THE OPPOSITE OF ME
by Sarah Pekkanen
Commercial Fiction
Simon & Schuster
www.SarahPekkanen.com
5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, March 12, 2010!
About the Book:
Twenty-nine year old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey's carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents' Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be.
Exclusive Interview with the Author!
1) Which authors/books are you most influenced by?
Definitely the woman who is the reigning queen in my genre - Jennifer Weiner. I adore every word she has ever written, but my favorite book is probably In Her Shoes. When I learned Jennifer Weiner's editor wanted to buy my book - and that it reminded her of In Her Shoes - I almost passed out. I made my agent repeat those words until she had laryngitis. I also adore Emily Giffin and Marian Keyes.
2) Thinking back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
That re-writing is key for me. The first draft is just the clay you throw down on the pottery wheel; it's the shaping and smoothing and cutting that turns the blob into something special. Oh - and lattes and chocolate are not only therapeutic, but medically necessary when on deadline. It also helps to give myself mini-deadlines. If I write 1,000 words a day, I'm in good shape (well, not that kind of good shape. The chocolates and lattes are working against me there).
3) When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? Have you had other jobs along the way?
As a kid, I dreamed of becoming an author. I actually used to write books and send them confidently off to publishers. I still have a letter I wrote to an unnamed publishing house, asking if my masterpiece entitled Miscellaneous Tales and Poems was going to be in bookstores. I wrote the letter on Raggedy Ann stationery, by the way! It's one of my most cherished possessions, and I bring it with my every time I have meetings in New York, as a talisman. I did all sorts of odd jobs in college - from modeling to waitressing - then started work as a newspaper journalist. I wrote for a number of papers until my first son was born, and a few years after that, I slowly moved into fiction. Or moved back into fiction!
4) When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate?
I'd gone up to New York to meet with publishers and I was sitting on the floor of the Amtrak station (oh, the glamour!), about to board a train home, when my agent called. Then I had to rush for the train and just sit there, watching the scenery pass by, smiling like a maniac for the next few hours. It didn't seem real! I also felt a bit trapped - I wanted to frantically email people, but I had no Internet connection. I wanted to phone everyone I knew, but I hate people who talk on cell phones on trains and this wasn't the kind of news I wanted to whisper. When I got home, of course, I finally called and emailed my family and friends. But no champagne for me: I was six months pregnant!
5) The Opposite of Me is a great title! Who came up with it? Was it the original title or did it change along the way?
I'd love to pretend it's my title, but the truth is, I'm horrible at book titles! I think writing the book was easier than trying to come up with a title. I did everything I could think of: Perused song lyrics for inspiration, begged my family and friends for help, tried free-association, considered hypnosis... but nothing worked. My agent's literary director finally put a working title on my manuscript: Way Beyond Compare. It fit because my novel is about twin sisters who are complete opposites - and they've spent their lives trying to avoid being compared. But the problem with that title is that people kept forgetting it. One day my editor emailed me and wrote The Opposite of Me, and as soon as I read those words, I knew we had our perfect title.
About the Author:
Sarah Pekkanen's bylines have appeared in publications ranging from People to The Washington Post to Reader's Digest. She writes a monthly Erma Bombeck-type column for Bethesda Magazine and is the winner of a Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship. A former D.C. model, Sarah lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and three young sons. Visit the author online at: www.SarahPekkanen.com
**Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post are not used as entry.
Commercial Fiction
Simon & Schuster
www.SarahPekkanen.com
5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, March 12, 2010!
About the Book:
Twenty-nine year old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey's carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents' Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be.
Exclusive Interview with the Author!
1) Which authors/books are you most influenced by?
Definitely the woman who is the reigning queen in my genre - Jennifer Weiner. I adore every word she has ever written, but my favorite book is probably In Her Shoes. When I learned Jennifer Weiner's editor wanted to buy my book - and that it reminded her of In Her Shoes - I almost passed out. I made my agent repeat those words until she had laryngitis. I also adore Emily Giffin and Marian Keyes.
2) Thinking back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
That re-writing is key for me. The first draft is just the clay you throw down on the pottery wheel; it's the shaping and smoothing and cutting that turns the blob into something special. Oh - and lattes and chocolate are not only therapeutic, but medically necessary when on deadline. It also helps to give myself mini-deadlines. If I write 1,000 words a day, I'm in good shape (well, not that kind of good shape. The chocolates and lattes are working against me there).
3) When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? Have you had other jobs along the way?
As a kid, I dreamed of becoming an author. I actually used to write books and send them confidently off to publishers. I still have a letter I wrote to an unnamed publishing house, asking if my masterpiece entitled Miscellaneous Tales and Poems was going to be in bookstores. I wrote the letter on Raggedy Ann stationery, by the way! It's one of my most cherished possessions, and I bring it with my every time I have meetings in New York, as a talisman. I did all sorts of odd jobs in college - from modeling to waitressing - then started work as a newspaper journalist. I wrote for a number of papers until my first son was born, and a few years after that, I slowly moved into fiction. Or moved back into fiction!
4) When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate?
I'd gone up to New York to meet with publishers and I was sitting on the floor of the Amtrak station (oh, the glamour!), about to board a train home, when my agent called. Then I had to rush for the train and just sit there, watching the scenery pass by, smiling like a maniac for the next few hours. It didn't seem real! I also felt a bit trapped - I wanted to frantically email people, but I had no Internet connection. I wanted to phone everyone I knew, but I hate people who talk on cell phones on trains and this wasn't the kind of news I wanted to whisper. When I got home, of course, I finally called and emailed my family and friends. But no champagne for me: I was six months pregnant!
5) The Opposite of Me is a great title! Who came up with it? Was it the original title or did it change along the way?
I'd love to pretend it's my title, but the truth is, I'm horrible at book titles! I think writing the book was easier than trying to come up with a title. I did everything I could think of: Perused song lyrics for inspiration, begged my family and friends for help, tried free-association, considered hypnosis... but nothing worked. My agent's literary director finally put a working title on my manuscript: Way Beyond Compare. It fit because my novel is about twin sisters who are complete opposites - and they've spent their lives trying to avoid being compared. But the problem with that title is that people kept forgetting it. One day my editor emailed me and wrote The Opposite of Me, and as soon as I read those words, I knew we had our perfect title.
About the Author:
Sarah Pekkanen's bylines have appeared in publications ranging from People to The Washington Post to Reader's Digest. She writes a monthly Erma Bombeck-type column for Bethesda Magazine and is the winner of a Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship. A former D.C. model, Sarah lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and three young sons. Visit the author online at: www.SarahPekkanen.com
**Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post are not used as entry.
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6 comments:
I added your button to my blog it looks cool! I hope other bloggers will add your button to help you promote your great giveaway!
Just have to say I LOVE THIS BOOK... Yes, Sarah, I'm officially your stalker...following you around from blog to blog...talking up your book! But I am in love with it...and can't wait to read it again!
I loved this interview. I could just imagine you waiting all that way on the train unable to tell anyone why you were smiling.
nice author interview. i love hearing about how the title came to life.
thanks for sharing!
Sounds terrific - I'm going to suggest it to my book club. Can't wait to dive in!
Thank you so much for these kind comments! And Christi (and anyone else) - I'd love to phone in to your book club to talk about The Opposite of Me. Just email me at sarah@sarahpekkanen.com to let me know. It's publication day today - whee! I'm alternately weepy and excited.
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