Today, I’m very happy to announce that our guest author is mystery writer Sue Coletta. Sue is well-known to many, many of us in the writing and blogging community, but I’ll bet there are some things in her post today that will make your jaw drop! 😁 With that in mind, let’s get right to it. Take it away, Sue!
Thanks for having me today, Marcia!
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10 Things You May Not Know About Me
by Sue Coletta
- I grew up in a house filled with secret passageways and escape routes.
My maternal grandfather was Native American, and he built the house my mother grew up in. After my grandparents passed, my brother and I grew up there. In the back of each walk-in closet was a secret door that led to passageways behind the walls. These passageways led to a side attic with a trapdoor in the floor. Stairs beneath led straight out the back door. At the time, my brother and I had no idea why our house held these secrets. We just thought they made cool forts. It wasn’t till years later that I began to suspect why. Without getting too deep, my grandfather and his parents (my great-grandparents) witnessed the damage done to Indigenous communities across New England, with several tribes decimated by disease, murder, sold into slavery, or imprisoned to steal their land. So, it makes sense that he’d create hideouts and escape routes for his family and friends. Maybe the house doubled as some kind of underground railroad.
- Most of my family died on December 3rd (different years).
When I was a teenager, I lost my mom on December 3rd. Before she died, she told me how difficult it was to lose her dad so close to Christmas. So, after she passed, I flipped through the family Bible. Sure enough, not only did my mom and grandfather die on the same day but so did the vast majority of my maternal line. Freaky, right? Now that I work from home, I rarely, if ever, leave the house on December 3rd. LOL
- On my 16th birthday, a diagnosis rocked my world.
Most young girls look forward to their sixteenth birthday. One week before mine, my first “lady doctor” diagnosed me with cervical cancer. My mother was so devastated, she wavered on how to tell me for a full week, when I answered the phone on my birthday and one of the nurses broke the news that I had cervical cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good. Happy Sweet Sixteen! Mom was in the middle of setting up a treatment plan when the doctor breezed through my file one last time. Sure enough, some other poor girl’s paperwork was mixed in with mine. But I’m glad it happened. The wisdom, courage, and inner strength of my mom during our mother-daughter talks have lasted a lifetime. She taught me not to let anything stand in my way, even if some incompetent doctor slaps you with a death sentence.
- I start every day by watching the sunrise.
This also stems from Mom. It’s important to take the time to appreciate all the wondrous gifts that surround us. Sitting in silence in the predawn, hints of color splashed across the horizon before the sun peeks out—to really be in the moment, grateful for another sunrise—starts the day on a positive note. What’s more beautiful—spiritual—than nature?
- Humans wear me out, not animals.
If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m at my happiest around animals and nature. The two-legged, the four-legged, the furred, the feathered, and the scaled are all welcome in my yard. Everybody gets a name and a quick chat to say hi. Seriously, I’ve even named dragonflies, outside spiders, bees, butterflies…the list goes on and on. My sweet husband memorizes every name. When he thinks I’m not watching, he’ll chat with each one. Adorable! On the flipside, if new humans move to our area, they may never meet me. Unless they’re readers who catch me at a book signing. 😉
- Though I love animals, I’ve had a lifelong fear of white horses.
When I was in kindergarten, a lady brought her white horse to school grounds. And, of course, I noticed him immediately and rushed over to say hi. The woman asked if I’d like to pet him. After Mom asked the usual — Is he friendly? Will he bite? Does he like kids? — I tippy toed to pet his nose, and he chomped down on my upper arm. For six weeks afterward, I cowered behind an upholstered chair every time the doctor house-called to deliver another rabies shot. Turns out, I was the seventh person he bit. Once word reached the state, they stepped in and killed the horse. To help me overcome my fear, Mom bought horse riding lessons. Took a while for me to feel comfortable around horses. Even then, I refused to go anywhere near the white ones. Still don’t.
- During my life, I’ve befriended all types.
From bank robbers to cops, I never judged anyone by their mistakes, skin color, religion, or achievements. Still don’t. We are the sum of our parts.
- When I was 24, my ex hired a hitman to kill me.
I married way too young. My 1st husband and I dated in high school. After I lost my mom (my dad died years before), I longed for a family to call my own. And so, when my ex asked me to marry him, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Big mistake. On some level, I knew it, too. I bawled during the entire limo ride to the church and still couldn’t pull it together before walking down the aisle. I was so hysterical, the minister ushered me into his office—alone—where he told me I didn’t need to go through with the wedding. But I’d sent out invitations, guests were already in their seats, I booked a hall for the reception, I loved my gown, and we had honeymoon plans.
When you’re young and alone and shattered by grief, those reasons were enough to get married. The marriage ended five years later. In truth, I barely escaped with my life (story for another time). Fast forward six months, and I’m sitting in a local biker bar with my new boyfriend (notorious biker club member) when this guy slides into our booth. Turns out, my ex-husband hired him to kill me. It’s pure luck that I was with my then-boyfriend. Because he and this guy were friends, the hitman came clean. Otherwise, I might not be here. Years later, when my ex got sober and reached out to make amends, I asked why he wanted me dead. He said, “All I kept thinking was, if I can’t have you, no one will.” Did I forgive him? Yes. For me, not for him.
- I speak fluent French…in my sleep.
When I was about twelve or thirteen, I fell asleep on the couch while Mom read on the loveseat. The next thing she knows, I’m carrying on a full conversation in French. Which she knew because she’d taken several courses in French. I, on the other hand, never took one. This continued for years. Freaky, right?
- My intuition freaks out my family & friends.
Let me preface this by saying, I don’t consider myself a psychic or possess any psychic abilities. I just have a healthy dose of accurate intuition. Or guardian angels. Maybe both. The first time I became aware of it was in the second grade. A girl named Marla sat in front of me in homeroom. We weren’t what I’d call friends. One night, I woke in the middle of the night, crying that Marla’s father was dead. Mom, of course, told me it was only a bad dream. When I went to school the next day, the homeroom teacher told us Marla wouldn’t be there for a while. Her father died the night before. The newly deceased continued to come to me in dreams, and I delivered quite a few messages to loved ones over the years. The “death dreams” ended after I lost Mom. That’s when my intuition kicked into overdrive.
For example, about five years ago, I was in the shower when a flash rocketed through my mind—FedEx driver strolling down the walkway with a package, my eldest Rottweiler growling, barking, the cable on his run snapping in half—and I leaped out the shower, threw on my robe, and bolted outside to bring my dog in. Within five minutes, the FedEx truck pulled into the driveway. About an hour later, I clipped my dog to his run. I had my hand on the doorknob when the cable snapped.
Another more recent example: Three weeks ago, I couldn’t get an online friend off my mind. Nothing I could pinpoint, but I felt something was wrong. It wasn’t till I was writing to her that I felt an overpowering sensation that one of her fur babies died. So, I reached out. “Are you okay? I have a feeling something awful happened to your eldest cat, and I’m hoping I’m wrong.” Within seconds, she wrote back. “Oh. My. God, Sue! How’d you know?” Her husband found their cat dead when he woke for work that morning. *shrugs*
Latest in Sue’s Mayhem Series
Now Available on Amazon HERE
Author Sue Coletta
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5). Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog.
Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes two psychological thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and true crime (Rowman & Littlefield Group). And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show. Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com
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Hope you enjoyed Sue’s amazing #TenThings List as much as I did!
Thank you for being our guest today, Sue! Looking forward
to having you visit more often.
Author Liza Grantham
The Write Stuff 