Author Interview: Suzie Tullett

Author Interview: Suzie Tullett

Today I am pleased to welcome Suzie Tullett on to the blog with a quick interview! I found all of her answers fascination so I hope you do too!

Q&A

What is your favourite thing about writing books?
Oooh, what an interesting question. I’ve often been asked about my favourite thing as a writer, but never about what I actually write before.

One of the things I love about writing books is the fact that I get to meet lots of interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds. I experience their trials and tribulations as they attempt to overcome challenges both emotional and physical. These people are imaginary, of course, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. They might start out as characters, but after spending day after day with them they soon take on an air of realism.

Who is your favourite character in your book and why?
My favourite character is Dan’s mother, a secondary character, from my novel The Trouble with Words. She has such a positive outlook on life, no matter what it throws her way. And believe me, she’s dealt one hell of blow. I’m not sure I’d cope in the dignified, affirmative way that she does.

What is your favourite drink to consume while writing?
Coffee. And lots of it.

Do you have any bad habits while you’re writing?
Drinking too much coffee.

How do you research your books?
If a book is set in a certain location, I’ll make sure to visit. For me, it’s important to get a real sense of a place, both in its physicality and atmosphere. If I need to know about a particular profession I’ll talk to experts in that field and if I’m writing about an experience I haven’t gone through, I’ll talk to someone who has. I’m constantly grateful to those who’re willing to share their stories so that I can tell mine. Never more so than when I was writing Dan’s story in The Trouble with Words.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m definitely a plotter. Just the thought of writing by the seat of my pants makes me twitch, I’d probably be forever writing myself into a corner.

If you could live in any fictional world, which would you choose and why?
I absolutely adore Agatha Christie and I love the sense of grandeur that her books evoke. From the fashion of the time, to the manor houses in which many of her books are set, to the formal dining experiences her characters enjoy… I mean who wouldn’t love a trip on the Orient Express? Murder and mayhem aside, now that’s a world I’d love to experience.

If you could befriend any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
Miss Marple. She’s as fascinating in what we do know about her, as she is in what we don’t.

About the Book

Annabel is desperate to have a baby – there’s just one problem. She’s single and after losing her husband in a hit and run accident, she’s just not ready for another relationship.

Dan is on the hunt for the perfect woman but when his mother drops a bombshell, he starts to feel the pressure.

When Dan and Annabel’s worlds collide, both start to think that maybe they’ve found the solution to their problems. But things are about to get messy.

Can Dan and Annabel get what they want?

Both will soon find out that the trouble with words is finding the right thing to say.

About the Author

Suzie Tullett is an author of contemporary women’s fiction and romantic comedy. Her novels include Going Underground, Little White Lies and Butterflies, which was short-listed for The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize, and The Trouble with Words, a tale about love, loss, and moving on. She has a Masters Degree in Television and Radio Scriptwriting and worked as a scriptwriter before becoming a full-time novelist. She lives in a tiny hamlet in the middle of the French countryside, along with her husband and two Greek rescue dogs and when she’s not busy creating her own literary masterpieces, she usually has her head in someone else’s.

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Would you want to live in Agatha Christie’s ficitonal worlds?