Today is my thirtieth wedding anniversary, and what a marriage it’s been. Full of camaraderie, communication, and, of course, challenges. We might not have been the likeliest of couples, but through health crises, layoffs, losing loved ones, and so much more, we made it work.

To my happily-married surprise, this year I wrote two short stories about very unhappy marriages.

The first story—”Millie and Loretta at the Desert Oasis”—is set in 1959 Las Vegas where two strangers, Millie and Loretta, cross paths at the Desert Oasis casino. Both women have arrogant, soul-stifling husbands (helloooo 1950s), and both women would like a quickie Nevada divorce. No one’s life goes according to plan, of course, but together Millie and Loretta forge a path to happiness.

The second story—”Snip, Snip, Snip”—leads off the Paper Lantern Writers fourth anthology, Echoes of Small Things. This group of nine short stories illuminates “how a single choice, a humble gesture, or an unguarded word can echo through time”.

Set in 1915 Paris, “Snip, Snip, Snip” explores the deteriorating marriage between the King of Fashion Paul Poiret and his wife, model, and muse Denise. Paul and Denise, are, of course, real people.

King of Fashion Paul Poiret in 1913, via Wikipedia

Born in 1879 in Paris, Paul began sketching dresses for women during his teens, and soon came to the attention of local dressmakers and designers. He quickly found work with designers like Jacques Doucet and the House of Worth. By 1903, Paul’s ambitions and talent led him to create his own house of couture.

His designs definitely stood out from crowd: he favored kimono-styled coats, exotic fabrics and colors, and eventually, championed the extremely restrictive hobble skirt. He also diversified his house of couture offerings by creating and offering perfumes and home décor. He advertised his splendid merchandise with outrageous parties, and pioneered fashion photography, becoming one of the first of the fashion crowd to understand how to maximize his brand.

Paul and Denise partying exotically like it’s 1911, via Wikipedia

Denise was a country girl, married Paul in 1905, and together, they had five children.

In addition to his exotic designs and privileged parties, Paul was quite the bon vivant and a dedicated womanizer. His tendency to stray must have put a strain on his marriage, and I used that probable tension as one of the launching points for “Snip, Snip, Snip”.

Paul and Denise eventually divorced, but not until 1928. Which means that in real life, their marriage survived the marital crisis I thrust upon them in this story.

But let’s get back to our small thing…after much research into Paul (including reading his 1931 autobiography King of Fashion), Denise (with the snippets of info available about her), and life in Paris during World War I, I found the exact small thing which would echo through history. I can’t tell you what that small thing is, of course, in hopes that you’ll read the story and find out yourself.

Two of my favorite WWI French Fashion books

But here’s one fun fact about my story: during my research, I found two other small things in Paul and Denise’s lives that echoed through history; two small things that impacted men, women, and the future of the world order. And I was delighted to add both of those to my story.

One thing I realized while writing “Snip, Snip, Snip”…whether you’ve been married 30 years like Tim and me or 23 years like Paul and Denise, the small things do echo through the years.

Happy Anniversary, Timmy!

Echoes of Small Things is available now! And look what’s on the cover…Madame Denise Poiret’s small scissors! Snip, Snip, Snip indeed!