Love and Romance, etc.
A Free Newsletter for romance novel lovers
By Bonnie Williams
LARE ISSUE # 8:
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: An exclusive interview with Romance Author
Susan Squires
Susan Squires grew up among the giant redwoods of California. She thought she was being practical by changing her major in college from theater to English literature. But, immersed in a PhD. Program, she slowly realized that none of her graduating friends had work. So she dropped out to take an actual paying job in the business world. UCLA gave her a Master's degree as a consolation prize.
But the lure of writing was too strong to resist for long. Now an executive in a Fortune 500 company, one of her many mid-life crises resulted in a return to her love of writing. Her novel, Danegeld, had already been purchased by Dorchester by the time she accepted a Golden Heart for Best Unpublished Manuscript from Romance Writers of America. Part of a five book contract, it was the first of an eclectic group of historical and contemporary paranormal stories known for intensity and failing to follow the rules. Body Electric was named by Publisher's Weekly one of the ten most influential paperbacks of 2002, for blending romance, science-fiction and thrillers. Book List compared No More Lies to the works of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton rather than to other romances, but it was also a Rita finalist for best paranormal romance by Romance Writers of America.
Susan still uses tales of romance and adventure to escape budgets and projects.
She now writes for St. Martin's Press.
The first of three sensuous vampire romances set in the Regency period released in May, 2005. She researches and writes her books at the beach in Southern California, supported by two Belgian Sheepdogs, a warmblood mare and a wonderful husband named Harry who writes occult mysteries as H.R. Knight.
LARE: What made you decide to become a romance writer?
Susan: I have always wanted to be a writer. I started my first novel when I was twelve. I got sidetracked in career, however. I was a huge Jane Austen fan, but it was my husband who first chose a Georgette Heyer novel, These Old Shades, to read aloud when it was his turn. I thought Heyer was wonderful. All her books needed was a little sex. When I returned to writing, it wasn't long before I took Georgette Heyer's Regency world, added some vampires and some sex, and came up with my first novel, Sacrament.
LARE: Out of all the wonderfully sexy stories you've created - which one is your favorite?
Susan: Oh, dear, that's very hard. You love each one for different reasons. I love Sacrament because it was my first. I love Danegeld because it literally cried out to be written. I like Body Electric because it was the most frightening to write. And I like my next out, The Companion, for the same reason. It's a little shocking, and I had to throw away some inhibitions to write it.
LARE: Which one of your heroes is the one you fell in love with the most, and why?
Susan: All these questions about favorites! You're very tough. On this one, I'm going to demur, however. I have to love every one of my heroes for the year that I write the book. And I do. I guess you would call me serially monogamous. Davinoff, Karn, Jody, Val, Jeff, Ian, John, Stephan.... I've loved them all.
LARE: How long had you been writing before your first sale?
Susan: A looong time. It was ten years before I sold my first book (the second one I wrote). I was already almost finished with my third book at that time.
LARE: What do you like the most about being a romance author? Do you consider your contemporary stories general fiction? Sci Fi? Or is romance still your main focus?
Susan: I like being a romance author because of the wonderful giving community of writers that exists in romance. That really isn't true of other genres.
However, I wouldn't say I write straight romance. In fact, categorization makes me nervous. You could call my contemporary books thrillers with a heavy romance, or scifi/thriller/romances. They've been compared to Michael Crichton and Robin Cook as well as to romance authors. My historicals are paranormal/adventure/romances. What I will say is that I think relationships are important, and I always write about personal growth. All the other stuff is just to keep it from getting boring in the middle.
LARE: Being a huge science fiction fan - one of my top 10 favorites is "Body Electric." Do you plan on writing more stories in that sub-genre?
Susan: Yes, I'd love to write more in the sci-fi romance vein. That said, I'm committed to some very sexy historical vampire books from St. Martin's. I'm just starting the third in that line, and am enjoying it very much. My new editor at St. Martin's loved Body Electric too, and wouldn't mind seeing me get back to that kind of book. I have this little idea niggling around in my head.... stay tuned.
LARE: What do you like the least about being a romance author?
Susan: What I like least is the automatic denigration the romance genre elicits in some people. I was in a dress store the other night and a woman gushed that she loved my books. She asked when I was going to write another one, because she loved "trash novels." She was actually amazed that I was a incensed. I think some of the most deeply felt and well-written books around are romances. Not all romances are great books. But neither are all mysteries, or thrillers, or even literary fiction. But some romances, some mysteries, some thrillers and some literary fiction is great.
LARE: What story are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?
Susan: My current series from St. Martin's is a little kinky, historically accurate, and very intense. The first in the series, The Companion, is out in May. I can tell you a little about that one. It's about a man who was made vampire and abandoned in the North African desert. He must figure out the rules of his new life for himself. He is horrified by each new revelation about what he has become.
All he wants is to get back to England and lead a normal life. The heroine is an early archeologist sent home because her father died. She loves the desert and wants to get back to it. Neither of them fit in the structured Regency society. When the evil woman who made the hero a vampire begins to threaten the world, only together can they win through. It's got Barbary pirates, slavery, lost cities, London drawing rooms, ship voyages, and of course, some kinky sex.
At this very moment, I am just crafting the story on the third, The Burning. So it's a little too early to talk about that one.
LARE: Did you have a mentor or a favorite author you looked up to before you became published?
Susan: I would say my mentor was Claire Carmichael, an author of mysteries, who teaches the Master Class in writing at UCLA. She taught me an immense amount about self-editing.
LARE: Have you ever had an idea for a story that your editor just wouldn't go for? If so, what was it?
Susan: Nope. The silly ducks have gone for every one, no matter how wild. (See above, The Companion! Or Body Electric—downloading an artificial intelligence into a brain dead body? Please. I just try to bring the reader a little bit at a time down the garden path until when they get there, they believe it!)
LARE: Out of all the romance novels you've read (that weren't your own) which one has remained your favorite and why?
Susan: Ooooh, you ask hard questions. Well, let's just say I still own the entire collection of Georgette Heyer books and re-read them every couple of years.
You can visit Susan Squires at her official website at:http://www.susansquires.com/
Love and Romance, etc.©
By Bonnie Williams
Copyright 2005
Bellflower, CA 90501
