The Sisters by Pat Booth (Crown: $17.95; 357 pp.)

The following is excerpted from “An Interview With Pat Booth,” in “Crown News , “ published by Crown Publishers, Inc., New York:

Question: You’ve gained a great deal of celebrity since “Palm Beach” was published. How have people in Palm Beach reacted to you and your book?

Pat Booth: Palm Beachers are very much like the English (Ed. Note: Booth is English). If they don’t like something, they pretend it doesn’t exist. But after “Palm Beach” became a best seller, they welcomed me with open arms. I meet more prestigious people now. . . .

Q: Why did you choose Hollywood and Palm Springs as the settings for “The Sisters”?

PB: Southern California is like the South of France to me. It’s the playground of America. It’s glamorous, exciting, young and vibrant.

Q: When you research your books, you always infiltrate the societies you write about. Was it harder to research “The Sisters” in Hollywood where people can be more difficult to pin down?

PB: My earlier modeling career helped open a lot of doors for me. . . . People remember me from the ‘60s when I used to model with Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton; my friends from that period include Dudley Moore, Elton John, Adam Ant and Timothy Dalton. My career as a photojournalist took off when I was able to photograph people like David Bowie, Bianca Jagger and the Queen Mother. I’ve known Joan and Jackie Collins for years. I am not a shy or retiring person, and I managed to take advantage of those opportunities.

Q: “The Sisters” is the story of a vicious rivalry between two sisters. Why did you choose that as your theme?

PB: I have always been fascinated by sibling rivalry. I have a sister, and when our mother died, I withdrew from her emotionally.

Q: Do your friends ever feel as if you’ve betrayed them?

PB: I never go anywhere or do anything without collecting information.

Q: Who in your life has influenced you most?

PB: From my father I’ve learned to always strive to be the best at whatever I do. I’ve always been fascinated by people who set a goal for themselves and take it to the nth degree. It’s that “Rocky” concept of holding out for excellence.

Q: Isn’t that out of sync with English mores?

PB: England is very archaic. If you are somewhat like me or like Joan and Jackie Collins, Tina Brown and Jacqueline Bisset, you simply can’t afford to live there anymore.

Q: To what writers do you compare yourself?

PB: I don’t think I write like Sydney Sheldon, Judith Krantz or Jackie Collins. I admire Anais Nin’s work.

Q: You’ve succeeded as a fashion model, fashion retailer, journalist and photojournalist. What next?

PB: I’m a novelist to stay.