Who put the "kitchen" in "novelist"? Actually, the real starting point is: Who put the "novelist" in "kitchen"? Years ago, when my writing office became Internet Central ("Can you jump off so I can log on?"), I repeatedly found myself transplanted to the kitchen counter. Not the best writing environment since it is the hub of the house, but it has a lovely view of the backyard, allows me to keep a finger on the pulse of our family, and puts me in a cooking state of mind. And, yes, that last one is overpriced in terms of exercise and calorie counting.
Back to the original question. I'm not new to cooking, at least not in the generally accepted sense. But cooking with purpose and passion? That began with a three-book food-themed fiction proposal that happily sailed off my kitchen counter and onto an editor's desk--only to be dashed on the rocks of an editorial board.
Though I have had fourteen novels published with RandomHouse, HarperCollins, and Bantam, this was not my first run-in with the rejection letter. But after the usual angst that accompanies the burial of an uncontracted manuscript, my proposal lives on. It's in the items added to my kitchen during research into the character and habits of a cook: a KitchenAid stand mixer that would surely test positive for steroids, bright pink spatulas, stainless steel prep bowls, curvaceous measuring cups, beautiful bamboo cutting boards, Rachael-Ray-orange casserole dishes, knives sharp enough to take down a tomato with a single stroke, handy magnetic spice canisters, and a few (well…) new cookbooks.
More importantly, my unpublished series lives on in priceless family time framed by a variety of freshly prepared meals to which we are now accustomed. And that's where my editorial board comes in. "Thumbs up" from Senior, Junior, and Junior Too and the recipe is added to my "keeper" recipe binder. "Thumbs down" and it suffers the same fate as my manuscript--no posterity.
And so I continue to cook and bake. I even dehydrate. Which may be the reason I only recently put together a new proposal--and why I need to keep a closer eye on the scales that surely exist to reflect my feelings about Mushroom Enchiladas, Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Meaty Cajun Carbonara, Hummingbird Cake…
The Kitchen Novelist is the big pot into which I stir writing, reading, and cooking to serve to those interested in any or all. So pull up a pen or a pan and enjoy. Or not. Regardless, I'm glad you visited my www and I hope you'll peek in on my ongoing adventures at:
