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You are here: Home / Giveaways / Meet the Author: Erika Lenkert

Meet the Author: Erika Lenkert

May 22, 2008 By Stephanie

Meet the Author: Erika Lenkert 1I am pleased to welcome Erika Lenkert to Metropolitan Mama today.

Erika is a frequent contributor to In Style, Everyday with Rachel Ray, and dozens of other national publications. She has authored several lifestyle books and is the lifestyle editorial director for Glam.com. Lenkert’s most recent book – “The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy: Fresh and Practical Advice for Navigating the Next Nine Months” – was released in March 2008.

ME: Please tell me a little bit about your background.

LENKERT: I graduated from Berkley with an undergrad degree in Literature and wanted to get into publication so I worked for HarperCollins in San Francisco. From there, I started writing traffic guidebooks. After that, I moved to L.A. and started working with InStyle and Travel & Leisure. Since then, I’ve written several books and I am now the Lifestyle Director for Glam.com.

ME: How old is your little girl now and how old was she when you wrote The Real Deal Guide?

LENKERT: She’s 2 ¾. I wrote the proposal when I was 5 months pregnant. I sold it after she was born. I wrote it when she was 6-8 months and it came out when she was 2 ½. 

ME: Did you personally enjoy being pregnant – what were the best and worst parts?

LENKERT: I really loved being pregnant. I tend to be one of those people who has a positive attitude toward everything. Being a pregnant woman is kind of like being a transformer. It’s physically and mentally changing and yet I felt very proud. It was good to move out of the self-indulgent lifestyle. What I didn’t like about it was the severe back problems that I had as a result. I had very, very serious problems a year and a half after birth.

ME: What resources did you turn to (magazines, books, websites) when you were pregnant?

LENKERT: I had the What to Expect book. I didn’t love it. I went online A LOT – not to any one particular source. I found it annoying that these books and our culture makes everything scary – the “fear factor” is injected into everything. I wasn’t a fan of that so I decided to write a different kind of book…

ME: What final thoughts/advice do you have for pregnant women?

LENKERT: The most important thing that you can do have a good time and avoid books that tell you everything can go wrong. Enjoy the pregnancy – this is the last time that your life is all about you. 

Thanks, Erika! I completely agree with you about the “fear factor” thing. For the vast majority of people, pregnancy is a very normal, healthy process. There are already way too many scare-inducing books about pregnancy on the market. I like that you focus on all of the positives instead of the “what ifs…” 

WIN IT! One winner will receive a copy of Erika’s new book: “The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy.” To enter, simply leave a comment on this post prior to Thursday, May 29 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). The winner will be announced and contacted on Friday, May 30. * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address. 

*UPDATE* The winner is #7 Barbara Baker. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Giveaways

Comments

  1. Lily Kwan says

    May 29, 2008 at 11:35 pm

    Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!

  2. Terra Heck says

    May 29, 2008 at 10:29 pm

    This would make a great gift for my expectant niece.

  3. Erika Sternberg says

    May 29, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    I would love to give this book to my friend.

  4. sarah woods says

    May 29, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    The insights to pregnancy with education, information and practicality. Many Thanks SW

  5. Rosanne Morrison says

    May 29, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Would love this for my daughter in law

  6. MiC says

    May 29, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    Sounds like a great read!

  7. jessie says

    May 29, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    please enter me!

  8. * * HeLeN * * says

    May 29, 2008 at 1:41 pm

    “The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy.”

    * * * * * A Great Gift! * * * * *

  9. Lina says

    May 29, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    I have the “What to expect book…” and is way to medical. Need something more down to earth.

  10. Gianna says

    May 29, 2008 at 12:05 pm

    Please enter me :)

  11. kathy pease says

    May 29, 2008 at 7:36 am

    please enter me :)

  12. Jeanine P says

    May 29, 2008 at 7:34 am

    I am a Charge Nurse on a High Risk OB unit…..I would love to win this book to add to our library of books for patients to read! Thanks so much for the giveaway!

  13. Bari says

    May 29, 2008 at 4:20 am

    I’d love to win this

  14. Peggy Gorman says

    May 28, 2008 at 11:30 pm

    I hate people who focus on the “fear factor”, I would love to read this book and pass it along to my friends who will become Mom’s

  15. * * ALiesa * * says

    May 28, 2008 at 11:19 pm

    “The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy.”

    * * * * * The Perfect Gift! * * * * *

  16. Janet says

    May 28, 2008 at 9:16 pm

    ty 4 the great contest! I would like to win this book 4 my daughter!

  17. Susan White says

    May 28, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    I would love to win.
    Thanks so much!

