Hello fellow Vagabonds! Please give a big welcome to author Lisa Pell. She is the author to the amazing Who's Your Daddy, Baby? Pell is here with us today to talk about her search for her biological father which the book is based on. So please read about her entertaining and fun story. And also look for how you can enter for the ebook version of Who's Your Daddy, Baby?
My Quirky Paternity Search
I’ve always been a sucker for French or Belgian accents, but a conversation with a French fertility specialist set me off on a mission that spun my little gray cells into a state of cogitation maybe only Hercule Poirot could contemplate.
“I senk you better senk about zee milkman.”
Those were the words I heard after my blood type was officially confirmed, B-positive, and there was a discussion of family medical history. I knew from my late mother’s kidney-pancreas transplant she was O-positive, and I had my dad’s military dog tags, which read A-positive. Generally, basic biology would suggest A plus O does not equal B, and my doctor repeated his milkman theory when I suggested a blood type mutation. So, I embarked on what turned out to be a four-year search to sleuth out the identity of my biological father. Reminded of a joke about the Grand Dame dowager spending $3,000 to dig up her family history, and then $10,000 to bury it, I decided to have fun with the story and fictionalize it.
But there is a deeply serious side to this quirky tale for people who may be prone to or experiencing the medical maladies I discuss in Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? And also for those involved in their own issues involving biological relatives they may not know.
My husband has a Belgian last name, but has not displayed any Poirot-esque investigative tendencies upon learning of his adoption in his mid-forties, even if he has displayed a fondness for the detective’s haberdashery. My husband was born near the end of World War II. He imagined his biological parents as the heroic American serviceman off in the European theater, who met up with a young, pretty Irish lass, probably related to his adoptive mother, judging from family resemblances. Her father was an Irish American immigrant. My husband’s well-to-do adoptive parents bred such optimism and confidence in him, sending him to the best private schools, and with their hard-earned wealth, offering him every opportunity to succeed. He was better off not thinking about the biology too much. It probably would be a letdown.
But me, I’m from Appalachia. Hearing my dad was not my biological father was like being hit in the face with a lightning bolt that had been waiting years to strike. I felt like a fool for not questioning my late mother about my paternity when there had been so many clues. We were extraordinarily close. That moment of bizarre awakening was such a shock to my system I eventually wrote two songs about it I turned into music videos,
"The Ballad of Who's Your Daddy, Baby?"
and
"Nothin' Butt a Mutt"
Descending from a long line of soldiers in every American War since the French and Indian, hailing from what has been termed the “Fight ‘n’ Ninth” congressional district in southwestern Virginia, I couldn’t let such a thought rest.
I guess it’s the family obsession with genealogy and inherited hard-headedness, along with an appreciation for adventure and an intellectual challenge that motivated me. The prospects of finding a long-lost family seemed fascinating and amusing on one level, and somewhat frightening on another. Were there axe murderers or just plain mean-spirited jerks in my paternal biological line? Who knew how these potential biological relatives might react to me?
As the doctor daughter of one of my potential paternity contenders told me, it’s important to know your family medical history. Many potentially serious, or even fatal, conditions can be treated if you know about them in time. The search forced me to pay more attention to my health, and has made me more appreciative of the family I know.
But, for those facing a similar search, maybe a few words of caution might be in order. Know yourself and your biological heritage, but remember, your search isn’t necessarily all about you. Try to be considerate of others who may have been in tough situations, or may not know anything at all about you. Remember, you may be rocking the worlds of many people – from parents and potential step-parents, to potential siblings and other family members. They may not, at least initially, be happy to see you. Be careful. Be politely persistent, but also patient.
Maybe take a page from Poirot in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, “Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth. The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.”
I guess it’s the family obsession with genealogy and inherited hard-headedness, along with an appreciation for adventure and an intellectual challenge that motivated me. The prospects of finding a long-lost family seemed fascinating and amusing on one level, and somewhat frightening on another. Were there axe murderers or just plain mean-spirited jerks in my paternal biological line? Who knew how these potential biological relatives might react to me?
