FAQ's

Q: Was it difficult to keep all the different women’s storylines straight?
A: Not really. These women all had such clear images in my head, that I just let them each speak to me about their lives. I will admit that by the end I just wanted them all to shut up!

Q: This book has a very different format from INAPPROPRIATE MEN, which was lauded for its structure. Were you worried about breaking the mold you had created?
A: In many ways, yes, it is somewhat nerve-wracking to take something that people liked and chuck it in favor of a more usual style of writing. But I felt that the structure of IM was related so strongly to Sidney’s voice that if I used something similar here, it wouldn’t be truthful. People would be quick to call me on it as a cop-out, in the same way that Helen Fielding would probably not want to write about a character other than Bridget Jones in the same diary format.

Q: How was it trying to write a book on a deadline?
A: Luckily for me, not too bad. I know that many writers can feel pressured by a deadline, but since I am a procrastinator, having that date hanging over my head kept me on task. And the story flowed pretty well once I got started.

Q: It must be a real thrill having your second book published, but also perhaps a little scary. Any fears about this one?
A: I am pretty terrified, to be honest. Putting out a second book means that there are a lot of people in the world with the ability to say “The first one was better.” People who loved the first one could very well be disappointed. I hate the idea of letting someone down, especially since I know how many times I myself have felt cheated when an artist’s second effort seemed not to match the first. But all I could do was write the best book I could and pray!

Q: INAPPROPRIATE MEN dealt frankly with some of the issues of being a plus-sized woman. In SLEEPING OVER three of your five heroines are bigger girls, but you don’t really discuss it, it becomes a non-issue. Do you feel a particular responsibility to represent larger women, and if so, why not hit the issue head on?
A: As a plus-sized woman, I do feel a responsibility to show positive images of bigger women in my writing. But I feel a equal responsibility to let those women focus on whatever aspect of their character that fits their lives. Both Lilith and Beth in SLEEPING OVER are larger girls, and Robin is a healthy voluptuary. And for all of them, they have other things more on their front-burners, so to speak. I like the idea of acknowledging size as one attribute of a character and then letting it go. I think it would be nice if size became one more basic attribute, like blue eyes or brown hair, not to be treated with any more importance than any other characteristic.

Q: This book seems a little less ‘fluffy’ than mainstream chick lit tends to be, almost a bridge between literary women’s fiction and chick lit. Are you worried that your audience won’t want to deal with some of the bigger issues?
A: I think that the chick lit audience is broader than most people imagine, and that many of them would like to read about more serious issues, but still within the framework of the genre. Look at Caren Lissner’s STARTING FROM SQUARE TWO, about a young widow, or Laura Caldwell’s A CLEAN SLATE about a woman dealing with trauma-induced amnesia. At some point, the books have to be about more than shopping and sex, otherwise we’ll lose our readers.