Author’s debut novel is set in 1990s Excelsior.
Romance readers searching for a story that feels like home are in luck. Mound’s Megan Effertz’s debut novel, Maddie + Max, released in April, is set in Excelsior during the 1990s. It’s a time and a place that the 1994 Minnetonka High School graduate knows well. “I’m old enough to remember the [Excelsior] Pizza Hut and the phone booth,” Effertz says. “I grew up by Bennett Field, so we’d hop on our bikes and be back home by dark.”
Maddie + Max is the story of a pair of teenagers who meet and fall in love but decide to keep their relationship under wraps. Their connection is eventually destroyed by a secret Max has been keeping. Though they move on, Maddie cannot forget Max, and when they cross paths years later, the chance encounter leaves Maddie with a secret of her own. “It’s not your typical romance or love story,” the author says. “Their households have different lifestyles, which makes things both fun and frustrating.”
Effertz, who has made a career out of transforming businesses through sales and marketing and launch product services, says Maddie + Max came about by accident. “I did not set out to do this,” she says. “I sat down to write a leadership book, but I kept getting stuck.” Turns out, the block was Maddie + Max. “I had this story bouncing around in my head,” she says. “I started writing, and it spilled onto the page.”
Photo: Megan Effertz
A year later, Effertz had her story along with a sneaking suspicion that it would resonate with locals who grew up in the Lake Minnetonka area. Maddie + Max is peppered with recognizable landmarks, including Excelsior Commons, Haskell’s Port of Excelsior, Lord Fletcher’s Old Lake Lodge (Spring Park), Maynards (Excelsior) and the now-closed Dock Cinema (Excelsior).
Effertz’s story is also overflowing with classic 1990s elements, from fashion (Girbaud jeans, Nautica shirts and Oakley sunglasses) to everyday life (minivans and payphones). Effertz says the 1990s was the perfect era for Maddie + Max to begin. “The Cold War had ended; the internet just started,” she says. “It was a fun, innocent time.” Effertz loves hearing from readers who grew up in the area at the same time and recognize the story’s authenticity. “It’s Dawson’s Creek meets Minnesota hockey,” Effertz says.
Though Effertz doesn’t plan to quit her day job and become a full-time author, she isn’t quite ready to shelve the story of Maddie and Max. “I’ve had so many messages from readers, asking what happens next,” she says. “There are some spin-off possibilities.”
While Effertz considers authoring another book, she also dreams of seeing Maddie + Max make the leap off the page. “I’m currently trying to figure out how to turn it into a Netflix series,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to write a Netflix series.” Readers, keep your eyes peeled for a taste of love and Lake Minnetonka on the small screen!
Maddie + Max can be ordered through your local bookseller or purchased on amazon.com.
Maddie + Max
Facebook: Maddie + Max
Instagram: @maddieplusmax
