Sample Interview Questions:

Darlene Quinn
1. Do you believe that department stores are slowly vanishing in America and may soon be
obsolete?

2. You have mentioned that the retail industry during the 1980’s was full of greed and
manipulation. What was going on during this time that caused the industry to be so insatiable?

3. Webs of Power is set in the 80’s. Why did you choose that decade?

4. Are the main characters in the book based on actual people in the industry?

5. One of your main characters in Webs of Power is recovering from plastic surgery; the self-
absorbed, image-conscious Viviana who wants Philip Sloane for his money, power, and status.
Do you think a lot of that still goes on today instead of marrying or being in a relationship
strictly for LOVE? If so, what do you think is the cause of that and is that all bad—is there any
time that is a good thing?

6. In the past you have written articles for Savvy Magazine and other similar periodicals. What
types of issues did you write about? Is that what inspired you to write about the professional
world in Webs of Power?

7. The department store that the characters in the book work for is called Consolidated. Is this
store based on a real company?

8. One of the three dynamic women characterized in your book, Paige Toddman, is prevented
from helping the underprivileged due to her commitments in the community. Is that typical of
a CEO’s wife?

9. Donald Trump, one of the most powerful and influential man on this planet, has it all; a young
and beautiful wife, a new child, and prestigious business takeovers occurring every day. How
would you compare Donald Trump to someone like Phillip Sloane?

10. Would you agree that most powerful executives have similar characteristics to one another? If
so, are they all involved in similar webs of power, as the title of the book suggests?

11. Do you think that department stores have been influential in helping women establish careers in
sales? How about homosexuals?

12. As one of the nine members of the management team for the specialty division of a retail giant,
what was your greatest challenge?
13. Did you witness any corruption when you worked in the world of department store
management?

14. How did the rise of department stores in the mid 1850’s change not only the business world,
but society as well?

15. Having previously worked in department store management, you obviously have a good
understanding of the retail industry. In Webs of Power, the three protagonists are women who
are suddenly thrown off course by an abrupt corporate upheaval. Do any of these characters
represent you and your past?

16. Do the characters in this book deal with specific issues that you experienced while working in
the retail industry?

17. What do you think about the upper-class, sophisticated lifestyle that the characters in this book
are accustomed to?

18. If your book were to be turned into a movie script in the future, what actresses would you cast
as the leading ladies?

www.darlenequinn.net