Suzanne Stengl has been telling stories
since she was a child. Then, it was stories about fairies and mermaids, told to
her sisters when they were supposed to be sleeping. As a teenager, she wrote
long diary entries and short pieces of fiction that no one ever read. Learn
more about Suzanne and her books at her website. Today Suzanne is being
interviewed down in the Galapagos.
Hello everyone. I’m American Woman travel editor Serena
Brower and I’m here with Suzanne Stengl, the author of light paranormal cozy
mystery novella The Ghost and Christie
McFee.
I found Suzanne in the
little village of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on the island of San Cristóbal in the
Galapagos Islands. Or as they say here, Las Islas Galápagos.
We’re enjoying some ice tea in an
open air restaurant beside the ocean and watching the sea lions lazing on the
beach.
SB: I’m glad to finally meet you, Suzanne. Do you have
time for a few questions about your book, The Ghost and Christie McFee?
Suzanne: (pouring a pitcher of water over her head…) I have
all the time in the world.
SB: It’s really hot here, isn’t it?
Suzanne: It sure is. Forty-five degrees Celsius. In the
shade.
SB: Whoa. (fanning herself) What’s that in Fahrenheit?
Suzanne: You don’t want to know.
SB: I understand you have some pretty authentic
details about scuba diving in your book?
Suzanne: Yes, authentic. I’ve experienced every one of
them.
SB: I’m beginning to understand how hot it would be
wearing a 7 mil neoprene wet suit in this heat. Do you really need a wet suit?
The water doesn’t look that cold.
Suzanne: The water temperature here ranges from 64 to 86
degrees Fahrenheit at the surface, depending on the season. Of course it gets
colder as you go deeper. So you need a wet suit.
SB: If it’s as low as 64 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s
similar to the temperature of Lost Lake, isn’t that right?
Suzanne: Yes, it’s similar. And in both places, in a wet
suit, the temperature is perfect – once you’re underwater. It’s beautiful. (She
looks out at the ocean.) There’s a wreck right here, in the harbor.
SB: A wreck?
Suzanne: A sunken ship. It makes an artificial reef. A
place for algae to grow and invertebrates like barnacles and corals and
oysters. They provide food for the smaller fish, and then the smaller fish in
turn provide food for the larger fish.
SB: (fanning herself) I don’t know how the tourists
can stand wearing a wet suit until they get in the water.
Suzanne: Most tourists live aboard boats and dive from
them. Their sleeping quarters are air-conditioned. (She dumps another pitcher
of water over her head.)
SB: Do the staff care about you doing that?
Suzanne: No, they’re used to me.
(The waitress brings another
pitcher of water, and another pitcher of ice tea, and sets them on the table.)
Suzanne: Muchas gracias.
SB: OK, let’s talk about your book. The opening scene
in The Ghost and Christie McFee
has your heroine on a dive boat. And she’s seasick. Have you personally
experienced that?
Suzanne: I sure have. We did an 8-day tour aboard the
Yolita here, in the inner islands, with a group of 16 passengers and 5 crew.
Every one of the passengers got sick on the first day. Including Rolf.
SB: Rolf is your husband?
Suzanne: Yes, he is. He’s a traveler.
SB: You’re quite the traveler too, I must say.
Suzanne: No, I’m not. I’m a tourist. There’s a difference.
SB: Then, you’re quite the tourist.
Suzanne: I’m the tourist from hell. (She dumps more water
over her head.) I should have known I’d get seasick, since I also get carsick,
and bus sick, and avoid roller coasters. And like I said, everyone got sick for
a day. But since I’m so good at being seasick, I did it for the full eight
days.
SB: That must have been horrible!
Suzanne: Parts of it. Parts of it were great. The food was
excellent. Although it would have been even better if I hadn’t been so
nauseous. And the passengers aboard the Yolita were incredible. Mostly young
travelers, all interesting people. The sixteen of us would sit around the big
table for meals. For the first few days, French was the default language and
then we changed out a few passengers and the default language became English.
We had Italian, Swiss, British, Swedes, one guy from California, and the
French.
Blue-Footed Booby |
Every day we walked
different trails on different islands and saw the endemic plants and animals.
It was a mixed
blessing, being on shore. No seasickness, but the heat was extreme. For me,
anyway. Before I left the boat, I’d soak my shirt so I could be cool for a
time. At the end of the hike, I’d walk into the ocean. I love my Tilley hat . .
. because I can dip it in the
water and douse my head, when it isn’t possible to jump in completely.
SB: When would it not be possible to jump in
completely?
Suzanne: If it was a beach that the sea lions had claimed.
They can be territorial.
SB: (glances uneasily at the sea lion occupying the
bench in front of her.)
Suzanne: I don’t know why they love those benches, but they
do.
SB: Okaaay . . . So, you slept aboard the boat? Weren’t
you seasick while you were trying to sleep?
Suzanne: Yes. Some nights, when we were making a long open
water crossing between islands, it was especially rough. Many of us would lie
on the sundeck and watch the stars.
