Suzanne Bratcher – Romantic Character Interview – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Contemporary mystery author Suzanne Bratcher shares a conversation she had with Marty Greenlaw and Paul Russell, the two main characters in her debut novel, The Copper Box, a cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for an e-book copy. Deadline: July 1st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Suzanne:

• Let’s talk about how you two met. It was in Jerome, Arizona, right?

Marty: I went to Jerome to ask my grandmother Lois about some blanks in my memory about my childhood, about what happened to my little sister actually.

Paul: I was living across the road, and I noticed that Lois’s car was still in the driveway. A car I’d never seen was parked behind it. I went to find out if Lois was okay.

• So Lois introduced the two of you?

Paul: You might say that, but not in the normal way.

Marty: I found my grandmother’s body at the foot of the staircase in her house, and then I heard someone upstairs. I ran out of the house calling for help. The heel of my sandal caught on the porch step.

Paul: I tried to get there in time to catch Marty, but she went down hard. I helped her sit up. I noticed copper flecks in her hazel eyes.

• Would you say it was love at first sight?

Paul (laughing): Maybe for me. But at first sight Marty thought I was a bum.

Marty: I was just confused. I didn’t think you were a bum, just…out of place.

Paul: You did too. You thought I was a bum who lived in the hovel across the road.

Marty: You’ve got to admit, you didn’t look much like a history professor.

Paul: Not even a history professor doing his best to restore an old house?

• So when did you realize you had feelings for each other?

Paul: I had feelings for Marty when I saw her trying to climb off of the top porch by means of a rope made of old bed curtains—feelings that she was about to die before my eyes. That was just the beginning. This pretty lady kept getting into trouble. She brought out the rescuer in me.

Marty: I had the oddest feeling about Paul when we first met. It was almost as if he could read my mind, but it took me a while to admit to myself how I felt. I couldn’t deny my tender feelings when I woke up and found him asleep in a chair beside my bed. He had been protecting me during the night. He was draped over a chair that was much too small, and he looked cute in a kind of shaggy way.

• There’s a ten-year age difference between you. Was that a problem?

Paul: I was afraid Marty would think of me as an older brother.  

Marty: It wasn’t Paul’s age, exactly. It was more the fact that he has a fourteen-year-old son. I didn’t feel ready for that, and I knew those two came together.

•  Do I hear wedding bells in the future?

Marty: Maybe…We haven’t actually known each other that long. I can hardly believe it, but it’s only been a week.

Paul: An intense week, the kind of week that brings out the best—and the worst—in people. We’re agreed we want to pursue a relationship, but we’ve got to figure out the logistics. Marty lives in Virginia. I live in Arizona.

• Any romantic plans before you settle down to logistics?

Paul: You bet! Tomorrow night I’m going to take Marty up to Flagstaff. We’re going to drive out to Hart Prairie to see the stars. You’ve never really seen the galaxy until you’ve been at 8,000 feet on a clear night.

About Suzanne: Suzanne lived in Flagstaff, Arizona for almost thirty years. She now lives in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. A passionate reader from her first encounter with the adventures of Dick and Jane, Suzanne wanted to grow up to be Louisa May Alcott and later Agatha Christie. Instead she became an English teacher. Now retired, Suzanne writes mysteries and romantic suspense for the Christian market. When she’s not reading or writing, Suzanne enjoys quilting, watching the variety of colorful birds that come to her feeders, and being at the beck and call of her two rescue cats, Shimmer and Scamp.

Learn more and connect with Suzanne:

Suzanne’s Website                                          Suzanne’s Facebook

About the Book – The Copper Box:

When antiques expert Marty Greenlaw searches her grandmother’s house in Jerome, Arizona for a copper box she believes will unlock the secrets of her past, deadly accidents begin to happen. Someone else wants the copper box. Someone willing to commit murder.

Watch the Trailer https://youtu.be/CJ9HguDlKJI

Question for Readers: Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?

Come back June 23rd for Linda Fulkerson!