Suzanne Brockmann Q&A, Part 2

Suzanne Brockmann's Q&A continues. As in part 1, questions are italicized.

Are there any characters we will see in other books to satisfy our desire for more information, such as Blue and Lucy?

Hi, Cindy O!

Nice to see you here!

I'm sometimes surprised by the fascination readers have with certain characters (Molly & Jones, for example).

Sometimes this will get the story-idea wheels turning inside my head! So you never know who's going to return.

Lucy and Blue -- I've gotten a lot of feedback about Lucy and Blue after I did my Nasty Author Trick to Lucy in GET LUCKY.

I can't make any promises, but I hear you.

-- Suz

Do you have a timeline for stories or do you write about whichever character is loudest? Will you introduce new characters before writing about those we already know?

Hi again, Leigh!

I'm sure there will be new characters introduced!

Take Decker, for example. Okay, it's obvious that he's a future hero of his own book.

There's still alot that you don't know about him. Does he have a family? Of course he does. Is he close to them -- probably not. But that doesn't mean that he won't interact with them in his book. It doesn't mean that he will -- but if he does, those are all potential new characters, right? He's got a next-door-neighbor, too. Are they close? Probably not. Ditto re: potential interaction. Along with the girl who works the counter at the video store, right?

As far as timelines go -- I'd originally planned for Decker's book to come relatively soon. But he's been waving red flags at me -- he's so not ready for his HEA. So now what I have to do is decide whether I want to respect his wishes or drag him into it, kicking and screaming.

-- Suz

When are you coming to San Diego?

Hi, Nonny!

I'm hoping to stop in for a brief visit during my BREAKING POINT tour this summer. (I'm hoping to have the tour schedule posted on my website in mid-April!)

As far as potential sites for weekends similar to TARGET TAMPA... We've learned not to connect that to a tour (too exhausting to tour and then try to do a weekend event), and we're thinking the weekends probably don't even need to be tied into a book release -- in fact, it probably would be better to NOT be tied in to a new book. Maybe establish a time of year to get together...?

I noticed there were some questions specifically about that above -- I'll get into some of our ideas up there!

-- Suz

Will you write more short stories?

Hi, Regina!

I hope you're feeling better!

I wrote a post below about using characters for reunions in my books -- and I have to confess that the same applies to short stories!

You know, when my editor at Ballantine approached me to write that first S&A short story for the Flashpoint Chapter Sampler, I spent a HUGE amount of time thinking about what I would write.

First of all, I know my strengths and writing short is not one of them! LOL!

But secondly, I knew that I really didn't want to write what I've (somewhat rudely -- forgive me! LOL!) called "Sam and Alyssa Get a Puppy."

I really, honestly (apologetically!!!) don't want to write light-hearted glimpses of these characters being happy. Which doesn't mean that you won't see them being happy in my books and stories. But just that there's got to be something else to the story -- something conflict-ish or dark.

The first short story was all about Alyssa still getting adjusted to Sam's optimistic world.
The second was Sam's training in Military Spouse 101. (I've met many, many wives and mothers and family members of servicemen and women while on tour -- IMO, they are the true heroes!!! This story was my nod to them.)

-- Suz

Are you starting your own production company?

Hi, Kas and Melodie!

Ed and Eric and I have started a production company called SMALL OR LARGE PRODUCTIONS.

But our goal isn't to make movies from my SEAL books. (The production values would be too high! Action movies have things blowing up, etc. -- too expensive!!!)

We'll be starting with short films with digital video. Definitely low LOW budget stuff.

One of the projects we have in pre-pre-pre-production is a documentary/reality-based movie. You see, both my husband Ed and my best friend Eric discovered that they have family living in County Cork, Ireland.

Ed's family (Gaffney, O'Brien) came to America from County Cork, and Eric's family (originally from Russia) settled there in part when fleeing the pograms, I think. (Some of them came to America.) Anyway, we were talking one day, and started wondering if maybe one of Ed's distant relatives and one of Eric's distant relatives weren't sitting in a pub in Ireland right this very moment -- kind of like best friends in an alternate reality! LOL!

So we got this idea to do the research we need to do (geneaology stuff) to find out where in County Cork their families lived (and still live), and to track down any living relatives, and then go to Ireland, to see if they know each other! (Worst case scenario, we introduce them! LOL! Okay,wait -- worst case scenario is that the family line died out.) We thought it would be fun to get this down on film and to create a documentary about the process.

As for having movies made from my books -- I remain skeptical about how to transform one of my TS series books into a 2 hour movie. I just don't see it working.

