TBR [to be read], a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
Ten years before A Season of Perfect Happiness
begins, Claire had a life she loved: She
lived in a beautiful beach town, was close to her family, had great friends, and
was married to her high school sweetheart. When a tragedy upends it all, she
understands that her only chance to have “a normal life” is to start over in a
new town. Now, after nearly a decade in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin, she’s finally
ready to find love, even happiness. But what of her past does she owe her new friends
or the man with whom she falls in love? This is the question at the heart of
the novel: What is our most authentic self? The one we try to hide or the one
we strive each day to be?
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And
which character gave you the most trouble, and why?
I loved writing Annabelle, the ex-wife of the man Claire
falls in love with, and Claire’s closest friend. Right there, you have a complicated, tangled
relationship. In an early draft, a reader told me she didn’t find it believable
that an ex would get so friendly with the new woman. But I’d grown up in a
family where my dad and stepfather became close friends, and I knew it was
possible. I loved the challenge of making Annabelle and Claire’s friendship
believable. Annabelle was fun too because she herself is fun, and funny, smart
and generous. But she is also damaged and insecure and so ends up causing
enormous damage to the people she loves. So far readers have loved and hated
her all at once, which thrills me!
The most difficult character was Claire’s former best
friend, Kelly, who didn’t want Claire in her life after the tragedy (which was
connected to Kelly). I didn’t always understand why Kelly would be so
unforgiving and I had to work hard to figure her out…
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
The highs
·
Getting the first email from my editor at
Dutton, which began, “welcome home.” Dutton had published my first book 20
years earlier. It felt like a homecoming.
·
Seeing the cover for the first time,
·
My dad, who was the first one to read the
galley, calling in tears to tell me he’d finished it in two days—and couldn’t
stop thinking about it.
·
A similar call from my older brother and my mom
·
Seven months before the release date, having the
event coordinator at my local library (Lewes Public Library) and the owner of
my local independent bookstore (Browseabout Books) telling my publicist that
they wanted to host a launch party for me. Arrangements were made and the event
was ready for RSVP’s in a less than an hour. I felt so lucky and grateful to
live in the community I do.
The lows
·
Redoing a major piece of the plot—and having to
do it in ten days. So, basically rewriting the novel in little more than a
week. I didn’t, sleep, eat, bathe! But also in this, my husband, when I said,
“I can’t do this. It’s not possible,” looked at me and responded, “What do you
mean? This is what you do, Maribeth. This is who you are. Of course you can do
it.” His saying that, his unequivocable belief in me? That’s another high.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Write
big and messy; write way more than you’ll ever need and then edit. Along with
this is my favorite quote, by Elie Wisel. “There is a difference between a
book of two hundred pages from the very beginning, and a book of two hundred
pages, which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred
pages are there. Only you don't see them.”
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
Near the end of A Season of Perfect Happiness a minor
character suddenly sort of stepped out of the pages and came alive in a way
that allowed me to see a whole other aspect of him. I didn’t need him to
do this 40 pages from the end of the book, but the novel is so much better
because he did.
How do you approach revision?
I love revision. It’s part of my “write big and messy.” I
meet with poet and novelist, Anne Colwell every week to review our writing (and
we’ve been doing this for twenty years) and every place she says, “I could stay
here awhile,” meaning, “I want more,” I dive in and see how far I can take the
scene she’s questioning or the backstory or the thoughts she wants my character
to consider. I write into the story as long and as deeply as I can. I
have never not discovered something important that I needed to know in doing
this.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
Alas, no…but the book mostly takes place in Wisconsin, so
there’s always bratwurst…
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://www.maribethfischer.com/
ORDER A COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://browseaboutbooks.com/book/9780593474679