Author Interview Suzanne Wright

Credit goes to Dolce Amour for this interview

I've had the great pleasure of reading and then reviewing three books from the estimable talent of author Suzanne Wright. They were Feral Sins, From Rags and Here Be Sexist Vampires, and I proclaim (with accompanying banners, confetti, and noise makers!) that Suzanne is a absolute treat and you'd be less for the experience of never reading one of her books. How often can someone say that about a writer? Imagine life without having tried chocolate. Inconceivable, right? I promise you will find her style unique, outstanding, and wonderfully addicting. She impressed me so much with her rich imagination and engaging, snappy dialog that I've placed her at the top of my favorite authors list. I am a voracious reader of many genres and finding a new talent that I have enjoyed like I have her is a delicious delight for the senses. I heartily recommend her. You can find the review for two of her books here at Feral Sins (The Phoenix Pack 1) by Suzanne Wright and Here Be Sexist Vampires by Suzanne Wright . I’ll start off by saying,

Suzanne, welcome to Booked Up!
Tell us about yourself. What made you start writing and why?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing something – poems, short stories, books. I think I was about nine when I finally realised that this wasn’t something that everybody did; that creating characters in my head and hearing them and watching them interact wasn’t a normal past-time. Yes, I was an odd child.

How do you develop your stories? Do you imagine the whole story and develop it from a set structure you lay down or do you let the story set its own path?
Most of the time, it all begins with an idea that can head in several directions. I finally settle on one and then let the characters take over and move the story along. They’re the catalysts and it feels like I’m kind of an observer…if that makes any sense.

Do you have a special routine when you're writing? What's a typical writing day like for you? Do you write all day, do you work off notes, do you write out a draft and then fill in the material in between as you go along? Our readers love to know how a writer writes so anything you can share with us will be very appreciated.
A typical writing day…Once I’ve seen to the children, done the housework (okay, some of the housework) and answered my e-mails, I delve straight into whatever book I’m working on, but I can't give it my complete focus until the children have gone to bed. Occasionally I have a few notes, but most of it is in my head and then it all flows out as I’m typing.

What inspires you? What is your inspiration for creating your unique handle on your characters?
I don’t feel like I can take any credit for the characters. They develop all on their own. One thing I’ve always done which has helped give depth to them is that I’ll give each a set of questions. For instance, ‘What’s the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?’ and ‘What do you wish you could change about yourself?’ I know that sounds weird – or so my husband tells me – but I swear it helps bring the characters to life.

Is there an author who has inspired you? Who do you read these days?
All authors inspire me in the sense that they’ve devoted so much time and effort into something and I find that so admirable. As for who I read…I’m the type of person that if the plot sounds good then I’ll read it no matter who the author is. In particular, I enjoy reading books by Christine Feehan, Lauren Dane, and Nalini Singh.

In what order have you written your books, and can you tell us how much time you've devoted to each book in order to complete them?
I actually wrote Here Be Sexist Vampires and From Rags at the same time, constantly alternating from one to the other. I know that’s probably a bit weird, but both ideas were so strong and I didn’t want to abandon either of them. All in all, it took about eight months to complete both. Shortly after them came Feral Sins which took me about four and a half months to finish. I was half-way through it when I self-published Here Be Sexist Vampires and From Rags.

What gave you the idea for the vampire talents your book Here Be Sexist Vampires outlines?
I wanted to do something a little different. In most vampire books I’ve read, the action is all blood and gore and I didn’t think that would suit the light air of my story. I’ve always loved fantasy books that featured gifts and abilities so I decided to go down that road. Then it was just a case of letting my overactive, difficult-to-rein-in imagination take over.

How have you managed to create the dialog between the main characters? Do you hear it in your head, do your characters interact visually first and then you fill in the dialog to match your story flow? How does a scene crystallize for you?
I hear all the dialogue in my head just as I see the scene playing out in my head, kind of like a film. I sit there typing incredibly fast to try to keep up with what’s happening.

What book from the three you have now published is your favorite and why?
Oh that’s not fair (said with a smile), that’s like asking me which is my favourite child. I don’t have any favourites. I have a soft spot for each of them and for all of the characters.

If you could give life to a character, which would they be: Trey Coleman from Feral Sins, Connor McKenzie in From Rags or Jared from Here Be Sexist Vampires? Why?
It would have to be Trey Coleman because my friend is a little in love with him so I know she would be thrilled.

I understand that you are working on the second of The Phoenix Pack’s Series. What can you share with us about this story? When do you expect it will be published?
I can tell you that the second book of the Phoenix Pack series is Dante’s story, but I don’t want to go into details because there’s every possibility that I’ll change something at some point. I’m hoping to release it in September and can only hope that people enjoy it as much as they enjoyed Feral Sins.