New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz chats with Zibby about her entertaining and poignant new novel, WHEN STARS ALIGN, published under Mindy Kaling’s imprint at Amazon! Inspired by an iconic early-2000s photo of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears, the book explores friendship, fame, and identity through the intertwined stories of three starlets navigating the dark side of celebrity. Melissa reflects on her prolific writing career—over 70 books!—her experience as an immigrant, her path into YA and middle grade, how outlining helps her balance creativity and productivity, and the pressures of success.

Transcript:

Zibby: Welcome, Melissa. Thank you so much for coming on Totally Booked with Zibby to talk about When Stars Align a novel. Congrats. 

Melissa: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yay. 

Zibby: Do you still get excited? You've had what? 70 books are you, does this even, does it even matter when you have a new book come out?

Melissa: You know, it's funny because I, I just did an event at your bookstore, and I did say that, you know, during the panel that, you know, I sometimes, the, my, my biggest nightmare is that I've forgotten that I have a book due or out, you know, it's kind of like, you know, because whe once I've finished with the book.

You know, it's, I completely forget about it, you know, and then I have to promote it a year later. I'm like already onto, you know, the next five projects. So it's always exciting, you know, always for sure. I think, you know, you do tend to take it for granted a little bit, and then when I see myself kind of starting to do that, I pull away and say, hold on.

Remember when you wanted this life? Like you, this is the dream. You have to always remember, even when you're, frustrated with work or whatever's happening, like, you know, at some point this was the dream that I wanted to live. So I have to be great.

Zibby: I love that. I know, I love, whenever I'm totally stressed out, my husband's not like, I have to do this.

You have to say, I get to do this. I get to do this today. Not I have to do this today. Which I don't know. It helps. 

Melissa: I know it does. You know, and it is so silly to complain about something that, you know, you dream and worked hard for, but still we do. We're writers. So, yeah, 

Zibby: I mean, you know, you complain. You have to complain about anything.

Life is life no matter, no matter what it brings. But um, of course we know you appreciate it all. So when Stars align, this is a Mindy's book, studio publication. So explain what this means. 

Melissa: So Mindy Kaling has a lovely imprint at Amazon, and when we submitted the book to Carmen Johnson, who's at Amazon, she said, you know what?

I think Mindy would really like this and I think we can publish it under her imprint. And I said, oh, cool. You know, and it turned out. She was right. And Mindy is just a fan, as much a fan of Y 2K era, you know, no surprise there. So, yeah, you know, it was really, really fun and Mindy's been promoting it and she sent me a, uh, the cover with a, a personal note from her.

So that was really exciting. 

Zibby: That is so sweet. Carmen Johnson is also my editor at Amazon. 

Melissa: Oh my goodness. 

That's so funny. 

Zibby: Yeah, been working together now, for like, I don't know. Couple years, four years, something. Yeah. 

Melissa: That's great. Yeah.

Zibby: Okay. Can you please explain what the book is about? 

Melissa: Sure. Uh, it, uh, when Stars Align is a little bit of a Daisy Jones in the six retelling of, uh, three characters who are kind of loosely inspired by the lives of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and, uh, Britney Spears.

And it was inspired by a photograph of the three of them, uh, from the two thousands. And I thought, how amazing that they were friends in their twenties. And you know, now knowing all we know about what they actually went through and how the media treated them and you know, that Paris Hilton's persona was just that a persona, you know, it, it was just so fascinating to kind of look back on that and who they were now.

And I kind of wanted to write something about that era for kids who weren't alive when it happened. Like my daughter who's 18. And it was actually also inspired by her saying, Paris Hilton is a queen. And I thought. Oh my God. Really? You know, that was not how Paris Hilton was seen, you know, by our generation at all.

So I thought, oh, I'll delve into this and see what, you know, why the kids are so into this. Why are they, they're so into these kids, the, these starlets now. 

Zibby: So interesting. Wait, what do you mean? She thinks Paris Hilton is a queen. Like she's like the coolest ever. 

Melissa: Oh yeah, like Paris is great, you know, like an idol, you know, like something to look up to.

And I said, really? You know, that's really fascinating, you know, and I wondered would it come from, you know, the tiktoks, like kind of the Paris looks, you know, with the pink and the little puppy and the glitter, you know, is it that, or is it the fact that now that she's 40, she testified against all the abuse that, you know, what is it?

And my daughter was just like. The whole thing. It's all great mom like, okay. Interesting. 

Zibby: So the photo inspired you and then you told the story in three alternating viewpoints. Sort of go back and forth in time a little bit. But talking about all of their backgrounds, their struggles, these three girls from addiction to having, you know, the love interests, issues, struggles with their families, not feeling seen, sort of a search for identity. What do you feel like these three mostly have in common, in some of the, the bigger themes you were going for? 

