Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Danielle Gerard on "Pinky Swear" (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
Episode Date: April 11, 2026
Host: Deidra Tyler Holtz
Guest: Danielle Gerard (Author)
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode, Deidra Tyler Holtz interviews bestselling novelist Danielle Gerard about her latest book, Pinky Swear. The conversation centers on the novel’s exploration of lifelong secrets, the bonds of friendship, and the emotional terrain of surrogacy. Gerard shares insights about her writing process, character development, and the impact of place and memory. The episode touches on universal questions of trust, forgiveness, and the risks inherent in loving others.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Danielle Gerard’s Background and Genesis of the Book
- Longtime Author: Gerard notes, “This is my 17th novel. My first book came out about 26 years ago, so I've been doing this a long time.” (02:14)
- Shift in Protagonist: Unlike past books featuring women in law enforcement, this novel’s main character is “just a regular woman who wants to have a baby and can't get pregnant.” (02:20)
- Plot Origins: Inspired by a pivotal scene and the broader question:
“How well do we really know the people that we're closest to in the world and what's the lengths that we will go to, to, you know, to get what we want?” (03:11)
The Lasting Impact of Youthful Decisions
- On Secrets and Consequences:
Gerard reflects on teenage years as a time when “you really have a lot more confidence in your life experience than you actually maybe should.” (04:12)
She’s fascinated by how “those little tiny decisions we make sometimes without any thought at all…can really change our lives forever.” (04:55)
- What-Ifs and Sliding Doors:
“Each of us has probably had moments where we somehow escaped…a scary situation or much worse fate by just, you know, almost accidentally.” (05:06)
The Role of Setting and Community
- Midwestern Roots: The three friends in Pinky Swear grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.
“People are very…their sense of family is very important to them. Sense of community is very important to them.” (06:12)
The city shapes the girls’ values and the stability—and limitations—of their world.
- Socioeconomic Context: Each character comes from a different background, reinforcing the diversity even within a “small town” feel. (06:32)
Character Complexity and Writing Process
- Lexi’s Portrait:
Gerard discusses her protagonist, Lexi, and the painstaking work to understand her psyche:
“Her parents are both professionals, very stoic…all the pressures of being the perfect child fall on her.” (07:50)
Lexi’s yearning to become a mother is the “first thing that Lex has ever really wanted,” making her later choices more poignant. (08:41)
- Process:
Gerard is “not somebody who can outline a book,” instead deepening character insights through revision. (07:31)
Research and Realism
- Surrogacy Realities vs. Fiction:
“The process of surrogacy…is quite well defined…But…for fiction…you break all the rules.” (09:57)
Lexi’s faith in Mara sidesteps practical safeguards, serving thematic needs over strict realism.
- Setting Details:
Even researched locales (like Philadelphia) may not make it onto the page, but enrich the story’s authenticity. (10:19)
Thematic Elements: Titles, Structure, and Small-Town Rules
- Title Significance:
“To me it was about sort of the ways in which we absolutely trust people, particularly people that we've known for our whole lives…It happened. It came up, and I was writing a scene, and…one of them said pinky's swear. And I thought, okay, that's the title of the book.” (12:27)
- Revealing Secrets:
Structure and pacing are instinctive:
"It's a sense of, you know, how much tension can the reader sustain before you have to give him or her a little break…" (13:27)
- Social Costs in Tight-Knit Communities:
“When you break those rules, you…experience being outcasts…For some people, that is a relief…For some people, it’s not.” (17:27)
Memorable Moments
On Teenage Blindness and Bubbles
- Quote:
“We're in a little box of our…where our parents live and how they raise us and the school we go to and…and the friends we have. And it's…it’s a bit like having blinders on.” (15:55)
- On trauma:
Kate, the friend who died in high school, “never lived anything else.” (16:02)
On Forgiveness and Redemption
- Main message:
“It's that even when the people closest to us make…do things that feel like betrayal or lies, that there has to be some way to—if not, forgive—at least move on.” (19:38)
“It's worth the risk because…the other option is to not ever be close to anybody. And that doesn't really seem like a way to live.” (20:45)
On Chapter 14 (April 2008 flashback)
- Setting: The girls’ shared spiral notebook during senior year.
“You just feel like you can taste the freedom. It's so close and…they're holding on to a lot of building tensions.” (18:29)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Danielle Gerard’s Writing Background: (02:10–02:20)
- Premise and Character Introduction: (02:20–03:11)
- Impact of Childhood Decisions: (03:52–05:20)
- The Role of Setting & Community: (05:24–06:54)
- Developing Lexi’s Character: (07:11–09:16)
- Discoveries in Surrogacy Research & Balancing Fact with Fiction: (09:26–10:34)
- Title Origin Story: (12:04–13:09)
- Unveiling Secrets & Pacing: (13:26–14:48)
- Small Town Social Rules & Consequences: (15:04–17:56)
- Flashback (Chapter 14 / Shared Notebook): (18:08–19:29)
- On Forgiveness & Final Message: (19:38–20:51)
- Upcoming Projects: (20:58–22:19)
Notable Quotes
- On the tangled legacy of teenage mistakes:
“It's the sliding doors of our lives and those little tiny decisions we make sometimes without any thought at all that can really change our lives forever.” — Danielle Gerard (04:55)
- On trust and secrets:
“The pinky swear is…a very young way of saying, I trust you implicitly.” — Danielle Gerard (12:30)
- On the risk of loving others:
“We're going to put ourselves in harm's way to be close to people, and there are going to be people in our lives who hurt us and betray us…And it's…worth the risk because…the other option is to not ever be close to anybody.” — Danielle Gerard (20:31, 20:45)
Looking Ahead
- Gerard hints at two new works: a small-town thriller (possibly set in Montana) and a speculative novel, both probing womanhood, marriage, self-sacrifice, and family dynamics. (21:04–22:19)
In sum:
This episode offers a thoughtful journey behind the scenes of Pinky Swear, touching on loyalty, the blurred lines of memory and secrecy, and the enduring power of friendship. With candid reflections and vivid anecdotes, Danielle Gerard reminds us of the haunting echoes of adolescent choices, and the fragile hope for redemption and reconnection in adulthood.