ever did before I got published. I think there’s something about that desperation for a book deal that keeps you on track. Now, I just find so many other things to do. It’s really bad! In terms of actual writing, I think I’ve definitely grown as a writer since I got published and I’m learning to trust my instincts more when it comes to what is working and what isn’t. I used to fight that voice inside that says, “This scene really sucks,” convinced that I wasn’t experienced to know what I was talking about. Now, when I hear that voice, I listen and start pounding on that delete key.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

My favorite part of writing is definitely the beginning of the story. There’s nothing more exciting and inspiring than a fresh new idea and a blank piece of paper. The possibilities are endless, the promise is huge and the character is brand new. It’s like that first four-hour long conversation with a new guy. So much hope for where it could go!

What advice would you give to other writers trying to get published?

Take criticism. Believe in your work and stand behind it, but don’t be afraid to make changes. Try to be as objective as possible when it comes to your writing (I know how impossible that sounds) but it will only help you in the long run. Use rejections to evolve yourself as a writer, not just to line your waste basket. When someone rejects your work and offers a reason, don’t just blow it off and claim that they “didn’t get it” or that they clearly didn’t read it closely enough, dissect it and try to figure out if what they’re saying makes sense and if it will inevitably help your work. There a lot of people in this industry—agents, editors, other writers, etc.—who know what they’re talking about and know what it takes to make a book work. After all, that’s what they get paid for! Listen to them with open ears and grateful hearts. There’s a fine balance between staying true to your art and being open for suggestions, try to stay somewhere in the middle. If they “didn’t get it,” chances are, readers won’t get it either. And you won’t be there to explain it to them in the middle of Barnes and Noble.

What’s next for you? Is there a new book in the pipeline?

Oh, gosh, I have so many things going on right now, it’s hard to keep track! Although, this question may help me get my head around everything. I just finished the first draft of the sequel to The Fidelity Files which St. Martin’s is publishing in Fall of 2009 and is yet untitled. That’ll also be out in the UK around the same time. I’m waiting to get my revision notes back on that so I can go for round two. Also, I just finished revising the manuscript for my new young adult book, THE KARMA CLUB, which FSG is publishing in spring of 2010. And I recently started a new YA series that I’m super excited about and will hopefully try to sell early next year. AND…one of the screenplays I co-wrote just got financed for a feature film so we hope to start shooting that in April. Yes, I know, I’m a masochist. What can I say, idleness is my only enemy.

Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead

2008-11-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Fellow GCCer, Saralee Rosenberg, has a new book out! Her new book Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead just hit store shelves. She answered some questions about her process as an author as well as questions about her latest book.

What was the inspiration for your new novel?

Of my four novels, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD is the only one that was inspired by, well, me! This story is based on my first novel, ALL IN THE CARDS, which was never published, but did take a very exciting journey to Hollywood. Back in 1997, Bette Midler optioned it for a feature film (she was looking for a follow up comedy to “First Wives Club”). Exactly! Wow! First time out and it’s a homerun. Sadly, the reason you never heard of it is because ultimately, Bette and her partner couldn’t get financing or find the right screenwriter to adapt it. Bye bye Bette... Now fast forward to a few years ago. My novels, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE, CLAIRE VOYANT and FATE & MS. FORTUNE had done very well but were about single women looking for love in all the wrong places. I wanted to write about my “peeps” in the suburbs and pitched my editor on letting me rewrite ALL IN THE CARDS. She was hesitant because she wasn’t sure Avon was the right publisher for a suburban/soccer mom story with bickering neighbors. Then came “Desperate Housewives” and suddenly it was, get me suburban/soccer mom stories with bickering neighbors. Timing is everything.... So although DEAR NEIGHBOR is an incarnation of my earliest novel, it is a much richer, deeper, funnier story and is resonating with readers of all ages.

When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate?

Phew. You can’t imagine the relief. I had given up a successful career writing non-fiction, which had sent me on two national book tours, including an appearance on Oprah (heaven!!!!), only to have my writing life come to a screeching halt when I switched to working on a novel. It took me three years to write A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE, another year to find an agent, and the agent a year and a half to make the sale to Lyssa Keusch at Avon. In theory, the sale should have been one of the greatest events of my life, if not for the timing. I got word that the deal was done exactly two days after 9-11, and because I live in the New York area, the grief and shock was all I or anyone could think about. I let family and friends know, of course, but run out and buy diamonds or book a cruise? Didn’t happen. And interestingly enough, all of my book celebrations since then have been, not subdued as much as put in perspective. I’m sure that my joy and satisfaction will always be tempered with the memory that life is so full of yin and yang. And maybe that’s for the best.

Which scene or scenes in your novel did you love writing?

I am crazy about writing dialogue and would spend days working on a scene between Mindy and Beth to make sure that I got the tone, the phrasing, the timing and the subtle nuances just right. There was so much that they wanted to say to each other after eight years of making each other crazy, I just had to let it out a little at a time, like air coming out of a balloon. But the scene I loved writing the most was the one where they are in a hotel room and Beth confronts the fact that she might be pregnant. It is a funny, poignant moment where both characters reveal their greatest joys and misgivings of motherhood and I remember when I sat at my computer, the words just poured out and I had to sit still to hear every last word coming through. I realized at the end that they had just broadcast my own conflicts and vulnerabilities about being a mom and it was whoa... where did that come from?

