Gary Goldstein’s novel “The Mother I Never Had” is a poignant family drama about secrets, lies, love and loss set across Los Angeles, as well as in Fresno and our own Palos Verdes.

Given that it’s not every day an author features the PV Peninsula in a book, Palos Verdes Pulse editor Lianne LaReine decided to chat with Gary about his inspiration for “The Mother I Never Had” as well as his work as a screenwriter, playwright, and the creator of, perhaps, some of your favorite Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.

LLR: First things first Gary, tell us a bit about the plot of “The Mother I Never Had.” It sounds very intriguing.

GG: Thanks, Lianne! Readers seem to get hooked by the story because, even if their experience with family is different than what my main character, Nate, goes through, there’s a unifying thread that most people relate to. Everyone has been part of one kind of family or other and, let’s face it, there are few things in life more fundamentally complicated than family relationships.

LLR: Even in the most functional families, I’d say.

GG: Absolutely. Anyway, in the book, Nate, who’s an LA landscape designer, finds himself an orphan at 30 when his father, who raised him alone since birth, dies. The two were really close and his dad, Jim, was also a much beloved English lit professor (at Occidental College). But a short while later this mysterious woman named Amy enters Nate’s life and he ends up on a kind of shocking journey to unravel the truth about his past—a truth his father kept from him his entire life.

LLR: Wow, say no more, I’m in!

GG: Yes, no spoilers. All I’ll add is that there are a lot of twists along the way. Oh, and Nate has an on-again, off-again girlfriend, a dance teacher named Jennifer, who factors in as well. For all the book’s drama and deep emotion, there’s humor there, too. Kind of like in life.

LLR: Okay, so why Palos Verdes? How did we get so lucky to play a part in the book?

GG: It was sort of a happy coincidence, I guess. I’ve always loved the amazing views and beautiful expanses of the PV area and have often, over many years living in LA, taken getaway rides down there to chill out or whatever. I also like to bring out-of-town guests to PV to give them a taste of someplace so different from LA, yet not that far away. I try to include stops at the Wayfarers Chapel and the Korean Friendship Bell, too. We’ve also taken our dogs down to Redondo Beach a lot to walk the Esplanade and often tack on a drive to Palos Verdes for additional ocean-view hiking. It’s one of our happy places.

In any event, in the book, I needed a scenic, more remote spot for Nate to spread his father’s ashes and thought of both Inspiration Point and Portuguese Bend. The latter made the most sense because, as I mentioned, Jim was a literature prof and Joan Didion was one of his favorite authors. Didion and her family famously lived in a house in Portuguese Bend in the 1960s (which they reportedly rented for $400 a month!) so, for Nate, it was an extra tribute to his dad.

LLR: But you return to the spot later in the book, yes?

GG: I do. But it’s after this huge emotional journey Nate has taken over the course of the story so there’s even greater heft and poignance to the location by then. It’s a get-out-your-handkerchiefs moment for sure.

LLR: That’s so great. So where did the idea for the book come from? From your bio it seems like your work in movies and TV, as well as your first novel [The Last Birthday Party], has been more on the comedic or lighter side.

GG: Yes, and it’s usually how I see the world, through a wryer or more comedic lens. But “The Mother I Never Had” was a story I realized I wanted to tell and, to do it justice, it required a more wholly serious approach. Even if, as I mentioned, there is some inherent humor in it along the way.

But to answer your first question, the book came from the seed of an idea I’d long had that I finally found a story for. My mother died many years ago when I, like Nate in the book, was 30 (coincidence or not? You decide!). We were very close and I missed her so much after she passed—and, of course, still do.

Given my state of mind back then I often mused: What if she wasn’t really gone? Or what if there was another mother out there for me? Naturally, it made no sense, but I guess it was part of the grieving process. So, the book essentially sprang from this “What if?” notion, which I spun into a kind of emotional mystery.

LLR: That’s fascinating. It’s always so interesting to learn where writers, especially fiction writers, get their ideas and how they turn them into full and rich stories.

GG: It’s probably one of the questions I’m most asked, and I think most writers are asked: “How do you come up with your ideas?” I guess you could say behind every story is another story.

LLR: Speaking of stories, you’ve written in many disciplines: TV, movies, theatre, and now novels. Do you have a favorite?

GG: Not to be coy, but I’d have to say my favorite is whatever I’m writing at a given time. Every project requires so much attention and passion that you have to put 100% of yourself into it. You end up loving each one, just in different ways and for different reasons. Ultimately, it’s all about telling a story the best, most satisfying way you can, whether it’s for the screen, stage or page.

I think working in a variety of mediums (and that includes journalism—I’m a longtime contributing arts writer for the LA Times), has informed and improved my writing in each area; they tend to feed off each other. Coming into novel writing later in my career has proven a really special creative boost that I think has greatly benefited from my scriptwriting experience. And now vice versa.

LLR: It’s great that you’ve been able to find success across so many areas. Any secrets you’d like to share on that front?

