Christmas SIberian Style: Author Interview with Kristen Joy Wilks

i

How did you come up with the idea for your book, The Volk Advent?
Well, I knew that my publisher did a Christmas series and I love Christmas. So I put on my favorite Christmas CD's and started cooking and cleaning and praying in my kitchen, just trying to think of something fun. That was when the idea of a Gothic Christmas mystery for teens. zipped through my head. My intention was to make it all spooky with an old derelict castle, a murder mystery, and escaped pet wolves. My story has all of that, but it also turned out to be somewhat humorous. Which is a strange combination, but fits my writing voice so I went with it.

Could you give me a short synopsis on the story for my readers?
An orphaned Siberian teen loses her job and home on Christmas Eve. Left on the streets to freeze, Faina flees to an abandoned castle for shelter. At the castle, she discovers the animal-torn body of a local recluse. No wonder Eurasian wolves are not recommended for the first-time pet owner. Can a girl with no past, preserve her future from accusations of murderer and a pack of escaped wolves? 

What made you decide to do a Christmas themed book?
I saw all of the fun Christmas books in Pelican Book Group's Christmas Extravaganza series and wanted to be part of it. Readers have the option to buy all of the Christmas titles on a gift card that works well as a stocking stuffer. Since I am a new author, I thought this would be a good way to introduce myself to Pelican readers, besides Christmas stories are both meaningful and tons of fun. What's not to love?

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
There are so many...I make homemade cinnamon rolls the day we have our first snow, so that starts the season out. I read three books out loud to my three little boys every December. "The Nativity Story" which is a beautiful picture book that has photos from the movie of the same name paired with Bible verses about Christ's coming. I also read them "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson and "The Shepherd, The Angel, and Walter The Christmas Miracle Dog" by Dave Barry (I skip the chapter about bras when I read it to them...even though it is hilarious). 

I make scones and cocoa for breakfast on Christmas morning, we read the story from the Bible, and open gifts and eat way too much food, but our family also chooses a birthday gift for Jesus and we open the card that tells about the gift along with the other presents. Sometimes it is a goat for a family in another country or chickens or new school books. It's an incredible thing to choose this special present with our young family, the boys get so excited. Although, the first year we did it they were very upset that the chickens did not show up in a box for us to give away personally!

What’s next for you in writing? 
Sometime next year I have another Passport to Romance novella releasing with Pelican Book Group. It is called Athens Ambuscade and my young heroine must fly a Montana taxidermist to Greece to stuff her grandmother's dead cat in two days time or lose her inheritance. 

I am also working on a series for children, but haven't found a publishing home for it yet.

Any special awards or achievements you’d like to mention?
I was a semi-finalist in the ACFW Genesis contest in 2014, but really, I'm pretty new to actually being published and am just thrilled to see my name on the cover of a book!

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been give that you’d like to share?
I absolutely love the 15 point story outline in Blake Snyder's writing book, Save the Cat. It has really helped me find a loose outline for my books before I start writing. Very helpful.
What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned
sooner?

Years and years of your writing is going to be practice. Learn and grow and write every day and enjoy the act of writing and watching your abilities bloom. Stop being so caught up in getting published right away, it takes time. After fourteen years of serious writing (online courses, writing 5-7 days a week, sending out countless queries) I finally have my first book out.

If you would like to buy her book or learn more about her writing, here are some links
to get you started...
For her first novella, Copenhagen Cozenage - http://bit.ly/1OKRBM1
Pelican books - http://bit.ly/1Nq1A6m

Watershed Books - http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=37_61

Christmas YA Style: Author Interview with Kathleen Friesen

From now through Christmas, my interviews will be focused on books that have a Christmas theme. This is the first in the series. Hope you'll find some good reads for the holidays as gifts or something for yourself.

How did you come up with the idea of your book, Nila’s Hope?
This book follows my first (self-published) novel, Melody’s Song, because Nila, who was introduced in the first book, insisted that her story be told.

Could you give me a short synopsis on the story for my readers?
Just when her career as a carpenter and a relationship with Will Jamison are within reach, Nila Black’s abusive ex-boyfriend is released from prison. He’s out of jail, out for revenge, and making promises she knows he’ll keep. Nila will do anything it takes to save Will and her friends from the evil that will come their way if she doesn’t put distance between them—even if it means abandoning her new-found faith. What will it take for Nila to finally gain the freedom and love she’s longed for all her life?

