Susan Gourley

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a full time writer, living in Pennsylvania with my husband and six children. We have a large home in the country, surrounded by lots of wildlife. I have a completed epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, available to readers. First Dragon is the first book in my next fantasy series, The Morbunda Saga. I also write romance and science fiction using the pen name, Susan Kelley. I work with two different publishers as Susan Kelley and have eight books published, including the best selling science fiction novel, The Marine’s Queen.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
First Dragon is set in the classical medieval setting of high fantasy. Kerik, the main character in this series, was actually inspired by Superman. When I think of Superman, what I think of is how alone he is. There’s no one else like him and no one else who carries the responsibilities of his great powers. Kerik is the only dragon in existence in his land of Morbunda. Though he fights by the side of his human friends, none of them really understand his thoughts or motives. He’s the only one of his kind and his dragon nature adds a lot of internal conflict to all his actions.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My family laughs at me, but I must have a movie or TV show playing while I write. Perhaps because I grew up in a family of seven children and had six of my own, I need some noise in the background at all times. Usually I have Netflix or Amazon Prime playing on my Kindle Fire while I’m writing in my office. My next favorite place to write is in a busy coffee shop with lots of chaos to help me concentrate on the keyboard in front of me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like most fantasy lovers, I started out by reading Tolkien. My ninth grade English teacher introduced me to his books. My current bookshelves hold Brandon Sanderson, John Marco, Michael J. Sullivan and Miles Cameron.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second draft of The Recon Marines science fiction series I write as Susan Kelley. The first book, The Marine’s Queen, was a bestseller on Kindle and the second book, The Marine’s Heiress, will be out early in 2014. I also have edits to complete on War Dragon, the follow up novel to First Dragon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Oh, if I only knew what would work best. I do some promotional posts on Facebook and Twitter and have a very active blog. For my next release, I’ll be running a contest on Goodreads and use that to promote. I’m not sure there is a ‘best’ way.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t do this alone. Find a group of writers to network with, either in person or online. They will keep you going when your feel frustrated or rejections get you down.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not sure who told me this first but I’ve heard it from lots of editors and agents. After you submit a piece of work, don’t wait around to hear back about it. Start work on your next project. When and if the rejections come in, you’ll feel better if you’re enthused about another project. Always have more than one thing going.

What are you reading now?
I’m starting in on Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings in anticipation of the next book in the series being released in March.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m outlining my next science fiction series, creating a world and the science involved in the futuristic setting. I like my science to make sense even if it’s fictional.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings, my big book of Jane Austen and The Count of Monte Cristo. I covered lots of genres with those three.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Gourley Website
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Susan Gourley Author Profile on Smashwords

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