SB: And that helped the seasickness?
Suzanne: Yes. The stars don’t move so they are a reference
point. It’s like focusing on the horizon in the daylight. And it was fun, lying
there with everyone. Kind of like a pajama party.
SB: Hmmm. But with being so seasick, weren’t you
afraid you’d be sick while you were diving? That couldn’t be good.
Suzanne: It’s a real leap of faith, for someone like me – a
non-adventurous tourist – to sit in a zodiac fully loaded with dive tank, 7 mil
neoprene and 13 pounds of weights. And feeling nauseous. If you throw up
underwater, it’s important to keep the regulator in your mouth.
SB: ewww.
Suzanne: Otherwise, you’ll drown. But I learned to deep
breathe until we tipped over the side. And then all of a sudden, I was
underwater and no longer rocking and I was out of the heat. My head was
instantly clear and, for about 30 to 40 minutes, life was normal. At least, it
was normal for my head and my stomach. The rest of the world was not normal.
SB: Not normal?
Suzanne: No, it was amazing. Sea turtles, sea lions, penguins,
sharks, rainbows of fish. And when we weren’t diving, we were snorkeling.
Snorkeling with the little penguins is something I will remember forever.
SB: Too bad you can’t forget about this heat. Can you
pass me that water jug?
Suzanne: Sure. Help yourself.
SB: (dumping water over her head) I’m glad it’s not
this hot in Bandit Creek.
Suzanne: ¡Yo también!
SB: Does your heroine Christie McFee get over her
nausea and learn to love diving?
Suzanne: You’ve just read the first chapter so far, right?
SB: Yes.
Suzanne: Then you’ll find out in chapter two. More ice tea?
SB: Please!
The Ghost and Christie McFee
A new
diver, an underwater ghost town, two ghosts—
Even though Lost Lake is renowned for claiming the lives of
divers searching for the legendary gold buried in its depths, Christie McFee is
determined to explore the Lake’s underwater ghost town. And when a ghost from
the past convinces her to join the treasure hunt, she throws her usual caution
overboard.
Sure that the talk of ghosts is strictly for tourists, Gaven
St. Michel, local Divemaster, is confident he can keep Christie’s lovely body
from being added to the Lake’s count—until another ghost appears amid the
watery graves in Bandit Creek.
Will Gaven be able to protect Christie as she drifts deeper
into the murkiness of this unsolved mystery from long ago?
10 comments:
Sounds like quite an adventure Suzanne. Do you have pictures?
And I have to say, I loved your book the Ghost and Christie McFee.
I have a question about scuba diving. How long did you train before you could Scuba dive? Did you feel safe while you were doing it?
AJ
What a fun interview! I really enjoyed Christie McFee - reading a new author is a bit like traveling to a new place. You don't know if you'll enjoy it, but when you do it's a thrill and one you can return to with the author's next book.
Hi Amy Jo--
Thanks for stopping by!
I personally didn't do a lot of scuba training, although I did more than Christie McFee. My course involved 3 pool sessions and 1 "open water". However, I had major issues with equalizing, so I did an additional 2 pool sessions. And then when it came to the open water, I panicked and couldn't go below the surface. I ended up getting certified in Puerto Vallarta with an instructor who taught me to equalize every 6 inches. That instructor was much like Christie's instructor. :)
Hi Victoria--
Yes, like traveling to a new place.
I’m so glad you enjoyed Christie’s story. I loved writing this one, especially the Ghost, since I’m never quite sure if a ghost will be helpful or cause trouble.
Thanks for stopping by today!
I've always wished I could scuba dive but you have to have excellent lungs. My hubby has and has described the same sort of wonders of the deep that you saw. I really enjoyed the dive sequences in your book- it was obvious you were discribing something you'd experienced in real life. I'd love to see more photos.
Love the animal photos. What was the most unusual critter you encountered in your travels?
The cover for your book is lovely, too. What would you say is the story's main theme? Examples - Love conquers all? Second chances?
Who's your favorite author?
Hi Brenda! Thanks for stopping by!
I'm glad you're enjoying the Galapagos photos. I'd really love to own an underwater camera and get underwater pix too.
Hi Roxy!
Most unusual critter? Probably the Galapagos marine iguana. They look like little dinosaurs. And then there was the very territorial female sea lion in the harbor at San Cristóbal. While we were diving, she was poking me! They usually don’t come that close. When she went after my hubby, he held out his hand, she grabbed on – gently – with her mouth, and he patted her head. He’s much better with sea lions than I am.
Main theme? It’s probably “Letting Go of the Past” – both for Christie and the Ghost.
Favorite author? Mary Stewart. Lots of ‘travel’ stories for her, but no diving.
:)
My husband and kids are all certified for diving, and they report being similarly enthralled.
Wonderful pictures, Suzanne. I love the idea of a shipside pajama party, though I'm sorry it was precipitated by you feeling uncomfortable.
Hi Jan!
Yes, the star watching at night was beautiful. And it almost (almost) made me forget my seasickness.
:)
Post a Comment