In The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, Janet Fitch contributed the article “Sense and Sensuality.” She advises writers: “Appealing to the five senses is the feature that will always set writing apart from visual media.” In my soon-to-be-release novel, The Ambition, I embraced Fitch’s advice, making the story powerful.

The sense of smell plays a vital role in humans and other animals. John McGann, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University, undertook extensive research and concluded in part that: “Smell is much more important than we think. It strongly influences human behaviour, elicits memories and emotions, and shapes perceptions. Our sense of smell plays a major, sometimes unconscious, role in how we perceive and interact with others, select a mate, and help us decide what we like to eat.”

Lolita Lempicka started her career as an independent designer. In 1983, assisted by her husband, she exhibited her first collection at age 29. A year later, she opened the first Lolita Lempicka shop in Paris and held her first fashion show in Tokyo, Japan. In 1990, she established her fashion house in Paris. In 1997, she introduced her first fragrance, Lolita Lempicka, inspired by fairytales from her childhood. 

During Lempicka’s successful career in fashion design, she gained international fame when she launched her legendary perfume Lolita Lempicka poured into bottles shaped like an apple. In French, it is Le Premier Parfum. Since that launch, Lolita Lempicka has been at the top of the world’s perfume sales. In 2000, she released Lolita Lempicka au Masculin, her first fragrance for men.

In my novel, The Ambition, the sensual scent of Lolita Lempicka turns Lorenzo on, and he insists that Connie, his lover, wears it whenever they get together on their rendezvous.