From a Q & A at her website:
What was the inspiration for Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’Easter?The Page 69 Test: Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton.
I really was an innkeeper in Vermont. Even better, a Southern innkeeper in Vermont! After surviving three sub-zero winters and discovering Vermonters don’t bury their dead in the winter,suffering from vampire bugs bites on the back of my neck, and enjoying a four-week summer where I still had to wear a coat at night, I knew I had a story to write.
How has your personal life experience influenced this book? What similarities do you have with Leelee Satterfield?
The first thing that comes to my mind is the way southern girls are brought up, at least in my era. We were taught to be agreeable and polite. I’ve heard people criticize southern women for not saying what’s on their mind. That’s because we are taught from a young age to be great hostesses and make everyone feel comfortable. It might not be the best way, but it’s what we’ve learned. Sure, there’s a bit of me in Leelee. I get caught up in the same trap of sacrificing my needs for everyone else’s and wanting people to like me. Like Leelee, I’m a work in progress. Then again, so are most of my closest friends.
The best thing about Leelee is her fun side. Leelee gets herself into all kinds of messes – largely because of the choices she makes. She’s Lucy Ricardoish. I’m the same way and while that sometimes makes for a crazy personal life, it sure produces some...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue