EXCLUSIVE Interview with Janet Evanovich
Janet Evanovich’s brand-new novel, The Heist, was written in collaboration with Lee Goldberg, bestselling author and Monk writer. Via email, I chatted with the wildly successful Ms. Evanovich about her writing process, her thoughts on 50 Shades of Grey, and her marriage advice.
How did your collaboration with Lee Goldberg come about?
We’ve been friends for a long time and one day over pizza and beer we realized we both wanted to do a fabulous adventure series that involved high stakes global crimes, exotic locations, and a complicated and compelling relationship between a man and a woman. The pizza got eaten but the excitement for the project remained and eventually turned into a collaboration.
What was it like to work with him? Did you send pages back and forth, or work in the same room? I’d love to hear about the process.
Lee is brilliant at plotting so he does the first draft, and I do the last polish. In between we talk on the phone a lot and we email a lot. He sends me chunks to read and I make suggestions.
Do you read print books, ebooks, or both?
I read both!
You’re a role model for many working mothers. Work-life balance has been in the news recently, with Sheryl Sandberg telling us to lean in, and Anne Marie Slaughter telling us that women can’t have it all. What are your thoughts on this debate?
It’s a fairy tale that anyone can have it all. The best we can do is prioritize our needs and make choices accordingly. And on those days when you suspect you made the wrong choice I find a vodka martini helps a lot.
Your books are notable for their strong, independent female protagonists. What do you make of the popularity of helpless heroines like Bella Swan and Anastasia Steele? Why is this a trend?
I have no clue but I find it less disturbing than the glorification of the abusive relationship we saw in Fifty Shades.
What’s your advice for newlyweds? What’s the best way to build a happy, successful marriage?
Separate bathrooms.
Your books are full of humor. Which authors do you read when you need a laugh?
I usually turn to television or a movie. I’m a sitcom junky. And I love rom coms. Mind candy.
You’ve pointed out, correctly, that “we all like hot guys.” Which celebrities are particularly dreamy, in your opinion?
The problem with celebrity hot guys is they either get old or go off the grid. That’s why a book is so much better …a hot guy can live in your imagination and stay hot forever!