What made you decide to do a Christmas themed book?
Nila’s Hope wasn't intentionally a Christmas book, but the story takes place over the Christmas season—a happy coincidence, because I love Christmas.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
I love setting up the tree and decorating it with ornaments that bring back memories of special times and special people. We always read the Christmas story together when our kids were still at home, and that’s a tradition at least one of our children is keeping. I love that!

What’s next? (future books, novellas, special appearances you want to mention)
My work-in-progress is Hayley’s Choice, and it features a young woman introduced in Nila’s Hope. Once it’s complete, I’d like to try a novella with a completely different setting, just for fun.

Any special awards or achievements you’d like to mention?
It’s not an award or achievement of my own, but I was thrilled when a local public high school librarian bought my books for her students. I have to believe that was a “God thing.”

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?
Good question. I’m still new at this business, but one thing I have to remember is to not compare myself with others. Easy to say; hard to do. Also, a good critique group is essential. Mine makes a huge difference for me with their corrections and encouragement. ACFW has some fantastic critique groups, worth the membership price just for that.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
Even though the big name publishing houses don’t even look at non-agented writers, there are many good smaller publishers who are willing to take a chance on a new writer. And indie publishing is gaining more credibility every day. Many experienced authors are going that route, and most are willing to share their experiences.

Any last words or tips?
If God has called you to write, do it. No excuses. Learn, listen, and interact with experienced authors. Remember, it’s not about you. (I’m writing to myself here.)

If you'd like to learn more about Kathleen's writing and books, here's some links to get you started.

www.facebook.com/kathleenefriesen
www.kathleenfriesen.weebly.com

From Pictures to Prose: Author Interview with Krista Noorman

As a professional photographer, you created pictures without words. What made you decide to create the words rather than the pictures?

I'm not sure it was really a conscious decision. I sat down to write my first novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNo), mostly just to see if I could write a novel in thirty days. I was in the midst of a busy wedding photography season and had an idea to write about a wedding photographer with a broken heart, who was surrounded by happy couples. What happened during those thirty days was that I fell in love with writing. It made me happier than my photography ever had, and that's saying a lot, because I love photography.

When did you actually start writing your first book? Is that the one you first published? 

I began writing my first book on November 1, 2008 during NaNoWriMo and finished the first draft twenty-six days later. But that book was actually not the first one I published. I decided to publish The Truth About Drew first, which I wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2009. 

How long did it actually take you to write it? How many rewrites did you do? 

The Truth About Drew took a month to write (November 2009). I think I went through three drafts of that novel before getting it to the final edits. 

Who encouraged you along the way?

My biggest encouragements came from my husband, who read an early draft on an airplane and tried not to cry in front of the stranger seated next to him, and my mother-in-law, who emailed me when she finished reading it to tell me she would personally kick my butt if I didn't publish it.

Prior to publishing your two current novels, did you have other publishing credits? Who helped you edit your books? 

My two novels are my only publishing credits so far. I did all the initial editing myself and had a few trusted writer friends look it over. Then I went over it several more times with a fine tooth comb. It was a long process, but worth it in the end. 

Are you active with any writing groups?

I'm a member of a group of indie authors, who write clean fiction (no explicit sex, violence, or language in our novels), and their support has been wonderful. 

You’ve said NaNoWriMo inspired you to get serious about your writing. What did you learn from that experience? 

I participated in NaNoWriMo twice - in 2008 and 2009. At first, I did it just to see if I could. My husband had participated and I was curious. Could I write a novel in a month's time? I went for it and wrote what eventually became Goodbye, Magnolia. 

The following year, I did it again and that book became The Truth About Drew. The biggest thing I learned from NaNoWriMo was to get the idea out of your head and onto the page. That first draft will inevitably need a lot of work, but the basics of the story will be there.

You have written both a YA novel and a contemporary romance novel. Why two different genres? Do you have a preference of one over another? 

