An Interview with Suzanne Groves

Now retired from her thirty-six-year career as a marketing communications professional, Suzanne Groves is a published author of three books, as well as an editor, amateur angler, kitchen wizard, genealogist, world traveler, animal lover, artist, and gardening fanatic. She is an off-the-charts extrovert who can (and will) talk to anyone and everyone about anything and everything.

An admitted research junkie, Suzanne Groves spends her time working on family genealogy for herself and for friends (when she’s not writing or editing). With their two children grown, successful, and likely not boomeranging home, she and her husband travel as frequently as possible, though it means leaving behind their needy German Shepherd and their two very bossy cats. Of all her excursions, Groves will tell you one of her favorite memories is being dubbed ‘The Emu Whisperer’ while on her honeymoon in Sonoma.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Before landing on The Pebble in the Pond, I played around with three other potential titles, but once I finished the book and completed my edits, the title perfectly summarized the book’s main message.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Seeing my book cover digitally was definitely a thrill; the artwork beautifully captures the feeling I wished to convey for my work of Southern fiction. Holding the book in my hands, though, was surreal … much like when I first held my newborn daughter years and years ago. “Look at what I created! And she’s going to take on the world!” Here’s the truth, though: birthing a book is infinitely more difficult (and often painful) than birthing a baby … but hopefully, it will be as rewarding.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I was an avid reader from an early age, thanks to my mother. I devoured the Nancy Drew series in elementary school and developed my first story (The Mystery of the Blockhead Monster) in third grade, scaring the bejeepers out of my classmates! Many teachers encouraged me, saying I had a natural gift, so I leaned toward journalism in high school, then majored in English at The University of Texas at Austin. After my first creative writing class, the instructor (who was UT’s author-in-residence) invited me to take a one-on-one honors tutorial class with him—a thrill, to be sure—and with his high praise at the end of the semester, I was confident I could write fiction. (He also told me not to pursue a career in which I would write every day, saying it would kill my desire to see my name on the spine of a book. Did I take his advice? NO!) Nonetheless, forty years after my time with him, I finally finished writing a novel I truly love, and I’m currently writing its prequel.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked in public relations, marketing communications, investor relations, and grassroots lobbying. In 2014, I was recognized by the Fort Worth Business Press as one of twenty-four Great Women of Texas. And in 2020, I was named one of the nation’s Top Women in Communications by Ragan Communications/PR Daily in the inaugural year of the award.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding AND meaningful part of publishing my book is hearing how deeply the story has touched my readers, making them laugh, cry, and reflect on how they can be a pebble in the pond that is their community.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Rich Girl by Hall and Oates; Kind and Generous by Natalie Merchant; and I’d Rather Be Me by Auliʻi Cravalho.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I want readers to be encouraged that we all have the ability to make a positive difference in the world, though it doesn’t always feel possible, just by being our authentic selves and standing firmly in our integrity and moral character.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

In addition to editing fellow authors’ works in progress through the two critique groups I facilitate, I’m currently working on the prequel to The Pebble in the Pond. That story begins in 1927, and the tentative title is Playing With Fire.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press has been delightful and such an improvement over my experience with another publisher. I had a full team dedicated to me and my book, and I felt encouraged and supported every step of the way.

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