Friday, May 17, 2013

WELCOME AUTHOR, SUSAN LEIGH NOBLE


WELCOME AUTHOR

SUSAN LEIGH NOBLE


Author bio:
Susan Leigh Noble lives in Texas with her husband, two kids and three cats. She has always loved to read. She began writing in childhood – anything from poetry, short stories, news articles and finally full-length fantasy novels as an adult. She loves dragons, magic and cats so it is no wonder she put them all together in her The Elemental trilogy.

Besides working on her next novel, Susan also writes about two of her favourite subjects - writing and being a mom - on her blog, Into Another World. When she isn’t writing, Susan is an active volunteer in her neighbourhood and at her children’s schools.

Personal favs:
Drink – Strawberry Lemonade
Food – Strawberries
Vacation – Disney World
TV show – Once Upon a Time, NCIS
Animal – Cat
Sport – Basketball
Book - I can’t pick just one!


Book title:
Summoned: Book 1 of The Elemental



Brief synopsis of your book:
At the age of four, Lina discovered she could start fires with a mere thought – a trait which had died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she kept this Elemental power a secret to avoid being an outcast. That was easy to do growing up in the remote grasslands of Zena. 

Now eighteen, she had no plans to leave her beloved homeland. So when a strange urge compels her to travel north to an unknown destination, Lina resists this unnatural feeling. But her plans to stay in Zena are taken out of her control when she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. She fears she will have no choice but to give into the compulsion. When a raging fire prevents her return home, she realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her. 

On her journey, Lina befriends an odd assortment of allies. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces despite the fact that such magic had died out over 800 years ago. Lina reluctantly begins to use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine.


Current book or project you’re working on:
Currently working on another fantasy novel. Working title: Finding Alexandria.

What was the inspiration for your novel?
I came up with the story idea for Summoned right after I finished college. The idea of someone being drawn from her home because of her innate magical powers appealed to me. I didn’t originally set out to write it as a trilogy but when I completed Summoned, I knew Lina’s story wasn’t over.

Please share three interesting facts about your book, which are not covered in the synopsis.
1) In addition to a telepathic cat, there is a black, sarcastic telepathic dragon in the story.
2) I made up several creatures for this story. A Gunn (a huge creature with impenetrable skin except in one spot) and Dakos (small catlike creatures with wings) both attack my heroine on her journey.
3) Everyone traveling with Lina has their own reason for doing so and most don’t learn Lina’s reason until the end. 

Are there any characters in your book that remind you of yourself?
I think many of the characters have some of my traits, especially my main character Lina. She is often unsure of herself but has an inner strength that really gets her through some tough times.


Genre/Author/Reader:

What genre does your book fall into? 
Fantasy

Which three authors have inspired you the most, and why?
1) Terry Brooks - His Sword of Shannara was one of the first fantasy books I remember reading.
2) David Eddings - His The Belgariad series is one of my favourites. I love the realism of the characters and how the story pulls you in.   
3) Hmmm...Struggling to pick a third. There are just so many great authors out there.

Have you ever read a book you couldn’t finish reading?
There have been a few that I just couldn’t connect with and didn’t finish. I can’t think of their titles - probably because I didn’t like them.

Do you read a book, while you are writing a book?
Sometimes but most of the time I barely have time for writing so reading takes a back burner during that time.


The process:

How many books have you written? Which book is your favourite and why?
I have competed three books (The Elemental trilogy) as well as a short story (The Search). It is hard to pick a favourite but I would go with Destiny, which is the third book in the trilogy. It was so much fun to write because by then all the characters had been established that it felt like hanging out with friends.

Is there anything that helps get you in the mood to write?
I usually spend a lot of time playing out scenes in my head before I actually sit down to write. But I am easily distracted by the Internet, so I have to make sure I am not checking Facebook, Twitter or other blogs before I sit down to write.

What were three challenges you faced when writing Summoned?
1) Finding time to write - My biggest challenge even now
2) Figuring out what should be the opening scene - I think I changed the beginning at least a dozen times.
3) Figuring out the ending scene - I didn’t rewrite this one quite as much but figuring out how to end it but leave it open for the next book was a challenge.

What lessons have you learned as an aspiring writer?
You have to believe in yourself and your writing. There will always be someone out there who doesn’t like your writing. You need to remember you can’t please everyone.

Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so what helps you to ‘overcome’?
I don’t get writer’s block very often but whenever I am stuck I usually spend some time brainstorming with my husband about what should happen next. He always thinks I shoot down all his ideas but really our talks usually inspire me.

How long does it usually take for you to complete a book?
Summoned was my first book, and I worked on it on and off over several years. I continuously shelved it when life got busy and then would come back and work some more when I had the time. I wasn’t a dedicated write at the time so I can’t say how long it took to write. Destiny, my final book in the series, was written and published in about nine months.

How can people connect with you?


Where can readers find your book? 
Amazon Author page http://amzn.com/e/B005HDMM4W 



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