Future Published #5: Great Believers, by Elizabeth Larivee

Hello and welcome to Future Published, where I interview promising new writers whose work I have read and believe deserves to be published. Today's fabulous author is Elizabeth Larivee, who has traveled all the way from the speakeasies of 1920s Boston to tell us about her new book, GREAT BELIEVERS.

So, tell us about your novel. What inspired you to write this story?

Ms. Larivee: Great Believers is about a flapper who decides to try and take down the mob when she learns they’re working with government officials to purposefully poison booze to unsuspecting people. It’s set in the dimly lit speakeasies of Boston, Massachusetts during the notorious Jazz Age.
I can't remember how, but I started to become fascinated with the 1920s. I knew I wanted to write a story that took place during Prohibition. I watched Ken Burn's Prohibition and in the documentary they talked about a woman named Louis Long. She wrote speakeasy reviews for The New Yorker and that was when the story for Rosemary started to emerge. When I found out the government had purposefully poisoned alcohol to scare people from drinking, I knew I had to write about a character who tries to expose them.  

Who was your favorite character to write?

Ms. Larivee: My favorite character to write about was definitely Rosemary. She was so much fun, and I loved taking her to the speakeasies. Those were some of my favorite scenes to write about with her.

What motivates your characters?

Ms. Larivee: I think what motivates a lot of my characters is a search for justice. A lot of the people I write about tackle moral and political issues from different time periods. They want to expose the truth about the society they are living in and will do whatever it takes to achieve it.  

What kinds of moral questions do your characters wrestle with?

Ms. Larivee: My character, Rosemary, is in love with a bootlegger. While he’s trying to save money for his family, he is still breaking the law and works with the mob. By exposing the mobsters and their “political connections,” she also risks exposing him and could get him into trouble. Her boyfriend, Aiden, also has to come to turns with the fact that he unknowingly delivered a tainted bottle of hooch to a man who later died from alcohol poisoning.

How do you feel about killing off characters?

Ms. Larivee: Honestly, I don’t find it that hard. If it needs to be done for the story, then I’m surprisingly comfortable with killing someone off. I usually plot my stories out so I know who is going to get it in the end. In a way I’ve already mentally prepared myself to say goodbye to them.

Tell us a little about yourself. What are you reading these days?

Ms. Larivee: I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction set in the early 20th century. Right now, I am really like reading books by Beatriz Williams. I like her snappy prose. It’s very fun and modern, but still also grounded in historical accuracy. Recently, I finished The Light between the Oceans and I loved it. Another great read about life in the 20s after World War I.

What are you working on now? Do you have a sequel planned, or something new?

Ms. Larivee: The next thing I'm working on is a story about suffragettes and the passing of the 19th Amendment. It's a part of our nation's history that I feel is often overlooked. I'm really excited about this latest project and have already started writing it.

What's your favorite kind of coffee?

Ms. Larivee: My favorite kind of coffee depends on the season. Right now, I really like getting cold coffee and I have a slight addiction to Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. In a few months, though, I will be one of those many white girls drinking pumpkin spice lattes in boots.

It's my observation that books seem to reflect their writers. What aspect of you is reflected in your book?

Ms. Larivee: Like my characters, I also want to see justice in the world. I try to keep up with current events, and I can get really frustrated when things don't happen the way I want them to, politically speaking. You see horrible people get a lot of power or someone get convicted of a crime, but only serve a little jail time. Sometimes they aren't even convicted of the crime I feel like they committed. Anyways, I think I'm like my characters in that I want the truth to come out, and for everyone to get treated fairly. For any Harry Potter fans out there, my characters and I are all definitely Hufflepuffs.

Would you like to leave us with a quote from your book?

Ms. Larivee: “It (the 1920s) was a remarkable, exhilarating time to be alive. It was when the brassy notes of Duke Ellington played in dim speakeasies. Mobsters befriended politicians while couples danced the Charleston and fell in love.” She smiled as she thought of Aiden. His golden smile still haunted her dreams and filled her with hope. “Since those days, the world has changed so much, but then so little at the same time. The sun still rises in the east and the tides still move. My parents tell me the world is going to hell, but folks have said that since the time of Moses. There was—and still is—hope to be had. Despite this wretched crash, the Jazz Age has taught me there’s still love to be found and something to believe in.”  

Just lovely. Thank you so much for joining us today!