Originally, the notorious BethAnn Mosley’s first name was ‘Tabitha.’ I thought that sounded perfect—a certain sweetness and innocence in contrast to her hideous character. But my editor didn’t like it, so we knocked around a few others until we found one on which we both agreed. ‘BethAnn’ isn’t bad. Certainly better than some of the other suggestions we had. I have to say, I have never had such a severe reaction to a character. In spite of my efforts to draw her as an individual of absolutely no redeeming value, there is a slice of the book’s readership that regards her with godlike status. I mean, c’mon folks—she’s awful…but then again, maybe that’s why people like her so much. I think it’s similar to the fascination we hold for characters like Darth Vader or J. R. Ewing—they represent a darker dimension to many of us that never really has the chance to manifest, so we satiate the hunger by watching pretend-people indulge for us. ‘Polarizing’ is another word that seems to describe her—you either hate the woman or you love her. I remember doing a booksigning on the real Long Beach Island (where the bulk of the story takes place), and an elderly man came in with a copy he’d already purchased and read. He told me how much he liked the story, particularly the chapter in which the tsunami struck. As he was walking out, he stopped at the door, shook his head, and said, “And boy, that BethAnn is really something.” Everyone in the room laughed, and we launched into a spirited philosophical discussion about good and evil. Conversely, I remember two young women coming to another signing, and one saying, “BethAnn is a riot!” I wonder—Since BethAnn Mosley is about as self-absorbed and unabashedly disgusting as it gets, does this mean there’s a little BethAnn in all the people who like her? My God, I hope not….