Side Dish

Friday Update 11/6

2009-11-06T09:13:00.005-05:00

I know my updates have been a little cryptic lately, as I've alluded to personal problems without giving any details. Now that things are a little better I'll simply say that one of my kids had a serious health issue. We got a diagnosis this week so treatment is underway and things are getting better.

This is good news, though my body has found a way of letting me know that my stress is still way over the top. It's that blasted eye twitch I mentioned a few weeks ago, which flashes like a neon beacon telling me to chill out.

No surprise to find this piece of information on the Internet:

The most common things that make the muscle in your eyelid twitch are fatigue, stress, and caffeine.

Welcome to my world.

In other news, my talk at Molloy College went well last weekend, and I have another fun gig on tap for this Saturday night. It's the Dimestories reading at Barbes in Brooklyn and I'm stoked. This is a series that features stories no more than three minutes in length, and this particular event showcases Marcy Krever, Brad Manzo, R.E. Neu, Susan O’Neill, Robin Slick, Rachel Shukert, Eber Lambert and yours truly. Kimberly M. Wetherell hosts and the musical guest is Micheal Hearst. There will also be an open mike, so grab your best flash fiction and join us!

More info here.

Have a great weekend ...

Author Afternoon at Molloy College

2009-11-02T12:23:00.004-05:00

Here's a little snippet from the Q&A portion of my talk at Molloy College yesterday ...

Huge thanks to Barbara Novack who runs the program and invited me to speak. Barbara is a gem of a person and a powerful poet. If you have a chance, please check out her website, barbaranovack.com, and scroll down to read her evocative yet accessible poems.

Also, a major shout-out to my homey, Saralee Rosenberg, who filled in at the last minute when my husband couldn't make it to help me out. If you haven't laughed yet today, I suggest you drop everything and pick up a copy of her latest book, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD.

amazon.fail

2009-11-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

Can you spot the typo in this ad?

Friday Update 10/30

2009-10-30T17:35:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween! If you're on Long Island this Sunday, I'll hope you'll find your way to Molloy College in Rockville Centre at 3 pm. I'm doing an author talk. Free refreshments and still-fresh Halloween candy will be served. Click here for details.

I'm still not in a mindset to post any personal updates, so, for your reading pleasure, here is an eclectic assortment of links I like ...

• Betsy Lerner - one of my favorite agent bloggers

• The Self-Esteem Companion - My friend Roch is a great hypnotist and an inspirational blogger

• Ken Levine - Colorful TV comedy writer (and no, my character Kenny Waxman was not modeled on him)

• Hey, I'm Maxthegirl - Kickass recaps of Project Runway and more

• Lee Goldberg - Funny, honest, bold novelist/screenwriter

• David Carol - Gifted photographer, extraordinary images

Friday Update 10/23

2009-10-23T13:11:00.002-04:00

A few years ago I got a twitch in my eyelid that lasted for months before finally going away.

Today I woke up to discover the twitch is back, which should tell you something about my week. And that's all I'm going to say for now.

Thanks for checking in. Have a great weekend ...
xo

Friday Update 10/16

2009-10-16T06:00:00.007-04:00

• This week I didn't do much but work. I finished the new proposal for The Cousins' Club and got stuck on the last couple of paragraphs. I wrote them about a thousand different ways, and it didn't feel right. I knew I would get it eventually--it just took time. And trees. I printed the thing out again and again to read it in hard copy. Of course I made changes every time.

I was looking for something that felt organic but not obvious, satisfying but not hokey. It had to illustrate the main character's arc without sounding punchline-y.

Then at last the characters spoke to me and I got an ending that felt right. So I did one last edit and sent the whole 17,000-word proposal off to my agents. Now I wait to see if they think I nailed it this time.

• I'm still reading THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, but slowly. I'm not even at the halfway point. It's not a book that pulls me in, and I find myself avoiding it much of the time. I don't think it's the book's fault. I think it's me. I'm an odd sort of reader. I have a hard time handling books that are too tense. Clearly, I'm alone in this, because millions of people love thrillers. Page-turners, they call them. But it has the opposite effect on me. When things really heat up I have to put the book down and walk away. Yes, I am that much of a wuss.

I feel a little sheepish admitting this, because some of my best friends are thriller writers. I like and respect these people. If they came to my house, I would even let them use my bathroom. (Sorry. I read a story this morning about a racist judge and that line stuck in my head.)

So now you know. I may be a tad emotionally intense. But I'm getting better. I used to come close to blacking out at movies because I would hold my breath during the tense parts. (My husband learned to gently pat my hand during these scenes and remind me to breathe.) Now I remember to inhale and exhale on my own.

• Any other grownups really excited about seeing WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE?

• I spent much of the day yesterday glued to the television worrying about balloon boy. Now some people are whispering that the whole thing may have been a hoax. The fact that his father is a bit of a media hound is fueling this. I don't know, but there is one thing about the story that's bugging me. There were cameras following that balloon for hours, and we got a very good view of it. We didn't know how the thing was constructed, and assumed it was possible for someone to be inside. But the part of the craft that could hold people was not attached, and that had to be completely obvious to the parents. Why were the authorities never alerted to the fact that there was no way the boy could inside that enclosed section of the craft? I'm just saying.

• Thanks to Ellis Weiner and The New Yorker for the funniest thing I have read in a long, long time.

• Reminder: I'm giving a talk at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. Free refreshments and lots of leftover Halloween candy. It's on Sunday, November 1, at 3 pm. Click here for details.

• One sad and heartbreaking note. My beloved creative writing professor from SUNY Buffalo, Raymond Federman, passed away this week. He was a writer, poet, scholar and holocaust survivor who had a significant impact on me and many others, I'm sure. Rest in peace, Ray.

