Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Midnight Blue by Suzie Waltner, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Midnight Blue Series: Love in Color #1
Author: Suzie Waltner
Publisher: Anaiah Press Publishing
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
A series of heartbreaking setbacks behind her, Scarlett Sykes is now focused on creating the best life possible for her daughter. One where innocence and joy is not colored by rejection or loss. While finances are tight and Scarlett’s job isn’t ideal for a single mother, her child will always know she’s loved. Especially since Harmony’s father wanted nothing to do with them.
As lead singer and the face of a successful country band, Jake Turnquist’s closest friends depend on him, but life in the spotlight is quickly losing its appeal. At a party celebrating another accomplishment, he’s stunned to discover Scarlett assisting the caterer. Almost ten years have passed, but he’s never forgotten his first love.
In the hours after a surprise revelation, Jake scrambles to orchestrate a way to spend time with Scarlett and Harmony—the family he’s always wanted but never knew he had. He once gave her up to pursue his music. What will he have to surrender to win her back?
Welcome, Suzie! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and allowing my readers a chance to get to know you and your new book Midnight Blue.
I like to start these interviews the same way, with something fun to break the ice. Can you share 5 random facts about you that we will not find in your bio?
1. I’ve lived in six states and before moving to Tennessee after college, the furthest east I had been was Cheyenne, Wyoming.
2. I’ve finished a marathon and a half Ironman triathlon (but I am the slow and steady, the endurance, member of those).
3. While I live in Tennessee, the rest of my family still lives in Washington and North Idaho (right along the Washington state border).
4. My writing companion is a tabby cat named Piper. She likes to curl up on my lap when I’m stretched out on the couch to write or edit.
5. I spend several weeks a year house and dog sitting for friends. I spent Christmas with a bernadoodle and New Year’s Day with a labradoodle.
When did you first discover you had a passion for writing?
I enjoyed writing in high school and college but never thought about doing anything with it. About nine years ago, I gave NaNoWriMo a try. It was during that time I found I not only had a passion for writing, but I had a lot of stories in me.
In the past, you had independently published several books before taking a few years off and studying more on the craft of writing. What did you learn during this time and how do you think it made your writing better?
There are so many rules in writing that, as a reader, I had no clue about when I indie published my first books. Point of view, passive voice, not overusing adverbs, using action beats instead of dialogue tags, and more. And then those rules vary from publisher to publisher. While learning those rules and honing my craft have strengthened my writing, the biggest (and best) thing I learned is that there is a huge writing community out there filled with genuine and supportive people who want everyone to succeed.
Through American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), I found my two critique partners. We each have different strengths in our writing, which is wonderful because those strengths give us better manuscripts when we’ve made our way through them together.
Coming back to writing after your hiatus, how was the experience of writing and publishing Midnight Blue different than your previous novels?
Midnight Blue is an interesting book because I initially wrote it (six years ago) with a word count that fit into the Love Inspired line. After I had finished it, I attended a panel with LI editors and they said they did not want any characters in the entertainment industry. Because Jake is the lead singer of a country music band, I knew they wouldn’t buy it.
I tried to rewrite it and give Jake a different career, but that took out all of the conflict happening between him and Scarlett. So, when #FaithPitch rolled around on Twitter one year, I decided to see if anyone else was interested in the original version, and Anaiah Press Publishing did.
With my previous novels, I had an editor who told me that I only needed a copy editor (for any budding novelists out there, this is a red flag). With Midnight Blue, I learned how important having a content editor is.
I love my Anaiah editor. She has made my stories stronger by pointing out things like inconsistencies in my timeline and the layout of Jake’s house. She patiently walked me through three rounds of edits with MB, and the story is better for it. Plus, we added a good 20,000 words to round out the characters. So, let me give a ginormous shout out to Candee Fick.
In addition to being an author, you also have a day job. How do you find the time to devote to writing?
