Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica is the international bestselling author of The Good Girl (2014) and Pretty Baby (2015). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening, and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

From Kubica's Q & A with Caroline Leavitt:

I always want to know what sparks a book? What question was haunting you that propelled you into this particular story?

I began writing Pretty Baby shortly after I sold my debut novel, The Good Girl, to MIRA in a two-book deal. I’d love to say there was some great inspiration for the book, but what I remember is this: being slightly terrified by the prospect of writing a second novel, and not feeling convinced I could do it. I spent a tense afternoon trying to no avail to summon an idea (any idea!), when suddenly an image of a young, homeless girl popped into my mind. She was standing in the rain, and, in her arms, there was a baby. I had no idea who she was or what her story would be, but whatever it was, I knew this girl was at the core of my second novel.

The basic premise of your novel is so fascinating--a woman tries to do the right thing, and it ends up becoming a tense psychological nightmare. There’s a whole web of lies and denials. Why do you think that what was Heidi’s greatest strength becomes her weakness--and do you think this is often the case?

Heidi is a wonderful, compassionate woman. She will do anything for anybody, regardless of whether or not it’s the best decision to make, and...[read on]

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--Marshal Zeringue