The following is an interview with author Margaux Eliot regarding the release of the novel, Honeymoon Stage, through publisher Little A. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Eliot about the creative process for bringing the world and characters to life on the page, how readers may connect with the story’s characters and themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Honeymoon Stage! What can you share with us about the story’s premise?
Margaux Eliot: Thank you! Honeymoon Stage is an ode to 2000s pop culture. It opens in 2007, as Cassidy, a former production assistant, is about to get married on television as part of a spinoff of a now-defunct celeb-reality TV show, and then jumps back to unpack her time on the crew. I was inspired by early MTV reality television, primarily Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica–and the public images and responses to young early 2000s pop stars like Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, and Mandy Moore.
BD: This dual timeline story deftly weaves together a captivating romance with the intrigue of a soapy mystery. How would you describe your creative approach in weaving these elements, as well as the depth of character, into your narrative?
ME: I love using genre as a touchstone, but not necessarily a guide. My own favorite books twist genre conventions in interesting ways (for example, Tana French’s In the Woods, or anything by Helen Oyeyemi), and so my goal is always to have reference points that come from genre, but then give them unexpected turns. On a project like this, where I was starting with real people and real TV show as my inspiration, I wanted to be very careful to pay homage but not copy. I tried very hard to make Maggie and Jason, my Jessica and Nick proxies, different from their real-life counterparts—I built them out even before Cassidy (the narrator), and their various traits moved the plot into what it needed to be.
I leaned hard on the soap for this book—the 2000s LA setting lends itself beautifully to the kind of shenanigans and intrigue that plays out across the novel. But I also wanted these to be authentic people who are making decisions based on their personalities and experiences—plot always has to come from character, even when it’s ridiculous. I also cheated a bit—because this is a book about reality TV, we obviously wonder what’s real and what’s fabricated or a misinterpretation, which lent me some room to play!
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that the story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
ME: So much of the main questions of the book—about authenticity and image-crafting—are relevant in our social media world. In a way, it’s like we’ve all become both reality TV producers and stars. I think readers will be interested in making those connections, and looking at how our society has grown in certain ways, and stayed stagnant in others. The shift from tabloid and paparazzi culture to internet trolls is fascinating, for better or worse. So much has changed in the 20 years since those early MTV reality shows, but at the same time we keep perpetuating a lot of the same stereotypes and cultural roles.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
ME: This is my first novel writing under the name Margaux Eliot, but I’ve got three other books published as Julia Fine: What Should Be Wild, The Upstairs House, and Maddalena and the Dark. All three are gothic speculative literary novels—still mixed genre, but with different ingredients!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Honeymoon Stage and your other work?
ME: The best way to find me is online at www.julia-fine.com. I’m also on Instagram as either @margaux_eliot and @julia.r.fine.