  18. Heather Turner says

    May 28, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    She is so amazing. I have to agree with her about the What to Expect book. I wasn’t a big fan of it either. I just find a lot of the advice that I use online. It would be great to have a book with those kinds of things in it!

  19. Dave R says

    May 28, 2008 at 4:16 pm

    Love to give it to the wife. Hint, hint…

  20. Ed Nemmers says

    May 28, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    Sweet niblets!

  21. Laci says

    May 28, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    I’d love to give this book to my coworker/friend. She’s pregnant with her first child and I know she’d appreciate it!

  22. audrey b says

    May 28, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    sounds like a positive book

  23. sandra kao says

    May 28, 2008 at 12:44 pm

    lovely book (and author!)

  24. Jennifer says

    May 28, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    I work at a fertility clinic and would love to read this book. I, myself will be trying to get pregnant sometime next year. Once I’m done reading it I will pass the book on to friends and co-workers. :)

  25. Niki Moyer says

    May 28, 2008 at 9:11 am

    Thanks for including me

  26. Pegi says

    May 28, 2008 at 4:48 am

    MAKE ME A WINNER!!!!

  27. Teresa Hoyt says

    May 27, 2008 at 8:12 pm

    My sister just found out she is expecting,so this would make a great gift!

  28. ben says

    May 27, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    a positive book is a real positive. count me in. thanks.

  29. Michael Capp says

    May 27, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    I want to win!

  30. Cassandra says

    May 27, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    Sounds great!

  31. sarah says

    May 27, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    enter me!

  32. Rachel Fox says

    May 27, 2008 at 10:47 am

    This looks great! I’ll need it one day here in the near future! Thanks for a great offer! :o)

  33. Brandlyn says

    May 27, 2008 at 10:17 am

    I would love to win this and give it to my cousin who is going to have a baby.

  34. Tarah Pessel says

    May 27, 2008 at 9:21 am

    I’d love to have this on hand – we’re getting married and will start a family soon after!

  35. Kathy says

    May 27, 2008 at 8:10 am

    My daughter just found out she’s pregnant, possibly with twins, and I’d love to give her this book.

  36. Ken says

    May 27, 2008 at 6:44 am

    This sweepstakes has been featured on Sweepstakes Advantage, http://www.sweepsadvantage.com. The Web’s Largest Directory of Free Online Sweepstakes. Good Luck to Everyone!

  37. Kari Follett says

    May 27, 2008 at 2:39 am

    My sister just found out she’s due in January and NEEDS THIS BOOK! Her midwife gave her WTWWYE, I told her to throw it out!! Thanks for the giveaway!!

  38. Mary Casper says

    May 26, 2008 at 1:05 pm

    sound like a good read count me in

  39. Kristina S. says

    May 26, 2008 at 10:36 am

    This is a great book for me Im pregnant with my first and nothing is going like it says in my What to expect when expecting book. Im always at the bookstore looking for something like this. I want a book that can be encouraging and fun to read because at this time in my life/pregnancy I need it.

  40. Melinda says

    May 26, 2008 at 8:20 am

    We are trying! This would happy in the process!

  41. Kristy Blanco says

    May 26, 2008 at 8:05 am

    This would be a great gift for my best friend who is expecting!

  42. Tara Andrus says

    May 25, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    This would be great to see what I have to look forward to with my husband very soon.

  43. elizabeth says

    May 25, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    My first pregnancy was unplanned, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. We’re planning on getting pregnant again next year and I’m so excited about the whole process–trying to get pregnant, wearing maternity clothes, being pregnant! This book would be a great place to start since it sounds so positive!

  44. Doreen says

    May 25, 2008 at 6:13 pm

    It would be nice to to hear the positives! :)

  45. Anthony Hedden says

    May 25, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    enter me

  46. Tonya Froemel says

    May 25, 2008 at 8:28 am

    like to win this

  47. CHARLES KASSING says

    May 25, 2008 at 7:43 am

    thanks

  48. Kathy Scott says

    May 24, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    Sounds great. Thanks for the chance.

  49. Kristinia says

    May 24, 2008 at 10:55 am

    WOW sounds like a great read, I’d love to win this and of course pass it on to the next preggo Mommy! I’m preggo right now, 6 months along!

  50. Carla Pullum says

    May 24, 2008 at 10:32 am

    Thank You!

  51. tim brown says

    May 24, 2008 at 10:18 am

    THANK YOU GOD BLESS

  52. Mya Brooks says

    May 24, 2008 at 7:46 am

    I teach a class at Sunday school for teenage boys and girls. This would be a great thing since we have a couple girls that got into trouble…

  53. Kathy says

    May 24, 2008 at 7:25 am

    I work in the nurse’s office at a high school. This book would be a great resource for the pregnant teens that we see.