I enjoy reading many different genres, and it's the same with my writing. I loved writing both romance and YA, and I hope to venture into some other genres in the future. The ideas are flowing, and I've got a couple book ideas in Historical Romance and Dystopian.

What do you want readers to take away from your stories?

All of my novels have a message of faith, and I hope that will be encouraging and hopeful to my readers.

What made you decide to go the indie-publishing route? Did you pitch traditional publishers or agents? 

The idea of pitching my books to publishers and agents and having to face probable rejection was not something I looked forward to. I considered it, but then I began researching my options to self-publish and I knew I was more than capable to go that route. I do not regret it one bit and enjoy being in charge of the entire process of getting my books out into the world.

How do you write? Do you do an outline first? Do you do individual character development before doing the full plot?

Well, for the first two books, I wrote them in 3-4 weeks during NaNoWriMo. The first draft of my most recent work in progress took me two weeks to write. I'm not one who outlines. I have a basic idea of where I want the story to go, then I just write and see where it takes me. 

As far as character development, I made some character sheets with traits and backgrounds and such to help me get to know who my main characters were. That helps a lot in the process of figuring out where they came from and how they will deal with different situations.

What type of publicity has been the most successful in promoting your book? What has bombed and you will steer clear of in the future? 

Both of my books are fairly young (my first came out last spring), so I'm still learning the ins and outs of marketing. Being an indie-author, I've got to handle all of that myself and there's a lot to learn. I've been blogging for many years, so I write there about my books and writing and everyday life. I'm also very active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and promote my books everywhere. I also have an e-newsletter that I send out every month or two with information on my books, new releases, sales, etc. Haven't had anything "bomb" for me, but I have held a few sales where I did very little promotion outside of social media and didn't see much of a return there, which is not surprising.

What do you know now about writing that you wished you had known sooner?

I never realized just how much goes into making a book ready to publish before I was actually faced with doing it myself. It takes a lot longer to edit a book than it does to write it. All of mine were written in less than a month, but it takes many months of rewrites and even longer on the editing. I actually enjoy the process, though. Well, I'm not a huge fan of copy editing, but it's a necessary evil.

What other books do you have in the works?

I'm so excited for my upcoming book projects! My next book is called Until Then, the sequel to Goodbye, Magnolia, contemporary Christian romance. I'm in the rewrite stage on that one right now. I've got a dystopian series I want to start on and a historical Christian romance that I'm beginning to research.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?

Write for you. I was once asked if I never made a cent on my writing, would I still write? And my answer was absolutely. I love telling stories and will keep telling them as long as there are new ideas flowing. The other thing I've learned is to just write. Get those ideas out of your mind and onto the page. Sit down and write that story you've been thinking about and you may be surprised where it takes you. I always am.

Are there any other notes you’d like to add?

Just a thank you for the interview. I appreciate you reaching out to me and asking to do this.

That's all for today's interview. Hope you've learned something to help you with your writing. If you'd like to learn more about Krista's writing and her upcoming projects, here's some way to do that. 

Blog: http://bykrista.com

Facebook Author page: http://facebook.com/bykristanoorman

Buying links: http://www.amazon.com/Krista-Noorman/e/B00KDU9AXK/

The Importance of Editing: Author Interview with Glen Robinson

You've taught writing classes as a college professor. What made you decide to go from the editing side of grading papers to the writing side as an author? When did you actually start writing your first book?

Actually, I was a writer long before I was a teacher. I’ve wanted to be a writer since high school. Before I took up teaching 17 years ago, I was a newspaper, book and magazine editor, and worked in public relations for a while. All that time, I tried—in varying degrees of success—to write books. My first one was published in 1982. It was a how-to book for Seventh-day Adventists called 52 Things to Do on Sabbath.

How long did it actually take you to write it?

52 Things was a great idea that I sat on for about a year before summoning up the courage to write it. You know, if you never write it, then they can never say no. When it came down to it, I wrote the little book over a Memorial Day Weekend. If it hadn’t been for one particularly persistent book editor, I might never have gotten it done.

Are you a more detailed editor for yourself or your students?

I don’t do a lot of rewrites, and probably should do more. Rewriting is my most difficult area and the part I hate the most. I rarely rewrite my students’ articles and stories. If it’s bad, I tell them what’s wrong and expect them to do the rewrite. Editors don’t do rewrites unless they absolutely have to, and rewriting is how students learn.

