Girl Unmoored By Jennifer Gooch Hummer + Giveaway

Apron Bramhall (yes that’s her name, Apron) is a girl unmoored. She recently suffered the loss of her mom, and now her father is preoccupied with his new girlfriend “M”, and her bff, Rennie has dumped her for a chance to be more popular. What Apron really wants is someone to save her…and who better than Jesus. More like Mike, an actor who plays Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Mike and his boyfriend Chad show up in Apron’s life when she needs it the most. They are there for her when no one else seems to be. They hire her to help them out in their flower shop. The biggest truth is Apron seems to be the only one who understands what love really means and everyone around her needs her to help guide them back to safe waters.

What a great book. I personally find coming of age books to really be hit or miss and this was a hit. Apron is one of those characters you just can’t help but root for and I can honestly say I was frustrated by the adults around her. But here’s the thing, all the adult characters were so well written that as an adult you get that they are struggling with their own lives and problems.

I simply fell in love with Apron. As a momma, I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and be there for her. My heart just broke for her, as she was trying so hard to maneuver all the troubled waters of her life. Most of the adults in her life never stopped to really see how she was fairing. I found Girl Unmoored to gives a glimpse into a young girl’s life during a turbulent time in her life, and how we as adults become so involved with ourselves we forget to check in with those around us.

I laughed, I cried, I loved Girl Unmoored.

When I closed the book, I couldn’t help but hope Jennifer Gooch Hummer writes about Apron again!

THE FIVE W’S Of Carol Mason + giveaway

Congratulations to our winner, AM!

For the month of March, novelist Carol Mason, best-selling author of The Love Market, Send Me A Lover and The Secrets of Married Women, is donating 50% of all net proceeds from her Amazon E book sales to Breast Cancer foundation. If you wish to support the cause you can buy any or all of her three E books on Amazon.com for $2.99 each, or 2 pounds UK, then send proof of purchase to her via an email at her website. See www.carolmasonbooks.com for more details.

I've told you how Carol is generously donating to Breast Cancer Research this month, so I thought it would be fun to get to know Carol a little better and invited her over. I'm thrilled to introduce:

The 5W's of Carol Mason

WHO? 

I’m a Brit from Northern England (home of flat caps, chip butties, and great beer). But when I was 21 I met a Canadian while traveling in Canada, I married him 4 years later, and we’ve lived in Vancouver ever since. I write the kind of books I love to read – absorbing contemporary stories about women’s marriages, loves, lost loves, friendships, etc. Books that – I hope – many women can see examples of themselves in.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?
It’s funny, but even if I’m not writing, I find I’m on the Internet reading about books, looking for new great ones to read, reading online newspapers, looking for new book ideas. But the thing I love to do the most is cooking. So if I’m not searching for all of the above on the Internet, I’m usually printing off recipes. I’ve got millions of them stashed all over the house. I’ve bought binders to start organizing them but the task feels too overwhelming. I usually end up trying out about 1% of them – but like my ever-growing collection of shoes – it’s good to know I have them in my vicinity should I choose to take them for a test drive. I love classic food well made. I’m not crazy on too many fancy ingredients in one dish. I am afraid of the addictive power of a genuinely fabulous home-made dessert.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Always. Though I don’t quite know where I came from. I come from a line of housewives and blue collar workers. I was never one of those kids who wrote stories and entered competitions but the idea that I could write still lurked there in me. I tried it out when I was in my mid-twenties. Wrote two really bad Harlequin romances (because I thought they’d be easy to write and easy to get published). How wrong I was! Then my house got burgled, the computer stolen, and the books – which I had not backed up – went along for the ride. I thought that was a sign that I should give up. But the idea of novel writing never went away. So I tried it again 5 years later. I had to work very hard to get published. 3 books. 3 years. Then my agent sold The Secrets of Married Women to Hodder & Stoughton. It was the happiest day in my life. Even happier than my wedding day because I wasn’t the centre of attention. I didn’t have to be on my best behavior. I could freak out in the privacy of my own home.  And of course, there was champagne…

WHERE? Where do you write? 
There’s a spot in my home at the top of my stairs, under a skylight. When we bought the house, the previous owners had just stuck a sofa there. It felt like a space that needed a purpose. I have a huge desk and a Himalayan Crystal Salt lamp and an essential oil burner. And then there is the random detritus of my life and my husband’s life, and even the dog’s life, that seems to gravitate there – odd socks that the dog brings me, nail files, dry pens, belts, receipts from my bags and pockets, cassette tapes, my husband’s spare change… I fantasize that one day I will own an ocean front pile and the consequent view from my window will inspire me to effortlessly write 3 novels a year, all international bestsellers, and all made into Hollywood movies. Because we all have to have our dreams.

