The Opposite of Me: An Interview with Author Sarah Pekkanen

This is one of those rare times.

 

About nine months ago, I started following Sarah Pekkanen on Twitter (@SarahPekkanen), an experienced journalist and mother of three who wrote about her life and her kids and her experiences as a soon-to-be published author on her website www.sarahpekkanen.com. I followed along as the positive buzz from the other lucky reviewers began pouring in along with powerful endorsements from established writers within her genre. I lived vicariously through her guest blog appearances and interviews and the exciting announcements that numerous translations were in the works for publication when her new book was due for worldwide release on March 9, 2010 – which seemed like a lifetime away. Since then our correspondence has been for me, not only special and memorable, but it’s also served as a confirmation of what a cool job I really have.    

 

And here we are, nine months later, and I finally get to do it.

 

With this in mind, meet Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Opposite of Me, a smart, funny, and thoughtful take on sibling rivalry and the true bond, both rewarding and painful, of sisterhood and the unique relationships that shape our lives.

 

In the book, we meet fraternal twins Lindsey and Alex Rose, who couldn’t be more different. Lindsey, the responsible, hardworking one has spent her life in the long shadow of her stunningly beautiful sister, Alex, who effortlessly floats through life from one seeming success to another. However, after years of grueling 80-hour work weeks and the devastating loneliness and physical effects that seem to come along with it, all of that is about to change – or is it? Lindsey, about to be promoted to Creative Vice President of a major New York advertising firm, watches her life’s dream suddenly fall apart in one unfortunate night. Thoroughly humiliated and beaten, she is forced to return home to Maryland, just minutes away from her sister, where she has no choice but to rebuild her identity and her life amid life-long resentment, jealousy and a surprising family secret.

 

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen will be released tomorrow, March 9, 2010. You can purchase a copy at Sarah’s website, where you can read the first chapter for free.

 

I had the great opportunity to interview Sarah Pekkanen about her book and her life. I hope you’ll take a few more minutes to read the interview below.             

 

   

A. I would be so flattered if fans of Jennifer’s and Emily’s like my book! In fact, I have the same editor as Jennifer Weiner, and my editor said my novel reminded her a bit of In Her Shoes, which is one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. I think people who like big, juicy, commercial reads – especially sisters stories - will enjoy The Opposite of Me. I hope it makes people laugh as well as think about the important relationships in their own lives, and how those connections have shaped them as people.

 

 

A. I get insanely jealous when I read about authors who say things like, “When I’m starting a book, I like to escape to a secluded beach cottage and take long walks in the sand while watching the sun rise before I sit down to write the day’s chapter.” I mean, I’m lucky if I get to stare at a YouTube clip of the ocean for a few seconds before I start work! I’ve got three little boys, which means I bring my laptop everywhere. I wrote some of my novel at Chuck E. Cheese (I used to work in loud newsrooms so I find background noise oddly comforting). I write in little snatches of time, like for 15 minutes if I happen to be the first one in the house awake, as well as bigger spaces when I can score a babysitter. I’m lucky to have very supportive parents who live nearby and are always willing to lend a hand. And my husband is great about clearing away some time for me to work on weekends. The truth is, I fit writing in around my life instead of the other way around, and I’m very comfortable with that. Although the little beach cottage and an inspirational sunset or two would be lovely, too.

 

A. It’s funny, because The Opposite of Me is about twin sisters who are complete opposites, and the first thing most people ask me is whether I’m a twin. Nope; I don’t even have a sister. But I’ve always been fascinated by the rich, tangled, competitive yet loving relationships my friends have with their sisters, so when it came time to write my novel, I tried to layer those complexities into the relationship of Lindsey – my smart, successful, driven sister – and Alex, the utterly gorgeous one who has the irritating habit of gliding through life on the strength her looks. Of course, there are big surprises in store for both sisters, so life as they know it is about to change. But my book is pure fiction. As for anything I wish I didn’t share, again, it’s all made up, folks! Although I do get a tiny bit embarrassed when I think about my parents reading the steamy scene in my book. I kind of wish I could cover their eyes, or distract them by pointing out an early-bird all-you-can-eat-buffet.

 

A. I really enjoy interacting with readers on Twitter and Facebook, and I love reading about the lives of other authors, too. Maybe it’s because I still can’t quite believe I’m being published, and most of the people who write to me are so kind and enthusiastic that I feel like we’re all going along for the ride together. I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned because publishing is a tough business, and we writers need to support each other.