I could imagine a cable mini-series. But that would be one big project - not doable on a shoe-string budget!

-- Suz

Do you feel your style changed when you went to hardcover?

Hi, Ann!

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: When I was told GONE TOO FAR was going to come out in hardcover, the book was nearly finished. And I didn't write the ending any differently, knowing that it wasn't going to be a mass market release.

And FLASHPOINT was just a different sort of book -- the first non-SEAL book I'd written in a long time, with new characters.

And HOT TARGET... I tried in this book to make the romance between Cosmo and Jane more like that of a traditional romance novel, because I knew the Jules subplot would be making many readers "boldly go..." etc.

Would I have written Flashpoint and Hot Target exactly the same way if they had originally been released as Paperbacks? YES. Absolutely.

I think, though, that writers need to grow. And that often that growth (or change) is not appreciated by all of the readers. Which is okay. I have my own likes and dislikes when it comes to books that I want to read.

But I think of it like this -- I once had a very good friend in 7th and 8th grade. We were amazingly tight -- best friends. But when we went to high school, we both grew and changed, and it got to the point where we were hardly even friends anymore. Oh, we were friendly, but we outgrew each other.

This is a natural part of life.

So I'm not too worried when I hear some readers say that they don't like my recent books. That's okay with me, because I'm picking up new readers -- people who can connect with me-the-writer-that-I-am-today.

It's a little strange because my older books are still out there. And yeah, like everything, people are going to have their favorites. But imagine how boring it would be if I just wrote OVER THE EDGE again and again and again.

-- Suz

Can you tell us about the Breaking Point convention?

Hi, Electra!

Nice to hear from you!

I had such a great time at Target Tampa, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next Big Weekend.

But I'm pretty sure, at this point, that its not going to be connected to the BREAKING POINT release date.

Here's what we're thinking:

BP comes out right before RWA National in Reno, Nevada, and so many readers like to attend that convention. Not just writers, but readers, too -- RWA always holds a mondo-huge booksigning on the Wednesday of their national conference. It is an unbelievable event -- thousands of your fav authors, with ALL proceeds donated to promoting literacy. There are also parties and events all week long.

I'm going to be attending RWA -- and I'm going to rent a party-sized suite for the week and have scheduled times for people to drop by and schmooze posted on my website.

Anyone attend the GONE TOO FAR release party in New York during RWA? We had scheduled meetings in the hotel lobby/bar throughout the week of RWA -- and I ended up losing my voice, shouting to be heard over the other lobby noise! LOL! This time, I'm going to invite you up to my suite -- with the understanding that you keep to the posted schedule! LOL! No knocking on my door at 3 a.m., okay?

We're thinking about having a pizza party up in the suite on the Wednesday night after the booksigning. (But I traditionally stay 90 + minutes after the "official" end of the booksigning, in order to sign everyone's backlist books, so we're still trying to figure out how that would work.)
We're also thinking about setting up a dinner/party right at the RWA conference hotel (the Hilton in Reno) for readers (and writers!), probably on the Friday night of the conference. We thought it would be fun to do a mini-version of our HOT TARGET weekend -- kind of repeat what we did on the Friday night party in Tampa -- hold a trivia quiz/contest, do short readings, perform the Now-Famous Skit, etc. Hotel food, however, is pretty expensive -- even in buffet form. (They do what looks like an awesome American food -- BBQ-ish -- buffet -- chicken ribs salads -- but it costs close to $35 per person. But that includes appetizers and desserts -- not drinks, though. And the price includes the use of a room big enough to hold a few hundred people.)

So that's what's up for BP in Reno. Because we're going to be doing a book tour connected to RWA (Hey-- Ballantine is going to shrink wrap the minivan again! Kewl...), we've decided NOT to do a full weekend. It's just too completely mind-blowingly exhausting.

Because here's the thing -- we did a debrief after TARGET TAMPA, and came to the conclusion that it might be better to have a yearly weekend that isn't connected to the release of a book. We don't need a reason to get together and have a fun weekend, do we? It might line up at times, but it's probably easier on our end if it doesn't!

We're still in brainstorming mode -- with lots of possibilities.

One possibility is to shorten the weekend -- have any events be held on friday and saturday, with Sunday as a day for attendees to sightsee on their own.

I also received an email suggesting a cruise -- that really appeals to me -- I'm definitely thinking about that as a serious possibility.

I also know that I want to hold a readers weekend here in the Boston area. But it's got to be during Boston-friendly weather. (Have I mentioned that it's snowed like, ten times this month alone? Hello, MARCH????)