Is there a scene you cut from the book that you kind of wish you could put back in?

Funny you should ask. Originally, I wanted to title the book Same S--T, Different Zip because the story was very much about that no matter where you live, you have to put up with so much petty neighbor crap and competition. For obvious reasons, I wasn’t allowed to have a curse in the title but in keeping with the theme, I incorporated a funny blog in the story titled, “You Say You Want A Revelation”. It was “written” by a mom in Georgia and Mindy was so hooked on it, she couldn’t wait for the next post. Unfortunately, the blog, which appeared every few chapters, took up a lot of space and got cut on the editing room floor. Bummer. It had some very funny commentary, but I did get to include one out-take in the back of the book.

When and where do you write? Is it cluttered or minimalist heaven?

I’m a crack-of- dawn morning writer maybe because my muses are busy all night and can’t wait to have me pour out what they sunk in (at least they let me go to the bathroom first). That being said, when I’m in the zone, I write morning, noon and night. I know I’m done, however, when I look up at the computer screen and I see this, “She said, hjkljkl;uiop.” Then it’s time to shut the lights. As for where I write, the majority of my work is written while chained to my computer table which is situated right smack in the middle of my master bedroom... I never thought this would be my workspace. I always fantasized about having the kind of home office that “playwright” Diane Keaton got in “Something’s Gotta Give.” - this huge, white, ocean-facing office that was stocked with floral bouquets and a breathtaking view. Perhaps one day, but for now it’s fine. I look out at my beautiful backyard and at least my commute is a breeze. Not to mention I can make it to the fridge in under thirty seconds.

When deadlines hit, what happens in your house?

Let me put it this way. Please don’t ring my bell unless you’re bringing fresh baked cookies because I don’t want you to see that the dining room looks like a mini landfill. And that’s before you reach the piles on the stairs (I swear there is one that has been there since Clinton was President). The clothes in the dryer go round and round for days because I keep hitting wrinkle remove, we run out of milk, the shows saved on Tivo go unwatched, calls from my kids get answered with, “Make it quick and NO CRISIS’s today”. Also I look like hell and probably need of a touch up. As for dinner? The family is on their own... although they would tell you I say that every day. Basically it’s every man/child for himself and don’t give me a hard time about anything... This is why I write all the time, otherwise I’d lose my privileges, lol.

Do you put friends in books? Have any of them recognized themselves?

I get asked all the time by family and friends to be in one of my novels, but I tend not to go there unless they’re willing to buy several dozen books in appreciation for being immortalized (if Girl Scout Moms can bribe, so can I). Once I did give in and named a character after a friend, only to describe the character as a philandering shoplifter. She was horrified and wanted to know how I knew? I didn’t know, I made it up, but boy did that make things interesting afterwards... Also, my husband’s business partner had been prodding me for years, to which I would say that a character who sold insurance, played golf and visited his grandkids in Florida would not exactly be memorable. But finally, in Dear Neighbor, to get him to stop bugging me, I did name a minor character Steven Hoffman. I made him a lawyer in Portland, and it really made Steve’s day... then he asked why he wasn’t a major character and could I feature him again in the next book? Men!!!!

What comes first? The title or the idea?

For DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, the title came to me only a few months before publication and trust me, by then I was in a total panic. The original title, based on the very earliest draft, was ALL IN THE CARDS, but everyone agreed that was kind of boring. Then I submitted a list of twenty titles, some interesting, some wacky, some that would never fly because they involved curse words. Here is a sampling: Hot, Hungry and Hormonal; Ask Your Doctor if Stress Is Right for You; Same SH-T, Different Zip; If Lucy Hated Ethel; and one of my personal favorites, The Bitch Next Door. No, no, no, my editor said to all of those. Then I came up with Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead and she smiled. We have a winner!!! And I must admit, it’s a beauty. Everyone gets it. No need for an explanation. As for my novel, CLAIRE VOYANT, that title came to me years ago and it took me a while to create an entire story based on the premise that a girl named Claire would have super natural abilities.

What is one of your strangest/most quirky author experiences?

My first three novels are a trilogy in that they all deal with the super natural. All of my main characters have funny and intriguing encounters with the other side, the after life, and/or a ghost. But never did I expect that I would personally have a strange encounter with the spirit world while I was hard at work. And yet... I had been writing my debut novel, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE over a three year period, and as you can imagine, was very very tired. All I wanted to do was cross the finish line, have a good cry and eat a box of Mallomars... One night, I was working on the final pages and was so bleary eyed I convinced myself that the ending was terrible but maybe my editor wouldn’t notice, or would say to me, no, this is great, don’t change a word. But just as I was fixing the last page, we had a power outage and the whole house went dark. It was so strange. There was no storm, no reason to lose power. But when the lights came back on a minute later, I had lost the latest version of the ending. It literally disappeared and I freaked out and cried. How could this happen? On a whim I called my neighbors to see if their power had gone out but it turned out ours was the only house that did... Clearly it was a sign from above. The next morning I started over on the ending, and when I finished, it was so much better, so much more rewarding. This time I cried from joy. I had finished and it was great.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?