ACCORDING TO JANE By Marilyn Brant

2009-10-15T15:20:00.004-04:00

To be filed under Better Late than Never, my blog post about ACCORDING TO JANE, a bright and inventive debut from Girlfriends Cyber Circuit author Marilyn Brant. For a Jane Austen fan like me, this sounds like a delicious read. Here's the press release summary:

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go--sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

Marilyn was good enough to answer some interview questions for me, so here goes ...

Tell us about ACCORDING TO JANE and the inspiration behind it.
My debut novel, According to Jane, is the story of a modern woman who--for almost two decades--has the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice. I first read Pride & Prejudice as a high-school freshman. Like my heroine Ellie, I raced through the novel way ahead of the reading assignments. I loved both the story and Austen’s writing style immediately. Her books changed the way I perceived the behavior of everyone around me, and I spent the rest of freshman year trying to figure out which Austen character each of my friends and family members most resembled! Also like Ellie, I had a few (okay, a lot) of less-than-wonderful boyfriends, and I would have loved to have been given romantic advice from the author I most respected and the one who’d written one of my all-time favorite love stories.

Which scene in ACCORDING TO JANE did you love writing?
One scene I had a lot of fun with was the bar scene in the first chapter where my main character runs into her ex-high-school boyfriend for the first time in four years. It was a situation I had never experienced personally, but I could imagine the comical possibilities so clearly and feel and the frustration of my heroine as if I’d been the one standing there, facing the jerk and his latest girlfriend, while Jane Austen ranted about how “insufferable” he was.

Do you have a sample chapter posted?
Yes! On my website I have a segment of Chapter One available for anyone interested in reading. Also, if you go to the Amazon page for According to Jane “Search Inside This Book” feature, and people can read samples from scenes throughout the novel.

Any great fan/fan mail stories you care to share?
The book was just released on September 29th, so first impressions are still coming in, but I’ve gotten some truly wonderful emails from people who read the ARCs this summer. One of my favorites is from a woman who won a copy of the book in a contest and emailed me to say that she’d finished the book in a day and was on an emotional high from reading it. She added, “Sometimes I go through phase where I'm so blase about reading fiction and focus mainly on non-fiction (my usual staple), but once in a blue moon, a book grips me and makes me fall in love with fiction again. Thank you. A very grateful reader.” I will always, always love that message!

Do read books on the craft of writing, and do you have any favorites to recommend?
I’m a BIG fan of craft books, so I have more than one! I used Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT! almost religiously in the plotting of my past several books. I’m still very sad that he’s no longer with us. As far as a great reference guide, Robert McKee’s STORY is incredible. It has more information about writing craft than I can ever internalize. Also, whenever I need a more emotional pick-me-up, I grab the Ralph Keyes book THE COURAGE TO WRITE. I recommend it to everyone.

What’s next for you, Marilyn?
I get to visit a number of book clubs that chose my debut novel, According to Jane, as their monthly book pick--wildly fun!--while also starting the production/promotion process all over again for my next women’s fiction project. That second book is done, but we’re still working on finding the right title. It’s a modern fairytale about three suburban moms who shake up their marriages and their lives when one woman asks her friends a somewhat shocking question… That comes out in October 2010.

Thanks so much, Marilyn!

To purchase ACCORDING TO JANE, visit your local chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Marilyn's website at marilynbrant.com.

Friday Update, 10/9

2009-10-09T15:26:00.006-04:00

Yikes. I'm really behind in my blogging, and owe a post to the wonderful Marilyn Brant, which I promise to do next week, if not sooner. Meanwhile, if you're in a bookstore this weekend, please keep an eye out for her glorious and sizzling hot debut, ACCORDING TO JANE.

This week was mostly about work for me, and I'm very close to having my new proposal completed. I got within spitting distance of the finish line today when I realized I just needed a little bit of mental space to figure out how to finesse the ending. So I'm letting the girls in the attic (or the boys in the basement, as Stephen King would say) do their thing. In other words, I'm walking away long enough for my subconscious to work on it without me. My hope is that the next time I sit down to type the answers will be obvious.

One surreal bit of irritation this week. The Federal Trade Commission announced that bloggers who review books must make it clear if they received a review copy for free. Apparently, the FTC considers a free book "compensation," and think there's an implicit compact between publisher and reviewer. That's right. They think publishers are "buying" good reviews by sending out free copies, and consumers need to know this. It's completely absurd, especially since they only make this requirement of bloggers and not reviewers in other media. Click here to read more about it.

Can you believe this horseshit? As if the publishing industry wasn't beleaguered enough. I am livid.

Meanwhile, the dimwits at the FTC can sleep soundly at night knowing that Janet in Portland will be protected from buying a copy of the new Dan Brown book her sister-in-law recommended on her blog.

To protest this lunacy, call Richard T. Cleland at the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 202-326-3088.

Lastly, if you work at Kensington, I have a special plea: DO NOT, under any circumstances, send me a copy of According to Jane. Just the mention I made above could get me fined.

Friday Update 10/2

2009-10-02T09:45:00.012-04:00

Today I'm writing to you from my car in front of my local Borders Bookstore. I had intended to work from a nearby coffee shop, but it was unexplainably closed. So I headed to the bookstore, which also has free wi-fi. Alas, I got here before it opened, so I'm in the parking lot mooching wireless service.

Meanwhile, is it really Friday already? This week went by in about 3 seconds.

Partly it's because it was a short school week. Here on Long Island, schools were closed on Monday for the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur. We hosted "Break the Fast" at our house, which is my favorite meal of the year ... to serve and to eat. For those who don't know, it's tradition to break the fast with bagels, lox and other smoked fish. Oof! This stuff could make a believer out of anyone.

And it's a great holiday to host, because it's so very easy to impress starving people. Also, there's very little cooking and cleaning involved. What could be better?

