, I couldn’t put it down. I was trying to read it during every second of free time I had. Vivid imagery brings the story alive for the reader, the words are strung together in an almost lyrical prose that surrounds the reader with beauty.” Definitely check this one out!
Below is the interview I had with Mary. My questions are in bold and her answers follow.
Paris is tough to beat.
I love to hike. There is something about being in nature and in motion that helps me think more clearly. And, of course, I love to read.
I have always loved books and I harbored the secret desire to write one since I was very young. I was in PR and investor relations for years and writing was at the core of my career, although it was decidedly of the non-fiction variety.
I like silence when I write. I wish I could listen to music, but it distracts me, especially anything with lyrics. And chocolate is definitely my reward of choice.
I did quite a bit of research on painting, which I really enjoyed. I am a huge art fan and it was fascinating to look beyond the finished product and explore the process. As someone with absolutely no talent for drawing or painting, it was great fun to create paintings out of words. All of the paintings in The Blue Bath are completely real to me. I can see each of them all in great detail.
That is a difficult question to answer as the book started so slowly. I would say maybe six years from the first time I put pen to paper – four years to write and then another two to edit, find an agent, find a publisher, and make it to publication.
I am working on two novels at the moment, each very different from each other. At some point I will have to choose to focus on one, but for the moment it is great fun toggle between the two.
I admire so many writers – anyone who can create something beautiful where there was nothing. It’s astounding, really. When I was young, I loved books that were adventures, books that took me to other places. I think that is still true today, but my definition of adventure has changed. I am inspired by so many writers. Marilynne Robinson is a writer of sublime beauty and stunning talent. Elizabeth Strout is devastating and true. Ann Patchett combines magnetic characters and utterly engaging plots. Donna Tartt is astonishing, as is George Saunders and Truman Capote. I still remember the first time I read John Updike, he was such a revelation.
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
Read, read, read. And write what you want to read. You are your first reader and you have to love it.
For this book, I started off writing individual scenes and then I pieced them together into the bigger picture – like a puzzle. There was definitely a degree of outlining, but it didn’t happen until after I had written a fair bit of the book.
One of the wonderful things about writing a novel is that it is so large that there is always something else to work on. If one scene is giving me trouble, I simply move to another part of the story that needs work. I found the process of fixing something else always seems to help unblock whatever might have been blocked.
Is there a certain message that you hope readers are taking away with them after reading your recent release, The Blue Bath?
Books are so individual, it is difficult to be prescriptive about what readers might take away from them. Perhaps simply the importance of recognizing beauty in our everyday lives.
I just wanted to say thank you to Mary for being featured on my blog. It was a pleasure reading your book and interviewing you!
We are receiving gifts for Haiti. See the Bishop's note, below. And, check out The United Methodist Church site for updates on our mission there, and our three mission executives that are missing in Haiti after the earthquake.
The devastating earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday calls for our response, most importantly with our prayers. As our sisters and brothers in this already impoverished country deal with this latest catastrophe, we are called to respond as well with our tangible gifts. You can send financial offerings through the Central Pennsylvania Conference office, designated for Haiti Earthquake Relief, Advance # 418325. All contributions sent will go directly to aid those who are suffering.
We are also being asked to provide health kits. Eric DeWalt, director of Mission Central, informs us that we will ship about 13,500 kits or about 27 pallets of health kits sometime next week. More are needed. Each health kit should contain: 1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" x 27")1 wash cloth1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz and up)1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment)6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandagesAll items should be placed inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. No money, notes, religious or political literature, or other items should be placed in the kits.
Completed kits may be delivered to Mission Central as well as any of these supplies which will then be assembled by volunteers. They may also be delivered to your district Mission Central HUB. See missioncentral.org for locations of HUBs. As more opportunities emerge to provide help in rebuilding, I know that many of you will help. The Wyoming Conference has a partnership with the church in Haiti and had already planned three mission trips in February which they hope to be able to complete. Watch the QuickLink for ways that you can be involved. As you ask, "What can I do?" be assured that God will use you to reach out to our God's beloved peole in Haiti during this most difficult time. United Methodists in Central Pennsylvania have demonstrated an extraordinary spirit of generosity in the past and I am confident will do so again.Numbers surveyed aren’t very even there, 2400 vs 83. However, as an atheist, I could see a lot of us having social support and psych issues just with being very solitary. There aren’t many closet religious people in the US. But there are a ton of closeted atheist/agnostics. 

I could see how the outliers that don’t follow the health trend are those that don’t have to hide their non-belief. Where on the other hand it can be detrimental to your mental well being to be an atheist in a family/social circle that is all southern fundamentalist, for example.Hello from the team at PeopleMax!
So we’ve all been back at work for a while but, typically, the students are only just starting their year. Campuses are beginning to fill up with new and returning students and they’ve been the primary focus for our part-time contract staff in recent times.
Our part-time contractors have also been looking out for the general public too, with a road safety campaign focusing specifically on pedestrians.
PeopleMax® is the reliable, no-hassle contract workforce provider. Remember, if you book full or part-time staff with us, we’ll do everything for you – training, rostering, contracts, salaries, communication, management and post-campaign reporting.
What our PeopleMax contract staff are up to right now:
Have you got your Maxx ID sticker?
Auckland Transport is keen to encourage the student population to use public transport. Students receive significant discounts on fare prices (up to 40% off normal prices) but they now need a specific sticker on their student ID to receive them.
PeopleMax had over 20 ambassadors at 5 tertiary institutions around Auckland (MIT, Massey, Unitec, AUT and both Auckland University campuses in the CBD and Tamaki) handing out flyers and reminding students to get a Maxx ID sticker on their student ID as soon as possible.
HOP Promotions Campaign
Once a student has their Maxx ID sticker, they’re able to renew their Tertiary HOP card.
What they might not know is that 2011 Tertiary HOP cards need to be renewed for 2012 by the end of March.
This is why the 5 major tertiary institutions in Auckland all had booths manned by PeopleMax contract workers, helping students fill out the renewal form and to make sure the paperwork is all ship-shape so they can receive public transport discounts.
‘Check Before You Step’
It’s a sad fact that too many pedestrians are injured inNew Zealandeach year. Auckland Transport and PeopleMax, along with Action Actors, were trying to help minimise incidents on the roads this year.
The name of the campaign was ‘Check before your step’.
Six ‘Lifesavers’ were at intersections around Auckland intercepting people who are about to cross the road, asking them various questions about the campaign and giving them postcards with safety hints for travelling on foot.
We’re hopeful that through this campaign our PeopleMax ambassadors and Action Actors staff will help prevent injuries on our roads in 2012.
What’s coming up for PeopleMax?
At 5am on the 25th of March, things are really going to change onNew Zealand roads.
Two give way rules are being modified to make our roads safer. As the habits of most drivers are fairly ingrained and these changes affect all road users (drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians), it’s a big challenge for Auckland Transport and the NZTA to