Interview with Susan Van Kirk

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
A Death at Tippitt Pond is my newest book, and it begins the Sweet Iron series. It launches June 15

Susan Van Kirk

from Encircle Publications. Prior to this mystery, I wrote a series picked up by Five Star/Cengage called the Endurance mysteries: Three May Keep a Secret, Marry in Haste, The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney (novella), and Death Takes No Bribes. Except for the novella, each title comes from a Benjamin Franklin proverb. My earliest book is a memoir titled The Education of a Teacher (Including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks.) Total: 6.

How did you develop your character and choose your location?
My location, Sweet Iron, is a town of 15,000 in west central Illinois. My entire life has been spent in the Midwest, and I love writing about the eccentricities, the change of seasons, the people, and the history of a small town like the ones I create. I love this setting because I can describe humor on the surface and darkness in the underbelly. Small towns have their share of gossip, underlying motives, secrets, and complicated relationships.

Elizabeth Russell (Beth) is unlike any fictional character I’ve created in the past. I wanted to delve into several aspects of her character: her loneliness and longing for community, her personal search for justice, and her highly-sought-after expertise in her historical research and genealogy work. She is intriguing because she has lived much of her life in New York City, but now she is plopped down in a small town in the middle of nowhere. How will she cope, especially when she discovers secrets buried in a family tree she didn’t know? She’s willing to take a chance, and that could lead to wonderful outcomes. These aspects of Beth allow me to add both humor and darkness to the story. But not too much darkness—it’s a cozy mystery.

What do you enjoy/not enjoy about the author’s lifestyle?
I love writing. Since I was an English teacher for four decades, people think I should be a natural. But I was never a writer until I decided to write a memoir which then led to writing mysteries. I found I love creating characters and plots, researching, and talking to people about books. I’ve worked with two editors and really enjoyed their collaboration. When I’m writing, hours fly by. On the other hand, I don’t enjoy the “business” side of writing. Sending queries to agents and publishers or keeping track of sales and taxes, dealing with social media, etc. Those are not the aspects of writing I enjoy.

Do you model your character after yourself or anyone you know?
Beth Russell is like me in that she loves to research and learn about history. Beth also is an introspective person, a trait I share with her. Both of us usually think through problems carefully before making decisions about which solution might work. Beyond that, she is far younger than I am, is more of a loner—at least to begin her story—and knows nothing about her family’s past.

She is more the age of my daughter and daughters-in-law, so perhaps I think about some of their traits as I write about Beth.

How do you get yourself out of a writing rut?
Frankly, I seldom, if ever, find myself in a rut. Believe me, I say that humbly. I spend a great deal of time thinking through my entire novel and looking for problems in the plot. I am an outliner, so once I come up with the ideas, I know where I’m headed. Each day I write a chapter, but before I leave my chair, I have a brief outline of what I plan to do the next day. So my ruts happen more often in the “thinking” phase of a story. I have the luxury of spending some time doing other things while my brain sorts through the problems.

If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
If we were filming my Endurance mysteries, I’d want Meryl Streep. Everything she does turns to gold, but I also think she would do a great job of understanding Grace Kimball, the retired Endurance teacher, who has been through several tragedies in her life. Bonus: she wouldn’t have to worry about an accent. If it were Beth Russell from my upcoming book, I’d like to see Emma Stone play her part. She’s younger than Beth, but make-up could help. Stone has just the right combination of intelligence and assertiveness to play to Beth’s strengths, but she can also be reluctant at times. Perfect combination.

Who is your favorite author?
This is a terrible question to ask a writer! So many authors, so little time. The answer has changed over the years. Currently, I like Michael Connelly, Linda Castillo, Kate Morton, Charles Finch, Kristin Hannah, and, most recently, Mariah Fredericks. It’s a mixture of mystery and history, exactly what I write.

If you could invite five people to a dinner party—living or dead—who would they be?
On a personal level, I’d invite my mother because she died young and has been gone from my life for forty-seven years. I find her absence is often reflected in my stories. Lourdes Venard, who has been my editor and friend for these past seven years, is a definite “yes.” I admire Barack Obama, and I think we’d have great conversations. I’d also love to invite Kurt Vonnegut since I once defended one of his books when parents wanted to pull it out of my school, and he sent me an amazing letter about censorship. He would add such humor to our dinner, as well as a few satirical thoughts. Finally, I’d ask Abraham Lincoln, both for humor and for a discussion about uniting a divided country. This would be quite a combination of past and present.

If you could not be an author, what would you like to do as a career?
Well, I had a career I loved for four decades—teaching, but that seems to be an easy way of answering this question. I would do something related to books, I’m sure. I would own a bookstore or be a freelance editor or a cover designer. Books have been an integral part of my life since I first learned to read with the Dick and Jane books.