An Interview with Suzie Waltner

Today I'm priviledged to showcase one of our own authors, Suzie Waltner. Suzie and I "met" online through the ACFW Scribes critique group. We then went on to form our own small group and have been friends and crit buddies every since. I finally got to meet Suzie in person last September at the 2022 ACFW conference. She's an amazing person, and an equally amazing author. But enough from me. Let's hear from her.

LBL: Let’s start with a little non-writing trivia about you. Which do you prefer?

a. For your physical location, a country or an urban setting?

SW: Urban. I always lived in small, rural towns. I didn’t realize how much of a city girl I was until I moved to Nashville and realized all a big city has to offer. I’m in no rush to return to small-town living.

b. Sweet or salty snacks?

SW: Both? I love the sweet and salty combo. Sometimes when I make popcorn, I’ll add either M&Ms or chocolate chips just to add that sweet element.

c. For your personal enjoyment, paper, digital, or audio books?

SW: I’ve become a big audio book listener over the past few years. I probably “read” most of my books that way. And while I love having the print book on my bookshelves, I tend to actually read most books digitally because I can increase the font size and don’t have to wear my reading glasses.

d. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

SW: While I wouldn’t say I’m either, I probably lean more toward night owl. It’s easier for me to stay up late than get up early.

e. I know the answer to this one, but for our readers, pets or no pets?

SW: Pets, definitely. Piper is my tabby cat reading and writing companion, but I admit I leave her alone about once a month while I go dog sit for a handful of friends. In my opinion, this is the best of both worlds because I get my dog fix without the many responsibilities then I come home to a kitty who is ready to cuddle for a couple of hours.

Piper

LBL: When not reading or writing, what do you like to do?

SW: Oh, goodness, with three book releases in 2023, I feel like all I’m doing is reading and writing. But that’s not 100% of my life. I enjoy dinners out with friends, and I’m also involved in two Bible studies right now.

LBL: Tell us a little about your family.

SW: I’m a single gal, so I don’t have any family living with me. My immediate family is 2000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest. I am the oldest of three (I have a brother and a sister). Fun fact: my sister and brother got engaged on the same evening, and they had a double wedding. The first bride walked down the aisle, the music changed, and two ushers came and picked up the flower girl and carried her back to the entrance of the sanctuary with the ring bearer following to reset for the next bride. I also have three nieces and a nephew ranging from ages 19 to 22.

LBL:What inspired you to become a writer? Were there any books or authors that were particularly instrumental in this vocational choice?

SW:My journey to becoming an author is not the usual story you hear where someone knew from an early age that they wanted to be a writer. Sure, I enjoyed my writing classes in college and English was my favorite subject in college, but I wanted to edit books, not write them. But as it often does, life took me on a completely different course and I don’t edit books, either.

It was actually NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) that got me interested in writing. For a few years I’d see people talking about it online but it was usually mid-to-end of November before I’d come across one of those posts. Then, one year, one of my coworkers posted about it in October and I mentioned I’d always wanted to try it. She encouraged me to do it, so I did. And I discovered how much I enjoyed writing and how many stories I had in me.

LBL: What is your primary genre, and why did you choose it?

SW: I write contemporary romance. There are a few reasons why I love writing in this genre. First, these are my favorite stories to read. I enjoy the fact that if these characters weren’t fictional, they’d maybe be my neighbors and friends. Two, as a single woman, this is my way of living many vicarious romances. And on the practical side of things, contemporary romance involves much less research than historical and I’m not creative enough to imagine entire worlds in the Fantasy/speculative genre.

LBL: How many books do you have published? Do you have a favorite?

SW: I’ve published six (seven later this month with the release of Red Velvet on Sept 19). The first five books were independently published before I knew all of the writing rules that were out there. Once I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and started studying the craft of writing, I realized I had a lot to learn and took a five-year break to hone my skills. In 2022, my first book with Anaiah Press was released. My favorite (thus far) is probably Midnight Blue this was a story that I wrote before that long break from writing and when I came back to it, it took a lot of work to get it to the story that’s out there now. But every tweak and edit and rewrite was worth it because I love the final story.

LBL: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

SW: I’m one of those rare writers who pens their first draft longhand. There’s something about putting pen to paper that helps my thought process flow even if I have to backtrack a little. However, when I wrote Yellow Roses, I was under deadline and ended up only writing about half of it longhand before I resorted to the computer. That seemed to work well since I already had a strong start. And I am 100% a pantser. I usually know where the story is starting and where I want it to go and maybe an idea or two of what needs to happen in the middle but that’s it for plotting. The few times I’ve tried to plot, I get a chapter or two in and the story takes off on its own, anyway.

LBL: Care to share a picture of your writing space?

The library room where Suzie does a good deal of her writing.

The view outside.