Do your students critique any of your works? Are you active with any writing groups?

Eight years ago, we started The Rough Writers, a creative writing club for students here on our campus, and yes, I let my students critique my work too. We all sit through critique. You learn that critique is actually a good thing, and we compete to see whose work is going to be reviewed. 

You write in multiple genres from middle grade books to YA novels and Biblical-based novels. How do you move so easily from one genre to another?
I usually just say I have a short attention span, and yes, I am probably doing myself a disservice marketing wise. But writing isn’t my primary source of income, and so I can afford to feed my muse. I wrote children’s book as a ghostwriter back in the 90s, then got into adult Christian suspense. In the middle of that, I threw in some steampunk and other science fiction just for fun. But right now, Christian suspense is my area of focus. 

Do you have different readers and editors for each style? 
As far as editing, indie authors usually need an editor badly, yet can’t really afford one. I lucked out in that a fellow indie author, Céleste Perrino-Walker, is also an editor. We’ve arranged to edit each other’s books as a swap. If possible, I encourage other indie authors to do the same thing.

What do you want readers to take away from your stories?
As I mentioned, I am a Christian suspense writer, and I obviously have an agenda. It’s posted on my website for anyone who’s interested. I call it the Great Adventure Manifesto.

You started with a traditional publisher and now indie publish. Why did you make the switch?
I published traditionally for many years, and I have nine books published that way. But I found that publishers were paying authors less and less and expecting more and more. It’s come to the point that the only thing traditional publishers offer that I can’t do on myself is advertising dollars. In addition, it’s easier to publish what I want this way.

You’ve published 19 books in what looks like a very short time span. Are you that quick a writer? Or have these stories been simmering for a while?
The first one was published in 1982. From then until 2012, I had another eight published. Then in January 2012, I decided to go out on my own. I’ve written a few books in the past two and a half years, but many of them are either reboots, anthologies, or in the case of the Champion Series, something I had recently completed. That trilogy took me six years to write. I’d just finished it in time to come out in 2013.

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?
The first book I wrote was without an outline, took me two years and was a disaster. I am glad to say I never published it. That was when I decided that my time was valuable enough to merit a good outline first. Today I don’t start writing until I have a clear view of the road ahead. Part of that is the characters, part is the storyline.

What type of publicity has been the most successful in promoting your book?
The two things I really like about indie publishing is (1) you pretty much do everything yourself, which fits my personality (I have the added advantage of so many years as an editor); and (2) you’re always learning something new. Every indie author has to learn what works for him or her as far as marketing. Social networks, advertising, giveaways, book signings. I’ve tried them all with varying success. No secrets; you just have to keep trying.

What do you know now about writing that you wished you had known sooner?
Writing is like swimming. You have to jump in, swallow a lot of water, almost drown a time or two, and learn as you go. You will never learn to swim (or write) sitting on the poolside.

What other books do you have in the works?
I’m glad you asked! September 1 is the launch of Salome’s Charger, my first opportunity to co-author with someone, in this case Céleste Perrino-Walker, whom I mentioned earlier. It’s a Christian suspense novel about the platter that held the severed head of John the Baptist, how it’s discovered by archeologists, and how it is rumored to have the power to change the future. The story’s full of international thieves, cults, lots of danger and is set in Dallas and Juneau, Alaska. Great fun and we look forward to sharing it.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?
My writing mentor was a British gentleman by the name of Arthur Milward. He used to regularly write short stories for Reader’s Digest, Redbook and The Saturday Evening Post. He used to say, “You can tell the house of a successful writer. He’s the one who hasn’t mowed his lawn.”

Thanks for your insights about writing. That's it for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Glen, his writing and upcoming works here's some options to do that.

Website: http://glenchen.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/glenchen
Facebook fan page: http://facebook.com/booksbyglenrobinson
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/glenchen

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Glen-Robinson/e/B000APTC6I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1436484146&sr=8-1

Once Upon a Time in Writing: Author Interview with Vanessa K. Eccles

My interview today is with Vanessa K. Eccles who is the executive editor of Belle Rêve Literary Journal and is founder of the book blog YA-NA Sisterhood. (For those who write YA and NA stories). When she’s not writing or devouring books, she enjoys the lake life with her Prince Charming and their four dogs who could just have magical powers to match the genre she writes. Read on to discover her once upon a time life and writing.

