"Big Little Lies" author Liane Moriarty says a joke inspired her latest novel

The award-winning HBO series "Big Little Lies" captivated fans with its strong portrayal of female friendships. It was adapted from a book of the same name written by New York Times best-selling author Liane Moriarty, who has just released a new novel.

"Nine Perfect Strangers" follows people trying to transform their lives at a wellness retreat run by an eccentric leader. Nicole Kidman, who also starred in "Big Little Lies," is set to star in and executive produce the adaptation of Moriarty's latest page-turner.

"The reason I chose to set it at a wellness retreat actually all started with a joke. After 'Big Little Lies' came out, I kept making the same joke. And the joke was: 'I'm going to set my next book at a tropical island resort, and I'm going to have do a lot of research,'" Moriarty told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday. "But then I started thinking, actually, why not? A tropical island resort could make a perfect setting for a book."

So she did. But Moriarty said what really drew her to that setting was what people are seeking when they're looking for "wellness." It often goes far beyond that.  

"It's transformation, really. I think it's that desire to be somebody else. So when I was doing research for this book, I did just a little five-day retreat and I remember on the drive there, honestly, thinking to myself, maybe I'll be transformed by the end of this five days. Of course, I stopped at the first cafe on the way back home," she said.