As the doctor daughter of one of my potential paternity contenders told me, it’s important to know your family medical history. Many potentially serious, or even fatal, conditions can be treated if you know about them in time. The search forced me to pay more attention to my health, and has made me more appreciative of the family I know.
But, for those facing a similar search, maybe a few words of caution might be in order. Know yourself and your biological heritage, but remember, your search isn’t necessarily all about you. Try to be considerate of others who may have been in tough situations, or may not know anything at all about you. Remember, you may be rocking the worlds of many people – from parents and potential step-parents, to potential siblings and other family members. They may not, at least initially, be happy to see you. Be careful. Be politely persistent, but also patient.
Maybe take a page from Poirot in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, “Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth. The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.”
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| Info at Goodreads |
Synopsis:
Inspired by the author’s experience, Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? is the story of Lori
McGuire Pomay, a happily married career woman living in suburban Washington, D.C. Lori
undergoes genetic testing for in vitro fertilization and her world is rocked when she is told the
dad she always knew could not possibly have been her biological father. This mid-life shocker
sends her into an alternately hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking search for truth about
her heritage – from Appalachian Cherokees to Purple Kings on a church stage, with high-rolling
gamblers, car dealers, dentists, and all manner of confused amnesiacs in their seventies along for
the ride.
With Lori’s mother having died in the 1990s, taking many of the answers to her questions
with her, the situation was rife with miscalculations. Initially, the protagonist Lori McGuire
Pomay’s only clues to a prospective unknown biological father’s identity are memories of
her late mother discussing pre-marital dating in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and
faded old letters from several paternal contenders, written around the time of her conception
in the apparently swinging spring of 1958. The hunt eventually involves possibly ten paternal
prospects; their families and friends; the membership of two churches; the high-rolling gambler
ex-husband of a famous Hollywood actress; two families of car dealers; several free-spirited road
trips around Virginia, and numerous humorous telephone calls and e-mails.
It all boils down to timing and opportunity. Lori learns more than she ever wanted
to know about the vagaries of female fertility, the fallibility of half-siblingship DNA testing,
problems with blood type testing/mutations, the impact of several genetic mutations – and her
late mother’s courtships. Readers learn more than they might have known about Appalachian
heritage, northern European ethnicity, inbreeding, sex and Rock n’ Roll in the 1950s, the bonds
of motherhood, and the nature of paternity. Throw in the onset of a puzzling hereditary vertigo
condition set off by hormone injections, plus a trip to the hospital for chest pains, and "Who’s
Your Daddy, Baby?" will leave your head spinning.
McGuire Pomay, a happily married career woman living in suburban Washington, D.C. Lori
undergoes genetic testing for in vitro fertilization and her world is rocked when she is told the
dad she always knew could not possibly have been her biological father. This mid-life shocker
sends her into an alternately hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking search for truth about
her heritage – from Appalachian Cherokees to Purple Kings on a church stage, with high-rolling
gamblers, car dealers, dentists, and all manner of confused amnesiacs in their seventies along for
the ride.
With Lori’s mother having died in the 1990s, taking many of the answers to her questions
with her, the situation was rife with miscalculations. Initially, the protagonist Lori McGuire
Pomay’s only clues to a prospective unknown biological father’s identity are memories of
her late mother discussing pre-marital dating in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and
faded old letters from several paternal contenders, written around the time of her conception
in the apparently swinging spring of 1958. The hunt eventually involves possibly ten paternal
prospects; their families and friends; the membership of two churches; the high-rolling gambler
ex-husband of a famous Hollywood actress; two families of car dealers; several free-spirited road
trips around Virginia, and numerous humorous telephone calls and e-mails.
It all boils down to timing and opportunity. Lori learns more than she ever wanted
to know about the vagaries of female fertility, the fallibility of half-siblingship DNA testing,
problems with blood type testing/mutations, the impact of several genetic mutations – and her
late mother’s courtships. Readers learn more than they might have known about Appalachian
heritage, northern European ethnicity, inbreeding, sex and Rock n’ Roll in the 1950s, the bonds
of motherhood, and the nature of paternity. Throw in the onset of a puzzling hereditary vertigo
condition set off by hormone injections, plus a trip to the hospital for chest pains, and "Who’s
Your Daddy, Baby?" will leave your head spinning.
