Indie Author Spotlight: Suzy Turner

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

To kick of the Indie Author Spotlight Series, we have the lovely Suzy Turner. Now, this is one awesome, chick. She is super nice and supportive and the more I get to know her, the more I like her. 

It's so awesome to have you on my blog today, Suzy!!

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 Suzy Turner has worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor, magazine editor and has even been the Script Supervisor for a full length feature film. Early in 2010 however, she began writing full time and has since completed a trilogy for young adults, The Raven Saga (the first of which is FREE) and started a brand new series, The Morgan Sisters. The first full length novel in this series, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw is now available, as is a shorter novella, Daisy Madigan's Paradise which is FREE!

 Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. For now, the Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 14 years, Michael.

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1) What is your all-time favorite book and why?

Ooh it's so tough to just have one book. But I'd probably go with The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I studied the book at college and totally fell in love with it. I guess it was because it was so different to anything I'd ever read. Perhaps the dystopian side of it also appealed. I'm not sure. Strangely though, I've never read anything else by Margaret Atwood. Not sure why!

 2) Is there an author you could be compared to or popular fictional characters your book's characters could relate to and why?

Recently, my newest series (The Morgan Sisters) was described by a book blogger as 'possibly the next Harry Potter'. Clearly this made my decade and I'd love to be compared to the Great Almighty JK, but I would never compare myself to another writer. I'd like to think my writing is my own... kind of unique, you know?

3) Can you give us your favorite quote from one of your books and explain it?

My favourite quote? That's a toughie, hmmm. How about this...

     'She could hear her heart beating, feel it thudding in her chest. She couldn't open her mouth; it was too dry. All she wanted to do was scream but she couldn't even do that. Please God don't let me die, she thought.

     A sudden massive gust of wind took her feet from beneath her and she was forcefully pushed from the top of Carlton Point, falling silently and peacefully to the rocky hills below.'

The reason I like this scene so much is because I have such a vivid image of it in my mind. When you read on to the next chapter, you'll see that she didn't actually fall. That image of Lana slowly floating, almost in slow motion, reverberated with me. Almost like a scene from Alice in Wonderland.

 4) What types of things/people/music inspires you and makes you want to keep writing?

I am particularly inspired by places. For instance, my first series (The Raven Saga) was inspired by the awesome mountains and forests of Western Canada. My new series (The Morgan Sisters) was inspired by places I've been to in London (as well as by a London actor I met last year).

I think the UK is perhaps one of the most inspiring countries I've ever been to. Every time I visit (although I'm English, I currently live in Portugal), I am blown away by its capacity to inspire me... with its historical buildings and heritage. I'm actually selling up and moving back to England. One of the reasons why we chose England is because of its hold over me with my writing. I can't wait! (Anyone wanna buy a villa in the Algarve?)

5) Describe your typical writing day or week.

When I have deadlines, I write every morning until I've reached my target (if I'm in the zone, I'll write a lot more) and then I chill out with my favourite TV show and a nice cup of Rooibos tea :)

6) Is there a food or drink do you have to have when you're writing?

Just Rooibos tea and water.

7) Can you tell us what you're working on right now?

I'm about to start the second novel in The Morgan Sisters series but it doesn't have a title yet!

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If you'd like to connect with Suzy online, follow the links below:

Website: http://suzyturner.com

Blog: http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Suzy-Turner/e/B0050BSH1I

Facebook: http://facebook.com/suzyturnerbooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/suzy_turner

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/suzyturnerbooks

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Suzy's Books are available through Amazon.