Christina here and today it is my very great pleasure to welcome back Wench Emerita Susanna Kearsley to the blog to chat about her new novel, The Vanished Days, which will be published in the US on 5thOctober this year (and in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand next spring). It is a prequel and companion novel to The Winter Sea, and partly overlaps with the action in that book. It goes back in time to the 1680s and introduces the reader to the Moray and Graeme families.
I have had the honour of reading an ARC of this book, and as always, I was kept spellbound right to the end – it’s absolutely wonderful! It also gave me a very good excuse (as if I needed one!) to reread The Winter Sea, which is one of my all-time favourite novels.
Susanna welcome! Please can you give us a brief summary of what The Vanished Days is about and how you came to write it?
Thanks for having me, Christina! It’s so lovely to be back here on familiar ground with all the Wenches and our readers, and to be able to give you an early look at the new book. The Vanished Days is a sort-of-prequel, sort-of-companion novel to my novel The Winter Sea, in that part of the story takes place at the same time as the historical story in that book, so there’s a bit of overlapping in their timelines, and there are a few familiar faces as well, as some of the characters from The Winter Sea and members of their extended family turn up in this story, too. But The Vanished Days stands on its own, and it’s not necessary to have read any of my other books beforehand in order to follow the plot.
It’s a story that’s been forming in my mind for years, ever since I first learned about the failed Scots expedition to Darien, and I confess that when I first sat down to write The Vanished Days, I actually intended to try to write something more along the lines of those giant, sweeping, grand adventure novels I used to love reading back in the 1970s and 80s, like The Winds of War, with exciting events happening in multiple places and a huge cast of characters…but as always, the characters themselves had other ideas, and the book became something else entirely.
Instead of a grand, multinational adventure, it became a more intimate story about a small group of ordinary people caught up in the turbulent events of their time, and how they struggle to survive and claim their happiness.
In the past you have mostly written timeslip or dual time stories that are partly set in the present, but this story is pure historical and has a slightly different feel to it, which I loved. It was as though the narrator was speaking directly to me, telling his life story, interspersed with that of Lily. Was that always how you planned it or did it evolve this way as you began to develop the plot?
I’m so glad you felt this way. I’ve personally always loved stories where the narration gave me that feeling, whether it’s James Hilton’s Random Harvest or Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice or even my old childhood favourite, Treasure Island. All three of those definitely have that sense of the narrator’s voice being strongly there, telling you a story. It wasn’t something I consciously planned to do in The Vanished Days, but then the first sentence of the book shaped itself: ‘I was a younger man when I first met her.’ So from that I knew the structure of the tale—that it was Adam some years later, looking back, and telling us the story. And everything developed naturally from there.
You mention in the notes that at one of the libraries where you did your research, you were allowed to hold a small bible that had belonged to the Marquis of Montrose and that it was an awesome feeling. Do you feel the same when you visit Abercairny (the Moray family's estate) – that almost visceral connection to the past?
Yes, holding Montrose’s Bible was a moment I’ll always remember. That was at the beautiful Innerpeffray Library—I did a post on it here (https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2019/10/history-in-my-hand.html) And I’m not sure there are even words to describe the feeling I get when I visit Abercairny and stand on the same land my characters once walked upon. There are trees at Abercairny and Inchbrakie that would have been there when John Moray and Colonel Graeme were alive, and those men would have looked towards those same hills that I look towards, and would have heard the sound of the same water idling by. What I feel when I walk those lands goes well past ‘almost visceral’. It’s probably the closest I will ever come to time travel.
More wonderful than that, though, has been the help I’ve received from the descendants of the Moray and the Graeme families with the research for my stories, and the time I’ve been able to spend with the Morays at Abercairny, whose friendship has proven my instincts were right when I made their ancestor my hero.
I know you research locations meticulously, and spent many days wandering the streets of Edinburgh and Leith, where most of the story takes place. Did you have old maps with you then and how easy/difficult was it to see the way these towns were laid out three hundred years ago?
I do love my maps! And yes, I consulted several of them while I was doing the research for this book. The National Library of Scotland has a wonderful selection of town maps, for anyone doing Scottish historical research: https://maps.nls.uk/towns/ The problem, of course, is that the maps never cover the years that I want, and the names of the wynds and closes change fairly often, so it takes a bit of detective work to make sure you’re getting them right for the year that you’re writing about, using sources like old local history books that chronicle lost street names and demolished buildings, and Edinburgh’s Dean of Guild records that make note of building improvements, listing the addresses of those buildings. And of course, as you say, I like to wander the streets myself, to get a feel for them—even the ones that are no longer there. Often there are remnants left, however small, and my imagination does the rest, and once I can ‘see’ a landscape, I can recreate it to share it with my readers.
In your Acknowledgments you mention staying at Gladstone's Land, a 17th century high tenement building in Edinburgh that has survived and is open to the public, restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland. It is extremely lucky that there are holiday flats on the upper levels – that must have been invaluable for you, right? (And you've made me want to visit now, next time I'm in Edinburgh).
You should definitely stay at Gladstone’s Land! Not only would you love the history of the building, but it’s perfectly situated on the Royal Mile, a stone’s throw from the castle. I’ve stayed in the same holiday flat there three times now, and it has indeed been invaluable. Being able to anchor myself at the heart of the setting for my novel while doing my on-site research allowed me to immerse myself in the lives of my characters—I fell asleep each night with the creaks of the old house around me, and the sound of footsteps passing on the cobblestones beneath my windows. And the staff at Gladstone’s Land were so incredibly kind and helpful, too, answering my endless questions and allowing me to roam around the rooms of the public parts of the house, taking my photographs, getting wrapped up in my characters’ lives. That house became the model for my fictional ‘Caldow’s Land’, where a good part of the action of the novel takes place.
I always learn a lot from your books as you highlight little known historical events, and in this story you talk about the Darien Scheme, New Caledonia and the Scottish Africa company (i.e. the Scottish equivalent of the English East India Company), and their failed attempt to establish a Scottish colony in present day Panama. I had never heard of this bef but found it fascinating. How important a part did this venture play in the politics of the time?
I don’t think you could understate the importance of the Darien expedition to the politics of the day. In my view, it was the failure of that expedition—engineered, I would argue, by King William and his advisors—that led to the passing of the Acts of Union between England and Scotland. So many Scots had lost money in the venture that the promise of English payment in return for signing the Acts had a powerfully persuasive effect. Had the Scottish dream of Darien succeeded, the balance of power in the British Isles might look very different today.
The time after the death of King Charles II was extremely fraught and uncertain politically and must have been a difficult period to live through. It seems straightforward now that James was the rightful successor and the true king of England and Scotland, yet he was deposed so easily by a Dutchman. Do you think it would have been possible to force James to change his religion or compromise somehow? Or with hindsight, would he have changed it if he'd known the misery he'd cause by not doing so and the many thousands of lives lost in the process?
To be fair, that entire century was fraught and uncertain, as was the one before it. In the 1500s, you had Mary, Queen of Scots doing battle with John Knox, and then her son James VI barely managing to succeed her, with his Regents trying to outfox each other until he was old enough to take control himself—but his control was tenuous at best, and he was always being opposed by someone. And then James VI was given the throne of England as well after Queen Elizabeth died, becoming James I of England as well and uniting the crowns of the two countries (if not the parliaments), but although he moved his court down to Westminster he was still facing Catholic plots on a regular basis—that’s where the Gunpowder Plot came in, and why Britain still has a Guy Fawkes Day every November. And his son, Charles I, can hardly claim to have had a restful reign—he didn’t just have opposition, he had Civil Wars and lost his head into the bargain, and his family, including his sons Charles and James, had to flee into exile. When Charles returned to take the throne as Charles II, there were still plots and rebellions, including the Rye House Plot. So James’s reign was really just continuing the pattern. The difference was, his daughter had married a man who had long been aiming for years to supplant his father-in-law on the English throne, and who had been courting the English Whigs with an eye to doing so, and when the opportunity presented itself, that man—William of Orange—made his move. Would James have done anything differently had he known what the outcome would be of his retreating? I don’t know. He had a wife and newborn to protect, and the memory of what had happened to his father. Would he have changed his religion? I doubt it. He’d already changed it once, from Episcopalian to Catholic, when his first wife Anne Hyde had, and his personal belief seemed to be that Catholicism was the true faith—but also that it was one you didn’t need to force people to adopt, because they would turn to it themselves, in time, if allowed the choice. He was in fact ahead of his time in passing a law—his Declaration of Indulgence in 1687–that allowed his subjects the freedom to worship however they liked, and did away with the need to swear religious oaths in order to hold public office. This law naturally scandalised his opponents because it could technically be interpreted as allowing people of any faith—not only Catholics but Jews, Muslims, and others—to freely practice their religion without penalty, and of course that would never do! So he was ousted. But I’ve never looked on James VII as an uncompromising man. I think he tried his very best to reason with unreasonable people in an unreasonable time, and even if he’d changed his religion, I think the devious ambition of William of Orange would have found a way to unseat him, all the same.
