SWEET MOUNTAIN MUSIC - Suzie Johnson - One Free Book

Welcome back, Suzie. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Because I love them! I feel so very blessed to be able to write the type of book I love reading.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

The day my son was born, most definitely!

How has being published changed your life?

It’s a very exciting time, and there’s never a dull moment because there are always deadlines.

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble, after having just finished Tidewater Inn – also by Colleen Coble.

I love Colleen Coble books. What is your current work in progress?

The first of a three-book project, A Fair to Remember is set in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Photographer Clara Lambert comes under suspicion as a possible accomplice, when someone shoots President McKinley. It will be a Fall 2015 release by WhiteFire Publishing.

I’d love to feature that book on this blog. What would be your dream vacation?

I would love to go skating under the Eiffel Tower, then ride a bike through the South of France before making my way to Tuscany. All of this would be topped off by a gondola ride in Venice, of course.

I’ve always wanted to visit France, because French was my second teaching field in college. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I don’t actually choose them. I usually just get an inkling, somehow. And when I do the germ of a story comes to life. For example, for Sweet Mountain Music, my husband and I used to take our son on road trips into the mountains. Something about staring out the window at the towering fir trees, pristine rivers, and the mountain peaks made Sweet Mountain Music come alive, and I knew I needed to set a book there.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

This might very well be the hardest question anyone has ever asked me. Why, Lena? Why did you ask me this? I can think of plenty of people who are no longer living that I’d like to spend an evening with. But other than my family and friends? You. Are. Tough. As a writer, I think it would be fascinating to spend time asking questions of Stephen King. Not because he’s famous. But because he’s very brilliant and I know he has a lot of wisdom to pass on to other writers.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Ha! You mean there’s something else? I really enjoy baseball, and riding roller coasters.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

For years, I tried to edit while I would write. I would get so frustrated because my brain doesn’t actually work that way. I just didn’t realize it. Now, to keep the creativity flowing, I have to either write on my AlphaSmart or on a tablet (the paper kind).

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t wait for inspiration because it’s fleeting. Once you have the germ of an idea, work to develop it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Sweet Mountain Music is set in the mountains of Northwest Washington in the late 1890s. My hero, Ben, is a scientist on the hunt for the legendary Sasquatch. Chloe is a reporter who wants to break the big story so she can show her father she’s just as capable a journalist as her brother.

My husband was just talking about Sasquatch earlier this week. Please give us the first page of the book.

Cedar Ridge, Washington

Cascade Mountains, 1896

“I think we should have him take off his shirt.” Several delighted oohs and aahs followed the sugary, yet authoritative voice drifting through the slightly opened window.

Standing below the window, Chloe Jane Williston recognized the voice of Trina Clark. From the sounds of it, every young woman in Cedar Ridge sat inside the town hall.

What could they possibly be up to in there? And why didn’t she know about it? There was a story in the making, she could tell; one that would hopefully sell more copies of The Cedar Ridge Reporter than usual. Chloe stretched up on the tips of her toes and tried to see through the crack. It was much too narrow. Disappointed, she scrubbed at the window’s filthy panes with the sleeve of her gray and white pinstriped shirtwaist.

Her only success came in dirtying her sleeve.

Chloe frowned and stood back to once again survey the window. She found a clearer spot higher up, but wasn’t tall enough to reach it.

Glory-be. If only she had something to stand on, she’d be able to see better.

Quickly, pulse jumping, Chloe looked around the wooded area surrounding the meeting hall. Nothing.

Scanning the early summer sky, dusty blue with traces of wispy clouds, she smiled. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be dark for a few more hours. It stayed light so much later here in Washington than it did back in Boston.

Kicking at a bed of last year’s pine needles, Chloe stubbed her toe on a partially buried rock. She stood back and sized it up. Boulder was more like it. It appeared wide enough for her to stand on and yet not so huge she wouldn’t be able to move it. It was worth a try.

At least the town of Cedar Ridge was good for something. There were plenty of rocks if nothing else. A deep breath filled her lungs with the rich sappy fragrance seeping from the surrounding trees. After prying, tugging, and then kicking at the rock, it finally broke free.

Blood-red worms squirmed forth when she rolled it over. An army of potato bugs scurried every which way. Chloe allowed herself to shudder just once, before kicking and rolling the rock toward the meeting hall.

Each direction she looked, snow-tipped mountains and lush fir trees rose to greet her. The Skykomish River, racing down from higher elevations, thundered in the background. Grudgingly, Chloe admitted to herself that Cedar Ridge was more than a pile of rubble and too many trees. The mountains were higher, the sky bluer, and the air headier than any place she’d ever lived.

More than once she’d tried to describe this place on paper, but failed. It wasn’t possible to put words to the majesty of her surroundings. Her father had chosen well when he’d moved the family this time.

Life would be almost perfect if only she had a friend or two. As for the almost part, she didn’t want to think about it right now.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.susandianejohnson.com

www.inkwellinspirations.com

           

Thank you so much for hosting me, Lena!

It is my pleasure, Suzie. My readers will love hearing about your book.

Readers, here is a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Sweet Mountain Music - Kindle

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