Hi Susan, I am so happy to welcome to my blog for the first time - I hope you enjoy your time here! I am looking forward to learning more about you and your latest release, SIGN OF THE TIMES. Let's kick things off with my questions...
1.)
What was your first job? Did you like or
dislike it? Why? Apart from a paper round, delivering the Glasgow Evening Times, my
first job was as a sales assistant in a shoe shop when I was 14. I loved it. I
loved finding where all the boxes went in the stockroom. Back then I was tidy!!
And I was good at chatting to the public, even then!
2.)
Do you have a pet peeve? If so what is it? Lateness. Ironic, given that now, with 2 young kids, I am
rarely on time for anything!
3.)
Do you spend more time researching or writing? Definitely writing, although I do check everything, and I
do my research beforehand. Plus, a lot of it comes from my travels, so I know
without having to do much research.
4.)
Tell me about your book {Sign of the Times} and
where you got your inspiration for it? Sign of
the Times is about 12 main characters (yes,
that’s not a misprint), based on the 12 zodiac signs – personalities, jobs,
hopes, dreams. It’s a story of love, family, community and friendship, and how
Holly, a travel writer, unites these 12 signs. It’s set in Italy, Scotland and
Switzerland.
5.)
How much of your book is realistic? – I’d say all of it. Although the book has several romances
in it, my books tend to rely heavily on observations of daily life, and those provide
the germ of an idea for a character, a plot line, a story. All of this could
have happened, or could happen. It hasn’t, but yes, it’s realistic enough that
it could.
6.)
What are your ambitions for your writing
career? My writing career was on hold for a few
years there whilst I brought up my young kids. They’re now 7 and 9, and occasionally
they don’t want to hang out with me, and then I get time to write! I’d like to
be traditionally published, but I’ve invested heavily (money and time) in self-publishing.
I released a new book Just One Day – Winter, in November 2021, and the
next one in the series Just One Day – Spring is out on 17 May 2022.
There are two future books in that series, and I have several other novels
outlined, not all in the romance genre. I’ve also written a couple of shorts
recently, entered a competition, and been on a couple of writing retreats – my new
hobby! I’m in this for the long term!
7.)
Who is your role model? Why? I don’t think I have just one role model, if any. The
late Maeve Binchy taught me how to craft characters people would like to be
friends with; my 9-year-old is a great role model as she is even more tenacious
than me, but she has confidence in spades. She writes too, and gave her first
author talk at age 5 to a group of 25 children – yes, really. And a couple of
my editing clients, Karen Furk, for her sheer willpower and ability to
world-build and remember everything her characters do across huge series of
books, ones she hasn’t even written yet; plus, author and coach Shelley Wilson,
who has been one of my clients since my editing business began – for her professionalism,
joie de vivre, inability to sit still (!) not to mention the great books she
has written and number of awards she has won, both for her books and for various
women-centric events she has participated in.
8.)
Share one fact about yourself that would
surprise people. Apparently, I have a gift for
languages. I speak Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and have dabbled with
a few others: Polish, Russian, Japanese, German, Catalan.
Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband, their two young children and a crazy Labrador called Benji. She has been reading since the age of four and had to get an adult library card early as she had read the entire children’s section by the age of ten. As a freelance book editor, she has books for breakfast, lunch and dinner and in her personal reading always has several books on the go at any one time.
If she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about
it. She loves romantic fiction, psychological thrillers, crime fiction and
legal thrillers, but her favourite books feature books themselves.
In her past life she worked in International Sales as she speaks
five languages. She has travelled to 51 countries, and collecting books on her
travels, even in languages she doesn’t speak, became a bit of a hobby.
Susan writes contemporary fiction, partly set in Scotland, usually
featuring travel, food or Christmas. When not editing, writing, reading or
caring for her two delightful cherubs, Susan enjoys the theatre, quiz shows and
eating out – not necessarily in that order, and she has now discovered she loves
writing retreats!
SIGN OF THE TIMES blurb:
Escape to Italy with travel writer Holly in this zodiac-themed tale of romance, family and friendship
Twelve star signs. One woman links them all.
When travel writer Holly heads to Tuscany to
research her next book, she meets Dario and knows she's in trouble. As she
settles into the Casentino community of Bibbiena, adopted by the 'signora' who
runs her guest house as if she's her own daughter, Holly's feelings are torn
between her fiancé back in Scotland and the handsome Italian vineyard owner.
Will she be able to resist temptation? And what do her mixed emotions mean for
her future with her fiancé?
Holly's sister Lucy has no such qualms in her
relationships. Unknown to her long-term boyfriend, man-eating Lucy is fooling
around, again, but has she met her match, and is this feeling love?
A tale of love, family, friendship and the
lengths we go to in pursuit of our dreams.
‘The intertwining of characters’ lives
reminded me of the beloved Maeve Binchy, and I was sad when I turned the last
page.’ – Samantha M. Bailey
‘Fabulously unique’ – Libby Page
‘Creative genius’
‘If you love watching films like Love
Actually or Pulp Fiction, then you will love this book.’
Buy links: (ebook on Amazon) https://books2read.com/u/baGXYP
Paperback on Amazon – amzn.to/34EG417
Also available from Waterstones, Barnes and Noble and independent bookshops.
You can connect with Susan via her website at www.susanbuchananauthor.com – and even download her two previously unseen
short stories FREE - https://BookHip.com/JQHZSMN
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