I got the invitation to read From Scratch by Rachel Goodman and I was instantly excited about the synopsis. I love love love Southern boys and I’m always looking for a sweet, fluffy read. After I devoured it, I was invited to interview Rachel and I jumped at the chance.
Before we get to her answers, let’s check out the book!
Thirty-year-old Lillie Turner grew up with maple syrup stuck to her skin and bacon grease splattered on her clothes, courtesy of working in the family diner. Thank goodness she escaped all that when she moved to Chicago five years ago. Now a successful strategy consultant and newly engaged to a man who complements her like biscuits and gravy, she has everything she wants.
When an urgent phone call about her father’s health pulls Lillie back to Dallas, she soon learns it was a ruse to bring her home so she can run the diner she’d rather avoid and compete in the Upper Crust, an annual baking competition, with no option to withdraw. Lillie is furious and ready to run back to Chicago, but her father’s haggard appearance makes her wonder if he’s hiding something. Things go from bad to worse when Nick, her handsome ex and the only man she ever truly loved, reappears, looking as scrumptious as ever.
Lillie’s trip home forces her to question the path she’s chosen, find her place in the family she abandoned, and wonder if the life she left behind is what she wants after all.
Sounds good, right? {You can find my review here.}
1. Where did the idea for From Scratch come from?
I’m heavily influenced by food, so I frequently create memorable dishes and discover new cities through their cuisine. Indulging in a meal that can simultaneously take me on an adventure and remind me of where I’ve been is always a fun treat for me.
I also adore homecomings with a sprinkle of crazy relatives thrown in and second-chance-at-love storylines, so I wanted to write a book that incorporated all those things. Plus, it meant I got to partake in dessert every night as “research.”
2. Why do you love Lillie and Nick and why should we root for them?
I love Nick and Lillie because, to me, they’re so very normal. They’re the physical embodiment of the excitement of youth and growing up—and even growing apart. And I love that their story shows that sometimes you need to wander away from home, away from the people you love, to discover that home is where you’ve always wanted to be.
I think people should root for Nick and Lillie because they’re a couple who got to experience that rush of first love—when everything is new and exciting and perfect. And then, as life is prone to do, they grew apart as they grew older. Lillie and Nick have to take separate, and sometimes painful, journeys to ultimately figure out what they want from life. But this time around, as wiser, more mature versions of themselves, they’re hoping for a different outcome. I think their story is a reminder that timing and forgiveness are often the two most powerful factors for falling in love.
3. What was your favorite scene to write?
Hands down, the trivia scene at the Tipsy Teakettle. It shows Nick and Lillie slipping into old habits and having fun in the moment. Plus it brings out their competitive streaks.
I also had a blast Googling things like, “What was Oscar the Grouch’s original color?” and “Why do cuttlefish have a W-shaped pupil?” (Which ended up not being used in the book, but in case you’re curious, it’s because it enables them to have an enhanced perception of contrast and allows them to see both forward and backward.)
4. Without spoilers, were there any scenes that had to be cut that you wish could have stayed?
Not really. If anything I had to add scenes to solidify the novel as a contemporary romance—the original version leaned more toward chick-lit/light women’s fiction. And I had to cut A LOT of food comparisons because I went a tad overboard.
5. Describe From Scratch in 5 words.
Southern charm and homemade romance.
Speed {ish} round:
1. You get the call/letter/email that says you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.
I was at school in between classes (I teach engineering at a university in Dallas) when my agent, Melissa Jeglinski, called to tell me I had an offer, so I did the whole stifled laughter-through-tears thing in the middle of the hallway while students flowed around me like I was a rock in a river.
2. What 3 things would you take to a desert island?
My husband and two dogs, all of whom are carrying packs filled with macaroni and cheese. (Hey, you never said it had to be practical.)
3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?
The Witches by Roald Dahl. I read it at least once a year, and it always reminds me of childhood and wonder and imagination.
4. Who are your favorite swoony boys/girls?
Adam Wilde from Gayle Forman’s If I Stay/Where She Went series. He loves deeply, wears his heart on his sleeve, and writes unforgettable lyrics.
Chris Hemsworth and Ryan Reynolds because obviously.
5. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?
The only aspect on this crazy, wild journey that’s in your control is writing the best book you can. And then after you’ve done that, write another one.
6. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out, what do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question}
Remain human, and if someday I have a child, not name her Renesmee!
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Rachel is a mojito lover, cheese enthusiast, wanderluster, book junkie, romance writer, and an enginerd. She is a Colorado native displaced in Texas and an engineer and university professor. When she’s not creating optimization models or traveling the world, eating her way through city after city, she is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up stories and typing away on the computer. She lives in suburbia Dallas with her husband and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Oliver Pancake and Rigby Peanut. FROM SCRATCH is her first novel.
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Huge thanks to Pocket Star for the invite and to Rachel for taking the time. Make sure you’re checking out her website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding From Scratch to your Goodreads TBR page.
From Scratch releases today and you should definitely get it. You can find it on Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Amazon
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