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Mom Writer Janet Evanovich: Success is truly a family affair
Janet Evanovich is not only one of us – a mom writer; her writing business is a family affair. Evanovich, Inc. is a family business with Janet’s daughter Alex and son Peter working fulltime. Peter, a Dartmouth College graduate, assumes responsibility for everything financial. Alex, a film and photography school graduate, created the Web site, which gets about four and a half million hits a month. Alex does it all – the graphics, the mail, the comics, the store, the online advertising and the newsletter. Janet’s husband, Pete, uses his doctorate in mathematics from Rutgers University to manage all aspects of the business and tries to keep Janet on time (according to Janet this is a thankless, impossible job). In the process of writing this interview, I was reminded and reassured about true human nature. In a society that is so obsessed with celebrities, I was thrilled to find real people who live real lives and are incredibly successful. Evanovich, Inc. is an example of how a person and a family can find a passion and live a life they love. I have read all of Janet’s books and have loved them all. I love a book that I can laugh out loud to and that makes me feel good. I feel that Stephanie Plum is a friend of mine and know that I would have a great time hanging out with Janet and Alex. “I spent two years retooling – drinking beer with law enforcement types, learning to shoot, practicing cussing. At the end of those years I created Stephanie Plum. I wouldn't go so far as to say Stephanie is an autobiographical character, but I will admit to knowing where she lives.” – Janet Evanovich
MWLM: Our audience and magazine are all Mom writers. Can you talk a bit about your experience as a mom and a writer? JE: Writing allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom. I wrote while my kids were in school and sometimes late at night. When school was out I was there to drive everyone to soccer games and ice-skating and whatever. My house was always the designated house for rainy day Monopoly games and cake baking experiments because I was the only stay-at-home mom in the neighborhood. I didn't miss anything! I love being a writer but being a mom is hands-down the most creative job I've held. JE: Writing takes discipline and continuity, so you need to look at it as a part-time job and show up for work on time every day. As a qualifier for the preceding statement, I always made my family my first priority and scheduled writing time when I knew it wouldn't interfere with family time (like when the kids were in school or asleep). I think the idea of "quality time" is a lot of baloney. Kids need "quantity time." Enjoy being a mom and don't put a lot of pressure on yourself to get published. Just keep moving forward, one sentence at a time, in a sane fashion. JE: I'm actually related to Grandma Mazur. Grandma is a combination of my Grandma Fanny and My Aunt Lena. MWLM: What is your favorite story as a writer (a trip, a signing, a contact from a fan)? JE: Not sure I have a favorite. The fans are amazing and it's wonderful to know I've made someone smile while they were getting chemo or maybe struggling with a personal loss. Alex travels with me on tour and we always work hard but have fun too. One time, years ago when my books weren't as popular as they are now, we showed up for a signing in Los Angeles and the store was closed! My publisher had hired a stretch limo to deliver us to the store, so we kept the limo for the night. We went to Tower Records and then had our driver follow us down Melrose while we window shopped. We went to a bakery and bought a box of pastries and a cake (we gave the cake to the driver) and then we went to a bar. It was one of our better signings!
I want to thank Janet and her daughter Alex for their help in this interview. Along with the interview, I also spent a lot of time reading reviews, interviews and doing research on Janet. Along with providing wonderful entertainment she also gives back a great deal to her readers and to the writing community. Along with her daughter Alex and Ina Yalof she has written a book called ”How I Write,” (St. Martins Press, 2006) which is a fabulous resource for writers. I also highly recommend spending a few hours on the www.Evanovich.com Web site. It is filled with amazing information, entertaining interviews, stories and a great deal of writing advice. Watch for the latest in the Stephanie Plum series, “Lean Mean Thirteen,” (St. Martins Press) being released on June 19, 2007. And now I sign off, after writing this I have an incredible urge for donuts and cheez doodles… Tracy Lyn Moland , Co-Cover Editor and Regular Columnist - Over the past few years, best selling author Tracy Lyn Moland, B. Ed. has established herself as a highly sought after and internationally recognized life management and marketing expert. You may recognize Tracy Lyn’s ideas and advice from magazines like Reader’s Digest, Chatelaine, or Women’s Day as well as her series on Good Morning Canada and appearance on Living it Up! With Ali and Jack. She has been featured in over 500 media outlets and presented in three countries. Her expertise has lead to her work as a spokesperson for Johnsonville Sausages, Crayola, TJ Maxx, and Whirlpool appliances. Tracy Lyn’s books Mom Management and Quotes of Inspiration have provided much needed advice and sanity in our crazy world.
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