Again, I paraphrase Neil Gaiman when I say, I’ve learned to write this novel. When I was writing Roxy’s Betrayal, I had to rely heavily on what I’d written in the previous book, Janie’s Secrets because they shared a parallel timeline. I had no idea how difficult this idea would be. First, I’m not a plotter/outliner. I write by the seat of my pants, also known as being a pantser. That is not to say that I don’t plan or research or have an idea of where I’m going with the story beforehand, I do. It is one of the things that insulted me about the craft book I purchased which said pantsers have no idea where they are going with their story.
Although I don’t outline my stories, I know a few things about my story and main characters before I start writing my first draft. I know some of my character’s backstory, I know or have an idea of how I want the plot to end or the climax of the story. Much of this I figure out in my fast draft. Which in truth is very much like an outline but in a story form. I call it my skeleton. I write the story as quickly as I can without much detail then I go back and add flesh, feeling, all that stuff that makes it come alive.
With most stories I start with a character or a scene, an idea that has come to me like a seedling. From there I ask questions, shed a little light on it. Some stories come to me whole, I just have to write them down, others I have to work at to find what makes all its pieces and parts fit together. Roxy took a little more work. Not only was I writing Roxanne’s story with a parallel timeline to Janie’s story. I had to figure out how she was going to meet and fall in love with Jorge, an accused murderer. Why they were trying to rescue Janie’s daughter and why they didn’t just ask for help.
I wrote several scenes as they came to me but had a difficult time bringing everything together. The bigger the series gets the more difficult it becomes to mesh each story into the next. I want to layer the family dynamics, their past hurts and future relationships, define their roles inside the family as well as give them a fun sexy romance with some suspense and drama.
I had Roxanne as part of Janie’s Secrets and there is even mention of her in Red Steel, but she was just an elusive idea not completely developed. Until I finished Janie’s Secrets, I really didn’t know who Roxanne was. As I started my fast draft for Roxy, I began to realize I’d misunderstood her. This is where backstory helps to flesh out the character. It is one of the great points in Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. That without backstory there is no story.
Each novel requires a little different process. Now, if you are like the amazing Sarra Cannon, you may have discovered what works best for you to find your muse and productivity. Her methods change very little during the process of writing her novels. She has a master plan and is able to stick to it.
For me, I’ve been developing my plan as I go. Chrome Pink was written with everything thrown in and then whittled down. Titanium Blue was planned with sticky notes and written during my first NaNoWriMo, at least the first version. My middle son and his wife were great resources during this writing. White Gold was also done with sticky notes to help plan it. Evergreen Crystals was another difficult novel because I wanted to write a true romance with their happy ever after, but I couldn’t do it without killing people, so, I let my dark side out and had fun with it. I’m beginning to think I’m a little scary, I blame it on my children. Red Steel was a lot of research, but I actually carried around a small notebook and wrote down ideas, often texting my firefighter son about what this would look like if it exploded. I really want to go to some of their training exercises. Janie’s Secrets was a recycled story with a few additions. Now I’m working on the brothers’ stories. My problem is, I know Remy’s story but it’s not time to tell it yet. I know Seth’s story, but he needs seasoning. I know Trent’s story, but should he come next or should I work on Cole’s story. As I started working on Trent’s story, ideas for Cole came to me, I’m attempting to write both books in tandem but deciding which one will come first will be interesting. I don’t know if I want another parallel timeline, but I may cross timelines.
There are so many ways to tell a story so how can there be only one way to write them?
I am a HUGE advocate of studying writing craft books, listening to author interviews, and writing advice videos and podcasts. I take a lot of online classes in a variety of subjects to improve my writing. One of my pet peeves, the thing that will make me so angry, is when an author tells me their way, is the ONLY way to write! Now, I am hardly a genius or even a bestselling author but Neil Gaiman, who is a story telling god, said during an interview at the end of his ten-year anniversary edition of American Gods (paraphrased) that he told his friend and fellow author, he’d finally learned to write a novel, but his friend said, no, you’ve learned to write this novel.
Indie author Michael La Ronn whom I discovered via YouTube, tells of writing his novels using several different methods. He even rates the methods on one of his videos. Like Mr. La Ronn I have tried different techniques, some with more success than others. But the truth is, you have to find what works for you or what works for this book.