This year, I was very happy to have friends as well as family. A special treat!

Other good news this week is that I got a happy message from my agents. I had sent them an email with some thoughts on the new direction I want to go in with The Cousins' Club, my work-in-progress. Also included was a new prologue I felt great about. Turns out my agents loved it all--the idea as well as the prologue. They may even have used the word "brilliant." So yay! After two false starts I'm off and running.

Looks like the store is opening now, so I'm going to grab a cup of Awake tea and work on the novel. Thanks for checking in ... and have a great weekend.

EDITED TO ADD: I'm in Borders now, where I went straight to the magazine rack and found a special edition of Writer's Digest called NOVEL WRITING. It contains several articles by my pal Jordan Rosenfeld, one of which mentions yours truly. There's actually tons of great stuff in this issue and I plan to read it cover-to-cover. You should, too. Either click this link for a digital version or pick up a copy at your local bookstore.

And finally ... my brother, Stephen Meister, was on TV again this week, talking to Neil Cavuto about the real estate bail-out. This time it was on Fox News rather than Fox Business News. Take a look ...

Friday Update, 9/25

2009-09-25T16:42:00.008-04:00

• I don't like to use my blog to whine, but to be perfectly honest it wasn't the best of weeks. I started out trying to lick the last remnants of the flu as I waited for my agent to get back to me on my second submission of my work-in-progress, THE COUSINS' CLUB.

Understand that it was something like my twentieth draft and I'd been working like a dog. I know I'm onto something incredibly special here and was hoping my agent would say that I nailed it.

Alas, it wasn't the conversation I had been hoping for. She agrees that there's something there--something unique and fresh and breathtaking--but I haven't found the doorway inside. Pretty hard to put into words how devastated I was. Normally I handle these things better, but it's bad timing for me, as I didn't have the emotional, physical or financial resources to cope with the news.

Also, I blame some of this moodiness on the fact that I've been unable to exercise. I got pretty accustomed to those endorphins.

• I attended Back to School night at the high school and middle school this week. It was good to meet the kids' teachers, but hard for me because these were evening events and my body was reminding me that I'm still recovering and should be spending my nights under the covers with a cup of tea.

• Took a little me time this week and met my friend Saralee Rosenberg at an excellent and inspiring book talk by the author of 50 IS THE NEW FIFTY, Suzanne Braun Levine. If you don't know who she is, think Ms. Magazine. She was a founding editor, and is currently a speaker on women and family issues, as well as contributing editor of More Magazine. The talk was moderated by my friend Debbi Honorof, and sponsored by The Transition Network.

Ellen Meister, Suzanne Braun Levine, Saralee Rosenberg

• No joke--I got myself a staple gun and some fabric and am reupholstering my dining room chairs. I may be dangerous.

• Just finished reading THE BOOK OF JOE by Jonathan Tropper. Wonderful novel--funny and warm and smart. I'm dying to read his new book, THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU. My reading pile is insane but I'll get around to it one of these days/weeks/months.

• My brother, Stephen Meister, was on the Bulls and Bears show at Fox Business News again, discussing the real estate market. He's like Donald Trump with honest hair. Take a look:

• Looking forward to having family and friends over for Break the Fast on Monday night. Meanwhile, I wish all my Jewish friends a sweet New Year, an easy fast and all good things. Peace.

AIR TIME By Hank Phillippi Ryan

2009-09-20T16:13:00.005-04:00

You would think that blogging isn't the kind of thing that gets put off when you're sick. After all, how much energy does it take to type up a few paragraphs?

Clearly, more energy than I had with this damned flu, which is why I'm late blogging about a wonderful new book from the beautiful and talented Hank Phillippi Ryan, who's not only an author, but an on-air reporter for NBC in Boston.

She's touring now to talk about the latest in her breathless Charlotte McNally mystery series, AIR TIME.

Check out some of the buzz this book is getting:

"Sassy, fast-paced, and appealing. This is first-class entertainment."
—Sue Grafton

"The most fun I've had reading in a long time. Hank Phillippi Ryan has given us one of the best heroines to emerge in a long while, and her stories zip along as fast as news bulletins. AIR TIME is a fun, fast read with a heroine who's sexy, stylish, and smart. I loved it."
—Nancy Pickard

"Loved it! Smart, funny, fresh, intriguing and thoroughly entertaining—I highly recommend this series."
—Suzanne Brockmann

"AIR TIME is a thrill ride from the first page to the last. This story will tickle your funnybone and to uch your heart. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a fabulous new talent."
—Susan Wiggs

"Excellent! Hank Phillippi Ryan knows how to create characters that come to life and capture your heart. Don't miss this engrossing story."
—Brenda Novak

"Hank had me from the first line. In her latest addictive page-turner AIR TIME, real-life TV reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan once again thrills us with her terrific counterpart, investigative reporter Charlotte McNally. AIR TIME isn't only exciting and sexy and even funny—it's also damned well written."
—David Morrell, Founding co-president International Thriller Writers

"Ripped straight from the newsroom! Hank Phillippi Ryan dishes up the inside scoop—the deadlines, the duplicity, and the danger. AIR TIME is authentic, full of intrigue, and great fun—truly a page-turner."
—Kelly Lange, TV News Anchor-Reporter, Mystery Author

And now here's Hank to answer some questions ...

How did you come up with the idea for AIR TIME?

Imagine the research I had to do into the world of designer purses! It was tough, but someone had to dive in…

Actually, Charlie’s investigation into the world of counterfeit couture cames straight from been there-done that. In my day job as a TV reporter, my producer (not Franklin!) and I have done several in-depth investigations into the world of knock-offs—not only purses and scarves, but blue jeans and watches and DVDs and videos.