Finding the time is difficult. Not only do I have a day job, but I have church activities, friends I want to spend time with, and a book blog. If I can find a block of time (three hours or more) to sit down and write, I do it. That’s not to say I don’t procrastinate sometimes, but I do try to block off time every week to write. That’s usually one or two weeknights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Can you tell us a little bit more about Midnight Blue?
While Jake celebrates another milestone in his career, he’s stunned to discover his high school sweetheart in his home. With a daughter. Ten years have passed, but he’s never forgotten his first love.
Midnight Blue is a reunion/second chance romance with a secret child (but there’s a twist to that trope because while Jake doesn’t know Harmony is his daughter, Scarlett thinks he knows and rejected them).
What was the most challenging part of bringing this story to life? The most rewarding?
The most challenging part was the timeline. Not only did I have the current timeline to content with, I also had all these events between Jake and Scarlett in the past I had to keep track of. My editor suggested I create a calendar as I went through content edits, and that helped a lot (although, she still caught a few inconsistencies in our second round that I had to iron out).
The most rewarding was creating the characters. There are small hints in Midnight Blue about each of the band members that I am more fully developing as I write and edit the series. Because I’m a pantser—which means I don’t plot my storyline, I let it take me wherever it wants to—I am sometimes surprised by some events that unfold as I write.
What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
The truth of God’s love for us. No matter our past choices and regrets, God grows us through them and brings us to something even more beautiful. We might not see the results this side of heaven, but God is good. All the time.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go, are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?
I just finished content edits for Red Velvet, which is the second book in the Love in Color series. This book features Seth and Cassidy (who readers meet in Midnight Blue).
The third and fourth books in this series are also scheduled for 2023 releases (but those dates are subjected to change). I turned book three in at the end of November and, now that I’m through edits, will start writing the last one.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub
About the Author
Suzie Waltner is a lover of fiction and is first and foremost a reader. When she’s not at work or reading or writing, you can find her cheering on the Nashville Predators (hockey) or dancing an hour away in Zumba class. Until her second year of college, her life plan was to become a veterinarian. A fainting spell while watching a surgery performed on a sheep changed that plan. Now she works in the corporate world during the day while creating stories in her free time. Suzie resides in a suburb of Nashville, TN and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers as well as Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. She currently serves as the president of the Middle Tennessee ACFW chapter.
Connect with Suzie by visiting suziewaltner.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Author Interview
Welcome, Suzie! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and allowing my readers a chance to get to know you and your new book Midnight Blue.
I like to start these interviews the same way, with something fun to break the ice. Can you share 5 random facts about you that we will not find in your bio?
1. I’ve lived in six states and before moving to Tennessee after college, the furthest east I had been was Cheyenne, Wyoming.
2. I’ve finished a marathon and a half Ironman triathlon (but I am the slow and steady, the endurance, member of those).
3. While I live in Tennessee, the rest of my family still lives in Washington and North Idaho (right along the Washington state border).
4. My writing companion is a tabby cat named Piper. She likes to curl up on my lap when I’m stretched out on the couch to write or edit.
5. I spend several weeks a year house and dog sitting for friends. I spent Christmas with a bernadoodle and New Year’s Day with a labradoodle.
When did you first discover you had a passion for writing?
I enjoyed writing in high school and college but never thought about doing anything with it. About nine years ago, I gave NaNoWriMo a try. It was during that time I found I not only had a passion for writing, but I had a lot of stories in me.
In the past, you had independently published several books before taking a few years off and studying more on the craft of writing. What did you learn during this time and how do you think it made your writing better?
There are so many rules in writing that, as a reader, I had no clue about when I indie published my first books. Point of view, passive voice, not overusing adverbs, using action beats instead of dialogue tags, and more. And then those rules vary from publisher to publisher. While learning those rules and honing my craft have strengthened my writing, the biggest (and best) thing I learned is that there is a huge writing community out there filled with genuine and supportive people who want everyone to succeed.
Through American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), I found my two critique partners. We each have different strengths in our writing, which is wonderful because those strengths give us better manuscripts when we’ve made our way through them together.
