Chocolate Socks: An Interview with THE Holly Durst

Last week I had the honor of interviewing THE Holly Durst, and it turns out I was right:
she really IS best friend forever (aka the notorious bff) material.

 Need proof? This should take care of that.

This picture is being borrowed from Holly's website. It was too adorable to not use in this post.

1. She is SO nice. Like, we were only supposed to talk for fifteen minutes and we talked for more like thirty kind of nice. And I'm pretty sure we could have easily kept going. Love, love, love her.

2. She was at home doing laundry while we chatted it up, probably folding her socks while I went on and on about how we should be friends.

3. She is not only working a full-time job at her soon-to-be-hubby's dental office, but she's also promoting her book AND planning her upcoming wedding. Hats off to you, Holly; that's some serious multi-tasking.

4. After I tweeted the link, Holly read my blog post about her. She offered to answer all of my silly questions. While I didn't entirely take her up on this for fear of running out of time, I DID ask her where she shops. I couldn't help myself. Have you SEEN her? She's adorable all. the. time. Her answer? Forever 21. Girl makes magic things happen there, apparently. She may or may not be my reality star hero.

You love her already, don't you?

Yup, I thought that might do the trick.

Well, her book arrived in the mail the other day, and I couldn't get enough of it either...must be some of Holly that rubbed off on it.

After just one peek, Libby was smitten.

And in case the cover doesn't make you want to RUN to your nearest bookstore or hop on over to hollydurst.com to order your copy, maybe this will.

Here's what Holly had to say about her book:

ME: WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PUBLISHING PROCESS?

Holly: Finding a publisher. Everybody tries to publish books. I sent several letters in to so many places. I was going to end up self-publishing it.It beats up your self-esteem. And I actually met with someone about how the self-publishing process works, and they picked it up to publish it.

ME: WHAT CHILDREN'S BOOK DID YOU LIKE MOST AS A CHILD?

Holly: My favorite was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

I got it for my birthday and memorized the whole thing.

ME:  WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE SOCKS?

Holly: The book is really to encourage children to follow their dreams. I really hope they don't stop because someone tells them it's a crazy dream.

ME: IS THERE ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE WORKS?

Holly: The wedding! Not a book project, but a huge project.

ME: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS BEING A CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR?

Holly: Be patient! Patience is key. It took me six years to accomplish something I wanted to do.

ME: WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ADULT AUTHORS?

Holly: Emily Giffin. She's written five, and I've read them all. I actually met her right before Bachelor Pad at a book signing. She looked at me and said, "There's something about you." She was right, I did have a big backstory. After the show, she wrote me on Twitter and follows me there, which is crazy. She has inspired me to write  a novel.

We also talked about crazy fans and the things they say, Dr. Seuss, and whether or not we'll be seeing more of Holly on The Bachelor or Bachelor Pad. She's not sure about that one, but I sure hope so. Needless to say, I think Holly is just wonderful, and her new book could not possibly be any cuter.

It's a sweet little story about a girl who combines her two favorite things and really encourages kids to follow their dreams and use their imaginations. The pictures are fun; the language is fun; the story is fun. I highly recommend giving it a looksie. AND, if you order it from Holly's website, she'll sign your copy for you. Can't beat that.

Here's hoping your Tuesday was the best of all Tuesdays.

 Only three days until I leave for my retreat.

 I CANNOT wait. Have I said that already?