A CONVERSATION WITH LINDA

Q: What inspired you to write The Devil in the Junior League?

LFL: I was born and raised in Texas. As a mayor’s daughter and an active member of the Junior League, I thought I was well versed in all the do’s and don’ts of gracious social interaction. Then I moved to New York City, and learned just how different states, and states of mind, can be. One day I made a tiny (okay, bigger than tiny) social snafu. Because of the confusion, my husband and I didn’t show up for a dinner (of the small, very-noticeable-if-you’re-missing sort) that we were expected to attend. The next day I called my mother in Texas to lament the mix-up. With far more bluntness than I was raised to use, I said, "I should have just called the host and asked, ‘Are we invited to dinner or not?’" My very proper southern mother shuddered and replied, "Oh, Linda, you’ve lived in New York too long." That’s when it hit me; we all learn secret handshakes of life--actions and responses we use in order to prove we fit in, that we are members of a valued inner circle. I wanted to explore what happens when one person doesn’t know the password, or steps out of bounds.

Q: What did you create first--your main character, Frede, or the situation that sends her carefully planned world reeling out of control?

LFL: I dove back into the world I grew up in of Texas rules and etiquette, fine bone china, pearls, and the social hierarchy of society women. With that, Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware was born. Then, I added the subtext and undercurrents that run beneath it all. I wondered who could possibly disrupt this ordered world and, more importantly, force the subtext to the surface. With that, the new-moneyed Howard Grout and his flashy wife Nikki, in all her spandex-and-feather-clad glory, came to life and the story unfolded.

Q: What are the biggest misconceptions people have about the Junior League?

LFL: I think the biggest misconception about League members is that they are all the same in looks and in attitude, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is that the Junior League is made up of many different personality types who come together and make thoughtful and substantial contributions to the community. The only thing that is guaranteed to be the same about members is their desire to make the world a better place "a cliché, no doubt, but nonetheless true.

Q: In your book, the women of the Junior League are a force to be reckoned with in the best sense of the phrase. Is Frede Ware modeled on a specific person?

LFL: Frede isn’t modeled after anyone. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Just kidding, she really isn’t. Frede simply speaks to our desire to belong, to be appreciated as we are, and how ultimately we shouldn’t have to sacrifice ourselves in order to achieve either of those things.

Q: What’s up next for you?

LFL: On the book front, my next novel comes out in April of 2008, entitled THE EX-DEBUTANTE. It takes place in Willow Creek and I’ll have more to share about Carlisle Wainwright Cushing’s story in the months to come. On the life front, my husband and I will be dividing our time between NYC, Maryland, and the UK. (You have to wonder how Frede Ware would get along with the Queen!) As always, I’m looking forward to new adventures, wherever life takes us. Have computer, will travel, as they say. For now, I hope you will join me in a glass of sweet tea and have some fun as you dive into Frede Ware's world.