Welcome to Author Thursday hosted by the Never Too Old for YA and NA Books group on Goodreads.
Today we welcome Suzanne Wright to the blog and group for an interview!
If your inner wolf and your body react rather enthusiastically to a psychotic Alpha male who’s own wolf has a tendency to turn feral, it can’t be a good thing, can it? Entering into a bargain with him wouldn’t be good either. Unfortunately, Taryn Warner, a latent wolf shifter, doesn’t have many options open to her right now. Okay, she has no options. Basically it comes down to whether she’ll do what it takes to escape the arranged mating with the sick SOB that her father set up. As the answer in this case is yes, it looks as though she’ll have to agree to Trey Coleman’s deal…she’ll have to mate with him instead. Having always disliked shifter politics, Trey Coleman hadn’t bothered trying to form alliances with other packs. Now that his uncle – a wolf with many alliances – means to take Trey’s territory and his pack, he has no option but to form some alliances of his own very quickly or he’ll be easily outnumbered in the upcoming battle. He figures that the easiest way to do that would be to mate with a female who’s Alpha is powerful and influential. There’s only one problem with that – he would then be stuck with her, and the last thing Trey wants is a mate. When he hears of Taryn’s situation, he offers her a deal – if she falsely claims he’s her true mate and allows him to claim her, he’ll save her from her arranged mating and then let her leave after the battle with his uncle is over.
Sounds like a pretty straightforward deal...but soon Taryn and Trey realize they got more than they bargained for. Their mating instincts to protect and possess are weighing on them, they crave each other’s touch and company, and their inner wolves don’t like it whenever they’re apart. Add in that they’ll have to deal with this for an entire three months until the day of the battle finally arrives, and they’ve got themselves a recipe for disaster – or maybe for something quite the opposite.
Warning: This novel contains an extremely sarcastic Alpha female, a broody possessive Alpha male, bitter in-laws, voyeuristic enforcers, a whole lot of dirty talk, and steamy bedroom battles for dominance. Reader Advisory: This book also contains a graphic ménage scene - not for the faint-hearted
Despite having been besotted with Dante Garcea since she was a child, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow figures that it’s time to move past the crush. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have ignored her flirtatious behavior, right? Hiding her intense attraction to him isn’t easy – especially now that they're part of the same pack again – but with bigger issues to worry about and with the submissive wolf act to maintain, Jaime is resolute on moving forward. Now if only the workaholic control-freak would let her…As the pack Beta, Dante doesn't have the space or time in his life for a relationship. As such, he ignores his intense hunger for the willful – and sometimes crazy – Jaime. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante finds that he doesn’t like losing her attention. He finds something else too – Jaime's hiding something. Determined to uncover her secret, he sets out to break through her defenses, even though being around her intensifies his cravings for her. What he finds is a problem that Jaime is convinced not even a powerful Beta can solve
They look good, right?
So, are you interested in knowing about Suzanne and her writing process, plus some other juicy tidbits? Read on!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
In truth, I never thought about being a writer, but that’s not because I didn’t want to be one - I love writing and I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. I just never would have dreamed of aspiring that high; I always thought that writing books was just going to be one of my hobbies – an obsessive and odd hobby, sure, but a hobby all the same.
How long does it take you to write a book?
That depends. One of my books took me only two weeks to write. Another book took almost a year, although that was my very first novel. I never really know, but that’s all part of the fun.
What do you think makes a great story?
A happy ending. If it doesn’t have a happy ending, I’m crushed.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I don’t really have one - my kids simply don’t allow it. I basically just grab the spare time wherever I can, and some days I have hours to myself because my husband’s able to take over with them – at which point I enter ‘cave mode’ and there’s no reaching me – but other days I only manage to have an hour or so. Still, I always ensure I write something each day. I feel restless and irritated if I don’t.
How do you balance family and writing?
