Women’s Fiction
Date Published: May 7, 2020
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Take a peek behind the curtain of wealth and glamour in
Phyllis Melhado’s sassy and sultry beach read. The guests who arrive for a
10-day stay at the nation’s premier spa at Lavender Lane seem to have
everything a girl could want: high-flying careers, social and financial
prowess, access to the top fashions and beauty products, and even a dash of
fame. Yet each woman is in need of rejuvenation from insecurities, flatlined
business motivation, or failed relationships – problems that will require more
than the spa’s renowned anti-aging quince cream to fix. As the women learn to
trust one another, they each figure out how to take a second chance at life,
and reclaim what’s most important.
Interview
with Phyllis Melhado
For
those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book,
where should they start?
There
are two themes in The Spa At Lavender Lane – finding your power
within and forming enriching and meaningful friendships.
Sometimes
it can take a lifetime to learn who we really are and find the power
within that we all really have. Education, exposure, and therapy can
all help with the process but ultimately, we all have to discover it
for ourselves and learn to truly believe in our self-worth, from
which all good things flow.
Friendship,
too, always begins with ourselves. What do we have to contribute to
a relationship? What kind of reciprocity do we expect? What level of
intimacy do we want – or can tolerate? How much do we have to offer
a friendship and how much do we expect in return?
Too
often, we never ask ourselves these questions because there’s no
need. We fall into friendships by proximity, mutual interests,
meeting at school. It is rarely a conscious pursuit. And it is
wonderful when there’s lots of warmth and mutual support and little
friction. When friction bubbles beneath the surface it can explode
and this can be avoided if the relationship is conscious all along
and never, ever, taken for granted.
How
did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
When
I was the Vice President of Public Relations for Estee Lauder – a
job I loved – I generally worked very long hours and traveled a
great deal. A real vacation was rare, and a spa was a great place for
me to grab a few days, unwind and get a little self-care. A spa
seemed like a perfect venue in which to set a story about women from
different backgrounds who meet and form relationships – both real
and not-so-real friendships, as well as a place where women often
have journeys of self-discovery.
What
were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you
feel you achieved them?
My
goal was to write a fun, entertaining book that also had an
underlying message of self-empowerment and the rewards of friendship.
Readers are telling me that I have achieved that goal!
Anything
you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Glenda
The Good Witch in Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz said it perfectly
for me:
“You’ve
always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for
yourself.”
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I
loved creating the characters, putting them in a mix, and being a
part of their lives. It’s kind of magical, actually. They are very
real to me and will stay with me. Even when I go on to writing
another project, I will wonder how they are all doing!
Can
you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
My
next book is a novel based on the true story of an extraordinary
young woman who, against tremendous odds, went on to earn her MD
degree as well as a PhD in bio-chemistry to become a pioneer in the
field of palliative care – a journey made possible by the selfless
love and support of her husband, whom she met on her first day at
college. It is a story of love, commitment, sacrifice, humor, and
life lessons that inspire me every day.
How
long have you been writing?
I’m
an overnight sensation! I’ve only been writing seriously for about
twenty years. LOL! During this time I had have several heartbreaking
near misses including being courted by a big publisher for a novel I
wrote which was mysteriously dropped…having a screenplay optioned
for production (that means giving a production company the rights to
run with your project), only to have the production company
partnership dissolve, and the project along with it…putting my
heart and soul, four years and travel to Europe and the Middle East
into writing the aforementioned true story only to have legal issues
rear their ugly heads and having to make the decision to drop the
project in its initial form. (So happy I have dound a way to still
tell that story.) I’ve been around the block and now am so very
pleased that my novel has been published!
Can
you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Spa At Lavender Lane?
The
characters in The Spa At Lavender Lane are a diverse group, mostly
women but some key men, as well, ranging in age from 15 to mid-70’s.
NADIA
DEMIDOVA, founder and mistress of Lavender Lane – petite, elegant,
Russian born. Early 70’s. She has an air of elegance, authority and
mystery. Her staff loves and respects her, but she keeps her
distance.
PHOEBE
BANCROFT, British born, Assistant Director and Nadia Demidova’s
most trusted employee. 45ish. She’s attractive and smart and like
Nadia, her life took a direction she never would have imagined. She
holds Mme. Demidova in great esteem, but also feels her contributions
have not been adequately rewarded.
TONI
ETHERIDGE, 40, attractive, totally burned-out designer sportswear
buyer for a prestigious Fifth Avenue store, who has come to Lavender
Lane to recuperate from the grueling job she has just quit, to rest,
relax and prepare to do everything she can to insure the safety of
her recently confirmed pregnancy.
Frequent
guest MAVIS PERKINS, late 40’s, striking Chicago socialite and
former super model who is bored with both her rich husband and their
life together and decides it’s time to make a grand re-entrance
into the modeling world as THE older model…and who hatches a clever
scheme to make that happen.
The
mother-daughter duo of overweight, Houston Housewife CHARLOTTE TANNER
, 40’s - Charlotte, once a beauty queen and now about to be
divorced a second time - and her beautiful, anorexic, 15-year-old,
wannabe-model daughter LAUREN FANNING, willful, rebellious and
ready to explore her body with some on-site help.
ELEANOR
FRANKLIN, mid-50’s, long-time friend of Mme. Demidova…CEO of her
family’s nutritional supplement business, secluded in her suite
because she has just had an unfortunate session of plastic surgery
designed to keep her at the helm of her youth-oriented company.
PETER
CULVANE, late 40’s, handsome, powerful M&A lawyer, who
unexpectantly arrives at Lavender Lane, with portfolio, so to speak,
and becomes carrion for the preening lionesses.
GREG,
hunky tennis instructor - early 20’s – who serves up more than
good tennis to the spa’s guests.
IAN
GRAEBERT - Once a top fashion photographer, still talented but aging
out.
KEVIN
GAVELLI – 40-ish, top designer, gay…Toni’s best friend and the
unlikely father of the child she is carrying.
If
you could spend the day with one of the characters from The Spa At
Lavender Lane, who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this
particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
If
I could spend the day with one of the characters from The Spa At
Lavender Lane, it would be the spa mistress herself, Nadia Demidova.
What a strange and interesting journey she’s had from losing her
mother in infancy and being the daughter of a physically abusive
father in the meatpacking district of Moscow to the height of success
as the owner of one of the most prestigious luxury spas in the world.
What a warrior! What a survivor!
She’s
been very secretive about her story so it would be fascinating to
stroll the streets of Moscow with her, stop for some steaming hot
borscht and maybe a vodka or two, and delve into the hidden woman.
About the Author
The former Vice President of Public Relations for Estee
Lauder, Phyllis Melhado has had her work published in Town & Country,
Cosmopolitan, and The Scarlet Leaf Review. She has also ghosted a best-selling
beauty book as well as a nationally syndicated beauty column. She earned her
Master’s degree in Communications from NYU and lives in New York City. The Spa
at Lavender Lane is her first novel. To learn more about Phyllis and her work,
visit https://www.phyllismelhado.com.
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