One of your books was a collection of short stories. How did you decide how many stories to include? Do they all have a similar thread to them?
My collection of short stories, Collecting Light, was written over several years. I included the ones I liked most, each having threads of hope and faith in them. I was a part of an online writing group who wrote and posted stories every Sunday. They helped tremendously with editing.

Your other short book is Psalms of Me. What made you decide to write on this topic?
Psalms of Me is a poetry collection written during the same period as Collecting Light. I wrote both these works mainly for my friends and family, so anyone else's interest is always a pleasant surprise. For me, editing poetry is much easier. Usually my poems either work the first few times, or they get tossed. If the moment isn't captured immediately, it rarely can be caught again.

What was your writing background prior to writing these books? Are you active in any writing or critique groups?
I am active in several online writing groups, and I don't know what I'd do without the other insightful, helpful authors I've met. I never could imagine doing anything but writing, which is why I decided to study English. I've since founded Belle Rêve Literary Journal, where I serve as executive editor.

From there you did a retelling of a mix of Grimm’s fairy tales in a full-length novel. What drew you to writing this? Are there other fairy tales you’d like to re-write?
I have a growing list of other fairy tales I'd love to write in the future. Fabled isn't the first novel I wrote, but it's the first one I've actively pursued. In 2012, I wrote a research paper for a pop culture conference about the cause and effect of adult enchantment, detailing why adults are drawn to fairy tales. I went on later that year to write about how the Nazis used the Grimm's tales as propaganda during WWII. After studying them for so long, I couldn't help but be wooed by the idea of writing my own fairy tale.

Did you try the normal route and try to find a traditional publisher to handle your book? Did

you pitch any agents?
I pitched several agents, many of which made requests and expressed how much they loved the premise but ultimately didn't offer representation. So much of publishing is about trends and luck. Unfortunately, in the traditional market at the time, Fabled had neither. But I wasn't about to let that stop me. I loved the story, and so did my early readers. I pressed on until Fabled finally made its way to the marketplace.
How much research did you do on self-publishing before choosing your sources?
I researched for over a year before I decided to self-publish.

What do you think is the most common misconception about self-publishing?
Two of the most common misconceptions, I think, is that people tend to believe self-published work isn't as good as traditionally published work, and that it's poorly edited. But the truth is that there are many, many well-written indie books. Self-publishing can be packaged, edited, and presented in a very professional way. Hiring editors and designers costs money, but it's money well spent.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book? What has worked best for you in generating sales?
I'm not a marketing expert, but oh how I wish I was. I mostly promote through Facebook and have hired a company to host a large book blitz. Since the book has only been on the market for a month, I'm still in the experimental phase. I hope over the coming months, to learn more about what works and what doesn't.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?
The publishing industry is hard. Adversity only strengthens the creative spirit, but I didn't always know this. It's taken years of exposure and emotional calluses to realize that someone else's NO should ever become my own.

                                          What other books are in the works?
I'm currently working on a YA southern gothic and the second book of Fabled.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?
Live a life worth writing.

That's it for today interview. Hope you'll check out the links below to learn more about Vanessa's writing.

Author links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

Fabled links:  Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Writing Through Your Life: Interview with NY Times Best-Selling Author, Susan Wittig Albert

My interview today is with Susan Wittig Albert, an award-winning author, whose books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Her books cover the range of YA, mysteries, academic non-fiction and memoirs. Read on to find out how she has made writing her life.

You’ve had a long an prolific career as a writer. How did it begin? When did you think you could make a career at it?
I started writing for YA magazines when I was in my late teens. Then I detoured to go to college (I was a freshman at 24, with three little kids) and begin an academic career as a university professor, with a focus on medieval literature. The career requirements included writing academic studies in my field; I wrote four books during that time.