GG: Well, they’re kind of open secrets. If you want to be a writer—and hopefully succeed—you have to write a lot, try many things, not be afraid of failure, and always be working to improve your craft. A love of the process, and the journey itself, is also important.

It can be a tough business but if you don’t try—or give up at a low point—then it’ll never happen. It’s easier said than done, sure, and a sort of inherent skill is also necessary. Managing your expectations along the way is key, too, but that’s probably true in most professions. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk!

LLR: Ha! But very useful advice. Okay, for the Christmas movie fans out there, you’ve written many of those films, particularly for the Hallmark Channel. How fun are they to work on?

GG: Definitely a lot of fun, especially because they attract such a wide and enthusiastic audience. Still, a ton goes into crafting these movies, to try to make them unique and transporting and relatable. And, as time has gone on and the number of holiday movies has hugely increased, there’s been an opportunity to try new approaches to telling these stories. As a writer, that’s been especially rewarding—and again, fun.

LLR: Which of your Christmas movies might our readers know best?

GG: Well, my first one was “Hitched for the Holidays,” which aired in 2012. So, not only was that a popular film to start with but it’s been kind of a perennial and seen—and reseen--a lot over the years. It starred Joey Lawrence and Emily Hampshire and was set against Christmas and Chanukah. A more recent favorite of mine is “Lights, Camera, Christmas!” which aired in 2022 and was about the making of a Christmas movie. It was a pretty “meta” story and we were able to push the comedy envelope a lot. I’m really proud of that one.

LLR: Well, you’re definitely a busy guy. What’s up next for you? In addition to checking out “The Mother I Never Had,” what else should we be looking for?

GG: Thanks for asking. I have a new novel coming out September 10th called “Please Come to Boston,” which is a college-set coming-of-age story set back in the 1970s and, in part, today. It’s kind of a love triangle with a twist as told through the eyes of a freshman guy with a lot to learn—and he definitely learns a lot. Can I say it’s available for pre-order on Amazon? There, I said it!

LLR: You have! And I assume readers can find “The Mother I Never Had” in the usual book outlets?

GG: For sure. Through all online and local bookstores. There are probably also signed copies left at Pages in Manhattan Beach, Diesel in Santa Monica, Book Soup, Vroman’s and Barnes & Noble. I made the bookstore rounds when the book came out!

LLR: Gary, thanks so much for spending some time today, it’s been a treat hearing about “The Mother I Never Had” and your writing journey. Where can people get in touch with you if they have any questions about your books or anything else?

GG: Thank YOU, for taking the time, Lianne, this has been great! I can be reached through my website, www.GaryGoldsteinLA.com, and across social media. Hope to hear from your readers and thanks again for the chance to spread the word about my work

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ABOUT GARY

Gary Goldstein writes for TV, film and the stage—and is now also a three-time novelist.

He has written more than 15 produced telefilms including the comedies "The Wish List," "Hitched for the Holidays," "My Boyfriends' Dogs" and "Lights, Camera, Christmas!" along with the first two movies in the "Flower Shop Mystery" series starring Brooke Shields. Gary's most recent TV movie, "Friends & Family Christmas," won a 2024 GLAAD award nomination for Outstanding Film, Streaming Or TV.

His feature film "Politics of Love," a romantic comedy set during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, was released in theaters in 2011. He also wrote the feature romantic comedy, "If You Only Knew," starring Johnathon Schaech and Alison Eastwood. Gary's feature adaptation of the novel "Mr. 365" premiered on the streaming service Passionflix in 2018 and is available on Amazon Prime.

Gary has also sold or optioned a number of original screenplays, has a string of episodic TV credits and has sold half-hour comedy pilots to both NBC and Warner Bros.

He was represented on the Los Angeles stage most recently with the World Premiere of his acclaimed three-sisters dramedy "April, May & June," produced as part of its subscription season by Theatre 40 of Beverly Hills. The play won five Broadway World award nominations including Best Local Production.

Other L.A. stage credits include the comedies "Just Men," "Parental Discretion" and "Three Grooms and a Bride," which all enjoyed long, well-reviewed runs. Gary’s family drama "Curtain Call" premiered at Carmel, CA's Pacific Repertory Theatre, after winning the PacRep’s national Hyperion Playwriting Competition.

In addition, his family dramedy "To My Children's Father," was selected by Monterey, CA's Paper Wing Theatre Company to premiere in their 2018 "5th Annual Play Reading Series." Gary's latest play, "Dinner at the Harbor Reef," a drama "based on fact, rumor and Hollywood," debuted in a staged reading in 2019 at Beverly Hills' Theatre 40.

Gary's first novel, the romantic comedy The Last Birthday Party, was published August 2021 by Hadleigh House. It won a 2022 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence in Fiction. His second novel, the family drama The Mother I Never Had, was published October 2022. It was named one of the "Must-Read Books of Fall 2022" by Town & Country Magazine. His latest novel, the coming-of-age romantic dramedy Please Come to Boston, will be out September 2024.

Gary has also been a regular contributing film reviewer and arts feature writer for the Los Angeles Times since 2007.

A New York native, he resides in Los Angeles.