CUPCAKES WAR READING CHALLENGE 2012 discussion

This is the place we will meet for our chat with Meg Donohue, author of "How to Eat a Cupcake". I just finished the book and I am looking forward to our chat with Meg! I can't wait until she is finished her next book!

Think about how you eat your cupcakes and if it has something to do with your personality. Also, come prepared with some great questions for Meg!

I saw that Meg made the bestseller list at the Boston Globe! Congratulations, Meg!

I have come on early so let me know when you are online. Thanks.

I am online, Thanks for the invite!

I am here. I just joined today so I hope it's okay. I loved Meg's book though!

Oh good. I hope that Meg comes online soon too. She lives in California.

I will let you know that you will need to refresh your page during the chat because that is what happened last time we were online discussing another book!

I am here! Hello, Brenda, Heather, and Amber!

Yes, I just figured that out when I received 2 emails stating I received a comment

Hello, Meg, and everone! Thanks again for the invite Brenda

oops everyone*

Hi Meg!
We will wait a few minutes for some of the other members that said they were coming.

Well I have to say Meg, I loved the book, and I read part of your blog of Book to movie and I absolutely agree with your character choices

Hi again Meg. I guess they will join us eventually. I just finished your book this past weekend. Loved it!!! I wrote a review and posted it.

Meg, I'm not sure you remember, but I posted you a picture of my chocolate oreo cupcakes a few months ago and you told me that Annie would be nervous from the competition... One of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten!

I often wonder how long it takes for an author to write a novel. How long did this book take you to write?

Thank you so much, Heather! For those who didn't read the blog she is referring to...I was "dreamcasting" for the How to Eat a Cupcake movie and thinking January Jones and America Ferrara would be great in the leads. A girl can dream. :) Any other ideas? I'm so curious!

Amber those sound amazing, I have my nephew this weekend and we are going to bake Pink Lemonade cupcakes this weekend!!! I can't wait

I am here now, sorry I am late...

Meg wrote: "Thank you so much, Heather! For those who didn't read the blog she is referring to...I was "dreamcasting" for the How to Eat a Cupcake movie and thinking January Jones and America Ferrara would be ..."

That is funny because I actually could see a movie made from your book! It would be great.

Hi! I'm here

Wow Heather, Pink Lemonade Cupcakes sound really yummy!

I just love America and I have only watched Mad Men a few times but she January Jones would make a great fit for Julia. I think that it would make a great movie!

So, Meg....how long did it actually take you to write your book>

I will post the link Amber!

Hi Amber! I absolutely do remember! Those looked AMAZING!
Heather -- you will have to let me know how the pink lemonade cupcakes turn out! I'd love to see pics!

Thank you so much, Brenda! How to Eat a Cupcake took me about a year to write. I try to write 10 pages/week.

Hi Meg! I was wondering if Annie and Julia are based on women you may know or are they completely from your imagination?

Hi, Julie! :)

I will post pictures, we are cheating and using a funfetti cake mix but it will be easier with a 6 yr old

Hi, Amy! Annie and Julia are completely from my imagination. They both have pieces of me in them, but lots of pieces that aren't me at all. :)

Hi Meg! It is so nice of you to join us. I really enjoyed reading your book. It made want cupcakes really badly! :)

Where did the idea of the story come from?

http://startingtosimmer.blogspot.com/...

Thanks so much, Julie! It's fun for me to be here. We should really all have cupcakes while we're chatting.

Meg wrote: "Hi Amber! I absolutely do remember! Those looked AMAZING!
Heather -- you will have to let me know how the pink lemonade cupcakes turn out! I'd love to see pics!

Thank you so much, Brenda! How to E..."

I don't think people realize how long a novel actually takes to write! Lots of hard work.

Meg wrote: "Thanks so much, Julie! It's fun for me to be here. We should really all have cupcakes while we're chatting."

This was my thought exactly!

Speaking of how you eat a cupcake speaks of your character. I actually eat cupcakes two ways... When it's chocolate I eat the frosting first, then the cake. Everything else, I just dig right in.

I would only want some of those yummy ones from the book though! There is a cupcake shoppe near me with the name "Taste". I think it actually won a prize on the show- Cupcake Wars!

Meg...do you have a favorite? Annie or Julia?

Hello Meg

That is funny because I noticed on the publisher's site for Meg's book that they had a question about whether how you ate a cupcake had anything to do with your personality! I wonder???

Amber wrote: "Speaking of how you eat a cupcake speaks of your character. I actually eat cupcakes two ways... When it's chocolate I eat the frosting first, then the cake. Everything else, I just dig right in."

I am not always a frosting girl, so sometimes I scrap off the icing and just eat the cupcake. But...if I like the frosting, then I will lick all of that off first and then pig-out on the cake.

Brenda -- The story was inspired by several things. Our nanny at the time had 5 children and she would sometimes bring one of her daughters with her when she watched our daughter. I loved watching the little girls interact and thought about what it would like if they grew up in each others' lives...when would they become aware of the different dynamics in our two families' relationships...

When you wrote the story, did you already know how it was going to end or do you figure that out as you go along???

continued...I was also thinking about how food brings people together...and started thinking about two people who had little in common except for a love of cupcakes...how that love could bring them back together after a rift...

W. Donna wrote: "Hello Meg"

Hi mom!

Julie wrote: "Amber wrote: "Speaking of how you eat a cupcake speaks of your character. I actually eat cupcakes two ways... When it's chocolate I eat the frosting first, then the cake. Everything else, I just di..."

I wonder what this says about me...

Hi, W. Donna! I'm sorry for my delayed responses as I type and refresh over here... :)

Meg wrote: "Brenda -- The story was inspired by several things. Our nanny at the time had 5 children and she would sometimes bring one of her daughters with her when she watched our daughter. I loved watching ..."
Well, it made a great story! When they are young they don't realize the differences! The problems didn't really begin between them until they were in high school.

Julie wrote: "W. Donna wrote: "Hello Meg"

Hi mom!"

Too funny!

I talked a little about what your style of cupcake eating says about your personality on USA Today last week...http://books.usatoday.com/happyeveraf...