I discovered Terry Deary's Horrible Histories series during our second visit to Scotland - I found several titles in a castle bookshop. Both my children have read the entire series ... and I have kept the books as keepsakes. It is noteworthy that the Victorians have two books ...
... enter Susanna Ives, who writes Victorian Romances with vile and villainous characters. Yet she delivers a humorous mystery with WICKED LITTLE SECRETS. Susanna joins us today for a cozy chat....
Kim: I am envious of your European Travel. Where did you take the picture (in front of a moated castle) on your blog (link)? Can you share an unusual experience in visiting these old world countries?
Susanna: That picture was taken in front of a castle in Belgium or the Netherlands. I don’t remember much except that fabulous moat, which inspired me to fantasize a dark medieval romance between a Templar knight and peasant girl. It couldn’t have been a very good romantic daydream because I’m lousy at medieval history, and I don’t think the castle was that old.
One of my favorite memories of travelling was taking my son to Notre Dame. He was just a baby, so small that I still carried him in my arms. I believe it was Palm Sunday and a service was taking place. My son was so delighted to hear his voice echoing in the high ceilings that he kept singing out “Ba, ba, ba” and then giggling. We had to leave because we were creating such a loud “joyful noise.”
I think the most amazing experience I had was visiting the Keukenhoff in the Netherlands. It literally means kitchen garden. My husband and I really didn’t know what we were getting into when we drove into the massive parking lot in a field. We had just heard that the Keukenhoff was an interesting destination. In fact, it’s one of the most visited places in Europe. Inside the garden, I was overwhelmed, stunned, and awed by the beauty. Millions (seven million according to Wikipedia) of colorful tulips were planted in gorgeous designs about the lush gardens. I lost track of time, wandering along the paths, my brain lit up with inspiration. I haven’t found a picture that can do the gardens justice because the lens reduces the experience, but here is a video link.
Kim: Who taught you to cook "mean Southern butter beans"? What do you recommend to serve with them for an entree, dessert, and wine?
Susanna: I believe butter beans are more of a comfort food. I follow my mom’s recipe: chicken broth, salt, butter beans, all cooked for an hour or so.
They are best served along with some other Southern greats: juicy summer tomatoes fried chicken, sweet tea, and blackberry cobbler for dessert.
Kim: What prompted you, a web developer/goddess, to jump into romance publishing?
Susanna: Ha! I don’t think I jumped into publishing. I would say I waded in over my head, got caught in an undertow, and taken far out to sea.
I don’t do much web work anymore except to play about on my Wordpress website. My skills are quite obsolete now.
I’ve always had stories circling in my head. It’s just the way my brain is wired. Unfortunately, I struggled with composition and grammar throughout high school and college. I avoided English classes like the plague. My papers looked like the teacher’s red ink pen had exploded on the page. I always thought it was a pity that I constantly had my own cinema playing in my head, but no way to get the stories out. Then, at home with small children, a husband constantly travelling, and no frowning English teacher about to mark up my work, I began writing as a creative outlet. The universe came forward and supplied me with kind teachers, mentors, and wonderful writing friends.
Kim: Tell us about WICKED LITTLE SECRETS - what inspired it?
Susanna: The book was born from a single paragraph about a very disapproving, straight-laced character named Aunt Gertrude, who was conducting a Methodist Bible study in her parlor. I sent it to one of my dearest writer friends who loved it and encouraged me to continue. So I added a heroine, Vivienne Taylor, who was struggling against her vivacious and curious personality to live up to the meek, angelic ideal of Victorian womanhood. Running counter to Vivienne’s goodness was Aunt Gertrude’s neighbor, Lord Dashiell, a world traveler and rake. I doused the plot with juicy secrets and set Vivienne and Dashiell loose.
What grew from that original paragraph was a wild Victorian farce that was chock-full of secret lovers, seedy characters, blackmail, lewd art, and those crazy Victorian medicines.
Kim: What's next for Susanna Ives?
Susanna: I just keep writing and hope that the road rises to meet me.
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Thomas Webster's A VILLAGE CHOIR
Public Domain (link) |
Mahalo, Susanna, for expanding that single paragraph into a full lenghth book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I posted my five star review of WICKED LITTLE SECRETS on Amazon (link) and Goodreads (link). Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of WICKED LITTLE SECETS to one randomly selected commenter. To enter,
1. Leave a comment about any children's books you still have on your shelf.
2. Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, December 7, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 8.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
To learn more about Susanna and her books, check out her website at susannaives.com.
