Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Suanne Laqueur and I live outside New York City with my husband and two children. I’ve been a writer all my life but have only just published my first novel, “The Man I Love.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Man I Love” is my first novel, hopefully not my last. I had the cast of characters in my head since I was in college and I treated them rather like literary paper dolls. Just writing little scenes for them. My own personalized fan-fiction universe. It was only recently that an idea for a storyline emerged. Someone from my past came back to put things right. We had left each other to the point of total disconnection. Things had gone unsaid, business unfinished, amends unmade for 20 years. I had no idea the emotional impact it was going to make. I had no idea I had been waiting for this to happen. I needed to channel the onslaught of feeling and that was how “The Man I Love” was born. It’s a novel about reconciling with the past so that your un-grieved grief doesn’t forever shape you as an adult.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t just start from the beginning and write. I start in the middle and work out, or at the ends and work in. I write what comes to mind first—I quickly capture the snippet of dialogue or bit of physical description before it leaves me. I’m constantly throwing moments onto the paper. And as these moments pile up into pages, I start to see an arc, or a means to thread them together.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I read Rumor Godden’s “In This House of Brede,” I was amazed at how she was able to create well over two dozen characters and make each one unique and vibrant and alive. And I loved her attention to detail when it came to settings and surroundings.
Laurie Colwin’s “Family Happiness” blew me away with its thoughtfulness and depth of emotion regarding a sort of taboo subject—this very ordinary woman found herself having a love affair and struggling with emotions she didn’t have names for. I found myself thinking, “I want to write this way. Make ordinary people extraordinary. Take extraordinary circumstances and show how ordinary and universal they really are.”
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a short story called “My Funny Valentine” about a young widow giving herself permission to have a lover. And I’m working on a sequel to “The Man I Love” which will combine Erik Fiskare’s ancestry with his future narrative. It’s going in some interesting directions and to some fascinating places, from the St. Lawrence seaway to a Finnish utopian colony in Brazil. I’m excited to follow the threads and see where they lead.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I found creating a Pinterest board for “The Man I Love” was an incredible marketing tool. People are highly visual and having pictures of key locations and objects and the like, gave them a unique experience to dive deeper into the book and its imagery.
Linking all your social media accounts together is critical. As is remembering to be a PERSON as you network, and not just “read my book, read my book.” You must connect with people before they will become interested in your story.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Once published, network with other indie authors and help each other out. Tweet and share for each other. Swap reviews. Every mention counts. Every time you step outside your door is an opportunity to talk about your book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an editor. You owe it to yourself and your future readers to make your story the best it can be. Invest the time and money in honing your manuscript to perfection.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading “Middlemarch” by George Eliot for a book club. I wish it were going better but (sigh) it’s not.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue connecting with the following I’ve established with “The Man I Love” by blogging and sharing my writing and artwork. And I want to add another title to my author page sometime in 2015.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“In This House of Brede,” by Rumor Godden
“Family Happiness,” by Laurie Colwin
“His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman
Author Websites and Profiles
Suanne Laqueur Website
Suanne Laqueur Amazon Profile
Suanne Laqueur’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account