Cynthia Swanson took on two timelines in ghostly mother-daughter mystery

Cynthia Swanson is the Denver-based author of the psychological suspense novels  “The Bookseller” and “The Glass Forest”. An Indie Next selection, New York Times bestseller, and winner of the WILLA Literary Award, “The Bookseller” has been translated into 18 languages and is slated to be a motion picture produced by Julia Roberts. “The Glass Forest” is a USA Today bestseller that has been translated into 7 languages. Swanson is the editor of the Colorado Book Award-winning anthology “Denver Noir,” which features dark, morally ambiguous stories set in and around Denver, written by 14 notable literary and mystery authors.

SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory. What inspired you to write it? Where did the story/theme originate?

Cynthia Swanson: As both a reader and a writer, I’m drawn to complex mother-daughter stories. “Anyone But Her” originated from the question: What does a teen girl do when her mother’s ghost urges her to intervene in her father’s new relationship? 

The original story was a single timeline, but I enjoy multi-layered mysteries, so I added the secondary timeline of a related mystery 25 years later when the main character, Suzanne, is an adult. Doing so helped me emphasize the novel’s themes of loss, knowledge, and intrigue. 

SunLit: Place this excerpt in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole? Why did you select it?

Swanson: The excerpt is the opening of the book, although a brief newspaper article from August 2004 precedes it. In the article, police are asking for help finding a man named Robert Shelton, Jr., suspected of abducting an 18-year-old woman. 

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In Chapter 1, set in 1979, we’re introduced to 14-year-old clairvoyant Suzanne and the ghost of her mother, Alex, who was killed by an armed robber named Robert Shelton. I also included an excerpt from Chapter 2, in which it’s 2004 and Suzanne, now 39, has reluctantly returned to live in Denver with her husband and children after decades residing elsewhere. 

As mentioned above, the story is multi-layered. The chapters alternate between 1979 and 2004, providing a past-and-present view of Suzanne’s life and the repercussions of the 1979 incidents. 

SunLit: Tell us about creating this book. What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write? 

Swanson: Every author is an entrepreneur and a small business owner, and as such, I’m committed to supporting small, local businesses. Just as I did with Kitty in my debut novel, “The Bookseller,” I wanted this book to feature a local business. 

In “Anyone But Her,” that business is Zoe’s Records, Alex’s record shop on Colfax Avenue, where she’s killed. In 2004, Suzanne resurrects Zoe’s as a consignment shop for female artists of all sorts. The 1970s record shop setting is intentional, because I’m one of those geeky people who still listens to music from the ’70s and ’80s. In choosing 2004 as the second time period, I wanted to highlight how the world had changed—but not as drastically as it has in our present times. 

Denver is my adopted hometown—I’ve lived here for nearly a quarter-century—and I love fiction set in Denver, especially historical stories. We live in such a rich, multifaceted city, with no shortage of inspiration for authors like me who love research. 

SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?

Swanson: I learned persistence! I rewrote “Anyone But Her” completely, top-to-bottom, five times. I’m talking huge changes to plot and structure; this is not counting the numerous interim revisions I did to ensure everything was accurate and well written within each of those versions. The process was incredibly time consuming, but I don’t regret any of it. 

“Anyone But Her”

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Each of those fully formed versions of the book brought it closer to becoming the story it was always meant to be. I couldn’t see that with versions 1, 2, or 3. Version 4 got close, but version 5 (with the help of an incredible developmental editor) nailed it. 

I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this book when those earlier versions didn’t quite hit the mark. Maybe it’s the ghost aspect, but I’ve always felt the characters in “Anyone But Her” really wanted their story told. I’m happy I listened to them and trusted my gut.

SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?

Swanson: Vague feedback from the publishing world. Two different agents pitched two earlier versions (3 and 4) to publishing houses, and the feedback we received was gracious but didn’t tell me much about what the book needed. This is expected, but it can feel frustrating. I had to lean into my own instincts and find other resources to figure out what the book needed, ultimately bringing the story exactly where it was supposed to be.

This happens a lot to authors, but it’s rarely talked about. I don’t blame those in the publishing industry for this scenario. They’re pressed for time, and it’s their job to find books that are exactly (or very close to) what they’re looking for. Luckily, there are other resources—beta readers, critique groups, developmental editors, a great agent if you have one (as I, fortunately, do)—who can help authors see what needs to be done. Ultimately, however, authors have to trust their intuition.

