Mary Dixie Carter
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter
Author of Marguerite by the Lake
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.
Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon known for her garden parties, high-end business ventures, and being the muse behind the famous Serge Kuhnert painting, Marguerite by the Lake. Her presence is overpowering, her taste, legendary. For the last few years, Phoenix has been the gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, home of the Gray family: Marguerite and her husband Geoffrey. Phoenix came from humble beginnings, and now she works hard to craft the landscape that underpins Marguerite’s brand.
When a storm threatens the launch party for Marguerite’s latest book, it’s Phoenix who spots the danger to the guests and rushes to Geoffrey’s side to save him from a falling tree. Geoffrey is grateful―perhaps too grateful. Marguerite is . . . jealous. Phoenix senses the danger of being drawn deeper into their lives but can’t resist the attention, becoming embroiled in an affair that could destroy her career.
But soon after the affair begins Marguerite falls to her death, from the same high point at Rosecliff where she posed for Marguerite by the Lake. Now Phoenix has another secret, one that haunts her even as Geoffrey invites her to move into the manor with him. A secret that Detective Hanna and Marguerite’s daughter―her spitting image―are circling closer and closer to. Phoenix tries to put it all behind her and find her rightful place at Rosecliff. But as every gardener knows, nothing stays buried forever.
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are so many authors that inspire me. For Marguerite by the Lake, I drew inspiration from Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart," and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On my front porch
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I'd wait for him to speak!
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I was working as a journalist and I gradually became more confident as a writer. There came a time when there was a story I really wanted to tell. And so I wrote my first novel. It turns out, that book was never published. But that book led me to the next book, and so on.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love the way a hardback looks and feels in my hands. Hardbacks are glamorous and put me in a good mood, but they're heavy. Paperbacks are more practical. If I'm traveling, I bring a kindle with me. But I like to flip around in a book and remind myself of earlier chapters, which is hard to do on a kindle. If I'm going on a long walk, or a long subway ride, I sometimes listen to audiobooks.
The last book I read:
Right now, I'm reading Karen Thompson Walker's The Strange Case of Jane O. I'm halfway through and really intrigued and eager to find out what happens!
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
When I write on a computer, I can type very fast, so fast that I don't have time to censor myself, which is good for drafting pages. But when I'm revising, I print out my pages and sit on the sofa with a colored pen, making notes in the margin. That's actually the part of the process I enjoy the most.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I think Anne in Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery would be a loyal, true friend. She's smart, but she doesn't take herself too seriously.
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I was an actress before I was a writer, which I loved. Acting is similar to writing in my mind: building characters, putting yourself in someone else's head. I wouldn't rule out more acting in the future but it's not my focus. I'd also love to be a trial lawyer or a judge.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Place I’d most like to travel:
Greece. I've seen so many photos of the white sands, the turquoise water and the blue and white houses in Greece. I'd love to go there for a writing retreat one day.
My signature drink:
My husband and I invented a drink called "The Waramaug," named after a lake near our house. It includes vodka, St Germain, seltzer and fresh lime juice. (Fresh lime juice is the most important ingredient.) It's the best!
Favorite artist:
Marc Chagall is one of many favorites. I recently went to the Metropolitan Opera. The murals by Marc Chagall are so inspiring. They make you feel certain there is something grand beyond our understanding. Antonio Ciccone is another favorite. He was close friends with my mother and painted her many times, over the course of 50 years. Their relationship was one source of inspiration for Marguerite by the Lake!
Number one on my bucket list:
Rent an Italian villa for a month!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/marydixiecarter
https://www.facebook.com/MaryDixieCarter/
https://x.com/marydixiecarter
About Mary Dixie Carter:
Author Interview - Mary Dixie Carter
Mary Dixie Carter is the author of the critically acclaimed novel The Photographer. Her writing has appeared in TIME, The Economist, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Sun, The New York Observer, and other print and online publications. She worked at The Observer for five years, where she served as the publishing director. In addition to writing, she also has a background as a professional actor. Mary Dixie graduated from Harvard with an honors degree in English Literature and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. Her next novel, Marguerite by the Lake, will be out in May 2025.
