1. Hi Susie! Welcome to Just Commonly! Let's start off with something fun. What's one funky thing about you that not many people know about? (Me, I scoop out all the yummy custard inside a tart first, and then tackle the crust, also with a spoon.)

Thanks for having me! I’m honored to be here. As for something funky about me? Well, for starters… I cannot snap my fingers. Everyone I’ve ever told has tried to teach me, to no avail. It just sounds dull and unimpressive! 

I was raised to be a Pepsi Girl, but to be honest, I don’t drink much soda anymore.

 I like both, but I’ve cut way down on coffee the past few years. I love tea, and brewing a pot of loose leaf tea is a fun way to make a meal or even a tea break special. My favorite blends are inspired by Jane Austen characters and come from Bingley’s Teas. 

Both are fantastic, but my mom is allergic to cats, so I never had one and never can…not if we still want Grandma to visit.

Candles. I used to be a representative for a home-based scented candle business. It was a way to make some extra money but also feed my candle addiction. I still have several shelves worth of scented candles. I don’t need any more. But every once in a while… I can’t resist.

I just turned in a round of edits on my second Regency, coming out in early 2018 from Love Inspired Historical (title to be announced). The heroine first made an appearance in my February Regency, The Reluctant Guardian. She’s the daughter of a duke who finds herself in a marriage of convenience to a Scottish lord with four children under his care. It’s a safe, solid arrangement for the couple, but things do not go as planned. There’s a lot of mischief going in that nursery, I’m telling you now!

11. How is My Heart Belongs in Ruby City different than your other books?  

I’ve written over a dozen Regency and US-set stories, but this is the first one that starts with a wedding!

Oh, I can’t tell you my favorite part without giving something away, but I can share how much I enjoyed writing some of the secondary characters, especially Madge the mule, Ulysses, and Jeroboam Jones. Madge is my favorite.

13. Character visits - which historical figures, real life or fictional will be frequent visitors in your book for your characters as friends?  

Ruby City was a real place, but I made the decision to fictionalize everyone in it for the book. That way I could make the judge go on a trip, divide up the sheriff and deputy duties how I wanted them, etc. The Idaho Hotel, which appears in the book, is the one historical structure I didn’t invent. When the county seat was moved to Silver City, however, the Idaho Hotel was dismantled, moved there on sleds, and rebuilt! You can still sleep in the Idaho Hotel in warm months, although Silver City is a ghost town.

14. Any plans to write contemporary stories? 

I’d love to write contemporary sometime. They’re fun to read, so we’ll see!

15. Since we're on the topic of writing, are you a plotter or a pantser? 

Plotter. Things evolve as I write but I rely on a skeleton when I’m writing, or I tend to wander off and forget what needs to be accomplished in a particular chapter.

16. Where do you do most of your writing? 

I move my laptop around, but I’m blessed that our house has an office space, which is where I do most of my writing. I have a little Jane Austen action figure who keeps me company.

17. And last, how about we end with 5 random facts about you? 

1. I enjoy genealogy research. 
2. I’m a geek when it comes to Disney and Star Wars. 
3. I’ve finally accepted that I need bifocals. 
4. I’m a “Heartie,” a fan of the TV show When Calls the Heart on Hallmark. 
5. I’d much rather fold laundry than wash dishes.

Susie, thank you for dropping in and sharing with us!