SunLit: What’s the most important thing — a theme, lesson, emotion or realization — that readers should take from this book? 

Swanson: Just as I experienced in the process of writing this book, the character of Suzanne goes through moments of enormous self-doubt. Without giving away what happens, I’ll say that learning (or re-learning) to trust your intuition will serve you well. That’s true whether you’re a character in a novel or a real-life person.

SunLit: Walk us through your writing process: Where and how do you write? 

Swanson: I’ve recently retrained myself to write first thing in the morning. This is something I used to do as ritual, but I’d slipped out of the habit. I’m happy to report that I’m back in the morning writing habit, and it’s life-changing—and productive. 

Generally, I work as long as I can in the morning, unless other obligations interrupt. I try to get back to the work later in the day, but if it’s not possible, I’m content that I got that morning time in. 

I mostly work at home in my office, but I also like to get up to the mountains and write. It’s quiet up there and peaceful, and I always get a lot done when I give myself the indulgence of a few days alone in the high country. I’m fortunate to have a supportive husband who holds down the fort at home when I do this.

SunLit: This is your first novel that features a supernatural element. Why ghosts? And do you believe in ghosts or spirits?

Swanson: While I’ve long wanted to write a novel that featured elements beyond our physical world, when I first started writing “Anyone But Her,” I was hesitant about this aspect of the story and took a sort of “maybe she’s a ghost, but maybe not” position on the character of Alex. It was only in the final version of the story that I truly leaned into Suzanne’s clairvoyance and the relationship between a ghostly mother and an earthbound daughter. 

As for my own views, I absolutely believe there are elements beyond what we experience in our physical world. How connected we are to them depends on both us and them. I’ve had experiences I can’t explain, but I’m not clairvoyant. Friends who are tell me it’s a privilege and they’re grateful for their abilities—but to me, it seems like it would be a huge responsibility! I’m glad I don’t have those powers, honestly—although I did enjoy writing about a character who does. 

SunLit: Tell us about your next project.

Swanson: I’m working on a mystery that takes place in 1938, set partially in Denver and partially in a fictional town in Grand County, my home away from home. Like all my novels so far, it’s a standalone story, but readers of “Anyone But Her” will recognize settings and other details that carry through both books. 

A few more quick questions

SunLit: Which do you enjoy more as you work on a book – writing or editing?

Swanson: Tough one! I enjoy both. They use different areas of my brain, which I appreciate. I like mental gymnastics.

SunLit: What’s the first piece of writing – at any age – that you remember being proud of?

Swanson: A story I wrote in fourth grade – I think it was about a mouse – for which I also created a visual reel using a shoebox, two paper towel rolls, and sheets of paper taped together. You could crank the paper towel handles to read the entire story and see my illustrations. I was very proud of that creation.

SunLit: What three writers, from any era, would you invite over for a great discussion about literature and writing?

Swanson: Octavia E. Butler, Louise Erdrich, and Barbara Kingsolver.

SunLit: Do you have a favorite quote about writing?

Swanson: “A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood

SunLit: What does the current collection of books on your home shelves tell visitors about you?

Swanson: That I use my book-buying budget to support debut and less well-known authors. I read bestsellers, too, but I generally borrow those books from the library. Authors who are just getting started and those who have solid careers but aren’t household names need the support of me buying their books more than big-name authors do. 

SunLit: Soundtrack or silence? What’s the audio background that helps you write?

Swanson: Depends on the day. When I do listen to music, it generally aligns with the time period I’m writing about.

SunLit: What music do you listen to for sheer enjoyment?

Swanson: My musical tastes are embarrassingly stuck in the last century.

SunLit: What event, and at what age, convinced you that you wanted to be a writer?

Swanson: A description of my zodiac sign that I read when I was about 12 that said, “You enjoy writing and write well but are probably too superficial to be a great writer.” I took that as a challenge.

SunLit: Greatest writing fear?

Swanson: Running out of time before I’ve written all the stories I want to write.

SunLit: Greatest writing satisfaction?

Swanson: Emails, in-person comments, or other ways that readers connect with me to tell me how much my books mean to them. Nothing makes me happier!