Hi everyone. I’m Suzanne Norquist, author of A Song for Rose in the Bouquet of Brides collection. If you haven’t heard of me, it’s because I’m a new author. I’m honored to be in a collection with so many talented multi-published authors.
I love historical fiction. It takes me to a time without computers and cell phones. A time where the world is smaller and relationships happen in person. When I visit a historic site, I imagine the time in an idyllic light.
At the same time, conditions were harsh. I’m so glad to have running water, central heat, and an electric stove. These difficulties add color to historical fiction. Fun to read about, but not fun to live.
Prospectors found gold in Colorado after the California gold rush. Mining towns popped up starting in about 1859. They started as tent cities, soon to be replaced by wooden structures. If the mines proved rich enough, the town turned into a regular city with brick buildings. Men brought their families to settle and their wives brought culture and refinement.
A Song for Rose takes place about twenty years after gold was first discovered and the town has grown into a bustling metropolis. Interesting how the old newspapers like to refer to their town as a metropolis.
Although on the edge of the Wild West, these mining towns were part of a nation that had experienced an industrial revolution. All kinds of manufactured goods could be shipped from the east. The mines provided money to purchase these goods.
I love writing about this time period with its mix of untamed elements and new inventions. Rose’s story centers around an opera house that brings culture to the fictional mining town of Rockledge, Colorado.
Read about Rose’s adventure in 1882 Rockledge Colorado in A Song for Rose in a Bouquet of Brides Collection.
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Suzanne Norquist explores past and present through story.
Everything fascinates her, so she never settled on a career. She has worked as a sales clerk, chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. As an author, she experiences different worlds without starting a new career every time. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers.
She lives in Colorado with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.
She authors a blog entitled, Ponderings of a BBQ P.h.D. Sign up to receive her blog and receive a free five-day devotion.
Learn more at suzannenorquist.com. Or visit her Facebook Page.
Pegg Thomas 