Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
THE BOOK OF JANE is my first novel. As a high school English teacher for thirty years, I did a lot of writing with and for my students. I started the novel about three years prior to retirement, working primarily on it during my summer breaks. When I retired, I had plenty of time to edit and share the manuscript with family and friends.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel THE BOOK OF JANE is based on a character I developed over a period of years, writing character sketches and models of dialogue for my high school composition classes. After a while, I could see a life developing for this character as I got to know her. Of course some of her traits and values are similar to my own, but I never encountered the traumatic events in my life that Jane Barrett encounters, thank goodness. I had to rely on my imagination and conversations with people who shared their similar experiences.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call my writing process unusual. On sleepless nights I have done lots of writing in my head while lying next to my snoring husband.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a teacher of American literature, I read the best: Salinger, Fitzgerald, Poe, and Arthur Miller among my favorites.
What are you working on now?
Right now I am concentrating on marketing this first novel, learning something new each day. I am thinking about another character for a new piece, perhaps another novel. The first one took nearly ten years to finish, so I’d better get busy.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I said, I am just beginning the process. My son created a website for me, and I am proud of him and the site. You can read a bit about the book and about me at http://susanmkrauss.com/
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to self publish. I didn’t jump in immediately as that negative term “vanity press” haunted me. But after a bout with cancer, I decided to go for it. Life is short!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Buy a Kindle. I resisted for years, saying, as a teacher I loved the feel and smell of a real book in my hands. However, my husband gave me one as a gift and I entered a whole new world. Without that gift given to me several years ago, I am sure I would not have entered the world of e-publishing.
What are you reading now?
I am just finishing Jeannette Walls’s THE SILVER STAR and will then begin Meg Wolitzer’s THE INTERESTINGS.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I try to write something daily at WhatNext.com, a website for cancer patients. I answer questions and try to give a few words of encouragement to newly diagnosed patients. And as my characters take shape in my head, I am sure I will begin to put some thoughts on paper for a second novel.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I truly can’t pick just one. I fall in love with a couple books each year. For a long time, though, I thought Steinbeck’s EAST OF EDEN was the greatest.
Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Krauss Website