A: New Bern, Connecticut is a fictional New England town, however I did draw inspiration from the village of Litchfield, Connecticut which is near my home. To people who’ve spent time in Litchfield, some of the locations in New Bern will seem familiar, while others are clearly drawn from my imagination.

A few of the characters in A Thread Of Truth were inspired by real people, though fewer than some have supposed. For example, I never met the person who many have supposed the character Abigail was based upon. She died before I even moved to town.

Q: What kind of response have you received from readers about the series? Are there any particularly memorable letters or comments you’ve received?

A: I really wasn’t prepared for the amount of reader mail that came in after the publication of A Single Thread. Literally thousands wrote to say how much this book meant to them and it has been my joy to read and respond to every message.

Most people write to say how much they enjoyed the story and to encourage me to write another as quickly as possible. Those are lovely letters to get, but for a sizable portion of readers, the Cobbled Court novels are much more than just an entertaining read.

I have heard from hundreds of breast cancer survivors who appreciated how A Single Thread rang true to their experience. And, because the primary action in the book is centered in a small quilt shop, scores of readers have written to share their own special stories of the healing power of quilts and quilting. I’ll be highlighting some of those inspiring stories when I speak at quilt shows this summer, giving a talk entitled, When the Going Gets Tough: The Tough Make a Quilt.

So many memorable messages from readers have crossed my desk in these last months.

But, if I had to pick one letter to sum up what this book has meant to readers, it would be the one from the woman who wrote to say that book helped her realize that she didn’t have to be alone anymore.

She and her husband had been out of work for a year. She had told no one about her family’s plight because she felt embarrassed and didn’t want anyone’s pity, essentially cutting herself off from friends. She said that reading A Single Thread helped her realize that she didn’t need to be ashamed, that she needed to tell her friends the truth of her situation, and allow them to support her through this difficult time. After all, she reasoned, if the tables were turned, she’d do the same for them.

More than anyone else, that letter got to the core of meaning of the book – no one should go through life alone, and no one has to.

Q: Do you have a favorite character to write for?

A: Oh, I love all my characters, but I have to say that Abigail Burgess-Wynne, the wealthiest woman in town, who is almost as proud-minded as she is civic-minded, and Mary Dell Templeton, the brassy, true-blue Texan, who hosts a cable television show called “Quintessential Quilting,” are the most fun to write.

They’re both funny and just a little bit out-sized, but in spite of their eccentricities they are the most generous, caring people you could ever hope to meet. If I were ever in a jam, these are the two women I’d want by my side.

Q: Are there any particular challenges/pleasures in writing for a series as opposed to writing a standalone novel?

A: Yes, writing a series does come with its own set of challenges. For one thing, you have to remember what everyone did in the previous book! If you make a mistake about someone’s age or height or hometown, readers are going to notice. I’ve had to put together a “bible” of sorts for this series, listing each character’s physical traits and personal history, just so I can keep track of them all.

Also, its pretty easy to just toss in some little detail about a character who plays a minor role in one book, only to realize that later, when you’ve decided them to play a more significant role in a later book, that tiny tossed-off detail ends up steering the whole course of the plot.

Now, when I introduce a new character now, even a minor one, I stop and take some time to think what I might want them to do a book or two down the road. That day might never come, but I’ve learned its best to plan ahead.

Q: What are you working on now? What can readers expect from Marie Bostwick in the near future?

A: I’m just finishing up my third Cobbled Court novel, with a working title of So Thin A Thread. If all goes as planned, that will be out in summer of 2010.

I do have some thoughts about another standalone novel, but I’d also like to return to New Bern. Hardly a week goes by when I don’t think of some possible new plot line for this series. If readers want them, I’ll keep the Cobbled Court books coming for some time to come.

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