Melissa: Yeah, I think, you know, it's, it's about friendship, you know, and feeling kinda isolated in the spotlight, but maybe.

Kind of, uh, finding, you know, some kind of connection with each other that, you know, was kind of their life raft through this kind of Hollywood, you know, chaos, you know, the chaos of fame and you know, all the temptations of that. And not having, you know, people who are, you know, who had their best interests at heart, you know, which is what you see a lot, um, in Hollywood.

And it's, you know, why, um, you know, I always get worried for child stars and, you know, it really is like such a weird. Experience for a child to be suddenly the boss, like the most prized person on the set, you know, where adults are catering to their every whim. And, you know, seeing that happen to people, you know, you're always a little bit worried about them.

And one of the things that, you know, I was always glad of when we did descendants was the parents were always there. You know, it was a very protective, you know, so I thought, okay, that's good. You know, but then I, I imagined like, well, what if the parent wasn't there? You know, what if there was nobody helping, you know, or.

You know, and these girls were just so vulnerable. So, you know, I wanted to show, you know, we all want fame. We're Amer in America. You know, like that whole currency is so valuable, you know, but what if you know, there's a dark side to it? I mean, there's always a dark side. But I wanted to show what would happen if they actually were friends and there for each other, and maybe that could be something that could guide them, you know, in life.

Zibby: So do you, do you know the author Anabel Moynihan who writes some like smart romances? Uh, her book coming out that I just didn't read her about is about one another child star of that time who's grown up a little bit and is trying to find another cast member essentially to help her out later. Anyway, I feel like the two of you could be in conversation about this era.

It would be a very fun. You like this, you love that type of thing. 

Melissa: Yeah. 

Zibby: Were there any interpersonal struggles that you found yourself relating to in when, in crafting some of the backstories? 

Melissa: Yeah. You know, there was one, uh, there's a part where Jermaine kind of loses everything and she's kinda stripped of everything, you know, that she always took for granted.

And I was just, uh, saying to another interview I said. Where did that come from? And I thought about it and I said, oh my God, it came from being an immigrant to this country, you know, at 13, you know, and really like the whole life that we had in Philippines, where my dad was a banker and we grew up in a house full of servants, you know?

And, and basically my dad decided he didn't want to be a party to the Marcus corruption, you know, so, and if he was a banker. Would help to embezzle funds and hide the money, basically. And my dad said, I don't wanna do that, so we're getting out. You know? But yeah, it was really, you know, a moment where it was like, oh my God.

Everything we knew, everything I knew and took for granted was just stripped away. And that's really when you realize who you are. You know, when you don't have anything at all, and you just have yourself to rely on. In a way it's kind of the best thing to happen to people. It was, you know, it could, you could either like rise from it or drown from it, I guess.

But I think when that happened to me, I was like, well, I'm still me. I'm a smart person and my family is still together. And no matter what happens, like we have each other and you know, we have ourselves and our wits and here we go. You know? 

Zibby: Wow. 

So will you explain how you became, how this whole career

unfolded. When did you know you loved to 

Melissa: write? How did it all start? 

Uh, I've always loved to read and write, you know, uh, like even as a young kid when I was eight years old, basically when I learned how to read books, I thought, oh my God, this is such a fun thing to do. And I loved reading more than anything, more than playing with my friends, being on the playground.

I spent, you know, lunches alone at the library. I was that weird kid, you know, who was just always reading rather than socializing. And so. My whole kind of development was in books, you know, my friends were in books, my life was in books, and I don't know, I was just a shy, introverted kid. And then when I was ready to kind of decide, you know, hey, maybe I wanna do this for a living.

I really had no idea how that would happen, you know? But there are books again. There are books that you know have instructions. And I bought a book called The Writer's Market, which I think is now online, it's like a website now, but it listed, you know, all the agencies in America and what writers they represented and what kind of fiction or nonfiction they were looking for.

And so I basically just followed the instructions in this book, sent the first five chapters of my novel. To about 20 agents and five of them asked to represent me. And then eventually, five years later on my third agent, we sold my first novel, which was actually my third. So, wow. It was, uh, it, it took a while, but also happened so quickly, you know, because when he, when she sent out that novel, uh, we got an offer in two weeks, so I always say, oh, it took, you know, five years and two weeks.

Zibby: And what was the first book that came out? 

Melissa: Uh, it was called Cats Meow, and it was, uh, came out in 2001 right after Bridget Jones, I believe Bridget Jones had just published and, uh, right before Shopaholic. So it was that era of kind of chicklet and a cute white, you know, in pink candy cover, but it was more kind of, uh, ab fab, I, I would say, than sex in the city.

