The Divining Wand

The Diving Wand loves sharing good news about its authors and this post offers quite a collection.

For Wendy Tokunaga (Midori By Moonlight, Love in Translation) BookPage Reviews’ Friendship and family in a foreign land is a Web exclusive by Sheri Bodoh.

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA) was thrilled and flattered by this terrific book trailer for Bad Girls Don’t Die made by a reader/fan. Do watch.

Melanie Benjamin watches her foreign rights sales soar for (Alice I Have Been), along with requests for essays, interviews, and op-ed pieces on “Alice.” With the movie of “Alice in Wonderland” coming out next Friday, Melanie is enjoying perfect timing.

Also to be noted: The Audio Book of Alice I Have Been was Audiofile Magazine’s hot pick for the week of February 10th.

Randy Susan Meyers and The Murderer’s Daughters is traveling the world too with the book now to be published in Turkey, Israel, France, Germany, Britain, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Taiwan, Poland, Portugal, and Holland.

Would you like to hear Randy? Listen to her Author Magazine Interview

And the “hip and current” Daily Candy has chosen The Murderer’s Daughters as one of the Best New Winter Books.

Meredith Cole has received a 2009 Agatha nomination for Best First Novel, Posed for Murder. The Awards will be presented on May 1st with Meredith’s second novel, Dead in the Water, in bookstores May 11th!

Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, Children of the Waters) is overjoyed and thanks one and all because, according to BlackVoices Entertainment Newswire, “Sins of the Mother” was “the second highest rated program in key woman demographics in the network’s 12-year history — bested only by the 2009 ‘Natalie Holloway’ movie.”

And Alicia Bessette offers her literary website, her debut novel’s cover, and the opportunity to Pre-order Simply from Scratch coming August 5, 2010.

Congratulations and well done, everyone!

Although pre-empted by yesterday’s Olympic post, here is the continuation of our authors’ favorite love stories.

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA):

“My favorite love story is ‘”Pride & Prejudice.”‘ Nobody can do it like Jane Austen! And one of the great things about loving that book is that there are umpteen movie versions to choose from when you need a girls’ day on the couch with some popcorn and a glass of wine! (The audiobook is also great for sewing along with.)”

Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been):

“Pride and Prejudice; I just swoon over Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I think the very end of that novel is the most romantic ending ever.”

Eileen Cook (Unpredictable, What Would Emma Do? YA and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood YA ):

“I think it was the summer I was 13, my mom gave me her copy of Gone With the Wind to read when I complained about being bored. I was completely swept up in that story. I still re-read it from time to time.”

Tish Cohen (Town House, Inside Out Girl, Little Black Lies YA, The Truth About Delilah Blue coming June 8, 2010):

“Favorite love story is still Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons — a day in the life of a very real couple. No heaving bosoms, no chiseled jaws. Just a scatty, interfering wife and a gruff, fed-up husband who bicker and sweat and even hate each other at times. This book is a testament to the kind of love that matters–love that endures.”

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Being With Him, Intimate Beings, The Beautiful Being):

“While most of the love is thwarted in this story, the longing in The Mists of Avalon always bowls me over. Love that they reach and reach for and never get who or what they want–but they still love. This same longing and imagery in The English Patient, at the end.

“The love of a father for his daughters in Animal Dreams. So heartrending. So amazing.”

Lauren Baratz-Logsted (most recent Crazy Beautiful YA, Sisters 8 series with Book 5: Marcia’s Madness coming May 3, 2010):

“Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez”

Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy):

“I don’t remember the title, but I do remember the book quite well. It was one of those mass market bodice rippers where you have the eighteenth century Helen of Troy, whose somehow fallen on hard times and is enslaved to some purported evil, albeit devilishly handsome landowner with a the rakish cowboy who has nothing but is ready to whisk Mary off into the sunset on the back of his horse thrown in. I stole it off the pile of books next to my mother’s bed during the summer of my thirteenth year. What makes this book so memorable (forgotten title notwithstanding) is that it’s the first book I stayed up all night to finish. My cousins still talk about getting up around nine in the morning and finding me on the couch where they’d left me the night before, nose still buried in the book. Nothing against Judy Blume, but getting Forever after a Bodice Rippers is akin to my first opera experience: I saw the La Boheme dream team—Pavarotti and Freni—from row F center—nothing else will ever compare.”

Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing):

“God, who doesn’t love a juicy Jane Austen love story! They’re all fantastic.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars):

“I feel like I bang on all the time about BREATHING LESSONS by Anne Tyler, but it is about love and is one of my favorite books. Not only did it influence me as a writer, but I think it was illuminating for me to read as a young woman, demonstrating that a married couple can bicker, chafe, get so infuriated they can barely look at each other, and still be fully in love.

“In order to vary my answer to these questions a bit, I adore THE GREAT GATSBY which I guess is not a love story in the “happy ending” sense, but it is a romantic story in the sense of romanticizing a person, and how dangerous that can be.

“In a more classic “love story” sense, I did very much enjoy DELICIOUS by Sherry Thomas! Yum.”

Therese Walsh (The Last Will of Moira Leahy):

“This is a tough question! Anyone who knows me knows my favorite novel is The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger), but I don’t know that I’d call it my favorite love story. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale might be my favorite. Kinsale is a masterful storyteller with great voice, and FftS offers unique but authentic characterizations, a riveting plot, and a pitch-perfect resolution. It’s a definite keeper.”

Emily Winslow (The Whole World coming May 25, 2010):

“My favorite couple is Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, beginning with the book “Guards! Guards!” “She smiled at him. And then it arose and struck Vimes that, in her own special category, she was quite beautiful; this was the category of all the women, in his entire life, who had ever thought he was worth smiling at. She couldn’t do worse, but then, he couldn’t do better. So maybe it balanced out. She wasn’t getting any younger, but then, who was? And she had style and money and common-sense and self-assurance and all the things that he didn’t, and she had opened her heart, and if you let her she could engulf you; the woman was a city. And eventually, under siege, you did what Ankh-Morpork had always done–unbar the gates, let the conquerors in, and make them your own.”

If, as often described, the road to publication is a journey, then the writing process must be a well-known path for every author. Yes, it’s a creative path but one that’s also paved with guidelines, outlines, eventual deadlines and everything in between. Sound arduous? Some parts of this path just are, however what about those places where a writer can literally coast? Since these are different for everyone — and in keeping with this site’s theme for the week — our authors were asked: What do you love most about the writing process?

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA):

“Like most writers, I have a totally bizarre relationship with the actual writing process–I love it enough to want to do it for a living, but I fear it and occasionally do everything in my power to avoid it! But I’ve recently discovered that what I really love is revising. I like taking something that almost works and making it clean and powerful.”

Joëlle Anthony (Restoring Harmony YA coming May 13, 2010):

“Revising – makes me an odd duck in the writing world, but I love editing and revision.”

Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been):

“Losing myself in a different world, becoming different people. It’s really a very dreamy, sensual feeling.”

Meredith Cole (Posed for Murder, Dead in the Water coming May 11, 2010):

“I know people rave all the time about those moments when the story flows and you’re in some magical groove. The story seems almost to write itself. I love those moments, too, but I have to admit I have an overwhelming fondness for editing. I resist as long as I can, making myself get through the first draft before I get to revise. And then, when it’s time, I whip out a red pen and prepare to slash and burn, straighten and expand. It’s so wonderful to see something that’s a bit of a mess and know instantly how to fix it. Or even if it’s a challenge, getting it all polished is all the more satisfying.”

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Being With Him, Intimate Beings, The Beautiful Being):

“My favorite part is the messy, early part where I am just writing and imagining and creating. It’s like mixing batter with too much flour, ideas and words everywhere. Later, of course, things have to calm down and recipe instructions must be followed. But before that! So much fun.”

Maria Garcia Kalb (101 Ways to Torture Your Husband):

“I am quite enamored with the “self-discovery” part of the writing process. You truly get to know yourself and there are many surprising things you learn along the way. I can say I never knew myself until I started writing. Its like meeting a stranger for the first time..but you’re not afraid to tell that stranger that they’ve got something in their teeth!”

Lauren Baratz-Logsted (most recent Crazy Beautiful YA, Sisters 8 series with Book 5: Marcia’s Madness coming May 3, 2010):

“The moment I’ve completed a first draft and I get that feeling of relief, knowing I’ve gone the distance and that the chance to improve it still lies ahead.”

Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy):

“As a sufferer of a writer’s block more impenetrable than that Berlin Wall, when I become like Crush the Turtle surfing the tide of the Eastern Australian Current (Finding Nemo), I do want to stand up and yell, “Righteous! Righteous!” I feel possessed. I can’t type fast enough and propelled by my fear that I will lose the thread of whatever happens to be pouring out of me, I write as fast as I can, without judgment, not caring if the words are spelled right or if the sentences make sense; this is all stuff I can fix later. Experiencing this state is what I love most about the writing process. It doesn’t happen often, but I don’t mind because I know the frenzy that contains the best of me is like a cat—it comes and goes as it pleases. But like anyone who lives in thrall to a cat, I still show up and scale writer’s block wall, propelled by the hope that today will be the day.”

Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing):

“I love when I can hear a rhythm to my writing in my head as I type.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars):

“It’s like playing Let’s Pretend! All my favorite games as a girl revolved around playacting and making up stories. I still get to do that, all the time.”

Therese Walsh (The Last Will of Moira Leahy):

“I love it best when my muse surprises me. I’m typing along, minding my own business, and then—wham. Who’s that character? Where did that line come from? The characters did what? These are the moments that make writing the most rewarding occupation in the world.”

Emily Winslow (The Whole World coming May 25, 2010):

“I love being ahead of deadline.”

To be continued…

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away two signed copies of Judy Merrill Larsen’s debut novel, All the Numbers. Please leave a comment on this post by tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST to be entered into the random drawing. The winners will be announced in tomorrow’s post.

There’s glowing news to share about two of our recently published authors and two of those yet-to-debut.

To begin, Melanie Benjamin has been lauded for Alice I Have Been by every major national publication including: The Washington Post, People, and Entertainment Weekly which notes:
“Melanie Benjamin works valiantly to conjure up the real girl behind the Wonderland myth, and finds glints of genuine magic.”

Along with her glints of literary magic, Melanie has found glints elsewhere too. Commenting on Facebook she revealed:

“With all the Alice-related fashions & jewelry coming out, I’m wondering how much I can write off as business expenses?? I really love this necklace.”

Randy Susan Meyers is both proud and grateful. The pride comes from last Friday’s (February 5, 2010) Los Angeles Times article, Dark Passages: Knockout debuts of the ‘decade’, with the subtitle — “Four new thrillers show that the class of 2010 is already off to a great start.” Of course The Murderer’s Daughters is one of the four!

As for Randy’s gratitude…it was expressed on Facebook with this comment:

“THE MURDERER’S DAUGHTERS is back up–no longer ‘Banned on Amazon’ Thank you everyone for all your help during this trip-wire during my debut. Facebook rocks!”

Meanwhile, Holly LeCraw is overjoyed with the bold red star next to the Fiction – 2/1/2010 – Library Journal review of her debut novel, The Swimming Pool (coming April 6, 2010). In addition to the starred review, Library Journal proclaims Holly to be: “An author to watch.”

And Alicia Bessette — still waiting for a website and cover (soon) for her debut novel, Simply from Scratch coming in August 2010 — is very happy to receive/add the following praise from Rachel Simon, bestselling author of Riding The Bus With My Sister: “Simply from Scratch is a sweet story of regeneration and hope, delivered by a writer of generous spirit and great heart.”

Congratulations to all!

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away both of Kristy Kiernan’s novels, Catching Genius and Matters of Faith, as a duo. Please leave a comment on this post to be entered into the random drawing. The deadline is Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EST. with the winner announced here in Thursday’s post.

It’s time to take a look at authors making news beyond their pages…

Melanie Benjamin is very proud that Alice I Have Been was reviewed on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” You can read and listen to that review here. Bravva, Melanie!

Think of Mia King (Good Things, Sweet Life, Table Manners) and what comes to mind? Novels, Hawaii and FOOD?!

It’s true that recently, when not writing, Mia’s been spending more and more time in her actual and virtual kitchen. You can join her online at the Friendship Bread Kitchen on Facebook where she has gorgeous images, recipes and tips relating to Amish Friendship Bread. She even has a contest going on right now — once the page hits 500 fans, she’s giving away a beautiful Emile Henry ceramic loaf pan from William-Sonoma! As of this writing, Mia’s fans number 493, so hurry…

Also expect a major announcement from this author in the next month or two.

On Monday, February 1st, Allison Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life and The One That I Want coming June 1, 2010) announced Contest Time!. She’s giving away at least two galleys of The One That I Want (coming June 1, 2010) and all you need do is tell her: Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?

