Little Black Dress with Bonus Material

by Susan McBride

  7. After Anna walks into the river with the baby, Evie wishes her gone and can’t imagine ever forgiving her. Do you think Anna’s punishment was enough or too much? Why does it take so long for Evie to forgive? Do you think what Anna did was unforgivable?

  8. Is there any one thing that makes Toni realize she isn’t in love with Greg, or is it a case of absence giving her clarity rather than making the heart grow fonder?

  9. What is the significance of Toni taking part in the ice harvest?

  10. The novel is full of water imagery as water is a life-giver but also has the power to take lives. How does this imagery symbolize what each main character goes through? (For example, Evie’s sense of treading water while she’s in a coma.)

  11. Should Anna and Evie have told Toni the truth about her birth? Was Anna right to want to keep it a secret for the time being? Is there ever a case where keeping secrets is less damaging than telling the truth?

  12. Do you have a personal belonging that holds some “magic” for you? Does it make you feel better, happier, or more secure?

  Author Q&A

  As soon as I finished reading the manuscript of Little Black Dress, I had so many questions for Susan. I just wanted to sit down and have some girl talk with her, and also get some more details to add to my marketing campaign. Here is the transcript of our ensuing phone conversation. Enjoy!

  Tavia: Susan, hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about your new novel, Little Black Dress, and about little black dresses in general. You had me hooked in from the moment you quoted Coco Chanel in the epigraph.

  Fashion gurus have always said that a classic little black dress can carry a woman through myriad social events, as long as we accessorize properly. So we could say that the little black dress is perfect for every woman. But what I love about what you’ve done in this novel is that you’ve taken the universality of this wardrobe staple one step further and made one particular dress perfect for every woman in the Morgan family, regardless of her height or measurements. So part one: How did you get the idea for this enchanted dress that enhances every woman’s natural beauty even as it leads her closer to her destiny? And part two: Where can I get one?

  Susan: I thought of family heirlooms that get passed down through generations, usually jewelry, that turn into good luck charms—or bad luck charms—and end up with almost a superstitious quality. I realized I wanted my heirloom to be something very tactile and changeable. What better than a little black dress? Particularly one that’s made from silk spun by spiders and is indestructible. So once it’s yours, it’s hard to be rid of it. The idea that this black dress fit each of the three women—Evie, Anna, and Toni—even though they’re different sizes was inspired by the jeans in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. When you don the dress, it enhances all your best qualities. It also gives its wearer glimpses of her future, things that can’t be changed, which is a little scary.

  You know, I’m not sure where you can buy one! You could try googling “magic black dress” and see if anyone’s got one to sell. (Let me know if that works!)

  Tavia: I sure will! Have you ever worn a dress that made you feel so beautiful and powerful that you thought it was magical?

  Susan: My wedding dress! It did make me feel special and magical in many ways.

  Tavia: How many little black dresses do you have in your closet?

  Susan: One really old one. So I’d say it’s time to go shopping!

  Tavia: Oh yes, I have three LBDs and they are in constant rotation. From working with you a little I know that you found your true love and married later in life, like Toni Ashton, the main character of Little Black Dress. Susan, how much of yourself do you put into your novels?

  Susan: I don’t intentionally put pieces of myself into my novels, but I think little bits work themselves in anyway. The longer I live and write, the more experiences and emotions I have to draw from. Before I was forty, I hadn’t been deeply in love, hadn’t married, hadn’t gone through breast cancer or watched my mom and aunt go through it. I hadn’t been pregnant or miscarried. All of these things that have happened to me—and even things that have happened to people around me—add depth to my books, whether or not I use any specific experiences. I had not miscarried, in fact, when I first wrote about Evie’s miscarriage. Then I had to revise the scene once it had happened to me because it became so real. The characters I create are fictional, truly. The situations I dream up for them aren’t real. But I can’t deny that tiny threads of me weave their way into everything I write. My brain works in mysterious ways!

  Tavia: Pardon my ignorance, but is there really a winemaking industry in Missouri? I enjoyed the subplot of Toni’s family winery, and Evie’s commercial scheme to get their label certified organic.

  Susan: Yes, there’s a really healthy wine industry in Missouri with about eighty or so active wineries as of this moment. It goes back to the early to mid-nineteenth century when we had a big wave of German immigration. In 1876, when a pest attacked French vineyards, it was Missouri grafts that saved them. So who knows if there would even be French wines today without Missouri vines!

  Tavia: Of course, my interest in the winemaking part of the story was increased once you introduced dreamy Hunter on the scene. The Romeo and Juliet archetype never gets old, does it?

  Susan: Nope, it doesn’t. We all dream of finding a soul mate (even if we don’t want to admit it). We all want someone to share our lives with, who understands and accepts us, and who doesn’t take away from us but adds to us. Who makes everything better. I was lucky enough to find that kind of love after I turned forty. So I enjoy sending the message through my stories that sometimes love comes when you least expect it or when you’ve sworn it off. I think all the love stories in Little Black Dress are kind of unexpected, aren’t they?

