Interview Sue Thornton

by

Fran Keighley

I’m proud to interview fellow-author Sue Thornton. Sue, I anticipate reading SERENDIPITOUS ROSE. I love that title. Will you tell us a little about it?

The book Serendipitous Rose is the second book in the The Dark Room series. This book deals with finding the sister, Rose. One day while I was sitting at work (dreaming about being home writing, of course), a voice whispered the word Serendipitous into my head. I did not recall ever hearing the word, therefore, not sure it was truly a word, I looked it up in the dictionary, and found to my surprise the word means: “the faculty for making desirable discoveries by accident.(Webster’s Dictionary) This fit quite well into my story, hence the name, Serendipitous Rose, was born.

I have discovered that I always need to listen to the voices.

Do you have a favorite locale or setting for your novels? What is it and why is it your favorite?

I have an atlas on my bookshelf that, whenever I am writing a new story, I pick a state and look through it until I find a name of a town that I’m drawn to. I would love to travel to these places just to see if they even come close to what I’ve imagined them to be in my books.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Serendipitous Rose is the third to be published. I have written three others prior to this that I hope to someday go back and polish for submission. I have to say that Baltimore Beauty is my favorite. It was the hardest to write, but there was definitely something psychic going on with me at the time I wrote it. The dream that started the book has a very deep meaning to me.

What is your favorite book by other authors?

I have so many, but I do enjoy reading books by our own *lizzie starr.

What inspired SERENDIPITOUS ROSE?

Serendipitous Rose is a continuation of The Dark Room, wings-press.com, February 2002. Baltimore Beauty also has one of the characters from The Dark Room, who also appears in Serendipitous Rose. I have to tell the stories of the five sisters, and Rose is one of them.

I always let the characters tell me how the story is going to go. I never know the ending until it is shown to me. I give them the lead, because they will stop talking to me if I try to force them into doing what I want. I can’t really say that anything really inspired the story.

If you sell the movie rights, who would you want to star as the heroine and the hero in SERENDIPITOUS ROSE? 

Ashley Judd would have to play Rani and William Moses for Devin.

What would you do with the money from the movie sale?

I have discovered I enjoy traveling, so therefore, I would like to see the places in my books, and future books. Of course, quitting my full time job would be a necessity.

Since The Dark Room series delves into the abuse children are dealt by family members, loved ones, or even strangers, I think a donation to the Voices of the Children would be appropriate.

Are there any ways your heroine is like you? Are there ways you wish you were like her? Or glad you aren’t?

I love to garden, especially antique roses, and old homes. I think a little bit of me comes through in each of my heroines. One may quilt, one may bake, or garden, but they all live in old homes--usually Victorian--and they all love antiques. The love of music is also another similarity between the heroines and me.

Of course, I wish I was thin like all of my heroines <LOL> and gorgeous. I love working in the yard and garden, but unfortunately since I also work a full time job besides writing, I don’t have the time to enjoy it,

I am thankful that I do not have to be afraid of the people around me. To go through life constantly looking over my shoulder, terrified of my own shadow would be the end of me before I could get to the point in life Rani does.

When you want to pamper yourself, what do you do?

After getting my nails done, and a little window-shopping, curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate under a quilt is heaven. Another wonderful treat for myself is to go to the local Office supply store and treat myself to pens and paper. There can never be too many pens or pads of paper.

What ambitions are still unrealized?

I think a dream of mine is to still see one of my books on a shelf in a bookstore. Now thanks to Walden Books, maybe that dream can be fulfilled. Wings-press is a growing publisher, and dreams do come true.

Of course, I’m still looking for that real life hero to appear. <LOL>

I’ve enjoyed this chat with Sue, and am sure you have, too. Do click on SERENDIPITOUS ROSE and order it right away. You’ll be glad you did.