I really felt for the people of Scotland in particular, where the various religious groups seem to have fought for power more viciously than elsewhere. Covenanters, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Catholics, all trying to cling to their own rules and beliefs in an ever-changing world. It must have been almost impossible to know what to do if all you wanted was a quiet life! What would you have done?
I’d have found a man like Adam, a house with a comfortable hearth, and a good friend like Captain Gordon to keep us well supplied with smuggled wine from France!
It was a very brutal age, with punishmens extremely severe for the slightest misconduct. Do you consciously try to shield your readers from the worst of it, to spare our modern sensibilities, or do you prefer to tell it warts and all?
It’s not that I’m trying to shield readers from anything, it’s just that as a writer I have some choice in where I choose to point the camera, so to speak, or where I let it linger. Sometimes I find that historical novels can skew our image of the past by either skipping over all unpleasantness or by focusing too sharply on it to the exclusion of all else. Life then was much as life is now—a mix of joy and tragedy and arguments and laughter and injustices and triumphs, so I try to show you that. I don’t do well with torture scenes myself, in books or films—they live too long within my mind—so I don’t write them. For the types of stories that I write, there simply is no purpose to a scene of brutal torture, so if any of my characters have faced it in their lives it is enough to show the marks it left and move along.
Although the Jacobite cause was to fail ultimately, it did come very close to succeeding a couple of times. Do you think Bonnie Prince Charlie or his father would have made a better king than Farmer George?
It came very close to succeeding a few times, especially early on in the movement. I’m not a massive fan of Bonnie Prince Charlie, although I do like his younger brother Henry. But I think his father, James VIII, was a good man and would have been an exceptional king of Britain, and much better by far than the Prince of Hanover.
There is a fantastic twist in the tale at the end of this book – you always manage to surprise me! Is that something you plan right from the start, or does it come to you during the course of the writing?
I know this will sound crazy, but it’s actually something the characters do. In this case, I did know fairly soon after starting to write the book that there would be a twist, and how that would shape the narrative, so I was able to lay breadcrumbs and play fair all through the first draft without having to go back in and rework things. But sometimes, in some books, the twist catches me off guard, too!
Can you give us a tiny snippet from The Vanished Days please?
Gladly. Here’s a little excerpt from when my heroine, Lily is a young girl, living in Edinburgh, in the turbulent days we’ve just been talking about, when King Charles II has just died and his brother, the Catholic King James VII, has begun his reign, and there is trouble and growing unrest in the town:
After dinner, as the captain walked her home, Lily was still confused about the way the chess game finished, so she asked him, “How could Mr. Cant win when he could not catch your king?”
“It was a stalemate,” Captain Graeme told her. He had changed his clothes and was now in his uniform, and although she still heard the whispers and the murmurs from the shadows round them, she felt safe. “A stalemate means your king can make no move at all that does not put his life in danger, so he retreats, and his opponent claims the victory, but the king yet lives to fight another day.”
“But he has lost.”
The captain slanted a look down at her, and smiled. “To lose a single battle does not mean ye lose the war. And to retreat means only that. Surrendering is not within the nature of most kings.” He glanced up at the window of a house they were approaching, where someone had just begun to close the shutters, even though it was midday. “Nor in my own.”
Lily held more tightly to her coin, and Captain Graeme told her, “Never fear, lass. It’s a good town, this. Good people all around ye, if ye look for them.”
That was the very opposite of what her father had advised, but then her father had not lived to tell her how to know a lawless man, so she asked Captain Graeme now, “How do ye ken which men are good?”
“Not only men,” he said. “All people. And ye ken them by their actions, not by what ye might hear said of them. Ye watch what someone does when it will gain him nothing, Lily, and when none but ye is there to see him do it. Then ye’ll ken his truest heart.”
She thought about that, after he had handed her to Jean and she had watched him walk away from them with that same sure and even soldier’s stride that raised quick memories of her father.
And she thought about it later on that evening, while Jean worked to ready supper and wee James began to fuss, and Corporal Morison took up the bairn and walked with him, out in the fresh air of the close.
He stayed outside so long that Lily pressed her face against the window, looking for a glimpse of them, and saw the great, tall soldier making silly faces to her baby brother, so the bairn would laugh. There was no one around to see him doing it—or so he thought. There was just Corporal Morison and wee James in the close.
That night, when Lily went to bed, she murmured, “Jean?”
“Aye?”
“Corporal Morison’s a good man.”
Jean said nothing. Only kissed her, very softly, tucked the blankets warm around her, and the small, low-ceilinged chamber that held Lily’s family slumbered into darkness.
Thank you so much! To learn more about The Vanished Days and how to pre-order a copy please visit Susanna's website at https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/
It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for the wonderful questions! I have a signed print copy of The Vanished Days to give away to someone who leaves a comment or answers this question:
Do you prefer stories that stay completely in the past, or ones that mix the past and the present?
A really great review Christina. I too have had the privilege of reading an ARC of this book. It’s absolutely wonderful!! I do love Susanna’s books, the Winter Sea or Sophia’s Secret as my copy is titled, is my favourite but this is hard on it’s heels. I gave it five stars on GoodReads and would have given it more if possible.
I love the mix of past and present in stories. Time travel, timeslip or dual time lines are definitely my favourite genre of book, probably why I love Susanna’s stories.
I hope I don’t seem greedy but I’d like to be entered into the draw as I have all her books in paperback too and will buy this anyway in physical form but a signed one would be Heaven!!!!
A really great review Christina. I too have had the privilege of reading an ARC of this book. It’s absolutely wonderful!! I do love Susanna’s books, the Winter Sea or Sophia’s Secret as my copy is titled, is my favourite but this is hard on it’s heels. I gave it five stars on GoodReads and would have given it more if possible.
I love the mix of past and present in stories. Time travel, timeslip or dual time lines are definitely my favourite genre of book, probably why I love Susanna’s stories.
I hope I don’t seem greedy but I’d like to be entered into the draw as I have all her books in paperback too and will buy this anyway in physical form but a signed one would be Heaven!!!!
A really great review Christina. I too have had the privilege of reading an ARC of this book. It’s absolutely wonderful!! I do love Susanna’s books, the Winter Sea or Sophia’s Secret as my copy is titled, is my favourite but this is hard on it’s heels. I gave it five stars on GoodReads and would have given it more if possible.
I love the mix of past and present in stories. Time travel, timeslip or dual time lines are definitely my favourite genre of book, probably why I love Susanna’s stories.
I hope I don’t seem greedy but I’d like to be entered into the draw as I have all her books in paperback too and will buy this anyway in physical form but a signed one would be Heaven!!!!
A really great review Christina. I too have had the privilege of reading an ARC of this book. It’s absolutely wonderful!! I do love Susanna’s books, the Winter Sea or Sophia’s Secret as my copy is titled, is my favourite but this is hard on it’s heels. I gave it five stars on GoodReads and would have given it more if possible.
I love the mix of past and present in stories. Time travel, timeslip or dual time lines are definitely my favourite genre of book, probably why I love Susanna’s stories.
I hope I don’t seem greedy but I’d like to be entered into the draw as I have all her books in paperback too and will buy this anyway in physical form but a signed one would be Heaven!!!!
A really great review Christina. I too have had the privilege of reading an ARC of this book. It’s absolutely wonderful!! I do love Susanna’s books, the Winter Sea or Sophia’s Secret as my copy is titled, is my favourite but this is hard on it’s heels. I gave it five stars on GoodReads and would have given it more if possible.
I love the mix of past and present in stories. Time travel, timeslip or dual time lines are definitely my favourite genre of book, probably why I love Susanna’s stories.
I hope I don’t seem greedy but I’d like to be entered into the draw as I have all her books in paperback too and will buy this anyway in physical form but a signed one would be Heaven!!!!
I enjoyed the review very much. And, of course I must buy the book! (I’ve been buying Susanna’s books since I first read Mariana, but I fell in love with her over Shadowy Horses.)
I look forward to next month.
I enjoyed the review very much. And, of course I must buy the book! (I’ve been buying Susanna’s books since I first read Mariana, but I fell in love with her over Shadowy Horses.)
I look forward to next month.
I enjoyed the review very much. And, of course I must buy the book! (I’ve been buying Susanna’s books since I first read Mariana, but I fell in love with her over Shadowy Horses.)
I look forward to next month.
I enjoyed the review very much. And, of course I must buy the book! (I’ve been buying Susanna’s books since I first read Mariana, but I fell in love with her over Shadowy Horses.)
I look forward to next month.
I enjoyed the review very much. And, of course I must buy the book! (I’ve been buying Susanna’s books since I first read Mariana, but I fell in love with her over Shadowy Horses.)
I look forward to next month.
Thanks for this wonderful interview! I, too, have read an ARC and truly enjoyed it. I have read all and own almost all of Susanna’s titles, but during the last year or so I have been listening to audio versions while I walk; it provides great motivation to get my steps in! Just starting Mariana…
I do love a good time slip – and Susanna’s are the best!
