Maggie Lamond Simone:  “I have the exact same style of writing. I wrote the same way in college, too. Of course, I was  drunk most of the time then!”

When Maggie Lamond Simone penned her first column in 1995, she offered Syracuse readers a glimpse into the life of a smart, single, 30-something woman with no children, no mortgage and no fear of sharing what was on her mind. Fifteen years—and one husband, two children and one move to the ’burbs—later, Simone spent this past winter poring over her life’s work while selecting 100 pieces to be reprinted in her new collection, From Beer to Maternity. 

“I don’t see any difference in the way I write now,” Simone said. “I have the exact same style of writing. I wrote the same way in college, too. Of course, I was drunk most of the time then!”

And there you have it. Simone’s not-so-secret ingredient—strong writing bolstered with a dose of honesty chased by a shot of humor—has remained the same even as she has ascended to win national writing awards and build a loyal following. “Mom’s the Word,” the most recent incarnation of Simone’s column, has appeared in Family Times: The Parenting Guide of Central New York since 2002. 

“It went with me {from the Sunday Herald-American} to a monthly parenting magazine because, as many people will attest, being funny all the time with two young children is not always easy. Or possible,” Simone writes in her prologue. 

From Beer to Maternity (Brodman Publishing; 268 pages; $14.95/softcover) documents a journey, lived 750 words at a time and dotted with life’s landmarks, from getting married to explaining to her son what a “recovering alcoholic” is (short answer: mom, 19 years sober) to the indignities of early menopause. Of course, there are lighter moments, too, as Simone navigates potty training, energetic pets and other everyday trials of a busy parent. While each column stands well on its own, the sum adds up to much more than its parts as readers get to know a mom whose imperfections make her all the more endearing.

Yet for someone whose success is built on a knack for sharing, Simone is not entirely comfortable with the publicity that now swirls around the release of the book. With dates booked in Top 10 markets including Atlanta and Boston, as well as local appearances already logged on WCNY-Channel 24’s Central Issues with George Kilpatrick and WSYR-AM 570’s The Jim Reith Show, Simone still finds herself clammy-hands anxious at navigating live appearances that leave no room for rewriting.

“That’s the scary part. I never know what’s going to come out of my mouth,” Simone said. Regular appearances on WNTQ-FM 93.1’s morning radio show with co-hosts Ted Long and Amy Robbins have seasoned Simone somewhat but, oh, there are moments. Simone’s segment on Kilpatrick’s Nov. 13 show, for example, ended with the image of her banging her head on the table in relief that it was over. “Well, you know, I didn’t realize the cameras were still rolling.”

But such attention is just what Simone had in mind when she first started looking into printing 2,000 copies of From Beer to Maternity. She enlisted the help of friends from her writing world (full disclosure: that group includes this writer), hired a publicist and got a big boost when the title was picked up for distribution by Small Press United, a division of Chicago Review Press. Simone hopes this title will spark interest from a mainstream publisher for her memoir Body Punishment, which Simone refers to as the “prequel to From Beer to Maternity.”

She is also busy simply living the sequel as her children, now ages 9 and 10-almost-11, give her new writing material even as they begin to, ever so gently, ask Mom to keep some things private. “You get to the point where you have to respect their wishes,” Simone said.

Meanwhile, Simone remains grateful, and slightly overwhelmed, by the enthusiasm with which her collection is being received. She hopes for a good crowd at her next appearance, Thursday, Nov. 19, 7 to 9 p.m., at Clay’s Barnes and Noble, 3956 Route 31, although she hasn’t quite figured out what she’s going to do yet. “Maybe a reading, maybe a Q&A,” Simone said. “Although I’m not sure I know the As to the Qs yet.”