SKC:   We are anxious to hear about your newest project, but first will you tell us about your first project in comparison to the one you are working on now?

SF: Copper Fire is the sequel to Copper Star, picking right up at the very end of World War II. My main character, Louisa, receives a telegram from the International Red Cross Tracing Service. In it, she discovers that her cousin, Elisabeth, has just been released from Dachau, a concentration camp. Louisa is determined to go to Germany to get Elisabeth…and that’s where the story begins.  

SKC: Now. Please tell us all about what you are working on these days.

SF: In late August, Grit from the Oyster: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers, will be released from Vintage Spirit. I wrote Grit with three other very talented authors.

And another piece of great news! I just received a contract from Fleming/Revell for a non-fiction book called Amish Peace in an English Life. It won’t be out until 2010…but it is taking up 90% of my brain right now.

SKC:   That is awesome, Suzanne! Congratulations!  I wish you the best in that and my prayers go with you. What else inspires you to keep going?

SF: This is an industry in which “no one is looking for you.”

SKC: I have to say AMEN to that!

SF: Behind every published piece, a writer has a fat file of rejection letters. But, ah, there’s just something about that published piece that makes up for that rejection file!

SKC:   When did you know writing books would become the passion your heart?    

SF: It’s not really about books…it’s about writing. I just love it.

SKC:   Me too, Suzanne.  You know, starting and ending a book is often the most difficult, for many writers.  Describe how you might begin and end your story.

SF: I have found that writing a book is much like oil painting. The basics get down on paper, and then I can come back to add detail, texture, shadowing, and correct mistakes (which is why I parallel writing a book to oil painting, not to water colors. You can’t make mistakes with water colors!).

SKC:   That's a great way to describe it!  What do you believe is the KEY to writing a good book?

SF: Editing!

SKC: Ah! Yes, Editing!

SF: Even if it’s just incorporating feedback from a kind friend who is willing to read the first draft of a manuscript. Being willing to listen, make adjustments and improvements, cut parts out, go back to the drawing board, etc.,…that’s how a book becomes publish-worthy. I’ve always said, “Even editors need editors.” 

SKC:   Both you and I write for a smaller publisher. What is the advantage of writing for a smaller publisher that you would recommend to a new writer coming into the field?

SF: I am so glad I started “small.” There is a steep learning curve to book publishing and promotion! I have learned a great deal, and I might not have learned as much had I been at a bigger publishing house. Actually, I might still be waiting to breakthrough! Also, I had the good fortune of earning the bestseller status for Vintage for a couple of quarters. And then I just received three literary awards from a review site that is strictly for small publishers. All of those triumphs have been so encouraging.

SKC:   Suzanne, how do you schedule your daily writing time so that it does not interfere with your family time and your time with God?

SF: That’s a constant battle! Sometimes, even if I’m with others, my mind can be a million miles away, mentally writing. I really wish I could have two mornings to each and every day...and skip the late afternoon when I’m not as productive. Keeping a balance is important. I know the Lord wants us to be careful we don’t turn writing into a golden calf. It’s a wonderful passion, but it shouldn’t be a substitute for more important things.