Allison shares her five years in the future: “Hmmm, I think I’d like to be living in California (I’ve had enough of NYC and we’re considering a move), still writing a book or so a year, add another dog (not child!) to our family, having more time to relax and focus on ME once my kids are a bit older. I think my five-year goal was probably a bit more lofty five years ago – now, in my 30s, I feel like I’ve been able to take the reins of my life and steer it more or less where I want it to go, but then again, who knows what the future brings (well, Tilly does!), so we’ll just see what happens from here. ”

The deadline is tomorrow night with the winner announced on Friday. Since Monday’s post is weighed down with comments, visit Go Big or Go Home and share.

Meredith Cole (Posed for Murder, Dead in the Water coming May 11, 2010) invites you to check out a sneak peek of Dead in the Water which is featured this month on “From the Masters.”

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away two copies of Shana Mahaffey’s Sounds Like Crazy in a random drawing of comments left on this post. Everyone — readers and writers alike — is welcome to participate before the deadline of tonight at 7:00 pm EST. The winners will be announced here in tomorrow’s post.

AND

To celebrate “Sins of the Mother” –based on Carleen’s debut novel, Orange Mint and Honey, which premieres on The Lifetime Movie Network Sunday, February 21st at 8:00 p.m. EST — The Divining Wand will give away both Orange Mint and Honey and Carleen’s latest book, Children of the Waters, as a duo. Anyone leaving a comment on this post will be entered in the random drawing. The deadline is this evening at 7:00 p.m. EST with the winner to also be announced in tomorrow’s post.

There’s news that you need to know, can use, and look forward to, regarding the following Authors:

Alert! If you haven’t heard yet, Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, Children of the Waters) has announced, “The universe heard your cries of not wanting to miss the Super Bowl. ‘”Sins of the Mother”‘ will now air on Sunday, February 21st.”

Remember that’s on the LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK!

January Magazine, December 31, 2009, listed Best Books of Fiction: 2009 and among the chosen was The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh. Here’s the review:

“One of the really delicious things about Therese Walsh’s debut novel is that it pushes through to new ground. And even while you are swept away in Walsh’s carefully crafted and constructed story of magic and acceptance and loss, you are aware that you’ve never traveled this way before. I hadn’t realized how rare that feeling could be in fiction until I read The Last Will of Moira Leahy. Are there conventions in fiction? A path you must take in order for people to say: this is this sort of book, shelve it over here. If so, Walsh has forged ahead with no regard for these whatsoever. The result is an intelligent, thoughtful, moving — and again — magical, book. Moira was the less bold of a set of twins. Less daring, less spirited, less of the world. When she died in their 16th year, Moira’s twin, Maeve, must come to terms both with the part she played in her sister’s death and with her own path through the world, alone. In adulthood, now a professor of languages, Maeve comes across an antique dagger that reminds her of her childhood. The dagger will open a new chapter in Maeve’s life and lead her to a place of acceptance and understanding. None of that brief description does justice to Walsh’s wonderful creation. It is difficult — impossible — to capture that magic in these few words. Nor is it possible to compare it to anything else: Walsh has found her way here alone. The Last Will of Moira Leahy is a wonderful book. Well crafted, beautifully told. A star is born.” — Linda L. Richards

[As many know I believe in this book...for good reasons.]

Jenny Gardiner (Sleeping with Ward Cleaver) offers a funny video, Graycie Goes Hollywood (the upgraded version), starring the bird of her upcoming memoir –Winging It: Twenty Years of Caring for a Vengeful Bird Determined to Kill Me coming March 16, 2010). Be sure to take a look.

Alicia Bessette (Simply from Scratch coming in August 2010) has earned coveted praise from Marisa de los Santos (bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me: “This story of a young widow edging warily back into the world is full of vivid characters and grace. Imbued with hope but blessedly lacking in sentimentality, it is a fresh, stirring take on the devastation of grief and the holiness of friendship.”

And Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been) was featured in the Sunday, January 17, 2010 article, Glen Ellyn writer rescues Alice from Wonderland by Julia Keller.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away a copy of The Murderer’s Daughters to anyone who leaves a comment on this post and is selected in a random drawing. The deadline is Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EST. with the winner to be announced here in Thursday’s post.

There are two opposing views when it comes to writing — either write what you know or write what you don’t know. Melanie Benjamin chose what she didn’t know because it piqued her curiosity and what she learned is shared in her historical fiction debut, Alice I Have Been, to be released tomorrow, January 12, 2010.

