Tell us a bit about HIDDEN
OBSESSION. To start with, I was on Echo Cliff
Point—that’s in Dragon Harbor, Maine—to investigate a
suspicious death. In the fog, naturally. I don’t ever seem to get
called out on sunny days. When I went to interview the only witness
at her grandmother’s house, I met Sheri, um, Sheridan Harte. She
was there to ghostwrite the grandmother’s memoir. Couldn’t take
my eyes off her. I can’t tell you more about the case until the
Major Crimes Unit releases the details. Sorry.
Let’s get back to Sheri then. What
did you think the first time you saw her? First thing I noticed
was those long legs and her full mouth. Hair the color of honey.
I—oh, wait, you asked what I thought? She was damned buttoned
up—except later when she laughed. Then she loosened up. Smart and
observant, saw that from the beginning.
Is that all? How else would you
describe her? Conscientious and loyal, and too independent
sometimes for her own good. But I’ve said enough about that.
Then how would she describe you? She
tells her friends I’m protective, too protective in her book, but
that’s her independent streak talking. Maybe also that I’m
focused on ferreting out the truth, making things right and just.
Down side of that is I find it hard to trust people. Hazard of being
a Maine state detective, being suspicious.
Understood, suspicion must go with
the turf. Then, how do you relax? I like a game of softball. Used
to play baseball in high school, but injured my knee. Sheri and I
like to jog along the shore. My brother and I go fishing. In truth, I
don’t get much time to relax, another hazard of the profession.
Thanks for this, Justin. Now, we'd
like to chat with Susan.
With regard to research, where did
you start for this novel? I began knowing that Sheridan Harte
would be ghostwriting the memoir of an elderly woman. I’ve read
very few memoirs, so I researched first how a memoir differs from a
biography. Then I wanted to know how ghostwriters worked. I know
someone who has done this, so I began by asking her a ton of
questions. My next step was online, where I found several sites with
advice on how to work with a client and how to structure a memoir.
And although the story begins with Sheri and her client beginning to
work on the project, that’s only a vehicle to put Sheri on that
peninsula. It’s where she grew up and the place she has avoided for
years.
What in your private life were you
able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the
novel? I’ve lived on the coast of Maine for over forty years,
so building the story world on a Maine peninsula, similar to many I
know was a natural. I feel it enabled me to set a mood and an
atmosphere that enriched both the setting and the characters.
What books currently rest on your
TBR pile? Whoa, I have too many, but here are three. Anne
Gracie’s Captive Lady, an historical romance, not her
newest, but a series I just discovered; Michael Connelly’s The
Late Show, the start of a new mystery series for him; and Kat
Martin’s The Conspiracy, a romantic suspense by one of my
favorite authors.
Readers can contact me at
www.susanvaughan.com.
My books are in both print and digital formats, but the digital are
only on Amazon.
Hidden Obsession is at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XFGJ6YF
