After nearly 50 books, New York Times bestselling-author Meg Cabot is at it again. Her well-known series “The Princess Diaries” made a splash at the box office with every teenage girl’s favorite royal Princess Mia, but tiaras will be taking a backseat in Cabot’s new novel “Big Boned.” \nThe third installment of Cabot’s mystery series featuring ex-pop star and amateur detective Heather Wells follows “Size 12 Is Not Fat” and “Size 14 Is Not Fat Either,” but you don’t have to be a reader of either to be brought up to speed in a hurry.\nJust after things at work seem to be slowing down for the assistant dorm director at one of New York City’s top colleges, another person winds up dead, and Heather goes after the truth. Unfortunately, solving crime isn’t easy with everyone you meet singing lyrics to one of your old number-one hits. \nBut if you’re Heather Wells, your life is always complicated. Three bosses in one year, sleeping with your remedial math professor and getting over your oh-so-hot landlord is just business as usual. Dealing with some serious crime, “Big Boned” comes packed with serious humor that will leave you delighted – and ditching your diet. \nCabot’s fun style tells all about the chaos of daily life for a single, slightly overweight, working American 31-year-old, bonding with girls everywhere who just can’t find the sense in waking up two hours early only to attempt to work out. \n“Big Boned” is a fresh breath of air, with realistic characters who have realistic problems that for once don’t come charged with symbolism and poetic endings. On bookshelves Tuesday nationwide, Cabot’s transition from teenage royalty to adult comedy is seamless. “Big Boned” doesn’t disappoint.
Q & A
\nIndiana Daily Student: Heather’s character definitely isn’t perfect. She’s got real problems. That’s one thing I really like about her; her life is sort of a wreck. “Big Boned” isn’t one of those books where the main character is tiny, perfect and never trips. \nMeg Cabot: I hate those books. Oh, my God. I’ve never understood how people can relate to their characters. I love Heather’s imperfections, her chaos. What’s funny is when I was writing this book, I couldn’t think of a title for it. But I thought of “Big Boned,” and thought that would work. But then I found out “big boned” means something really dirty in Britain, so it’s being released over there as “Size Doesn’t Matter,” and I love that title. I really want to use it for the fourth book, but I can’t. But what a great title. \nIDS: So there definitely will be a fourth book?\nMC: I thought of doing a fourth book while I was writing book three. I thought I could wrap it up in three, but Heather’s story isn’t done yet. \nIDS: So now that she is finally with Cooper, does this mean we’ll see Heather make it down the aisle before the series ends?\nMC: I think so, Heather’s life is certainly headed in that direction. We’ll just see what happens. \nIDS: Heather is an ex-teen pop star who works in a college dorm in New York City. I know you worked in a dorm at New York University; did you use your own life as an inspiration for Heather’s? \nMC: Yes, most of the stuff in the book did happen to me or people I knew, besides the murders (laughs) – that didn’t happen. It’s funny because the real inspiration behind Heather Wells was Britney Spears. This was years ago. I’d look at her on top of the world and wonder what would happen to her when it was all over. This was my interpretation of that. But now I look at her and think, “You are headed for disaster.” Sometimes I wish she was working in a dormitory instead. \nIDS: Some people don’t know this, but you graduated from IU. You lived in Collins, right?\nMC: Yes! That was a while ago, I’ll admit. I was supposed to graduate in ’89, but I didn’t finish until ’91. I was short one writing class, if you can believe that. I thought I had earned the credit in high school from my test scores, but apparently the rule didn’t go into effect until after I came to college. I still remember it was that ‘131’ class you’re supposed to take as a freshman. I had a huge fight with my adviser and ended up taking a correspondence class to finish. \nIDS: I know you spend a lot time in New York, but do you come back to Bloomington often?\nMC: I was just in Bloomington last week! We still have a house there. My husband loves IU basketball. A while ago I did write a mystery series about an Indiana basketball coach that solved a crime back during a certain period with a certain basketball coach. (Laughs) I have no idea why that series never got published. \nIDS: With two novels coming out this fall, do you ever get a little tired?\nMC: You know, I get to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and get paid for it. If you get to do what you love, there is nothing better than that.
