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GROTON LANDMARK -- July 2005
West Groton humor writer
publishes first book: Cracked at Birth
By Pierre Comtois
GROTON -- Local wit Kathryn
Mahoney is taking her show on the road with
the publication of her first book, a collection
of some 60 columns written over a four-year
period for Nashoba Publishing, publishers of
the Groton Landmark and five other twice-weekly
area newspapers.
"Basically it's Erma Bombeck type of things,"
said Mahoney of her column "Sunny Side
Up." "It's about things I've observed
in daily life as a wife and mother."
Mahoney, a Throne Hill resident, began writing
the column, in which she comments on the trials
of domestic life in particular and the American
scene in general, on a whim and the suggestion
of acquaintances appreciative of her brand of
humor.
"I began humor writing in 2001 and sent
a couple sample columns to the editor of Nashoba
[Publishing]," Mahoney said. "Friends
suggested that I write a column, and I thought,
I guess I could try.
"The ideas were flowing pretty freely for
a while," she said of where she gets her
inspiration. "They come pretty easy. When
something happens, I generally jot it down.
There's plenty of material out there on ordinary
life."
Once she started writing, Mahoney began her
own Web site and eventually joined a humor writing
group on the Internet.
"I saw Nancy's name there," said Mahoney,
speaking of Nancy Cleary, owner of Wyatt-MacKenzie
Publishing based out of Deadwood, Ore.
"When I first e-mailed Nancy, I found out
that she grew up in Westford and that her sister
lives here in Groton," said Mahoney of
an amazing coincidence not unlike the kind of
subjects to be found in her columns. "She
knew exactly where I lived and considering she
lives in Oregon, that's pretty good.
"Wyatt-MacKenzie actually started as a
mom-writers publishers' cooperative essentially
embracing the fact that mothers have something
to say and to write about," she continued.
"Nancy's basically taken a lot of us under
her wing. Her company is a step between self-publishing
and high-end publishing. She works with a book
distributor in New York.
"The way Nancy works is that she wants
you to come to her with a completed manuscript,
so I just kind of tweaked [my columns] and had
my sister proofread them for me," Mahoney
said. "After that, the publisher lays out
the book and provides cover design and marketing
assistance. Right now I'm sending out the galley
copies."
A native of New York and a West Groton resident
for the past seven years, Mahoney started a
home-based marketing and communications business
in 2000.
"I absolutely enjoy writing," she
said. "It's a good creative release for
me. Marketing makes the money and pays the bills,
but I really enjoy humor writing, and that's
the area that I want to build up."
Mahoney's column has served as a strong foundation
for her ambitions, which have already landed
her among the top 10 in a contest for best Web
site designed by a writer sponsored by the Writers'
Digest Magazine and an appearance in an anthology
called "The Misadventures of Moms and the
Disasters of Dads."
Titled "Cracked at Birth: One Madcap Mom's
Thoughts on Motherhood, Marriage and Burnt Meatloaf,"
Mahoney's first book is slated for a November
release. However, it can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com
at a discount from its $12.95 cover price.
For those who prefer their books personally
signed by the author, autographed copies of
the soft-cover will be available through Mahoney's
Web site at www.crackedatbirth.com
A possible public signing in Groton is currently
in the planning stages.
As for the difficulties aspiring writers often
have in getting their material into print, Mahoney
advises "Never give up!" and to "write,
write, write!"
"A good way to start writing is to begin
with what you know," she said. "Something
you're passionate about."
And in Mahoney's case, that inspiration is usually
found close to home.
"I enjoy basically looking at my kids (and
husband, too!) and the funny things they do,"
she said.
As for the immediate future, Mahoney promises
the same only more of it.
"In the future I hope to write more columns
for 'Sunny Side Up' and hopefully [compile them]
into more books," she said. "And the
big goal of all women of course, is to get on
Oprah!"
Nothing to it!
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