  Tavia: Yes, they are, and it’s part of what makes the novel such a delight. While you were writing Little Black Dress, which of the women looked the most beautiful in the black cocktail dress—Anna, Evie, or Toni? Be honest. Surely you had a vision of them in your mind as you wrote? I imagined that Anna was the most stunning.

  Susan: Anna’s a very dramatic character, both in her looks and her personality, and she truly embraces the dress and its magic. So I see how she would stick out in your mind. Evie and Toni are much more wary of the dress. They want to understand it and try to control it, which is rather impossible. Honestly, I imagined the dress looking different on each woman and just magnified what’s special about each.

  Tavia: Secrets do so much damage in real life, but in a novel they can do so much to create a dramatic, moving story. My heart was really in knots over the secrets that were kept for decades by nearly every character in the novel. Secrets that spanned generations! You do a great job keeping the reader guessing until the end if all the secrets will come out into the light. Did you know from the start what secrets would be unearthed through the work of the little black dress?

  Susan: I did know their secrets once I started writing the book. Since the story line comes full circle, I had to realize the outcome in order to write toward it. It’s amazing how secrets affect everyone’s lives, and not just the secret-holders. Part of the drama in Little Black Dress comes when honest people are forced to lie—or lie by omission—and then live with those lies. How can they stop worrying and looking over their shoulders? How do they embrace their lives fully when they’re so afraid these secrets will come out? Is it always better to tell the truth than keep some people in the dark? I don’t know if the novel answers all those questions—or if there’s an answer—but it sure made the story fun to write!

  Tavia: Okay, one last question. Who plays Hunter in the Lifetime movie production of Little Black Dress? (My vote is for John Corbett.)

  Susan: Oh, gosh, I don’t know! I hadn’t thought about it. Hmm, maybe someone along the lines of Gerard Butler, kind of rough around the edges but smart with a great sense of humor. I have a feeling readers will come up with othe
r ideas of their own!

  AT-HOME WINE TASTING KIT

  Little Black Dress Wines invites you to host your own wine tasting with your friends! It’s super fun and surprisingly easy – just follow the instructions below, and you’ll be tasting wine like a pro! Evaluate each of the wines in your tasting one at a time – staring with the lightest, and ending with the heaviest – using the 6 S’s:

  SIGHT • SWIRL • SNIFF • SIP • SWISH • SWALLOW!

  1 Sight

  Note the color of the wine – it can tell you a lot!

  A light green color in white whites may indicate a cool growing region, while a rich golden color may tell you that the wine was aged in oak.

  In red wines, an inky purple color may tell you the wines is youthful, a brick red may be mature and brown is a sure sign the wine is old.

  2 Swirl

  Not a voodoo gesture – by increasing the surface area of the wine, you release the aromatic components.

  More aromas are released when the wine is at room temperature – even white wine! Try cupping your hands around your glass to warm up the wine.

  You can “trap” the aromas to enhance your sense of smell: keep your hand over the glass as you swirl…bring the glass to your nose – with your hand still over the top – release your hand and now smell!

  3 Sniff

  Don’t be shy – get your nose in the glass!

  Our noses are far more powerful than our taste buds – never underestimate the pleasure of smelling your wine! Try swirling and sniffing a few times - you may notice something new each time!

  “Corked” wine is a common fault caused by the mold Trichloroanisole (TCA) which can grow on cork – if the wine smells like cardboard, mold or wet dog, it’s probably corked. (FYI - Most wine stores will let you exchange a corked bottle!)

  4 Sip

  This is everyone’s favorite part! Cheers!

  Remember the “tongue map” from school biology? Sweet, Sour, Bitter & Salty!

  Have you heard of the fifth taste – Umami? It’s a Japanese word for “savory” (like meat, or mushrooms).

  5 Swish

  Careful! Even pros sometime choke!

  The wine warms up to body temperature when you hold it in your mouth – releasing even more smells – which you’ll experience as flavors.

  Notice the wine’s body and texture – does it feel light or heavy? With red wines, you may notice tannins (the sandpaper feel like walnuts or tea) from the grape skins.

  If you’re brave, draw some air into your mouth – it helps the wine reach all your taste buds.

  6 Swallow

  This is when it all comes together! Aromas, favors, texture and the finish.

  What does the wine taste like? Share with your group, then try the 6 S’s again! The power of suggestion is strong – you may discover additional flavors after someone else points them out.

  WiNE PAiRiNG RECiPES

  Tamale Pie

  2 T. vegetable oil

  2 cups chopped onion

  2 T. chopped garlic

  1 medium poblano pepper; cored, seeded, and chopped

  1 1⁄4 pounds ground beef

  1 t. ground cumin

  1/2 t. red chile flakes

  1 t. oregano, preferably Mexican

  1 cup canned crushed tomatoes Salt

  1/2 cup red wine such as Little

  Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon

  4 T. butter

  2 1⁄4 cups coarse cornmeal

  1 cup grated pepper jack or parmesan cheese

  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown, 7–8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add beef, cumin, chile flakes and oregano and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine and salt to taste and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 6-8 minutes.

  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Rub a 2 1⁄2-quart casserole dish with 1 Tablespoon butter; set aside. In a deep saucepan add 1 quart water and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking vigorously. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until thick, 6 - 8 minutes. Add remaining 3 Tablespoons butter and stir until combined. Spoon half the cornmeal mixture into the prepared dish. Spread out with the back of a wet spoon to cover the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

  Spoon filling into casserole, then top with remaining cornmeal mixture, spreading it out with the back of a wet spoon to cover the filling. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until top is browned and sides are bubbling, 25 – 30 minutes.

  PERFECT PAIRING: Little Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon

  Fried Mozzarella Balls

  4 cups or so oil for frying, such as canola

  12 ounces cherry size marinated fresh mozzarella balls known as cillegini

  2 large eggs beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

  2 cups dry bread crumbs such as panko

  Salt and freshly ground pepper

  Homemade or store bought spicy tomato sauce

  Heat about 1-1/2 inches oil to 375°F in a 3 1/2-to 4-quart heavy saucepan.

  Meanwhile pat mozzarella balls dry and double coat them by dipping in eggs, then in bread crumbs, and repeating. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with plastic.

  Working in batches of 8 or so, lower balls into oil with a slotted spoon and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt and pepper. (Return oil to 375°F between batches.)

  Serve with spicy tomato sauce.

  PERFECT PAIRING: Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio

  Spiced Wine

  This is a simple riff on mulled wine to which you could also add other fresh fruits. Easy to make and perfect for chilly holiday evenings.

  1 750-ml bottle medium-bodied red wine such as Little Black Dress Merlot

  1/2 cup sugar, or to taste

  6 whole cloves

  1 small lemon cut into wedges

  4 4-inch cinnamon sticks

  Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally, in a 4-qt. saucepan and remove from heat. Strain, discarding cloves but saving lemon and cinnamon.

  Ladle wine into 4 glasses and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and a lemon wedge.

  Serve hot.

  Grilled Coconut Chicken

  This is a recipe from Thailand that brings together the 4 flavor gods of Thai cooking: Sweet, Sour, Salty and Hot. Adjust each of these to your own taste.

  1 can (13 ½ ounces) coconut milk

  3 T. chile garlic sauce, preferably Lee Kum Kee bran

  3 T. toasted sesame oil

  1/4 cup each chopped cilantro, Thai purple or regular basil, green onions

  1/4 cup finely chopped ginger or galangal

  1/4 cup each Asian fish sauce and brown sugar

  Juice and grated zest (use a microplane) of 4 large limes

  1 large chicken (4-pounds or so), split with back bone removed

  Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large, food storage bag. Add the chicken pieces; seal bag. Turn to coat chicken on all sides. Marinate the chicken refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning a couple of times.

  Prepare a grill for medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; grill on an oiled rack, covered, until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted in thickest piece reads 165 degrees, about 45 minutes. Alternately you can bake on a rack in a 375 degree oven for an hour or so. Allow to rest for a few minutes before cutting up and serving.

  PERFECT PAIRING: Little Black Dress Chardonnay

  TASTiNG CARDS

  Little Black Dress

  Merlot

  Charming and Dependable, this Little Black Dress is the perfect go-to red. With aromas of ripe black cherry, red licorice, plum and toasty oak, accented by notes of perfume, cranberry and herbs, this rich, smooth Merlot has subtle hints of vanilla oak lingering on the finish.

  Grape Varieties:

&nb
sp; 81% Merlot, 12% Complementary red varietals, 7% Carignane

  Alcohol Content:

  13.5%

  Food Pairing:

  Little Black Dress Merlot is a versatile red, excellent with a wide range of meats and hearty dishes.

  Little Black Dress

  Pinot Grigio

  Casual and Versatile, this Little Black Dress makes just the right statement. A friendly, light-bodied wine, this Pinot Grigio displays bright aromas of apple, pear and lemongrass, followed by zesty hints of orange citrus and tangerine. Balanced and fruity on the palate with lively citrus flavors and light floral notes.

  Grape Varieties:

  84% Pinot Grigio, 8% Chardonnay, 6% Viognier, 2% Moscato

  Alcohol Content:

  13%

  Food Pairing:

  Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio is a stunning partner for foods that some a tart component, like salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, dishes with soy sauce bases, and fish served with lemon.

  Little Black Dress

  Cabernet Sauvignon

  Classic and Timeless, this Little Black Dress is the must- have accessory in your wine collection. With aromas of cherries and berries, and lightly toasted oak, this wine has a rich, smooth mouth-feel, with a hint of vanilla spice and lush flavors of blackberry, blueberry and cherry leading to a lasting finish.

  Grape Varieties:

  92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah, 1% Merlot

  Alcohol Content: