Book Title: THE ALL-AMERICAN Character Name: Flossie Harding, 11 years old   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I’m the youngest in a family with three children. Chippy, Bertha, then me Flossie. Well, I guess we should include Peggy since she’s married to Chippy and we’re probably never going to get rid of her now. Dad and Mam — that’s what we call our mother because she’s from England — love us all very much. Uncle Matthew does too even though he has a hard time showing it.   What was your greatest talent? Is being the smartest in class a talent? Or maybe reading books meant for adults? Because I’m very good at those things.   Do you have a boyfriend? In my dreams! And in those dreams, it’s Gilbert Blythe. Oh, how I love him.   Where do you live? I was born in Michigan, but I dream of moving to Hollywood so that I can become a movie star. I look like I could be Doris Day’s daughter, so I should have no trouble getting parts.   Do you have any enemies? Would you like a list? I could ask my teacher Miss Lange…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE NATURE OF SMALL BIRDS 2–What is it about? In 1975, 3,000 children were airlifted out of Vietnam to be adopted into families in Australia, Canada, and the United States in what was known as Operation Babylift. This is a story of a family who adopted one of these little girls.  3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  This story is set in a fictional town in Northern Michigan. I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to do my home state justice, but I really love living here. That’s why I love writing stories about people who are fellow Michiganders.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  This is the kind of book that needed more than one main character. That certainly surprised me while I was writing it! Bruce has the 2013 timeline, Sonny narrates 1988, and Linda is the main character in 1975. But, really, all of their stories point to Minh, the daughter who was adopted from Vietnam.  5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  You know, in a lot of ways this is a story about letting go. Letting go of long-held wishes in…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Susie! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your new book, STORIES THAT BIND US. Thanks for having me! Oh, where to start. I live in West Michigan with my husband and our three super cool kids (not to mention the cat, Flannery). I am so excited for readers to get their hands on Stories That Bind Us! It’s a novel about Betty Sweet and her nephew Hugo and how story brings them together.  Set in the 1960s in the Midwest, STORIES THAT BIND US offers a unique perspective about a changing society. What made you want to explore this time period in American history? What do you think will surprise readers about this setting and time? I’ve always been fascinated by the 1960s. I think, in part, it’s because that was the decade in which my parents came of age. They’ve always shared stories of what it was like for them and, as I researched for this book and All Manner of Things (set in 1967) it was really great to connect with them even more about their teen years.   I think it might surprise readers to know that in the 1960s…