An Interview With DEB CALETTI

This began as a regular interview to accompany my review of The Secret Life of Prince Charming, so it isn't really geek-related. But I realized that the day I had planned on posting this interview was smack dab in the middle of Geek Fest! So I decided to include it. It's my first interview, so let me know what you think.

How did your writing career begin?

Actually, I think my career began when I was about in the second grade, when I knew I wanted to be a writer. After that came many (okay, MANY) years of practice. I wrote five books before I was first published.

What inspired you to write TSLPC? Why did you write it?

Choosing a partner, especially a life partner, is one of the most important decisions we can make, and yet, no one tells you how to actually make this choice. Or they tell you, and the advice is really, really bad. The idea that "relationships take work," for example, can get us stuck in bad places for a very long time. Can you tell that I know about this? Uh huh. REALLY know about this. So, I decided to write everything I knew on the subject, through the voices of the many women that the main character and her sisters meet throughout the book. The need to write this particular book came about when my own kids were at the age where I made my first important and disastrous romantic choice. This book was an urgent plea of sorts - to my own kids, and to all the rest of us with vulnerable hearts. Listen carefully, watch carefully, know your own history.

How much of it is based on real life?

Quite a lot. But I always must say in my own defense: I MADE A LOT OF IT UP, TOO.

I loved the strong female characters in TCLPC. Were any of them based on real people? Which character are you most like?

No character is taken directly and completely from my life. I think I'm a composite of many of the women in the book. Certainly, they give voice to my experiences.

The sister relationship between Sprout, Quinn, and Francis is really interesting. Was it based on real life experience or observation?

Quinn and Sprout actually appeared to me on a train ride from Connecticut to New York. I saw a girl and her younger sister, who were going to visit their dad. The younger sister was taking up-close pictures of her older sister's eyelashes. I loved their relationship, and they became the main characters in the book.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read, read, read. It will teach you more of what you need to know than anything else.

Do you have any writing habits/rituals?

Sometimes I bribe myself with candy if I don't want to work. I even have a candy drawer in my desk. Bribery works.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading, spending time with my wonderful husband and family, who continually crack me up. I love to swim, too. But a day in the library makes me happy, happy.

What is your favorite quote?

"Knowledge is power."

How did you find out that Honey, Baby, Sweetheart had qualified as a National Book Award finalist? What was your reaction to the news?

I was contacted by the National Book Foundation, who told me I must immediately contact their director. I had no idea what for. I had no idea my books were even submitted for the award. Totally clueless. I couldn't believe it. I still can't, actually.

Could you explain to readers what the title of The Secret Life of Prince Charming means?

To me (and isn't that one of the best parts about reading? That we all can bring our own interpretations to what is there?), it refers to our idealization of a romantic partner, and the truths that may be there that we are unaware of.

Have you ever read a book that’s changed the way you think or made a difference in your life? If so, please describe it to us.

Too many to count have done this, so I'll start with the first. I think "Ramona the Pest" made me want to become a writer. :)