We went undercover and with a hidden camera—like Charlie does—into various back-alley stores where counterfeit merchandise was being sold, and also into some suburban purse parties where women—certainly knowing they were fake and thinking was fine—were scooping up piles of counterfeit Burberrys and Chanels.

You should know— law enforcement tells us, it’s not illegal to buy the purses—unless you’re buying large amounts that are obviously for resale. The illegality is in the copying and manufacture and sale of what’s clearly a trademarked and proprietary item. (As the elegant fashion exec Zuzu Mazny-Latos tells Charlie in AIR TIME—it’s like taking Gone with the Wind—and putting your name on the cover.)

Anyway—lots of AIR TIME is based on research and reality—besides the undercover work, and the research, I’ve done many interviews with the federal agencies in charge of battling counterfeiting, the attorneys who help big companies protest their products, and even the private investigators the designers hire to scout out counterfeits.

Are you more driven by plot or by character?

Ah, it's both. I start with one little germ of a plot twist--and then figure out how Charlie is going to figure it out! So I know what I know--and she knows what she knows. And then she has to solve the mystery--based on what I let her know.

Who's your favorite character in AIR TIME and why?

Oh, I can't possibly answer that. Charlie McNally is dear to my heart of course. When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in: when “you” get chased by the bad guys, or when “you” get held at gunpoint. And I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction.” But Charlie can say things I can’t say about the reality of television, and because she’s fictional, she can go places I can’t go. And say things I can’t say!

And the very sweet 8-year-old Penny, I must say, touches me every time I write about her And I get so many letters from readers, concerned about her, and asking about her, and who I based her on. But really? She’s right out of my imagination. (She’s the character who sometimes makes readers cry...along with Charlie’s mother. I guess family relationships are sometimes—universal.)

And in AIR TIME there’s a new character --a gorgeous FBI agent named Keresey Stone. She’s amazing. And unpredictable. But I wonder what you’ll think about her?

Your double-duty career must be difficult. What's your writing process/writing environment like?

I’ve been a television reporter since 19, um, 75. I’m still on the air at Boston’s NBC affiliate, and still at work as an investigative reporter. (And I’m always hoping my best story ever is just around the corner.) So I come to work at Channel 7 every morning—tracking down clues, doing research, hoping for justice and looking for a great story that will change people’s lives. (Hmm..sounds a lot like mystery writing!)

Then at night we go back home—and when I’m in writing mode, I write til about ten pm, in a wonderful study that’s lined with bookshelves. I admit—I have a cluttered desk, and no real filing system, except for “piles.” But I know where everything is. I like it to be quiet.. At the TV station, it’s chaotic and loud, with three TV’s blasting all the time—and I can work fine there! But at home, with the books—quiet.

Because my schedule is so tight, I keep track of my words. If I know I have to write 90,000 words by the deadline, I literally divide that number by the number of days I have—and then set that as a goal. I try to write maybe—to pages a day. And on weekends, more. If I can do that, I’m thrilled.

I push my way through a first draft. I say to myself—just get the story down. Just do it. And you can fix it later.

Then I cook dinner, and my husband and I have a very late dinner together! You can imagine how patient he is!

I used to be a pretty good cook, and diligent about exercise. My husband and I gave dinner parties and went to movies and went on vacation. Sigh. That’s all pretty much over. I have a full time job as reporter, a full time job as a mystery author, and a full time job as a wife (with two step-children and two step-grandchildren!) That doesn’t leave much time for much else.

What's your favorite part of writing?

Revision, no question. I love that. You have this whole first draft, and you get to go back and see what you really have. I often have wonderful revelations when I read over the first draft—there are themes and rhythms and even clues that I didn’t realize were there! It’s always so rewarding.

And after 30 years in TV, I know how valuable editing is—so I look at it as a real treat. To get to polish, and tweak, and rearrange, and make it all shine—oh, it’s great fun.

The other favorite part—when readers love the books. I can’t tell you how often I’m out on a story, for instance, and a stranger will come up to me , and pull the book out of a purse or briefcase, and ask me to sign it. I can barely resist bursting into tears. It somehow completes the writing, you know? when someone reads it.

What's the best piece of advice you ever got about writing?

There’s a plaque on my bulletin board with the question: “What would you attempt to do if you know you could not fail?” That gives me a lot of courage.

Thanks so much, Hank!

To purchase AIR TIME or the other books in this riveting series, visit your local chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber retailer. For more information, visit Hank's website at hankphillippiryan.com.

Friday Update 9/18

2009-09-18T07:10:00.003-04:00

I have the flu. Swine? Something else? Doesn't matter. I'll be fine either way. But too tired for updates right now.

L'shana tova. Have a sweet New Year.

CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE By Joanne Rendell

2009-09-07T11:37:00.003-04:00

Apologies for getting so behind on my blogging. I never posted my Friday update last week, but that's not the worst of it--I'm late in telling you about this wonderful new book from an outstanding GCC writer, Joanne Rendell.

CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE sounds like a perfect book club read. Nicola Kraus, co-author of The Nanny Diaries, called it "A charming, witty, and cerebral novel." Here's the description:

Across Washington Square live two very different women …with their very different love of books.

Some women follow their hearts; others follow their minds. In this second novel from the acclaimed author of The Professors’ Wives’ Club, we return to Manhattan University, where two strong-willed women are compelled to unite their senses and sensibilities.

Professor Diana Monroe is a highly respected scholar of Sylvia Plath. Serious and aloof, she steadfastly keeps her mind on track. Professor Rachel Grey is young and impulsive, with a penchant for teaching popular women’s fiction like Bridget Jones’ Diary and The Devil Wears Prada, and for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The two conflicting personalities meet head to heart when Carson McEvoy, a handsome and brilliant professor visiting from Harvard, sets his eyes on both women and creates even more tension between them. Now Diana and Rachel are slated to accompany an undergraduate trip to London, where an almost life-threatening experience with a student celebrity will force them to change their minds and heal their hearts…together.

