Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

HEART OF THE MATTER

by Emily Giffin

Commercial Fiction

St. Martin's Press
www.EmilyGiffin.com


3 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, May 14, 2010


New York Times Bestselling Author!



About the Book:

Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her own mother's warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie--a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance--and even to some degree, friendships--believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most.

Check out our Special EXTENDED Interview with Emily Giffin here:

1) How did you get the idea for the novel?

My books are character-driven. I first conjure a character, then get to know her, then put her in a relatable dilemma. The plot follows as I go along. Heart of the Matter is no exception, although the first seed was planted after a woman I met at a charity function spoke passionately of her son, his birth defect and the doctor who saved them.

2) Your characters seem so alive and real...what's your secret?

I just try to create realistic characters—-which usually means flawed characters. I find flawed characters much more interesting than perfect ones and enjoy the challenge of making readers root for them in spite of their unsympathetic path and destructive choices. Life is about the gray areas. Things are seldom black and white, even when we wish they were and think they should be, and I like exploring this nuanced terrain. I believe most people are good at heart and sincerely try to do the right thing. Yet we are all capable of missteps and of hurting the people we love, and we all have had to grapple with the guilt and regret that come from these mistakes and weaknesses. I think the trick is to find and create empathy, in life and in my stories. Empathy is what connects us all.

3) If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?

I think we’d talk a lot about marriage. How complicated and mysterious it can be—and how nobody really can understand someone else’s marriage, sometimes not even the two people in it. We’d talk about the arcs and cycle of individual marriages, how they can be salvageable even after infidelity. There are so many examples of celebrity couples going through this—and so much outside judgment. But ultimately, the theme of the book, and the theme of the show would be forgiveness. Can—and should—you find it in your heart to forgive?

4) What kind of research did you have to do to bring this story to life on the page?

This is the first book that I’ve written (out of five) that really required a good bit of research due to all the medical detail in it. I read a lot about burn injuries and talked extensively with a burn surgeon. I’d send him relevant chapters and he’d give me edits and comments. At one point, I wrote a very detailed description of a skin graft for Charlie’s (6-year old character) face. He told me the procedure would only ever be done for one’s hand so I had to change his injury to incorporate a burned hand. I wasn’t willing to scrap all my hard work. I felt a little guilty for expanding Charlie’s injury for the sake of my own writing!

5) Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Yes. For as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve reading books and writing my own stories. Perhaps because we moved around a lot, characters in books became my constant companions, and keeping a journal provided me comfort. In high school, I was a member of the creative writing club and editor-in-chief of our school newspaper—and although my interests became much more diverse, I was always the happiest when reading and writing.

6) Did you have any other jobs along the way?

Yes. I went to law school at the University of Virginia and practiced litigation at a large Manhattan firm for five years. I don’t regret that decision, but knew the whole time that it wasn’t really for me. Looking back, I’m not sure exactly why I didn’t pursue my real dream of writing, but I think I had the sense that I had to get a “real” job first—that I couldn’t graduate and promptly sit down to write a novel. I took a lot of history and political science classes—so law school became a logical next stop. If I’m completely honest, I also think I went to school because it felt safer—a more certain path to measurable success. I think it always feels riskier and scarier to go after something you really love and want because the rejection and failure hurts more.

7) Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?

I love conjuring new characters and their world. I also love the final stages of polishing and editing and revising. The huge chunk in the middle—actually getting the first words on paper--is what gives me trouble!

8) Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

Without a doubt, my first novel, Something Borrowed, getting made into a movie. I still can’t believe it’s in production right now! That Kate Hudson is playing a character I created.

9) What is your writing process? Do you outline your stories ahead of time?

I never outline my novels before I write. I have a vague sense of beginning, middle and end, but for me, it is a very character-driven process. As I get to know my characters, and the relationships between them form, the plot evolves accordingly. Although this method of writing can be inefficient, and I sometimes have to scrap whole chapters if I don’t like the direction the story is unfolding, I love being surprised in the writing process.

About The Author:

Emily Giffin is the New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof and Love The One You’re With. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children. Visit the author online at: www.EmilyGiffin.com

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