Coming back to writing after your hiatus, how was the experience of writing and publishing Midnight Blue different than your previous novels?
Midnight Blue is an interesting book because I initially wrote it (six years ago) with a word count that fit into the Love Inspired line. After I had finished it, I attended a panel with LI editors and they said they did not want any characters in the entertainment industry. Because Jake is the lead singer of a country music band, I knew they wouldn’t buy it.
I tried to rewrite it and give Jake a different career, but that took out all of the conflict happening between him and Scarlett. So, when #FaithPitch rolled around on Twitter one year, I decided to see if anyone else was interested in the original version, and Anaiah Press Publishing did.
With my previous novels, I had an editor who told me that I only needed a copy editor (for any budding novelists out there, this is a red flag). With Midnight Blue, I learned how important having a content editor is.
I love my Anaiah editor. She has made my stories stronger by pointing out things like inconsistencies in my timeline and the layout of Jake’s house. She patiently walked me through three rounds of edits with MB, and the story is better for it. Plus, we added a good 20,000 words to round out the characters. So, let me give a ginormous shout out to Candee Fick.
In addition to being an author, you also have a day job. How do you find the time to devote to writing?
Finding the time is difficult. Not only do I have a day job, but I have church activities, friends I want to spend time with, and a book blog. If I can find a block of time (three hours or more) to sit down and write, I do it. That’s not to say I don’t procrastinate sometimes, but I do try to block off time every week to write. That’s usually one or two weeknights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Can you tell us a little bit more about Midnight Blue?
While Jake celebrates another milestone in his career, he’s stunned to discover his high school sweetheart in his home. With a daughter. Ten years have passed, but he’s never forgotten his first love.
Midnight Blue is a reunion/second chance romance with a secret child (but there’s a twist to that trope because while Jake doesn’t know Harmony is his daughter, Scarlett thinks he knows and rejected them).
What was the most challenging part of bringing this story to life? The most rewarding?
The most challenging part was the timeline. Not only did I have the current timeline to content with, I also had all these events between Jake and Scarlett in the past I had to keep track of. My editor suggested I create a calendar as I went through content edits, and that helped a lot (although, she still caught a few inconsistencies in our second round that I had to iron out).
The most rewarding was creating the characters. There are small hints in Midnight Blue about each of the band members that I am more fully developing as I write and edit the series. Because I’m a pantser—which means I don’t plot my storyline, I let it take me wherever it wants to—I am sometimes surprised by some events that unfold as I write.
What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
The truth of God’s love for us. No matter our past choices and regrets, God grows us through them and brings us to something even more beautiful. We might not see the results this side of heaven, but God is good. All the time.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go, are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?
I just finished content edits for Red Velvet, which is the second book in the Love in Color series. This book features Seth and Cassidy (who readers meet in Midnight Blue).
The third and fourth books in this series are also scheduled for 2023 releases (but those dates are subjected to change). I turned book three in at the end of November and, now that I’m through edits, will start writing the last one.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a Everything But the Book Cozy Reading Basket: sherpa throw, I'd Rather Be Reading mug, I Read Past My Bedtime socks, 12 oz orange spice candle, portable power bank, book cozy, and some reading snacks plus a $20 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 16, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 23, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
This interview was fun! Thank you so much for sharing about Midnight Blue.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read! Nice cover.
ReplyDeletei always enjoy reading Q&As. thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank You for the review.
ReplyDeleteMarion
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, with him wearing a Stetson on the cover, I thought that Jake was a cowboy (my favorite romantic heroes) but I am just as excited by the fact that he is a country singer! I do love the cover and the synopsis has intrigued me, Midnight Blue is going on my TBR pile ASAP!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite space to do your writing?
ReplyDeletegreat interview! thanks, Randi & Suzie :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book & I love the cover! Thanks for sharing & ty for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this Q&A, thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteSuzie Waltner Is a new author to me. I look forward to reading your books.
ReplyDelete