Always write about what you know is a time honored writer's mantra. What Alex Brunkhorst knows is the world of lavish estates and the opulent lifestyle that comes with them. When she's not writing, she works as a real estate agent at the Agency, which specializes in luxury estates, and is the creator of Bungalux, a website featuring "curated" properties for sale and articles on luxury living. "Through my work life, I've been able to get a glimpse inside the upper stratosphere of Los Angeles society," says Brunkhorst. But "observing the behavior of very wealthy people throughout the world, not just in Los Angeles" inspired her upcoming novel, The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine (Mira, Sept.). "I was fascinated with the idea that the wealthiest people in the world were using their money to buy isolation—vast estates with guards, private yachts, and planes, even islands."

In The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine, a young, low-level beat reporter for the Los Angeles Times is assigned the obituary for a legendary film producer. The producer's eccentric daughter offers him entrée into Hollywood society, where he meets the beautiful, mysterious, and privileged Matilda. There follows a secret love affair and the unraveling of potentially devastating and long-buried secrets. "You might think that Matilda leads a magical life, " says Brunkhorst, "but the reality is she's never left the luxurious Bel-Air estate where she was raised. Would this happen in real life? Probably not. I think of Matilda's insular life on six beautifully manicured acres as a dark fairy tale."

Mira bought the novel with what executive editor Erika Imranyi describes as "an aggressive pre-empt. We see it as a modern-day Gatsby tale—a unique spin on classic themes of privilege, power, and identity. With echoes of Beautiful Ruins and Rules of Civility, and with a fresh modern voice for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, we have high hopes for this very special novel."

While this is Brunkhorst's first BEA, she's sure to see some familiar faces, as Mira has already sent her on a pre-pub meet and greet with booksellers in San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle. She'll be signing ARCs of The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine at the Harlequin booth (2909) today at 3:30 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. 

This article appeared in the May 28, 2015 edition of PW BEA Show Daily.