 

 

 

A. I used to think there must be some secret portal into the world of publishing – kind of like the magic wall leads to the Hogwarts train in the Harry Potter books – but I found my literary agent the boring, old-fashioned way: through the slush pile. I just wrote a letter describing myself and my book (though trust me, I agonized over that letter!) and sent it off to agents whose names I found by reading the acknowledgement sections of books I liked. Most writers publically thank their agents (and if they don’t, you probably don’t want that agent to represent you). The hardest part was actually writing The Opposite of Me first. It’s scary to take such a huge leap of faith, and to spend months and months working on a manuscript that might never see the light of day. I worked hard, but I also believe I got lucky.

 

 

A. Oh, every author gets a bad review or two. It’s almost a codicil on the contract you sign with a publisher: You WILL get a bad review, probably in your hometown paper, and everyone you know will read it and helpfully point it out to you and possibly post it on your Facebook page. And I know some authors have gotten into trouble for reacting very angrily to a bad review. But I hope I’d be able to shrug it off, and realize that not every book is for every reader. Plus I can always remind myself that only yesterday, one of my kids told me I was the “worst Mama ever” (due to a revoking of his Wii privileges) and today, the same kid told me I was the greatest (I gave him some Hubba Bubba gum). Keeping perspective in book reviews and in parenthood is the key to staying sane. Well, keeping perspective and eating a lot of chocolate.

 

 

A. It’s funny, but I think books that deal with issues that women in their 20s and 30s face – decisions about careers and love and the path their life is taking - seem to get automatically wrapped up in the “chick lit” genre and tied with a proverbial pink bow. But I don’t have a problem with it, or with being called a “commercial women’s fiction” author, which is the other label I get. As in every other genre, there’s a wide array of books, some better than others. I just hope people enjoy reading my novel, and don’t worry so much about the label! And yes, I’d love it if men read it. Some already have, in fact (thanks Dad)!

 

 

 

A. It’s completely nuts! Two days after my book was sold to an imprint of Simon & Schuster here in the U.S., I was at the library with my kids when my agent called. “We’ve got an offer from Italy,” she said. I wanted to jump up and down and scream, but you know, I would’ve gotten seriously shushed. The next day we heard from a Dutch publisher – and several more offers came in later, from Germany and Spain and Australia. It’s so exciting, and it still seems like someone might tell me it was all a big joke. By the way, I’ve got the foreign covers posted on my website at www.sarahpekkanen.com and I love seeing how different designers interpreted the exact same book.

 

 

A. There are several books I go back to again and again: On Writing by Stephen King, Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, and Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. I also learned about writing from some of the best newspaper and magazine editors in the country (I worked for a number of publications including The Baltimore Sun and Gannett News Service before turning to fiction). And my father, a non-fiction author, remains my favorite editor. For my biggest influences in life, it’s my kids. They make me laugh every single day, and they’ve taught me to appreciate the finer points of SpongeBob Squarepants.

 

 

A. On my nightstand, I’ve got the new Anne Tyler book, a novel called Pieces of Happily Ever After, and a few manuscripts my agent and publisher have sent me. I swear, the biggest perk of this gig is getting free books and sneak peeks at soon-to-be-published books. And truthfully, I believe most writers deserve more attention than they are getting. If you’ve published a book, you’ve beaten serious odds – yet getting a lot of media coverage is tough unless you’re an established bestseller.

 

 

A. I’d love to keep writing a book a year; this is truly a dream job. And by “dream” I don’t mean that I’m sitting in an elegant coffee shop, watching flawless prose unfurl from my fingertips as a barista brings me a steaming espresso and I nod in delight at my own cleverness. It’s not a glamorous dream; at times, when the writing is coming slowly and my metaphors seems to be doing backbends in an effort to be clichéd, it’s gritty and grueling and ugly. But other times the words come as quickly as I can type them, and I look up from my keyboard to see that the hands of the clock have leapt hours ahead. Even when the work is hard, the rewards make it so worthwhile. This is the job I’ve dreamed of having ever since I was a kid, when I used to write books on three-ring binder paper and send them out to publishers. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

 

 

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen. March 9, 2010. Washington Square Press (Simon & Schuster). 400 pages.

 

 

 

For more great author interviews, check out the Author Interview Series from Frank Mundo, the LA Books Examiner.

 

 

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