Susan Whitfield

Once in a while, we authors take a sabbatical. Susan Whitfield did that, and now she’s back. Susan is a multi-genre author of best selling books. Though she sent information to promote only her new book, Last Time Home, I’ve included a little extra to her interview to give her return a little boost.

Susan, please introduce yourself. I have lived in North Carolina my entire life, mostly in the eastern part of the state about an hour from the Atlantic Ocean. I was fortunate enough to live in the mountains for one year and have wonderful friends and experiences from there as well. I married my college sweetheart nearly 53 years ago and we have two sons who live near us. We have three grandsons who are close too. Family means so much to us and our extended family is also very close. We try to get together once a month.

I have a BS degree in English, a MaED. In Educational Administration, and an ED.D in Leadership. I taught high school English for thirteen years and was a high school principal for 17 years. I have loved books since I began reading at age 4. I wrote many short stories in my youth and always dreamed of writing a novel. Once I retired from education, I wrote my Logan Hunter Mystery series which are located them in different part of our beautiful state in hopes of showcasing their beauty. I followed with women’s fiction and an historical fiction about an ancestor of mine. (Seven years of research!) I also authored a cookbook, Killer Recipes. Mary Deal’s Stuffed in the Trunk Mushrooms is one of the recipes.

My latest book, Last Time Home, is set in Pender County at the very home I grew up in although much of the book is purely fictional.

Synopsis – The family had grown apart over the years, but Chris Holliday Franklin, the oldest of her parents’ brood, is determined to rebuild the family ties even if it takes every ounce of her strength to do it. The first to arrive at the old home place in southwestern Pender County, North Carolina, several months after her mother’s funeral, she prays that her four siblings will show up as they each had promised and together make decisions about the house, still full of possessions and memories. Will they grow closer through the process or forever be torn apart?

What do you do when you’re not writing? We live in the country and have a vegetable garden that takes work all summer long. We prefer growing our own food so that we know what’s on it. We have blueberry bushes and access to a peach orchard and pecan trees. In addition to tending the garden and canning or freezing enough for the winter months, my husband and I enjoy cooking and taking food to shut-ins or those who just need to know someone cares. I read as much as time allows. Books are a great escape and there’re so many talented writers across the country. I have to admit that I’m drawn to writers in the Carolinas because I’m so familiar with the settings.

Do you have hobbies? In addition to gardening and cooking, I enjoy all the flowers we’ve planted over the years.I especially love the roses and hydrangeas in different colors. I also play golf with some gals once or twice a week, weather permitting.

How much of your books are realistic and experiences based on someone you know or events in your life? That’s a loaded question! I could spend hours on this one question. In the mystery series, there are certainly snippets of experiences that actually happened to me or someone I know. However, I’ve never been involved in a real murder, thank the good Lord. My imagination tends to run away with me once I set started. I suppose that happens to all of us, doesn’t it? I was quite shocked at the horror in some of my books and if they were made into movies, I’m not sure I could watch. Where did that come from? I have no idea. Kind of scary, isn’t it? Just North of Luck was about a serial killer. This character actually got into my mind and stayed there until I finished the book. I would wake up during the night, screaming. My husband told people he slept with one eye open. I’m glad I’m a strong person and a nice person. I was relieved when this character disappeared. I suppose it’s like being possessed. Not a pleasant experience at all.

When you see new authors struggling, what single piece of advice could you give them on a moment’s notice? Believe in yourself. Be true to yourself. Don’t try to copy anyone else. You have an inner voice. Use it.

How do you want others to see you or remember you? I hope they remember the person, not the writer. Reading my earlier book does not give readers a good sense of who I am. I don’t curse, I seldom drink alcoholic beverages, etc. I love people and enjoy helping them out without any need for acknowledgement. I do what I do because it blesses me. Last Time Home is a much better indicator of the real me. Readers who know me personally think I’m Chris, the one who holds the family together. I like that.

The Mystery Thriller Series

Genesis Beach – SBI Agent Logan Hunter tracks a murderer at Genesis Beach, North Carolina. When the lifeless body of Rick Teater is discovered, Logan is thrust into a high-profile crime scene. The inexperienced intern needs to prove herself and embarks on a quest for justice. The search for Teater’s killer is complicated by a hurricane and Logan’s battle with personal demons. Her investigation comes to a frustrating standstill until her intense search leads to a shocking discovery.

Just North of Luck – SBI Agent Logan Hunter wends up just north of Luck, North Carolina on the trail of a sociopath. Can she stop the bloody killing spree?

In the mountains of North Carolina a high school custodian is suffocated in plastic and thrown into the Dumpster. A music teacher is beaten to death a few weeks later. Agent Hunter is already in the area working on another case when she’s assigned to help Madison County detective Chase Railey track down the killer.

Logan rents a room in Taryn Kosterman’s home in the community of Trust. Over the next few months she deals with quirky characters and frustrating dead ends. As she spends more time with Railey, she experiences some unusual local festivals and her first taste of love.

Murders of Madison County school personnel continue and get increasingly gruesome. Evidence is hard to come by but Logan finally has enough to search the main suspect’s home. After a wild chase, a mudslide dumps Logan and the killer into the French Broad River. Only one of them will walk away.

Hell Swamp – North Carolina SBI agent Logan Hunter caught a serial killer on her first major case and fell in love with a Madison County detective, so she deserves time off to plan a wedding. Instead she gets a call to report to Ivanhoe, not far from where she grew up. The familiar Greek revival mansion named The Black River Plantation holds a crime scene beyond anyone’s worst nightmare. To make matters worse, the scene has been compromised. Key evidence is already obliterated, and Logan’s cast iron stomach and steeled nerves are put to the test.

Sin Creek – The Cape Fear River snakes through eastern North Carolina, past the stunning port city of Wilmington. But there’s a sliver of water called “Sin Creek” by some, where wickedness and decadence take precedence over decency. Logan Hunter battles evil on her quest to find a co-ed’s killer and keep her marriage to another agent from falling apart. Even though she succeeds in finding the killer, the investigation changes her life in ways she never could have imagined.

Sticking Point – The fifth novel in the Logan Hunter Mystery series, set in Beaufort, NC
Logan Hunter deals with grief and other strong emotions as she heads to the coast to find out how a bully died. The investigation seems to stall until Logan connects some macabre dots.

Susan’s Other Books

Slightly Cracked – Sugar Babe Beanblossom and Daisy Marie Hazelhurst are lifelong friends, sharing happy and sad times, enjoying outrageous antics, and enduring hot flashes. When Daisy gets sick, Sugar Babe encourages and protects her friend, and DRIVING MISS DAISY takes on a whole new meaning.

Sprig of Broom – Sprig of Broom is a coming-of-age creative non-fiction about Geoffrey Plantagenet, a count, who at the age of 15 married King Henry’s daughter, Empress Matilda, and fathered the dynasty of Plantagenet kings.

Killer Recipes – Scrumptious recipes from authors of suspense and mystery, ranging from Breads and Breakfasts to Die For; Criminal Bites, Dips and Beverages; Devilish Desserts; Insane Soups, Salads and Sauces; Shameless Sides; Slayer Casseroles; Suck-ulent Main Dishes; and Unlawful Vegetables. Proceeds from the sales of this book go to support the American Cancer Society, and all are delicious.

(Site Editor Note:) Profit from this book, Killer Recipes, was donated to the American Cancer Society. The first check was for $1000 and there was more.

Susan is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Coastal Carolina Mystery Writers, and North Carolina Writers Network. Her books are available in print and all e-book formats.