Every author has their own style, their own method of writing. Some writers have to plot out every minute detail before they can start, but others prefer to discover the story as they write. They have to do what works for them or they cannot create. When I hear an author say you have to do this or that in order to write, I cringe. As a new writer, I wanted to learn to outline and plot my stories and do character analysis and diagram my stories so I could give readers a better story. BUT that didn’t work for me. That is not to say I did not learn important information in those classes, books and programs. I learned what works for me and what didn’t. I learned to adapt things to fit my needs and that is the key point I’m trying to make. Do take the classes, do read and learn from other authors but do not feel that you have to do things exactly as they have done in order to write a great novel and be a success.
One of my favorite authors to follow and listen to is Sarra Cannon. She is the author of several young adult series and new adult books, her most famous ya series, Beautiful Demons has sold over a million copies and her Heart Breathings YouTube channel has over forty thousand followers. She teaches a course called Publish and Thrive which is an amazing program for any writer but especially if you are an indie or hybrid author. While her method of writing, which requires a lot of planning, outlining and then post writing discovery, which I admit I don’t always use, but it has taught me what to look for to be sure my story is complete. I have learned to adapt many of her ideas in a way that best works with my style of writing. I truly love Sarra’s way of teaching because she doesn’t say her way is the only way.
I’m on this soap box because of a recent book I purchased for a program, Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. Now, not to completely bash Ms. Cron, I loved her Wired for Story, and there was much in Story Genius I also thought was well, genius but when anyone deals in absolutes, I get a little antsy. I was angered by what the author had to say about pantsers and especially what we do not do our due diligence which results in our failure. As a pantser, or now I might admit to being more of a plantser, as I do plan some of the details of my stories prior to writing. And while I’m not a famous author with several best sellers under my belt, but Mr. Lee Child is, and he is also a pantser. Like me, Mr. Child likes to discover the details of the story along with the reader. To plot or outline it in advance would kill the joy.
While I disliked much of what this author had to say in her how to guide to be a better storyteller, it was her lack of respect for other methods that truly angered me. Do not get me wrong, the author has some valid points. I kept reading because I could glean some nuggets of genius from her book but at one point, I became angry enough to return the book and demand my money back. I don’t do that. I have even tried to go back through the book and to see if I was just being too sensitive or over critical but when I started reading the second time, I got mad much sooner. This is one of the caveats I believe we as writers need to be aware of, even well-meaning people can crush your spirit and derail your efforts if you allow them to. Had I read this book when I first started writing seriously, it would have kept me from publishing. My self-esteem was so fragile that I would have felt trapped and unable to write.
To those authors who wish to share their hard learned knowledge with other writers, I ask that you remember not everyone processes information the same way nor do we produce in the same manner. Be careful of stifling creativity in your desire to show authors a new and better way to write. I will leave both the newbie writer and the master with this, thank you for your inspiration, your words on the page for they fill my dreams with possibilities and hope.
My
secret weapon isn’t so secret: Sticky Notes and Note Cards, color coated of
course. Now many of you probably use Scrivener or some other program. I do have
it on my desk top in my office, but I haven’t fallen in love with it yet. Plus,
since I also write on a cheap laptop with not a lot of memory it cannot handle
something like Scrivener, so I have to think outside the box.
For
me, writing anything by hand makes it more memorable. By taking the time to
handwrite note cards and sticky notes I put the information in my brain, so I
don’t have to refer to it as often. Kind of like a cheat sheet or fact sheet.
I use one color for scenes, one for plot points, one for characters and one for places. I add whatever details I know but leave room for things I don’t. I add to these cards as needed sometimes adding a second card or sticky note as I learn more through writing the novel. Depending upon your worldbuilding needs, you might need more colors.
I put my sticky notes up on a tri-fold board or if I’m work, on the wall. I have writer friends who post theirs on the back of the office or closet door. The writer who gave me this idea, Kate Parker, uses a white board left over from the previous owners of her house who home-schooled their children. Being able to see the story and move the ideas around to fit your needs keep it from being so rigid. I know you can change an outline, but with the sticky notes I don’t have to rewrite, I can just move them around.
So whether you are a plotter or a pantser, planning can help you succeed in NaNoWriMo.
I have searched the web for programs, YouTube videos, blog posts, and webinars to help me get ready for NaNoWriMo. The one thing I’ve noticed is they are not geared to pantsers. I know, I know, if I’m a pantser how can I “get ready” for NaNo? Well, when I was preparing for my very first NaNoWriMo in 2015 I knew I had to have some information at my fingertips, or I’d waste precious writing time trying to figure things out.