WHY? Why do you write?
I write because I’m a bit of a rollercoaster person. I love highs, will take the lows, but hate the bit in-between. And most of the other jobs I’ve done have made me flat inside – I’ve just felt blah about them and then usually blah about my life as a result. With writing, yes it can be frustrating, and depressing even when it’s not going well, and you’re on a deadline, and you can’t seem to make a story work. But when it does work, or when you get a brilliant idea for a book, the joy is beyond compare. I am no longer massively excited to see my books in stores or see my foreign translations in my book case – though of course that is all good. But it’s the actual craft of writing that does it for me. I love feeling that I am becoming a better writer with each book, and that I’m more and more sure of the stories I want to tell. And what’s thrilling is that I can write about literally anything! Plus, of course, even though the writer’s life can be lonely sometimes, I’m lucky not to have a boss breathing over me, and office politics to deal with, and no on cares if I wear the same pair of pants three days in a row….

Carol Mason is the author of The Secrets of Married Women, Send Me A Lover and The Love Market – all recently re-released as Kindle E books, for $2.99. This March, buy her books and 50% net proceeds from sales will go to breast cancer. See www.carolmasonbooks.com for more details

Thank-you so much for joining us and sharing! I can't help, but think an amazing ocean view would somehow inspire me that, I too would write effortlessly!

Not only is Carol generous enough to donate 50% of all net proceeds to Breast Cancer, but she is also going to giveaway a print copy of THE LOVE MARKET! Want to win? Leave a comment below with your email address. This giveaway is for US/Canada only. The giveaway will close on March 28 midnight EST. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I'll pick another winner! Good-luck! And remember if you don't win, you can order any of Carol's book listed above and help a great cause at the same time!

Other giveaways going on

THE FIVE W’S Of Gillian Duffy + ebook giveaway

Congratulations to our winner Margaret! 

I just love doing Q&A's and getting a glimpse of who writers are. Today, Gillian Duffy author of The LA Commandments, is visiting A Novel Review. Let's get to know:

THE 5W'S OF GILLIAN DUFFY

WHO?
Hi everyone. I’m Gillian, I’m from Dublin, Ireland, and I’m a full-time university student.  I returned to college to study English and History in September 2010 after I’d been made redundant from my management job in Operations and Logistics (not very interesting I must add).  At the time it was a shock to the system, but in hindsight I wouldn’t change a thing.  I was serious about writing and what could be better than studying the work of the world’s best authors and poets.  I’m really enjoying my course and if I know half as much as my lecturers by the time I’ve graduated I’ll be happy.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?
I’m a massive music fan (I enjoy most types - I’ll even listen to Jazz if my Nana makes me!) and going to concerts is one of my favorite things to do.  I saw The Kings of Leon, White Lies, Paul Weller, Guns N Roses (their entire 3 song set), MGMT, Florence and the Machine and Fleetwood Mac last year and I hope to outdo that line-up in 2012.  I saw Snow Patrol last week (great gig) and I’m going to see Noel Gallagher on 17thFebruary.  I’m also a major film fan, so if I’m not in the cinema I’m watching DVDs or Sky Movies.

I played the drums as a teenager (I say ‘played’ - ‘battered’ might be a more fitting description) and I’m hoping to learn how to play the guitar this summer.  If you’re in Dublin this year and you hear a screeching discord escaping from an apartment complex that will most likely be me torturing my sister’s guitar.
I also love travelling.  My favorite holiday so far was a trip to California in 2008.  That was when I was inspired to write The LA Commandments.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always loved stories (whether they come from a book or the screen) and when I was young I loved reading Roald Dahl, especially George’s Marvelous Medicine.  I spent many Sunday afternoons as a child in my Nana’s watching Darby O’Gill and the Little People (over and over again!), so books and films have always been really important to me.  Back then, my Mum or my aunt Linda would take me to the cinema most weekends, so I think they instilled that love of story in me.