I stayed with it until I was 45, then left the university for a writing career. I was still at the university (in administration/teaching) when I submitted my first YA novel, to Bantam, in the Sweet Dreams series, under the pseudonym Susan Blake. It was accepted and I went on to write five more in that series. When I started that last book, I felt I could make it, and I left my academic career for fulltime writing. That was 1985—30 years ago!

You've written under multiple surnames. Why the pen names? Were they works for hire?I wrote the first YA books, and several more, under Susan Blake—I wasn’t eager for my university colleagues to get a glimpse of my moonlight efforts. After that, I worked for hire in 10 different series, under the series pseudonyms: Carolyn Keene, Franklin W. Dixon, Francine Pascal, and so on.

After 1986, when Bill Albert and I were married, I co-authored some of these books with him. Co-authorship presents a special problem, since publishers like to present books under one name. Bill and I co-authored a dozen adult historical mysteries under the name Robin Paige. (You can see a full list, and count the pseudonyms, from the book link below)

For one of series, I see you wrote 23 books. How did you come up with that many plot lines for the same characters after so many books?
Plots are everywhere in the world—I’ve never ever had a problem coming up with one. Actually, each book has many more plots, since each character in a story has her or his own plot. Right? Think about that for a minute. If a character is fully-fleshed (she should be, to deserve a reader’s attention), she has a story. Her story is her plot. So a good (i.e. rich, multi-storied, engaging) novel will have as many plots as there are characters. Some plots will be extended, others abbreviated. But they should be there, and be evident enough that the reader can follow them.

After so many years of writing for children, you switched to writing for adults with your China Bayles series. Is your female protagonist’s career change, symbolic of your own writing change?
China’s career change is related to mine, yes. When I started the series, I had just written a book called Work of Her Own, about career leavers (including myself).

What made you choose herbs as your focal point for these murder mysteries?I chose herbs because that’s an interest of mine. I studied herbs in medieval literature and followed that interest out into my own garden. China Bayles was an extension of that.

You’ve seen a lot of changes in publishing over the decades. Do you think there will always be print books? Or do you think it will all go digital?

Print books won’t go away for a while. Last week, I sampled an eBook but bought the print edition because I wanted to work with the notes; it’s hard to access notes in most eBooks. I buy quite a few print books, because I need them for research. But digital is my choice when I read a particular book for entertainment, and I think digital books will increasingly dominate the market. For one thing, they’re much less expensive for publishers to produce, so the industry will move in that direction.

How do you feel the digital market has changed the publishing industry for the better or worse?
Digital publishing and marketing has opened options for many writers, and that’s very much to the good, in my opinion. The traditional publishing model presents many barriers to start-up writers. Digital gives them a place to get a foothold. Some will stay at that level, others will go on to create a crossover career in both digital and print.

As if all these series weren’t enough, you are also prolific in helping other writers through your Story Circle Network to help women writer their memoirs. How did this begin? What do you for the future of this endeavor?I was teaching memoir and journaling (lifewriting) to women, then wrote a book about the process: Writing From Life.  That same year (1997) I worked with a dozen women to start Story Circle, a nonprofit international membership organization. We sponsor the largest women’s book review site on the Internet: the Sarton Women’s Literary Awards,  and offer online writing classes for women and conferences and workshops. 

What promotions have worked best for you in book sales? How do you make a book signing a success?
For years, I did extensive (4-5 week) book tours, doing signings/talks in bookstores, libraries, garden clubs, etc. around the country. In 2007, I stopped touring began doing blog tours. I can reach many more people online, at a much lower cost and with just about the same effect. I’m active in social media, and support websites for my series. I still do an occasional bookstore and quite a few libraries, but that’s no longer my promotion focus.

What is some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?

Read. Read read read read read. If you don’t read, you can’t write.

What new works do you have planned?
I have a contract to write two more books (#25 and 26) in the China Bayles series. I will likely continue that series, although I’m doing fewer mysteries these days. I’m currently working on a biographical/historical novel and have another of those planned.

If you would like to learn more about Susan and her writing, here are some options:
http://www.susanalbert.com/books/
To purchase her memoir writing book      http://tinyurl.com/WritingFromLife   
To learn more about memoir writing: ww.storycircle.org or  www.storycircleonlineclasses.org 
The Sarton Women's Literary Awards: http://tinyurl.com/Sarton