Joanne was good enough to answer some of interview questions, so please give her charming answers a read ...

What's the basic premise of CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE?

Crossing Washington Square is a story of two very different women and their very different love of books. Rachel Grey and Diana Monroe are both literature professors in the old boys club of Manhattan University. While this should create a kinship between them, they are very much at odds and when a brilliant and handsome professor from Harvard comes to town and sets his sights on both women, sparks really fly!

What was the inspiration behind it?

The idea for Crossing Washington Square evolved over a few years. As someone who has lived the academic life (I have a PhD in literature and now I'm married to a professor at NYU), I've always loved books about the university - novels like Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys, Richard Russo's The Straight Man, Zadie Smith's On Beauty, and Francine Prose's Blue Angel. But what I noticed about such campus fiction was the lack of female professors in leading roles. Even the female authors like Francine Prose and Zadie Smith's novels focus on male professors. Furthermore, most of these male professors are disillusioned drunks who quite often sleep with their students! I wanted to write a novel with women professors taking the lead and I wanted these women to be strong and smart and interesting - instead of drunk, despondent, and preoccupied with questionable sexual liaisons!

Is there a scene in the book you're especially proud of?

Rachel Grey and Diana Monroe are both literature professors in the old boys club of Manhattan University. While this should create a kinship between them, they are very much at odds. Rachel is young, emotional, and impulsive. She wrote a book about women's book groups which got her a slot on Oprah and she uses "chick lit" in her classes. Diana is aloof, icy, and controlled. She's also a scholar of Sylvia Plath who thinks "beach" fiction is an easy ride for students. My favorite scene is where these two women face-off in a department meeting. Neither of the professors is a shrinking violet and thus sparks really fly! The scene was such fun to write.

If you were in charge of casting the movie adaptation of CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE, who gets the call?

Crossing Washington Square loosely echoes Austen's Sense and Sensibility - with one professor being led by her sense, the other by her sensibility. I love the Ang Lee adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet playing the two very different Dashwood sisters. I'd love Emma and Kate to play my professors too!

Did you have any input on the cover, and are you happy with the finished product?

I received the first draft of the cover via email. I opened it and instantly fell in love! I really had no suggestions to make it better. I thought it was perfect and really captured the spirit of the book. It kind of looks like a Penguin classic (with the square title box and the particular typeface), but it is coupled with the very modern photo of the girl. This juxtaposition really captures what the book is about. In other words, how some people love classical books, other like modern, popular books, but how all books - whatever kind - can unite people in the end.

Actually, I recently contacted Melody Cassen who designed the cover for Crossing Washington Square and the cover of my first book The Professors' Wives' Club. I told her how much I loved her work. She was so pleased and said that she rarely hears feedback from authors about their covers. So, tip of the day for authors, if you like your cover, drop the designer a line and tell them!

What's next for you?

I'm working on final edits for my third novel (which was bought by Penguin last fall). The novel tells the story of a woman who thinks she might be related to the nineteenth century writer, Mary Shelley. On her journey to seek the truth and to discover if there really is a link between her own family and the creator of Frankenstein, Clara unearths surprising facts about people much closer to home - including some shocking secrets about the ambitious scientist she is engaged to. The book is told in alternating points of view between Clara and the young Mary Shelley who is preparing to write Frankenstein.

Thanks, Joanne!

CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE is available in trade paperback at your favorite chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information visit Joanne's website at joannerendell.com.

New Interview Posted

2009-09-03T09:41:00.001-04:00

What motivates me? Groupies!

Learn more at writenowtoday.com.

Stephen Meister on Fox Business News

2009-08-31T18:01:00.003-04:00

I've been getting some hits on my blog for people looking for info on my brother's appearances on Fox Business News talking about the forthcoming tsunami in commercial real estate, so I figured I'd give people what they're looking for.

Here's his apppearance today, 8/31/09, from the Bulls and Bears program:

And here's his previous appearance, 8/17/09, from Neil Cavuto's program:

Work-in-Progress

2009-08-31T11:21:00.003-04:00

I'm not one of those writers who blows through the first draft, getting it all down as fast as possible. I'm what Kurt Vonnegut called a basher. That is, I bash at every paragraph as I go along, trying to get it perfect before I move on.

And yet, I go back and edit in hard copy. No less than fifteen runs through this particular proposal and I still have pages that look like this:

No wonder I have a headache ...

Friday Update 8/28

2009-08-28T19:18:00.003-04:00

• Last week all three kids were in Florida with my parents, and they flew home by themselves last Saturday. They were real troupers despite long delays. I won't bore you with the details, but they boarded the plane in Florida at 2:30 and we didn't get home until almost 10 pm.

• Most of the week was spent catching up on stuff like dentist appointments, doctor appointments and school supply shopping, but we also got to see BandSlam. The kids loved it like crazy. Too bad it didn't do that well. I blame it on poor marketing, and not the film itself, which was so great for teens and tweens. Lisa Kudrow, who plays the mom, really got to show her chops in one scene in particular. If it's playing near you, rush out to take the kids. I promise they'll love it.

• Mike and I got to see Inglourious Basterds last week. I thought it was absolutely astounding. He tried to argue that Kill Bill was better, but I think he's completely lost his mind on this one. Anyway, click here to read my favorite review of this movie.

• Finished reading Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize winning OLIVE KITTERIDGE and I loved it, though I'll only recommend to people who love literary fiction, as it doesn't have a strong enough through-story for people who like page-turners. Just read Philip Roth's GOODBYE, COLUMBUS, which I apparently never read before. Wanted to like it more than I did. I suppose the frankness of the sexuality and observations of Jewish nouveau riche culture made it groundbreaking in its day, but it's not quite enough to create a classic. My favorite scenes were the ones with Aunt Gladys. Hilarious, pitch perfect dialogue there.

• I'm recommending Ron Currie's EVERYTHING MATTERS! to everyone. Seriously. You have to read this astounding book. I promise you won't be able to put it down.

• Special mid-week treat: my old pal and former boss, John Skelly, blew through town and stopped in to say hello with his brother, Joe. John's got a cool website you should check out, Downtown Charlotte.

• Thanks to my friend Myfanwy Collins, I downloaded a really cool free program called Dropbox, that lets you save files on one computer and access them on another. Very easy to use. Give it a try: Dropbox

• I'm pretty thrilled with the early praise my forthcoming book is getting. Check it out on my Publishers Marketplace page.

• I think I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with this proposal I'm working on. I'm re-re-re-re-editing the first 70 pages and then will take another stab at the outline. I have about two-thirds of the broad strokes worked out in my notes. Still lots of questions, but I can actually envision coming up with answers, so that's progress.

Have a great weekend ...

Friday Update, 8/21

2009-08-21T09:02:00.007-04:00

It's been a relaxing week, with the kids in Florida and no one here but us grown-ups. I do miss them (seriously!) but we managed to have a bit of fun.

• On Saturday we went to see Julie and Julia. I have two words: Meryl Streep. And two more: Holy crap. Doesn't seem humanly possible to deliver that kind of performance.

• On Sunday we braved the traffic and went to Tobay Beach. (Whose idea was it to close down three lanes of traffic on a Sunday in August on the only road leading to the beach? Someone needs to be punched in the throat.) Still, it was glorious.

• On Monday I went into Manhattan to have lunch with my Putnam editor, Rachel Kahan. It was about a million degrees, but I'm so glad I went. I learned a ton and man, does she have some interesting stories!

• On my way out of the Penguin Putnam building I met Jill Zarin (one of the Real Housewives of New York City) and Lisa Wexler (host of Live! With Lisa Radio), two Jewish sisters who are writing a book together. It was kind of ironic because I happen to be working on a novel about two Jewish cousins who might write a book together. Anyway, they were very friendly and it was a delight to meet them.

• On Monday night, my smartypants brother, Stephen Meister, explained the coming financial tsunami in commercial real estate on Neil Cavuto's show on Fox Business News. Check it out:

• On Tuesday Mike and I took the ferry to Shelter Island and had dinner at Sunset Beach, a lovely restaurant on the water. It felt like we had been away on vacation. The picture to the left was taken from my cellphone between courses. Crazy, but it was the first time either of us had been to Shelter Island. What a place!

• On Wednesday I met up with Saralee Rosenberg and we celebrated with another Long Island writer pal, Brenda Janowitz, as she and her husband Doug welcomed baby Benjamin into the world with the holy ritual of a Bris. Congrats to the beautiful family!

• Shoot. Fell asleep before The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last night and missed my cousin Lisa Kudrow's appearance. Would love to see a clip if anyone can find one.

• Did manage to stay up to see Renee Zellweger on David Letterman. Her face stayed so still while she talked it looked like she was wearing a mask. I like her and this makes me sad.

• Yesterday I worked like a dog on the project I mentioned above, The Cousins' Club. I managed to edit all 70 pages, working in new ideas and layers. This morning, just as I was finishing, I got yet another idea for changing something that would add a dimension and be a big improvement. Dear Subconscious: I appreciate that you're working round the clock to come up with these gems, but next time would mind making the delivery before I've written and polished 17,000 words?

• I now have a Publishers Marketplace page. Check it out: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/ellenmeister/

More Fun With Dad on "The Machine"

2009-08-20T09:06:00.006-04:00

Every few weeks my father calls for help with something on the computer, which he calls "the machine." It's a great exercise in communication for me, because I have to figure out how to break the task down to its most basic components for someone with a high IQ but no technical vocabulary ...

DAD: I want to, um ... I mean there's a website and I want to email someone ... how do I ...

ME: You want to send someone a link?

DAD: Yes! That's right. I want to send someone a link.

ME: Okay, open to the web page.

DAD: What web page?

ME: The one you want to send a link to.

DAD: Do I need to close the email?

ME: No. You can minimize it if you want. Just open another window. (I know he uses IE and doesn't use tabs. I can't begin to get into that lesson with him.)

DAD: Okay. Give me a minute.

ME:

ME:

ME: Dad?

DAD: Just a minute.

ME: Take your time.

ME:

ME:

ME:

ME: Dad?

DAD: Almost got it.

ME:

ME:

DAD: Okay, I got the web page. Now what?

ME: You know that bar at the top where you see the website address? Put your cursor in there and click once.

DAD: Okay.

ME: Is it highlighted?

DAD: Is it what?

ME: Did it turn blue?

DAD: (Excited) Yes!

ME: Okay, hold the control key and hit the letter C.

DAD: Is the control key that one on the bottom?

ME: Yes.

DAD: Is it the one that says Alt?

ME: No, it's the one that says Control.

DAD: Um ... where is it?

ME: Keep looking.

ME:

ME:

DAD: I found it.

ME: Good. Now open your email again.

DAD: Oh my god! Where did it go? It's gone! Good lord!!

ME: Don't panic. It's not gone. It's probably right behind the page you're on.

So I walked him through minimizing the page, opening his email, and using CONTROL-V to paste in the url.

DAD: Control C?

ME: No, this time you have to hit control V as in Victor.

DAD: V is the hardest letter to find.

ME: I'll wait.

At his point he screwed up and lost what was in his clipboard. So we had to start all over again. When we finally accomplished this simple task he exclaimed that it was like a miracle, and the first time he ever used the control key.