I’ve always had an active imagination and in primary (elementary) school my teacher was always telling me to stop day-dreaming out the window.  I tried to transfer some of those day-dreams onto the page when I was about nineteen, but studying and being a teenager took over.  Then everything changed in 2008 when I visited California on a family holiday.  That’s when I was inspired to begin writing seriously.  I had my eureka moment driving through the Mojave Desert; I pictured my characters leaving recessionary Ireland for California to create their American Dream.  When the idea of the novel came to me it was a great feeling – I felt like anything was possible.  All that sun must have had my serotonin levels maxed out! Soon after that trip I began the first draft of The LA Commandments and I haven’t stopped writing since.

WHERE? Where do you write?
At home at my kitchen table.  It faces a wide, ceiling-to-floor window, which fills the room with lots of light (and sun, if the Irish weather is having a good day).

WHY? Why do you write?
I write because it makes me happy, and there’s no better feeling than hearing that someone has enjoyed your novel.  When I began writing seriously I felt like I’d been given a new lease of life – I’d finally found what I wanted to do.  For me, creating character, plot and setting is really enjoyable. There’s no doubt that it can be difficult sometimes, but the positives outweigh the negatives ten-fold. Now I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.

Recently I hadn’t been writing as much as I usually do (two little things called Christmas and exams got in the way) and it wasn’t until I restarted editing my second novel that I realized how much I’d missed it.  It gives me a great sense of accomplishment and the feeling you get from doing something that you really enjoy is indescribable.  Confucius sure knew what he was talking about: ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’

Thanks for reading,
Gillian x

Thank-you so much for joining us here on, A Novel Review, Gillian! Wishing you the best of luck with The L.A. Commandments. 

(from Amazon.com) Joanne Kavanagh and best friend Suzie pack their bags and swap dreary, depressing Dublin for the cool Californian coast. Both are determined to start a new life in the land of opportunity, leaving behind the recession and their complicated families.

They make a pact at the airport to stick religiously to the ‘LA Commandments’, a list of ten ‘Thou Shalt Nots’ for their new life in LA, including ‘Thou Shall Not Fall in Love,’ but when Jo befriends sexy, shy musician Marc, and Suzie falls for womanizing bar-man Chris, not only are the commandments at risk of being broken, but also the girls’ hearts…

With all California has to offer —sunshine, shopping, killer nightlife, and drop-dead-gorgeous men, will the girls stay faithful to the LA Commandments?

Doesn't it sound like a great read? Well I'm thrilled to be able to offer an ebook copy! So this giveaway is international! Make sure to leave a comment with your email address below. I'd love for you to be a follower and to subscribe by email, but you don't have to! This giveaway will close on March 28, midnight EST.

http://www.bookrepublic.ie/authors-d/206-gillian-duffy

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-LA-Commandments-Gillian-Duffy/216096721754655?ref=ts

other blog giveaways

The Devil's Scribe by Alma Katsu

 Simon & Schuster is releasing The Devil's Scribe by Alma Katsu a new e-book short. Alma's debut novel The Taker  was selected by the American Library Association as one of the top ten debut novels of 2011. It also made the extended bestsellers list in the UK.

After decades of running from her past, Lanore McIlvrae returns to America for the first time in 20 years to confront the source of her fear. The year is 1846 and Lanore—Lanny—has just landed in Baltimore after a long transatlantic crossing. That very night, she meets an “unattractive man with a high forehead and sunken eyes, and a tiny, pinched mouth like a parrot’s beak” who claims to write stories so dark and unsettling that he could be the Devil’s Scribe. His name? Edgar Allan Poe. Has Lanny finally met her match in this macabre man…or is it the other way around? 

Fan Pack Giveaway for The Taker by Alma Katsu!

Congratulations to the winner C.E. Hart!

On March 27, The Taker will be released as a paperback!

