Life From Scratch

I'm lucky enough to call Melissa Ford of Stirrup Queens fame a friend.  When I heard her read at the BlogHer 2009 keynote I made sure to find her and tell her I thought her post was amazing, but also, I thought we knew each other.  We played some Jewish geography and discovered we went to camp together.  Overnight camp a million and a half years ago.  Since then she had became one of my favorite DC blogging pals.

Becuase of that I could not wait to read her novel, Life From Scratch (affiliate link).  And it is not because she is my friend that I can tell you all that I loved it.  I read it it in two days and every time Doug or Michael tried to talk to me I shushed them.  True story.  I then asked Melissa if I could interview her or do a giveaway.  I get to do both!

Here is my interview and below you will find out how to win one of three copies of Life From Scratch.

photo by Mary Gardella

J: Why did you decide to write a novel?

M: I didn't exactly.  When I sold my first book,  Navigating The Land Of If (nonfiction) (affiliate link), the book contract had a right of first refusal.  Which meant that whoever published the book they would get to see my next book first.  My agent suggested I write a non fiction book so she could try to sell that.  And even though I had an MFA in fiction, it wasn't were my head was.  My head was in nonfiction and blogging.

J: How similar are you to the character of Rachel?

M: Well, I'm neurotic like Rachel and I tend to over think.  I'm also awkward like Rachel.  (For the record, I don't think Melissa is awkward at all.)  But I'm not a food blogger and I'm not divorced.

J: Your known for being an infertility blogger but this story is not about infertility.  Even so you weaved infertility through it.  Was that important to you?

M: It was important to me to show it is not always easy to have a baby.  I wanted to show a more realistic view of single motherhood than is frequently shown in chic lit, that the crazy friend just has a baby by accident.  That a lot of single mothers try hard to have a baby and it is not always easy.

J: You grew up in in DC, yet you set the book in NYC.  Why?

M:  I couldn't imagine Rachel living anywhere other than NYC.  I'm not a fan of NYC, but when I tried to set her in other places the story didn't work.  I tried Boston but it didn't work.  It's not that food bloggers don't live in other places, they do.  But she needed to live in NYC.

 I wanted to show Melissa two of my favorite passages in the book and have her commenton them.

The first one I loved because Melissa captured exactly how I feel about blogging and why I love it so.

Blogging can seem a little self-indulgent; foisting your free therapy on everyone else in the world.  But some of us can't afford a vacation from life and therapy, so free isn't half bad.  Plus, the night I recieved my first comment was like finding life on Mars.  I was this tiny voice yelling from my apartment in New York City, and someone actually heard me.  And took the time to tell me so.

M: Blogging is sometimes like free therapy.  Which was why Josh set up my blog.  I stopped going to therapy when the blog started.  Instead of one persons point of view I had so many other people's point of view.

The second section I highlighted because I'm an average girl.  And I never, ever believe I'm pretty.  And I've never heard anyone put it in words before.

But average girls can never believe it when they're told that the cute boy likes them or that they've been nominated for homecoming queen or that their blog is being read by thousands of people each day. 

M: I'm an average girl.  I get it.

J: You told me there was going to be a sequel.  Can you give us a sneak peek?

M: Rachel is getting remarried.  And it is going to be a different wedding process than it was doing the first time.  She tries to learn how to balance her private life with her blog life.  Plus it take place in the summer and there is a certain blog conference she could attend….

J: When I tweeted I was interviewing you people wanted to know "how you did it all?"

M: I don't do nearly as much as people think I do.  I'm not on line all day.  When the kids are home I'm not on the computer at all.  I shut down email from 11-3 and write.  It takes me three months to write a novel.  (My chin dropped by the way.)

Melissa shared with me she has finished a different piece of fiction, it is a young adult book without vampires!

I have 3 copies of Life from Scratch to give away.  Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite book.  3 winners will be picked from random.  Contest closes Tuesday, January 11th at 5 pm and a winner will be announced Wednesday morning. 

*This contest is not sponsored.  The books are being provided by the publisher.  I was not compensated in anyway to interview Melissa or do this giveaway.   In fact, I asked to do it.