AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
Thank you for joining us today, Susan! Tell me, what got you interested in
writing and in your particular genre?
I’ve been reading books since I was
four years old and always dreamed of writing a book, but as Life happened it
took me many years to get serious about it. As a high school principal I had no
time to write for pleasure, so my first book, Genesis Beach, did not publish
until 2007. When I had time to read anything other than academic articles, I
picked up James Patterson’s Alex Cross series and was instantly hooked on
mystery.
Do you develop the plot or the
characters first? Are you a plotter or pantser?
I usually have the plot rolling
around in my head for months before I start putting pen to paper. Of course
with the Logan Hunter series my main character is my female protagonist. I’m
basically a pantster first and once I’ve got the “bones” of the novel down, I
plot to add the flesh.
Who is your favorite character
and why?
In the mystery series I’d have to
say I really like Logan Hunter. In my women’s fiction, Slightly Cracked, I had
a ball with both Daisy Marie Hazelhurst and Sugar Babe Beanblossom.
What is your most favorite plot
of all your books?
Boy, that’s difficult to answer. I
guess I favor Hell Swamp’s plot most since I went back to my childhood home and
set that novel at The Black River Plantation in deer country where hunters
quickly became the suspects.
The inspiration for Hell Swamp came from an ugly letter an animal rights activist wrote to a young hunter in our area. He'd had his picture in the paper with his deer and she found out his home address. It was a horrible letter, calling him a killer. I decided to write a novel around that true story.
The inspiration for Hell Swamp came from an ugly letter an animal rights activist wrote to a young hunter in our area. He'd had his picture in the paper with his deer and she found out his home address. It was a horrible letter, calling him a killer. I decided to write a novel around that true story.
What are you working on next?
I am currently writing the fifth
Logan Hunter mystery, set in Beaufort.
What do you want readers to
know about you?
I’m a North Carolina native and set
all my books somewhere in the state. After all, we have the ocean, the
mountains, and many beautiful lakes, rivers, ponds in between. North Carolina
also has plenty of diversity in customs and dialects. You can learn more at www.susanwhitfieldonline.com I also blog at www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com
Thanks for inviting me to the blog.
I’ve enjoyed it very much!
In Slightly Cracked, Sugar Babe Beanblossom and best pal, Daisy Marie
Hazelhurst, have been buddies since they were born two weeks to the day apart.
Living near each other, they share happy and sad memories, outrageous antics
and giggles, and marital and health glitches. The only thing that threatens
their lifelong friendship is the Old Dickeywood subdivision goose controversy.
When Daisy takes a
nasty spill on her bike, Sugar Babe races to her side. After two trips to the
ER, Daisy is diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and tests reveal an even
more sinister affliction. As Daisy weakens, Sugar Babe embraces the realization
that friends must encourage and protect one another through difficult
circumstances, and …
“Driving Miss Daisy” takes on a whole new
meaning.
AN EXCERPT
Sadie walked into the office with
a trash can liner, slammed on brakes and pointed
toward the ceiling. “Sn … s … ”
“For Heaven’s sake, Sadie, quit
stuttering. What on earth’s wrong? What is it?”
The maid’s eyes filled with tears
and she began to gurgle, still pointing behind Mackie Sue. The principal stood and
followed her maid’s shaking finger to the corn snake dangling from a ceiling
tile in the office corner behind her executive chair.
“Holy Mother!” Mackie Sue
snatched her long umbrella from its ceramic stand and yanked the snake out of
the ceiling crack with its hooked wooden handle. Once she had the reptile on
the floor, she pulverized it into filet mignon. Breathless, she turned back to where the maid
had stood seconds ago, but found only empty space and a leftover hint of fear.
“I’ve never seen that in all my natural born days,” she said aloud as Mrs.
Palmer ran into the office.
“Where’s my snake?”
You can learn more about Susan Whitfield at www.susanwhitfieldonline.com
She also blogs at www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com
