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.
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.
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
B&N Author page http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/susan-noble
Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Martha. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome :)
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