It's Raining Books: I'd Rather Wear Pajamas by Chelsea Flagg

Monday, February 8, 2016

I'd Rather Wear Pajamas by Chelsea Flagg - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card to one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What group did you hang out with in high school?

I was never in the “A group” at school. Shoot, I was never even in the “B group.” I was a “C+” at best. I was (and still am) a bit of a renaissance girl. Not in a way where I’m really good at a lot of different things, but in a way where I get bored really quickly and move on to try something new every couple of months. Maybe ADD is the better word? Anyway, I hung out with the band kids for awhile, the drama kids, the yearbook crew, the environmental club (yes, it existed and yes, I started it (nerd alert)), student council... I ran the gamut of cliques. Except for the “A group.” I was never cool enough for them.

What are you passionate about these days?

Again, my passions change by the minute. My latest trysts are hoop-dancing, baking bread, pretending to be a good housewife, and fire-breathing.

If you had to do your journey to getting published all over again, what would you do differently?

That’s a tricky question. On one hand, I would have spent a lot more time (or any time at all) creating an online presence for myself, so my book could have exploded into the world instead of shyly shuffling in. But, on the other hand, I would have lost some seriously precious writing time if I was focusing on marketing, so I’m glad I spent the time I did writing. It’s a conundrum really. I do wish I wouldn’t have consumed so many lattes while writing. I have a bit of an eye twitch leftover.

Ebook or print? And why?

For sure print. The feel, the smell, the beautiful cover (thanks Kelly Angelovic for the masterpiece that is my cover), the flipping of the pages. Print books are awesome. Of course, ask me the last time I actually read a print book... Ebooks are just so easy and light. My heart is in the past in my love for print books, but my brain usually wins out with the ease of ebooks. I didn’t answer the question at all, did I? You’re welcome.

What is your favorite scene in this book?

Oh man, there are so many gems. I love asking my readers the same question because it’s rare to find two people with the same favorite part. I think I’ve got to stick with the part where me and my sister get ourselves stuck in a tin-can train while hugely pregnant. I mean legitimately stuck, with a crowd forming around us watching our husbands trying to hoist us out of there. It was awesomely horrifying. I still laugh about it anytime I think of it.

Everybody has the awesome opportunity to find their own strength and path through life. Some come about their self-discoveries through studying and working hard. Others (Chelsea) spend their time nearly burning down kitchens and driving around the country with a car full of hangers.

Chelsea grew up wanting to be “strong.” She thought arguing her way through childhood and becoming a world-class attorney would get her there. But, through a series of humorous, and only slightly embarrassing events, Chelsea comes to realize that maybe her strength is meant to shine in different ways.

Enjoy an excerpt:

I tried to contain my excitement when my second grade teacher announced that our school’s Professional Day was coming up and we were all encouraged to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. Now, just try to picture what your local veterinarian looks like and what they might wear on a daily basis to stand out from other occupations. You can’t, right?

Some parents had it easy; I mean how hard is it to make your child look like a firefighter or a member of middle management? My poor mom had a bigger task at hand. That’s why my costume ended up including a white bathrobe which I think was supposed to be a labcoat and an old pair of tortoise-shell sunglasses (lenses removed). In one hand I carried one of my million stuffed animals and in the other, a clipboard. I’m not entirely sure how a clipboard was going to prove that I was a veterinarian, but I was confident that if the clipboard didn’t give it away, the broken sunglasses definitely would. In a low childhood moment for me, not a single person - student or teacher - could guess what I was.

Even with the setback, I still knew I’d be the world’s best vet. My favorite animals by far were cats. To give you an idea of how in love with cats I was, imagine the person or thing that you love more than life itself, and then times that love by 100. I think it’s fair to use the word obsessed.

About the Author: