COVERITLIVE.COM

12:30

PressHerald.com - Hi, this is Angie Muhs, welcoming you to our chat with Monica Wood. We've been reading "Any Bitter Thing" for our March Read Around Maine, and Monica was gracious enough to come by.

12:30

PressHerald.com - If you'd like to make a comment, or react to a comment, it's helpful to preface it with the person's name.

12:31

[Comment From Andi ]
Hi Angie and Monica. "Any Bitter Thing" was a great read this month. I really enjoyed it, especially the "twist" of Father M really being alive.

12:32

PressHerald.com - Thanks, Andi .. We're having a little trouble getting Monica logged on.

12:32

[Comment From Guest ]
Monica, did you know the ending of the book when you began writing it?

12:33

PressHerald.com - While we're getting Monica set up, I'll type for her.

12:33

PressHerald.com - M says she knew nothing except that a young woman had an accident. That's all I had.

12:34

PressHerald.com - I'm curious, who is the Father Bob the book is dedicated to?

12:34

PressHerald.com - M: Father Bob is my real life priest uncle. All the good memories of Lizzy's early childhood came from my own memories of him.

12:36

[Comment From Sarah ]
Wow, that's amazing. Every little twist and turn seems so carefully planned. Great question, Angie - I wondered that, too, when I began reading the book.

12:36

[Comment From Laura ]
Monica, how did you decide to name the sections of the book after The Breviary?

12:36

PressHerald.com - M: That's a long answer Laura.

12:37

PressHerald.com - OK, I think we're getting Monica set to type for herself!

12:37

PressHerald.com - So hold on, re the Breviary.. more to come!

12:38

PressHerald.com - M: There comes a moment in every book for me when the structure suddenly appears. Often this is well nto the writing of the book, after a couple drafts at least.

12:39

PressHerald.com - M: In this case ..l was in a period of despair when I was fairly sure the novel was never going to come togehter, and I was sitting at my computer & my eyes just wandered to a shelf where Vol. 4 of my uncle's Breviary was sitting there.

12:40

PressHerald.com - M: I have 3 sisters, and each of us got one volume after my uncle died. I picked it up , went to the places he had marked himself and found my epigraphs for each Father Mike chapter. And then I quickly realized that the Liturgy of the Hours , aka the Breviary, was the perfect structure for this novel.

12:40

[Comment From Andi ]
Hey Monica, here in our library, our circulation staff was just book talking your book and "Any Bitter Thing" just went out again!

12:40

PressHerald.com - M: that's great to hear

12:41

PressHerald.com - Monica, when did the title come to you?

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