Over
the years, before publishing my first novel, I took several online classes,
attended several programs and presentations and even bought books to learn how
to write better, faster, how to plot, outline, use a graph, or a chart or a
Ouiji board. Okay, I didn’t use the Ouiji board but I’ve tried several
different methods of planning my novels in advance and I find it difficult and
disheartening that I cannot do it. I often do not know what my characters will
do until I’m in the middle of the action. Sometimes I add a character in the
middle of the story and have to go back to the beginning and show that he was
there all along. So how can someone like me prepare for NaNoWriMo?
There
is no one way to write a novel. In fact, there are probably as many ways to
write a novel as there are people who write them. For me, I found that by
combining different techniques and ideas, I could develop my own plan. I don’t
plot but I plan my novel. So, here’s what I know before I start to write.
Genre:
suspense thriller with strong romantic elements, I have to have a love
interest.
Main
Characters:
Hero:
the main male character, in this particular story he is the main POV character.
Heroine:
the main female character, love interest and second POV character.
Villain
or anti-hero: this is the 3rd POV character and he is sort of the
bad guy but thinks he’s the hero.
Cast
of secondary characters:
This
is a series so some of my past characters will be in this novel. How many, and who
is still undetermined, but I can assume that the hero’s sister, the owner of
the café where they all hang out, the Police Chief, and the SBI agent, and more
than likely, the hero’s father will all have scenes. I’m also assuming the
heroine’s sister will make an appearance as she has had brief parts in prior
stories and will be the heroine in the next book. I may also introduce some of
her other family members. All of these are easily referenced in my Series
Bible. But for easy access during NaNoWriMo I’ll be implementing another plan.
If you are interested stay tuned for the second part of this story.
Major
Plot Details:
I
know a few major plot details, for example I know why the fires are being set,
I know who is setting them. I don’t yet know what I’m planning to burn or blow
up, but I’ve got a couple of ideas.
I
know the love interest, I’m not sure how they’re going to get from being antagonists
to being in bed together, but half the fun is figuring it out.
I
know one person who is going to die. I really enjoy planning my murders,
sometimes I scare myself. I just never knew I had this inside of me. I blame it
on the children. After six sons you stop thinking about romance and start
considering murder.
Scenes:
I
don’t have a lot of scenes planned but a couple are already in my head. Some
are vague and others are quite vibrant. As I am planning my novel for
NaNoWriMo, I write down these scenes, but I may or may not use them.
For
now, all the planning is in my head but in order to get things straight and be
prepared for NaNo, I’ll need to do something with this information. The
question is, what way is best for you? If you haven’t checked out some of the
YouTube NaNo Prep videos, check out #HeartBreathings, #WritersLifeWednesdays,
Alexa Donne’s NaNoWriMo Tips for Newbies.
Hello Suzanne, welcome to my Creekside Café. I am so excited to have you here.
Suzanne: Hi Sherri! Thanks for having me at your virtual café. What’s your drink? Mine is a vanilla latte, if you please.
Iced coffee with milk in vintage jar
Sherri: In this heat, I think I’ll have an iced cinnamon cappuccino, extra cinnamon, light sugar. They freeze the coffee and cream into tiny ice cubes so it doesn’t water down the drink.
Have you
been to North Carolina before?
Suzanne: I went to school in North Carolina (Go Blue Devils) and my family and I like to explore New England. We were in Vermont last year and I fell in love with Lake Champlain. This past summer we were in Maine for a month and it was instalove. We lived in a quaint village for a month with an ice cream stand, a beach, a family owned grocery store, and a bakery that sold out by 8:30. We learned to rise early to catch the pastries!
Sherri: One of my dear friends is originally from Maine. Pastries, now that might be worth getting up early for. I am not a morning person. I am a night owl who is forced to get up and function. So we? Does that mean you are married with children?
Suzanne: Married + 3 kids and my dog, who I feature a lot on Instagram because, to be honest, I think I love my dog above all. He’s a Goldendoodle and he’s just so cuddly. Plus, when I come home from a trip, he’s the only one who doesn’t tattle on who’s been naughty and he doesn’t ask where his soccer uniform is and he doesn’t want me to go to the grocery store to buy the right crackers because Daddy doesn’t know how to buy crackers.
