Susan May Warren Talks Duchess
An interview with Susan May Warren, Author of Duchess
In this final
installment, Duchess, readers pick up
the story of Rosie Worth, who has achieved her dream of becoming a starlet and
is now known as Roxy Price. The golden age of Hollywood is in the business of
creating stars, and Roxy has found everything she’s wanted in the glamour of
the silver screen. With adoring fans and a studio-mogul husband, she’s finally
silenced the voices — and grief — of the past. Her future shines bright, that
is until the fated Black Friday when it all comes crashing down.
Q: Each story in the Daughters of Fortune series
carries with it a parable or moral lesson, more subtle to some readers than
others. What is the message you hope your audience will take away from Duchess?
I really feel for Rosie in
this story. By now, she’s has her heart broken by her father, lost her true
love, given up so much of herself, and she comes into this story hoping that
finally, she’ll find a future. She believes if her audience loves her that will
fill up all her broken, hollow places. But it isn’t until she is able to take
her eyes off herself that discovers true happiness. I believe so many people
are thirsty for love, for the hope that God shows them, and that He will fix
their broken hearts. He will, and Duchess
is the proof of this truth, through Rosie’s life.
Q: In what ways does the series come full circle by
the end of Duchess?
Oh, I can’t give away any
spoilers! But I love this story because the things lost or broken in books one
and two are revisited . . . and in many ways healed. Most of all, Rosie and the
rest of the Daughters of Fortune discover God had a plan in it all, from the
beginning. I based this story on Jacob and Esau, and then Joseph and Benjamin,
and very much on, “What man meant for evil, God meant for good.” This truth is
played out in the final chapters of Duchess.
Q: This is a little bit of a spoiler, but do any of
the Price women find the real love and true happiness they have been searching
out?
Yes. Of course. It’s a Susan
May Warren novel! But it might be a different kind of happiness than they
imagined.
Q: In Duchess,
the characters live through events such as Black Friday and the aftermath of
the Night of Broken Glass. Could you share a little bit of the history behind
both of these dates and how they impacted your characters?
Black Friday is briefly
touched on in the beginning of the first section of the novel — it shaped the
fates of so many wealthy people who believed their worth was found in their
wealth. When they lost it, they lost their identity. Rosie is affected by this,
and she has to discover who she is, also, after this terrible event. It’s part
of her journey — stripping away of who she believes she is to discover
something more.
The Night of the Broken Glass
was the official beginning of the Nazi pogroms to destroy the Jewish
population. Many people believe it was
planned long before it happened, and the Nazis were simply waiting for a
suitable moment to enact it. As it was, it started with the assassination of a
German diplomat in Switzerland by a Jewish man (some say he was framed), and it
rippled throughout Europe in an attack on all Jews. Through Austria and
Germany, Jews were ousted from their homes and places of business, made to
watch helplessly on as they were destroyed. Those who resisted were beaten, and
the worst was their fellow man stood by and watched, or participated. Those who
tried to help were also beaten and arrested. I built this moment in as an
opportunity for Rosie to look beyond herself . . . and really invest in the
lives of others. It’s a watershed moment for her that is used in the final part
of her journey. I hope she pays attention!
Q: What are some of the most interesting things you
learned about 1930s Hollywood while writing Duchess?
Where do I start? The most
fascinating piece was the making of movie stars and how they were groomed by
the studios. The studio had a machine, and they put actors and actresses
through it in a grueling transformation — including the kind that made Jean
Harlowe’s blonde hair fall out! Also, it was news to me that actors and
actresses were signed onto a studio via a term contract — and paid per week,
not per movie. If they decided to quit, their pay was held back until they
agreed to come back to work. And they could be loaned out to other studios. So,
let’s say Jean Harlow (the first bombshell) signed a contract with Warner
Brothers for $1000/week. She could be loaned out to MGM for $3000/week and
never see a dime of this. This is why United Artists was formed by Mary
Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith — so they could
control their own destinies. The studio controlled everything, including who
they dated, their publicity schedule and what they wore. Their lives were not
their own.
Not that they suffered.
Movie stars, even more than now, were considered American royalty.
Q: Which do you enjoy writing more, historical or
contemporary novels?
Oh, I love them both, but
historicals require more research — and I love research! I love to dive into
the period and learn all I can about every aspect of it. So, the writing is
more fascinating with a historical.
Q: What kind of “crazy things” do you do while you are
writing a historical novel?
I wear period clothing
(especially shoes). I play period music. I watch movies and read books set in
the era, and attempt to read books set in the era. For example, I read Emily
Post’s etiquette book for Heiress and
read the tabloids of the times for Duchess.
Q: You encourage authors always to visit — in person
or virtually — the locations where the book takes place. Are there any places
you’ve been unable to get to that you would like to visit one day? Do you have
any trips planned?
I was able to visit
Hollywood for my research for Duchess
. . . and of course New York and Montana for Heiress. I wasn’t able to fit in a trip to Paris for Baroness. However, I’m taking that trip
in April, and I can’t wait to see the places I researched and dreamed about! I
think I’ll bring the book with me!
A full listing of Warren’s
titles, reviews and awards can be found at www.susanmaywarren.com. Readers can also keep up with her on Facebook (Susan May Warren
Fiction) and Twitter (@SusanMayWarren).
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