Not very well, if I’m honest. I try setting aside more time for writing, but I give in to my kids too easily. I’m working on that but, in my defense, they really know how to play me. It’s unfair.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Lots of places. Things I’ve seen, heard, read – anywhere. Feral Sins was actually inspired by a dream. If I need to do research, I turn to Google.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That the smallest idea can turn into a most complicated story full of elaborate themes and twists – it’s great when that happens for me.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Although five have been published, I’ve written ten, in total. I don’t have a favorite. They’re all my babies – I don’t care if that makes me sound odd – and I have a soft spot for all of them.
Are your characters based on anyone you know?
No, they develop all on their own. It actually doesn’t feel like I create them, I’m just sort of going along for the ride.
Do you have a favorite place you love to write?
I do most of my writing on my armchair. As long as I’m comfy and warm, I’m fine. I’d love to work near a window that gave me a view of a horse grazing in a field…but then I’d probably spend most of my time watching the horse. I love them.
Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know already know about you.
I can’t carry a tune. Seriously, I’m tone deaf.
What do your family and friends think about your books?
I’d expected some raised eyebrows when they realized the books contained explicit sex, but they’ve all actually been great and all claim to have enjoyed the books. I’m still trying to stop my little old Nan from reading Feral Sins – I think the sex scenes might be a little too much for her.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to spend time with my family and read – that’s pretty much it. I’m a simple creature when it comes to what makes me happy and occupied. Give me a bag of Skittles and I’m your devoted friend for life.
Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
I know this isn’t really much of a tip, but just read and write and read and write and read and write. That’s what’s always helped me improve and develop my own style.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A traffic warden. Yes, laugh, I do. My aunty was a traffic warden and as I adored her, I decided I’d like to be one too when I grew up.
What are your favorite books and which authors inspire you?
I have lots of favorite books. I love the classics like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, and I also love Stephen King’s Rose Madder and The Shining, and also The Leopard People Series by Christine Feehan. There are so many more – too many to list. I love authors like Christine Feehan, Stephen King, Nalini Singh, Shelly Laurenston, Lauren Dane, James Patterson…Yeah, it’s quite a mix.
For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for writing a successful book?
I suppose the Do’s and Don’ts of writing are different depending on the person, but if you’re like me, stick to this particular ten:
1.Write because you love writing. If you don’t love it, you won’t do it well and you won’t manage the mostly-solitary life well either
2.Don’t wait for inspiration to strike you before getting out a pen and paper or sitting in front of your computer to begin your book. It ain’t going to write itself.
3.Be disciplined. Give yourself a minimum word count for each day. It could be 500 words, it could be 5,000 words. Have that target, and keep it – even if it means you’re writing crap. There’ll be days when it won’t be crap, but if you hadn’t disciplined yourself to keep going, those other words might never have come to you
4.No going shopping to procrastinate.
5.No going anywhere else either.
6.Write something you would like to read, not what’s currently popular. If you wouldn’t bother reading it, why bother writing it?
7.If you suddenly get a block, don’t run. Everyone gets writer’s block at some point, but don’t let it make you stop writing. Sure you can take a break, go for a walk, have a bath, dig out the wine – actually no, put the wine back – but then you go back to your book and be patient, the words will come
8.Read your book aloud. That’s the only real way to know if the rhythm’s not quite right, particularly with phrases and dialogue
9.Try to always carry a pen and notebook with you wherever you go. There’s nothing worse than getting a fab idea out of absolutely nowhere but then losing it again because you couldn’t commit it to paper before you got home
10.Have fun, and remember that rules – even the ones you’ve given yourself – can be broken from time to time.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third book of the Phoenix Pack series, which is Nick and Shaya’s story. After that, I’ll be moving onto the third in the Deep In Your Veins series.
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Suzanne! Thanks for giving your advice and letting us into your world! Much success to you and your books in the future!
Suzanne Wright lives in England with her husband, two children, and her bulldog. When she's not spending time with her family, she's writing, reading, or doing her version of housework - sweeping the house with a look.
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