Author Interview: Susie Warren Speaks!

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I’m interviewing Susie Warren, author of The Rosa Legacy Book Series:

  • When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I began writing stories in high school but when I went to college at seventeen, I worried that a writing career would be too elusive or risky so I gravitated toward more established career paths. I’ve used my writing ability in other pursuits, technical writing and business administration, and wrote reports, speeches, articles and technical documents until finally I decided to take a leap of faith and begin writing fiction.

  • How long does it take you to write a book?

In general, it takes me about three months to write a 55-60k word novel if things are going well. The first draft takes about six – eight weeks then I revise it a second and third time before sending it off to my editor.

  • What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I think it is very hard to balance life and writing. I work as a CFO for a small independent school so my days are extremely hectic and I spend a considerable amount of time crunching numbers. Through much trial and error, I’ve discovered the only way for me to successfully write a novel is to spend time writing each day. Even if it is only fifteen minutes some days. I used to wait until I had a block of time – usually every few weeks but I would lose the thread of the story and was always starting over. By changing this to writing each day, I completed three novels this year.

  • What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have a tendency to write early in the morning as the sun is rising. The house is very quiet at this time and the phone seldom rings. As I get drawn deeper into the story, the house could go up in flames and I may not realize it as I keep putting words on the page.

  • Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

I’ve discovered that I’m actually a rather visual person when it comes to story ideas. It seems my ideas always come from a blank canvas – whether I’m traveling to a new area and take a look at the horizon or see a captivating photograph or painting of a landscape. My mind then begins to play with the idea of who would inhabit the landscape and how would the setting impact them. For example, a beach community is vastly different than a marble quarry. The characters would need a different skill set and approach to life.

  • What does your family think of your writing?

In general, my husband and my three teenaged children are very supportive and proud of me. But occasionally when they want my full attention, they sigh or roll their eyes when they see me in front of the laptop.

  • How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I’ve written four novels so far. I think my favorite novel is always the novel I’m working on at the moment. I’m just starting the second book in The Bolles Legacy series. It is about Anna Bolles finding love, she wasn’t acknowledged by her famous father but went on to find success in the financial world in London. Having discovered as an adult that she had two siblings, she sets out to find herself. In the process, she comes into contact with a man, Alistair Martin, who challenges her to leave behind her past and embrace the future.

  • Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I’m a relatively new author so I haven’t heard much from readers except through reading reviews on Amazon. Most of my reviews have been rather positive but one thing that keeps coming up is readers mention some receptiveness in my novels. It’s true, I both show and tell most things. I’m working on minimizing that in my work and trusting the reader to get the idea.