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CHRISTINA: In the winter of 2023, Austenprose blogger Laurel Ann Nattress mentioned to me that critically acclaimed author Susan Meissner had recently moved to my area in the Pacific Northwest. Not long after, I was walking through Costco, and there she was! I introduced myself, mentioned I had a book club, and asked if she would be interested in joining us. (I follow her on Facebook and knew she had a book releasing in the spring.) Surprised to be approached while shopping, the dear lady said to contact her with dates. In August, Susan joined my book club in my backyard garden to discuss her latest historical fiction novel, Only the Beautiful.
She was friendly and super gracious with her time and answered so many of our questions. Later, we also read her A Fall of Marigolds, which was one of my favorite books of 2023.
I'm thrilled to feature her and talk about her latest book, A Map to Paradise, and all the bookish things.
Do you listen to music while writing? Do you make up Playlists for your books?
SUSAN: I require silence when I write. I always have. Some historical writer friends of mine will curate a playlist that corresponds to the era and geography of their work-in-progress, but I tried that and it didn’t work for me. When I’m writing, I don’t want to hear anything other than maybe birdsong or falling rain or gentle surf.
CHRISTINA: Gosh, I totally agree. I need total quiet to be alone with my thoughts. I tell people that if they talk to me while I am reading or writing, it's very likely I didn't hear a thing.
What comes first: plot or characters?
SUSAN: Since migrating to historical fiction genre, I find that the plot appeals to me first. I land on the historical backdrop that my characters will operate within. and then the right people to put into the story. Once I find the right characters, however, it becomes a character-driven story. I found my lane with historical fiction with my tenth novel, The Shape of Mercy. I had been writing contemporaries and mysteries up till then. But when I wrote that one, I felt like I found my sweet spot. I’ve been writing historical fiction or dual timeline historical fiction ever since.
CHRISTINA: That's my favorite to read too. Historical fiction and dual timelines.
Tell me about your current project, your latest release?
SUSAN: My newest book, A Map to Paradise is set in Malibu in 1956 at the height of The Cold War. The story revolves around a blacklisted Hollywood starlet, a Displaced Person from Eastern Europe, and a widow caring for her agoraphobic brother-in-law who all have only thing in common aside from all residing on the same cul-de-sac: a desperate longing to reclaim a sense of belonging. Despite their many differences, they form a fragile alliance on the eve of a devastating wildfire just as one of them faces an impossible situation. This is a novel that explores all that makes us long for our own bit of Paradise—that one place where we feel completely safe and at rest—and what we are willing to do to get it back when we’ve lost it.
CHRISTINA: What a fascinating read. Loved celebrating its book birthday at the Lynden Library on release day last week, too. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A and learning more about your writing process and the inspiration for the characters and themes in A Map to Paradise.
What do you think makes a good story?
SUSAN: For me, the best novels always give me characters I care about who are on a quest that I can believe in, who face an opposing force that is relatable and reasonable, and always, a resolution that satisfies me.
CHRISTINA: I loved learning at your book launch that you give your characters the Enneagram test, to better understand your characters and how they might react in certain situations.
Best advice for new writers:
SUSAN: I understand better now than I did at the beginning of this gig that novel writing is an art form like all the other art forms; I’m creating something out of nothing, just like other artists do, and like all art it's a very subjective thing. Not all artistic expressions appeal to people equally. I can't please every kind of reader with my books; I can only please the reader who enjoys the same kind of books that I do. And that's okay. I don't need to please every reader, and I can't anyway. I need to write for the readers who want to read what I have to say. They are out there. We just need to find each other.
CHRISTINA: Gosh, how that resonates. And that's how I feel about querying agent representation. The one is out there. We just need to find each other.
What are you reading now?
SUSAN: I just finished Elise Hooper’s The Library of Lost Dollhouses which comes out in April (she did an amazing job with it) and am now onto Let’s Call Her Barbie by my good friend and fellow historical fiction Berkley author, Renee Rosen. She has given us the story of Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll, and she tells us in story form all the hoops Ruth had to jump through to make it happen.
CHRISTINA: Oh good! More books to suggest to my book club. Thanks for the recommendations.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
SUSAN: I’d want to have a bookstore pie shop. But I would need amazing people alongside me because I wouldn’t want to do any of the business side of things—like, none of it—and I also make terrible pie crust (and I would insist on homemade crusts) so I would need a pie-savant taking care of that end. I would be good at buying the books, and displaying the books, and talking about the books.
CHRISTINA: Excellent! Sounds like my kind of place.
Favorite contemporary author:
SUSAN: I can only answer this question by giving you three names because I have three absolute favorites. These are all authors who, if they write a book, I will buy it. I don’t even need to know what it’s about. They are Geraldine Brooks (she wrote, among other things, Horse and Year of Wonders), Kate Morton (my favorite of hers is The Secret Keeper), and Ann Patchett (loved Bel Canto and The Dutch House).
CHRISTINA: Excellent choices. I love when I pick up a book and know, because of the author, it's going to be my kind of read. I am so glad I found you!
Thank you, Susan, for taking the time to answer my nosey questions. I wish you the best of luck on the release of A Map to Paradise, and maybe you will find some time to meet with my book club again this coming summer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Meissner is the critically acclaimed author of 27 novels for adults and two children’s books. Her engaging novels feature memorable characters facing unique and complex circumstances, often against a backdrop of historical significance. A multi-award-winning author, her books have earned starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. More than a million of her books are in the hands of readers worldwide.
She was born and raised in San Diego, California, but spent some of her adult life living in Minnesota as well as in England and Germany, before returning home to southern California in 2007. Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Prior to her writing career, she was a managing editor of a weekly newspaper in southwestern Minnesota. She enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, reading great books and traveling. Susan now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Bob (a retired chaplain in the Air Force Reserves) and their yellow lab, Winston. You. An connect with Susan via her website and social media.