Thanks for this wonderful interview! I, too, have read an ARC and truly enjoyed it. I have read all and own almost all of Susanna’s titles, but during the last year or so I have been listening to audio versions while I walk; it provides great motivation to get my steps in! Just starting Mariana…
I do love a good time slip – and Susanna’s are the best!
Thanks for this wonderful interview! I, too, have read an ARC and truly enjoyed it. I have read all and own almost all of Susanna’s titles, but during the last year or so I have been listening to audio versions while I walk; it provides great motivation to get my steps in! Just starting Mariana…
I do love a good time slip – and Susanna’s are the best!
Thanks for this wonderful interview! I, too, have read an ARC and truly enjoyed it. I have read all and own almost all of Susanna’s titles, but during the last year or so I have been listening to audio versions while I walk; it provides great motivation to get my steps in! Just starting Mariana…
I do love a good time slip – and Susanna’s are the best!
Thanks for this wonderful interview! I, too, have read an ARC and truly enjoyed it. I have read all and own almost all of Susanna’s titles, but during the last year or so I have been listening to audio versions while I walk; it provides great motivation to get my steps in! Just starting Mariana…
I do love a good time slip – and Susanna’s are the best!
A wonderful post–thank you both. I like my historical fiction either way; I happily place my faith in the hands of trusted or recommended authors and let them have their way with me! And I’ve certainly read and loved a sufficient number of Susanna’s books to count her among the most trusted. I can’t wait to read The Vanished Days, since I was NOT lucky enough to read an ARC!
A wonderful post–thank you both. I like my historical fiction either way; I happily place my faith in the hands of trusted or recommended authors and let them have their way with me! And I’ve certainly read and loved a sufficient number of Susanna’s books to count her among the most trusted. I can’t wait to read The Vanished Days, since I was NOT lucky enough to read an ARC!
A wonderful post–thank you both. I like my historical fiction either way; I happily place my faith in the hands of trusted or recommended authors and let them have their way with me! And I’ve certainly read and loved a sufficient number of Susanna’s books to count her among the most trusted. I can’t wait to read The Vanished Days, since I was NOT lucky enough to read an ARC!
A wonderful post–thank you both. I like my historical fiction either way; I happily place my faith in the hands of trusted or recommended authors and let them have their way with me! And I’ve certainly read and loved a sufficient number of Susanna’s books to count her among the most trusted. I can’t wait to read The Vanished Days, since I was NOT lucky enough to read an ARC!
A wonderful post–thank you both. I like my historical fiction either way; I happily place my faith in the hands of trusted or recommended authors and let them have their way with me! And I’ve certainly read and loved a sufficient number of Susanna’s books to count her among the most trusted. I can’t wait to read The Vanished Days, since I was NOT lucky enough to read an ARC!
I like both kinds of stories. I am usually drawn in by the characters so the presence of more than one time period is not relevant to my enjoyment of the story.
I like both kinds of stories. I am usually drawn in by the characters so the presence of more than one time period is not relevant to my enjoyment of the story.
I like both kinds of stories. I am usually drawn in by the characters so the presence of more than one time period is not relevant to my enjoyment of the story.
I like both kinds of stories. I am usually drawn in by the characters so the presence of more than one time period is not relevant to my enjoyment of the story.
I like both kinds of stories. I am usually drawn in by the characters so the presence of more than one time period is not relevant to my enjoyment of the story.
What a captivating and fascinating post. Historicals that feature the past and present give me a glimpse of both eras which I enjoy greatly.
What a captivating and fascinating post. Historicals that feature the past and present give me a glimpse of both eras which I enjoy greatly.
What a captivating and fascinating post. Historicals that feature the past and present give me a glimpse of both eras which I enjoy greatly.
What a captivating and fascinating post. Historicals that feature the past and present give me a glimpse of both eras which I enjoy greatly.
What a captivating and fascinating post. Historicals that feature the past and present give me a glimpse of both eras which I enjoy greatly.
What a terrific post. I love the interview. I think that I have a much better sense of the where and why of the story. And I do feel that the sense of character must be very distinct.
I am not always a fan of a switching back and forth in time stories. But, that may be because I have experienced rather badly done time travel. I have also read some stories which made wonderful use of the changing times.
Again, I come back to the fact that for me it all depends on the author and the writing. I am picky that way.
I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
What a terrific post. I love the interview. I think that I have a much better sense of the where and why of the story. And I do feel that the sense of character must be very distinct.
I am not always a fan of a switching back and forth in time stories. But, that may be because I have experienced rather badly done time travel. I have also read some stories which made wonderful use of the changing times.
Again, I come back to the fact that for me it all depends on the author and the writing. I am picky that way.
I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
What a terrific post. I love the interview. I think that I have a much better sense of the where and why of the story. And I do feel that the sense of character must be very distinct.
I am not always a fan of a switching back and forth in time stories. But, that may be because I have experienced rather badly done time travel. I have also read some stories which made wonderful use of the changing times.
Again, I come back to the fact that for me it all depends on the author and the writing. I am picky that way.
I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
What a terrific post. I love the interview. I think that I have a much better sense of the where and why of the story. And I do feel that the sense of character must be very distinct.
I am not always a fan of a switching back and forth in time stories. But, that may be because I have experienced rather badly done time travel. I have also read some stories which made wonderful use of the changing times.
Again, I come back to the fact that for me it all depends on the author and the writing. I am picky that way.
I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
What a terrific post. I love the interview. I think that I have a much better sense of the where and why of the story. And I do feel that the sense of character must be very distinct.
I am not always a fan of a switching back and forth in time stories. But, that may be because I have experienced rather badly done time travel. I have also read some stories which made wonderful use of the changing times.
Again, I come back to the fact that for me it all depends on the author and the writing. I am picky that way.
I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
I enjoyed the excerpt and learning about this enthralling novel. Susanna’s books are unforgettable and intriguing. When I read them I am transported back in time. The time slip and dual time novels are my favorite of all since they give me insight into the lives and individuals during the unique periods of time.
I enjoyed the excerpt and learning about this enthralling novel. Susanna’s books are unforgettable and intriguing. When I read them I am transported back in time. The time slip and dual time novels are my favorite of all since they give me insight into the lives and individuals during the unique periods of time.
I enjoyed the excerpt and learning about this enthralling novel. Susanna’s books are unforgettable and intriguing. When I read them I am transported back in time. The time slip and dual time novels are my favorite of all since they give me insight into the lives and individuals during the unique periods of time.
I enjoyed the excerpt and learning about this enthralling novel. Susanna’s books are unforgettable and intriguing. When I read them I am transported back in time. The time slip and dual time novels are my favorite of all since they give me insight into the lives and individuals during the unique periods of time.
I enjoyed the excerpt and learning about this enthralling novel. Susanna’s books are unforgettable and intriguing. When I read them I am transported back in time. The time slip and dual time novels are my favorite of all since they give me insight into the lives and individuals during the unique periods of time.
Thanks so much for this wonderful interview! I have a copy on order and can’t wait. I very much enjoy having both past and present day, but mostly when something intersects. For example, the diary in ADF or the sword in Belleweather. (How SK manages to link books together like with the portrait in those 2 books is beyond me!) There’s something about having the continuity that I love. That being said, it’s all about where the characters go and I will read any book she writes! Thank you again.
Thanks so much for this wonderful interview! I have a copy on order and can’t wait. I very much enjoy having both past and present day, but mostly when something intersects. For example, the diary in ADF or the sword in Belleweather. (How SK manages to link books together like with the portrait in those 2 books is beyond me!) There’s something about having the continuity that I love. That being said, it’s all about where the characters go and I will read any book she writes! Thank you again.
Thanks so much for this wonderful interview! I have a copy on order and can’t wait. I very much enjoy having both past and present day, but mostly when something intersects. For example, the diary in ADF or the sword in Belleweather. (How SK manages to link books together like with the portrait in those 2 books is beyond me!) There’s something about having the continuity that I love. That being said, it’s all about where the characters go and I will read any book she writes! Thank you again.
Thanks so much for this wonderful interview! I have a copy on order and can’t wait. I very much enjoy having both past and present day, but mostly when something intersects. For example, the diary in ADF or the sword in Belleweather. (How SK manages to link books together like with the portrait in those 2 books is beyond me!) There’s something about having the continuity that I love. That being said, it’s all about where the characters go and I will read any book she writes! Thank you again.
Thanks so much for this wonderful interview! I have a copy on order and can’t wait. I very much enjoy having both past and present day, but mostly when something intersects. For example, the diary in ADF or the sword in Belleweather. (How SK manages to link books together like with the portrait in those 2 books is beyond me!) There’s something about having the continuity that I love. That being said, it’s all about where the characters go and I will read any book she writes! Thank you again.
I can’t wait to read this. I reread The Winter Sea and I’m rereading The Firebird now as preparation! I love historical fiction and I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s all set in the past or has the dual timeline.
I can’t wait to read this. I reread The Winter Sea and I’m rereading The Firebird now as preparation! I love historical fiction and I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s all set in the past or has the dual timeline.
I can’t wait to read this. I reread The Winter Sea and I’m rereading The Firebird now as preparation! I love historical fiction and I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s all set in the past or has the dual timeline.