The backstory, catalyst, motivation to write a book can be a fascinating tale in and of itself and, for this author, it certainly was when several years ago she visited the Art Institute of Chicago and viewed a traveling exhibit called “Dreaming in Pictures: The Photography of Lewis Carroll.” That experience sent her into a personal wondering land as she explains in “Alice I Have Been” – Author Interview – Melanie Benjamin at Paperback Writer – Books, Author Interviews and Writing:

“I had little knowledge of Lewis Carroll – or Charles Dodgson, his real name – prior to that moment. I certainly had no idea he was a pioneer of early photography! In the exhibit there was one image in particular that stood out; it was the very worldly, very wise face of 7-year-old Alice Liddell as a beggar girl. The caption said that she was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland. I hadn’t known there ever was a real little girl named Alice; I wondered what happened to her after she grew up. I wondered what happened between the two of them, Dodgson and Alice, to result in such a startling photograph. I thought that it might make a good story; it took me a while to get around to researching it but when I did, I knew right away that I had to write it.”

The truth is that it took the author four years and the urging of a good friend to realize how little she knew of the entire story behind Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and how much she wanted to know what happened to the child once she grew up. That convinced Melanie to tell the story from Alice’s point of view, giving Alice her own voice.

The Synopsis:

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.




But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?



Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.



That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war. 



For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.



A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire

Indeed it is an astonishing journey that begins with a weary Alice who leads the reader back to her Victorian childhood of privilege and means in Oxford, England. You may read both the Prologue and Excerpt from Chapter One and likely be as intrigued and impressed by reviews which include:

“Benjamin draws on one of the most enduring relationships in children’s literature… spinning out the heartbreaking story of Alice from Alice in Wonderland…Focusing on three eras in Alice’s life, Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends facts with fiction. This is book club gold.”
—Publishers Weekly starred review, “Pick of the Week”

“Benjamin’s novel imagines the truth behind the mystery of Lewis Carroll’s relationship with his child muse, Alice Liddell. Although the shadow of inappropriateness always lingers, this is truly a love story, albeit one that could happily exist only in a fairy tale. This novel will have wide appeal as it includes history, romance, literature, and a great deal of suspense.”
—Library Journal (Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine University Law Library, Malibu, CA)

“Genuinely moving”
—Booklist

There is more Praise for this remarkable novel that reads so true and poignant. For it is young Alice — with straight dark hair and fringe — that will likely capture your heart. As the middle of three close-in-age sisters (from a very large family) she was the defiantly different one, chafing under the Victorian rules and restrictions for young girls. After all would a young Alice, who longed to be free and run through the grass in her bare feet, raise eyebrows today?

Seemingly more of a free spirit than anything else, Alice Liddell has her childhood dreams of wanting to stay young forever, while asking tall, thin, stuttering Charles Dodgson “to wait” for her. Indeed she is the perfect muse — full of adventure and wonder — who eventually pays a high personal price for what might have happened on a perfect day.

Although Alice I Have Been is historical fiction, Melanie Benjamin writes with such stunning clarity and heartfelt insight that the reader will likely believe the entire story to be true. And, though the author acknowledges where she has taken liberties — when documentation was unavailable — perhaps those liberties were the actual truths.

A truly beautiful and memorable novel on its own, the author has enhanced the reading experience by filling her website with the factual world of Alice. Please visit to learn about Victorian Oxford, Alice in Oxford, and even take a Virtual Tour of Oxford.

TRUST: You’ll be enchanted by the curious aspects of Alice Liddell’s adventures in real live and love.

TRUTH: Alice I Have Been is a keeper and may well become a classic in its own right. So remember that tomorrow you have a very important date at your favorite bookstore, don’t be late!

Book Giveaway: Please leave a comment on this post by 7:00 p.m. EST
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 for a chance to win a copy of Alice I Have Been. The winner — chosen from a random drawing — will be announced here in Thursday’s post.

Next Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Melanie Benjamin will offer readers a gloriously haunting tale when her historical fiction novel, Alice I Have Been becomes available in bookstores and from online retailers. The “Alice” of the title is Alice Liddell — muse/model — for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and her story will be presented here on Monday, January 11, 2010.

For now, though, the focus is on Melanie. Who is this author of the book described as “a love story and literary mystery?” According to the back cover of the Advance Reading Copy:

MELANIE BENJAMIN lives in Illinois, where she is at work on her next novel.