The Taker picked up some nice accolades, including being selected by the American Library Association as one of the top ten debut novels of 2011. It also made the extended bestsellers list in the UK and is off to a great start in Italy following the February 16th release

"True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . ."
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae--Lanny--walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town's founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep--an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, "The Taker" is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption. (Taken from Goodreads.com)


To celebrate the paperback release of "The Taker" by Alma Katsu, she has offered up this amazing fan pack!

The pack includes a proof of the trade paperback cover, a spoofy wine label made for The Reckoning, bookmarks, post-it notes and a Reckoning pen, and a copy of the book. (All pictured except for the book.)

I have personally read tons of reviews on The Taker and I read so many bloggers who said they didn't think they'd enjoy cause not their normal reading genre, but ended up loving it!  So now is your chance to win this fantastic fan pack! All you need to do is comment below and leave me your email address. This giveaway is for US/Canada only (No p.o. boxes) I'd love for you to follow my blog by GFC or subscribe by email, but not a requirement! This giveaway will close March 27, so if you don't win you can run out and grab it in paperback! Good luck!

Other giveaways on A Novel Review

A Totally Rad Giveaway

Later this month, I will be reviewing Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer. I can't wait to share it with you! So you may ask yourself, "Why is Laura posting about a book she is about to review?" Great question! And the answer is way better! Jennifer is having a giveaway over on her blog!

Now through April 6th, when you comment about Girl Unmoored on Jennifer’s blog at www.jennifergoochhummer.com, you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to win a tote bag stuffed with gifts that blend the hottest 2012 e-reader with totally rad ’80s memorabilia and more! And if you purchase the book (print or e-book) and forward your receipt confirmation to contests@sparkpointstudio.com, your name will be entered to win 10 TIMES! That’s 11 chances to win the following awesome prizes:
-              A Kindle Fire, just in time for spring break lounging!
-              DVDs of Best Of 80s movies to celebrate the year of Girl Unmoored, 1985
-              Copies of Jennifer’s Top 5 YA books: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb; Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty; and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
-              A gift card to 1-800 Flowers in honor of Apron’s summer job at Mike and Chad’s flower shop, Scent Appeal

The winner will be notified and announced the week of April 23rd.

What are you still doing here! Get over there and comment! Oh wait maybe you want to get those 10 extra chances by ordering her book! Well here's a link! Good luck! Make sure to come back by March 29 to read my review!

Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long

Amazon Book Description:

Bernadette Murphy likes her life. Really, she does. What's wrong with carrying around an extra ten pounds from fertility treatments? Or having your dog kicked out of obedience school? Again? What's that saying about the devil you know? For Bernie, it's the devil she never expected that changes everything.

Her father's sudden death leaves a gaping void in her life and is one in a series of events that rock her world. Her husband leaves for another woman, and her best friend announces an unplanned pregnancy at the age of forty-one. Bernie's behavior goes from acting out to out-of-hand, and she finds herself in trouble at home, out of work and banned from the mall after a confrontation at the cosmetic counter.

When her mother discovers her father's book of cryptograms, Bernie realizes his encoded lessons in living might be exactly what she needs to survive. From dealing with her family's grief and bonding with her best friend's thirteen-year-old daughter, to dieting, dating and mindless almost-sex with the landscaper, Bernie discovers what her father always knew.

In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't.

For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.

My Review:

Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy has just lost her father. She is wrapping herself around him being gone, while simultaneously (and secretively) dealing with her husband who left her. Bernie is no stranger to loss and heartache, but the accumulation of loss and a book of cryptograms her father left her seem to be the wake-up call she has needed for some time and is reluctantly facing reality. 

Chasing Rainbows is a story about finding acceptance and learning how to walk through the downpours of life is the only way to find the rainbows. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It seems odd to say I enjoyed the book, when Chasing Rainbows deals with some very serious situations. Bernie is struggling with losing her father, her marriage, she doesn't know what's next, and finally realizing she has yet to really deal with the grief of losing her tiny baby. I connected to Bernie, as I lost my mother and shortly after I went through three miscarriages (not the same, but generally speaking). And when I couldn't relate I had empathy for her. The dark place where Bernie was at is a very real place. Bernie had to walk through all of this empty, dark grief while also realizing how those around her were all dealing with their grief in differently than her. 

