When did you first start writing?
It’s hard to remember a time when I was not writing. In fact, while digging in a drawer at my family’s old summer cabin a few years back, I discovered my very first manuscript. It was one-and-a-half pages long, written in pencil on unlined paper, and began, in crooked lettering, “My name is Hilary. I am ten years old and this is my life story…” so I guess I’ve been itching to tell my story since before I even learned cursive. I began writing poetry during a family vacation to Egypt when I was eleven and my awe at the sights we were seeing overwhelmed my ability to express myself aloud. I began my first novel, a historical romance, at the age of sixteen, and finished it right after college.
How did the world of Bliss form?
My writing has always been about wish-fulfillment. I’ve never been one of those authors who enjoys putting her characters through the wringer—prefer to inhabit their triumphs and give them the special talents and happy endings that are sometimes unrealistic in real life. (One of my early attempts was about a rock star who looked a lot like Angelina Jolie, because who wouldn’t want to be a hot rock star?) When I decided to write Bliss, I knew it had to be something I could happily immerse myself in for months or even years. So, one day, while my husband and I were laying around brainstorming, we said to each other, “Well, what do we like best?” One of us (I won’t say who) said “Cupcakes!” and the other said “Sex!” and I knew we had the beginnings of a winning concept. From there I asked myself, “Where would I want to be, if I could be anywhere?” and the answer was Santa Fe, so I sent Serafina there in my stead. And then… well, I followed her out there.
Where did the idea for Serafina come from?
Well, I love to cook, and especially to bake, though my pastry efforts can generously be deemed “wonky-looking.” I knew the “research” for a baker character would be fun, but she had to be someone I could relate to, not just envy for her skill-set. I wanted to write about a woman who’s been through a bad patch and is just starting to discover her confidence and resilience, and then to put her in a situation where she could explore her hang-ups and challenge herself to overcome them. Serafina, with her history of alcohol abuse and being overshadowed by the more confident people in her life, fit the bill for me. I wanted her to find her way—and in a way, she has actually inspired me to find mine. Since I started her story, I’ve challenged myself to live my own dreams too, and the results have been really rewarding.
Why base the story in Santa Fe?
I’ve had a deep and undeniable connection with Santa Fe since I first came out here as an undergraduate at St. John’s College, a teeny liberal arts school up in the mountains that overlook the city. Having grown up in Manhattan, I’d never really seen mountains, or heard silence, or experienced the endless horizon stretching out before my eyes until I arrived. It was life-changing for me, so I figured it could be for Sera too. Plus, Santa Fe is quirky as hell, full of unique, artistic characters and architecture, history, and surprisingly tasty food. It’s a great place to feel free of expectations (and fashion) and just do what you want to do, without judgments. When I mention the name of my adopted city, people often exclaim, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to visit Santa Fe!” so I figured I’d give folks a chance to peek inside it, at least as I see the City Different.
How much research did you have to do to make the baking/atmosphere believable?
Well, I do hope it feels believable. I have spent a lot of time in kitchens (my waistline would say too much), though not so much in commercial ones. I resourced a friend who’s a pastry chef and has worked in restaurants for many years for some of my “professional kitchen” questions, then watched a lot of goofy cooking contest shows, researched recipes, equipment and timing. I read cookbooks and baking memoirs, and the rest… well, it’s pure imagination. Hopefully, real chefs won’t roll their eyes at me!
What is one piece of information that you know about the story or characters that you loved, but couldn’t fit into the book?
Oh, gosh. I’m not sure about information, per se, but there were a couple of scenes that didn’t make the cut that I regret having to jettison. Parts of the “orgasm quest” particularly were left behind for reasons of pacing, and I’d love to have had a chance to make more of Pauline and Hortencia’s unique relationship, and even more with Silver the puppy. Maybe I’ll end up posting some bits on my website.
Aunt Pauline has an extremely unique profession—why the sex shop and feminist background?
Pauline is really a result of an impish muse—and a little good advice from a friend. She kind of sprang, fully formed, into my head all at once. I pictured her as an example of everything Serafina wasn’t, but longed to be—sexually confident, ballsy, and fearless, never taking crap from anyone. I’ve known a number of women who exemplify the feminist movement to me, from my own mother to a couple of my former bosses, and I really like that no-apologies approach to life. But Pauline almost didn’t make the cut! Originally, it was Pauline who was supposed to have died at the beginning of the novel, inciting Serafina to fly to Santa Fe to tie up her affairs and subsequently grow into her legacy. Then a friend of mine said, “Why are you killing off your best character?” and I realized, yeah, that would be a hell of a missed opportunity. As I went along, Pauline got more and more outrageous, and I love her for it.
Speaking of which, who is your favorite character from the novel?
It’s gotta be Pauline. While Sera is a lot of things I’d like to be—warm, loving, and courageous—and of course she gets the guy, it’s Pauline I picture most clearly, and who, frankly, kicks the most ass.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Persistence pays. I got super lucky with my first novel, and it was published less than a year after I graduated from college. It was almost too easy—too much, too soon, and I didn’t know what I had until it was gone. After two more, I couldn’t get another novel published for twelve years, though not for lack of trying. There were many times I wanted to give up, and a lot of times when I walked away from the computer for six months or more, but I kept coming back because I realized that if I couldn’t do this, I would never find another vocation that would mean half as much. So I just kept writing proposals, stories and novels until I hit the right combination of right book, right timing—and right agent! Oh, and I have to say, if at all possible, join a writing group. Writing in a vacuum just (forgive the pun) sucks.
Lastly, we have to ask: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The power to heat my coffee up, just that little bit, anytime, anywhere. I loathe cold coffee!