ME: No it's not, Dad. I walked you through this same thing at least half a dozen times before.

DAD: But I don't remember, so it's LIKE I never used it before.

Lest you think my dad is an imbecile, know that he probably has a better and deeper grasp of more topics than the next ten most intelligent people I know. (I challenge you to come up with a question about WWII he can't answer off the top of his head.) It just goes to prove what I've always believed ... we're all ignorant, just about different things.

Friday Update, 8/14

2009-08-14T08:47:00.002-04:00

My apologies. I've been such a lax blogger this summer. Mostly, I'm busy with work and the gym. The kids are really easy peasy all summer--in camp all day and no real carpooling requirements. Anyway, here's are highlights of my last two weeks ...

• Reached 16,000 words on the work-in-progress, but got two pretty big ideas that will improve it, so I have to do some rewriting. Then the impossible part--trying to come up with some kind of cogent outline that will turn it into a proposal.

Have I mentioned that writing a book is hard?

• Had a wonderful, beach-side dinner with some writer pals last week. Wall's Wharf in Bayville might be the prettiest summer dining spot on Long Island. So ... great company, fab views, so-so food.

• Just finished reading Julia Glass's I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE, a beautiful study of the intense and challenging relationship between two sisters. Now I'm reading the Pulitzer Prize winning OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout, which is knocking me out. The next two books in my reading pile are Ron Currie's EVERYTHING MATTERS! and Richard Russo's THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC. I love these two writers and I'm really looking forward to reading these books, but four literary novels in a row might be a bit much. A friend is due to send me a ripping thriller, which would make a great intermezzo. Hope it gets here soon.

• Shout-out to my pal Regina for coming to the gym and showing me what I was doing wrong and how I can make some better progress.

• Highlight of the past week was meeting up with my friend Maryanne Stahl and going to see Richard Russo (my favorite living author) and Pat Conroy at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. I have to admit I was a smidge disappointed that Russo didn't write anything personal in my copy of his new book, despite how hard I tried to impress him. (Yes, I'm that pathetic.) Kind of reminds of my very first published short story, "Mrs. Esserman's Eggs."

Friday Update

2009-07-31T14:13:00.003-04:00

I didn't have time to post an update last week, which is just as well. Not too much going on, but here's the latest ...

Had a pretty splendid barbecue last weekend in honor of the kids' camp friends and their parents. I'm so impressed with Usdan and the people it attracts (except for this guy, but that's another story)

Speaking of Usdan, my daughter was in a fabulous production of Once Upon a Mattress this week. Kudos to all involved for putting on such a great show. And congrats to my little bunny on her wonderful solo.

I've been spending a lot of time writing and rewriting these past few weeks. One particular challenge was writing song lyrics for a teenage boy character in the 1970s. I thought my head might explode.

My husband gave a great presentation on solar energy the other night. It's something we should all consider for our homes. For more info, click here.

Been having a lot of fun watching my 14-year-old figure out the Rubik's Cube. I have no brain for this kind of 3-dimensional puzzle, so it really impresses the hell out of me.

One unpleasant event this week--some dickless criminals broke into my minivan in the middle of the night and ransacked it, looking for a GPS that wasn't there. I keep it in the house now, because the last time I left it in the car the buggers got it. I told the local police they should keep my driveway under surveillance if they want to catch these guys. (I'm assuming criminals don't read by blog. If they do, at least I have some satisfaction in calling them dickless, which they are.)

CHILDREN OF THE WATERS By Carleen Brice

2009-07-23T15:43:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to be blogging about Carleen Brice's new novel, CHILDREN OF THE WATERS, because it's exactly the kind of book I love. Read the press release summary and you'll see why:

Brice’s compelling, eagerly anticipated new novel CHILDREN OF THE WATERS strikes deep emotional chords and poses the intriguing question: Can two strangers become sisters?

Trish Taylor’s white ancestry never got in the way of her love for her black ex-husband, or their mixed race son, Will. But when Trish’s marriage ends, she returns to her family’s Denver, Colorado home to find a sense of identity and connect to her past.

What she finds there shocks her to the very core: her mother and newborn sister were not killed in a car crash as she was told. In fact, her baby sister, Billie Cousins, is now a grown woman; her grandparents had put her up for adoption, unwilling to raise the child of a black man. Billie, who had no idea she was adopted, wants nothing to do with Trish until a tragedy in Billie’s own family forces her to lean on her surprisingly supportive and sympathetic sister. Together they unravel the age-old layers of secrets and resentments and navigate a path toward love, healing, and true reconciliation.

This book has everything that appeals to me ... and I can't wait to read it. Meanwhile, Carleen was good enough to answer some of my interview questions, so here goes ...

How would you describe the genre of CHILDREN OF THE WATERS, and what pulled you toward it?

Upmarket women’s fiction--on the cusp between literary and commercial. I write it cause I like to read it.

Me, too, Carleen.

Do you have a favorite character in this book? If so, why?

I have a couple: 1 is Fletcher who’s a senior citizen pop dealer and sells to other seniors—for obvious reasons! Another is Zenobia Bailey-Cousins, who’s the mother of one of my protagonists. She’s really together and accomplished and I sort of wish she was my mother.

What do you love most about CHILDREN OF THE WATERS?

I love that it covers so many different subjects (race, family, identity) and gets in things like ancestor reverence too. I like when books introduce you to new worlds and new ways of being. I also love that readers are laughing at parts and crying at other parts.

Is there a story behind the title?

There is a story. It’s based on “mizuko kuyo” ceremonies in Japan, which honor children who don’t make it out of the womb either because of abortion or miscarriage. The concept is that life is on a continuum and I like the idea that even after we are born, we are always somewhere on that continuum—always in a state of becoming.

