The most memorable book interview

by Tamara Wilhite
(Bedford, TX)

"Humanity’s Edge", my first full anthology, had just come out. I was thrilled when we were able to arrange an interview on a national radio program, the Rollye James show. Since my children were 2 years and 2 months old at the time, we set up the interview at 10 PM. My husband would take care of the kids; it should have been easy, because they should have been asleep.

Ten PM rolled around. Everyone in the house except me was asleep. Ten minutes into the interview, my two month old son decided he was hungry. And my husband was sound asleep. I snuck into his room with a pacifier and tried to quiet my son while still discussing my book with the radio host. Murphy’s Law would have it that we were live, and I was trying to juggle a phone and a crying baby while a bottle warmed up in the microwave. I hoped it wouldn’t get worse.

Too late! My newborn son's crying had woken up my 2 year old daughter. She promptly joined in the hungry wailing. "Mommy? Mommy, I want a snack."

"Not right now. Go back to bed," I tried to whisper.

"Mommy! Get off the phone RIGHT NOW! I want a SNACK!" Of course she said it loud enough that all 2 million radio listeners heard it loud and clear. I found a juice box and gave it to her. "If the baby gets food, I DO TOO!"

I asked for a commercial break and received one. During that window, my daughter’s yelling woke up my husband, who until then had been obliviously asleep. He asked if the interview was over.

"No, but it is about to be."

My time slot was over after the commercial break. Rollye James and I conversed several days later. She was willing to schedule a five minute follow up, since my children’s ruckus had wiped out that much of the interview. "I’ll have to admit, it’s been one of my most memorable interviews," he said.

Story by Tamara Wilhite
Author of "Humanity's Edge" and “Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell”, all available on Amazon (see below).