Ask the Author: S.A. Stolinsky
Answered Questions (10)
S.A. Stolinsky
I woke up to the sound of someone whispering my name… but when I turned over, the voice was coming from my phone, which was lying face-down on the nightstand.
The screen lit up on its own and typed back: “Don’t look behind you.”But,then, I do. And I see my younger self writing my childhood.
The screen lit up on its own and typed back: “Don’t look behind you.”But,then, I do. And I see my younger self writing my childhood.
S.A. Stolinsky
If I could slip into any fictional world, I’d choose one filled with elegance, secrets, and just enough danger to keep me alert — something like Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca or a lush Parisian novel where the city hums with intrigue and hidden histories.
I’d stay at a grand old hotel that’s seen everything, wander through antique shops that smell faintly of time and ghosts, and eavesdrop on conversations I’m probably not supposed to hear. I’d want to meet the characters who live between the lines — the glamorous ones, the troubled ones, the ones carrying secrets that could unravel everything if whispered to the wrong person.
And of course…
I’d find the quiet café where the heroine gathers her courage, sit at the next table, and watch the story unfold in real time. Writers can’t help themselves — we love watching people make pivotal choices up close.
A fictional world where beauty meets mystery?
Oh yes. That’s where I’d go.
And I would take notes the entire time.
I’d stay at a grand old hotel that’s seen everything, wander through antique shops that smell faintly of time and ghosts, and eavesdrop on conversations I’m probably not supposed to hear. I’d want to meet the characters who live between the lines — the glamorous ones, the troubled ones, the ones carrying secrets that could unravel everything if whispered to the wrong person.
And of course…
I’d find the quiet café where the heroine gathers her courage, sit at the next table, and watch the story unfold in real time. Writers can’t help themselves — we love watching people make pivotal choices up close.
A fictional world where beauty meets mystery?
Oh yes. That’s where I’d go.
And I would take notes the entire time.
S.A. Stolinsky
My summer reading list is always a mix of comfort, curiosity, and just a little chaos — the way all good stacks of books should be.
I’m diving into a few categories this year:
✨ Atmospheric fiction set in Europe
I can never resist novels set in Paris, London, or anywhere with old architecture, hidden rooms, and people keeping secrets. I’m reading a lot in this lane for research and inspiration.
✨ Medical dramas & doctor romances
Since I write them, I also read them — and I love watching how other authors balance medical realism with emotional storytelling. Tons of Harlequin.
✨ A classic mystery or two
Something with clever twists, sharp dialogue, and a heroine who’s smarter than everyone else in the room. Always. Re-reading Robert Parker
✨ One big, juicy family saga
A multigenerational story I can sink into on a hot afternoon with iced tea. Total bliss.
And of course…
I always leave room for the unexpected book — the one a friend presses into my hands saying, “You have to read this.” Those surprises are usually the best part of my summer reading.
I’m diving into a few categories this year:
✨ Atmospheric fiction set in Europe
I can never resist novels set in Paris, London, or anywhere with old architecture, hidden rooms, and people keeping secrets. I’m reading a lot in this lane for research and inspiration.
✨ Medical dramas & doctor romances
Since I write them, I also read them — and I love watching how other authors balance medical realism with emotional storytelling. Tons of Harlequin.
✨ A classic mystery or two
Something with clever twists, sharp dialogue, and a heroine who’s smarter than everyone else in the room. Always. Re-reading Robert Parker
✨ One big, juicy family saga
A multigenerational story I can sink into on a hot afternoon with iced tea. Total bliss.
And of course…
I always leave room for the unexpected book — the one a friend presses into my hands saying, “You have to read this.” Those surprises are usually the best part of my summer reading.
S.A. Stolinsky
“What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?”**
There are a few mysteries in my life that could easily anchor a novel, but one in particular follows me around like a quiet shadow.
Years ago, someone I trusted—someone who should have protected me—began shifting pieces of my world when I wasn’t looking. Little things at first: papers moved, messages erased, conversations twisted, sudden “coincidences” that only made sense in hindsight. It wasn’t criminal, exactly, but it rewired my entire sense of what was safe and what wasn’t.
The real mystery wasn’t what happened, but why it happened, and how long it had been happening before I noticed.
That experience taught me something I’ve carried into every book I write:
The most dangerous mysteries aren’t solved with fingerprints or clues.
They’re solved with courage.
With listening to your intuition.
With trusting the part of you that whispers, “Something here is not what it seems.”
One day, I’ll probably write that story — the version where the truth finally steps out of the shadows, and the woman at the center of it realizes she’s stronger than the person who tried to shape her reality.
Until then, pieces of it show up in my work… little echoes, little warnings, little victories.
Because every writer, I think, carries at least one mystery they’re still trying to solve.
There are a few mysteries in my life that could easily anchor a novel, but one in particular follows me around like a quiet shadow.
Years ago, someone I trusted—someone who should have protected me—began shifting pieces of my world when I wasn’t looking. Little things at first: papers moved, messages erased, conversations twisted, sudden “coincidences” that only made sense in hindsight. It wasn’t criminal, exactly, but it rewired my entire sense of what was safe and what wasn’t.
The real mystery wasn’t what happened, but why it happened, and how long it had been happening before I noticed.
That experience taught me something I’ve carried into every book I write:
The most dangerous mysteries aren’t solved with fingerprints or clues.
They’re solved with courage.
With listening to your intuition.
With trusting the part of you that whispers, “Something here is not what it seems.”
One day, I’ll probably write that story — the version where the truth finally steps out of the shadows, and the woman at the center of it realizes she’s stronger than the person who tried to shape her reality.
Until then, pieces of it show up in my work… little echoes, little warnings, little victories.
Because every writer, I think, carries at least one mystery they’re still trying to solve.
S.A. Stolinsky
I have always suspected that writer's block has to do with not asking enough questions about motivation of your "bad guy." The bad guy runs the story. If he/she didn't do something bad, there would be no story, nothing for the protagonist to fight. So I just keep asking questions: "Why did the bad guy do what he did?" "Where did he first start doing 'bad' things?" "How did his/her bad things affect his family, friends, enemies?" Stuff like that.
S.A. Stolinsky
The audience, the readers, the love you get from giving your point of view, your experience, your voice.
S.A. Stolinsky
Well, probably what everyone else suggests at Goodreads: read everyone. Read cereal cartons, read everything you can. Get a feel for how a book is set up and literally write down how an author has created his/her chapters. The arc of the piece will soon show itself and that really helps new (and old) authors create a book.
S.A. Stolinsky
The next "WOE" in the series, entitled, "WEYLAID IN WEYBURN" (#2 in the series) about a kidnapping and ransom for someone who has kept a book on important political and entertainment figures. That story was definitely ignited by current events.
S.A. Stolinsky
Many times just reading other authors and expanding on a theme they may have introduced in their book. Many times from news stories or stories from my friends that need to be told. I get a lot of ideas from my profession: psychology.
S.A. Stolinsky
I saw a story on television devoted to the out-of-control trafficking situation in the U.S.
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