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Allison Larkin

Internationally Best-Selling Author

You are here: Home / 3Ws / 3Ws – Dana Bate

3Ws – Dana Bate

December 9, 2014 Filed Under: 3Ws, author interviews, books are awesome, food, writing

Author photo

What do you create?

I write what some call “foodie rom coms” – short for food-themed romantic comedies. Other people have called it chick lit, lighthearted women’s fiction, and foodie lit. I just write the stories inside me and try not to label them.

Why do you create?

I like making something that can bring a smile to someone’s face, including my own. When I’m in a groove and write a scene that is working, it’s like a drug – I can’t get enough. But what’s even better is when someone else reads that scene and has a similar reaction. I recently received a message from a reader who was going through a difficult time in his personal life, and he said, “Thanks for making some tough times in my life much better.” If I can make even one person’s day a little brighter with something I’ve created, then I’ve created something worthwhile.

What do you consume?

Food. A lot of food. I’m always seeking out new restaurants, bakeries, and food shops, both in my own neighborhood and travel destinations. Food is how I access culture. Every time I visit a new city or country, I track down the local specialties, which inevitably helps me understand that culture, whether I’m in Tel Aviv or Boston.

I also read a lot of books (mostly novels, all genres) and watch a potentially unhealthy amount of TV. The storytelling on TV is so strong right now – The Good Wife, Homeland, The Affair – and I’m a sucker for a good story.

Links

Website: http://danabate.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danabate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordanabate
Instagram: https://twitter.com/danabate
Buy the book! A Second Bite at the Apple

 

a second bite at the apple

3 Comments

Comments

  1. Linda Lenhoff says

    December 10, 2014 at 12:30 am

    I love her notion of writing the stories inside of her and then trying not to label them. I think a lot of us have been fighting this idea of having to label our work, and I’m happy to read prominent authors saying they’d prefer not to label as well. I look forward to reading her book.

    Reply
  2. Eric Wilder says

    December 10, 2014 at 12:34 am

    I learned a new term, “Foodie lit.”

    Reply
  3. Angela Terry says

    December 11, 2014 at 9:29 am

    I love Dana Bate and her foodie rom-coms! Just bought her newest book and can’t wait to read it!

    Reply

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We are in the habit of starting and ending our day We are in the habit of starting and ending our days side by side in our lawn chairs, while the light rises or dims. It’s still chilly at the outer edges of the day. Sometimes Roxy shivers. I bought her a sweater, but she won’t wear it. Sometimes I try to wrap her in my jacket, but she’s not having that either, so I throw her ball and try to get her run and then she comes back to her chair, warm for a little longer. #dailyroxydog #huskychihuahua #dogssittinginchairs
“I got a secret I should tell. I’m going up to “I got a secret I should tell. I’m going up to heaven in a split pea shell.” ~ @petermulvey43 Words Too Small to Say
Happy as a dog in a freshly dug nap hole. #dailyro Happy as a dog in a freshly dug nap hole. #dailyroxydog #huskymixesofinstagram
I saw this little dresser at my favorite magic ant I saw this little dresser at my favorite magic antique store sometime in November and didn’t buy it. But then, of course, I kept thinking about her. She’s the perfect size for my office, and I found those drawer pulls hilarious. When I finally went back in December, I told myself I was shopping for wall art, because I assumed she would be gone. But she was right where I’d seen her last: balanced on another dresser with boxes of old picture frames and tchotchkes piled on top (the true mark of a magic antique store). I didn’t even realize she had a towel rack — that she was a wash stand, not a dresser — until I asked about the price, said I’d take her, and my favorite magic antique store person asked if we needed to unscrew the towel rack to fit her in my car. I suspect this little sweetie is not from the days of necessary wash stands so much as from a country kitchen in the 80s. She was in rough shape, and not made from wood worth stripping and re-staining, but her price reflected that. I had to disassemble that door and put it back together, but I’d been in the market for some experience working with old furniture, and she made me feel brave about trying. I thought about painting her something more neutral, but I’m so glad I didn’t. She deserves to be pink. She’s not perfectly painted and needs a few touch ups. I learned some things about chalk paint and finishes. The drawers stick a bit. Eventually, I’d like to line them with fabric and when I do, I might plane the edges to smooth things out. But goodness, I love her in a way that I wouldn’t if I hadn’t spent time cleaning away her cobwebs and scrubbing the grime from her hilarious drawer pulls. She’s also become a little shrine for the book I’m working on, which makes me love her even more. I’ve always been a person who sees some soul in certain things, and I’m learning to cherish that idiosyncrasy, because there’s so much joy to be found in a brave little toaster or an underdog wash stand. We’re not here in the world for all that long. We may as well love some bright little things. #furnituremakeover
After Roxy started stealing my seat, I dragged a s After Roxy started stealing my seat, I dragged a second lawn chair out. She nudges me over and we sit in our chairs, side by side, and watch the sun set. Well, I watch the sun set. She spies on the neighbors. #dailyroxydog #dogstagram #sundayevening
I truly don’t understand how anyone is this cute I truly don’t understand how anyone is this cute. I never get used to it. There’s no immunity. She’s adorable beyond what pictures can capture. #dailyroxydog #huskymixesofinstagram #ilovemydog
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