Jennifer O'Connell, author of "Off the Record"

Remember "Jenny 867-5309" from way back? Well, I was a kid when the song came out, and at that point in my life everyone called me Jenny. All I remember was everyone wondering who Jenny was, calling the number to ask for Jenny, and hearing stories that the people with that phone number had to have their phone disconnected because it wouldn't stop ringing (although that's probably an urban myth from the time, much like the rumor that Mikey from the LIFE cereal commercials died while drinking Coke and eating Pop Rocks). In any case, the idea always stuck with me, and every time I hear a song I wonder what inspired the writer and whether the content of the lyrics are real or mere creative license.

I've also always thought it would be cool to be so inspirational that someone would write a song about me. Sometimes I'll hear a guy singing about a woman and I'll think, "What did she do to him to make him feel that way?" I decided to write a book about a woman who is an unlikely candidate for musical muse, and yet finds out she did inspire a song - and the world finds out as well. And I wanted that discovery to be just about the least desirable thing that could happen to her (she's way more evolved than I am).

In OFF THE RECORD, Jane finds out that a childhood neighbor, a boy who moved away in sixth grade and never really had much interaction with her short of passing on the sidewalk, grew up, changed his name, and had a huge hit song - which just happened to be about a girl named Janey. Because she's nothing like the girl in the song she starts to wonder why he saw her so differently than she sees herself. The idea of seeing yourself through someone else's eyes appealed to me. As did taking a musical tour down memory lane.

Off the Record is Jennifer O'Connell's third novel.