Late Bloomer is about a woman examining whether her life’s path is the right one. She questions everything—including the very essence of herself.
Melissa Giberson – 11 August 2023
The Back Flap
Melissa Giberson is a middle-aged suburban wife and mother of two kids, solidly planted in the life she’s always wanted. Yet she longs for something more—something she can’t quite put her finger on until, one day at the Y, she finds herself mesmerized by the sight of a naked woman and asks herself for the first time: Am I gay?
This revelation sends Melissa on a head-spinning journey of self-discovery, one that challenges everything she thinks she knows about herself, forces her to decide exactly how much she’s willing to risk for authenticity, and shakes the foundations of the family she’s fiercely determined to shield from the kinds of wounds she sustained during her own childhood. Torn between her desire to be true to herself and her desire to protect her children, she is consumed by fear and conflicting emotions—and when her husband unexpectedly serves her divorce papers, her confusion only deepens.
Adrift in uncharted waters, Melissa finds fragments of understanding and peace in unexpected places—in a conference room in Israel, a small fishing village in Cape Cod, and at a yoga retreat center—that help her deconstruct her preconceptions about faith and identity and begin to construct a new framework for her life. Over the course of her ten-year journey, she finds hope, love, and more courage than she ever knew she was capable of, and she gradually assembles the puzzle that is her—the real her.
About the book
What is the book about?
Late Bloomer is about a woman examining whether her life’s path is the right one. She questions everything—including the very essence of herself. Hewing to the life she created for her family, she struggles to find the balance between figuring out who she is and protecting her kids from any further impact her self-discovery has had on them.
When did you start writing the book?
Early in the pandemic, Brooke Warner said she’d be interested in my story. I gathered the random notes stored deep in a closet from early in my journey and began stringing them together while adding the pieces that had transpired over the years when I wasn’t able to write because I was trying to survive.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took about three years from assembling the stories, take a deep dive into what the journey meant, and shape it into a book.
Where did you get the idea from?
The first motivating factor was the many people who told me to compile my stories into a book and the second was Brene Brown who wrote, “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.”
The first books I read on the subject contained vignettes that were incredibly validating. I wanted to share the entirety of my journey and let people benefit from the words of wisdom I was gifted.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Reliving the details of my journey and taking a deep dive into what it all meant was very challenging. Revisiting my early traumas, unpacking the impact my parents’ divorce had on me, and reconciling the guilt of sending my children down a similar path were heart-wrenching at times.
What came easily?
The stories of my kids, the interesting people I met, and the various encounters I had along the way. Many of them needed to be edited out but I hope they’ll appear in some future essays.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Everyone in the book is based on people I have known or still know.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Dani Shapiro is masterful at conveying the information you need while generously sharing her thoughts and feelings. Her writing is tight—with so much meat on the bone and no excess fat. The way Cheryl Strayed managed the challenge of writing Wild with so much reflection while making you feel like you were navigating the Pacific Crest Trail with her is another “How to book” in my growing personal library of authors and memoirs that I revisit for inspiration.
Do you have a target reader?
I hope my story appeals to a diverse audience, including anyone examining the path they’re on as well as those questioning themselves, for any reason, or exploring the depth of authenticity in their life.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I’m an opportunistic writer – thoughts come to me at random times, and I jot them down as quickly as I can—whether it’s during the night, in the car, or showering. I string these thoughts together as soon as possible, trying to build something meaningful. When I get blocks of time, I binge write.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do not outline as a rule although when I started Late Bloomer, I did a loose timeline to organize the events and significant moments which was very helpful.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit as I go – I don’t trust that I’ll remember to go back if something catches my attention, so I attend to it while it’s fresh in my mind. I’ll revisit a scene or an essay countless times, tweaking it a little more each time.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Surprisingly no. I love music and seek it out wherever I am, yet I do not have it on while I’m writing unless I’m working on a specific scene to help jog a memory or a feeling. There are some songs named in the book and I played them as I was writing to recapture the moment and the feeling it produced. When I take breaks from writing I immediately put on music.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, when Brooke Warner and I had the conversation about publishing and she said she would love to have it in the She Writes Press catalog, I knew that was the right path for me.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Working with Brooke, knowing her reputation, and respecting her accomplishments in the publishing world made it an easy decision to sign with She Writes Press. I knew my story and my voice wouldn’t be compromised.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
She Writes Press takes a lot of pride in their book covers and rightfully so. I was involved in the decision-making process but the team at She Writes Press designed it.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I am using a publicist, a social media manager, and I’m learning as I go so maybe a little winging it as well.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I have learned so much during my inaugural experience of writing a book and the more I learn, the more I recognize how much more there is to know. My advice to other new authors is to remain open and find a community. The writing community is very generous.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I am a native New Yorker in every way. I was born in Brooklyn, raised on Staten Island, and spent a lot of time in Manhattan as a teenager.
Where do you live now?
I raised my children in Northern New Jersey and still have a home there, but I spend as much time as possible in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I enjoy socializing and swapping stories with people, but I’m very content hunkering down for days to binge-write, read, or watch classic movies if there’s a big pot of chicken soup in the fridge and snacks or other sustenance to hold me over.
What are you working on now?
I am busy writing essays. Writing helps me organize the chaos in the world into meaningful chunks in my perpetual quest to reach equanimity.
End of Interview:
For more from Melissa Giberson visit her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
