You Were Meant For Me (33 page)

Q. Was there any factual basis for this story?

A. Yes. My good friend Patty Grossman told me about a man who had found a newborn on a subway platform, brought the infant to the police, and then continued to follow the case. No one claimed the infant and the family court judge suggested that he foster the child with the goal of adoption. He did, and now the baby is a teenager and happily living with his two dads in New York City. Here is an instance in which so much could have gone wrong—resulting in another ruined, wasted life—and yet, instead, everything went right. I loved the hopeful aspect of this story and wanted to turn it into a story of my own. I am by nature an optimist and love to find stories
that
affirm my optimism.

Q. Did this novel tap into any fantasies of your own?

A. Absolutely! I'd always wanted a third child, and would occasionally allow myself what I called the “found baby fantasy.” What would I do? How would I respond? I think I would have reacted very much as Miranda did.

Q. Do you feel women are your core audience?

A. I do and I love writing for them. Yet since I often include strong male characters and male points of view, I would love to be able to reach a wider audience that included more men as well.

Q. You've chosen two male protagonists along with one female voice. Why did you choose this structure?

A. Having those three voices creates a triangle, and triangles are essentially unstable shapes. From a dramatic standpoint, that instability is interesting and potentially exciting because of the tension it creates. Miranda's affection and attraction hovers between two men; which one will she choose?

Q. How do you choose the professions of your characters?

A. I like to select professions that I either have some familiarity with (so the work lives of my characters will seem believable) or that interest me enough to do the necessary research. In Evan's case, I drew on the experiences and insights shared with me by my husband, Paul McDonough, who is a photographer and has used a Leica—the same camera Evan uses—for years. I love and admire my husband's work, so Evan's profession is a kind of homage to him. I chose real estate for Jared because it's a field that has always held a certain appeal for me. The buying of a home is so deeply personal, and says so much about who we are and what we long for. It's also an area that allowed Jared's particular qualities—his easy charm, his affability—to shine, so I thought it would suit him. In Miranda's case, I felt comfortable with the world of publishing and magazines; I made her a food editor to give it a slight twist and because it gave me the chance to write extensively about cupcakes!

Q. Can you talk about Geneva? She is an important character but an elusive one.

A. She was a challenging character to write because much of what she does is devious and deceptive. And yet I understand her and her motivations. Having a family member with mental illness can be very draining and exhausting. Geneva's feelings about her sister are not necessarily nice but I believe they are accurate.

Q. What does a typical writing day look like for you?

A. When I am in the zone, I might start work before breakfast, cup of coffee by my side. I break for a late breakfast/early lunch around eleven o'clock and then it's back to work. I have to stop to make dinner, and often go to the gym late in the day or in the evening. Now that my children are older and I don't have to be up early to get them off to school, I can stay up very late and work if I want. I like those evening hours best; fewer interruptions and the night like a long, deep pool I can dive right into.

Q. In addition to fiction, you write nonfiction and you write for children too; how do you balance those three different kinds of ­writing?

A. I actually find it works out very well because each kind of writing taps into a different part of my heart, soul, or brain. If I am stuck or stalled on one manuscript, I can turn to another. Hopefully I will have better luck with that, and if I do, the confidence that success inspires spills over into the other project and gets the process going again.

Q. What's next on your horizon?

A. I am working on something now that is a bit more challenging for me. It involves an interesting—and tragic—bit of New Hampshire history and will contain bits of a novel
within a novel. Also, there is something in the plot that requires me to write a poem or two. I love poetry and, like Wallace Stevens, believe that “poetry is the supreme fiction,” but apart from some rather pedestrian attempts in college, I have not written in the form. I'm excited to try it; fortunately, the character who's a poet is not all that skilled, so my amateur efforts will suffice just fine.

1. Do you think Miranda's decision to adopt Celeste was impulsive and ill considered? Why or why not?

2. What do you think of Jared's decision to give up his child? Was it for her sake or for his own?

3. Has anything happened in your life that you believe was “meant to be”?

4. Have you ever done something that a friend did not support? If so, what happened? Was the friendship made stronger as a result or was it damaged?

5. What do you think about Miranda's attraction to Jared? Should she have succumbed? Why or why not?

6. Why do you think it takes Miranda so long to appreciate what Evan has to offer?

7. How do you view Geneva's behavior? Are her actions reprehensible or comprehensible?

8. What are some of the differences and similarities in Miranda's relationships to the four men in the novel: Luke, Evan, Jared, and her father?

9. How much sympathy did you feel for Carrie?

10. Does Miranda change and grow in the course of the novel? If so, how does that come about?

11. What makes someone a good parent? Is Miranda a good parent? Is Jared?