I think the initial spark of an idea came to me during the 2012 Summer Olympic games. Like the rest of the world, I was getting ready to watch another of Michael Phelps’s awe-inspiring performances in the pool, when the camera panned to his family cheering him on in the crowd of spectators. The announcer named the family members, and it was the first time I took note that Michael Phelps had two sisters, Hilary and Whitney.

At that time in my life, my own two children were nine and almost eight. Like many siblings, especially those as close in age as mine, the rivalry and bickering were often off the charts. Watching those two adult women cheering for their extremely talented and famous younger brother made me wonder—what was it like for them to be the siblings of The Star?

Of course Her Perfect Life has nothing at all to do with swimming or the Olympics, but that wonder about Hilary and Whitney Phelps was the seed that grew into the Eileen and Clare sibling dynamic. To have all those shared childhood experiences, to grow up together, to love someone that much, and then watch them go on to become a person that excels far beyond everyone else in their field. To witness them become not just great but a living legend in the minds of the rest of the world—what impact would that maybe have on a person’s thinking about their own dreams, talents, and accomplishments?

Eileen is my character who wrestles with these thoughts and emotions.

Did you have to do any research to bring Clare and her “perfect” world to life?

Yes and no. On the one hand, being a writer writing about a writer was as simple as combing through my own headspace and emotions. The angst, the desire, the struggle to believe in yourself while still creating and getting your work out there—those inner aspects of Clare and her career were easy to find. More research was required with regards to her settings, homes, and the types of expensive things she would surround herself with. Although it was the best sort of research because it’s like shopping for real estate, furniture, cars, and wine that are WAY outside my budget. It was fun to live vicariously through her success. As far as locations, I have traveled to Casper, Manhattan, and San Francisco but never lived in those places. So I relied heavily on internet maps, travel guides, photos, and my own imagination when creating her world in these places. My parents have lived in Wyoming for over twenty-five years—so that was very helpful when developing Clare and Eileen’s birthplace.