Feature on Suzanne Gilchrist, Take Me Home (Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn)

This week Our Feature on Author is on Suzanne Gilchrist and her new book, Take Me Home (Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn).

Suzanne Gilchrist lives in the Hunter Valley, Australia with her family and pets and is the author of over twenty books, several of which have finalled in writing contests. As S. E. Gilchrist, she writes science fiction, ancient historical, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic romances and romantic suspense. As Suzanne Gilchrist, she writes women’s fiction and contemporary small-town romances, often with a splash of suspense.

Suzanne takes a keen interest in the environment and animal welfare and loves bushwalking and kayaking, spending time with family and friends and walking her dogs. She co-runs Hunter Romance Writers and is the organiser of several group writing ventures.

Suzanne Gilchrist is published with Escape Publishing / Harlequin Australia and is an indie author.

Suzanne Gilchrist on the web:

Website            Facebook         Bookbub

Twitter             Goodreads       Instagram

1.     Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? 

I don’t see why not – especially in the fields of non-fiction and say police procedurals. However, I believe a certain amount of empathy for the human condition is necessary to enable readers to connect on an emotional level with characters. And I think any writer can achieve this connection through practicing their craft and having on board a supportive band of critique partners who can assist fleshing out these areas of the story.

2.     What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I  feel I've been very lucky in the friendships I’ve formed through writing. My first writer friend was Sandie James and we’ve become very close over the years. We met through an on-line writing workshop and discovered we lived only 16 kilometres away! Together we started a local face-to-face writing group which now has fourteen members. Each member is also a friend, some closer than others of course. Within this group, and also the writing ventures I’ve organised, I’ve also found some wonderful critique partners who’ve helped me grow as a writer. In particular, my friends - Erin Moira O’Hara, Ann B Harrison and Susanne Bellamy.

Our writing group meets once a month in a local library. We discuss the current market, assist each other with brainstorming any issues with our current work, share developments in the writing world, have guest speakers and organise workshops, and critique such things as blurbs, small scenes etc. We also discuss ways of marketing our work and help motivate each other. Oh and we always have a fun Christmas party!

3.     Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book? 

My current book, Take Me Home, is part of a group writing venture I’ve organised and the series is situated in a small country town. Each member’s story can be read alone, however each book will continue the overall arc of the series and includes characters from other stories. The series arc is about the life, drama and challenges of living in small towns.

4.     Tell us a bit about your book... 

In a previous blog, I discussed my heroine’s story journey in my book, Take Me Home, however for this site, I thought I’d touch on the hero. Roman Taylor is a Retrieval and Rescue Specialist working for a global rescue company based in Manila, Philippines which is often called in to help by large corporations and also by countries in moments of disasters, natural or otherwise. He started his career in the military and fifteen years later shifted to the private sector where he has been working ever since. However, at forty-three, he is tired and suffering from mild PTSD. He has spent the past five years longing to return to his estranged wife and regretting the circumstances that led to their separation. But believing he has failed as a husband, he was unable to connect again until a friend indicated his wife was in danger. Of course, he immediately rushes to her side. His story in my book is about how he learns to forgive himself and encourage his wife to let go of the past. I loved writing about Roman and I hope readers see he is a hero worthy of his second chance.

Take Me Home (Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn)

Forgiving the past was too painful until now.

Almost forty, Abby Taylor has built a new life for herself in the small country town of Bindarra Creek. When an old friend convinces her to give two adolescent boys a temporary home, she is torn between a growing love for these orphans and the grief in her past.

After his marriage fell apart, Roman Taylor has focused on his career. An unexpected phone call sends him rushing to Abby’s side where he is drawn into his estranged wife’s new life – a life that could offer a future he thought he’d lost forever.
Will they seize this second chance to have a family of their own? Or will fate once again destroy their dreams?

Welcome to Bindarra Creek – A Town Reborn, a fictional town set on the western slopes of the New England tablelands. Take me Home is the first book in this new group writing venture series. With a community full of quirky characters, the books feature compelling romance, heart-warming family life, drama, and even suspense.

Buy on:

Amazon US Kindle    Amazon UK      Amazon Aust

iBooks       Nook     Kobo        Angus & Robertson