For such heavy subject matter, Kathleen Long wrote a book that was enjoyable and uplifting all at the same time. Bernie is really a fun character you won’t be able to help, but root for.  I recommend Chasing Rainbows. Only after we walk through the storms of our lives, can we sit back and see the rainbows.

I know I don't normally post amazon's description, but I thought it really reflected the lighter side of this novel since my review seemed to really discuss the deeper side. I think when you really put the two concepts together you get a much greater view of what a great book this is and what an amazing job Kathleen Long did in weaving the heavy with the light!

Love to read? Want to donate to Breast Cancer research?

For the month of March, novelist Carol Mason, best-selling author of The Love Market, Send Me A Lover and The Secrets of Married Women, is donating 50% of all net proceeds from her Amazon E book sales to Breast Cancer foundation. If you wish to support the cause you can buy any or all of her three E books on Amazon.com for $2.99 each, or 2 pounds UK, then send proof of purchase to her via an email at her website. See www.carolmasonbooks.com for more details.

You get her fabulous books and help a great cause all at the same time!

"..a writer of compelling insight, with a gritty yet humorous edge." The Daily Mirror, UK, Book of the Week


"a sweet, sad tale about love, loss, and the crazy way the world works to reclaim love again." Cosmo Australia (Send Me A Lover)

To learn more go to her website at http://www.carolmasonbooks.com/carolmasonbooks.com/Welcome.html

and thank-you for being a part of such a worthy cause! Remember we should think pink all year long, not just October!

THE FIVE W’S Of Kathleen Long

Today we have author Kathleen Long here at A Novel Review! I will be reviewing her book Chasing Rainbows here on Thursday. Thank-you so much for joining us here today and now let's get to know:

The Five W's of Kathleen Long

WHO? 
Hello and thanks for letting me visit with you here at A Novel Review, Laura!

As to your first question, I’m a wife and mother first and a writer last. Before my daughter was born, my writing was my priority. I’d frequently pull thirteen-hour writing days while on deadline, consumed by the story I was telling. Those days are long gone.

I waited a long time to become a mother, and I refuse to miss a moment. I love walking my daughter to school, love helping her with her homework or her arts and crafts. I love hearing her giggle with her dad as they make up stories for each other—one of their favorite pastimes. I love being a mom, and I do my best to enjoy and appreciate every day.

As a writer, I’m an author who is determined to hone her craft and deepen the reader’s experience with every book. When I carve out writing time, I work hard, loving every moment of the journey.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?
When I’m not writing, you can find me at the kitchen table with my daughter, crafting dragons out of paper towel tubes, or fashioning butterflies out of construction paper and pipe cleaners. When I’m not on mommy duty, I’m reading or catching up with friends online. My favorite escape is the beach, where I would spend every day if I could. I find nothing better for my soul than a long walk along the surf, no matter the weather.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I knew I wanted to be a writer in the second grade. Our teacher showed us a series of slides and instructed the class to make up a story. I remember developing an intricate tale and setting my imagination free. I was hooked. I’ve been telling stories and writing in journals ever since. I became serious about my writing in August 2001, several months after our first daughter died in infancy. Her brief life made me realize dreams should be chased, and life is for living. I made the conscious decision to buckle down, learn my craft, and study the markets. I sold my third manuscript two and a half years later.

WHERE? Where do you write?
I’m laughing as I answer this question. I cannot write at my computer or at my laptop. I write sitting on the family room floor, typing onto a Dana—a keyboard produced by AlphaSmart. The beauty of the Dana is that it has no Internet access and shows me only nine lines of type at a time. When I work on my Dana, I write fast and don’t stop to edit. Even if I go to our local library to write—which I do often—I take only the Dana. I leave my laptop at home.

WHY? Why do you write?
I write because I love to spin plots, develop characters and tell stories. Most of all, I write because I want to provide an escape for everyone (hopefully) who picks up one of my books.

After we lost Emily, I sat and stared for months. Literally. Then one day, I picked up a book and I read. Don’t get me wrong. I’d always been a huge reader, but during my grief I fell into a fog that didn’t include books. This time, I read the book cover to cover, forgetting about my life for several hours. That experience was amazing, freeing and inspiring. I decided that if I could write and provide an escape for even one reader, I had to try.