The cover is beautiful. Did you have any input on it, and are you happy with the finished product?

I had some input. I sent pictures that I liked and talked with my editor about what we hoped to show. And I suggested making the galoshes on the cover yellow for a little pop of color. I’m quite happy with the cover.

Thanks, Carleen! I hope it flies off the shelves for you.

To buy CHILDREN OF THE WATERS, visit your local chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Carleen's website at carleenbrice.com.

Friday Update

2009-07-17T06:27:00.007-04:00

Here's the latest ...

• Tomorrow (Saturday), I'll be at the Long Island Film Expo, along with authors Debra Markowitz and Saralee Rosenberg, signing books and saying hello. The event goes from 2-6 (if we can hold out). It's at the Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Avenue - Side entrance, Bellmore, NY, Phone: (516) 783-3199. Click here for more info.

• The big excitement last weekend was a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ. Hell of a drive, but we had a blast.

• I'm back to work on the new novel, and think I might finally be getting my mojo back. Stay tuned.

• Still no title or pub date on book three. Am I getting frustrated and paranoid? Yes I am.

• Had lunch this week with Bonnie Glover, a brilliant author who's been a cyber pal for several years now. Bonnie's smart, funny and down-to-earth ... loved hanging out with her! Please check out her latest book, GOING DOWN SOUTH, which earned her a nomination for the NAACP image award.

• AWESOME night out last night at The Breakers in Bayville with my old high school buddies. Great food, cool sounds, excellent company. Thanks for putting it all together, Roch!

• Last week I had a bit of serendipity. I was in the midst of making plans to take a trip to Rye, NY to scope out a location for my work-in-progress, when I heard from an old college pal who had moved away, but was in that area and wanted to meet for lunch.

So we hooked up, and she was kind enough come along for the ride. First we visited the site for my book, and then took the short drive across the border into Greenwich, CT, to visit Diane's Books, a truly outstanding indie. Author Andrew Gross had alerted me to the store when they promoted THE SMART ONE in their newsletter. Not only that, but he actually called to let them know I was coming. Is he an angel or what? (Andrew's latest, DON'T LOOK TWICE, was recently nominated for Thriller of Year. As far as I'm concerned, he earns the first place prize for Kindest Author.)

Mega shout-out to Diane's Books. I got such a warm welcome there, and was so impressed with the store and the owner, Diane Garrett. If you're in that area, I hope you'll stop in ... maybe even buy a signed copy of THE SMART ONE. While you're there, pick up one of Andrew's breathless page-turners.

Have a great weekend ...

What bugs me (and what doesn't)

2009-07-13T07:37:00.003-04:00

Today, TV comedy writer Ken Levine blogs about the strangers who pitch sitcom ideas everywhere he goes (it even happened while he was planning his grandmother's funeral). This happens to novelists, too, though the conversation usually goes something like this ...

BUSTER: So you write novels, huh? You should follow me around for a few days. Boy, I've got stories to tell.

ME: I'll bet you do. Now about those insects on the back porch--do you think they could be termites?

BUSTER: You know what you should do?

ME: Insecticide? Terminix?

BUSTER: You should go on Oprah.

The conversation usually goes downhill from there, with Buster pitching an idea that's not really an idea at all. I end the conversation by telling him he could hire someone to write his story, though it's pretty expensive. This is met by stunned silence, as Buster simply can't believe I'm not chomping at the golden opportunity to spend the next two years of my life writing his book and thus sharing in the riches of the magnificent, sure-fire bestseller he's presenting.

I'll admit I'm not terribly bothered by this conversation. Everyone believes they have a book inside them, and if they only had a little more time or a little more skill they'd be sitting on Oprah's couch telling their story to the world.

On the other hand, people who think they can write a book without having any skill at all--or worse, without ever having read one--make me want to reach for the fly swatter.

THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME By Samantha Wilde

2009-07-09T18:09:00.005-04:00

Samantha Wilde is a funny and fabulous new writer, and a welcome addition to the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit. Blogging out her debut novel, THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME, is especially exciting for me because I got to read an advance copy for a blurb, and I LOVED it.

Here's what I said:

"She had me at perineum! THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME is the funniest novel I've read in a long, long time. What a treat! Mothers everywhere deserve this book.”

Samantha was good enough to answers some questions for me, so here goes ...

Can you tell my readers a little bit about THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME?

Joy McGuire, a seemingly normal person with a seemingly normal marriage, has a baby, after which point, nothing is normal again. Not her breasts or her belly or her heart or her marriage. It’s a hilarious, rueful, laugh-out-loud post partum tale about the grueling work of the first nine months of the first baby when change is an urgent necessity that you wish you could run away from.

What was the inspiration for the book?

I started it when my son was about nine months out of some desperate creative drive. I wrote during his nap times. Twice a day, one hour each time

Do you remember the moment you for the idea? How and when did that happen?

It evolved organically. The whole thing came out of me. Kind of like a baby. And then it became its own thing. Kind of a like a kid.

Is your main character, Joy, based on you?

She isn’t me, thank God. I’m not nearly as funny. Besides, she had romance in the first nine months post partum. I did not.

Do you read novels while you're writing? How does that affect you?

I’m always reading, but I actually haven’t read much in the same genre as my book (chick lit, yummy mummy stuff). In fact, I prefer when writing not to read similar novels. I’d hate to think of borrowing so directly. Since I read fiction and non, I’m always into something, and often it has no similarities with the sort of thing I write.

Do you remember when you typed "The End?" What happened next?

I probably cried. Or one of my children did.

Ha! Thanks so much, Sam!

You can buy THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME at your favorite chain or independent bookstore. To purchase online, visit Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Samantha's blog at wildemama.blogspot.com.