I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mary about the book and her thoughts on motherhood.  Take a look at the conversation below.

What made you want to write “The Unexpected When You’re Expecting”?

“I wanted an alternative to all the advice guides that were out there. This book is pure escapism–no advice whatsoever. It’s the fun gift at the shower or the book you read when you want to molest a pint of ice cream. I also wanted it to be funny whether you had someone marinating in your uterus or not. In fact, I’ve had a great response from men who have read it and that thrills me. It’s a parody so that allowed me to be a bit snarky and over the top. Just because you lose your ability to menstruate, doesn’t mean you lose your edge.  Essentially, I was aiming for Daily Show with a due date.”

Do you have any advice for Moms who might want to write a book?

 ”It’s a business like anything else. I was a magazine editor in New York for 10 years before I started with books so the industry wasn’t completely unfamiliar. If you’re new to publishing though, the best place to start is researching the type of book you want to write. Read what’s out there and figure out how you can fill a niche.  Essentially, the whole time you’re thinking of an idea–ask yourself literally “Who is going to care about this?” Then find out. Prove it to yourself first, and then you can prove it to an agent or publisher. I will say, writing a book is the best gig ever for a mother. It’s one of the few jobs in the world that you can do with a child in your lap.” 

What was your funniest moment breastfeeding?

“When random men would come up and ask for “a hit”. I’m kidding. I didn’t breast feed. Mine are recreational use only.”

What is your greatest dream as a mom?

“For my kid to find true happiness. And to be the kind of mom who can show her the way there, whether her destination is a place I’m familiar with or not. Oh, and for Bugaboo to install a drink holder.”

 Thanks to Mary for for her time.  We can’t wait to hear about your next literary adventure!

Dadlabs is awesome so be sure and share their site with your friends and family.

Click here to see the video!

Thanks to everyone that has entered our milkscreen moms sweepstakes so far. Our last prize will be a $200 Target gift card, so be sure to send in your entries before 5pm on September 26, 2008 because who doesn’t love a shopping spree at Target!

Don’t forget to register for your chance to win our next exciting sweepstakes prize — a Flip Video Ultra Camcorder valued at $150. Entries will be accepted until 5pm CST on September 1.

Good luck!

Win a free Medela Pump in Style breast pump valued at $280!

Time is running out to win the Medela Pump in Style breast pump in the Milkscreen Moms sweepstakes. Visit http://www.milkscreen-moms.com/enter-to-win/ to register to win the Medela breast pump. All entries must be recevied by 5pm CST next Friday, August 8.

And stayed tuned for our next exciting sweepstakes prize … the Flip Video Ultra Camcorder!

What are your thoughts on this topic? Would you breastfeed another woman’s baby?

Show your support and make plans to stop by on Friday. There will be free ice cream and lemonade as well as lots of giveaways and door prizes. Live entertainment will also be provided on site and free “Keep Austin Breastfeeding” t-shirts!

 Julie Jumonville, the inventor of Milkscreen, will actually be at the event with me so we hope to see you there!

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For those of you that could not make it to the show here are some lovely shots of our UpSpring Baby booth.

And the reason for the delay on this posting. We had to double up on our workouts after eating all of the amazing food at BlogHer. I have never been to a trade show that had such wonderful food, and they kept it coming every two hours! My favorite was the new Boca Burger — Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan – which I quickly picked up at my local grocery store when I got back to Austin.

Speaking of Austin, it was a pleasure to meet our fellow Austinite and BlogHer closing keynote speaker, Stephanie Klein. Stephanie is hysterical, so be sure to check out her blog at http://stephanieklein.blogs.com.

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