The Journey from Dream to Book

A fictional imagination of one of the most innovative designers of his time  debut novel “Magician of Light” (She Writes Press, May 17, 2022) by J Fremont, is an in depth exploration of René Lalique’s adolescent years in Paris, his journey from student to leading glass manufacturer, and his real-life romance with Lucinda Haliburton. This is a distinctive look into Lalique’s real life, weaved with imaginative stories of what might have been. Not only does this story dive into the life of Lalique, but also touches on topics of psychology, with a main character who struggles with mental health, the supernatural (the story originated because Lalique appeared to Fremont in a dream, yes, it’s true!), creativity in Lalique’s glass making and art, and loving relationships.

The Journey from Dream to Book

Life is a journey. Sometimes we know where we are going, sometimes we think we know where we are going, and sometimes we are clueless. I would classify my book’s journey as all three. Busy producing other material, short stories on my blog and developing ideas for a novel regarding ancient Egypt during the era of Thutmose the Third, I had a dream about an unknown man. He appeared to me in another dream three months later and told me I am to promote him. Six weeks later, he appeared again. Puzzled, I wondered, who is this guy? Why is he haunting my dreams? If you are wondering how I knew it was the same person in my dreams, let me clarify. I have kept detailed dream journals for nearly forty years. 

Fast forward to eighteen months later. While investigating this pharaoh, I learned Thutmose elevated the craft of glass-making and manufacturing. Wanting to learn more about glass production, I dived into the research and stumbled across an internet picture of the famed glassmaker, René Lalique. The photograph was exactly how I saw him in that initial dream and he became entwined in my novel about Ancient Egypt. That story became too long and so Lalique became the principal subject of my recent novel Magician of Light. Thutmose III and his companions would have to wait for another day.

 

It would be an understatement to say that René Lalique was a busy and productive artist. He had so many remarkable accomplishments and events that it was difficult to choose what to include in my novel. An artist at heart, Lalique was also an entrepreneur, industrialist, and inventor. Initially a jeweler by trade, Lalique elevated the use of enamel in his designs. A proficient sculptor, he incorporated more glass into his gems and other later uses, eventually abandoning jewelry to become a master glassmaker.

 

Magician of Light begins in Lalique’s adolescent years in Paris. Following his journey from student apprentice to a leading glass manufacturer. So how did the Egyptian theme play into my novel? After Napoleon Bonaparte’s 1798 campaign to Egypt, French society became enthused with Egyptomania. Ancient Egyptian motifs fascinated Lalique, and he incorporated many elements into his objets d’art. His good friend, Georges Clairin, was also influential. While visiting Egypt in 1895, the painter sent sketches of hieroglyphs to Lalique and then returned with gems urging his artistic companion to create jewelry inspired by this ancient culture. 

Any historical fiction writer serious about their craft knows that writing entails a considerable amount of research. Purchasing several books, I gained insight into specific people that influenced his early life, work and rise to fame such as Louis Aucoc, Sarah Bernhardt, Calouste Gulbenkian and Francois Coty. Research isn’t always easy and there were some challenges encountered, such as scant information available about Lalique’s personal life. Plus, I don’t speak French. I discovered a book of Lalique’s correspondences (1890-1908), mostly business, but some to his mother and wife, Alice, written in French (no available book in English). I spent countless hours typing pages into Google translate. Not only reading books, articles, blogs and a lengthy doctoral thesis about Lalique’s life, I filled my time researching ancient Egypt and archaeology in the 1800s.

Many publications concern his phenomenal art and professional success, but my fictional narrative focuses on Lalique’s personal life and the people most important. One of those people was Francois Coty. Coty was a pivotal player in Lalique’s transformation from jeweler to master glassmaker. Commissioning the famous jeweler to produce beautiful perfume bottles, together, they brought the art of perfume to a new level, aesthetically and economically. The cover of my book is a perfume bottle created by the Lalique company based on one of his original designs. Lalique’s favorite flower was lily-of-the-valley. Given the pleasure of co-creating with my cover designer, I helped produce this fitting image to represent my novel about an artist transfigured by nature, women, and perfume. 

Convoluted at times, surprising and adventurous, writing this book was certainly a journey worth taking. Following leads and clues from my dreams, recorded by historians, and explored by jewelry and glass enthusiasts, I discovered myself in rabbit holes of interesting speculation, intriguing lore, and treasure troves of information regarding this legendary man. While researching Lalique’s character and observing his life’s work, I concluded he leaned toward the mysterious, peculiar and atypical. A talented and extraordinary person, what better way to encounter him but by dreaming?

 

Fremont is an author and veterinarian. For more than twenty-five years, she practiced small animal veterinary medicine in addition to serving as an adjunct professor at a local university and community college. The mother of two adult sons, she lives in Southern California with her husband of thirty years. Retired from veterinary medicine, J now spends her time developing her artistic side. In addition to writing, she is a passionate practitioner of the decorative arts, including jewelry making, glass fusing, sewing, and creating mixed media for fun. She enjoys photography, gardening, and posting on Instagram, as well as building gorgeous Pinterest boards. You can find her on her website: https://drjfremont.com/

 

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