THE GOOD WOMAN by Jane Porter
Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and Meg feels burned out and empty, more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg. Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made. Fleeing her responsibilities—with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating—Meg must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.
Tell us the story behind the story. How did The Good Woman come to be?
I love the idea of the good woman who makes a terrible mistake. And that’s really the story behind The Good Woman, the first in my Brennan Sisters series, because Meg has always been such a high achiever. She’s the first born in a family of five, and typical of first borns, she’s hardworking, loyal, responsible, and something of a perfectionist. But then she makes a bad decision which pretty much threatens to derail her marriage, and her family.
What is the message you want readers to take away from your book?
At the end of a Jane Porter novel, I want my readers to realize that they are tremendously valuable, as well as beautiful, strong and resilient.
Describe your writing schedule. Do you outline? Any habits?
I write a lot. Virtually every day. Last year I wrote 5 books and a novella, which is a lot of words, so this summer I took August off, and didn’t write a lot in September since I was touring to promote The Good Woman, but when I am writing (M-F, and then seven days a week the last 2-3 weeks before a book is due), I write every day, at my desk from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm.
What books are on your nightstand?
The Shadow of Darkness…and then under that is my Kindle with twenty books waiting to be read and I don’t even remember what they are since I forget I’ve downloaded them. I think Kindles and Nooks are great because it allows you to travel with tons of books on a little device, but it’s tough, too, because I forget what I was wanting to read because books ‘disappear’ into my device, which is why I also still buy real books. I love seeing an actual book by my bed, waiting for me at night. Its familiar and appealing, and rather comforting.
Which authors inspire you?
Every working writer out there. Writing is hard, and getting published is tough, and the publishing industry has been in tremendous flux these past 3-5 years. It’s a challenge to juggle creativity and practicality and publishing savvy when everything is changing so rapidly, and so I really respect those who are writing, and making their living by publishing.
What have you learned from this experience?
With the completion of The Good Daughter (my Feb ’13 novel), I’ve written 40 books in the past 12 years and I love writing more now than when I started, as I keep developing my craft and pushing myself to write increasingly complex, emotional, compelling stories. I’m really enjoying working with my editor at Berkley, too, as she’s giving me so much room and trust, which has given me confidence to write the kind of stories I always wanted to write, and so with the Brennan Sisters series, I’m just going for it, risking all, to give my readers the very best books I can.
Thanks, Jane, for such an insightful interview! We are all looking forward to following the Brennan Sisters in your upcoming books!