Sherri: Yes, I remember those days. Dad could be sitting right beside them and I be in the shower and who do they have to ask about changing the channel? I think that’s why I started writing suspense, I get my payback in black-and-white. I’ve told my sons, if they don’t behave, I’ll put them in my next novel and kill them off on page fifty. Most don’t think they’ll make it past page thirty.
Suzanne: I’m so excited to learn about your career. Romantic-suspense makes me bite my nails. Half the time I’m wincing and begging the words to move faster on the page so that my heart can slow down. And whoa, you are productive! Three books already? And six kids? And NINETEEN grandkids. Your life is FULL!
Sherri: Number twenty is due in November. I think I’m going to have to rethink Christmas. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays, even though we don’t get snow. Do you get snow for Christmas? Where are you from?
Suzanne: I’m from Oregon—that’s where I grew up (Go Sunset Apollos!) but I’ve also moved around and explored a lot of places. I adulted in the San Francisco Bay Area and then one day my husband came home and said he was done with the rat race and he was going to semi-retire.
To Oregon? I
thought
He shook his
head.
Washington?
He looked
confused.
Ireland? (A
girl can dream)
He rolled
his eyes.
Nope, he’d
set his heart on (drum roll please)…Jacksonville FL. I am going to tell you
now, you cannot get any farther from my reality than FL. But we packed up the
kids and off we went and here we are adventuring in the humidity (only six
months out of the year), hurricanes (only three months out of the year), sunny
(actually not as sunny as you would think), super rainy (soooo much rain),
South. There’s swamp, forest, alligators, snakes, and our local beach has tons
of shark teeth.
I should
probably write horror instead of historical romance. Hmmm.
Sherri: Eastern North Carolina is a lot like Florida. We have a fossil museum full of sharks’ teeth.
Do you write
full time now, or hold down another job as well as write?
Suzanne: I work. I write. I take long walks. I mother. I wife. I friend. I don’t think my life is much different from any other woman’s. We are all so busy. We’re master jugglers.
Sherri: Being master jugglers is what it takes to get things done. I don’t know about you, but I can’t not write. I could continue to write for my own pleasure but taking this step to become a published author has unleashed something I’ve kept chained inside me for years. It’s a lot of work but it’s what I am compelled to do. I’m hoping to make it a career but if not, then I’ll still write because I love writing. I’ve been writing since I was a child. How about you, Suzanne, how long have you been writing?
Suzanne: Oof! I’m a little embarrassed to say. I’ve been writing probably for seven years – my first novel took years to write because I was learning to write. Then I took time off (e.g. moved to FL and met Humidity, my mortal enemy). And then the passion suddenly came back and away I went.
Sherri: The first novel in my Leeward Files Series took several years to rewrite. I’d written other things but writing for myself and writing to publish are two very different things. With each rewrite I learned more about how I wanted to tell the story.
What genre
are the books you write?
Suzanne: I write historical romance. I’m a history nerd. I love details. I love researching really weird stuff like train tables in 1869 and smallpox vaccines.
Sherri: My first love is historical romances. I started writing the suspense series after losing our house to fire. I think it was my way of getting that fear out of my system. Now, I’m enjoying it but I do want to get back to historicals.
Are you traditionally
or indie published?
Suzanne: I debut August 28 as an INDIE. I had some doubts about going INDIE because it’s a lot more work, but through the process, I have discovered how much I appreciate and enjoy the responsibility and the challenge. I love the books I’ve written and I’m so excited that I get to control the works – I have the editor of my dreams, I have the cover of my dreams, and I’m learning so much (ugh, FB ads? WHY?????).
Sherri: Don’t get me started on Facebook ads, we have a love/hate relationship, but for an Indie author, Facebook is one of the tools to get the word out about our books. Contests are another way to get your books noticed. Have you entered any competitions? Which ones? Have you won any awards?
Suzanne: Especially in my early writing career, I was a contest junkie. Romance writers have the opportunity to join RWA, which provides a huge resource for learning and also for contests. Contests give you a lot of feedback, good and bad. They also teach you to grow a thick skin.
My first
historical romance, The Lost Chord did really well in contests,
but the two that I’ll mention are: The Catherine (historical
romance category) from Toronto RWA and it was a finalist in the Golden
Heart, which is a national award for unpublished authors. It’s
sponsored by the RWA and from the beginning of my career, it was a dream of
mine to final. And then I did in 2017.
AND AGAIN in
2018, with my second historical romance, The Art of the Scandal.
The Art of the Scandal also won the Pacific Northwest Writers Contest (Romance
Category) and the Catherine (historical romance).
