Interview with Rachel Hanna, Author of Wisteria Island

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Wisteria Island?

So many of our nation’s aging population is forgotten about and abandoned. Wisteria Island is a fictional place, but who wouldn’t want to live on an island where an aging person is treated like a person who still has hopes, dreams, and a purpose? I’m not sure where the idea came from, but I was riding in the car with my husband one day when it just hit me. That is often how my stories come to me. They start with pieces of dialogue I hear in my head or just a quick scene. Wisteria Island was much like this and just blossomed from there.

If you woke up in the world of Wisteria Island, what is the first thing you would do?

I would find the character Morty and spend the day with him. He was so much fun to write, and readers have fallen in love with him!

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

The last book I read was about fiber, so I don’t think the blurb would sound very interesting. 🙂

Where did you write Wisteria Island?

I have a beautiful office decorated in a beach theme with a fancy electric desk that raises and lowers… and I mostly write in my bed. I’m so used to it now that it’s hard to write anywhere else! Pre-pandemic, I loved writing at coffee shops too. I sometimes dictate my books, especially toward the end, so I do that in my Jeep in the garage so I can get some privacy!

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

I have to admit that I’m not a sports person (despite being a sports reporter in college), so I don’t watch the Olympics. For this question, I looked at the list of sports, though, and I feel like “Trampolining” (yes, that is one of the listed sports) sounds like a heck of a lot of fun!

Rachel Hanna is the author of the new book Wisteria Island

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