Interview with NY Times Bestselling Author Nancy Thayer, Author of Summer House

Nancy Thayer is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Moon Shell Beach. She is also the author of a new June release, Summer House. She is the mother of Samantha Wilde, whose debut novel, This Little Mommy Stayed Home, comes out on June 23. Nancy lives on Nantucket. You can visit her website at www.nancythayer.com.

Thank you for this interview, Nancy. Can you tell us briefly what your latest book, Summer House, is all about?

SUMMER HOUSE is about three women in a large family who face crisis points when the family gathers in the summer house on Nantucket.

Charlotte, 30, has started an organic garden business on her grandmother´s island property. She´s kind of in love with one man, but aware that her parents want her to marry another. How does she make everyone happy and still choose for herself? And how much longer does she have to atone for a secret sin?

Helen, Charlotte´s mother, 60, is longing to be a grandmother. Why won´t Charlotte get married? She´s also nervous about her younger son, Teddy, an alcoholic who shows up unexpectedly at the summer house with a pregnant wife. But are they really married? Is the baby really Teddy´s? Why is her sister-in-law´s family so perfect when her own isn´t? Then, she discovers that her husband is having an affair.

Nona, Charlotte´s grandmother, 90, is surrounded by her large family when they all arrive, as they always have, to spend the summer. She loves her children and her grandchildren (as well as her Cheez-Its and evening glass of scotch), but she knows the time has come to tell a deeply kept secret.

Can you tell us who or what is the inspiration behind your book?

My children are in their 30´s and very idealistic. They want to save the world, as Charlotte´s father jokes, one lettuce leaf at a time. They want to honor their family but also be independent. They were the inspiration for Charlotte.

Nona, who as a young woman was called Anne, was inspired by my parents´ lives and photos. I´ve waited all my life to write Summer House, ever since I was a child, fascinated by my father´s WWII album. I was thrilled to use parts of my father´s letters from Europe to my mother in my book. Of course Nona, as grandmother and wise old woman was inspired by my mother, now still a crackerjack at 91.

Helen, I suppose, was inspired by my own life. Certainly I longed for grandchildren (and halleluiah, I have them!). I think all parents worry about their children, no matter how old they are.

Is this your first published book and if so, can you tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for it?

Summer House, published by Ballantine, is my 19th published novel. Doubleday was my first publisher, back in 1980. I was 34 when they bought Stepping, my first published novel. I "paid my dues" all during my twenties and early thirties, when I taught freshman English at various colleges and wrote short stories and had them rejected and now and then accepted. Years passed, but I just kept plugging away.

How has Ballantine been to work with?

They´ve been wonderful. I´ve published five other novels with them, Moon Shell Beach, which they´re bringing out in a delightful paperback edition, and before that a series of Hot Flash Club novels.

Do you have an agent?

Yes. I think an agent is necessary. I´d advise anyone looking for an agent to spend some time in their local library, pick out books by writers most like themselves, and read the "acknowledgments" to see who the agents are. Then go online, Google the agents, and see if they´re accepting new manuscripts and follow the agency´s submission format.

Can you tell us how long it took you to write your book and also how long it took from the time Ballantine sent the contract and the time it was released?

I could say it took a year to write Summer House, but actually I´ve been thinking about this particular book for years. I knew my characters well.

I suppose it took a few months for my contract to arrive, and about a year between the time I sent in the final manuscript and its publication. But there were lots of rewrite sessions in between!

Do you have any words of inspiration from other writers who would like to be wearing your shoes?

Find your voice and stick with it. Be aware that you have to rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Let your book "chill" after you finish it and wait a few weeks before going back to look at it with a critical eye. You really have to give yourself time. And don´t give up!

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in July via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

The Internet is changing all our lives, with a speed we can scarcely comprehend. I have a website and a newsletter, and I know that most of my readers are Internet savvy. I love the way I can "speak" to people, really connect with them, even though they are far away.

What´s next for you?

I´m working on a novel to come out next year with Ballantine, called Mermaid Summer.

Thank you for this interview, Nancy Thayer. Can you tell us how we can find out more about you and your new book?

Check out my website: nancythayer.com. I´ve got lots of information there and I´d love it if you signed up for my newsletter. I include information on my books, and on my daughter, Samantha Wilde´s first novel, This Little Mommy Stayed Home, as well as recipes, jokes, and health tips. Thanks!