Q&A: Susan Ann Wall

Susan Ann Wall

There are a lot of wonderful writers living in our state, some full-time, some part-time.  As the Director of the NH Center for the Book I get the opportunity to talk to many of them. This interview series of Q&As with New Hampshire authors here on Book Notes lets me share that experience a bit with my blog readers.
If someone hasn't read your work yet, where should they start?

I currently have two romantic series, the Fighting Back for Love series which has two novels and the Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love series, which has the 5^th book coming out December 3. The two series are quite different. Because the Fighting Back for Love series focuses on life after cancer, whether as a survivor or a caregiver, they are very emotionally charged books. If you like the kind of story that makes you laugh on one page and cry on the next, I recommend starting with that series. If you prefer not to shed so many tears, the Puget Sound series focuses on New Beginnings, Enduring Friendships, and Unexpected Love.

When did you first think of yourself as a writer?

Always. I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I started out writing poetry, but also loved writing research papers in high school and college. I also wrote for the college newspaper and continued to write poetry in my early twenties. But I didn’t consider myself a “novelist” until I wrote my first novel in 2010.

How did you end up living in NH?

I grew up here! I did move away for 13 years, between my time in college in Massachusetts and then five years in the U.S. Army and then another 7 moving around. While we were vacationing here one summer, we just fell in love with the peacefulness and beauty and decided this was where we wanted to raise our children. That was 2006 and we moved back in 2007, building a house on the same property where I spent my wonderful childhood.

Where do you like to write?

Anywhere. I don’t have a set “writing spot” or what a lot of writers call a “writing cave.” I enjoy sitting in my rocking chair on the deck and writing, but most of my writing is accomplished in my comfy chair in the living room.

How important is place in your writing?

Location is very important. Setting is its own character and has a great influence on the story as well as the characters. City folk behave differently than country folk, so I try to stay true to that in my books.

What do you do when you aren't writing?

I have three kids, ages 10, 11, and 13, so they keep me busy. We love to kayak and ski, and we love to travel, so we go on a few adventures every year.

What’s the best piece of advice (writing or otherwise) you were ever given?

Breathe. It sounds so simple, but sometimes I get so wrapped up in my crazy life, and overwhelmed with my ever-growing to-do list that I forget just to sit back and breathe. Making the conscious effort to breathe in and out offers moments to reflect on what’s important and allows me to put things into perspective. I actually wrote a poem (Because I Breathe) back in 1995 inspired by my friend’s advice and it is something I like to share with my friends when they get caught up in the craziness of life.

What books do you love and what about them speaks to you?

I read a lot and I have some favorite authors. Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis are my favorite romance authors. They tell great stories that offer such a fun escape. I also love to read Barry Eisler who writes political thrillers and Lisa Gardner who writes crime thrillers. These stories are often complex and I love getting wrapped up in those kinds of plots and trying to predict what’s going to happen (I’m usually wrong because they are so good at the plot twists).

What are you working on now?

December 3 is the release of my next Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love novel. The Sound of Circumstance is book #5 in this series, so I’m busy with final edits and book promotion. In November I’ll be writing Whisper to a Scream, the story of a female soldier who has been medically discharged from the army and is learning to live with PTSD and combat injuries while battling a prescription drug addiction. This book will be released in March. I’m also in the final revisions of the first novella in my new Reluctant Brides series, Marrying for Love, which will be released in an anthology with 7 other authors in January. I have a really aggressive publication schedule in 2016, so I’ll be writing like crazy and constantly reminding myself to breathe!! 

You can learn more about Susan and her work at www.susanannwall.com