Meet Maya Rodale

Meet Maya

Maya started reading romance novels during her junior year in college at her mother’s insistence. She was working towards a major in literature at New York University, with a focus on women’s roles, both as writers and characters. And how, her mother argued, could Maya legitimately accept such a degree without reading the most popular and profitable books in the world—written by women and for women? So in the name of research, Maya read a romance novel. And then another….and another…

She did not, as she had feared she might, drop out of school to do nothing but read romances. Instead, she landed a book deal two weeks after graduation, for which she wrote about romance novels, among other pleasurable activities. The book, a self-help guide for women, entitled It’s My Pleasure: A Revolutionary Plan to Free Yourself from Guilt and Create the Life You Want, was co-written with her mom, Maria Rodale.

By the time It’s My Pleasure was published, Maya was in love with the writing life….and romance novels. So it was only logical that she write one.

The Heir And The Spare is her first novel. To guide her, Maya decided to write a book she herself would like to read. And so she included all of her favorite elements of a Regency romance—duels, disguises, mistaken identities, gossiping and scheming, house parties, fortune hunters, a hero who isn’t quite perfect at first and a heroine whose relentless optimism is tested and ultimately rewarded. It also features a very negligent chaperone whose mantra is “Other people’s affairs are always more interesting than one’s own, and nothing is as interesting as meddling in them.”

Maya is working on more novels, including the second novel in her Negligent Chaperone series, which makes a hero out of the villain from The Heir And The Spare.

She lives in New York City with her beloved dog, Penelope. When she is not writing novels, she is either working on her master’s degree or meddling in her friends’ love lives.

Question:: What is your next book, and when is it coming out?
Maya's Answer:: My next book is tentatively titled The Rogue And The Rival, and it is scheduled for release in November 2008. The hero is Phillip Kensington, the very wicked twin from The Heir And The Spare. Check out Coming Attractions for more details.

Question:: Where do your story ideas come from?
Maya's Answer:: I get a little idea, and then I take it and run with it (figuratively speaking, of course).

The Heir And The Spare grew out of an idea for one scene: the heroine is getting ready for bed one evening when a very handsome man bursts into her bedchamber. She mistakes him for his identical twin, to whom she is betrothed and then…I never quite figured out what came next. So I didn’t start the novel with this scene, but included it in the middle, and then it never ended up in the published version. But the idea of identical twins and a very confused heroine remained.

For my latest project, a line just popped into my head one day: “Time had been good to Phillip Kensington, even though he certainly did not deserve it.” And then I was off to my desk with a cup of coffee to make up a story to follow that first sentence.

Question:: Do you use your own personal experiences in your novels?
Maya's Answer:: Sure! One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to put a little bit of myself in each character. For more insight on which of my traits have been bestowed on my characters click here.

Question:: What kind of research do you do?
Maya's Answer:: Mainly, I read A LOT…everything from other historical romance novels to my old European History textbook from high school. In college, I took quite a few history courses, and considered majoring in that, but I liked literature more. And then there is always Google…

However, I do have a stack of trusty Regency reference books that I frequently refer to. I often find myself looking up the answer to the eternally vexing question of how to address titled people.

For a list of my favorite research books, click here.

Question:: Do you have a critique partner? Do you recommend having one?
Maya's Answer:: I have two wonderful critique partners. Jennifer writes kick-ass paranormals. Ann writes historical romances set in America—like the American Girl series for grown-ups. Many of my family members and friends read early drafts of my work and give great feedback, too. I find everyone’s thoughts and comments invaluable, because after spending months (if not years) working on a manuscript, it’s easy to lose perspective.

Question:: You wrote a book with your mom. How did that come about, and what was the experience like?
Maya's Answer:: My mom and I wrote a self-help guide for women called It’s My Pleasure: A Revolutionary Plan to Free Yourself from Guilt and Create the Life You Want. (Longest subtitle ever, right?). The premise of the book—exploring pleasure and women, combining research on history, religion, science and more—was my mom’s brilliant idea.

Writing with my mom was awesome, actually. We were in total alignment regarding the premise, the format, and content of the book. We did not actually sit down and type sentences together, but sent drafts back and forth, revising each other’s writing…which may be why we are still friends.

Question:: Did you always want to be a writer?
Maya's Answer:: No, I wanted to be a rock star, actually. But I wasn’t very good at it, and I found being in a band very frustrating—lugging heavy equipment around at odd hours? Not so fun. At the same time I was losing interest in that, I was also getting great feedback on my writing from teachers and peers—I took a lot of creative writing classes because I thought the homework was easy and fun. When working on my first book, It’s My Pleasure, with my mom, I discovered just how much I loved the entire process of putting a book together, and so I was determined to continue being a writer.

Question:: Did you have a negligent chaperone when you were growing up?
Maya's Answer:: I had quite a few chaperones (or babysitters, rather) when I was growing up. There was my mum, of course, and my aunts and grandmother. I also had a regular babysitter, Gigi, who now takes care of my sisters. While I may have been operating under the illusion that they weren’t paying attention at times, I know now that they never missed a thing.

Question:: You grew up in a family that owns a publishing business. How has that affected your career?
Maya's Answer:: My family are the proud owners of Rodale Inc., the biggest private publisher of health and wellness books and magazines. Some of our magazine titles are Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and Prevention. We also published The South Beach Diet and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Our mission is to inspire and enable people to improve themselves and the world around them. For more information, please go to www.rodale.com.

If there is one thing I learned growing up in this environment, it is that writing is just as much a business as a creative endeavor. And I often joke that it was inevitable that I become a writer, since there are so many in my family (great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, and my dear mum).

Question:: Your dog looks just like a fox! What kind of breed is she?
Maya's Answer:: As we go for our daily walks many people do ask if Penelope is actually a fox. After all, the likeness is stunning. But no, I am not keeping a wild animal in my apartment. She’s a Shiba Inu, which is a Japanese breed historically used for hunting, and now mainly for companionship. They are great dogs—incredibly intelligent (too smart, sometimes!), very loyal (once you earn it), and completely adorable (even after eating my new cell phone).