  54. Angela says

    May 24, 2008 at 6:51 am

    LOL I wish someone would have told me the “real deal” on pregnancy when I was first pregnant…

    I blogged you on Prize-A-Tron as well!
    http://www.prizeatron.com

  55. Stephen Saunders says

    May 23, 2008 at 10:21 pm

    cool book

  56. Judith T says

    May 23, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    Finally after so many failures, my DD is pregnant! yeah! So happy for them, this looks like it is a top read and taking the place of what to expect when expecting. Thanks for the special book!

  57. Corrie C. says

    May 23, 2008 at 10:06 pm

    I would like to read this, we are trying to concieve.

  58. Melissa Reeder says

    May 23, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    This book looks excellent. I hope I win. Thanks so much!

  59. Hil'Lesha says

    May 23, 2008 at 8:45 pm

    That’s awesome. I enjoy reading her blog…and yours! :)

  60. charline s says

    May 23, 2008 at 7:36 pm

    This sounds like a great book. I like that it tells you to enjoy yourself whilr being prgnant and not to worry about all the sstuff that could go wrong. Would love this for my daughternlaw.

  61. christopher h says

    May 23, 2008 at 7:21 pm

    sounds like a great book

  62. James Jenkins says

    May 23, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    Wow!!

  63. Kristyn Martin says

    May 23, 2008 at 3:16 pm

    Sounds like a great book!

  64. stampedwithgrace says

    May 23, 2008 at 3:03 pm

    I have a friend expecting her first baby that this book would be good for!

  65. Catherine copeland says

    May 23, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    this looks like a book i NEED to read so much to know

  66. Shannon Baas says

    May 23, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    looks like a great book.

  67. Susan Smith says

    May 23, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Please enter me

  68. kathy says

    May 23, 2008 at 11:37 am

    Great gift is seems everyone at work is having a baby…..

  69. valerie mabrey says

    May 23, 2008 at 11:01 am

    thanks for the contest

  70. susan bowman says

    May 23, 2008 at 10:38 am

    my daughter is expecting her first~great gift

  71. Kacy says

    May 23, 2008 at 10:09 am

    I totally agree with the author–I wasn’t a fan of the What to Expect books either. Seems like they are considered the “staple” of pregnancy books, but I really preferred the more down to earth ones. This book sounds like it would fit the bill!

  72. erica g says

    May 23, 2008 at 8:40 am

    Wow! This sounds like a refreshing book about pregnancy. I am pregnant now and could use something that doesn’t reflect on doom and gloom. Also, my sister is trying to get pregnant so this one would be passed around!

  73. Sharon Jones says

    May 23, 2008 at 8:15 am

    Would LOVE to win…please enter me. THANKS :)

  74. Desmond says

    May 23, 2008 at 7:53 am

    Count me in!

  75. Lindsie says

    May 23, 2008 at 7:04 am

    I would love to read this book!

  76. Karen Gonyea says

    May 23, 2008 at 6:32 am

    Another Great Contest !!

  77. happyathome says

    May 23, 2008 at 6:29 am

    Thank god someone came out with a book that is beyond the “what to expect…” umpteenth edition! This is the “Real Deal”!
    http://lifeislikechampagne.blogspot.com/

  78. Barbara Baker says

    May 23, 2008 at 6:01 am

    What a great title for a book. It’s (from what I’ve heard) much better than the old, “What to expect; when youre expecting” title…

    Count me in…I’d love to read it and then pass it on to others.

  79. jennifer russell says

    May 23, 2008 at 4:58 am

    This looks like a great book!

  80. Louise Brouillette says

    May 23, 2008 at 4:52 am

    A very positive book

  81. Amber says

    May 22, 2008 at 10:11 pm

    I wish this book was out when I was pregnant!!I would love to get this book for my Aunt who is expecting her first in July!!(and I may get a copy for myself if we decide to have one more;))

    The fear factor thing really got to me,too when I was preggo…..I also had the What to Expect when you are Expecting…..and I have to admit,it made me a little paranoid…and that is no good!!!

  82. kristen c says

    May 22, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    I’d love to have this as a reference for my expecting friends (I’m pretty sure I’m through with procreation). And, thanks for stopping my my blog and commenting, Stephanie, what a treat!

  83. Lisa says

    May 22, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    I love the positive view point on this book. I too felt like when I was pregnant every thing I read was about what could or might go wrong. I would love this for my next pregnancy!

  84. Christine says

    May 22, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    I would love to give this book to my friend who just found out she was pregnant. She had been trying for a few years and would probably enjoy a book that focuses on the positives instead of what can go wrong.

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