Susie answered some questions for her readers. I’ve already reviewed (and loved) her latest, Take a Chance on Me.

Here are a few questions for inquiring minds:

From Susan Gibson Snodgrass: Where do you get your inspiration?

Great question!  I get inspiration everywhere – the news, facebook posts, sermons, radio talk shows, conversations.  It’s always about a question, something that makes me think…what if?

I got the story about Izzy, (My Foolish Heart) the talk show host to the lovelorn from a Brad Paisely song, Online, about a guy who lives in his parent’s basement, but online he’s awesome (because he’s created that persona).  I added to that the idea of falling in love over the airwaves, and voila! Izzy’s story was germinated.

I got the idea for You Don’t Know Me while sitting on a plane to Seattle. The woman next to me was openly agitated, and when I talked to

her (during the food and beverage service!), she told me was flying to Seattle to put her daughter into the witness protection program. Forever. The daughter was 21.  The questions surrounding that situation birthed the story.

I got the idea for Take a Chance on Me from an event that happened in our town – an accident that killed a well-regarded man. In the aftermath the town took sides for or against the person who hit him, and it birthed a slew of ideas about blame and forgiveness.

I always look at the idea and see if I can ask a big spiritual question about it, or touch an emotional issue, or even raise a social question. Then I start exploring the characters interacting with the question, and how they might find answers.

From Stacey Pope Dale: If you were to cast the movie based on your book, who would you choose to play the key roles?

Take a Chance on Me? I have a key list of actors I used as prototypes:

• John would be played by Tom Selleck
• Ingrid would be played by Bonnie Hunt
• Darek would be played by (Thor) Chris Hemsworth
• Ivy would be played by Emma Stone
• Jenson would be played by Scott Speedman
• Claire would be played by (90210) Arielle Kibbel

From Laura Vernet Price Hilton: Why do you think Deep Haven scores a touchdown with your readers?

I love the way you phrased that question!  I think it is the small town where everyone knows your name, the family connections, the beauty of the north shore, and the sense of Mayberry or maybe Mitford set in the north woods.  I think reader like to escape with people they know, and learn more about their lives.

Check back next week for a few more questions and answers from Susan May Warren.