This month, we get to chat with a fellow Nevada author I met at the Virginia City Writing Retreat. Sue and I enjoyed a great conversation over breakfast on the last morning about her career in education and her insights into the minds of young people, which she features in her writing. I’m glad to have the opportunity to learn more about her life as a writer and her works.
Let’s Meet the Author
Sue is a connoisseur of pretzels (the sourdough kind), a maker of killer banana bread (thank you, Joanna Gaines!), a pilates aficionado, and a writer! She loves writing fantasy fiction for all age groups—time travel, reincarnation, soul switching, and science fiction.
If you searched her pants pockets, you are apt to find a doggie poop bag, tissues, and a breath mint. She’s a proud mama to two amazing adult children and five equally amazing grandchildren!
Let’s Get Started
Thank you so much for visiting today, Sue. Your books are incredibly engaging, drawing us into thought-provoking worlds where teenagers face life’s toughest choices or encounter tragedy, often through a supernatural lens. Can you discuss how you began writing novels and what inspired your first story?
SCD: As many authors do, I’ve been writing or dreaming about writing since I was small. My first published novel, A SLOW CLIMB UP THE MOUNTAIN, was loosely based on my time as a principal in a small rural town. I began writing speculative fiction with SUPPRESSED. I found after I wrote that book that I really liked writing about reincarnation, time travel, and soul swapping.
Where do you find your amazing story ideas?
SCD: Story ideas are all around me. It might be a tidbit from the internet, the newspaper, an article I read in a science magazine, to looking at pictures in National Geographic.
DLL: Ah, yes, National Geographic Magazine. A wonderful source for viewing the world..
Along the lines of inspiration, who or what was your biggest influence in becoming a fiction writer?
SCD: My high school English teacher encouraged me to continue writing. Then, a Literary Agent believed in my work. When I entered my, at the time, unpublished novel, S.O.S., in a contest and took first place, I really took off. Winning that award gave me confidence in myself as an author.
DLL: Wonderful, Sue. Thanks for sharing that.
What are your favorite themes to explore in your stories? And I’ll throw a tougher one in here. Which character did you enjoy writing most and why? Don’t worry if there’s more than one or if the answer is all of them. Feel free to elaborate.
SCD: I think my favorite character was Cat in CAT-ASTROPHIC. She was a complex and weird girl who didn’t fit in at school, yet she had a connection with the minister’s son, Nick. She argued they were once lovers during WWII. Now, I think you see the conflict in that revelation.
DLL: Another fun world to dive into.
You recently released the third installment in your ‘Land, Sea, and Air’ series. What a fascinating time-traveling premise. Can you give us a glimpse into the story and characters?
SCD: The third book is entitled MORSE CODE. I had names floating around in my brain–Dashiell and Dorothy–Dash and Dot. Thus, the Morse Code twins were conceived as the stars of that book. My cover designer even put …- – – … on the cover (SOS). It was a fun book to write because the protagonists from books 1 and 2 joined Dot and Dash in Guatemala.
DLL: Wonderful. Thank you!
In building your author platform, what have you found to be the most valuable connections and resources for an independent writer?
SCD: At every opportunity, I share the highlights about my books and keep a stack of business cards with me. In fact, earlier this week, I had the carpets cleaned, told him about my books, and sent one home for his kids.
DLL: I can relate. I also keep cards handy for those conversations.
How important is it to engage with your local community? What can you share about building an online presence? Can you tell us about your story awards and the organizations behind them?
SCD: I do as many local author events as my schedule allows, but I’ve also done book signings in MI and WA. It’s true—I’ve won a variety of awards, some more prestigious than others, but they are all “stamps of approval.” Probably, The Chanticleer Reviews has opened many doors for me. While they are small, they have a dedicated team to determine who gets what award. I highly recommend them, and also The Golden Wizard Book Prize awards for those who write for middle grade and under.
DLL: Thanks for sharing these.
What are your best tips and techniques for keeping your creative juices flowing and staying productive while balancing your writer’s life with everyday living?
SCD: Read a lot and read outside your normal genre and comfort zone. Although I’m not a huge Horror fan, there are story ideas or nuggets galore in them.
You recently returned from an overseas trip. I’d love to hear about your adventures and how traveling fits into your writer’s life.
SCD: I just returned from Greece and a screenwriter’s conference and workshop. Before the conference, I wrote my first screenplay, and it was a huge learning curve for me (and I’m still learning). But I think all those ‘out of the box’ events only strengthen us as writers.
DLL: And what a fabulous place to go for a learning curve!
What’s on the horizon for you, Sue, and where can we follow you to stay updated?
SCD: I’m hoping to win another award from Chanticleer for MORSE CODE. The first two books (SOS and MAYDAY) in the series took first place in ‘The Gertrude Warner Adventure’ category. I want to continue to learn about screenwriting and eventually turn many of my books into scripts.
DLL: Fantastic! I wish you the best in that endeavor. You can stay in touch with Sue via her website and Facebook Page.
Thank you so much for dropping by. It’s been a blast. Do you have any parting words of advice for aspiring writers?
Writers need to be readers. Write and read every day, even if it’s just a couple of sentences. Eventually, all those sentences make a paragraph, then a page, a chapter, and voilà, you’ve got a book.
Happy Writing, Y’all!
By D. L. Lewellyn 
Comments welcome!