Since those
wins, I decided to focus on publishing and to keep my contest addiction at bay.
It’s easy to get caught up in contests when you’re having success, but contests
generally judge only 25-50 pages of your work. It’s really important to polish
not just the beginning, but the entire darn book.
You’ve
written three, so you know all about the editing, polishing, sweating over a
phrase, love-hate of the process!
Sherri: Ugh! Yes, and making lots of mistakes especially when you’re trying to do stuff in the middle of the night and getting frustrated. When that happens, walk away. Believe me. It will save you some embarrassment. I hit publish instead of proof and sent my last book out before it was ready. YUCK! I’m still trying to get it like I want. The fun times of being an indie author.
I’m trying
not to stretch myself as thin as I have in the past. I’m the chairperson for
the Pamlico Writers’ Group and I host a monthly writing challenge online for my
local RWA chapter. It’s difficult not to be involved with the writing
community. Even though I’m in a better place now, I still need advice and I
hope, I’m able to help others the way I have been helped.
Tell us
about your latest project?
Suzanne: I’m preparing to debut with The Art of the Scandal. It releases August 28. So, I’m learning a lot about the business side, but The Art of the Scandal is a book of my heart. It brings together a lot of my nerd passions – renaissance art and their forgeries; political history; and pretty ballgowns.
I’m
particularly passionate about The Art of the Scandal because the story
is also about social challenges and societal shifts. My heroine is the daughter
of a Marques and engaged to the future prime minister. She’s at the top of the
social food chain (before she suffers a rather spectacular fall). My hero is a
foreigner and he’s Jewish. In 1849 Victorian England, he is a complete
outsider. I wove in a lot of history including the election of Lionel
Rothschild, a prominent and wealthy Jew, to the House of Commons. In The Art
of the Scandal, a character inspired by him is the hero’s cousin. Anyway,
in real life, Rothschild was elected, but barred entrance because he would not
take his oath on “the true Christian faith.” And the thing is, he was elected
more than once, and each time barred from taking his seat!
So, one of
the struggles my hero and heroine go through is learning how to throw off the
shackles of “society expectations” to create their place in the world through
trust, faith, optimism, hope, and, of course, true love.
Here’s the
blurb:
Jilted by her fiancé, abandoned by her
father, and scorned by her friends, Lady Lydia Pierpont and her pregnant, 15
year-old sister will be homeless by midnight unless she can charm the deed of
her family’s home out of the mysterious South African who won the estate in a
poker game.
Grieving over the death of his Jewish father and
English mother, Simon Cohen has no time for gallantry. He’s out to reclaim his
mother’s name from the aristocracy who humiliated her. With an art collection
worth millions and the National Gallery begging for a donation, revenge is
within reach.
But when Lydia points out that Simon’s treasure
trove includes at least one forgery, they strike a deal. She’ll ferret out the
fakes and if the debut of his collection goes smoothly, she’ll win back her
home. If she fails, she will take the blame and go to jail.
Together, Lydia and Simon will feign an
engagement, delve into the world of art forgery, and navigate the narrow-minded
prejudices of London society to discover that love is forged, never faked.
Sherri: I want a copy. This sounds like all of the things I love about historical romances.
Do you plan
to write any different genres in the future?
Suzanne: I’m moving from mid-Victorians to 20th Century. I’m currently working on a love story set in WWI. And eventually I may go so bold as to hit 1947 or so. We’ll see!
Sherri: I’m working on finishing a novella set in World War II for a winter anthology. It has inspired me to return to writing historicals. I wish I could write all of the time. I have way too many ideas, but unfortunately, I need the other job to pay the bills.
Tell me what
you love about writing.
Suzanne: I love the characters who demand I write their stories. Much to my chagrin, I’m not a plotter, which means half the time, I have no idea where I’m going. But then suddenly, BOOM, a scene will come or my character will do something totally unexpected and my fingers will fly. I love those magic moments.
Sherri: I can relate, I’m a pantzer too. I love discovering the story and new characters. As a pantzer, that also makes things more challenging. What do you dread the most with your writing?
Suzanne: Plotting. Cutting my darlings—those pretty lines that don’t move the plot. Editing out my repeat words (have, face, hand, turn).
Sherri: Nods, bobs, shakes and rolls…my characters often resemble bobblehead dolls.
What are
your writing strengths and weaknesses? What comes easy and what do you have to
work harder to get?