At any rate, the dates for RWA are July 27th through 30th. You don't have to attend the writers conference to come to the literacy booksigning, or to any of my parties (pizza party and/or dinner on friday night). After I finish writing BP, I'll finalize my plans for Reno and let you all know, via my website and email newsletter. There will definitely be signups required for things like the parties/dinner. Advance payment for dinner, since we'll need 50 people to get that particular price for the buffet -- that sort of thing.

But that's so not what I'm focusing on right now! LOL! Hello, Max...?

After I finish the book (I start a lot of sentences that way these days!), I'll be posting requests for volunteers, etc. (DON'T contact me about this yet, though. MAX MAX MAX MAX MAX...)

-- Suz

Are you attending an upcoming event in Virginia?

Howdy, Heather!

Yes, actually I JUST got the details about this event!

Here's the scoop on the L&T's:

Lord & Taylors
7950 Tysons Corner Center
McLean, VA 22102

I've been told to enter the store at the lower level children's entrance -- off Rt. 123, between the Rainforest Cafe and L&T. Hmmm. Not sure what that means -- perhaps it will be clear when I am at the mall...

the Date: Tuesday, March 22

The Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

oh, look here it says the signing will be "Upper Level" of Lord & Taylor.

This is a charity event -- I believe it costs some small amount of money (charitable donation) to attend? But I could be wrong... It might be free. The event will benifit local charities...

There will be other authors including: Laurie Puhn, Elinor Klivans, Authur Yorinks, Alexandra Stoddard.

If you live nearby, please stop in. I have no idea how well attended (or not!!) this event will be! There is potentially a huge amount of schmooze time at an event like this, where all of the authors sit at a long table and play with their pens for 90 minutes. LOLOL!!!! (You think I'm kidding??? I'm not!!! This is the kind of event that is either a mad house or... well, picture a tumbleweed blowing through the aisles as crickets chirp! LOL!)

-- Suz

Will Ladies' Man ever be reissued?

Hi, Traci and Nat H!

Thanks for grouping your questions -- I appreciate that!

I do not, unfortunately, own the rights to LADIES' MAN.

Which does not mean that it will never be reissued. It just means that it's going to be a struggle to get it reissued on MY timetable, rather than Bantam's. (It was never published by Bantam Loveswept -- long story about that never...)

I haven't looked at the contract lately, so I don't know what the deal is with ebook rights.
I was also thinking about the possibility of releasing it as an audio book -- again, I haven't checked the contract recently, and I don't remember if I signed away ALL of my rights regarding this book, or just some. LOL! (The things we'll willingly sign while we're in the starving author phase -- sheesh!!!)

Here's the deal with all my old Loveswepts -- if I continue to hit the bestseller lists, Bantam will eventually reissue all of those books.

But I have absolutely no control over when or how. (See comment above re: starving artist phase! LOL!)

Here's something that I know can't hurt: Write to Bantam and request these titles be reissued. Readers have some pretty solid power -- if enough people ask for something, they just might wake up over there! GGG.

-- Suz

You intended Heartthrob to be a longer book. Have you ever thought about going back and rewriting it?

Hi, Vicky,

Actually, no, I never did.

And I think it's a better story without all those extra subplots. I mean, is the story of the caterer's romance with the town mayor REALLY important to the outcome of this book? I don't think so.

I always wanted, though, to write the screenplay for the movie, THE PROMISE, that was being made in that book. I actually wrote an entire treatment as part of my outline for the story.

But of course that script (a costume drama period piece chick flick -- sheesh) isn't appropriate for the type of low LOW LOW budget movies I'm hoping to make -- at least at the start! LOL!

-- Suz

How detailed are your outlines?

Hey, Melodie.

I write extremely detailed outlines, with pages and pages of character notes.

I'm talking 80+ pages for my outline alone. Sometimes I include snippets of dialogue or opening lines for specific scenes. I'll often include (or try to include) the exact sentiment for the end of the book. If not the closing line, an approximation of the mood of the final scene.

Sometimes I end up writing something entirely different in terms of using those snippets of dialogue. Sometimes I'll pluck 'em from the outline, word for word.

Every book is a slightly different process. Similar in many ways, yes, but it's its own creative process.

-- Suz

Hi, Kerrit!

Of course you're allowed to respond!

Feel free to comment away!

So okay -- my goal for this morning was to work my way back up here to my greeting. Hmm. It's 2 p.m., I started at 10:30.

I'm going to go have lunch with Max, then return in a few hours!

-- Suz