Secret Confessions

Ellen Meister’s SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA  is out in paperback, just in time for those of us in Florida to be secretly celebrating our children’s return to escuela, nigh two weeks away and counting. 

For me, it’s a bittersweet fiesta since my first born is leaving for college.  I should be thrilled he got in to such a great school, thrilled he’s taking the next step on his path, but instead I’m feeling like Frances McDormand in Almost Famous when she drops her son off at the rock concert and yells, “Don’t do drugs!” or as I so often say to both kids, “Do as I say, not as I do,” having spent last Saturday in a Diet-Coke-and-Live-Free-Die-Hard induced crack-esque frenzy that kept me up until after midnight waxing eloquent about the many superior qualities of Bruce Willis, despite his poor misguided Republican heart.

My confession is that I haven’t read Ellen’s book yet, which is shameful since the subject matter (mothers who think and even yearn) is so close to that of my literary first born, and I vowed to order it the last time I interviewed her, but now I will truly do so, and for all you moms and not-moms out there, here’s why:

I love the new cover-art, with it's subtle allusion to Desperate Housewives and look at what some celebrated readers have to say:

A funny and wonderfully irreverent look at the dark underbelly of suburbia." — Lolly Winston, author of Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately

Funny, compelling and well-written." — Trashionista

"The best time I've had in years. Ellen Meister's characters are so funny, smart, and real, I feel like I've made three new friends!" — Lisa Kudrow

Here's our interview:

1.             If I had to offer two bumper sticker explanations for my novel, they'd be "Appearances are deceiving" and "Mean people suck."  Tell me what your slogans would be, and why.

Applewood Rocks and Friendship Rules ...

SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA is a friendship story about three women who conspire to get a George Clooney movie filmed in their children's schoolyard. So the latter slogan reflects the theme, and the former refers to a plot element (at the center of the conflict is the theft of a historic marker called Applewood Rock).

2.             Your two favorite movies over the past twelve months and why?

Ha! Do cartoons count? Seriously, I have three kids and I'm writing a new novel. That means I don't get to see new movies unless they're the latest offering from Pixar. And even then I usually spend half the time refilling popcorn buckets and taking children to the bathroom. No joke. I don't think I've seen a single grownup feature film in a movie theater the past year, unless you count The Simpsons.

3.             What was the one thing you learned in getting your book published that you

were really surprised to find out?

Last year, after SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA came out in hardcover, receiving accolades in the trade press, I nervously waited for my newspaper  reviews to come pouring in. Would they like me? Would they hate me? Would they get my humor? And then ... nothing. Dead silence. I was stunned. I've since learned that newspapers almost never review commercial fiction. But boy, what a disappointing surprise at the time! Thank goodness for bloggers.

4.             If you had to pick one and only one condition (beyond computer or pen and

paper) that would allow you to write would it be: a. solitude   b. caffiene   c. 

sleep   d. food   e.  sex  or f.   ______.

Solitude! But there are usually three or more kids making a ton of noise here, so I may just be attracted to the novelty of it.

5.             Do you have a favorite genre?  If so, who are your three favorite writers? If not, who are your three favorite writers and how have they influenced your

work?   

I really don't have a favorite genre. I read everything from light and funny to dark and literary. But my favorite books are the ones that manage a gripping plot while illuminating the characters and their relationships to one another.

As far as influence, I find that I learn something from every book I read, even the ones I don't like that much. Granted, I don't get as much from those, but there's always some golden nugget I can take with me. I think it's just a matter of paying attention.

Comments

[Maryanne Stahl]

hello there

I'm following Ellen around on her cybertour and getting to know a lot of great women writers in the process.

I wish I were off school all the time!

You'll love this book.

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