Difficult to say. The
Ghostly Father is probably cross-genre; it started out as partly
historical, partly “what if?”
When it was published, Amazon classified it as “Alternative
History,” whilst Waterstones listed it in their catalogue under “Science
Fiction” (which it most definitely is not!).
Nice Girls Don’t,
which is due out in July 2014, is probably best described as “romantic
mystery.”
What made you choose
that genre?
I don’t think I can answer this one!
How long does it take
you to write a book?
The first draft usually takes about six months, but the
editing and rewriting is open-ended.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
Pretty chaotic, to be honest. I’d like to be able to say that I can sit and
write for hours on end, but that wouldn’t be true. If I get stuck (which happens alarmingly
often!) I find it helps to take a break and do something else for a little
while. The answer then comes to me at
the oddest moment. I’ve had some of my
best ideas whilst I’ve been mowing the lawn – and on one occasion a stanza of a
poem arrived, fully-formed, when I was waiting in a traffic jam!
Where do you get your
ideas for your books?
They’re usually inspired by something I’ve read.
When did you write
your first book and how old were you?
I wrote my first full-length novel when I was in my fifties.
What do you like to
do when you're not writing?
Reading, walking, gardening, travelling.
What was one of the
most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That sometimes the characters can take over, and send the
story heading in a totally different direction.
One of the characters in Nice Girls
Don’t took me completely by surprise, by saying something which went on to
change the entire course of the sub-plot!
How many books have
you written?
Two full-length novels and a few short stories.
Which is your
favourite and why?
I think it would have to be The
Ghostly Father, because I started out by writing it just for myself; it
was the story I’ve always wanted to read.
As a child, what did
you want to do when you grew up?
I can’t remember that far back!
What are you working
on now?
I’ve got a couple of different projects on the go, but
they’re still very much at the first draft stage – so don’t stay in specially
waiting for them!
Author biography:
Sue was born in North Wales but has spent most of her life
in and around Manchester. After graduating from Durham University, where she
studied French and Italian, Sue got married then had a variety of office jobs
before becoming a full-time parent. If she had her way, the phrase
"non-working mother" would be banned from the English language.
Since then she has had a series of part-time jobs, including
some work as a freelance copywriter. In parallel with this she took several
courses in Creative Writing. Her writing achievements include winning the
Writing Magazine New Subscribers Poetry Competition for 2013. She is also very
interested in Family History. Her own background is stranger than fiction;
she'd write a book about it if she thought anybody would believe her.
Sue has a mind which is sufficiently warped as to be capable
of compiling questions for BBC Radio 4's fiendishly difficult Round Britain
Quiz. This once caused one of her sons to describe her as "professionally
weird." The label has stuck.
Sue joined the editorial team Crooked Cat Publishing in
2013. Her first novel, The
Ghostly Father (a new take on the traditional story of Romeo & Juliet) was officially
released on St Valentine's Day 2014. Her
second novel, a romantic mystery entitled Nice
Girls Don’t, is due for release in July 2014.
Links:
Blog: http://broad-thoughts-from-a-home.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: @SusanB2011
Published works:
The
Ghostly Father (Crooked Cat, February 2014)
Nice Girls Don’t (to be published by Crooked Cat in July
2014)
Plus entries in the
following anthologies:
Crooked
Cats’ Tales (Crooked Cat, April 2014)
Best
of Manchester Poets Vol 2 (Puppywolf, December 2011)
Best
of Manchester Poets Vol 3 (Puppywolf, March 2013)
Critique Service for Writers
Flash 500 Home Page: Flash Fiction, Humour Verse
and Novel Opening Chapter and Synopsis Competitions
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