Suzie Carr is a prolific author, publishing company owner and an expert in the teaching of writer to others. We carried out an exclusive interview with Suzie to learn more about the lady herself, about her books and to get some advice for those of you out there working on your novel. Read on to learn what Suzie had to say through an enlightening interaction.
Welcome to e-Books India, Suzie! We’re very excited to have you join us for this interview. Please tell us a bit about you. Where do you come from? What work do you do? How did you get into writing?
I’m very excited to be here. Thank you for having me! Okay, let’s see, a little about myself… I’m a writer with a love for getting my characters into a little trouble and watching as they bend with the curves to get back on track. I can think of no better way of spending my waking hours than creating brand new worlds where romance, drama and every day tribulations mix together into a literary cocktail that entertains and teaches me a lesson or two.
I’m originally from one of the smallest states in America, Rhode Island. I moved to Maryland thirteen years ago to pursue work as a writer. That pathway led me to my current position at a university where I am an assistant director of marketing. I love my day job, and that’s why I choose to stay. I get to be creative daily, and work alongside some intelligent, creative people. I keep hoping some of that will rub off on me. 🙂
I got into writing through my profession. Many years ago, I worked for a company that needed a writer for their newsletter. To grow their readership, I wrote a continual short story based around their product line. It took off, and so did my desire to write fiction on a larger scale. That short story series gave me the confidence to pursue writing my first novel, The Fiche Room.
You’re the author of several novels. Can you please tell us bit about your fiction work, the types of stories you write, and the genres you write in?
Yes, I’ve written a few. 🙂 Nine to be exact, plus a short story. They all have an element of romance as well as real-life social challenges such as coming out, facing fears, dealing with temptation, forgiveness, animal welfare, bullying, and acceptance, finding one’s true path, and accepting the temporary state of all things in life. My books fall under the genres of literary fiction/lesbian fiction/contemporary fiction.
Titles include: The Fiche Room, Two Feet off the Ground, Tangerine Twist, Inner Secrets, A New Leash on Life, The Muse, Staying True, Snowflakes, The Journey Somewhere, and Sandcastles.
Your most recent novel is entitled Sandcastles. Can you please tell us about this story?
Sandcastles is about living life to the fullest. At the center of the story are three people, Lia, Dean and Willow. Lia is smart, successful, and best friends with Dean, a gay man who is just as neurotic as she. Life is smooth and flowing, unmarked by much more than a little family jealousy here and there, until she runs into Willow, an exciting enigma from her past.
Willow, a psychic, receives a sense that something is off kilter surrounding Lia. Should she tell her, even though Lia, the person she’s never been able to stop thinking about since childhood, might run the other way? It’s a risk she decides to take, and Lia’s curiosity surprises her.
As truths about life, love and uncertainties are unearthed, Lia and Willow, two women in love with each other, along with their friend Dean, learn to seek strength from unexpected places and people. Along their journeys, the three learn what a struggle it is to maintain their sandcastles as they embrace the parts of their lives that really matter.
This book delves into the empowering world of holistic health, natural medicine, naturopathy, reiki healing, acupuncture, and health and wellness and taught me so much about life and how to always live it to its fullest.
You’ve also published a nonfiction book that helps budding writers called Writer’s Insights. Can you please tell us about some of the topics writers can learn about from the book?
Writer’s Insights is a book that stemmed from my free video writing course. In it, I share everything I’ve learned about writing from the courses I’ve taken, to the hundreds of books I’ve read on the topic, to the experts I’ve gotten to know, and from the critical feedback I’ve received via readers and editors. It is geared for anyone who dreams of writing a novel and doesn’t know how to get started to those who have written a book already and are looking for ways to tighten their work and market it.
It’s a guide to help writers organize their thoughts and navigate the path from the first sentence of a novel to the very last. This book teaches: essentials to productive writing, ways to keep creativity flowing, creating the perfect book title, developing characters, hooking a reader from the first page, planning the plot, charting scenes, creating conflict, writing snappy dialogue, writing a synopsis, editing tips, publishing options, branding, and building a strong readership.
Are you working on any other book(s)? If so, what can readers expect from you in the future?
I am working on my next novel, The Dance. It is a contemporary fiction piece with a twist of romance that delves into the fascinating world of honeybees and the lessons they teach us. To prepare writing this book, I had the pleasure of conducting some hands-on research with a fabulous beekeeping team, Steve and Kathy Sweet. I experienced the sensory delicacy of the buzz, the vibration, and the dance of tens of thousands of honeybees when I worked with them in their apiary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBUGq2y4ICE). I start official writing this week! It is slated to be released in early 2016.
From your experience of writing and publishing books, can you please share one key piece of advice for budding authors who are working on a novel?
Never let someone’s criticism stop you from writing. I almost let that happen to me, and thanks to some insightful friends, I continued writing. Criticism is a necessary step to growth. It is the hardest and most humbling part of being a writer. When we release our work to the public, we open ourselves up to feedback. Negative reviews are part of the package. My advice is to realize up front that you will likely receive criticism, and to construct a plan to dealing with it before it strikes. An effective way is to approach criticism as a learning opportunity. Wait a few days for the emotions to settle, and reread negative reviews with a careful eye. Look for the lessons and learn from them. That was the best advice other writers have given me. I’ve learned so much from reviews.
A writer is never done learning.
How can people find out more about you?
I’d love to connect with others. Please feel free to visit my website: www.curveswelcome.com and get on my mailing list for updates, freebies, and blog posts. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. I’m very active, and love to interact. Those links can be accessed via my site.
Getting hold of Suzie’s books
We would like to say a big thank you to Suzie for joining us for this interview. If you’re interested in getting hold of Suzie’s books, you can do so at Amazon India and Amazon US.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.[/author_info] [/author]