In her debut novel, The Carrington Affairs, Susan Gooch takes readers on a captivating journey through the intricate world of politics, love, and small-town secrecy. This exclusive interview examines the inspiration behind the story, the challenges of balancing romance and political intrigue, and the author’s personal connection to the novel’s setting.
Join us as we uncover the secrets behind The Carrington Affairs and gain a deeper understanding of the author’s vision.
Susan Gooch: From Grading Papers to Writing Novels
Susan Gooch, author of The Carrington Affairs, A Novel About Dirty Little Secrets, is a lover of romance and history in any form, be it a book, a movie, or in real life. A passionate educator, she has spent over twenty years cultivating a love of reading and writing in children. Married to her high school sweetheart, she is a mother, a Mimi, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and the life of every party she has ever attended. A small-town girl who has lived all over the world, she is a true homebody. Her favorite place is at home in her pajamas, curled up with a good book.
Thanks for talking with us, Susan. Let’s get started!
For any readers unfamiliar with it, can you give an elevator pitch for The Carrington Affairs?
In March 2012, Bennett Carrington had the world on a string. Married to the beautiful and accomplished social hostess, Taylor, Bennett’s life looked perfect. A junior senator from Arkansas, the up-and-coming golden boy of American politics, was being vetted for the vice-presidential position on the Anderson campaign. By July, he had resigned in disgrace and was left with no marriage, no career, and a broken heart.
Almost overnight, he went from having it all to nothing. Eleven years later, Bennett finds himself in a unique position. He has the opportunity to reclaim his political career, if he can convince the two women he loves most in the world, Taylor and his lifelong love, Poppy, to each share their stories full of dirty little secrets. Both Taylor and Poppy are strong women who have faced tragedy and overcame it. This story, spanning over twenty-five years, will take the reader on a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Set in the quaint little town of Searcy, Arkansas, the book, like the town itself, is full of secrets just waiting to be discovered.
How did you approach the delicate balance between his past mistakes and Bennett’s potential for future growth?
In my own life, I have learned that time actually does heal most wounds. Certainly, in Bennett’s life that is the case. Young Bennett is a self-assured young man totally focused on his future career. Blinded by the false belief that he has the power to control his destiny, he makes his biggest mistake. He tries to hide his love for Poppy because he knows she does not fit into the narrative that his father created for his life. He thinks that if he keeps Poppy hidden, he can eventually be with her. That cost him his relationship with her and his son. Oddly enough, it’s a lack of control that results in another major mistake and the loss of his career.
The irony is that his father’s fear for him as a young man eventually happens — Poppy is his downfall. But, as I said earlier, time heals most wounds, and thankfully, after 25 years, it does for Bennett too. Enough time passes, and the older, wiser Bennett realizes that if he is to have a chance at a future with Poppy and secure his lifelong career dreams, he has to stop being a master puppeteer. The only way for redemption is to rely on the women he has loved the most to tell their stories in their own way.
Bennett Carrington is a flawed character with a checkered past. What drew you to exploring the complexities of such a character?
We are all flawed. For a character to be real, he must also be flawed. Yes, Bennett makes a major mistake. He allows his passions to overtake him in more ways than one, and it changes the trajectory of his life. But, at his core, Bennett is one of the good guys. His heart is pure. Taylor says it best in the book when she tells Greer that of everyone, Bennett is “the least at fault of all of us.” Also, I wanted all the heroes in the book to take responsibility for their actions. In my experience, it is very rare for a man to openly apologize and own his mistakes. Bennett owns every one of his. It is one of my favorite things about him.
Taylor and Poppy are both strong, independent women with their own secrets. How did you balance their narratives with Bennett’s story?
Taylor’s story and Poppy’s story are also Bennett’s story. He is intricately entwined with theirs. The old adage “behind every good man is an amazing woman” is true of Bennett twice over. Both Taylor and Poppy are very strong women who have experienced great loss but are still standing. Bennett deeply loves both women but in vastly different ways and for completely different reasons. In many ways, Bennett’s success in his career and his personal, emotional growth are due to the support and love of Taylor and Poppy.
However, these women were not just props for Bennett’s successes; they aren’t interchangeable. Their relevance doesn’t disappear when they are not in a relationship to Bennett. While all three characters are very different, with varying complexities and problems to solve, they are also so tightly woven together that you cannot independently explore their past or future without including the others.
How did the unique setting of Searcy, Arkansas, influence the development of your characters and their secrets?
Searcy is like every other small town. It is full of secrets and interesting characters. Living in Searcy for over 25 years, I have met many individuals like the characters in my novel. Searcy has women like Taylor, who are always well-dressed and perfect hostesses. From the outside, their lives look perfect, but an inside view reveals their lives are just as flawed and complicated as everyone else. This is also true of free, creative, and artistic spirits like Poppy. Often, these types of people embrace individuality, which is wonderful, but it also may give the world a false view of them.
And, of course, we have our Edna Stones as well. These ladies are older, established women who have lived long enough to know a few things. Edna Stone’s character is composed of eight women I have met over the years. I love being around them. You always come away having learned something important after spending time in their presence.