I can’t wait to read this. I reread The Winter Sea and I’m rereading The Firebird now as preparation! I love historical fiction and I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s all set in the past or has the dual timeline.
I can’t wait to read this. I reread The Winter Sea and I’m rereading The Firebird now as preparation! I love historical fiction and I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s all set in the past or has the dual timeline.
I’m so glad you agree with me Teresa – it’s a wonderful story isn’t it! And of course we’ll enter you in the draw – no problem! Thank you for your comment.
I’m so glad you agree with me Teresa – it’s a wonderful story isn’t it! And of course we’ll enter you in the draw – no problem! Thank you for your comment.
I’m so glad you agree with me Teresa – it’s a wonderful story isn’t it! And of course we’ll enter you in the draw – no problem! Thank you for your comment.
I’m so glad you agree with me Teresa – it’s a wonderful story isn’t it! And of course we’ll enter you in the draw – no problem! Thank you for your comment.
I’m so glad you agree with me Teresa – it’s a wonderful story isn’t it! And of course we’ll enter you in the draw – no problem! Thank you for your comment.
Thank you Sue! I love Shadowy Horses as well, it’s such a lovely story!
Thank you Sue! I love Shadowy Horses as well, it’s such a lovely story!
Thank you Sue! I love Shadowy Horses as well, it’s such a lovely story!
Thank you Sue! I love Shadowy Horses as well, it’s such a lovely story!
Thank you Sue! I love Shadowy Horses as well, it’s such a lovely story!
Thank you Kathie! Great idea to listen to the audio versions in order to get motivated for walking!
Thank you Kathie! Great idea to listen to the audio versions in order to get motivated for walking!
Thank you Kathie! Great idea to listen to the audio versions in order to get motivated for walking!
Thank you Kathie! Great idea to listen to the audio versions in order to get motivated for walking!
Thank you Kathie! Great idea to listen to the audio versions in order to get motivated for walking!
Many thanks Margaret, and I’m glad you enjoy both types! I’m sure you will love The Vanished Days, it’s fab!
Many thanks Margaret, and I’m glad you enjoy both types! I’m sure you will love The Vanished Days, it’s fab!
Many thanks Margaret, and I’m glad you enjoy both types! I’m sure you will love The Vanished Days, it’s fab!
Many thanks Margaret, and I’m glad you enjoy both types! I’m sure you will love The Vanished Days, it’s fab!
Many thanks Margaret, and I’m glad you enjoy both types! I’m sure you will love The Vanished Days, it’s fab!
Thank you Pat and that’s a good way of looking at it! Characters are so important aren’t they!
Thank you Pat and that’s a good way of looking at it! Characters are so important aren’t they!
Thank you Pat and that’s a good way of looking at it! Characters are so important aren’t they!
Thank you Pat and that’s a good way of looking at it! Characters are so important aren’t they!
Thank you Pat and that’s a good way of looking at it! Characters are so important aren’t they!
Thank you Laini – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Thank you Laini – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Thank you Laini – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Thank you Laini – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Thank you Laini – I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Thank you Annette and hope you are keeping well too!
Thank you Annette and hope you are keeping well too!
Thank you Annette and hope you are keeping well too!
Thank you Annette and hope you are keeping well too!
Thank you Annette and hope you are keeping well too!
Thank you Sharon, it’s great that you enjoyed it!
Thank you Sharon, it’s great that you enjoyed it!
Thank you Sharon, it’s great that you enjoyed it!
Thank you Sharon, it’s great that you enjoyed it!
Thank you Sharon, it’s great that you enjoyed it!
Many thanks Tamar! Susanna is definitely a master/mistress at creating these kinds of stories!
Many thanks Tamar! Susanna is definitely a master/mistress at creating these kinds of stories!
Many thanks Tamar! Susanna is definitely a master/mistress at creating these kinds of stories!
Many thanks Tamar! Susanna is definitely a master/mistress at creating these kinds of stories!
Many thanks Tamar! Susanna is definitely a master/mistress at creating these kinds of stories!
Thank you Karen – excellent idea to reread those first!
Thank you Karen – excellent idea to reread those first!
Thank you Karen – excellent idea to reread those first!
Thank you Karen – excellent idea to reread those first!
Thank you Karen – excellent idea to reread those first!
I can’t wait to read Susanna’s new book. I have been a fan of hers for many years and I like that she’s Canadian. Shadowy Horses is my #1 favourite, followed closely by Winter Sea, The Firebird, Desparate Fortune and of course Bellewether.
I recommend Susanna’s books wherever I can as I believe my friends and family should not miss out reading her books.
Thank for this opportunity to learn more about Susanna’s upcoming book.
I can’t wait to read Susanna’s new book. I have been a fan of hers for many years and I like that she’s Canadian. Shadowy Horses is my #1 favourite, followed closely by Winter Sea, The Firebird, Desparate Fortune and of course Bellewether.
I recommend Susanna’s books wherever I can as I believe my friends and family should not miss out reading her books.
Thank for this opportunity to learn more about Susanna’s upcoming book.
I can’t wait to read Susanna’s new book. I have been a fan of hers for many years and I like that she’s Canadian. Shadowy Horses is my #1 favourite, followed closely by Winter Sea, The Firebird, Desparate Fortune and of course Bellewether.
I recommend Susanna’s books wherever I can as I believe my friends and family should not miss out reading her books.
Thank for this opportunity to learn more about Susanna’s upcoming book.
I can’t wait to read Susanna’s new book. I have been a fan of hers for many years and I like that she’s Canadian. Shadowy Horses is my #1 favourite, followed closely by Winter Sea, The Firebird, Desparate Fortune and of course Bellewether.
I recommend Susanna’s books wherever I can as I believe my friends and family should not miss out reading her books.
Thank for this opportunity to learn more about Susanna’s upcoming book.
I can’t wait to read Susanna’s new book. I have been a fan of hers for many years and I like that she’s Canadian. Shadowy Horses is my #1 favourite, followed closely by Winter Sea, The Firebird, Desparate Fortune and of course Bellewether.
I recommend Susanna’s books wherever I can as I believe my friends and family should not miss out reading her books.
Thank for this opportunity to learn more about Susanna’s upcoming book.
Many thanks for your lovely comments Donna!
Many thanks for your lovely comments Donna!
Many thanks for your lovely comments Donna!
Many thanks for your lovely comments Donna!
Many thanks for your lovely comments Donna!
Hi Susanna!(waving madly) SO nice to have you back. This—as always—sounds like an amazing story. I’ve never heard of the Darien Scheme, and sounds absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to immerse myself in your storytelling and be swept away asyou bring this saga to life.
Hi Susanna!(waving madly) SO nice to have you back. This—as always—sounds like an amazing story. I’ve never heard of the Darien Scheme, and sounds absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to immerse myself in your storytelling and be swept away asyou bring this saga to life.
Hi Susanna!(waving madly) SO nice to have you back. This—as always—sounds like an amazing story. I’ve never heard of the Darien Scheme, and sounds absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to immerse myself in your storytelling and be swept away asyou bring this saga to life.
Hi Susanna!(waving madly) SO nice to have you back. This—as always—sounds like an amazing story. I’ve never heard of the Darien Scheme, and sounds absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to immerse myself in your storytelling and be swept away asyou bring this saga to life.
Hi Susanna!(waving madly) SO nice to have you back. This—as always—sounds like an amazing story. I’ve never heard of the Darien Scheme, and sounds absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to immerse myself in your storytelling and be swept away asyou bring this saga to life.
I really quite enjoy a good timeslip! But being Susanna Kearsley, there is nothing she could write that I wouldn’t read. I’m very very excited for a new novel!
I really quite enjoy a good timeslip! But being Susanna Kearsley, there is nothing she could write that I wouldn’t read. I’m very very excited for a new novel!
I really quite enjoy a good timeslip! But being Susanna Kearsley, there is nothing she could write that I wouldn’t read. I’m very very excited for a new novel!
I really quite enjoy a good timeslip! But being Susanna Kearsley, there is nothing she could write that I wouldn’t read. I’m very very excited for a new novel!
I really quite enjoy a good timeslip! But being Susanna Kearsley, there is nothing she could write that I wouldn’t read. I’m very very excited for a new novel!
So excited for this book!
So excited for this book!
So excited for this book!
So excited for this book!
So excited for this book!
An interesting interview and excerpt. Dual time books allow me to get to know the characters through the different time lines which I enjoy greatly. This added dimension gives the book more depth and is exactly what I am looking for. I become immersed within the pages of the story and don’t want to leave.
An interesting interview and excerpt. Dual time books allow me to get to know the characters through the different time lines which I enjoy greatly. This added dimension gives the book more depth and is exactly what I am looking for. I become immersed within the pages of the story and don’t want to leave.
An interesting interview and excerpt. Dual time books allow me to get to know the characters through the different time lines which I enjoy greatly. This added dimension gives the book more depth and is exactly what I am looking for. I become immersed within the pages of the story and don’t want to leave.
An interesting interview and excerpt. Dual time books allow me to get to know the characters through the different time lines which I enjoy greatly. This added dimension gives the book more depth and is exactly what I am looking for. I become immersed within the pages of the story and don’t want to leave.
An interesting interview and excerpt. Dual time books allow me to get to know the characters through the different time lines which I enjoy greatly. This added dimension gives the book more depth and is exactly what I am looking for. I become immersed within the pages of the story and don’t want to leave.
I love books with dual storylines. But I’m pretty sure I would love any kind of storyline by Susanna Kearsley!
I love books with dual storylines. But I’m pretty sure I would love any kind of storyline by Susanna Kearsley!
I love books with dual storylines. But I’m pretty sure I would love any kind of storyline by Susanna Kearsley!
I love books with dual storylines. But I’m pretty sure I would love any kind of storyline by Susanna Kearsley!
I love books with dual storylines. But I’m pretty sure I would love any kind of storyline by Susanna Kearsley!
What a lovely interview – my husband was born in Leith so I really need to read this book! He has revisited Edinburgh several times but I have never been. I love historical fiction and this sounds like just my cup of tea so please enter me in the draw!
What a lovely interview – my husband was born in Leith so I really need to read this book! He has revisited Edinburgh several times but I have never been. I love historical fiction and this sounds like just my cup of tea so please enter me in the draw!
What a lovely interview – my husband was born in Leith so I really need to read this book! He has revisited Edinburgh several times but I have never been. I love historical fiction and this sounds like just my cup of tea so please enter me in the draw!
What a lovely interview – my husband was born in Leith so I really need to read this book! He has revisited Edinburgh several times but I have never been. I love historical fiction and this sounds like just my cup of tea so please enter me in the draw!
What a lovely interview – my husband was born in Leith so I really need to read this book! He has revisited Edinburgh several times but I have never been. I love historical fiction and this sounds like just my cup of tea so please enter me in the draw!
If Susanna Kearsley is writing it, I’m going to love it, whatever time zone it’s in!
I like the time slip books fractionally better. I get to enjoy the history and feel a more personal connection through the modern character.
If Susanna Kearsley is writing it, I’m going to love it, whatever time zone it’s in!
I like the time slip books fractionally better. I get to enjoy the history and feel a more personal connection through the modern character.
If Susanna Kearsley is writing it, I’m going to love it, whatever time zone it’s in!
I like the time slip books fractionally better. I get to enjoy the history and feel a more personal connection through the modern character.
If Susanna Kearsley is writing it, I’m going to love it, whatever time zone it’s in!
I like the time slip books fractionally better. I get to enjoy the history and feel a more personal connection through the modern character.
If Susanna Kearsley is writing it, I’m going to love it, whatever time zone it’s in!
I like the time slip books fractionally better. I get to enjoy the history and feel a more personal connection through the modern character.
Loved this interview. I have read all of Susanna’s books and so look forward to reading this one. She is my favourite author. Have read THe Rose Garden 3x and the Desperate Hours twice.
Thank you Susanna for such wonderful reads.
Loved this interview. I have read all of Susanna’s books and so look forward to reading this one. She is my favourite author. Have read THe Rose Garden 3x and the Desperate Hours twice.
Thank you Susanna for such wonderful reads.
Loved this interview. I have read all of Susanna’s books and so look forward to reading this one. She is my favourite author. Have read THe Rose Garden 3x and the Desperate Hours twice.
Thank you Susanna for such wonderful reads.
Loved this interview. I have read all of Susanna’s books and so look forward to reading this one. She is my favourite author. Have read THe Rose Garden 3x and the Desperate Hours twice.
Thank you Susanna for such wonderful reads.
Loved this interview. I have read all of Susanna’s books and so look forward to reading this one. She is my favourite author. Have read THe Rose Garden 3x and the Desperate Hours twice.
Thank you Susanna for such wonderful reads.
Sooo excited for this book and great interview! Thank you for the giveaway.
I prefer stories that mix the past and present, it’s exciting to be in the head of the modern protagonist and watch them investigate history.
Sooo excited for this book and great interview! Thank you for the giveaway.
I prefer stories that mix the past and present, it’s exciting to be in the head of the modern protagonist and watch them investigate history.
Sooo excited for this book and great interview! Thank you for the giveaway.
I prefer stories that mix the past and present, it’s exciting to be in the head of the modern protagonist and watch them investigate history.
Sooo excited for this book and great interview! Thank you for the giveaway.
I prefer stories that mix the past and present, it’s exciting to be in the head of the modern protagonist and watch them investigate history.
Sooo excited for this book and great interview! Thank you for the giveaway.
I prefer stories that mix the past and present, it’s exciting to be in the head of the modern protagonist and watch them investigate history.
Thank you for the interview. Waiting patiently for this book to be released in Canada. Shadowy horses was my first introduction to Susanna’s books but Winter Sea is my favourite.
Thank you for the interview. Waiting patiently for this book to be released in Canada. Shadowy horses was my first introduction to Susanna’s books but Winter Sea is my favourite.
Thank you for the interview. Waiting patiently for this book to be released in Canada. Shadowy horses was my first introduction to Susanna’s books but Winter Sea is my favourite.
Thank you for the interview. Waiting patiently for this book to be released in Canada. Shadowy horses was my first introduction to Susanna’s books but Winter Sea is my favourite.
Thank you for the interview. Waiting patiently for this book to be released in Canada. Shadowy horses was my first introduction to Susanna’s books but Winter Sea is my favourite.
I’ve read all of Susanna’s books and thoroughly enjoy the dual timeline but I look forward to reading the newest book entirely set in the past. I know I will love it (but am a little annoyed that Canadians have to wait so long to get their hands on a book!).
I’ve read all of Susanna’s books and thoroughly enjoy the dual timeline but I look forward to reading the newest book entirely set in the past. I know I will love it (but am a little annoyed that Canadians have to wait so long to get their hands on a book!).
I’ve read all of Susanna’s books and thoroughly enjoy the dual timeline but I look forward to reading the newest book entirely set in the past. I know I will love it (but am a little annoyed that Canadians have to wait so long to get their hands on a book!).
I’ve read all of Susanna’s books and thoroughly enjoy the dual timeline but I look forward to reading the newest book entirely set in the past. I know I will love it (but am a little annoyed that Canadians have to wait so long to get their hands on a book!).
I’ve read all of Susanna’s books and thoroughly enjoy the dual timeline but I look forward to reading the newest book entirely set in the past. I know I will love it (but am a little annoyed that Canadians have to wait so long to get their hands on a book!).
It depends on what mood I’m in. A bit of the supernatural has always intrigued me, so I enjoy flashbacks and recycled souls stories.
It depends on what mood I’m in. A bit of the supernatural has always intrigued me, so I enjoy flashbacks and recycled souls stories.
It depends on what mood I’m in. A bit of the supernatural has always intrigued me, so I enjoy flashbacks and recycled souls stories.
It depends on what mood I’m in. A bit of the supernatural has always intrigued me, so I enjoy flashbacks and recycled souls stories.
It depends on what mood I’m in. A bit of the supernatural has always intrigued me, so I enjoy flashbacks and recycled souls stories.
Fantastic interview! As long as there’s a historical element and I feel myself transported (and I always do with Susanna’s books), I’m happy. So dual time or all historical are both fine with me!
Fantastic interview! As long as there’s a historical element and I feel myself transported (and I always do with Susanna’s books), I’m happy. So dual time or all historical are both fine with me!
Fantastic interview! As long as there’s a historical element and I feel myself transported (and I always do with Susanna’s books), I’m happy. So dual time or all historical are both fine with me!
Fantastic interview! As long as there’s a historical element and I feel myself transported (and I always do with Susanna’s books), I’m happy. So dual time or all historical are both fine with me!
Fantastic interview! As long as there’s a historical element and I feel myself transported (and I always do with Susanna’s books), I’m happy. So dual time or all historical are both fine with me!
Thank you for your very kind words, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed The Vanished Days!
Thank you for your very kind words, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed The Vanished Days!
Thank you for your very kind words, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed The Vanished Days!
Thank you for your very kind words, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed The Vanished Days!
Thank you for your very kind words, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed The Vanished Days!
Hi Sue! I hope you find the story worth the wait. It might not have any Roman ghosts or charming archaeologists in it, but it does still have Scotsmen, so there is at least that 🙂
Hi Sue! I hope you find the story worth the wait. It might not have any Roman ghosts or charming archaeologists in it, but it does still have Scotsmen, so there is at least that 🙂
Hi Sue! I hope you find the story worth the wait. It might not have any Roman ghosts or charming archaeologists in it, but it does still have Scotsmen, so there is at least that 🙂
Hi Sue! I hope you find the story worth the wait. It might not have any Roman ghosts or charming archaeologists in it, but it does still have Scotsmen, so there is at least that 🙂
Hi Sue! I hope you find the story worth the wait. It might not have any Roman ghosts or charming archaeologists in it, but it does still have Scotsmen, so there is at least that 🙂
I like that there are so many different ways we can all enjoy stories these days: in print, or as eBooks, or in audio format. Audio books are also nice for long road trips in the car, I’ve found.