Fortunately Melanie Benjamin, who lives with her family in the Chicago area, reveals much more in the following Q&A:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Blessed, surprising, interesting, amusing, repeat.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: I don’t really have one. I do believe in looking forward, always; I never look back. I suppose that’s the closest thing to a maxim I have.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Going to bed at night knowing that I have something interesting and creative to do the next day.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Terrible things happening to my children.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be? Estes Park, Colorado.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: Oh, goodness! I can’t answer this; I’ve never thought to do that. I’m coming up empty with this one!

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: Tina Fey.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: “Me.” “I want.” “Will you…?”

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: The ability to speak many languages fluently.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: I don’t think in terms of achievements. I would say the trait I’m proudest of is the ability to keep working, keeping moving forward, regardless of the past.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw? A: Vanity.

Q: What’s your best quality? A: The ability to put myself in others’ shoes.

Q: What do you regret most? A: Not having the courage to go for what I truly wanted when I was younger. It took me a while to find that courage.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: I’m pretty content with who I am right now.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: My work ethic, I hope.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Rhett Butler.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Nathan Radley.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: Peyton Manning – I’m a huge Colts fan! I’d probably giggle and mumble and maybe finally ask him to sign my Colts sweatshirt.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: People who write “your welcome” when it should be “you’re welcome.”

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Reading!

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: I’m pretty sure I’m living it right now.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Honesty, humor, intelligence.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be? A: Peanut butter sandwiches.

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: “Long Black Veil,” “Ring of Fire,” (Can you tell I’m a Johnny Cash fan?) “Love at the Five and Dime” and “Gulfcoast Highway” by Nanci Griffith, “Desperado” by the Eagles.

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: HOWARDS END by E.M. Forster; THE MARCH by E.L. Doctorow; GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell; TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee; LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott.

You’ll be hearing a great deal about Melanie and her wondrous novel in the days to come, so get to know her better by following her on Twitter and friend her on Facebook.

Announcement: Congratulations to Trish Ryan and Renee G both winners of Eileen Cook’s Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood. Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing addresses and the books will be sent out as soon as possible.

Book Giveaway: Please remember The Divining Wand will be awarding two copies of 101 Ways to Torture Your Husband by randomly drawing from the comments left on this post before the deadline of Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. EST with the winners to be announced in Monday’s post.

It’s still the season for a wonderful holiday, complete with romance and delicious treats. Today’s authors share their experiences.

Emily’s Wonderful Life and Kiss

Who doesn’t love “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Okay, I grant it has some problems. For example, I don’t believe for one minute that Donna Reed’s character would have remained unmarried had George Baliey not existed. No way. I do agree that the town would have been different. The lives of people helped to buy homes there would have been different. His life, though not the life he’d wished for himself, was, indeed, wonderful, for himself and for others.

But that’s not why I like it.

I like it because we were watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” the first time the man who’s now my husband kissed me.

It took guts. The timeline was like this:
1) 1992 My friend Mary meets him while she has a semester abroad in England; he and I hear about each other from her for years.
2) October 1997 He moves to the US (west coast to my east coast), and starts to email and phone me, as friends only. We like each other a lot.
3) November 1997 We meet in person on Thanksgiving weekend at Mary’s house. Afterward he asks Mary if I “like” him.
4) Early December 1997 He sends me flowers with a note saying “I love you.” Hilariously, the florist gets my name wrong!!! Anyway, I thank him for saying so, but confess that I can’t say it back, at least not yet.
5) Christmas Day 1997 He calls me at my parents’ house in New Jersey, from his mom’s house in Devon. My mom and dad assume it’s serious, because only serious boyfriends call on Christmas Day. We open an atlas to England and find the town where he is.
6) End of December. He visits me in Massachusetts on his way back to his job in California. I waffle about whether I feel romantically toward him or not. I respect him, I enjoy his company, I think he’s super. But not sure if I feel “that way” about him.
7) December 30 1997, we watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He’s sitting in my one living room chair. I’m on the floor in front of him, next to his legs, using the chair as a backrest. He’s brushing my hair. Then he kisses me.

Wow. I was suddenly sure sure sure how I felt about him. Respect, friendship AND great kissing? I was on board from that moment. We married the next July, eleven years ago.

So that’s why I think so fondly of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

And if he ever had a George Bailey moment, if he got a chance to see what the world would be like had he never been born, I hope, unlike in the movie, that he’d find me married to someone else. As I hope the same would be true for him if I’d never been born. Marriage is wonderful, and I wouldn’t want either of us to miss it, if we couldn’t have each other.

