Nan Dixon Interview

What made you want to write this book?

This is the sixth book in the series and I knew after this series was purchased, that I wanted to put the fourth sister that had been cut, back into the book. But this is a secret half-sister that the Fitzgeralds have never known about.

Where do you get your storylines from?

I have three sisters and for almost thirty years we have taken a long weekend together. (Our mother used to go with us.) The task of planning rotates and the location is secret. One year I was the Social Director and I planned a trip to Savannah. We stayed in the gorgeous historic district, had a blast on a ghost pub crawl, and shivered over the ghost stories in our Inn. And I fell in love. And thought—what if four sisters (see the connection?) owned a crumbling mansion in the historic district. And they are turning it into a B&B? When I sold the 1^st book, SOUTHERN COMFORTS, my editor wanted me to cut one of the sisters. But I always wanted 4 sisters.

Was this book easier to write than others?

This book was a little more challenging than some of the earlier books.

Why?

I had to make sure Carolina’s crazy mother didn’t steal every scene and make sure that Carolina was sympathetic, even when her mother asks her to steal from the Fitzgeralds. And that was on top of making sure the other characters from the series all behaved themselves!

Do you only write one genre?

To date, my books are all contemporary, but some have some suspense in them.

Do you have a specific place or setting where you write?

I have a home office which used to be a bedroom. One of my kid’s Christmas present one year was to help me paint the room. I write on my desk treadmill so I can get my steps in. But when my hip acts up, I might write in my setting room off the kitchen. It’s closer to my teapot. J

Describe what made you want to be a writer?

In high school, we were required to write journals and hand them in. I never thought of myself as a writer, that was my mother and sister, but my teacher liked my writing and encouraged me to do more. I didn’t think much about it, but then my college freshman writing professor had us do a creative writing project. I wrote a story on fairies. She read it aloud to the class and encouraged me to publish the story. (I lost it before I could do anything!) Those two teachers made me think I might be a writer—but I didn’t do any writing for years.