I like that there are so many different ways we can all enjoy stories these days: in print, or as eBooks, or in audio format. Audio books are also nice for long road trips in the car, I’ve found.
I like that there are so many different ways we can all enjoy stories these days: in print, or as eBooks, or in audio format. Audio books are also nice for long road trips in the car, I’ve found.
I like that there are so many different ways we can all enjoy stories these days: in print, or as eBooks, or in audio format. Audio books are also nice for long road trips in the car, I’ve found.
I like that there are so many different ways we can all enjoy stories these days: in print, or as eBooks, or in audio format. Audio books are also nice for long road trips in the car, I’ve found.
Thank you for your faith, Margaret! Not much longer to wait, now, till publication day…
Thank you for your faith, Margaret! Not much longer to wait, now, till publication day…
Thank you for your faith, Margaret! Not much longer to wait, now, till publication day…
Thank you for your faith, Margaret! Not much longer to wait, now, till publication day…
Thank you for your faith, Margaret! Not much longer to wait, now, till publication day…
That’s reassuring, Pat, because for me it’s usually the characters themselves who decide whether a story is going to stay mostly in one time period or be more evenly divided between two. With the novel I’ve just started writing, I actually thought it was going to be purely historical, until modern-day characters waltzed into the plot unannounced and planted themselves there, letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a properly dual-timeline book 🙂
That’s reassuring, Pat, because for me it’s usually the characters themselves who decide whether a story is going to stay mostly in one time period or be more evenly divided between two. With the novel I’ve just started writing, I actually thought it was going to be purely historical, until modern-day characters waltzed into the plot unannounced and planted themselves there, letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a properly dual-timeline book 🙂
That’s reassuring, Pat, because for me it’s usually the characters themselves who decide whether a story is going to stay mostly in one time period or be more evenly divided between two. With the novel I’ve just started writing, I actually thought it was going to be purely historical, until modern-day characters waltzed into the plot unannounced and planted themselves there, letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a properly dual-timeline book 🙂
That’s reassuring, Pat, because for me it’s usually the characters themselves who decide whether a story is going to stay mostly in one time period or be more evenly divided between two. With the novel I’ve just started writing, I actually thought it was going to be purely historical, until modern-day characters waltzed into the plot unannounced and planted themselves there, letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a properly dual-timeline book 🙂
That’s reassuring, Pat, because for me it’s usually the characters themselves who decide whether a story is going to stay mostly in one time period or be more evenly divided between two. With the novel I’ve just started writing, I actually thought it was going to be purely historical, until modern-day characters waltzed into the plot unannounced and planted themselves there, letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was going to be a properly dual-timeline book 🙂
I always enjoy exploring the ways the past and present intertwine, and how much who we are is shaped by those who came before us.
I always enjoy exploring the ways the past and present intertwine, and how much who we are is shaped by those who came before us.
I always enjoy exploring the ways the past and present intertwine, and how much who we are is shaped by those who came before us.
I always enjoy exploring the ways the past and present intertwine, and how much who we are is shaped by those who came before us.
I always enjoy exploring the ways the past and present intertwine, and how much who we are is shaped by those who came before us.
Thank you, Annette, I do hope that you and those you love are well and safe and happy, too.
And I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Christina asks the best questions, they’re so thoughtful that it makes the whole conversation a pleasure.
Thank you, Annette, I do hope that you and those you love are well and safe and happy, too.
And I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Christina asks the best questions, they’re so thoughtful that it makes the whole conversation a pleasure.
Thank you, Annette, I do hope that you and those you love are well and safe and happy, too.
And I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Christina asks the best questions, they’re so thoughtful that it makes the whole conversation a pleasure.
Thank you, Annette, I do hope that you and those you love are well and safe and happy, too.
And I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Christina asks the best questions, they’re so thoughtful that it makes the whole conversation a pleasure.
Thank you, Annette, I do hope that you and those you love are well and safe and happy, too.
And I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Christina asks the best questions, they’re so thoughtful that it makes the whole conversation a pleasure.
Thanks, Sharon. That’s such a lovely thing to say. I’m really glad my stories make you feel this way.
Thanks, Sharon. That’s such a lovely thing to say. I’m really glad my stories make you feel this way.
Thanks, Sharon. That’s such a lovely thing to say. I’m really glad my stories make you feel this way.
Thanks, Sharon. That’s such a lovely thing to say. I’m really glad my stories make you feel this way.
Thanks, Sharon. That’s such a lovely thing to say. I’m really glad my stories make you feel this way.
Tamar, if you like the little links and continuity, then I think you’ll find some moments of happiness in The Vanished Days 🙂
I wish I could say that all those links are planned out very cleverly, but honestly my subconscious mind just sneaks them in through the characters, usually, and sometimes I don’t even notice them myself until after I’ve written them down on the page!
Tamar, if you like the little links and continuity, then I think you’ll find some moments of happiness in The Vanished Days 🙂
I wish I could say that all those links are planned out very cleverly, but honestly my subconscious mind just sneaks them in through the characters, usually, and sometimes I don’t even notice them myself until after I’ve written them down on the page!
Tamar, if you like the little links and continuity, then I think you’ll find some moments of happiness in The Vanished Days 🙂
I wish I could say that all those links are planned out very cleverly, but honestly my subconscious mind just sneaks them in through the characters, usually, and sometimes I don’t even notice them myself until after I’ve written them down on the page!
Tamar, if you like the little links and continuity, then I think you’ll find some moments of happiness in The Vanished Days 🙂
I wish I could say that all those links are planned out very cleverly, but honestly my subconscious mind just sneaks them in through the characters, usually, and sometimes I don’t even notice them myself until after I’ve written them down on the page!
Tamar, if you like the little links and continuity, then I think you’ll find some moments of happiness in The Vanished Days 🙂
I wish I could say that all those links are planned out very cleverly, but honestly my subconscious mind just sneaks them in through the characters, usually, and sometimes I don’t even notice them myself until after I’ve written them down on the page!
You’ll be well primed, then, Karen, for The Vanished Days! There are definitely some familiar faces in this new book, and some new friends waiting to be met as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.
You’ll be well primed, then, Karen, for The Vanished Days! There are definitely some familiar faces in this new book, and some new friends waiting to be met as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.
You’ll be well primed, then, Karen, for The Vanished Days! There are definitely some familiar faces in this new book, and some new friends waiting to be met as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.
You’ll be well primed, then, Karen, for The Vanished Days! There are definitely some familiar faces in this new book, and some new friends waiting to be met as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.
You’ll be well primed, then, Karen, for The Vanished Days! There are definitely some familiar faces in this new book, and some new friends waiting to be met as well. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.
Thank you, Donna. I like that I’m Canadian, too 🙂 Our geography and history means we understand both American and British humour, can interpret both Americanisms and Britishisms, have the skill set to make Margaritas, Bloody Caesars, and a proper cup of tea, AND we have egg-cups. It’s a cross-cultural win-win 🙂
Thank you, Donna. I like that I’m Canadian, too 🙂 Our geography and history means we understand both American and British humour, can interpret both Americanisms and Britishisms, have the skill set to make Margaritas, Bloody Caesars, and a proper cup of tea, AND we have egg-cups. It’s a cross-cultural win-win 🙂
Thank you, Donna. I like that I’m Canadian, too 🙂 Our geography and history means we understand both American and British humour, can interpret both Americanisms and Britishisms, have the skill set to make Margaritas, Bloody Caesars, and a proper cup of tea, AND we have egg-cups. It’s a cross-cultural win-win 🙂
Thank you, Donna. I like that I’m Canadian, too 🙂 Our geography and history means we understand both American and British humour, can interpret both Americanisms and Britishisms, have the skill set to make Margaritas, Bloody Caesars, and a proper cup of tea, AND we have egg-cups. It’s a cross-cultural win-win 🙂
Thank you, Donna. I like that I’m Canadian, too 🙂 Our geography and history means we understand both American and British humour, can interpret both Americanisms and Britishisms, have the skill set to make Margaritas, Bloody Caesars, and a proper cup of tea, AND we have egg-cups. It’s a cross-cultural win-win 🙂
Hi Andrea! (hugging you back hard) It’s wonderful to BE back, however briefly. Glad to see everyone is healthy and safe. I can’t wait for you to READ the book, so I can pester you to tell me your favourite parts 🙂
Hi Andrea! (hugging you back hard) It’s wonderful to BE back, however briefly. Glad to see everyone is healthy and safe. I can’t wait for you to READ the book, so I can pester you to tell me your favourite parts 🙂
Hi Andrea! (hugging you back hard) It’s wonderful to BE back, however briefly. Glad to see everyone is healthy and safe. I can’t wait for you to READ the book, so I can pester you to tell me your favourite parts 🙂
Hi Andrea! (hugging you back hard) It’s wonderful to BE back, however briefly. Glad to see everyone is healthy and safe. I can’t wait for you to READ the book, so I can pester you to tell me your favourite parts 🙂
Hi Andrea! (hugging you back hard) It’s wonderful to BE back, however briefly. Glad to see everyone is healthy and safe. I can’t wait for you to READ the book, so I can pester you to tell me your favourite parts 🙂
Aw, that’s so sweet of you, Jessie. I’ll try to always give you stories that live up to that high level. Hope you like The Vanished Days!
