On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Author Interview
What inspired you to write The Hotel?
One of my best friends lives on Nantucket and years ago I was over for one of the first Nantucket Wine Festivals and we went to a ZD Winery Wine Dinner held at the Wauwinet, which is a beautiful, exclusive resort on Nantucket, right on the beach. It was to date the loveliest wine dinner I’ve ever been to. We felt like we’d been dropped back in time to the Great Gatsby era as we sipped champagne on the lush green lawn and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the ocean. We saw families playing croquet as we enjoyed appetizers and then a sumptuous dinner with wines with each course.
And then a few years ago, I went to the Chatham Bars Inn on the Cape and we had a similar experience. It’s a beautiful resort on the water and we had a private cabana by the pool and enjoyed sushi and lobster nachos and cocktails. There was a Nespresso machine in my room—and I loved that so much, I bought one when I got home. The Whitley Hotel is a blend of these two luxury resorts and it was a story I thought about for several years. I imagined the dynamics of a family owned hotel where many family members worked there—with power struggles and drama with celebrity guests. It was a world I wanted to explore, and it was a very fun project.
What do you love the most about this story?
It was a lot of fun for me to play with the various dynamics of cousins that both wanted the same job—even though one didn’t know she wanted it—and the challenges of being a celebrity and trying to live a normal life and have a real vacation. I enjoyed making things difficult for these characters and seeing how they handled everything and grew in the process.
What challenged you about writing it?
My biggest challenge was getting the world right, particularly what it’s actually like to work in a hotel. My only experience is from many years ago when as a young teenager, I worked in a hotel on Cape Cod where I grew up. I was lucky at that age to get a job as a chambermaid, cleaning hotel rooms. That’s when MTV was new, and we used to turn it on in the rooms and clean to the music. Though it was not a good job for me--I am not someone that enjoys cleaning and had many nightmares of cleaning tubs and making beds. However, one of my best friends from college has held many manager jobs in hotels, including the general manager role and she generously answered all my questions and shared many fascinating stories about her days in the business—and quite a bit of that ended up in the book.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
That’s a good question. I’m probably a mix between Paula, who prefers to hide in her office and deal with numbers instead of people, and Andrea who finds the details annoying and prefers a more social job and loves to go out to dinner or for drinks. It depends on the day and my mood!
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope they will enjoy the look at this world and relate to the family drama where sometimes people are supportive, but not everyone gets along all of the time. But also, to come away with the sense that work can be fun—if you follow your passion and find the role that plays to your strength. This is a theme that often pops up in my books, as I spent 25 years in human resources as a headhunter--like the restaurant headhunter in the book.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
I’m a foodie. I love going out to eat and also cooking. I’m currently trying to master making almond milk yogurt—I have the almond milk itself down—the yogurt, not so much. But I will figure it out!
One of my best friends lives on Nantucket and years ago I was over for one of the first Nantucket Wine Festivals and we went to a ZD Winery Wine Dinner held at the Wauwinet, which is a beautiful, exclusive resort on Nantucket, right on the beach. It was to date the loveliest wine dinner I’ve ever been to. We felt like we’d been dropped back in time to the Great Gatsby era as we sipped champagne on the lush green lawn and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the ocean. We saw families playing croquet as we enjoyed appetizers and then a sumptuous dinner with wines with each course.
And then a few years ago, I went to the Chatham Bars Inn on the Cape and we had a similar experience. It’s a beautiful resort on the water and we had a private cabana by the pool and enjoyed sushi and lobster nachos and cocktails. There was a Nespresso machine in my room—and I loved that so much, I bought one when I got home. The Whitley Hotel is a blend of these two luxury resorts and it was a story I thought about for several years. I imagined the dynamics of a family owned hotel where many family members worked there—with power struggles and drama with celebrity guests. It was a world I wanted to explore, and it was a very fun project.
What do you love the most about this story?
It was a lot of fun for me to play with the various dynamics of cousins that both wanted the same job—even though one didn’t know she wanted it—and the challenges of being a celebrity and trying to live a normal life and have a real vacation. I enjoyed making things difficult for these characters and seeing how they handled everything and grew in the process.
What challenged you about writing it?
My biggest challenge was getting the world right, particularly what it’s actually like to work in a hotel. My only experience is from many years ago when as a young teenager, I worked in a hotel on Cape Cod where I grew up. I was lucky at that age to get a job as a chambermaid, cleaning hotel rooms. That’s when MTV was new, and we used to turn it on in the rooms and clean to the music. Though it was not a good job for me--I am not someone that enjoys cleaning and had many nightmares of cleaning tubs and making beds. However, one of my best friends from college has held many manager jobs in hotels, including the general manager role and she generously answered all my questions and shared many fascinating stories about her days in the business—and quite a bit of that ended up in the book.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
That’s a good question. I’m probably a mix between Paula, who prefers to hide in her office and deal with numbers instead of people, and Andrea who finds the details annoying and prefers a more social job and loves to go out to dinner or for drinks. It depends on the day and my mood!
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope they will enjoy the look at this world and relate to the family drama where sometimes people are supportive, but not everyone gets along all of the time. But also, to come away with the sense that work can be fun—if you follow your passion and find the role that plays to your strength. This is a theme that often pops up in my books, as I spent 25 years in human resources as a headhunter--like the restaurant headhunter in the book.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
I’m a foodie. I love going out to eat and also cooking. I’m currently trying to master making almond milk yogurt—I have the almond milk itself down—the yogurt, not so much. But I will figure it out!
The Hotel
By Pamela Kelley
Women's Fiction, Romance
Paperback & ebook, 270 Pages
June 8, 2021 by Piping Plover Press
Secrets and lies...at Nantucket's most exclusive and glamorous, family-owned hotel.
The Whitley is Nantucket's most exclusive waterfront hotel--a sprawling collection of pristine white cottages and an elegant main building on a long stretch of private, white sandy beach.
It's a family owned business--brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, all work there in various capacities.
Paula is happy in her back office accounting position. But changes are in store when her grandfather promotes her and fires her cousin--who then blames Paula.
Meanwhile, a blond romantic comedy superstar is hiding out at The Hotel for a few months. She meets Paula's brother, a chef--who has no idea who she is--and she likes it that way.
Paula's grandfather also hires a consultant to help her settle into her new role. But she isn't sure what to think of David, who grew up on Nantucket but now lives in Manhattan.
He's a brilliant consultant and will be assessing Paula's suitability for the role. He's also home for another reason, a difficult family issue that makes Manhattan seem very far away.
A new family saga from the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller author of The Nantucket Inn and The Restaurant.
(Affiliate links included.)
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About the Author
She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.
Tour Giveaway
One winner will receive a gorgeous Kate Spade totebag with two signed paperbacks, one of The Hotel and one of The Nantucket Inn (US only)
Ends June 23, 2021
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