Author, Spotlight

Susanne Dietze: author spotlight

Beth Erin

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Faithfully Bookish

Hi, reader friends! From cowboys to Regency, today’s featured author reaches her authorly skills across time periods and around the world! I’ve had the opportunity to read one of her books and let me tell you, it’s a good thing she has a backlist because I want more! Read on for the chance to win!

About the Author

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she’s the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who’s seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction.

Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos.

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Five Favorites

Favorite secondary character

Susanne: I’m struggling to pick out a favorite secondary character from my own stories, because that’s like choosing between children! Nevertheless, every time two characters in My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho, came up in the plot, I was smiling: Ulysses and Madge.

Ulysses is a miner with some quirks, and Madge is a gray mule, but their personalities were fun to spend time with. I love them, and so does my heroine, Rebecca.

Beth: Knowing these two, I’d say they already assumed they are favorites ❤

Favorite childhood books

Susanne: I was a big reader and re-reader, but only a few books have stayed with me through the decades: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson, Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freeman, and the Agatha Christie collection I started in junior high.

Beth: Me too!!! My readers might get tired of hearing it but I adore Anne of Green Gables!!!

Favorite time period

Susanne: I love reading contemporary and historical-set stories, about all kinds of people, but there’s always something about the Regency that draws me in (the early 1800s in England).

I love Regencies: perhaps it’s a combination of the fashion, the rules of society, the language/cant people used, and Jane Austen’s works, which were written during that time.

Beth: Regency is one of my many favorite time periods as well!

Favorite bookish memory

Susanne: I have two. One is from my early teen years, reading with my best friend Laura in her treehouse. We often read together, and when we came to a funny or interesting part, we’d read it aloud to the other.

There was something special about reading in the treehouse, though—quintessentially youthful and fun.

Another is from earlier in my childhood, but I can’t remember my age or the book. I read something that resonated with me and made me feel less alone in the universe. I remember thinking: That. I understand that, and the author understands that, too.

Reading is so powerful that way, connecting us through ideas and feelings. I always hope that maybe someone reads something God has used me to write and thinks, I feel that way too or I get that. It’s nice to know we aren’t alone, sometimes!

Beth: Susie, I feel like we could be the best of friends! These are great answers and such sweet memories! 

Favorite Book Quotes

Susanne: “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” ~ Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” ~Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” ~ C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Beth: I love those little gold snippets of wisdom in fiction! ????

Books

Latest release

My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho by Susanne DietzeJourney now to Ruby City, Idaho of 1866 where…
A Marriage Mishap Creates an Awkward Love Triangle in this Silver Mining Town

Looking forward to a quiet life and a full stomach, mail-order bride Rebecca Rice is pleased to marry her shopkeeper intended, Mr. Fordham, until the justice of the peace calls him Thaddeus, not Theodore—proceeded by the title Deputy.

Is it possible to marry the wrong man?

When the newlyweds realize they’ve married the wrong partners with similar names, an annulment seems in order—and fast, since Rebecca’s true intended is impatient to claim her as his own, not to mention Rebecca would never marry a lawman like her father. But when the legalities take longer than expected, Rebecca wonders if Tad wasn’t the right husband for her all along. . .

review | goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook

 

Beth: This book is loaded with colorful secondary characters, set in one of my favorite states, AND features one of my favorite romance tropes! I especially enjoyed the creative twist in this mail-order bride story! 

 

What are you working on now?

Susanne: I’m so excited to be part of a Regency novella collection, coming in November! The Regency Brides Collection was so much fun to work on.

My second Regency novel with Love Inspired Historical will be out in January, A Mother For His Family, and then it’s back to cowboys for me with a novella that’s a sequel of sorts to my story in 2016’s The Cowboy’s Bride. The little girl in the story, Georgie, is all grown up and has her own adventure in First Things First from April’s First Loves Forever, coming from Barbour. I just signed a contract for a Christmas novella, coming in 2018!

Beth: Yay! I’m so happy to see more Susie Dietze stories making their way into the world! Thank you for sharing a few of your favorites with us and all your juicy bookish news!

Giveaway

Susanne Dietz has generously offered to send one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader friend their choice of My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho OR The Reluctant Guardian in paperback or ebook! Thank you, Susie!

Susanne Dietze winner's choice giveaway on Faithfully Bookish

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When referring to my reading preferences, I often say, “variety is the spice of life!”
What about YOU, reader friends?
Do you tend to choose Cowboys, Regency, or Variety?

42 thoughts on “Susanne Dietze: author spotlight”

  2. Variety, of course! My love is spread throughout several genres – contemporary, historical, mystery/suspense, speculative/fantasy, Biblical fiction. So bouncing back and forth from western/cowboys to Regency era to bright lights of the city to war-torn Europe keeps things interesting for me.

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  4. I like a variety, but I tend to read more historical, contemporary, and suspense.

    Thanks for the fun interview, Beth and Susanne!

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  5. Variety! It depends on my mood sometimes what I want to read that day or week. I like to give each book a try as well. Never know when you might find a new genre or author that you might love.

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  8. Thanks so much for having me, Beth! I sure enjoyed your questions and I love that we have so much in common! A heart for books is no small thing! LOL.

    Waving hi to everyone! So nice to see you all. Thanks for dropping by and leaving comments!

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  11. I read Ruby City and absolutely loved it and I just finished another Western, A Groom for Christmas but I do read many different genres. Thanks for this giveaway!

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  18. I tend to lean more toward Regency, but I love the occasional cowboy story, especially if it’s well-written or has a unique plot!

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  19. I like a variety. This is a new-to-me author, and I would love to win one of her books. Thanks for the chance. ????

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  20. I read variety. As a high school and college English instructor, I read and enjoy the literary stuff. Off duty I enjoy reading to escape and many genres provide that…although I’ve really been leaning toward suspense lately. Great interview. I love the book quotes.

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  21. I like a variety. I rotate between historical, contemporary, and mystery. Almost all of them have an element of romance. The historical books range from Medieval to about World War II. Cowboys and Regency are very much a part of my reading. Thanks for the interview with Susanne and the book giveaway.

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  25. It all depends on my mood at the time. I live in Utah but was born and breed in England so thats what I’ve been reading a lot of late. But I love all sorts of books except science-fiction.

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  26. I like cowboys, regency, contemporary, historical. I read a genre for awhile and then switch to something else. I just don’t care for fantasy or horror.

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  27. Yes I love to read a variety of genres as long as they are clean books. I don’t usually like sci-fi or paranormal but most others. I enjoyed reading this interview. Thanks for this giveaway.

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  29. Definitely 19th Century for me. The book of my heart is set in 1836, definitely not by accident, and I prefer a UK setting. But of course I don’t limit my reading there. (Susie’s characterization skills will work in any genre or setting!)

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  30. Hi Beth and Susanne! Great interview, love Susanne’s books!

    As to the question regarding choosing cowboys, Regency, or variety, I would say my favorite genre is historical Christian fiction, which includes Regency & Edwardian. But I do read a variety of Christian fiction as well.
    Blessings, Tina

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  35. I love variety – from historical (regency, westerns, etc) to contemporary. I still love to read YA fiction, as well in both hist/cont. I’ve been known to pick up a sci-fi here and there, but stick mostly to time travel if I’m reading the genre. The only problem with that is there aren’t enough Christian authors who dabble in that area.

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