Monica Comas cooks up a delicious story...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Dorothy Shi
Photography

We're excited to welcome Monica Comas to CLC today! Her debut novel, Recipe for Joy, sounds like a beautiful and heartfelt story. And it's perfect for foodies. Thanks to BookSparks, we have TWO copies to give away!

Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot. 

Visit Monica online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant and hopeful novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.

Belle Sutton is a little lost these days.

She has a stalled career, a New York apartment she can’t afford, and her sister, Lexie, is more estranged with each passing year. Belle’s one true consolation is her beloved grandmother, who’s powered through her own broken family ties with a tenacious zest for life and a passion for cooking. But when her grandmother suddenly passes away, a grieving Belle feels her only connection to the past is gone forever.

That’s when Belle receives a series of letters, along with a cookbook, photographs of Belle and Lexie when they were young and happy, and her grandmother’s last wish that the sisters mend severed ties before it’s too late. For the love of Gran, a challenge is met that sets Belle and Lexie on a journey of hope, reconciliation, surprising discoveries, and the nourishing power of family, forgiveness, and tradition. All they have to do is follow the directions.

“Comas gives us characters so real, you’ll want to invite them to your own kitchen table.” 
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author

“With a pinch of memory and a dash of love, Comas’s debut is a novel to savor. An absolute joy to read.”
 —Rochelle Weinstein, bestselling author of We Are Made of Stars

“Recipe for Joy is an old-fashioned, hopeful hug of a novel, complete with recipes that are sweet to the tooth and nourishing to the soul.” 
—Karen Dukess, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Book Party

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
The road to publication has been twisty and long, but I have to say, it’s also been wonderful and filled with the loveliest people who’ve become dear friends. 

How is Belle similar to or different from you?
I would say she’s quite similar to me. I used kernels of how I’d felt at different points in my life—grieving, feeling lost and inadequate—and then inflated them to be much larger and thornier. I think authors draw from their own lives quite a bit for inspiration…but then we have to change things, mold them or exaggerate to form something new. There are gentler aspects of me found in Belle as well…loving to cook, appreciating yardwork, adoring the snow, having to wear running recovery sandals (which are really quite comfy!). But I think most of all, I’ve been blessed to have wonderful relationships in my life…and Belle has that as well. 

If Recipe for Joy was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Oh, my goodness, to be clear: If that dream ever came to pass, I would be thrilled with whomever brought Recipe for Joy’s characters to life! And if Reese Witherspoon was cast as Belle and Rose Byrne as her younger sister, Lexie, I would cry an ocean of happy tears.

What is one of your go-to-recipes?
Every week without fail, I make something I call Vegetarian Chompy Chomps. It’s basically a health bowl, for lack of a better description, with a little choose your own adventure thrown in! I sauté onions and herbs, add some sort of cooked grain (brown rice, farro, or bulgur wheat, for example), add in a bean (chick peas are my favorite), and greens (kale, broccoli, broccoli rabe, or spinach), and sauté it all together. Usually, I finish it all with lots of lemon. Sometimes there’s quinoa. Other times, edamame. Olives and sundried tomatoes have been known to make appearances. It changes from season to season. But it’s always delicious and super healthy.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Oh my gosh, that’s such a hard question to answer! I’m have to go with an absolute icon: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’d love to show you to Central Park, which is the gem of New York City. We’d walk along the extensive pathway system with coffee (or tea, if that’s your preference!). The park is such a special place, and the paths are amazing. There are 58 miles of pathways in the 843-acre park, so every time you go, the experience can be as different as you want. You can change it up and explore a new part of the park, or walk along a familiar path, which feels like returning to an old friend. Not only is the park a gorgeous spot where everyone can exhale and enjoy nature, it’s some of the best people watching you’ll get in the city.

After strolling The Ramble, seeing Cleopatra’s Needle and the Shakespeare Garden—oh! And the Conservatory Garden, the park’s formal garden, which isn’t to be missed!—we’d have a picnic in Sheep Meadow. And since the Metropolitan Museum of Art actually backs up onto the park, taking in some of the Met’s extensive collection would be the perfect endnote to the afternoon.

Thanks to Monica for visiting with us and to BookSparks for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends March 24th at midnight EST.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!