The Berton Hotel by Ann Summerville | Excerpt | Interview | Romantic Suspense

At the end of the millennium, Lily found herself driving toward a small Texas town where her great grandmother had disappeared over fifty years ago. Expecting to escape from yet another relationship in California that hadn’t ended well, the first person she meets is a charming Texan with brown eyes and blond hair. While trying to avoid anything that might resemble a romantic encounter, Lily gets to know the citizens of Crystal Wells and uncovers a lot more than her great grandmother’s disappearance in 1935. A mystery buried deeper than one of the local wells may bring to light more secrets than Lily has bargained for.

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EXCERPT

“So how are things going at the hotel?” asked Helen, now delicately sipping her wine and twirling the glass stem. “We’ve been watching the comings and goings for the last couple of years. Didn’t think it would ever open.”

“It’s supposed to open for Thanksgiving. I doubt if all the floors will be finished by then though,” said Lily.

“Quite an undertaking. Those Bertons can do whatever they want once they set their mind to it. Own the town.”

That was the second time Helen had mentioned the Bertons owning the town and Lily wondered if she detected bitterness in her voice.

“Your family has always lived here?” asked Lily.

“I think I told you I was an orphan,” said Helen abruptly.

Lily shook her head and leaned back. She didn’t remember Helen telling her that. Words jumbled in her mind and she carefully thought how she could ask further questions without upsetting her new neighbor.

“I grew up in the orphanage you were looking for,” said Helen. “Born the day that woman disappeared.”

The year Ermenia vanished? Helen’s voice faded out as Lily stared at the carpet and pondered Helen’s statement. Was there any connection? She turned her gaze to Helen who twisted her glass as if at a wine tasting.

INTERVIEW

How did you start your writing career?

I’ve always loved to write and long before the internet, or computers for that matter, I would write long letters to friends, which usually ended up to be a short story. I’ve had several ideas for novels clashing around in my mind and a few years ago I joined a writing group. Their advice and guidance was invaluable.

Tell us about your current release.

The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas has long been a place of interest to me. It has been closed for a number of years, but in the 1930s movie stars and politicians were frequently seen taking advantage of the mineral waters which were thought to be medicinal. After we wandered around the hotel one Sunday afternoon (you can no longer go inside for safety reasons) I thought it would be a great place to stage a mystery. Although The Berton Hotel is fictitious, it’s peppered with true stories and places.

Tell us about your next release.

I’m currently working on a cozy mystery called Gwinnel Gardens which is the third book in the Lowenna Series. A Graceful Death and High Tide were the first two. Lowenna is a fictitious village on the south west coast of England and I’ve had fun developing quirky characters.

What does your family think of your writing career?

My daughter was so excited when I published my first novel, she had a bookmark engraved with the title of the book.

Do you belong to any writer or critique groups?

I belong to Trinity Writers’ Workshop which is a wonderful critique group. Once a book is finalized, I have several friends who read it and give me feedback on the story.

Do you hear from your readers? What kinds of questions do they ask?

Most of the time they want to know if my characters are modeled from anyone I know. There’s probably a little of people I know in each of the characters, but I never completely use one person.

What books have most influenced your life?

I loved Empire Falls by Richard Russo. His characters are so different from one another and he has developed each of them wonderfully.

Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they?

Enjoy the journey and definitely don’t take rejection seriously. After all, you can have lunch with a group of girlfriends and you will never all say you like the same movie so why would we expect that everyone will fall in love with your writing. I have a passion for writing and if I hear someone say they get pleasure from my stories, it means that someone has shared my journey with me.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

A big thanks for all those who take time to send me an e-mail or leave a comment on my blog. Blogging has made readers and authors so accessible to each other – what a great community.

About the Author

Ann Summerville was born in England, and in search of a warmer climate, moved to California before settling in Texas. Her short stories and flash fiction have been published in the Lutheran Digest, Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Doorknobs & Bodypaint, Associated Content, Trinity Writers’ Workshop newsletters and also their collection of Christmas stories. Ann resides in Fort Worth with her son, two boisterous dogs and a somewhat elusive cat. 

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