the SIMMER blog

talking books on writer unboxed

Even if you read everything I put on the internet -- this blog, my Facebook and Twitter accounts, my writing at Writer Unboxed and Intrepid Media, and guest columns all over the place -- there are three little words you will never read from me: "buy my book." I don't like it from other people so I won't do it myself. And I make that advice explicit to other writers in my latest post at Writer Unboxed.

Click here to read Why We Buy.

Q&A and recipe and giveaway!

Oh, this is fun! The wonderful and talented cookbook author Domenica Marchetti (her latest book is The Glorious Pasta of Italy, YUM) interviewed me for her site recently. And not only can you read the Q&A on her site, she has also adapted and posted the recipe for Midnight Cry Brownies, and she's giving away a copy of the book! So if you don't have The Kitchen Daughter yet, or you want one for a friend, here's your chance -- just comment on her blog with the name of your favorite piece of food-related fiction.

Click here to read, enter, and enjoy.

some words about words

A couple of pieces up this week on other sites I'd like to point you toward --

My post on Writer Unboxed is for soon-to-be-published authors looking to reach out to bloggers who review books. Click to read: How Book Bloggers Are Like Agents.

And then there's my piece on Intrepid Media, in which I try to capture at least some of the happy madness of the last few months: What It Feels Like For An Author: Notes From the Far Side of Publication.

So today, there's writing, and tomorrow? Well, tomorrow, there are squash blossoms.

de keukendochter!

One of the most delightful and surprising aspects of getting published has been the whole whirlwind of foreign rights. Six different publishing houses have bought the rights to translate The Kitchen Daughter into six different languages and publish those versions. And yesterday I found out that the Dutch version will be hitting shelves in the Netherlands in November 2011.

Here's the link to the fall catalog from my Dutch publisher, The House of Books.

And -- wow! Not only is there a two-page spread on De keukendochter, but they also used that beautiful cover image for the inside front cover of the catalog. And even for those who don't speak Dutch -- like me! -- it's an arresting layout. So exciting to see.

 

interviewed on A Life of Spice

Monica Bhide is an incredibly talented writer and cook, and I'm so honored that she invited me to her site, A Life of Spice, for an interview! We talked about my writing process and advice for aspiring fiction writers, what inspired The Kitchen Daughter, and that pesky inner critic.

Click for her questions and my answers.

(And spend some time clicking around her site while you're there -- there's so much good food and good writing to discover!)

around the web and in stores!

A bit of a roundup this Friday...

The wonderful Allison Winn Scotch has a great post up on Ask Allison with a roundup of advice from four brand-new debut authors -- including yours truly. Click to read and find out why I say "Don't give up, and don't go it alone."

If you've read The Kitchen Daughter, you know that family protectiveness is a major issue for Ginny -- being sheltered all her life leaves her underprepared to handle the tragedy that opens the book. I explored this issue for the lovely Lynne Griffin's blog, Family Life Stories -- click here to read.

I'm gearing up for a mini-tour next week, so if you live in the Boston area (especially Concord) or Washington, DC (especially Arlington), I'd love to see you at a reading. Here are the details on where I'll be:

Concord Bookshop, 7pm on Thursday, July 14

One More Page Books, 2pm on Saturday, July 16

And of course, if you want to keep track of where I'm going next, my News and Events page is the best place to do so.

Coming on Monday: another healthy standby from my newly trimmed-down recipe box.

happy Fourth!

I'm off doing whatnot today, but here are a couple links to keep you company:

On Intrepid Media, should we turn off our brains for the summer?

And on Writer Unboxed, should writers think of their readers as they write?

Enjoy your holiday, be safe, and I've got some great book news to share with you tomorrow!

 

me, around town

Technical difficulties continue! Luckily, so do the articles, interviews, and reviews of The Kitchen Daughter I can link to!

Here's a great piece from the Experimental Gourmand (who interviewed me at a British candy store, an excellent venue) for Woman Around Town:

click here to read.

the kitchen daughter on facebook

Ugh. Still having technical difficulties and unable to load pix here. But I did get at least one to load to the Kitchen Daughter page on Facebook, so today's a good day to go over and visit me there!

(Sadly, my tech issues have escalated and I can't embed links either, but it's http://facebook.com/thekitchendaughter, so hopefully that will auto-link... grr.)

(In better news, if you click "like" on the FB page you can read the first chapter of The Kitchen Daughter on Scribd. So, happy Friday!)

 

5-star review in Sulphur Springs News-Telegram!

Oh, I love reviews. Is that weird? Every time I hear I have a new review of The Kitchen Daughter coming out -- in a newspaper, on a blog, through a website, what-have-you -- I practically squeal.

And this one, from the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram, is special. Not only did the reviewer rave about the book -- five stars out of five! -- we got the chance to talk over the phone as she was writing her review, so the piece itself is jam-packed with info on not just what the book is like and what she thinks of it, but what I was thinking as I wrote it.

Give it a click!