Dorothea Benton Frank on success, fame and the desire to write for 'Saturday Night Live'

Dorothea Benton Frank is, arguably, one of the most successful writers to come out of the Lowcountry. A number of her novels have made it to the New York Times Best-seller's List, and she has appeared on a number of TV shows such as NBC's "Today."

While her name is well-known and her 10 novels grace the shelves of bookstores around the country, Frank is down-to-earth, compassionate and a hard worker.

She sat down and shared her thoughts with Preview.

Q: The majority of your books take place in Lowcountry settings. Why is this?

A: I grew up in the Lowcountry of S.C., and I think about it all the time.

Q: Tell me about your latest book, "Return to Sullivan's Island."

A: It is the sequel to "Sullivan's Island," which was essentially a story of two sisters. In "Return to Sullivan's Island," the story focuses more on the next generation of Hamiltons and Hayes. It's Beth's coming-of-age story.

Q: What can we expect from the book-launching party July 2 for "Return to Sullivan's Island"?

A: Hopefully the opportunity to meet some nice people and a chance to talk about books.

Q: How do you approach writing?

A: I go to work every day like everyone else: nine to five, or later if there's a deadline lurking around.

Q: You are well-known throughout the country and have been on the New York Times' Best-seller's List. How has this fame affected your work?

A: I'm not sure I'd agree about the fame thing. I would just say that I feel a great responsibility to my readers to continue to entertain and inform because I no longer just write to please myself.

Q: If you had the chance to collaborate with one author (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

A: Writing is such a solitary pursuit that I can't imagine doing that successfully. That's something that's done more for TV and film. But I think it would be great fun to write for "SNL" ("Saturday Night Live").

Q: What advice would you offer amateur writers in the area?

A: Go read Stephen King's "On Writing." He tells you how to organize yourself for a writer's life and how to adjust your expectations. Then, I would say, write from your heart.

Frank's novels can be purchased in all major bookstores as well as online sources such as Amazon.com.

Catch her at 7 p.m. today at the Charleston Library Society's launch party to celebrate "Return to Sullivan's Island."

Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by calling 723-9912.

The event takes place at the Charleston Library Society at 164 King Street.