1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Three women—who have every possible reason to despise each other—band together when a baby belonging to exactly none of them lands on their metaphorical doorstep.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve lived in Greenwich Village for almost fifteen years. It’s a special place with loads of personality! I wanted to write a book where the characters move into in a brownstone close to Washington Square Park. In my opinion, this neighborhood is the sweet spot of New York City.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! I would love to be invited to Lauren and Leo’s brownstone to hang out with the whole family. I hope Olivia, Melinda, Phillip, and Evelyn will also be around!
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Of my three protagonists, Melinda is my favorite. She’s a middle-aged woman I would describe as bitter, smart, and funny. In spite of the initial impression she makes, she has a very big heart.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Lauren, one of the main characters, is a potter. She makes beautiful porcelain cups, teapots, and tiered cookie plates on which she paints little grotesqueries (like slugs and cockroaches). When I started writing this book, I knew precisely nothing about pottery. I befriended four women ceramists who instructed me on the ins and outs of working with clay, from the materials and tools needed, to the process, to the timing of it all. These women were incredibly helpful.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I do both! I edit as I go, but when I’m finished, I do extensive rewriting. THE SWEET SPOT required a massive revision because I decided to switch the narrative voice after I finished writing the book. I had to start over from scratch.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
For a big splurge: Hellfire Roll at Lure Fish Bar with a glass of champagne. And while I’m writing? Gummy bears.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I don’t have my own office. However, I’m an empty-nester, so I have options! Currently, my favorite place to write is the dining room table.
10–Who is an author you admire?
I love Terry McMillan, Elinor Lipman, Emma Straub, and Stephen McCauley. They all write about families with lots of humor and so much heart, and their characters feel real to me. I also admire Julie Schumacher because her books are incredibly funny and original.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
The book that changed my life is the play THE REAL THING by Tom Stoppard. I read it in college and auditioned to be in a production at a nearby school. I was cast in the show along with a guy who I ended up marrying a few years later. There’s nothing like a little backstage romance!
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I remember so clearly when my agent called to tell me Emily Bestler at Emily Bestler Books was going to publish my first book, SMALL ADMISSIONS. I was so over-the-moon thrilled! THE SWEET SPOT is my fourth book, and I’ve worked with Emily this whole time. I’ll publish two more books with her in the coming years. Stay tuned!
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love to read both historical and contemporary fiction, and I love to listen to audiobooks of memoirs. I’m currently listening to a fabulous memoir by Bridgett M. Davis called THE WORLD ACCORDING TO FANNIE DAVIS – I highly recommend it!
14–What’s your favorite movie?
There are so many great movies that I simply can’t choose one. Instead, I’ll pick the year 1987, the year of Moonstruck, Baby Boom, The Princess Bride, Overboard, Raising Arizona, and Broadcast News, to name only a few.
15–What is your favorite season?
Fall! I’m a fan of cooler weather, beautiful leaves, and cute boots.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
A fun dinner with my family makes me happier than anything else in this world.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I loved the book LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I grew up in Dallas, so I have a serious attachment to Tex-Mex: Nachos, enchiladas, tacos, guacamole, chili con queso … and don’t forget the frozen margaritas!
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I love to read, to go to plays, movies, and museums, to take walks with my husband and dog, and above all I love to travel.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
My next book involves a house swap between a family in Texas and a family in Germany. Their lives become intertwined as we find out why they want to spend a year as far away from home as possible.
THE SWEET SPOT by Amy Poeppel
A Novel
In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby – belonging to exactly none of them – lands on their collective doorstep.
Lauren and her family – lucky bastards – have been granted the use of a spectacular brownstone, teeming with history and dizzyingly unattractive 70s wallpaper. Adding to the home’s bohemian, grungy splendor is the bar occupying the basement, a (mostly) beloved dive called The Sweet Spot. Within days of moving in, Lauren discovers that she has already made an enemy in the neighborhood by inadvertently sparking the divorce of a couple she has never actually met.
When Melinda’s ex follows his lover across the country, leaving their squalling baby behind, the three women rise to the occasion in order to forgive, to forget, to Ferberize, and to track down the wayward parents. But can their little village find a way toward the happily ever afters they all desire? Welcome to The Sweet Spot.
Women’s Fiction [Atria/Emily Bestler Books, On Sale: January 31, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781982176457 / eISBN: 9781982176471]
Buy THE SWEET SPOT: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Love’s Sweet Arrow | Walmart.com | Book Depository | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Amy Poeppel
Amy Poeppel lives with her husband and three sons in New York City, where she once worked in the admissions department of an independent school. She workshopped a theatrical version of Small Admissions at the Actors Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit. She later expanded it into this novel.
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