Thanks for the great questions, Laura! Thank you for being part of the tour for Chasing Rainbows!

I will now go and google to find out more about what a Dana is, because it sounds like what I need--no internet while writing! lol. Thank-you so much for stopping by Kathleen! I think this is the first time an author made me tear up while reading their responses. You've definitely have touched on parts of my own life here and in your book. I'll discuss more of this in my review Thursday!


To get to know Kathleen better you can go to her website at http://www.kathleenlong.com/default.htm

Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo + Giveaway

Crunchy momma, Julia Bailey, has taken her love for making healthy foods for her children and turned it into her own small business, Julia’s Child. Julia’s Child is all about making healthy snacks for toddlers and Julia dreams of the day when she can get Whole Foods to sell them in their stores. After a chance meeting, Julia’s Child begins to really take off. Great right? Well, as the business grows so does the debt while the time she can spend with her family begins to shrink.  

When things begin to look like all hope is lost, a life preserver suddenly appears but is it what it appears? Julia finds herself struggling between holding fast to her ideals or becoming a sellout. The question becomes is there a middle ground and can she find how to live in the moment?

I really enjoyed Julia’s Child, I found it to be a light hearted read with some real life lessons to be learned. As a mom, I can appreciate Julia’s struggle with finding a happy balance to her life and to her dreams. I’ll be honest; when I first started the book I felt a little mommy judgment. I am not a crunchy momma. I’m not. Yes, I feed my children fruits and vegetables and when we go out to eat mine will yell in unison for a side of steam broccoli over French fries any day of the week. But I don’t mind them eating some amount of processed foods at the same time. By the time the book ended I could really appreciate where Pinneo went with the story. She really conveyed how we as moms do have our things we feel strongly about and truthfully we all look for some shortcuts along the way and we each need to find the ones that work for us and not judge each other. This really hit home for me and I couldn't agree more! A book mom’s can really appreciate (and some recipes in there too, I can’t wait to make my shopping list this week)!

Would you like to read Julia’s Child? I’m recommending it and I’m going to give a copy away! All you need to do is leave your name and email address below for your chance to win! Winner will be chosen by random.org and the giveaway closes March 8 midnight EST. The giveaway is for US/Canada residents only (no PO boxes) sorry! The winner will have 48hours to reply to my email (make sure to check your spam folder, too). Good-luck!

THE FIVE W’S Of Sarah Pinneo

This morning we have crunchy momma Sarah Pinneo with us here at A Novel Review! Sarah is the author of newly released Julia’s Child and Ski House Cookbook. Let's get to know:

THE FIVE W’S Of Sarah Pinneo 

WHO? 

For a dozen years I worked in finance on Wall Street, before making the transition from breadwinner to bread baker. (Guess which is more fun?) When I’m not writing novels I might be tossing the football with my two boys, inventing new recipe for crackers or hanging around the farmers’ market.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

When my children were 4 and 6, we left New York City for rural Vermont and New Hampshire. One of the great benefits of living up here is the outdoor lifestyle. Last weekend we skied on Saturday and skated on Sunday. Many other hours of my very glamorous life are taken up with cooking and laundry.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

In the third grade my teacher, Ms. Bacon, led me to a corner of the classroom. “You are going to be a writer,” she said. “And this is your portfolio. Every time you finish a poem, we’re going to put it in here.” And so it was.

WHERE? Where do you write?

My desk is in the kitchen. (What would Virginia Woolf have to say about that?) It’s nice to be so centrally located. Yet sometimes I burn food when I become distracted by twitter.

WHY? Why do you write?

I write books that I’d like to read. Anything I write has to be at least a little bit funny, because I value humor immensely. Another thing I like about writing is what I think of as the Rumpelstiltskin effect—you start with nothing and you end up with something. Though I am as susceptible to fancy notebooks as the next girl, the truth is that they don’t help. The straw must be spun into gold by effort only. I love that.


Thank-you so much for joining us, Sarah! I miss the beautiful autumn colors of living out East! I bet VT is gorgeous in the fall! If you'd like to get to know Sarah better you visit her at her website and follow her on twitter!

http://www.sarahpinneo.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/Julias__Child