This week’s installment of Five Questions has left me starstruck.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the author of the Chicago Stars series and one of the writers whose work first made me want to become a writer myself. I read It Had to Be You in my early twenties, and I’ve been an SEP fan ever since.
Her books are funny, smart, romantic, and endlessly entertaining. Her characters are unforgettable. And the way she writes dialogue is perfection. So when Susan agreed to answer five questions for Poplar & Prose... I may have danced in my living room.
In this week’s Five Questions, Susan shares the book that has stayed with her, what has been inspiring her lately, her favorite daily ritual, and whether her characters ever surprise her along the way.
Pour a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy.
1. What book has stayed with you the longest?
Always and forever, The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It was the book that unlocked my love of reading at age 7. (I pay homage to it in my newest book, And the Crowd Went Wild.)
2. What has inspired you lately?
As I strive toward healthy agings, it’s Wayne Dyer’s quotation: “…I will never let an old person into my body.”
"I never know where anything is headed in my books—not the plot or the characters. Each book, every character is a discovery for me."
3. What is your favorite daily ritual
4. Thinking about your many beloved characters and stories, have any of them gone somewhere completely unexpected? Or do you always have a clear picture in your mind when you begin writing?
5. What are you looking forward to?
Also on Susan's Nightstand
About Susan
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books have been published in over thirty languages. Guided by the motto “Life is better with happily-ever-afters,” she loves writing about love in all its forms. Visit Susan’s website at susanelizabethphillips.com.
Read Along with Susan
Curious about the books Susan mentioned? We've gathered the them all in one convenient Bookshop.org list.
(Purchases made through Bookshop.org support independent bookstores, and Poplar & Prose may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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Five Questions is a recurring interview series featuring readers, writers, artists, booksellers, entrepreneurs, and members of our little corner of the literary and local communities. Every conversation offers a glimpse into the guest's own reading life, experiences, and perspective.
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