Q&A with Hank Phillippi Ryan

  

Photo by Iden Ford

 

 

Hank Phillippi Ryan is the author of the new novel Mother Daughter Sister Stranger. Her many other books include All This Could Be Yours. Also a journalist, she lives in Boston. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Mother Daughter Sister Stranger, and how did you create your character Eliza?

 

A: The core of a new novel comes from a sort of Rubik’s Cube of ideas. A little bit from here, and a little bit from there, and then I click-click-click and twist-twist-twist in my writer's brain at some point, the ideas change into a completely different entity.

 

So the bits of Mother Daughter Sister Stranger: how my mother used to read stories to me when I was a child, and I was always so frustrated when she said the end. I knew there must be something that happened after that. Something beyond the covers of the book.

 

Also: As a writer, I am fascinated by the conversation between editor and author in the margins of a manuscript—what gets left out, what gets changed, what themes emerge. That conversation is really what creates the book, but readers will never see it.

 

Another bit: As a true crime reporter, I have often been flown to cover stories in small planes. Twice in my experience I had moments where I was not quite sure we would land safely. That deep emotion is profound.

 

And finally, I was thinking about how I had, in the past, lied to my mother. About little things, like whether I did my homework or where I was at a particular time. I'm sure she didn't believe a word I said. But maybe she did. And then I began to wonder: what if she was lying to me, too.

 

So put that all together and it becomes: A missing mom. A terrified daughter. And a sister who will stop at nothing to find the truth about their secret family legacy.

 

Q: Getting back to the idea of “The End”: In the novel’s acknowledgments, you write that you never type those words at the conclusion of your manuscripts. Can you say more about that?

 

A: Isn't that so funny? Because it never feels like the end to me. Not the final end at least. There are always changes, there are always tweaks, there are always edits, there are always ways I can make the book better. 

 

So when I write a first draft, I am thrilled that I have uncovered the true story of my novel! But that's not really the end at all, and every writer knows that, right? The end of the first draft is only the beginning.

 

I will confess, though, that even when I'm finished with the final draft, I still don't write The End. It feels too final. That moment is actually the beginning of the next phase.

 

Q: The writer Lisa Scottoline said of the book, “Ryan is a master of the domestic thriller, mapping the emotional terrain of the family, as well as a brilliant observer of the ties that bind and stretch, sometimes to the breaking point.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I fell off my chair with delight. Lisa Scottoline is an absolute icon, and one of my heroes in the industry. Of course that description of my book is everything anyone could ever ask for, and she is such a wise and careful reader.

 

True story: when I was interviewing agents early on, one of them asked me what author I wanted to “be.” And I said Lisa Scottoline. That was 20 years ago. And now she is reading my books, and her endorsement is on the cover. How fantastic is that?

 

Q: The novel is set in Massachusetts--how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: Oh, it is everything! This book could only take place in Massachusetts. In the gorgeous historic cobblestone streets of Beacon Hill, and the elegant expensive brownstones in Back Bay, and the gorgeous rolling hills of the mysterious Berkshires.

 

Even the long stretch of highway they call the Massachusetts Turnpike—Eliza’s terrifying and suspenseful midnight drive in Mother Daughter Sister Stranger could only take place on the Mass Pike. And Mallard Cove, the site of Eliza’s family’s summer cottage, is a real place. Of course I tweaked it for the novel. More I cannot say.

 

It's so funny, I am often on Beacon Hill and Back Bay and every summer in the Berkshires. It is so familiar to me, of course, from the way your heels catch in the cobblestones to the opulent interiors of the brownstones, to the chilling but beautiful isolation of the Berkshires. And when I am there in real life, sometimes I feel like I am in the pages of my book.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am on word #70,049 of book 18. It is on its fourth title, and its third structure, and it’s due in 45 days. I’m sure it will all be fine.

 

What’s it about? A mom and her two kids in a situation we’ve all experienced—that turns terrifyingly dangerous. All I can say is there is a yellow sticky on my computer that says: “It’s cold.” (Writing a winter book in the sweltering summer is a challenge, so I need a reminder.)

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I didn't start writing till I was 55 years old, and after 40 years as a true crime reporter for television, this second career as a bestselling crime fiction author proves I am truly the poster child for following your dreams.

 

I have been through so many ups and downs, and moments when I thought whose idea was this writing thing anyway? But I love it, and am full of joy every day of my computer

 

And now I'm going on book tour! And I am so excited—I am packing, organizing, and so looking forward to seeing friends and readers on the road! Click on my website HankPhillippiRyan.com for the official events list. Will I be near you? I truly hope so!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Hank Phillippi Ryan.