But I’m sure glad I’m married to him. We have a really wonderful life.
Emily Winslow (The Whole World coming May 25, 2010)

[Note: Happy first kiss anniversary, Emily.]

Melanie’s Holiday Recipe

This dessert called “Cherry Delight” is only made for Thanksgiving and Christmas…(maybe New Year’s too?):

Mix together:
18 Graham crackers, crushed (or 1 ¼ cup Graham cracker crumbs)
1 stick butter, melted (on the recipe card, my grandma wrote “Oleo” instead of butter, which shows how old this is)
¼ cup sugar
Spread in 9X9 glass pan, well-greased
Cream:
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Spread on crust and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, let cool. Slightly spread 1 can of cherry pie filling (my grandmother calls for a brand called “Thank You,” but I’ve never been able to find it). Top with Cool Whip
Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been coming January 12, 2010)

‘Tis the season to be jolly or — more appropriate — to be joyful despite all the busyness. Today our authors offer a special recipe, wishlists, and a best gift given.

Meg Shares Page’s Post-It Turkey Dressing

Growing up, I was never a big fan of dressing, or gravy or anything, really, but the holiday turkey and the pies. For my oldest son’s first Thanksgiving, though, we trekked to Nashville to have Thanksgiving with my mom-in-law, and I tasted turkey dressing Page Davidson Clayton style. What a difference a recipe makes, especially when it includes cornbread, which I’ve always loved!

The next year as the holidays approached I rang Page up – from the office, it appears, since the notes I took for her recipe are written in my messiest scrawl on two rectangular yellow post-it notes. As I’ve pulled it out over the years, I’ve often thought I should commit this to a recipe card. The two post-its no longer stick together, so I’m frequently left with one in hand as I search for its match in the scatter of cut-out and collected recipes that constitute most of my recipe book, and my scrawl is nearly impossible to read, even for me, too, and my spelling atrocious. But somehow I never did, and when I pulled it out this Thanksgiving, the first time I’ve made Page’s dressing since she died last year, I realized I never will; when I look at the post-its, Page springs to life for me again in a way I’m afraid I’ll lose if this wonderful recipe is reduced to careful ink on a 3×5 card.

“Make one recipe corn bread. While hot crumble it up in a bowl. Saute 1/2 – 1 small onion & celery. Use fair amount of margarine. Pour in some of the drippings from turkey and neck, etc., & water and onion and parsely flakes & cook broth for a couple hours. Use plain white bread or biscuits & crumble it up with cornbread (3-4 pieces). Pour in hot broth. Add salt, pepper & a little poultry seasoning. Put in sq. cake pan and bake at 350° or so for till not too brown (or make patties on cookie sheet)”

The celery is struck through because my husband turns out to be allergic to it, and Page said I could omit it, but the other strike-throughs are Page making up her mind about how she cooks. Several years ago, I started throwing in a few pecans and cranberries, too, which my gang likes. But why a square cake pan instead of a round one? How much is “fair amount” or “a little” or “some”? And what’s with the “little patties on a cookie sheet” – is that dressing? These are questions I never got answers to.

In sharing Page’s recipe, though, I mean to send some of the love she gave to me out into the world. And it’s delicious love! Happy holidays, everyone!
Meg Waite Clayton (The Wednesday Sisters)

Ad Hudler’s Personal Holiday Wishlist

Mud flaps for my truck, new kitchen apron, chain saw, cute little plates from Anthropologie, money for new ‘gator-skin boots, behavioral-modification classes for our cat, and sweet cards from my daughter and wife.
Ad Hudler (Man of the House, All This Belongs to Me, House Husband)

Melanie’s Personal Holiday Wishlist

A new fireplace for our living room; it’s what my husband and I are giving each other this year.
Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been coming January 12, 2010)

Tish’s Best Gift to Her (Young) Son

When my youngest was about five, many of his toys were battery operated and the poor child was born into a battery challenged household so once his Duracell’s ran out, the toys were rendered useless. He asked Santa for batteries and our photo of him that year is one with him grinning wide while holding up his favorite present: batteries. Kind of heart breaking and cute at the same time.
Tish Cohen (Town House, Inside Out Girl, Little Black Lies YA, The Truth About Delilah Blue coming June 8, 2010)