Andrea J. Stein
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein
Author of Dear Eliza
Ten years after her mother’s death, Eliza Levinger never imagined she’d hear from her again. But then The Letter arrived.
Eliza’s world broke apart when she was sixteen and her mom died of cancer. Now, years later, she has rebuilt her life to include a director-of-development job at a nonprofit, a Manhattan apartment, and an easy-on-the-eyes bedroom buddy—just the kind of no-strings relationship she wants, even if it’s less than her best friend, Mo, thinks she deserves. But when Eliza’s dad dies unexpectedly, her beloved aunt Claude arrives at the shiva with a letter from her mom—to be opened only after her father’s death. Inside the letter? A bombshell.
Suddenly, all of Eliza’s relationships are upended. Her brother is angry, her stepmother is threatening to disinherit her, and Mo—who has always been her rock—doesn’t seem to understand what she’s going through. But as Eliza struggles to cope with the shocking news, she finds an unexpected ally—her brother’s best friend, Josh—her high school crush, whom she’s tried hard to forget. It’s not in Eliza’s nature to trust . . . but maybe it’s time for that to change.
Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin, Katherine Center, and Jennifer Weiner, Dear Eliza explores the meaning of family, the complexities of grief, and the beauty in finding your way again.
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are so many! One I love is Marian Keyes. Her ability to create rich, realistic characters and tell stories that are simultaneously funny and heart-tugging, while also dealing with serious topics, is almost unparalleled. Rachel's Holiday is one that I especially loved.
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Poolside in Barbados -- facing the Caribbean!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Amara from Happy And You Know It by Laura Hankin. Amara is smart and funny, and I think we'd be able to pass hours of time making snarky commentary about the world...and also talking about the challenges women face trying to cope with children, work, and all the other demands on us -- perhaps most significantly, how we view ourselves and the (impossible) standards we try to live up to.
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've known it as long as I can remember. As a child, I wanted to be an author and illustrator! But in terms of specific moments... When I read How Motherhood Made A Man Out of Me by Karen Karbo, I loved how the author set up a scenario where there was conflict between the husband and wife, but didn't reveal what had happened. I loved how Karbo kept me turning pages because I wanted to know why. I knew then I wanted to write a book that used that same technique -- which was what I sought to do in my debut, Typecast.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I like to be able to turn pages. To easily jump back to remind myself of what happened. Paperbacks are easier to fit in my purse, but hardbacks are sometimes easier to splay open if you're reading while eating! I don't read ebooks too often, but it *is* handy to always have a book on my phone! I've never been an audiobook listener, but both of my novels will be released in audiobook this October, and I just had the opportunity to listen to the sound files. I think I am now a convert. The narrators did such a wonderful job capturing the mood -- shout out to Dani Cochrane and Sara Young! -- that I'm realizing that audiobooks add a whole other dimension to storytelling!
The last book I read:
Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. I really enjoyed it! I love Austen and have enjoyed a lot of the Austen reboots I've read. I had loved Bellezza and Harding's first book, Emma of 83rd Street, and it was fun to see some of those characters again. And while I enjoyed the romance of their new book, I was also tickled by some of the adjustments they made to the original story -- particularly, the Lydia subplot. No spoilers, but if you're an Austen fan, you should check it out!
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer! I type so much faster than I can handwrite. But I like to print out hard copies and edit with pen. Somehow it gives me a different perspective on the text that way.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Oh wow! This would have been easy when I was a kid -- I would have said Laura Ingalls, hands down! Now, I think Meredith of Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander would make a wonderful best friend. Despite her own challenges, she remained a great friend to her own best friend in the book; she's kind and smart and funny; and she knows what it's like to live through tough stuff and come out on the other side. I think she'd be supportive as well as fun to hang out with.
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I'm a book publicist, so there's that. But if I could make a career of making vacation photo books, that would be fun!
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 1940s! So elegant! Maybe I think that because my mom was a young woman in the 40s, and I love how smart and put together she is in all the old photographs we have.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Australia/New Zealand. It just looks so beautiful -- especially New Zealand as it appears in the Lord of the Rings movies. Also these destinations would probably be easy to manage since English is the only language I'm fluent in.
My signature drink:
Tea! Iced or hot, strong, black with sugar!
Favorite artist:
These are hard questions! I'm going to say Edward Gorey. I love his pen and ink drawings and his macabre sense of humor. I recently had the chance to visit the Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. It was so interesting to learn more about him, and I discovered a book of his I had never seen before -- The Unstrung Harp. A perfect portrait of the woes of literary life!
Number one on my bucket list:
A couple of years ago I would have said driving a Lamborghini, but I was able to do that for my last milestone birthday. This is a repeat of an earlier answer, but a trip to the Southern hemisphere is definitely on my bucket list.
Anything else you'd like to add:
I share in the acknowledgments to Dear Eliza that I started to write the book while my mother was still alive, and finished it after she was gone. And while Eliza's story is quite different from my own, working through her grief with her became part of my own grieving process. I've been so touched that early reviewers have commented on the novel's handling of grief. And while ultimately it is an optimistic book, I hope that it can help people have those conversations about grief and loss -- sadly, something that we all will experience at some point in our lives.
Find more from the author:
https://www.facebook.com/AndreaJSteinAuthorOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/books.turning.brains_ajstein
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-j-stein-84769110b/
About Andrea J. Stein:
Author Interview - Andrea J. Stein
Andrea J. Stein is a lifetime lover of books.
Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in New Jersey before attending a small, quirky liberal arts college and a large, preppy university, both in New York State. A book publicist by profession, she lives with her husband and sons in suburban New Jersey.
She spends an inordinate amount of time taking pretty photos of books. Things that make her happy include strong tea, turtles, sunshine, sheep, and the ocean.