They (whoever they are) say to write what you know. I know small-town life, the power of a small-town secret, and the types of individuals that make up a small town in the South. At various times in my own life, I have been a version of each of the ladies in the book. It was only natural that when I started writing a book about Searcy, all of these women had to be a part [of it].
Speaking of Searcy, you’ve mentioned that The Carrington Affairs is a love letter to your beloved home. Can you elaborate on your connection to the town and how it influenced your writing?
I have lived all over the world, including Memphis, Dallas, and London. When I moved to Searcy over 25 years ago, I fell in love with the town and the people. Searcy may be a small town in Arkansas, but it has such a great standard of living. Searcy has a strong community with an interesting history. Our court square is well-preserved and still active, with shops, a historic movie theater, and wonderful restaurants. Every year, I have friends come from across the US to visit, and they are always amazed at how great life is here. Also, as a member of Searcy Country Club (and a golfer’s wife), the parties and the impact the club has on life were not overstated. So much of our social life revolves around the club, and I had to include that in the book as well.
As far as the political aspect of the book goes, I have several friends and neighbors who are or have been politicians. I included them because they are some of the most interesting people I know. Also, the thing about Arkansas that is perhaps most interesting is that the idea of six degrees of separation is really true. You can be anywhere in the world and meet someone who is also from Arkansas, and if you get to talking, you will most likely find that you have friends in common. It happens all the time. That was a key influence in the story. I wanted to include how connected we Arkansans are and to showcase my little town, which I love very much.
Secrets play a crucial role in the story. What inspired you to explore the impact of secrets on relationships and society?
Everyone has secrets. Everyone has a part of themself they don’t want anyone else to know about. I think that is where some of the most interesting stories are — in the secrets. In the age of social media, we have become experts at putting a false narrative of ourselves to the world. However, most of our secrets eventually work their way out. Sadly, when that happens, the story that gets told in public is usually a hybrid tale of truth. Unraveling the truth after a secret makes its way into the open is a complicated process. I wanted that to be an integral part of the book.
While the novel is primarily a romance, it touches on political themes. How did you balance the romantic elements with the political intrigue?
I classify The Carrington Affairs as a political romance because Bennett is a politician whose career is destroyed when his first love comes back into his life. It’s a love story because, by the end, all four people find their happily ever after. However, I am also very quick to tell people that the book has no political agenda. I am not pushing any political party. Instead, I am trying to make the point that all of life is political to some extent — our relationships, interactions with others, and how we present ourselves to the world.
Also, most people who go into politics do so because they are passionate about making a difference in the world. That is certainly true of Bennett. I included the romance elements of the book because I am a romance junkie. There was no way I could write a book and not include some romance. I am a fool for a good love story, and truthfully, that is what this is. Actually, it is several love stories interrelated, with a little politics thrown in.
As an educator, how did your experience in the classroom influence your writing style and approach to storytelling?
I adored my days in the classroom as a literacy teacher. There is no greater feeling than helping a student develop an authentic love of reading or seeing a student grow their writing skills to a level at which their natural voice comes through. When I write, I try to be as authentic as possible and allow my own writer’s voice to come through. I would tell my students that good reading and writing takes a reader on a journey. When I write, I try to do so in a way that will make it easy for my readers to go on a journey with me. I want them to see a movie in their head.
Lastly, I tried to write the book in such a way it keeps the reader engaged and wanting to keep going at the end of each chapter. My favorite authors do that. When I’m reading a good book, I tell myself I will stop at the end of this chapter. But then I get to the end of the chapter, and it is written in such a way that I am left wanting to know what is going to happen next. If one of my students said they didn’t enjoy reading, I would just tell them they hadn’t found their type of book yet. When you find your favorite genre or a good story, you shouldn’t be able to put it down. As an educator, nothing was better than seeing that happen in my classroom — a nonreader being unable to put a book down. Well, I want to be that author. I tried really hard to do that in the book.
To close out, what can readers expect from you in the future? Are there any hints about your next project?
I am almost finished with the next book in the series. It is a companion piece about Ben Carrington and his partner, Ella. It focuses on the age-old dilemma most married couples experience: deciding which person’s life dreams a couple is going to follow. This is a question that becomes exponentially more complicated if a child is involved. It was a question I had to answer very early in my own marriage. It is also a decision that will greatly alter your life’s trajectory. With Ben and Ella, you have two highly gifted individuals who have a world of possibilities open to them, until an unexpected pregnancy puts everything they think they want in life in question. The book begins in Napa, California, but quickly moves to Arkansas, and I’m so excited to share it with readers. At the moment, the working title is Your Dream or Mine? That may change, but at the moment, it encapsulates what the book is about.
Susan Gooch’s The Carrington Affairs is a captivating blend of political intrigue, poignant romance, and small-town secrets. This debut novel offers a nuanced look at the human condition, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, love and forgiveness can prevail. With her next project already in the works, focusing on the challenges of balancing personal ambition with family life, Gooch promises to continue captivating readers with her insightful storytelling and authentic portrayal of the human experience.
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Check out this recommendation article from Susan about holiday romances!
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