Suzie Waltner is a lover of fiction and is first and foremost a reader. 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 all that. She now works in the corporate world during the day and creates stories in her spare time. 

Suzie resides in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee 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.

 

If you were asked to describe yourself with only one word, what would it be?

Unruffled.

I tend to go with the flow of things and adjust when a situation calls for it without getting stressed out.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

Oh yes, and sometimes many of them consecutively. From the age of about seven up until my second year in college, I was certain I was going to be a veterinarian. Then, in one of my sophomore classes, I passed out watching a surgery on a sheep. That made me realize that I wasn’t cut out to be a vet.

After a roundabout way of getting there, I ended up with an English degree and planned to go into editing. With that degree in hand, I packed up and moved to Nashville. While I worked in the publishing business for some magazines for a couple of years, the online craze was taking over, and I ended up looking for another job (and ended up in the mortgage business).

It was through a co-worker at my office job that I was challenged to give my first NaNoWriMo a shot, and that is how I first got back into writing fifteen years after my move to Nashville.

Sometimes the detour brings us back to the original path we began on, but it’s the winding way we come back that reflects God’s grace in our lives, isn’t it?

Let’s talk about your new book, Midnight Blue (Anaiah Press, July 2022). Please tell us about it.

In short, Midnight Blue is a reunion/second chance at love story with a small secret child twist.

Jake and Scarlett were high school sweethearts, but he broke up with her to pursue his music career. Ten years later, Scarlett returns to Nashville and runs into Jake. She thinks Jake knows about their daughter, but he doesn’t have a clue that Harmony is his daughter.

What led you to write this particular story?

The few other books I’ve self-published, I’ve set in places I have not been to (thank goodness for the internet, right?). When I wrote Midnight Blue, I decided to set the story where I live. And what’s more Nashville than country music?

I enjoyed creating this group of friends who make music and live life together. Each of them will get their time in the spotlight in the other books in the series (all of which are scheduled for 2023 releases).

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

When I’m writing (whether the words are flowing or not), my comfort foods are something quick and easy I can throw in the slow cooker so I don’t have to spend a bunch of time preparing meals. My favorites are potato soup (the kind you make with frozen potatoes) or taco soup.

My celebration food is ice cream—Moose Tracks or, if I’m in the mood for something festive, peppermint ice  cream with warm chocolate syrup on top (mint and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations).

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

What a great question.

I hope it would be the servants who were good stewards of what their master gave them in Jesus’ parable of the talents. But what’s more likely accurate is Martha, distracted by the busywork and not sitting enough at the feet of Jesus.

My journey of faith is growing and evolving as I learn that “my story” is not my story at all, it is God’s story told through me.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

Of those choices, I would go with the girl next door, but if I can choose my own, I’d say I’m the supportive best friend who offers support or encouragement as the situation requires.

Thanks, Suzie! It’s nice to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

Thank you so much for inviting me. It was a pleasure visiting with you.

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For more information about Suzie, visit her website and/or on Facebook or Twitter.

To order Midnight Blue, go to —