The Other Side of Tanner follows a successful Washington attorney who returns to rural Georgia for her mother’s ninety-fifth birthday and quickly finds herself pulled into family drama, a local school controversy, and a decades-old murder. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

“The Other Side of Tanner” is a sequel to my first novel, “The Tanner Side of Town.”

The inspiration for this book, therefore, was the Tanner family backstory and how it created the new characters and their storylines. Set 60 years after the first novel ended, not only have the original characters aged, but times have changed.

The central figure is Tanner Fox – the daughter of Lucy Tanner and Hunter Fox, two of the main characters in the first book. She is a high-profile attorney and fixer for politicians and celebrities.

But her deep roots to the land reflect the common theme that runs through both books: The Tanner family history in Kings County is forged by tradition and hard work…traits she took with her when she left the farm and began her career. And, the same traits also enabled her to reclaim that part of herself she put on pause while pursuing her professional dreams.

The twists and turns in the story were, as is often the case when I weave a tale, the result of research I did about pertinent eras and places to get a feel for the pulse of the times. In an effort to bring Joseph Andrews into the mix (the great-nephew of the Tanner’s business partner, Nettie, in the first book), I looked into where I thought his parents might have lived (turned out to be Chicago) and the inner-city conditions during the early 1980’s. The racial tensions during that time provided a strong element that allowed me to explore the consequences of unchecked prejudice.

But in the end, it’s all about families who manage to endure and pass on to future generations life lessons that cannot be bought.

Tanner is professionally successful but struggling considerably in her personal life. Why was that contrast important, and how does returning to Georgia force her to see herself differently?

A popular notion is that the “beautiful, successful” people in the world have it made…that they are above the everyday problems. But fame, money and looks do not insulate one from sadness, heartache, addiction, and pain. Life does not discriminate when it comes to life. We all feel the good and the bad.

Developing Tanner as a successful yet very vulnerable person makes her real. It destroys the myth that “having it all” protects someone from making mistakes and suffering the consequences.  

Returning to the farm in Georgia where she spent her childhood gave her the opportunity to hit the brakes and listen to the sounds of nothing. It forced her to stare at her reflection in the mirror and come face-to-face with herself. The distractions that a fast-paced life provides no longer existed. She was forced to deal with the reality of who and what she was.

How does the novel explore the difference between relationships that sustain someone and relationships that keep them from changing?

Life is built on relationships and so it is with the Tanners.

Lucy’s and Hunter’s 60-year relationship showcases Hunter’s acceptance of Lucy’s high-spirited, stubborn approach to survival and his loving appreciation of it. Lucy, in turn, learns to live with a man who is a journalist…a profession that is more of an obsessive calling than a job.

Hank’s and Liz’s fairytale-like relationship is rare and rooted in both people loving what they do and where they are, which yields a contentment conducive to a strong union.

On the other hand, Suzanne and Mike Greene epitomize a relationship forged for all the wrong reasons. Mike was depressed and looking for a fix. Suzanne had a childhood Hollywood obsession, fueled by a dominating mother, who tried to make her daughter into something she was not. The result was two people living together who hated the sight of one another.

Sen. Lancaster and his wife, Lottie, had a relationship that was born out of passion but also promised the financial and professional success that wealthy people demand.

And then we have Tanner and the senator – a relationship that was wrong in every way but felt so right. The problem was that it was based on what could be rather than what was. Pretending that deception does not exist is never a good foundation for relationships.

But perhaps one of the most intriguing relationships is the one between Tanner and Leo Flynn – the retired Chicago cop. Their chemistry is the result of their mutual respect for one another’s courage, strength, and tenacity. Those friendships are capable of building a dynamic duo that endures time and distance.

When readers finish The Other Side of Tanner, what do you hope stays with them about family, recovery, courage, and the possibility of beginning again?

I hope the readers find the voice inside that speaks to them
 — the one that challenges them and comforts them.

I hope they come to appreciate and accept their family – blood-related and otherwise. And remind themselves that their family has to accept them, too.

I hope the readers realize that hitting the bottom gives only one option, and that’s standing up and moving away from whatever brought them down. I hope they learn that asking for help is the greatest sign of strength a person can have.

And most importantly, never stop learning and evolving. The end of something gives one the chance to begin something. Keep moving, because when we stop, we stagnate.

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