It’s a magical mystery tour and “Who Done It” classic maybe only a mother could create, and as
Paul McCartney might say, the answer to which maybe only your mother should know. Then
again, there’s the possibility medical testing mistakes might be fueling this comedy of errors, but, whatever the answer, Lori’s world is forever changed by the journey.
Paul McCartney might say, the answer to which maybe only your mother should know. Then
again, there’s the possibility medical testing mistakes might be fueling this comedy of errors, but, whatever the answer, Lori’s world is forever changed by the journey.
Release Date: July 27, 2012
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Lisa Pell's Bio:
While the provocative title, Who’s Your Daddy, Baby?, could evoke images of a person employed
in what some have termed the world’s oldest profession, Lisa Pell hails from a grounding in what
most might consider a more socially acceptable career path.
in what some have termed the world’s oldest profession, Lisa Pell hails from a grounding in what
most might consider a more socially acceptable career path.
An award-winning former newspaper, network television affiliate, and radio journalist, Lisa
has spent most of her career in the communications business. Born in North Carolina, she was
raised in Virginia, is a graduate of George Mason University, and attended Harvard Business
School. Lisa’s varied career stretches from college stints as a waitress at a seafood house and
White House intern, to life on the road observing people and places as a journalist, and then
communications consulting and project management for a variety of organizations, large and
small. Currently she serves as a communications and program management consultant for an
agency of the U.S. government. Outside her official duties, Lisa has served on a variety of
community and state boards and commissions in Virginia. Presently, she is a member of the
National Press Club and the Project Management Institute.
Lisa has strong roots in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, and has lived in Tennessee and
West Virginia, where she regularly covered news events in nearby Kentucky and southern Ohio.
Connoisseurs of well-told stories, Rock ‘n’ Roll music, impressionist art, golf, oysters, and fun
people, Lisa and her husband, the self-styled Agent Provocateur, Jon-re-Pell, live in the Virginia
suburbs of Washington, D.C. Jon is known for his bow ties, plus-fours, general dapper attire, and
charming sense of humor. His enthusiastic support of the Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? project is
worth noting.
Lisa’s first novel, Who’s Your Daddy, Baby?, is a quirky paternity mystery with a Facebook
twist, based on an autobiographical experience. The scheduled release date is July 24, 2012.
Lisa also has produced several videos in connection with the Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? project.
The Ballad of Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? will premiere in July, featuring kids performing to a
bluesy rocker co-written by Lisa and friends, and performed by professional musicians. Another
music video, Nothin’ Butt a Mutt, features puppies and kittens reading Who’s Your Daddy, Baby?
It’s another lively, bluesy original composition. In addition, Lisa has produced video reading
excerpts for three chapters of Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? Check them out on YouTube, and for
more information about Lisa and Who’s Your Daddy, Baby?, see her website, and profile pages
on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, and a variety of
other social media sites.
And stay tuned, Lisa has a trilogy of novels restless to join reality in a new venture coming soon.
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
Pell is giving you the chance the ebook copy of Who's Your Baby, Daddy? All you have to do is leave a comment about the post or a question for Pell with your name and email address. Please share the link on Twitter, Facebook, etc. 1 extra entry for links shared. Good luck everyone!
*Must be a Follower to win
*One winner will be chosen by Random.org
*Contest ends August 12th
*Ebook version, so anyone can enter!
*Book provided by JKS Communications
*One winner will be chosen by Random.org
*Contest ends August 12th
*Ebook version, so anyone can enter!
*Book provided by JKS Communications
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Due to the daily spam comments I have been getting lately and to avoid the annoying word verification, Anonymous comments are no more. I do not want bargains on bags, watches, jerseys, boots and other crap. Geez, they could at least spam me with book and movie stuff, I would be somewhat interested LOL! Thank you :D