This week was the first week of classes at Purdue AND Acfw board meetings and conference in St. Louis. I also had Art of Deception release Tuesday in the Come What May suspense collection. To say it’s a bit of a blur is an understatement.
It’s also been filling for my soul.
I love teaching. And I love writing and being with my writing friends. But I’m also tired. So today I thought I’d share a bit about why I write what I write. Part of this comes from an interview that I just did for the book that releases next month — have I mentioned it’s an intense season right now? 🙂
People often ask why I write suspense. There are days if I’m honest that I wish I wrote straight romance since that seems to sell better. But my mind isn’t wired that way.
My mind moves fast, so I like to read books that have layers and twists and turns. I think that’s why I like to write those too. That’s been my approach from the earliest days I could read Trixie Beldon, Encyclopedia Brown, and Nancy Drew. Even Cherry Ames solved mysteries. So when I started writing, I knew many of my books would have mystery and/or layers of suspense. My World War II novels have varying degrees – it really depends on the book. I’d say this one has a layer of mystery alongside a layer of romance and a layer of history. It was so much fun to write, and I truly hope readers enjoy stepping back in time with characters that they can love.
Because I write in two genres, people often ask if one comes easier. The answer is it depends.
I didn’t set out to write historical, but I’ve always loved history, so it was natural to find myself writing novels set during World War II. There are so many inspiring true stories that we don’t know about if they aren’t encase in a novel. It also make those books challenging to write, because I know the average fiction reader won’t read the stack of nonfiction books I did to fact check and see what I got right or wrong. That means I really want to make sure I got it right so people can learn the history while enjoying a great story.
Contemporary novels can be easier to write, because they often don’t require the level of detailed research. However, I find I’m often embedding an issue of some sort in the story, which ends up requiring copious amounts of research. The saving grace in that situation is that I don’t have to research the day to day life details. Instead, I’m researching car-T Cells or legal details like the statute of limitations on an alleged crime.
But when I’m in the flow of the story, both come naturally.
For fun, here are some early reader comments on the novels in Come What May …
And here’s a look at two of the cover choices for the re-release of Shadowed by Grace. This novel won a major award and placed in a second when it came out. Since I now have my rights to it and it focuses on the Monuments Men like my novella that releases in September, I’m working to rerelease it this fall. Part of that process is working with a cover designer for a fresh cover. I love the direction Suzanne went. Which of these is your favorite?
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I would go with „that“ 🙂
I like the clarity of the second option, but with the word “Shadowed” in the title, perhaps the first option is the better choice.
Agree. That.
I choose ‘that’ (the one without the motorcycle).
I like the bolder colors of the one on the right.
The cover on the right
I like the one on the right better. Happy “back to school!” You are very very busy!
I like “that”, the one on the right.
I like “that” because it is clearer and bolder.