The Story Behind the Story with Suzanne Casey of Moncton, NB, Canada.

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The Story Behind the Story with Suzanne Casey of Moncton, NB, Canada.

Oneof our most popular guests has a new book out. Suzanne is with us this weeksharing the SBTS of her novel.

Thisis not her first visit to the Scribbler and I invite you to take a peek fromour archives at her previous visit. Please go HERE.

Readon my friends.

In my office closet, I have binders upon binders of stories that Icreated during elementary school. I'vebeen writing since I was 9-10 years old. That passion has been burning in me for many decades. However, regular life got in the way. Marriage, raising two daughters, work, andother regular obligations came first.

When my parents died 6 weeks apart several years ago, I decided tostop finding excuses and follow my dream of becoming a novelist. Life was too short not to live it withcomplete passion. Surrounded by the loveand support of my family and longtime friends, I've never looked back.

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, loyal friend, andsupporter of the underdogs. I prefer oneon one lunch dates over large gatherings. I like making food for people, a trait I got from my mother. Spending time with my two daughtersrejuvenates me. Spending time with mygrandchildren is beyond precious. Spendingtime with my siblings feeds my soul.

Title BIRCH ISLAND And The Secrets It Held

Synopsis: Leo Clement makes theacquaintance of Peaches King whilestaying at Birch Island Resort. An oddfriendship ignites between the young reporter and the enigmatic owner of thequaint vacation spot.

Leo starts coming to the island every Tuesday for lunch and a gameof Scrabble with the eccentric octogenarian. He listens to Ms. King reminisce about her eventful past while nibblingon Neapolitan wafer cookies.

Peaches shares details about her upbringing, her schooling and hermarriage. However, the more she talks,the more questions Leo has, includingthe disappearance of several staff members.

Hired by Peaches' own daughter to uncover the truth, Leo goes on afact-finding mission that takes him from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts. By doing so, he uncovers more than heexpected.

The Story Behind The Story: Afew years ago, my husband and I took a road trip that included a ferry ridefrom Saint John, NB to Digby, NS. Ourplan was to follow the south coast up to Halifax. Getting off that ferry, we discovered thissurprise resort called Digby Pines, an older but majestic place I'd never heardof. Then two years ago, we took theferry again, this time following the opposite coastline. We also booked two nights at DigbyPines. Having instantly fallen in lovewith the charm of the place, especially the sitting rooms, I decided to usethis as the base of a book one day, not knowing it would become my very nextnovel as the fictitious Birch Island Resort.

As for the plot itself, I am part of the 67% of writers whosecharacters wake them up in the middle of the night to tell their stories. All three of my novels were written thatway. They will share their physicalattributes, or give me a paragraph, a sentence or a scene.

As far as composing the storyline, I always seem to know the beginning and theend of the story, including novel #4, which is in the works. Filling the 200+ pages in between is alwaysmy challenge. Those 2-3-4 o'clock wakeup chats with my characters eventually fill in the blanks.

I also love to put in personal stuff, people's names or events,that only people who know me personally will get. Things like Scrabble is one of my top 2games...Backgammon is the other. One ofmy friends has a very young grandson named Leo. And if one looks at my other novels, The Quilting Bee or DannyAnd MJ, my mother was an amazing quilter and the initials of my daughtersare M and J.

A couple of questions before you go, Suzanne.

Scribbler: What is theperfect setting when you write your stories?

Suzanne: To get inspired, I need atouch of nature. A drive following thecoast, a walk in a nature park, a few hours sitting in my hammock under the umbrella of mapletrees while watching yellow finches flutter around our bird feeder or laying inbed in our camper and hearing all the sounds of nature around me.

Once that part of my soul is fed, I go into my office (or camperkitchen table) and write in a completely silent house. Even when my children were young, I'd waituntil they were sleeping at night before digging out the typewriter while myhusband was working evenings.

Scribbler: We asked you this question before and wondering if anything changed. What's your favourite and leastfavourite part of publishing?

Suzanne: Idetested editing, but I'm getting better at it, and I trust my instincts withacquired experience. Now that I've founda graphic artist who's really good at editing, I let her do the very last roundfor me. But I'll still do between 10 and15 rounds myself, first.

So now, my least favourite part is waiting for the publishers'approval. And my favourite is receivingthe email saying it's been approved.

Excerpt from Birch Island

Susannah received burns to most of her body. Her screams echoed across the Halifaxharbour. Horrified by the sounds comingout of his mother's mouth, Finn ran away. He ran and ran until his legs gave out.

Then he hid.

For the next several months, the young lad continued thatpattern. He would run at night, thenhide during the day. Nobody really knewFinn Walsh existed, except the barmaid who helped deliver him. Not once had the boy ever stepped into aclassroom. His entire education had comefrom the streets.

And then, the fire incident changed everything. Finn Walsh never found out whatever happenedto his mother. As far as he knew,Susannah had perished in the fire and he was to blame for it. He was the one who had caused the lantern totip and light his mother's bed on fire.

Finn Walsh would never know that his mother had survived, thoughseverely scarred from the waist up. AndSusannah never went looking for her young bastard son. As far as she was concerned, that chapter inher life was finally over.

Thankyou for being our guest this week, Suzanne. We wish you continued success withyour stories.