It was very absurd. 

Zibby: And then when did you start writing more for younger generations? Like you, you do it all. So when did you, when did you veer into that and why? 

Melissa: Yeah. You know, it was actually after publishing my first adult novel that my editor said, you know, I actually think that your voice would lend itself to the YA world.

You know, based on this book, uh, there's a book called Sisterhood of Traveling Pants that's out. Gossip Girl just came out. She said, do you wanna try your hand at it? And I said, sure. You know, um, I've read those books, I know those are fun. And I started writing my first ya book, the au pairs on a plane, on book tour.

And I just remember giggling and thinking, oh, I'm really good at this. This is actually what I should write. And I really felt like, you know, my editor had seen my writing and kind of matched me with a genre where I could thrive. So I'm always grateful for that. 

Zibby: So what percent of your books are for which ages?

Melissa: I would say the majority are in the YA market. You know, I think I wrote my first novel Cat Meow, and then it took about 15 years before I wrote a second adult novel, you know, so, and in the meantime I'd published a lot of YA and then I would, so I would say maybe 80% 

YA, 10% middle grade, 10% adult. So I have, uh, maybe 15% middle grade.

I do have, um. A bunch of middle grade series, um, which I enjoy 'cause I guess descendants is middle grade. So, 

Zibby: And how did it feel when descendants just blew up? 

Melissa: It was fun. You know, it wasn't my first rodeo. Blue Bloods had been a big, I always, I always call it the third biggest selling Vampire YAC series series.

That's why I like not that. Little, you know, so, you know, Disney had asked me to work with them, uh, based on the success of Blue Blood. So it was really an honor and really thrilling to be able to work in the Disney universe. And I, you know, I always thought it would do well. You know, it was interesting because they had done several books tied to their properties, but descendants was the one that really blew up.

And uh, you know, I think some people were surprised, but I certainly wasn't. I said, oh my God, I love Disney. Are you kidding? I remember from reassuring my agent on a plane again, I said, I think it's all gonna be okay, Richard. 

Zibby: Oh my gosh. So how do you maintain this cadence? How many books are you publishing a year?

Like what is your schedule and what is your schedule going forward? I. 

Melissa: Yeah, you know, ever since I started in YA you know, I would say for about 20 years now I've published about five books to five to seven books a year. Because you know, the middle grade books do come out every six months and YA is on a really fast schedule.

Like I had to do a one blue blood, so it would be one blue bloods every year, like. You know, two of the middle grade and then this other series. So I just kind of got into, you know, that treadmill of always kind of being on deadline, which I remember when my daughter was little, you know, they would send me on tour with the nanny, get focus, you know, either suites or two hotel rooms.

And you know, I always am glad that I work in a very female friendly industry, you know, publishing as a lot of moms. I was pregnant and I was on deadline, you know, and they said, okay, you can take a couple weeks off, you know, but we do need the book. But, you know, enjoy the baby. But, you know, so yeah, I outline a lot.

So that's what I do. Um, I outline and I always know what the ending is, you know, and then the first draft. I think I wrote one of the Ashley's books in two weeks, so I, I am a fast writer. I can write, I can, I can write them quite quickly. I, I'm getting a little slower in my old age, which is kinda, you know, a little shocking.

I'm not as quite as fast 

as I used to be. 

Zibby: So how long, for example, did when Stars align, take you to write? 

Melissa: Uh, when Stars Align was probably three months, you know, like the first draft I'd like to, you know, I don't like to write it in two weeks, you know, I, I think three months for a first draft feels better.

And then, and then we go through revisions. It wasn't too long, it wasn't a, you know, I mean, it was really easy. Carmen and I did a couple of revisions back and forth. But you know, because it was outlined and because I shared the outline with her, she knew you know, what to expect, and I kind of knew where the book was going.

I had few parts of the mystery I hadn't figured out yet. But you know, that kind of came in the, in the writing. I mean, everything has to be spontaneous too, even if you have an outline, right? You can't just write from the outline. It also has to feel organic and real. So I always say, I can tell when, uh. A writer, let's say, outlined it and just did the outline, you still actually have to revise and change things and, you know, kind of move things around.

You know, I think I have, like, I kind of know how story works, so I can see when they go, it goes off the rails. 

Zibby: Mm-hmm. 

Melissa: So I can have course correct quickly, but other than that, every book is always, you know, terrible to, to work on. It's always just this really, you know, kind of awful project. And why have we embarked on it is, oh, it's so hard.

