Susan Holmes- McKagan was one of the world’s top supermodels in the 90’s. As a model, Susan has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire and she has walked the runway for Chanel, Versace, Prada, Calvin Klein, Valentino, YSL, and Armani among others. She has shot with renowned photographers Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth, Irving Penn and Arthur Elgort.
In recent years, Susan has been a Huffington Post front page writer/international supermodel and the wife of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver founding member and bassist Duff McKagan.
The Velvet Rose, her premiere novel is a blend of Almost Famous meets Reality Bites and Spinal Tap, in this compelling and often injected-with-humor, fast paced novel.
In the early nineties, Scarlet, a painter and high fashion model, finds herself working in some of the world’s most famous fashion capitals. As her adventure continues, she meets Johnny of The Westies, an up-and-coming band on the cusp of superstardom. What ensues is an unhinged ride of a novel following the audacious lead female protagonist as she navigates her life through fame, addiction, infidelity, and all the ups and downs of dating a legendary musician from one of the biggest rock bands in history. A riveting and heartfelt journey of figuring out one’s own path and championing that aspect to finding their dreams.
Rich in spirit and relatable for all those who have ever had the courage to chase their dreams and pursue an unconventional path in this glorious world. A page turner, frequently injected with laugh-out-loud humor, front row seat of fun debut that is being heralded as the earnest generation of authenticity of a nineties voyage.
Excerpt: THE VELVET ROSE
I definitely didn’t feel like the glamorous, sophisticated Velvet Rose of legend, as I hid in the miniscule shower stall in the tour bus, clinging to the wall. We ground to an abrupt halt only seconds after we’d finally set off. What I would later learn is that Bone had been inexcusably tardy for bus call. Deirdre had been as good as her word, instructing the driver to depart without him. Rushing up the hill to the house, just as the bus pulled away, Bone had literally stepped in front of the vehicle. He knew it was the only way Deirdre could be persuaded to change her mind about picking up a wayward band member. Thankfully, the bus had superb, albeit squeaky, brakes, and Bone survived to drum another show. Unfortunately, Bone was having an upper day, and he spent the first hour we were on the road, running up and down the aisle, singing Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” at top volume while mimicking the band’s choreographed dance moves from the video. Finally, from what I was able to overhear through the wall, it sounded like Deirdre had sequestered him in the back bedroom, where he began playing his Quinto Cuban congas. The past week had been insane, by any standards, and this time alone in my secret hideout was the first opportunity I’d had to assess my life. Neither the choices I’d made of late or where they’d landed me inspired much confidence in me. For starters, if I’d known how bumpy the ride would be, literally, I would have opted for something a little more practical than three-inch Manolo Blahnik heels, which I was trying to remove. The bathroom door slid open, and someone stepped inside to make use of the facilities. I couldn’t decipher who it was through the shower’s frosted glass door, but something about the way the mystery pisser whistled “The Boys Are Back in Town” suggested it was Jet. Knowing he was generally among the more coherent (and therefore observant) members of the band, I held my breath until he exited. How did I let Hawke talk me into this?
You won’t want to miss the fabulous book.
Available on Amazon and booksellers nationwide April 16th, 2019.
