There are plenty of reasons to look forward to spring—whether it’s that bite in the air, or for many, snow drifts in the street—but our excitement has nothing to do with the weather. The month of April marks the kick-off of our Spring ‘16 season, which promises to be our biggest and most prominent yet. From a unique non-fiction anthology featuring some of the “finest authors working today” (according to one reviewer), to YA supernatural thrillers, to The Nanny Diaries authors’ last co-written novel, our spring will be one for the books..

To celebrate all these incredible stories, we’re sharing a new column – Behind the Book. In it, our SparkPress authors will shed light on the quirky parts behind their writing process. Since we’re “expecting” such an incredible Spring season, we thought we would kick things off with Emily Doherty, author of Funny Little Pregnant Things: The good, the bad, and the just plain gross things about pregnancy that other books aren’t going to tell you (pubbing April 6).

SP: How and when did you have the idea for this book?

Emily Doherty: I knew I needed to write this book as a result of my own pregnancy experience. Every week some crazy new symptom would pop up and I would think to myself, why don’t people talk about this stuff?! Maybe nipple size and hemorrhoids aren’t the sweetest of topics to discus—but they are real! So I just kept jotting things down, and once my brain returned from sleep deprivation I wrote the book.

SP: What is your writing process?

Emily Doherty: I write the way I talk to my friends. I have always enjoyed reading books by authors who have this type of writing style, so I just followed suit.

SP: What was the biggest challenge you had while writing?

Emily Doherty: My biggest challenge was finding the time to write the book. Juggling a toddler, a newborn, and a hectic career made getting things down on paper nearly impossible. There are actual chapters in the book where I was breast-feeding and typing at the same time. Getting breast milk out of your keyboard is surprisingly hard. I ended up trading my husband back rubs and beer for one-hour blocks of free time, just so I could sit and write in peace.

SP: What was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself while writing this book?

Emily Doherty: I was surprised I was able to even write an entire book in the first place. It is always nice to talk about doing something, but when you actually complete it, it is pretty amazing.

SP: For some authors it’s coffee, for others, fresh pencils. What’s the one thing you can’t live without while writing?

Emily Doherty: Easy—red wine!

SP: Do you think you might write another book further down the road about being a mom?

Emily Doherty: Yes. I am currently documenting all of the ridiculous things my kids are doing and the conversations we have with them. Stop peeing on the floor and the walls, and on your brother in the bath tub! Parenting is hard!

SP: What is your favorite book?

Emily Doherty: Would I be way too nerdy if I told you it’s the Game of Thrones series! If so, then I also really like The Alchemist.

SP: What advice do you have for an author who is writing a book about their own life?

Emily Doherty: I would say if you are able to incorporate humor, do so. Life can be super stressful for a lot of us. Writing things that make people laugh can never be a bad thing.

About The Book

Today’s pregnancy books may no longer recommend martinis and cigarettes to help pregnant women relax, but most offer moms what feels like a ton of worthless information―like what kind of fruit your baby is the size of at Week 16. Is there any practical value in knowing that your child resembles produce? And where’s the good stuff―the useful details, like beware of the baby registry and all the crap you will never use, or be prepared to get breast milk all over everything you own?

Hilarious, candid, and easy to read, Funny Little Pregnant Things is full of helpful information about all the stuff people don’t tell you about pregnancy―the good, the bad, and the ugly.