Q&A with Ellen Meister

 

 

 

Ellen Meister is the author of the new novel Divorce Towers. Her other novels include Take My Husband. She lives in New York.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Divorce Towers, and how did you create your cast of characters?

 

A: I simply felt compelled to write the kind of escapist literature I needed at the moment.

 

You know, I can be a bit of a news junkie—especially when it comes to politics—and I tend to internalize everything to the point of losing sleep. So I wanted to write a novel that could take me away and do the same thing for my readers. The challenge was finding a way to make the novel light, fun, sexy, and dishy, but also smart and engaging with a definitive point of view.

 

As far as the characters, I started with Addison—a scrappy girl from Queens. That was important because I wanted this to be a fish-out-of water story, allowing my protagonist to have a unique perspective on some of the entitled characters who inhabit this world.

 

Everything else grew from there—including her love interests, an antagonist or two, and her beloved great uncle, who wound up being much more fun than I had anticipated.

 

Q: Why did you decide to set the story in Los Angeles?

 

A: I had been working on two other books—one set in Brooklyn and the other on Long Island—and felt like I needed a change of scenery. Then someone told me about a condo in LA with the nickname “Divorce Towers,” and I thought, why not? It’ll be a chance to add a bit of glam, which is a stretch for me. Naturally, I made the main character a New Yorker so I could insert at least a bit of myself in the story.

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about second chances?

 

A: That it’s never too late to start over! My characters run the gamut in ages, and come with all sorts of emotional baggage, including failed relationships and seemingly fatal mistakes. Once they open themselves up, though, they each discover a way to write a new chapter in their life.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: First, I hope they find the book entertaining—steamy and funny and tender and full of surprises. I hope they can see themselves in some of these characters (even if their circumstances are entirely different) and understand the importance of forgiving themselves for their mistakes. Plus, I want people to know that heartbreak does not have to be the end of their story.

 

I also want to mention that when I started writing Divorce Towers, I really loved the premise and thought it would be light, engaging entertainment. I never really expected the novel to develop a soul. When it did, it took my breath away. I hope readers can sense at least some of that.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have at least two books in the works at the moment, but the one that’s currently occupying my time is a follow-up to Divorce Towers. Stay tuned!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m juggling a lot of projects right now, and would really like to stay in touch with readers about what’s in the pipeline. I hope they go to my website at ellenmeister.com and sign up for my newsletter. They can also use the website to email me. I love hearing from readers!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ellen Meister.