Interview Sue Thornton

by

Joel Goulet

When you write, do you concentrate upon one book at a time, or do you switch between writing several.

Unfortunately, I work on more than one at a time. Sometimes, the characters scream so loud I have to listen. Then there are times, when I can only write fast enough to keep up with the one. I try to follow the lead of the people in my books.

Tell us about your novel Clara’s Legacy.

Clara’s Legacy is the third book in The Dark Room series. My heroine was taken away from her family when she was thirteen and adopted by an older couple in Arizona. Now as a young adult, she has become a successful porcelain doll designer. Only everyone she loves and cares about are dying around her. Will the handsome Thane Tolliver help her discover the truth behind the murders and help her learn the truth about her real family?

What is your writing routine like? Do you write daily? Same time every day?

Yes, I write at the same time Monday through Friday. I write from 6:30 until 7:30 every morning and from 11:30 to 12:30 during my lunch break. I also try to squeeze in some time during the evenings and weekends. If the story is flowing well, I keep working.

What is your favorite genre?

My favorite genre is suspense, usually with some form of paranormal in it.

What do you like to read, and who are some of your favorite authors?

I read a lot of suspense, Mary Higgins Clark, Barbara Michaels, Janet Evanovich (which is a comedic suspense). I’ve also grown quite fond of Lizzie Starr’s romantic fantasy.

How can readers find out more about Sue Thornton?

They can look me up on Authors Den.com

How long have you been writing?

I’ve only been writing about six years.

If you could be, in real life, any character that you have created, who would it be?

This is a hard one. All of my heroines that I’ve created have a part of me in them. With Marni, in The Dark Room, it is the love of antiques, Kiri, from Baltimore Beauty--the wonder of creating beautiful quilts, Rani, in Serendipitous Rose--the art of helping Mother Nature create gardens, and with Nita, in Clara’s Legacy--turning a piece of greenware into a showpiece. I think the one I relate to most though is Kiri. We have a strong connection that has continued to keep us linked.

Is there any one person that inspires you the most?

My friend, Liz, keeps me in the competitive mode, where I continually have to compete against myself. Don’t tell her, but I compete against her, too. I’m only one book behind her in the publishing area, so she helps to keep me going. Other than that, there isn’t any one person who inspires me. I listen to the people around me, and I’ve used several of the stories they’ve shared with me. I have to thank them all for giving me ideas.

Can you tell us what your thoughts and feelings were when you first held your first published novel?

I thought, wow I did it, but it still doesn’t seem real. Maybe someday I’ll take the time to sit back and think about it. For now there are too many stories running around in my head.

What are your future writing plans? New projects?

I’ve got way too many ideas in my head. I try to write them down, so maybe I won’t forget them. Right now, the sequel to Baltimore Beauty is clamoring to finally be written. I’ve been thinking about it off and on now for a couple of years. As soon as I finish the book I’m working on and get the last one edited and sent in, maybe I’ll sit down and start telling Kiri’s story.