Aw, that’s so sweet of you, Jessie. I’ll try to always give you stories that live up to that high level. Hope you like The Vanished Days!
Aw, that’s so sweet of you, Jessie. I’ll try to always give you stories that live up to that high level. Hope you like The Vanished Days!
Aw, that’s so sweet of you, Jessie. I’ll try to always give you stories that live up to that high level. Hope you like The Vanished Days!
Aw, that’s so sweet of you, Jessie. I’ll try to always give you stories that live up to that high level. Hope you like The Vanished Days!
Hi Anne. I think maybe it’s sometimes easier to connect with characters from the past if we have the characters from the present day to lead us into that unknown time, and serve as our guides, in a way. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi Anne. I think maybe it’s sometimes easier to connect with characters from the past if we have the characters from the present day to lead us into that unknown time, and serve as our guides, in a way. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi Anne. I think maybe it’s sometimes easier to connect with characters from the past if we have the characters from the present day to lead us into that unknown time, and serve as our guides, in a way. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi Anne. I think maybe it’s sometimes easier to connect with characters from the past if we have the characters from the present day to lead us into that unknown time, and serve as our guides, in a way. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi Anne. I think maybe it’s sometimes easier to connect with characters from the past if we have the characters from the present day to lead us into that unknown time, and serve as our guides, in a way. Thanks for your kind words.
Thank you, Erica. I love dual storylines, too, and most of my books do have that structure, although a couple of them stay more or less in the present, with only references to the past (like The Shadowy Horses). Each book ends up deciding what it wants to be, but I’m always happy when one decides it wants to have a dual timeline.
Thank you, Erica. I love dual storylines, too, and most of my books do have that structure, although a couple of them stay more or less in the present, with only references to the past (like The Shadowy Horses). Each book ends up deciding what it wants to be, but I’m always happy when one decides it wants to have a dual timeline.
Thank you, Erica. I love dual storylines, too, and most of my books do have that structure, although a couple of them stay more or less in the present, with only references to the past (like The Shadowy Horses). Each book ends up deciding what it wants to be, but I’m always happy when one decides it wants to have a dual timeline.
Thank you, Erica. I love dual storylines, too, and most of my books do have that structure, although a couple of them stay more or less in the present, with only references to the past (like The Shadowy Horses). Each book ends up deciding what it wants to be, but I’m always happy when one decides it wants to have a dual timeline.
Thank you, Erica. I love dual storylines, too, and most of my books do have that structure, although a couple of them stay more or less in the present, with only references to the past (like The Shadowy Horses). Each book ends up deciding what it wants to be, but I’m always happy when one decides it wants to have a dual timeline.
Oh, Janet, you will have to go to Edinburgh. And to Leith, which is lovely (and one of my favourite places to wander about in). Maybe you and your husband should stay in one of the holiday flats in Gladstone’s Land, the building that inspired the setting for my story 🙂 They’ve renovated all the flats since I last stayed there, but the one now named the Johnston Apartment is the one I always stayed in. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land-1/highlights/holiday-accommodation?lang=
Oh, Janet, you will have to go to Edinburgh. And to Leith, which is lovely (and one of my favourite places to wander about in). Maybe you and your husband should stay in one of the holiday flats in Gladstone’s Land, the building that inspired the setting for my story 🙂 They’ve renovated all the flats since I last stayed there, but the one now named the Johnston Apartment is the one I always stayed in. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land-1/highlights/holiday-accommodation?lang=
Oh, Janet, you will have to go to Edinburgh. And to Leith, which is lovely (and one of my favourite places to wander about in). Maybe you and your husband should stay in one of the holiday flats in Gladstone’s Land, the building that inspired the setting for my story 🙂 They’ve renovated all the flats since I last stayed there, but the one now named the Johnston Apartment is the one I always stayed in. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land-1/highlights/holiday-accommodation?lang=
Oh, Janet, you will have to go to Edinburgh. And to Leith, which is lovely (and one of my favourite places to wander about in). Maybe you and your husband should stay in one of the holiday flats in Gladstone’s Land, the building that inspired the setting for my story 🙂 They’ve renovated all the flats since I last stayed there, but the one now named the Johnston Apartment is the one I always stayed in. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land-1/highlights/holiday-accommodation?lang=
Oh, Janet, you will have to go to Edinburgh. And to Leith, which is lovely (and one of my favourite places to wander about in). Maybe you and your husband should stay in one of the holiday flats in Gladstone’s Land, the building that inspired the setting for my story 🙂 They’ve renovated all the flats since I last stayed there, but the one now named the Johnston Apartment is the one I always stayed in. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land-1/highlights/holiday-accommodation?lang=
Modern day narrators also make it a little easier for me, as a writer, to dip into and out of the history when I need to, and to explain things to readers without having my historical characters go off on long-winded talks for no reason about things they already know 🙂 I’m glad you find the modern characters easy to connect to.
Modern day narrators also make it a little easier for me, as a writer, to dip into and out of the history when I need to, and to explain things to readers without having my historical characters go off on long-winded talks for no reason about things they already know 🙂 I’m glad you find the modern characters easy to connect to.
Modern day narrators also make it a little easier for me, as a writer, to dip into and out of the history when I need to, and to explain things to readers without having my historical characters go off on long-winded talks for no reason about things they already know 🙂 I’m glad you find the modern characters easy to connect to.
Modern day narrators also make it a little easier for me, as a writer, to dip into and out of the history when I need to, and to explain things to readers without having my historical characters go off on long-winded talks for no reason about things they already know 🙂 I’m glad you find the modern characters easy to connect to.
Modern day narrators also make it a little easier for me, as a writer, to dip into and out of the history when I need to, and to explain things to readers without having my historical characters go off on long-winded talks for no reason about things they already know 🙂 I’m glad you find the modern characters easy to connect to.
You’re very welcome, Bev. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new novel.
You’re very welcome, Bev. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new novel.
You’re very welcome, Bev. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new novel.
You’re very welcome, Bev. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new novel.
You’re very welcome, Bev. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new novel.
It is like an investigation, isn’t it? I enjoy writing the mystery element of these books, as well, even if the modern day characters don’t always know as much as we the readers do about what truly happened in the past.
It is like an investigation, isn’t it? I enjoy writing the mystery element of these books, as well, even if the modern day characters don’t always know as much as we the readers do about what truly happened in the past.
It is like an investigation, isn’t it? I enjoy writing the mystery element of these books, as well, even if the modern day characters don’t always know as much as we the readers do about what truly happened in the past.
It is like an investigation, isn’t it? I enjoy writing the mystery element of these books, as well, even if the modern day characters don’t always know as much as we the readers do about what truly happened in the past.
It is like an investigation, isn’t it? I enjoy writing the mystery element of these books, as well, even if the modern day characters don’t always know as much as we the readers do about what truly happened in the past.
Hi Nancy. The Winter Sea was truly a special book to write. I’m glad it seems to have touched the hearts of so many readers. The Canadian edition of The Vanished Days will be out on April 26, 2022, but to help pass the time while you’re waiting you can always read the opening chapters for free on my website: https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/ And there are links on that page for pre-ordering the book from Indigo etc. (the Canadian version is partway down Indigo’s page of my books, with a cover that looks a lot like the American one), or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it for you, or you can wait for your library to get it in (and save your $$).
Hi Nancy. The Winter Sea was truly a special book to write. I’m glad it seems to have touched the hearts of so many readers. The Canadian edition of The Vanished Days will be out on April 26, 2022, but to help pass the time while you’re waiting you can always read the opening chapters for free on my website: https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/ And there are links on that page for pre-ordering the book from Indigo etc. (the Canadian version is partway down Indigo’s page of my books, with a cover that looks a lot like the American one), or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it for you, or you can wait for your library to get it in (and save your $$).
Hi Nancy. The Winter Sea was truly a special book to write. I’m glad it seems to have touched the hearts of so many readers. The Canadian edition of The Vanished Days will be out on April 26, 2022, but to help pass the time while you’re waiting you can always read the opening chapters for free on my website: https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/ And there are links on that page for pre-ordering the book from Indigo etc. (the Canadian version is partway down Indigo’s page of my books, with a cover that looks a lot like the American one), or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it for you, or you can wait for your library to get it in (and save your $$).
Hi Nancy. The Winter Sea was truly a special book to write. I’m glad it seems to have touched the hearts of so many readers. The Canadian edition of The Vanished Days will be out on April 26, 2022, but to help pass the time while you’re waiting you can always read the opening chapters for free on my website: https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/ And there are links on that page for pre-ordering the book from Indigo etc. (the Canadian version is partway down Indigo’s page of my books, with a cover that looks a lot like the American one), or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it for you, or you can wait for your library to get it in (and save your $$).
