>

It’s my pleasure to be able to interview Jenny Nelson – author of Georgia’s Kitchen.  There are a lot of great tidbits in here – whether you are a writer or a reader!  Enjoy!

Tell me about Georgia’s Kitchen:
At its essence, Georgia’s Kitchen is the story of a woman determined not to give up on herself or her dreams. Her journey takes her from the chic cityscapes of New York to the charming hill towns of Italy and back again. Along the way, she meets amazing people, finds herself in incredible places, eats and drinks like a culinary queen, turns up the heat with a sexy Italian winery owner, and embarks on a crash course in self-discovery. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to be a top chef, or make it in New York, or what really goes on in a professional kitchen, or dreamed of chucking it all and moving to Italy, Georgia’s Kitchen is for you. It’s packed with heart and humor, glamor and guts (not to mention food porn galore!) and a heroine you’ll root for to the very end.
Describe your book in three words. 
A fun culinary romp – I know that’s four, but I’m hoping you’ll cut me some slack on the “A.”
What’s one word to describe how someone will feel when they finish reading your book?
Sated!
How long did it take you to write this book and where did you write it?
Two years, plus more for revisions after I signed with my agent. I wrote in my apartment in New York, at Starbucks everywhere, at the New York Public Library, at home in Millbrook and at the Millbrook Free Library. I’ve since created an office for myself, which makes me feel very efficient and professional, but I do still like to slip out to a coffee shop once in a while.
How did you research for your novel?
Let’s just say that eating at incredible restaurants and calling it research was very easy on my taste buds and my mood, harder on my wallet, and hardest on my waistline. To repent for all of that indulgence, I logged some serious miles on my treadmill! That said, enjoying good food and wine is part of my life and by virtue of that, so is running. It’s not a bad tradeoff.
How long did it take you to write your novel, and what inspired the decidedly Italian feel of it?
It took me about two years to write it, then longer to revise it, sell it and now, finally, publish it! It’s been a long process, but well worth every step and setback along the way.
As for the Italian slant, I am an Italia-phile. I love Italian food, fashion, design, wine, people and above all the country itself. My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout Italy and were married in Florence ten years ago. Part of my rationale behind making Georgia a chef was so I could send her to Italy and revisit (if only in spirit) some of my favorite places in the world.

Now – tell me you don’t feel inspired after that 😉
To contact Jenny Nelson here is her info: