Get ready to learn more about the book Enigma in this discussion with sapphic author Suzie Clarke.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Suzie Clarke about Enigma, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Wartime Romance category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Enigma?
I grew up with stories about WWII but few books have been written about what happened here in the United States, especially just before Pearl Harbor. What was it like for our people? Were there spies here? If so, what information were they stealing? The more facts I read about the time period here our county, the more interested I became in the possibility of the type of story I wanted to write.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
I think I identify with Polly, the agent from Washington. She has a strong personality and most of the time is dedicated and clear thinking. I like that about her. But I also like Kalena. She has a tender heart and doesn’t hold back. I wish I could be more like Kalena. She’s honest with her feelings and doesn’t hold back. Both the MCs have some characteristics that I wish I had.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
By far my biggest challenge was research, getting the facts correct, and then making sure the reader stayed in the time period. This story was set in the United States just weeks before Pearl Harbor. What people did on a daily basis, their thoughts and opinions about Europe and the United States getting into the war, our culture, the economy, what was going on in family life, all of it played an important part in the feel of the storyline. I wanted to make sure once a reader started this story they became engrossed in it. And that meant they had to be totally immersed in it from the first sentence to the last.
What part of Enigma was the most fun to write?
Writing these characters in 1941 was so fun. I felt like I got to step back in time. I’m sure my family was sick of listening to Glenn Miller music and radio broadcasts from that time period. I loved writing the scenes when Kalena went to Washington DC to be with Polly.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I was skimming documents about the beginning of WWII and came across the word Enigma. I had to look it up to get the true meaning of it (an inscrutable or mysterious person). That was Polly and the story.
How much research did you need to do for Enigma?
I spent about a year researching and gathering information. I knew when I came up with the story and period setting that it wouldn’t work unless I could take the readers back in time and they walked beside Polly and Kalena, feeling, sensing, and experiencing what they did.
What is your writing process like?
I allowed myself to be a plotster for this book. I did have it plotted out in a general outline, but I also had scenes where the plot took me in a direction I hadn’t thought of until I got to that particular part of the story. For example, in the scene at the Glenn Miller concert I had originally planned to have it be just a fun night for Polly and Kalena, but it became quite significant by the time I got to it.
What animal or object best represents you as an author or your writing style?
That is such a fun question. I think the animal that best represents me as an author for this story would be a leopard. I stalked my characters, carefully circled them, and then pounced!
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
A fellow author once said to me, “If you love your story chances are your readers will.” I vowed never to write a story I didn’t fall in love with, and so far it’s worked well for me.
What has helped or hindered you most when writing a book?
I think my own weaknesses and insecurities get in the way sometimes. I ask myself all the time, “Is the story good enough?” I have a tendency to falter in trusting my own skills as a writer. I’m getting better at it as I write more books.
When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?
I set the scene in my mind by becoming the MC and then working through the scene in their viewpoint or at least as much as I can . I like quiet when I write, but there are times when I need to get out and walk. I live in a rural area of Ohio and it helps to get out in nature. It seems to settle me and help me focus.
Have you ever cried when writing an emotional scene?
Oh my! If I’m attached to a character and know they need to shuffle off to Buffalo I’ve sobbed like a dejected lover who had one too many drinks. I get attached to characters just like readers, and It’s very hard for me to kill them off—unless I really don’t like them, then its fun!!!
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
Ha! I love it. Life is about struggle and disappointment, highs and lows. I feel it’s only fair my characters go through the fire. We have to, why shouldn’t they?????
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
From the time I was little I’ve loved action and adventure. It didn’t matter to me if the hero was human or animal. Later I enjoyed those stories mixed with romance. That’s probably why I write Romantic Blend. I love to see women in difficult situations and then get themselves out of it and come out the better for it, falling in love along the way. I enjoy a great western. Horses are the best.
Describe your favorite reading spot.
Now I’m really telling on myself. I love to read in bed, especially in the fall and winter, with a bag of M&M’s at my side.
