It’s my pleasure to have Susan Edwards visiting the blog today, to talk about her writing process and the four Releases she has this week from Carina Press! The four books were previously published but have been republished with beautiful new cover art…

Welcome, Susan!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:

I live in California with my husband.  My mother also lives with us.  I’m an animal person so I have a household of cats including two 1 year old kittens who are my babies.  I also have   two Chi-weenie pups who are 8 months old.  These are my “babies” since my children haven’t blessed me with grandchildren yet.  Writing is often a bit of a struggle with the four of them hounding my feet (pups) or climbing on my desk knocking things off (kittens) my desk.  I’m sure they are deliberately giving the pups items they shouldn’t have!!!  As if I don’t have enough craziness in my life, I’m starting a 26’ Medicine Wheel Garden.

What has the experience been like for you, re-releasing beloved books in the new format?

Seeing my beloved White Series back in print has been wonderful.  I still get mail from fans asking where to find my books so it’s a good feeling to know that the books are once again available.  I’ve very grateful to Carina Press for this.  And there is the thrill of seeing a new cover and I absolutely love the new look to my books.

What advice do you give beginning writers?

Write.  Write what you know, learn the craft, check out writing groups, join a critique group.  Most of all, just write.  Everything else comes after.  Also believe in yourself, set goals and keep at it.  Don’t give up.  Keep learning.  Keep writing.

Are there things you find yourself doing differently today as a writer vs when you first wrote White Wolf, for example?

I wrote White Wolf when I could sneak time away from kids and family.  I’d lock myself in my office with all my notes scattered about.  Now, I tend to write on a laptop with pups or kittens on my lap.  Or I take off and go find somewhere outside the house to write.  Truthfully, I miss the chaos of kids.  The animals create their own chaos but you can’t yell at them to “stop’ whatever or send them to their rooms.

I also tend to do less seat of the pants writing and more structure.  White Wolf, due to the nature of keeping track of characters, as well as miles, miles per day, miles to specific landmarks, weather along the trail did take a lot of structure and planning.

What was your favorite moment to write and why (and can we have a little excerpt of that scene?)?

I love this following scene.  Reminds me of myself as a teen.  My husband grew these peppers and we gave some to a neighbor with warning to warn her husband of the heat.  She forgot and the husband bit into one like an apple.  He came over to give his compliments to the ‘gardener’.  He’d never had a pepper make him break out in a sweat or make his teeth hurt!  He loved it.

This scene is from White Wolf where the heroine Jessie Jones gets a bit of her own back at the wagon master, White Wolf.  Wolf still believes Jessie to be the young “brother” of the James brothers and he’s determined to keep ‘the boy’ from causing “more” trouble.

Excerpt from White Wolf:

At sound of a rider, she glanced up and saw him riding in with Shorty. Surreptitiously, she scooped up the hidden hot pepper. Ladle ready, she waited impatiently.

Rook, seated next to her on a wooden box, turned to her. “Go fetch the rest of the corn bread for me. I’m jest too tired to git up.”

Jessie’s eyes widened with horror, but she didn’t make a big fuss over his request. Carefully, she rested the full ladle on top of the mixture in the kettle, making sure the pepper was covered. Standing, she watched Rook move over and pick up the ladle full of beans and rice.

“Git yer arse over here, Wolf. Some of us would like ta eat afore the food’s cold.”

Jessie sighed with satisfaction and quickly fled the scene of her crime. Her plan of revenge was going better than she’d dared hope. With Rook serving, Wolf wouldn’t be able to point the finger of blame at her. For  good measure, she took a moment to stir another pot of beans that would be sent out to the hands still on duty.

Then she leaned down and picked up two pans of corn bread.

Carrying them back to the line of men, she sat down and handed Wolf a hunk of steaming bread, keeping her eyes downcast.

Wolf sniffed his plate. “Where’d the fresh meat come from, Rook? You go hunting today?”

Rook grinned and shook his head. “Young Jess here scared ’em up.”

Jessie mumbled something in response to Wolf’s grudging praise. She kept her head down until he left the line. Her lips curved with glee when he sat down with the others and lifted his fork to his lips.

Where do you write most often?

I love to write in my living room in the warm sunshine in the cooler weather.  In the spring, I have roses that block the front window so it’s like writing behind a wall of roses.  I look forward to this summer writing in the center of my medicine wheel garden (in the evening when it cools down).  I also like to go to a lake with the pups to write or to Starbucks.

One fun trivia question – what one thing would you take to a desert island?

Okay, I have to be a techie junkie and say my iphone and we have to also imagine that I’d actually have service!!!!   I’d have my books, my games, my email, and contact with friends.  And of course, photos, and so many other cool apps.   I can’t live without my phone.

Susan Edwards ~ Magic, Myth & WonderWhite Series/SpiritWalker Series
White Wolf~White Nights~White Flame~White Dreams
Feb. 2012 Carina Press ~ Re-Releases in Digital Format)
http://susanedwards.com
http://susanedwardsauthor.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/susan_edwards
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Edwards/40226247104

Coming April 2012

White Dove, White Deception, White Vengeance & Summer of the Eagle

Susan’s books are available at Carina Press Amazon  and Barnes & Noble

VS sez: Readers is there one special book you’d like to see re released?