An Interview With Sue Thornton

By Cheryl Norman

1. The Dark Room is billed as general fiction suspense. What inspired you to write this story?

I am not really able to explain why I wrote this story. I work in Juvenile Court, and at the time I wrote this story, I was having to read every neglect and abuse file that was currently open, for federal statistics. I was appalled at some of the things I read, and, I think, this was the way I could work through the horror and frustration.

2. How do you manage your writing time around your life?

There are some days that I don't. I am a single mother, of a teenage son, who is never home, so I use my evenings and weekends to write. There are times that life interferes with the process, but usually those are quality times I get to spend with my children. Early in the morning, and my lunch hours are used productively to write, or edit my work.

3. What author[s] do you look to as a role model and inspiration?

I grew up on Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, and Mary Higgins Clark. But right now, I have to say that Cheryl St. John and *lizzie starr have motivated me, along with several other of my writing friends from Romance Authors of the Heartland.

4. What's the best career advice you ever received?

Don't give up.

5. What are you writing next?

I am currently working on the fourth book of The Dark Room series, WHISPERS IN THE RAIN. I just finished a book, PROMISES BROKEN, that is not in the series, but another romantic suspense.

6. What advice would you pass along at this point in your career?

I would just have to tell anyone that is thinking about writing, do it. Just sit down and write whatever is on your mind. The more you write, the better you get. If you are writing a story, make sure you do the research, if there is any needed. Listen to other writers around you, you never know what you might pick up from 'the pros'.