TC feeling plum lucky to land author

TRAVERSE CITY — Doug Stanton considers Traverse City plum lucky to have landed best-selling author Janet Evanovich for its National Writers Series.

Evanovich, creator of the wildly popular Stephanie Plum mystery books, will star in the series’ Monday, July 9, event, a scholarship fundraiser benefitting student writers.

“We could do another two shows with her and still have a waiting list,” said Stanton, of the sold-out program presented with the National Cherry Festival.

Evanovich knows what her readers want, and she delivers. Her formula — equal parts mystery, comedy and sexual tension — has made her one of the world’s best-selling authors, with more than 75 million copies of her books in print. Her latest, “Wicked Business: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel,” is the second in her new Wicked series, which spins off one of the characters in four of the Plum novels.

Like the Plum mysteries, which revolve around a big-haired New Jersey lingerie-buyer-turned bounty hunter, the Wicked books feature a lovable heroine (cupcake baker Lizzy Tucker), a hunky man of mystery (mono-named Diesel), and a supporting cast of quirky characters. But in a new twist, the Wicked mysteries are infused with the supernatural.

Evanovich said she created the series partly to keep her books fresh for both herself and her readers and to try something new and fun.

“I love this new series because it has this added element to it and I set it in Salem, Mass., with its spooky history,” said the New Hampshire-based author, who now hopes to turn out one Plum and one Wicked book every year. “It’s a lot of fun, and as a creative person I can create an adventure that has a lot at stake.

A risk

“It’s always risky to create a new series,” said Evanovich, known for choosing book titles from fan submissions. “It takes a long time to build your readership to the point of the Plum series, especially in this economy, because people are reluctant to spend money on an unknown product. You just hope people like it.”

So far the risk seems to be paying off. “Wicked Business,” which centers on a high-stakes search for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic thought by some to be infused with the power of lust, was released June 19 and is at the top of most best-seller lists.

Sex sells

Lust is a recurring theme in the author’s books.

“There’s the chase, but they never totally catch each other,” said Evanovich, who began her career as a romance novelist. “If you ask fans why they read the Plum or Wicked series they say two things: it makes them laugh or they’re hooked into one of the characters. The sexual tension is an integral part.”

She said the popularity of the Plum series’ dark and dangerous Ranger character was the catalyst for Diesel’s starring role.

“People really love this. They love the sexiness, the mystery, the little things we don’t know about Ranger. I thought, what if I went a step further and created this character who has special abilities. Not a vampire, not a werewolf. He’s a big sexy, scruffy guy but I give him powers that are beyond normal.”

The writers’ life

After some 50 books, including a Barnaby Hooker series, several miscellaneous books and some romances she co-authored early in her career, Evanovich shows no sign of slowing down. She writes seven days a week beginning at 5:30 a.m., with time off for a luncheon brainstorming session with her son and daughter, who help manage her Evanovich Inc. empire, and for dinner and a movie with her husband, Pete.

“I like the continuity and I have contracts for a lot of books so I don’t have the luxury of taking a year to write a book,” she said, noting that she got behind after taking two months off to help publicize the recent movie, “One for the Money,” based on her first Plum novel.

If morning is her best time — “Somehow ideas have come in the night,” she said — afternoon is her most dreaded.

“At 3 they have hired a trainer to come and haul me out of the office,” she said. “I write a lot about junk food and it makes me fat. And I hate to work out. For me a workout is going to the mall when there’s a shoe sale.”

Though she reportedly commands an advance of up to $10 million a book — Forbe’s ranked her 79th of the 100 most powerful celebrities this year — Evanovich said she still sometimes struggles with writing.

“I finish the book and I gained 23 pounds. I’m frazzled. I send it off to the publisher. I say, ‘I’m done, I hate this, I’m never writing another book.’ And then the next morning I get up and I don’t know what to do. I have no interests, no hobbies, no sports. I’m a writer. My burnouts last about 12 hours,” she said.

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Five Unusual Wedding Destinations

Summer is upon us which means that the wedding season is in full swing, but instead of jetting off to the usual wedding destination hotspots, brides are going for the slightly more exotic and unusual destinations.

MarryAbroad.co.uk found increasing demand for non-traditional wedding destinations and have revealed the top five.

Japan may not necessarily scream wedding location but many couple are choosing it as their preferred place to marry.

Site Founder Steph Bishop says, “For a culture which is far removed from the UK, Japan is becoming popular with couples wanting a completely unique wedding. The rise in the Japanese concept of “kawaii” – meaning loveable or adorable, with a younger British generation, has in turn, lead to a greater interest in this country and its traditions. Here couples can even opt for their own Hello Kitty wedding.

“However, for those couples wanting a less kitsch ceremony, Japan offers a combination of tradition, heritage and beautiful landscapes. Whether couples choose to marry in springtime when the cherry blossom is out, summer when it’s clear and warm, autumn when the leaves turn and fall, or winter in the snow – Japan has a season to suit every ceremony.”

Despite only being introduced recently on the site, Cambodia has become very popular with British brides and is increasingly being picked as the prime wedding location.

Steph suggests that couples try and group their travel plans and marriage into one trip. Not only does this save on costs but it also allows for a completely different experience.

She says, “Exchanging vows at the ancient Cambodia temple of Angkor Wat or becoming ‘Mr Mrs’, whilst sailing on a junk around Ha Long Bay in Cambodia, are both more tempting than a white wedding at home these days, which may explain the increase in interest.”

Many associate Vietnam with the war, but the truth is it’s a beautiful destination full of scenic views and large water fronts.

Usually, most couples will only getting a blessing there as there are residency laws when it comes to getting married.

Steph says, “Couples travelling around the country for some time may be able to legally marry in Vietnam, if they can prove “residency” for a certain period of time.”

Argentina is a beautiful country, with its vineyards and snow tipped peaks, and the site has seen an increase in couple who wish to marry among the beautiful scenery.

Steph says, “We’ve seen an increase in interest in South America in the last two months – with the most enquiries coming through for Argentina, which is ideal since the country has just changed the law last week, to allow non-residents to marry legally there.”

Denmark offers many benefits as it’s close to home and has a variety of scenery, from beaches, to forests and great little scattered towns.

Steph says, “Not many UK couples have discovered the delights of Denmark yet, so marrying here offers an unusual solution which is close to home, yet completely different to any other ceremony. And the marriage legalities are simple too.”

So next time you’re thinking about your wedding location, maybe consider something a little more exotic!

 

Cara Mason @Cara_FAM

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