On Friendship

When I wrote Just Like a Movie I didn’t just set out to write a romance. Sure, I had my Ricky Martin crush thing going on, and Ricky inspired the gorgeous Emilio Caliente, a dream character to write. But I also wrote the book as an ode to some of my best friends. I wanted to give back to some of the women who have had a positive influence in my life, who are always there for me, with whom I never feel judged. These women are precious. They shine for me. They know who they are.

One of my closest friends moved to Ibiza in the 90s, and through her I met many other women who also felt a particular connection with the island. I had these women in the forefront of my mind when I wrote Celeste, Laura and Kirsten in Just Like a Movie. Because of my bond with these women, their book personas had to be fully rounded. They all had had to have their own happy ending.

I had many adventures in Ibiza with my girlfriends over the years, including once being hit on by a British popstar on the roof terrace of a club called The Pink Pussy, which became The Purple Banana in the book (of course it did!). I didn’t like that British popstar, there was nothing Emilio Caliente-ish about him at all, in fact I found him ultra-creepy. Thankfully, when he became a little too sticky, my friend had my back and off he scurried/strutted.

Billie, Emilio’s manager, is a real piece of work. She’s a tutti-frutti of all the mean girls/women I’d encountered in my life. Since I have a hard time sticking up for myself in real life, I enjoyed really sticking it to her!

Friendships are fragile if not treated with loyalty and kindness, with love and respect. We all have our flaws, our little insecurities, so there are bound to be friendship hiccups and hurdles over the years. I’ve had my fair share of disappointments and misunderstandings, and I know my girlfriends feel the same way towards me. We have our lives, we do our best, but we are who we are. There aren’t many women I feel I can call anytime and speak to about anything. But I have a few, and they mean the world to me.

Are you still close with many of your childhood friends? Have most of your friendships withstood the test of time?