Zibby: So what, what is the secret formula then? Like when you're structuring or outlining, like, and when you can tell if somebody is just writing from an outline, what is missing or what, what should people make sure to include? 

Melissa: I think when, you know, when it's predictable, that means that says to me that, you know, and I, and I mean I can always tell.

Things. I understand stories, so I'm like the worst person to watch a thriller with, you know? 'cause I'm like, oh yeah, he did it. You know, so stop doing that. You know? But you know, when I think when it's too predictable, that means that the author kind of reached for the easiest solution. And you know, I always like do that first and then think, well what's the thing that they won't think about?

And what's the thing I can twist around? And then you always have to say, well, okay, we're not gonna do the first thing, we're not gonna do the second thing. 'cause they're gonna think about that too. So you actually have to go to like the fifth thing. Or the 10th thing. 

Zibby: Hmm. 

Melissa: But then sometimes things get too convoluted too, where you're like, you know, forcing these plot twists too hard.

I don't know. I, I think, you know, in a way it is just magic. And when it works, it works and you can feel it, you know? And sometimes the magic doesn't happen until the very, very end, like, uh, on Witches of East End. I remember written the whole book and I was like, it's still just not working right for me. I don't know why.

We were at a bar in the Hamptons and I was writing the plot on the napkin explaining it to my husband and I said, wait a minute. If I do this and switch this, actually I think that works. And I remember I was like, this ta-da, you know, light bulb moment when I realized what was wrong with my book. And you know, that's really helpful when that happens.

Before the deadline. 

Zibby: Yeah. You know, I'm, I'm writing a novel for Carmen now, and I don't know how it's gonna end, and my kids keep being like, well, but what's, where's it going? I'm like, I don't know. If I knew that, I wouldn't be having any fun writing it. 

Melissa: Exactly. 

Zibby: Honestly. 

Melissa: Yeah. 

Zibby: I dunno, but maybe that's not the way to do it.

Melissa: I, I think, you know, at one point when you understand what the story is and then you actually have to go back and rewrite it and make sure that that story that you discovered is fitting that, you know? So I always like to have time for that epiphany where you've figured out the story and now we're just gonna polish it, you know?

Zibby: Yeah, exactly. Rewriting it. 

Any books you particularly love to read yourself? 

Melissa: So I read a lot of fantasy and romance. Um, I read a lot of bestsellers. I, I like to read what people are reading. You know, I like to know what the culture is interested in. I have a big adult romantic coming out in September called Rings of Fate.

I. And even before I had started that book, I just read a lot of romance. I was really kind of like immersed in the genre and really enjoyed it, and I was like, you know, I would just tell my husband, I was like, I guess I get why people love these books. They're just so pleasurable to read. You know, you, they're just, so fun.

So I really, I hope I did that genre of justice because I really, really enjoyed those books. And so I wanted that book to have that feeling of, you know, just something just so entertaining and just so fun to read and watch two people fall in love, you know? 

Zibby: So are you gonna write again later today?

Like do you write every single day? 

Melissa: I don't. So today's Tuesday, which is my zoom day. So I try to pack a lot of my, uh, meetings and interviews on Tuesdays 'cause that's the one day where I don't write. Um, but other than that, I do try to write every day in the morning and I try not to have, you know, any meetings or any distractions because I find like, the early, uh, part of the day before lunch is always the most creative.

And then after that, you know, you really kind of can't back, get back into it anymore. Although I, I used to when I was younger, you know, when I was younger, you know, I would always put it back in. And also when I'm on deadline, I can always just go back in.

But when I'm not on deadline, I like to just draft in the mornings. 

Zibby: I love that Tuesday zoom day. All right. I like it. I wish I could keep all my zooms to one day. Any advice for aspiring authors?

Melissa: I guess I would say what is it that they're interested in? Are they interested in being published or are they interested in the craft?

I guess both. You know, I would say I. Don't be fearful about sending your workout, you know? Um, definitely that is a huge part of it is that fear of what people will say. I think it's better to find out what people say and if they don't like it, go, go back and change it. You know, keep knocking on the door until it opens.

You know? I, you know, I just never really took no for an answer. You know, I didn't get into MFA programs, which was really funny, you know, I was rejected from every, uh, fiction MFA, and, and somebody said, well, what did you think? I thought, oh, I just. Thought they were wrong. 

Zibby: You showed them. Wow. Well, very exciting.

Thank you so much for coming on, Melissa. It's lovely to chat with you in this way, having met you many times and everything. So, um, thank you for coming on. 

Melissa: Oh, thank you for having me, Zibby So nice to see you again. 

Zibby: Yeah, so nice to see you again too. Okay, take care. Bye.