Joni Rodger's novel "Secret Sisters" features three unforgettable heroines: Pia, a newly widowed mother who undergoes a startling awakening; Lily, Pia's tough-talking sister who is paying for her mistakes in prison; and Beth, Pia's annoying, upright sister-in-law who faces a crisis of faith.  Ofcourse, I am a sucker for stories about three strong women tied by the bonds of sisterhood, but even if I wasn't, you should check out this novel.

Here's our interview with Ms. Rodgers:

 1) What was the inspiration for your book?

 THE SECRET SISTERS began with an erotic short story I tucked in my husband's suitcase as a sexy little surprise when he went away on a fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas. This story about Pia, a woman who falls under the spell of a clever shopkeeper/con artist, was never intended for publication, but the characters stayed with me. I kept dreaming about Pia sitting in a chair in a waiting room. I kept wondering how this smart and competent woman had become so vulnerable. Then the world changed on 9/11. Over the next year or so, I saw our country embrace fear as a lifestyle, and it was eerily reminiscent of my own fragile and fearful state in the aftermath of cancer. THE SECRET SISTERS is my response to that. It's a parable about how vulnerable we become when we embrace fear as a lifestyle. It's also an examination of the way tragedy can - and should! - change us. Survivorship is about accountability, courage, and hope. As we emerge from life's refining fires, we have to learn from our mistakes, celebrate our strengths, and seize hold of every new day with joy. I finally understood what Pia was waiting to tell me: That redemption is tragedy cross-pollinated with grace.

 2) What are you working on now?

 Between fiction projects, I work my "memoir guru" mojo, ghostwriting and book doctoring for celebrities and other high-end clients. (Last year I worked with Golden Girls star Rue McClanahan on her bestselling memoir, My First Five Husbands.and the Ones Who Got Away. Check it out!) My next novel is in the pipeline, both kids are in college, the old man and I are planning our next trip to Europe.life is good!

 3) What is something about you that would surprise your readers?

 My husband and I had the typical yuppie suburban life when we first married, but neither of us was happy, and I told him I wanted a divorce. He said he'd seen somewhere that the US Forest Service was looking for two-person teams to work as fire lookouts in a Northern California wilderness area and he wanted me to apply with him. We sold everything, quit our jobs, and spent six months living in a 14 x 14 foot tower on a 9,000 foot summit in the Trinity Alps near Mt. Shasta, almost completely cut off from civilization. We learned a lot about ourselves and each other. Twenty-three years later, we're still adventuring together.

 

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