ELLEN MEISTER - Interview


  

HarperCollins Page

BLOG INTERVIEW - AUTHOR OF THE WEEK
AUTHOR OF "SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA"

Synopsis:

When a Hollywood location scout comes to Applewood, Long Island, and announces that the local elementary school might make the perfect backdrop for an upcoming George Clooney movie, the PTA's decorum crumbles like a cookie from last week's bake sale.

Enter Maddie, Ruth, and Lisa, three women who become the glue that holds the project together . . . and wind up forging a bond of friendship stronger than anyone could imagine.

A good thing, too, because each one of them is about to come apart. Maddie Schein, an ex-lawyer trying hard to fit in and save her marriage, gets knocked off balance by Jack Rose, an old college friend hell-bent on seducing her. Ruth Moss—rich, sexy, and outspoken—has more to give and less to enjoy than most people think. Indeed, since her husband's stroke left him embarrassingly uninhibited yet completely impotent, she's more of a caretaker than a wife. And modest Lisa Slotnick, a loving parent who wants nothing more than to fade into the scenery as she tends to her children, must deal with the humiliation of being thrust into the spotlight by her scandalous, alcoholic mother.

When these three get together, a powerful alliance is formed. But is it strong enough to overcome the obstacles to getting the movie made in their town? And will their friendship be enough to mend their hearts and homes? Join them as they reach for the stars . . . and try to pull off a Hollywood ending of their own.

Interview:

Q: Hi Ellen. You are a busy woman! I'm sometimes convinced you've cloned yourself or hired a team of interns...I can barely keep up with your Blog, TV and radio interviews, and personal appearances. How is it going? Are you having fun?

A: Hi Jennifer. Thanks so much for this interview! You're right that promotion and marketing are a huge time suck, leaving me little time for writing and that other thing I do with my life, being a full-time mother. Sometimes I get so busy and so stressed I have to remind myself that I'm living my dream, and if I don't stop and enjoy it, what's the point? So I guess the short answer is that when the dark cloud of stress isn't too heavy to push out of the way, I'm having a blast.

Q: "Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA" is often described as "Desperate-Housewivesque" although I know you wrote this years before their first season. The book also reminded me a bit of Jennifer Weiner's "Little Earthquakes" and Terry McMillan's "Waiting to Exhale" in the way you introduce each character separately and then show how their lives converge. I also read in another interview that one of the books that most influenced you was J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher in the Rye." Can you talk about your writing influences? Is there a little bit of Holden-as-a-rebel-in-the-suburbs in your book?

A: Perhaps we all have a little Holden in us, and that's part of Salinger's genius. But if he's influenced my writing, it's not something I'm terribly conscious of. What I AM conscious of is that I tend to be influenced by whatever I'm reading at the moment. It's almost like magic. Or destiny. If I'm struggling with a certain writing issue, I'll usually find the answer by paying attention to whatever it is I'm reading at the time. I have this theory that there are gifts everywhere--we just have to pay attention to find them.

Q: I remember at your book launch in August, you mentioned that to accommodate the demands of having "writing time" and keeping up with your busy home and family life, you often would write very early in the morning. Was it difficult to have this kind of discipline?

A: Not really, because I love the morning--love being awake before anyone else and feeling like there's an endless stream of possibilities before me. So getting my butt out of bed has never been the hard part. For me, the difficult part was making the decision to stop procrastinating and start pursuing my dream. I think it was fear of my own mortality that drove me to that point. Fear can be a hell of a motivator.

Q: Can you give any advice to writers who are looking for an agent? What's the best way to know if a writer is choosing the best one for his/her project? Or is this a "let your gut decide" situation?

A: First and foremost, try not to let the rejections get to you. I know that's easy to say, and I remember all too well how excruciating the process was. Just try to remind yourself that every successful writer has a history of rejections, and keep going.
For writers who find themselves in the enviable position of having to choose between two or more agents, I think there is a certain amount of "letting your gut decide," but you also have to be a savvy business person and look at the agents' sales records.

Q: How has your working relationship with your agent,editor, publisher, developed over time? What are some suggestions for aspiring authors to keep in mind, after their manuscript is acquired? Do you have a brief list of things "To Do" and "Not to Do?"

