Mary Kubica’s second book Pretty Baby was released few days ago. As always, Land of Books is right on the spot of the fresh titles to present some inside info about the novel. The initial feedback by the readers is pretty nice. So far the story accumulated 4.6 Amazon stars from more than 20 reviews. “Suspenseful page turner”, “Thrilling and Dark Read”, “Brilliantly written,” are just some of the opinions by the readers. Pretty Baby already finds its place at NY Times Bestselling list.
Let’s say welcome to our next guest Mary Kubica.

Mary Kubica, author “The Good Girl”

– Mary, what is your next book Pretty Baby about?
– Pretty Baby is about a Chicago mother, Heidi Wood, who comes across a young homeless girl with a baby. She becomes extremely taken with her and wants to help her with her plight, and ends up bringing this girl and her baby into her home. As she does, Heidi begins to discover who this girl is and what effect her being there will have on Heidi and her family’s lives.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– My first inspiration for the story was the opening scene, where Heidi encounters the homeless girl, Willow, for the first time. I had no idea at the time who Willow was or what her story would be, but I knew she was going to be central to this storyline.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– Simply finding the time to write. The Good Girl took about five years to write, and I knew with Pretty Baby I was on a much different deadline. My kids were also quite small when I was writing Pretty Baby, and so I didn’t have much free time to write, as I was busy caring for them. I got in the habit of waking up early, well before the kids, so I’d have a few undisturbed hours of writing time at the start of every day.
– Tell us something more about your main characters Willow and Heidi? Are they close to someone from your real life?
– Willow and Heidi are completely fictional characters, and are not based on people in my real life. Willow is a homeless teenage girl who has endured quite a tragic past before entering into Heidi and her husband, Chris’s, lives. Heidi is quite a solicitous woman, someone who wants to help everyone, and she makes it her mission to care for Willow – a mission that gets thrown quickly off track.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– Pretty Baby took about a year to write, and another year to reach publication day.
– Did you expect such a great feedback for your debut book The Good Girl?
– Certainly not, though of course it was something I’d hoped for. I had no idea what the response would be to The Good Girl, and so I was pleasantly surprised with the outpouring of support and positive reviews. It’s been a thrilling year, to say the least.
– Who are you?
– I am a mother first and foremost; my family always comes first. I’m really fortunate to have this career where I can be home with my kids, but also make a living writing novels here at home. It’s like a dream come true. I also volunteer at a local animal shelter, and am the proud parent of four cats, three of whom came from the shelter where I work.
– What are your writing habits?
– I don’t outline my novels, but prefer to dive right in and let the characters and the story itself lead me. Seeing as neither of my novels are told in a linear time frame, I also write sections at a time. In the case of The Good Girl, for example, I wrote the Before and After sections separately, and then combined. This helps me to really understand my characters’ motivations at a given time, and keep the timeline better organized in my mind.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– Yes! Sales have been fantastic. Much better than I had expected.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– Thankfully I have a wonderful publicity team focusing on promoting my books, so I’m better able to focus on writing. I also try to connect with readers as best I can via social media, attending library and bookstore events, speaking with book clubs, and more. I think it’s important that readers know authors as much more than just a name on the book.
– When we will see your next novel and would you unveil something more about it?
– My next novel will release in 2016, and is about the simultaneous disappearance of a young Chicago woman and the appearance of a young woman on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan in a small beachfront town. Stay tuned for more details!
– Do you remember the first time when you decide to write a full novel?
– The Good Girl was the first novel I completed. I’ve loved writing since I was a little girl, but never had a manuscript come completely together in the way that The Good Girl did.
– Do you receive some kind of writing inspiration when you are taking care of animals, and did you mention in your books any of the pets you met in the animal’s shelter?
– Both The Good Girl and Pretty Baby feature animals in some way, but they are completely fictional and not based on any animals I know. I do feel that animals are a part of our everyday lives, however, and love to include them in my stories when I can.
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be?
– What is your favorite novel? Tim O’Brien’s THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

To learn more about Mary Kubica check out her Website
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Take a look at her books
The Good Girl
Pretty Baby