Maureen K. Lipinski, a graduate of Miami University (in Ohio, not Florida), resides in Chicago with her husband Kevin, two obese cats and one demented dog.
She discovered the true meaning of irony when, shortly after finishing A BUMP IN THE ROAD, she became unexpectedly pregnant and her son Ryan was born in 2007. She works full-time and signs her paycheck directly over to the nanny.
A Bump In The Road
When twenty-seven-year-old event planner and famous blogger Clare Finnegan got married, she didn’t mind moving out of the city. After all, a suburban existence didn’t necessarily equal domesticity. Yet after a weekend in Vegas, Clare discovers she’s pregnant and is thrown into a world where eating lunchmeat is equivalent to smoking crack and maternity clothes appear to have been molested by a Bedazzler.
In the midst of her slow transition from beer bottles to baby bottles, Clare juggles burgeoning internet stardom, plans Chicago’s biggest black-tie gala and attempts to keep the peace between her two feuding best friends.
Through it all, Clare manages to keep it together and discovers that, sometimes, the unexpected can be a whole lot of fun...despite the extra thirty pounds.
What would you like your readers to take away from your book?
I would love for readers to laugh their butts off when they read my book. Pregnancy is such a strange, unique, fun and goofy experience so I hope that women can relate Clare’s journey. There are few other times in a woman’s life when she can experience true hilarity as when she’s nine months pregnant. My hope is that readers can laugh with Clare as she navigates a world of hideous maternity clothes and swollen ankles.
If you could have a conversation with one of your characters who would it be and why?
Ooohhh! Cool question! Let’s see…I guess I would have to pick Sam, Clare’s teenaged sister. I would ask her to please stop asking Clare if she has to wear high-waisted “Mom Jeans” now that she has a kid. And gently remind her that Clare and Jake have no current plans to buy a minivan, despite living in the suburbs.
What was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I think, like a lot of other writers, my greatest roadblock was myself. Actually forcing myself to sit down and put in the bazillion hours it takes to write a first draft of a book. And then, forcing myself to spend many, many evenings ripping that book to shreds in revisions. It was making the mental commitment to pursue my dream—and the intestinal fortitude to believe I could succeed in such a tough business. Writing is such a solitary profession that we have to be our biggest fans, our best cheerleaders. Because those books aren’t writing themselves, you know?
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I learned that writing is an amazing amount of work. I always had this rose-colored fantasy in my head that as soon as I “decided” to become a writer, the story would flow out effortlessly, be bought for mucho dinero by a publisher and become an instant best seller. Hilarious, right? I’ve learned that success in publishing, like any other profession, is only rewarded after lots of hard work, thick skin and a “never surrender” attitude.
What's your secret to balancing career and family?
OK, so this one stumped me. Because? Most days? It doesn’t feel like a balance. It feels like a tug-of-war and whatever is most urgent wins out. But, hands down, my family comes first. I think the most important thing a working mom can do is cut herself some slack. There’ll always be self-regenerating laundry piles, grocery lists longer than War and Peace and work stress rivaling that of an air-traffic-controller’s. But that stuff can wait. Because dancing around with my toddler to Jack’s Big Music Show is a heckuva lot more fun than cleaning out my fridge or doing an expense report.
How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)
I love to hear from readers! They can contact me via my website at http://www.maureenlipinski.com/. I love to chat about books, the Chicago Cubs and any trashy reality show airing on Vh1.
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2 comments:
Great book. I loved how the book evolved into Clare embracing the thought of having a baby and when they saw the baby on the monitor their relationship changed.
I loved reading your interview! I could relate to so much of what you said. I haven't read your book yet but am looking forward to it. I hope to give it to my daughter, who desperately wants to have a baby. (they have been trying for approx. 2 years)
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