A: I believe the most important thing is to cram your ego into a suitable container, seal it shut, and hide it away. Then listen to what your agent and editor have to say with an open mind, because these people know what makes a book work. That said, I wouldn't recommend making any changes that don't make sense to you, just because your agent or editor told you to. But keep the lines of communication open and understand why they made the suggestion they did. It's quite possible you'll come up with a different solution to the same problem, making everyone happy. They do respect your opinion ...I promise.

Q: Ellen, you seem very involved in the marketing and publicity efforts of "Secret Confessions..." Do you have to coordinate your every move in advance with your publisher's PR division or are you allowed to "do your own thing?" Do you have a strategy or is this like a political campaign with a lot of "meet and greet time?" How has your past in marketing helped you?

A: Such good questions, Jennifer! I'm actually doing some self-funded marketing to teachers and PTA members. Because it's coming out of my own pocket, I don't HAVE TO get clearance from anyone. But I think it would be shortsighted to go off on my own without letting my publisher know what I'm doing. So I pass everything by them, and they've been very supportive. My marketing background has definitely been a help here. After all those years of being steeped in sales development, my mind just naturally goes there, and I'm always thinking of new ways to sell and market the book. PR is a different discipline entirely, and I really don't have much experience with press releases and media contacts, so I'm still feeling my way around. I get ideas all time, and always pass them by my publicist. She's great, and if the idea is good, she follows through immediately. If the idea is bad, she finds gentle ways to let me know without making me feel too idiotic.

Q: What's your latest funny story, about promoting your book?

A: Not sure this qualifies as a funny story, but it was pretty darn exciting. The day before she was to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," I was talking with my cousin, Lisa Kudrow, on the phone. In case you don't know, she did the audiobook version of SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA. Anyway, as we were winding down our phone call, I wished her luck on "The Tonight Show" and she said she'd try to think of a funny story to tell about recording my book. I nearly fainted. "Lisa, that would be UNBELIEVABLE!" She couldn't promise anything, of course, but she said she'd try. So the next night, I stayed up to watch the show. She spent the first segment talking about her latest trip to France. When they broke for commercial I said to my husband, "Well, that's it, then. She hasn't said a word about "The Comeback" yet, so she's not going to have time to mention my book." I was okay with it. She'd already done so much and, really it was just too much to expect her to plug my book with Jay. When they came back from the break, Jay asked her what she'd been up to lately, and Lisa told him she did the hardest thing she'd ever done as an actress--read an audiobook. I didn't want to scream and miss what she said, next, so I grabbed my husband's arm and dug my nails into him, poor guy. Then I listened as Lisa said, "My cousin wrote this phenomenal and funny book and it's called ... oh, shoot." No really. She stopped there, and my heart froze in my chest. "Oh shoot?" Jay said. "It's a western?" Then Lisa said, "It's called ... Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA!" Phew! Anyway, it was a grand moment, and I can tell you that the next day was berserk, as my agent and publisher went nuts with the news. Do I have to tell you how grateful I am to Lisa? She's got such a huge, generous heart.

Q: How did the spicy sex scenes in your book go over with Mom and Dad?

A: They didn't disown me, but I think it was tough for them--my dad, especially. But they got past it and are awfully proud.

Q: Is it a bit daunting to acheive something you have always wanted...like publishing a book? What's next? Does it mean you have to plant a tree or climb Mt. Everest?

A: It IS daunting to achieve your lifelong dream, Jennifer. In fact, I usually can't wrap my mind around it. It only hits me in discrete and miserly doses. But I think it's human nature to keep raising the bar. So now that I've realized my dream of publishing a book, I have other goals. For instance, I'd like people to actually BUY it.

Q: Please list three guilty pleasures:

A: Wasting time on the internet, "Untold Stories of the E.R.," and candied walnuts.

Q: Do you still have that HOT picture of George Clooney? If you do....I'll post it here. (By the way, did his people call your people yet?)

  

A: Is there a picture of George Clooney that's NOT hot?

To give your readers a little background, my book was originally titled GEORGE CLOONEY IS COMING TO APPLEWOOD, but I couldn't get permission to use his name, though not for lack of trying. His name still appears within the pages of the book, which apparently is okay even without permission. At any rate, after the book was published, I sent George a copy of the book, inscribed as follows:

Dear George,
This book might just put you on the map.
You're welcome.
-Ellen Meister

I'm still waiting for a thank you note ... or phone call.

Thank you, Ellen, for participating in this week's interview space. Best of luck for the continued success of "Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA!"

For more on Ellen Meister, please go to her website:

EllenMeister.com