I know that every author has a different approach and there is no right or wrong way to go about writing a novel. For me, the most important thing is to have a steady handle on my protagonist because I believe that the question readers should ask is not what is your book about but who? If the main character is multi-dimensional and in a serious bind, that is the recipe for a great story. The way that I develop a compelling character is to write their back story- pages and pages of how their life unfolded, what frustrates them, the things they desire that have eluded them, etc. Then I put on my Katie Couric hat and interview them and out of that, comes tons of possible story lines. In the end, I liken the process of writing a novel to driving with a man. I know where I want to go but damned if I’m going to stop for directions. Sure I’ll get lost but eventually I’ll arrive at my destination and tell everyone I knew where I was going from the get go. And one other thing. I do not outline because I find it too confining. No surprise for the writer? None for the reader, either.

What is your writer fantasy?

I can only have one? I have several. I want to make it to the New York Times Best Seller List and stay there for at least a year. No wait. I want to have two books on the list at the same time, just like Jodi Piccoult. I also want to have Oprah tell me that she couldn’t put my book down and why am I wasting time talking to her, I should be busy writing the next one. I also want a feature film or TV show to be developed based on my book and it should star Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer (and their maybe babies). Finally, I would like my kids to say to me, “Mom. You Rock!”

If you could ask one author for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what would you want to know?

I’m very lucky because I actually had that opportunity. One of my favorite authors in the world is the novelist, Sol Stein, who wrote THE MAGICIAN and THE LIVING ROOM, among many others. I discovered him in college and feel in some ways, he was an influence in my secretly aspiring to be a writer. Recently, I was curious to see if he was still writing (or even still alive) and discovered he had a website and an email address. I wrote him this long, flowery message, never expecting a response. But the next day he sent me a lovely note back and we exchanged several emails. In one of them I asked his advice on whether I should change my name and use a pseudonym for my next book. This is something that my editor and agent had been discussing and I was torn. He wrote back and said, don’t you dare. Saralee Rosenberg is a wonderful name and quite memorable.... now you know why I loved this guy, and so far, I’ve followed his advice.

What is up next for you?

I am very excited about my next novel because the focus is about a child leaving for college and this is hitting very close to home fas our youngest is now a senior in high school. But in this story, Jackie, a twice-divorced mom, has one son, 17-year old Daniel and she is in a panic thinking that when he leaves for college in the fall, she’ll be left alone with her ornery, widowed father. Thus, when she sets off on the campus tour circuit, she decides to throw caution and her underwear to the wind and boy does she have one hell of a good time. It’s worse senioritis than even Daniel has and their adventures visiting the Ivies is one for the books. In the end, she rediscovers the smart, ambitious girl she left behind at Yale Law and pledges to get her life back on track. The title of the book is EARLY DECISION and I think it’s going to be my best yet. No publication date as of yet.

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

2008-11-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

The FABULOUS Kelly Parra stopped by to answer my questions about her newest book .

Tell us about your latest book.

Invisible Touch is about Kara Martinez. Kara was in a tragic accident at eleven and lost her father, yet also gained something else--visions. Or "signs" that she sees on individuals' torsos. She must piece these signs together like a puzzle and do her best to stop unfortunate fates. When she sees the sign of a gun on a fellow classmate, the latest mystery takes her into dangerous territory. The danger increases with a new relationship with a boy from the wrong side of town. Invisible Touch has mystery, romance, and family drama, and I'm hoping I give readers an entertaining read.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?

I'm more organic. I usually start with a concept, then I have fun building the character in my mind. Then I usually find that scene that makes me want to write the book. I'm terrible at plotting ahead and enjoy having the story come together as I write. I'm all about layering and going back and adding in threads and subplots.

If you had to watch only five films for the rest of your life, what five films would you choose?

Five is really tough for me. I love movies and have been watching so many since I was little. But I'll give it a go: Goonies, E.T., Breakfast Club, Ghostbusters, and Pretty Woman.

For you, what is the most difficult part of being an author?

The most difficult part for me is the promotion. I think a new author can't be one without having some promo tied in, but you have to be really unique and savvy for it to have any grand scale effect.

What do you love about being an author?

I love the creativity and freedom of using my imagination. The two times I've actually held my own book in my hands always has me smiling. I mean, its a gift really. The story, the characters, and the setting all came from my imagination. The realization never fails to make me happy.

What's next for you?

I'm working on a sci-fi young adult novel. Its really challenging with the world-building so its good for me. I don't think I'd ever want a book to be too easy to write.

Kelly thank you for stopping by. Congratulations on the new book!!!

We Did It!

2008-11-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am so PROUD of AMERICA!