How much of the book is true? All the big stuff is true. The conversations are made up, of course, but the events really happened.
How long did it take to write the book? I spent over ten years working on it. Especially at first, some of the parts were so difficult to face that I’d only write a few sentences or a paragraph or two and then walk away from it for weeks at a time. Even now…twenty some years later…when I edit it, sometimes I still cry.
How did I come up with the book title? Well, for most of the last decade it was actually I WISH THERE WERE A BABY FACTORY…but then a couple of people questioned whether that was grammatically correct (it is). I figured that if just a few people thought I’d flub up the title, I needed to change it or they would be put off of the book entirely. Hence the plural (seems to sound better to most ears). Interestingly, the late night conversation in the book between Lauren and Mack actually was inserted after I decided on the title! (see question above!)
Do I really hate New York? I don’t HATE New York. I hated the commute. I hated that Mack was always there. I hated that even when I did commute up there I still only got to see him for a few hours and he was inevitably exhausted the whole time. I hated I couldn’t get pregnant and needed something to blame it on. New York was an easy target. I’ve had some wonderful, amazing weekends in New York since then.
What was it really like working for the Maryland General Assembly? Crazy, exhilarating, fulfilling, chaotic. Pretty much what I described in the book. As with every profession, there are some geniuses in the group and there are some that make you scratch your head and wonder if their constituents have ever actually met the member. I exaggerated personalities to make them more memorable, but some of the ridiculous scenes (think: reasons a bill gets passed) are really true.
Will there be a sequel? You bet, and I’ve already got the working title: WHY DON’T BABIES COME WITH MANUALS?! (and I promise it won’t take ten years to write!)