Interview with Ireland's Susanne O'Leary - Author of the Starlight Cottage Series
I discovered Susanne’s books quite by accident this year when I was searching for stories from Ireland. After reading a sample of The Lost Girls of Ireland on Apple Books, I was hooked from the first page and made my purchase (Book 1 of The Starlight Cottage Series). Then I posted my thoughts on Goodreads, connected with Susanne and shared my new found love of her stories. I also got her Sandy Cove Series (another wonderful collection set in Ireland).
Great news! Book 2 of The Starlight Cottage Series is now out August 31st. I received an advanced copy for review thanks to Susanne, her publisher Bookouture and Netgalley. Of course, I read and loved it immensely, too (see my review). Susanne’s uplifting books are a breath of fresh salty Irish air as they take me away to my favourite Island where I can join the lives of intriguing characters who need a fresh start. Classified aptly as ‘feel good’ stories, they are great heart medicine that will make you laugh, cry, smile and cheer as you watch the characters in their domain unfold. I hope you enjoy getting to know Susanne (below) and decide to read her books as well. You will be glad you did. She has quite a large catalogue!
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An Internet Fire-Side Chat with Susanne O’Leary
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Please provide a quick overview of your most recent release The Lost Secret of Ireland. (Book 2 of The Starlight Cottage series)
In the tiny village of Sandy Cove in Ireland, Ella Caron is trying to recover. When she moved from Paris to a beautiful coastguard cottage on the sea, she wanted peace and quiet and the space to grieve after her mother’s death. She never imagined that her mother’s eccentric best friend Lucille would insist on moving in to keep her company.
With Lucille by her side, Ella finds herself laughing more than she has in years and it soon becomes clear that Lucille has her own reasons for coming to Sandy Cove: she wants Ella to help her move to her own little cottage by the sea. But then Lucille’s son Rory comes to town and her dream is under threat: he wants her in Tipperary, where she can safely grow old in their family home. Ella admires Lucille’s sense of adventure but she can’t help but wonder if Rory is right. Especially when she sees the rickety old cottage Lucille intends to buy and realises that the real reason she wants to escape could turn Rory’s life upside down.
As Ella and Rory get closer, sharing a moment under the stars that feels meant to be, Ella finds herself caught between the man she is falling for and the loyalty she has to Lucille. Ella knows that she must convince Lucille to tell her family the truth, but it may force them to leave her and Sandy Cove for good…
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Who is your favourite character in your newest novel The Lost Secret of Ireland and why?
It’s Lucille, because of her strength, courage and determination not to let age conquer her.
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Are the books of The Starlight Cottage series meant to be read in a specific order or are they standalone stories with a new set of characters for each book?
They are standalone.
Book 2 of the Starlight Cottage Series due out on August 31st, 2021!
The Lost Sister of Ireland and The Lost Secret of Ireland are genuine feel-good novels about fresh starts, kindness, forgiveness and healing. Would you say these stories are based on experiences you have had and/or carry traits of people you have known?
Some of the things that happened to me have ended up in my stories. For example, I like Ella, fractured my pelvis in an accident, but mine was as a result of being thrown by a horse, she fell from a ladder. Some of the older women in my stories are inspired by my mother and grandmother who were incredibly brave and strong despite many hardships in their lives.
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What signature characteristics or elements in your books make them so popular, inviting and readable?
I think it’s a combination of beautiful settings, strong, relatable characters and a dash of humour.
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Looking across your list of many novels, it appears they are centred around a common neighbourhood such as: The Sandy Cove Series, The Tipperary Series, The Starlight Cottage Series. Was it your intention from the beginning to write this way (in a series format) or was it something you just fell into and/or developed as you went along?
It was partly intentional but mostly inspired by readers who kept asking what happened next to the characters. I find it easier to write series because then I know the setting and the characters so well as I continue writing about them.
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Can you share a little information of what you are working on now? Possibly the next instalment in the Starlight Cottage series?
I’m currently working on part 3 in the Starlight Cottage series, which will be published in December this year.
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Please share how you first became a writer and who or what inspired you. Feel free to include your publishing history.
I started my writing career some 20 years ago by writing non-fiction and wrote two books about health and fitness (I am a trained fitness teacher). While writing these books, I discovered how much I loved the actual writing process. My then editor gave me the idea to write a fun novel based on my experiences as a diplomat's wife. This became my debut novel, 'Diplomatic Incidents' (now also an e-book with the title Duty Free'), published in 2001. I wrote three further novels, 'European Affairs' (now as an e-book with the title 'Villa Caramel'), 'Fresh Powder' (2006) and 'Finding Margo' (2007). The latter two were published by New Island Books in Dublin. In 2010, when the publishing industry started to decline, I broke away from both publisher and agent and e-published my back list, along with two novels that were with my agent for submission. Since then, I have written and e-published several further novels, and signed with Bookouture, a brilliant publisher in the UK and, as a result, now have some thirty books out there in the e-book market worldwide. I write mainly in the women's fiction genre, some chick-lit, some contemporary romance, with two historical novels and four detective stories thrown into the mix, but my first love is romantic comedies. I’m hoping to continue writing more novels set in Ireland when the current series is finished.
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Would you say land/seascapes play an important role in the framework of your novels? If so, how?
I love taking the reader to beautiful settings, be it mountains, beaches or rolling green hills. I use all my senses when I describe the surroundings the characters find themselves in and in this way paint a vivid picture of where they are.
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I understand you have travelled widely. Have those experiences helped you in creating fiction and, if so, how?
I always write about places I know well, and I lived in so many different interesting places, which I draw on for the backdrop in my stories.
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Is it a hard or easy task for you to give your characters a voice and name? Do they lead you in the moment or do you plot their actions ahead of time?
I’m a so-called ‘pantser’, which means I write as I go along without planning ahead. This way, the characters sometimes do things that surprise me. It makes writing sometimes difficult but very exciting.
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How long does it take you to write a book? What is the hardest part of the process?
At the moment, I have to write a first draft in four months because of my contract with my publisher, which is quite taxing. Writing the first few chapters is always quite hard, and then finishing a story can be quite difficult too.
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What comes first: the plot or the character(s) in your story writing?
My stories usually start with an idea, a kind of ‘what if’ moment. And then the characters are created as I go along.
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What do you believe is a great recipe for creating unforgettable characters?
My characters are always struggling with problems or find themselves in difficult situations. The way they react and deal with the hardships in life and how they grow during their journeys defines them and makes them likeable.
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If you could be a character in one of your own books, who would you be and why?
I’m always in the skin of my heroine while I write, so it’s difficult to pick one in particular. Right now, I’m Maggie in The Lost Promise of Ireland, my work in progress to be published in December this year.
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What genre is your favourite to read and what author do you most admire, and why?
I read a lot of different genres, and my favourite authors vary a lot. I do like Marion Keyes in particular because her books are both sad and happy at the same time and she knows how to tell a story.
Many thanks Susanne for being a guest on my website. And congratulations on your next release on August 31, 2021! To learn more about Susanne and her books go to her website.
Again thanks to Susanne, her publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for an advanced copy to review. Susanne’s books and those of Bookouture are available at all popular online book sites in both digital and paperback formats.
Book 1 The Lost Girls of Ireland of the Starlight Cottage Series!