Suzanne: UGH, it feels like everything is hard!
Sitting down
is hard.
Focusing is
hard.
The hardest
part of writing is making my characters miserable. I want them to be happy. I
want sunshine and rainbows. But I have to put them through the wringer to get
them there.
Sherri: I went through that, try keeping everyone nice and happy and have a murder, it doesn’t work, AT ALL! I had to learn to let the characters be honest about who they are and how they would react. It was definitely a learning experience.
When things
get too crazy, I’ll go in the kitchen and play with recipes. Well, that’s not
true. I watch the Food Network, then I go into the kitchen and play.
I enjoy
cooking and often post recipes, do you have a favorite food or restaurant?
Suzanne: I have the taste buds of a 7-year old. So, does Chick-Fill A count?
Sherri: Yes, and if you can learn their chicken recipe, I want it. I love Chick-Fill-A!
Do you have
time for any hobbies or interests besides writing? Do these show up in your
writing?
Suzanne: I walk, walk, walk. I try to hit at least 5 miles a day. Sometimes I get up to 10. I’m near the beach and I’m near a forest trail, so I get the best of both worlds.
Instagram
has become a hobby. It’s where I got to meet you, so clearly Instagram is an
excellent place to be. Taking pictures to tell a story has challenged me,
because it’s only one photo and very few words. Photography (if you can call
snapping a pic with your iPhone, photography) is about the details. I think my
all-time favorite pic has been of sea foam that caught the sunlight and looked
multi-colored. Or my dog in hats. He’s very photogenic.
Art is
definitely a hobby, and that shows up in my books.
Medicine. I
can’t stand blood, and I cry if I get a paper cut, but I admire medical
professionals and am fascinated by the history of medicine and how inventions
and techniques developed. They also make their way into my books. The book I’m
currently working on is set in an ambulance hospital in WWI and I am learning a
disturbing amount about blood transfusions.
Sherri: For my novella, I researched a mobile hospital and followed them through the war. It’s fascinating to learn what people survived. What they learned, often because they had no choice.
Who are your
some of your favorite authors or genres?
Suzanne: I actually love to read poetry the most. The word-smithing is stunning, so precise.
Then I’m
always going to go back to Jane Austen. Because she was so detailed, nuanced
and hilarious. Also, her heroines are both flawed and generous. A lovely combo.
If a book is
set in London between 1920-1960, I’m totally a sucker. Barbara Pym’s “Excellent
Women” is a book I love to read again and again. Also, anything buy Murial
Sparks.
Sherri: Who or what inspires your writing?
Suzanne: Great writing inspires me. My fellow writers inspire me. Some mornings, a bowl of Apple Jacks inspires me (mostly because if I’m having breakfast, it means I’ve had ten minutes to myself, a luxury!).
Sherri: Setting is an important part of my stories, but I believe my stories are character-driven. How would you describe your stories, the mechanics?
Suzanne: I love settings. They provide so much atmosphere and texture to a book. Historical details also add a layer. And definitely the characters. My characters are flawed in ways we all are, and I write stories not where the characters necessarily defeat their flaws, but rather where they learn how to be better people through them. Does that make sense? I don’t want to write about people who become perfect, because none of us are. Rather, I want my characters to accept who they are, warts and all, and then learn and grow and cry to become connected.
Also, I
throw in some hot kissing.
Portrait of kissing couple
Sherri: You can never go wrong with a little hot kissing, no matter where the stories are set.
Give us a
little insight into you as a person and as a writer.
Suzanne: Errr, I sort of feel like I spilled my heart out to you already, Sherri! In real life, people mistake me for an extrovert because I’m chatty, but I’m actually an introvert. I like being alone (which is hard in my household!). But I am also a compulsive hugger. So if I ever get to meet you in a real café, expect an insane bear hug.
Thank you so
much for inviting me to your café! I have had a great time!!
Sherri: Ahh, that explains it, we’re a lot alike. I love people and I enjoy talking but sometimes I just want to go into my corner and be left alone. I’m also a hugger, so, we will definitely get along just fine. Come on to North Carolina and we’ll do this in person. I’ll even take you down to the creek that inspired my virtual café.
I’ve enjoyed
this chat and do hope to meet in person. Best of luck with your debut novel,
and I’m going on Amazon to order mine. I can’t wait to read it.
If you have
enjoyed this interview with Suzanne Tierney as much as I have, then follow her
on social media and don’t forget her book is available for pre-order.
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