Monday, December 22, 2014

Special Christmas Interview with Author Susan Burdorf



1. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Is there a reason/tradition behind your pick?

I love, love, love Holiday Inn (aka White Christmas) with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. I used to watch this with my grandma every year, and when we got too old to visit anymore we would call each other when it was on and watch it that way. I still think of her when I watch it (which I am doing as I write this).

2. If you could kiss anyone under the mistletoe, who would it be??? (Significant others not allowed!)

Hmmmm...that is a tough one. I truly adore Sean Connery (yes, I know I am old), but I have to be careful saying anything about anyone else because most of the very hot actors are young enough to be my children and that is just wrong.

3. What was the best, and worst, Christmas you ever had?

The best Christmas was the one I had with my first child. The magic of the lights, and the ornaments, and the pretty packages that were irresistable playthings made it all new again. We were poor and yet we had so much. The worst one was the year my husband decided to spend Christmas with someone else and lied to his family about it. That was when I learned to be strong, so it was not all bad.

4. What is your favorite thing about Christmas?


I think it is the music. It is always so uplifting and joyous and brings me into a good mood every time I hear the radio playing my favorite songs.

5. Which character that you've written loves Christmas the most? Worst? Why?


I am working on a series of vigniettes in a book called "The Red Shawl Chronicles" which is about a red shawl that makes the rounds into the lives of 8 characters and finally makes its way back to the original owner. Each of the characters find love as a direct result of their contact with the shawl that, while not magical in any way, certainly creates magical events around it. Martha, the main character who loses the shawl in the beginning of the story, is the one to whom Christmas is the most magical time of the year. She believes in the Happy Ever After that we all seek, and is always optimistic. One of the other characters, a crusty young woman to whom life has been nothing but a series of disappointments, finds Christmas to be a season of cranky people, and misses the joys found in the little things - the first snowflake, the child's smile at the sight of Santa, and even the colors of Christmas. Her life is defined by what she is missing, not what she has. Eventually, with the help of the Red Shawl she finds her way back to joy...but it takes a nearly tragic event to force her to look for her faith, something we all fail to do at times. I, personally, love the holiday (but that could be because it is the time of my birthday and I love candles and cake and ice cream!), but totally understand that it is stressful for some. I hope that The Red Shawl Chronicles will help them rediscover the taste of that first snowflake on their tongue.


Thanks, Susan!



Where to find Susan:

Facebook
Amazon


Bio:
Susan Burdorf is an avid reader, photographer and lover of all things sparkly. Writing is a passion that is only quenched when THE END is written on the last page of a manuscript. Nothing says home to her, though, like the presence of her family. Susan encourages you to correspond with her and is available for public appearances at schools and conferences.





No comments:

Post a Comment