Hi Nancy. The Winter Sea was truly a special book to write. I’m glad it seems to have touched the hearts of so many readers. The Canadian edition of The Vanished Days will be out on April 26, 2022, but to help pass the time while you’re waiting you can always read the opening chapters for free on my website: https://susannakearsley.com/books/the-vanished-days/ And there are links on that page for pre-ordering the book from Indigo etc. (the Canadian version is partway down Indigo’s page of my books, with a cover that looks a lot like the American one), or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it for you, or you can wait for your library to get it in (and save your $$).
Hi Denise. Sorry about the wait. The publication dates are set by my various publishers, who take a lot of different things into consideration, including who else is publishing into that particular season that might be competing with their edition of the book, or what time of year is traditionally best for publishing a certain kind of book. In Canada, my publishers generally like to bring my books out in the spring so they don’t get lost in the flood of fall titles by bigger-name authors that fill up the bookstores each autumn. I hope that, in the end, you’ll find the story worth the wait 🙂
Hi Denise. Sorry about the wait. The publication dates are set by my various publishers, who take a lot of different things into consideration, including who else is publishing into that particular season that might be competing with their edition of the book, or what time of year is traditionally best for publishing a certain kind of book. In Canada, my publishers generally like to bring my books out in the spring so they don’t get lost in the flood of fall titles by bigger-name authors that fill up the bookstores each autumn. I hope that, in the end, you’ll find the story worth the wait 🙂
Hi Denise. Sorry about the wait. The publication dates are set by my various publishers, who take a lot of different things into consideration, including who else is publishing into that particular season that might be competing with their edition of the book, or what time of year is traditionally best for publishing a certain kind of book. In Canada, my publishers generally like to bring my books out in the spring so they don’t get lost in the flood of fall titles by bigger-name authors that fill up the bookstores each autumn. I hope that, in the end, you’ll find the story worth the wait 🙂
Hi Denise. Sorry about the wait. The publication dates are set by my various publishers, who take a lot of different things into consideration, including who else is publishing into that particular season that might be competing with their edition of the book, or what time of year is traditionally best for publishing a certain kind of book. In Canada, my publishers generally like to bring my books out in the spring so they don’t get lost in the flood of fall titles by bigger-name authors that fill up the bookstores each autumn. I hope that, in the end, you’ll find the story worth the wait 🙂
Hi Denise. Sorry about the wait. The publication dates are set by my various publishers, who take a lot of different things into consideration, including who else is publishing into that particular season that might be competing with their edition of the book, or what time of year is traditionally best for publishing a certain kind of book. In Canada, my publishers generally like to bring my books out in the spring so they don’t get lost in the flood of fall titles by bigger-name authors that fill up the bookstores each autumn. I hope that, in the end, you’ll find the story worth the wait 🙂
I like a touch of the supernatural, as well, sometimes. It can be a good way of bridging the present and past in a story.
I like a touch of the supernatural, as well, sometimes. It can be a good way of bridging the present and past in a story.
I like a touch of the supernatural, as well, sometimes. It can be a good way of bridging the present and past in a story.
I like a touch of the supernatural, as well, sometimes. It can be a good way of bridging the present and past in a story.
I like a touch of the supernatural, as well, sometimes. It can be a good way of bridging the present and past in a story.
Thank you, Angie. It’s nice to have the freedom to follow where the characters lead me, and to know my readers will follow ME, too 🙂
Thank you, Angie. It’s nice to have the freedom to follow where the characters lead me, and to know my readers will follow ME, too 🙂
Thank you, Angie. It’s nice to have the freedom to follow where the characters lead me, and to know my readers will follow ME, too 🙂
Thank you, Angie. It’s nice to have the freedom to follow where the characters lead me, and to know my readers will follow ME, too 🙂
Thank you, Angie. It’s nice to have the freedom to follow where the characters lead me, and to know my readers will follow ME, too 🙂
I can’t wait. I LOVE your dual time line books!
I can’t wait. I LOVE your dual time line books!
I can’t wait. I LOVE your dual time line books!
I can’t wait. I LOVE your dual time line books!
I can’t wait. I LOVE your dual time line books!
I so enjoyed this interview! Thank you!
From the first time I read Marianna, many years ago, (and of course I have read it more than once!), I have been totally captivated by each and every book Susanna has written. This was the first book that I had read that mixed the past and present and from that day forward I was hooked.
The best kind of books are those that draw you in and render you useless for anything else until you have finished the book. Thanks Susanna for being an author of the “best kind of books”!
I so enjoyed this interview! Thank you!
From the first time I read Marianna, many years ago, (and of course I have read it more than once!), I have been totally captivated by each and every book Susanna has written. This was the first book that I had read that mixed the past and present and from that day forward I was hooked.
The best kind of books are those that draw you in and render you useless for anything else until you have finished the book. Thanks Susanna for being an author of the “best kind of books”!
I so enjoyed this interview! Thank you!
From the first time I read Marianna, many years ago, (and of course I have read it more than once!), I have been totally captivated by each and every book Susanna has written. This was the first book that I had read that mixed the past and present and from that day forward I was hooked.
The best kind of books are those that draw you in and render you useless for anything else until you have finished the book. Thanks Susanna for being an author of the “best kind of books”!
I so enjoyed this interview! Thank you!
From the first time I read Marianna, many years ago, (and of course I have read it more than once!), I have been totally captivated by each and every book Susanna has written. This was the first book that I had read that mixed the past and present and from that day forward I was hooked.
The best kind of books are those that draw you in and render you useless for anything else until you have finished the book. Thanks Susanna for being an author of the “best kind of books”!
I so enjoyed this interview! Thank you!
From the first time I read Marianna, many years ago, (and of course I have read it more than once!), I have been totally captivated by each and every book Susanna has written. This was the first book that I had read that mixed the past and present and from that day forward I was hooked.
The best kind of books are those that draw you in and render you useless for anything else until you have finished the book. Thanks Susanna for being an author of the “best kind of books”!
Oops! Typed too quickly, Mariana came out Marianna!
Oops! Typed too quickly, Mariana came out Marianna!
Oops! Typed too quickly, Mariana came out Marianna!
Oops! Typed too quickly, Mariana came out Marianna!
Oops! Typed too quickly, Mariana came out Marianna!
First of all – dual time or purely historical – I love both. That said, I can’t wait to read this book. I preordered it a while back. What a excellent interview with such interesting questions & answers!
First of all – dual time or purely historical – I love both. That said, I can’t wait to read this book. I preordered it a while back. What a excellent interview with such interesting questions & answers!
First of all – dual time or purely historical – I love both. That said, I can’t wait to read this book. I preordered it a while back. What a excellent interview with such interesting questions & answers!
First of all – dual time or purely historical – I love both. That said, I can’t wait to read this book. I preordered it a while back. What a excellent interview with such interesting questions & answers!
First of all – dual time or purely historical – I love both. That said, I can’t wait to read this book. I preordered it a while back. What a excellent interview with such interesting questions & answers!
I am so excited when a new Susanna Kearsley novel is released, I plan my teaching schedule around the book release so I do not have student papers to grade.
I am so excited when a new Susanna Kearsley novel is released, I plan my teaching schedule around the book release so I do not have student papers to grade.
I am so excited when a new Susanna Kearsley novel is released, I plan my teaching schedule around the book release so I do not have student papers to grade.
I am so excited when a new Susanna Kearsley novel is released, I plan my teaching schedule around the book release so I do not have student papers to grade.
I am so excited when a new Susanna Kearsley novel is released, I plan my teaching schedule around the book release so I do not have student papers to grade.
If I had to decide between dual time or historical, I’d choose dual time because the connections between people over the centuries makes the history so real and relatable. That being said, I can barely stand to wait for the newest Susanna Kearsley novel!!
If I had to decide between dual time or historical, I’d choose dual time because the connections between people over the centuries makes the history so real and relatable. That being said, I can barely stand to wait for the newest Susanna Kearsley novel!!
If I had to decide between dual time or historical, I’d choose dual time because the connections between people over the centuries makes the history so real and relatable. That being said, I can barely stand to wait for the newest Susanna Kearsley novel!!
If I had to decide between dual time or historical, I’d choose dual time because the connections between people over the centuries makes the history so real and relatable. That being said, I can barely stand to wait for the newest Susanna Kearsley novel!!
If I had to decide between dual time or historical, I’d choose dual time because the connections between people over the centuries makes the history so real and relatable. That being said, I can barely stand to wait for the newest Susanna Kearsley novel!!
Thank you, I’ll start working on him and see what I can do!
Thank you, I’ll start working on him and see what I can do!
Thank you, I’ll start working on him and see what I can do!
Thank you, I’ll start working on him and see what I can do!
Thank you, I’ll start working on him and see what I can do!
Just to let you all know that the winner of the giveaway was Karen Townsend – congratulations Karen!
Just to let you all know that the winner of the giveaway was Karen Townsend – congratulations Karen!
Just to let you all know that the winner of the giveaway was Karen Townsend – congratulations Karen!
Just to let you all know that the winner of the giveaway was Karen Townsend – congratulations Karen!
Just to let you all know that the winner of the giveaway was Karen Townsend – congratulations Karen!