We chat with author Mary Dixie Carter about Marguerite by the Lake, which is an atmospheric, tense novel about the death of a glamorous garden designer, a widower trying to keep his secrets buried, and the beautiful young gardener who finds herself entangled in their lives.
Hi, Mary Dixie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I started out as an actress, then became a journalist and eventually transitioned to being a novelist. Marguerite by the Lake is my second novel. I’m grateful for the prior careers because those skills inform my writing in many ways.
I live in Brooklyn with my husband and two children. My family and I have spent a lot of time at a lake in Connecticut that was the source of inspiration for Lake Spiro in Marguerite by the Lake.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve loved reading and writing my whole life, but it wasn’t until after college that I began to believe in myself as a writer. And it was more than a decade later that I thought I could write a novel that someone might want to read.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Ant and Bee stories by Angela Banner
- The one that made you want to become an author: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Your latest novel, Marguerite by the Lake, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A tense, haunting, dark, Gothic mystery. (That was six words, but “A” doesn’t count!)
What can readers expect?
They can expect to follow Phoenix, a young beautiful gardener, on a surprising journey that takes a sharp turn into her worst nightmare.
Where did the inspiration for Marguerite by the Lake come from?
My mother had a lifelong friendship with an Italian artist who painted her many times over the course of fifty years. After my mother passed away in 2010, I would visit my stepfather, returning to the home that he and my mother had shared, and my mother’s presence in the house was still strong. I think much of that had to do with the portraits hung prominently throughout the house.
In Marguerite by the Lake, there’s a world famous portrait of Marguerite that hangs over the fireplace in the Grays’ home. Even after Marguerite dies, she continues to play an enormous role in the other characters’ lives. Though Marguerite Gray bears little resemblance to my mother, there was something about my mother in the paintings. Like Marguerite, she was still a force to be reckoned with.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The very first scene I wrote takes place on a dark and deserted lakeside road. The genesis of it was a friend’s story that stuck with me. She got in a fight with a family member and she was so angry she couldn’t bear to be inside the house for a minute longer. So she left her house at midnight and went for a two hour walk around a lake.
I thought about how mad I’d have to be to leave my house at midnight and wander on a dark road by myself. That’s what Phoenix does. And then . . . she sees someone in the distance trailing her.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Just starting with a blank page and trying to create a story is like pushing a boulder up a hill—torturous sometimes. In the early stages, I always make myself sit at my computer for six hours a day, whether or not I’m productive. Also, for me, the best way out of writer’s block is reading really good books. Sometime books outside of my genre are best—because I can come away with a fresh perspective.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on another novel that has a newborn baby at its center!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I can’t wait to read Annabel Monaghan’s It’s a Love Story, Catherine Mack’s No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, and Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay.
