Carol Snow: Just Like Me, Only Better
Book Club Discussion

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

What gave you the idea to write about superstar doubles? Do you know anybody that has done this? How often does this type of thing happen in Hollywood?

Over the years, I've met several people who bore shocking resemblances to celebrities. When I lived in Arizona, I played Pokeeno (don't ask) with a Lisa Kudrow look-a-like who told me about turning down autograph requests. My husband has a business associate who's a dead ringer for Jack Nicholson (until he opens his mouth; he's English) and whose daughter works as an Angelina Jolie impersonator. My dentist could be Bill Clinton's long-lost twin. A few years ago, I dressed as Britney Spears for Halloween (my husband was a reluctant - if convincing - Kevin Federline). While researching the costume, I read up about poor, falling-apart Britney. She couldn't go anywhere without being hounded, and I thought: "She should hire a double." Later, I read that Britney (and her little sister) had indeed used decoys to distract the press. I don't know how common the practice is. After all, if an imposter is successful, no one ever knows about it!

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

It seemed to me like the real Haley Rush was plagued by her childhood stardom. She couldn't grow up, she couldn't take care of herself, she couldn't function as a "normal" person because all she'd ever really known was show business. Do you think this is true of real-life childhood stars?

Obviously, some child stars grow up just fine. Yay, Jodie Foster! Go, David Cassidy! Brooke Shields, you rock! But I'm old enough to remember the glory days of Corey Haim, Dana Plato, River Phoenix, and lots of other teen faves now associated more with drug addiction and/or early death. During childhood and adolescence, we form ideas about the world and, especially, our place in it. If a person becomes famous while still developing a sense of self, his or her identity can be too closely tied to an external, idealized image. And so, yes - they may never really grow up. It's hard, and sometimes impossible, to make up for lost time when you're in your twenties and thirties, especially if your looks have faded and your career has tanked.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

How often do you think stars give up their true passion, as Haley did with the type of singing she really enjoyed, because their managers are more worried about them "making it big" with whatever is popular?

Sadly, I don't know a lot of stars. Okay, I don't know any stars. But in any creative business (including publishing), success often depends on finding a good niche and sticking with it. An older, more experienced artist -- writer, singer, actor, whatever -- is more apt to take control of the career path. Most young people don't even know what they like yet. That's part of being young: you get to be open-minded and try different things. If you get pigeon-holed at that age, it can be a real challenge to change paths (and be taken seriously) later on. As for managers and agents: Yes, of course they push successful artists to keep doing what they're doing. Managers and agents are business people. That's their job.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

It's not often that we hear of a man leaving his younger, obviously very attractive wife, for an older woman. Was Hank truly just not a family man?

Hank wasn't a bad guy, but he never wanted the responsibility that family entailed. Also, Veronica was so much younger that he felt the strain of having two people so utterly dependent on him. If not for the unplanned pregnancy, they never would have gotten married in the first place. Had they stayed together, both would have been unhappy.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

Veronica is a good mom; however, her judgment on how to balance her new work with her role as Ben's mom was really poor. Why did you have her act in the ways she did?

Aw, poor Veronica had had a crappy year! Cut her some slack! Initially, Veronica took the job for the most altruistic reason: she wanted to have enough money to build a better life for her son. But once she started "sharing" Haley's life, it was easy to get sucked into the glitz and the glamour - and to revel in the attentions of the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. It had been so long since she had felt attractive or excited by life that she lost her sense of perspective for awhile. Her (temporary) transformation was like a mini-window into everything that had gone wrong with Haley.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

I was shocked by the racy sex scene between Veronica and Brady, mostly because it seemed so out of character for her. Why is this important to the story?

The car sex was out of character for Veronica (and for me as a writer - I think I've shocked some of the moms at my son's elementary school). But the truth is, people often do things that are out of character. In truth, circumstances often dictate actions more than personality. The scene was important for a couple of reasons. Obviously, she went way over the line, but this is the first time in the whole book that Veronica has done anything just because she wants to. In fact, it's the first time in years that she's done anything just because she wants to. So, she's making progress of sorts - but is clearly in danger of going over to the dark side and never coming back. I meant the scene to show how seductive and dangerous fame and glamour can be. And, of course, pretty boys: you gotta watch out for them, too.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow

Can you tell us anything about what you are working on next?

I'm working on a book about some unusual parenting issues, told from three different perspectives. I've never done the multiple point of view thing before. There are so many voices in my head right now, I feel like a schizophrenic.

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Carol Snow