Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a
series?
All That’s Hidden is the second book in my Sugar Shack series. The first
book, Catnapped, introduces Jennifer and Ryan. All That’s Hidden picks up their romantic journey and throws some
challenges at their bond. Catnapped was the fairy tale romance. All That’s
Hidden reflects the realities of life. Jennifer is just starting up a doggy
daycare expansion of her pet-sitting service. Strange things begin to happen
even before she’s opened. And they eventually throw her into a world of
international intrigue.
As her business-life becomes chaotic, her personal life experiences an upheaval that threatens her marriage and tests her trust in Ryan. It’s about secrets, hiding, looking beneath the surface, and trust. Serious issues, for sure, but there’s lots of fun, wit, and romance all served up with a side of nearly absurd. Life is never dull around Jennifer.
As her business-life becomes chaotic, her personal life experiences an upheaval that threatens her marriage and tests her trust in Ryan. It’s about secrets, hiding, looking beneath the surface, and trust. Serious issues, for sure, but there’s lots of fun, wit, and romance all served up with a side of nearly absurd. Life is never dull around Jennifer.
Do you
have a favorite character?
That’s like asking a
mother if she has a favorite child. I love them all. They are all unique and
special in their own way. If I had to pick, I’d say Sugar, Jennifer’s
sulphur-crested cockatoo. He’s the bird I longed for all my life, but never
had. In some ways, he’s just a TV-watching, cardboard-shredding, regular bird.
Like all cockatoos, he’s clever, a quick learner and a startling mimic. But he
has this uncanny ability to fit what he’s saying at any given time to the
situation. And he knows things.
He’s like a feathery Yoda sitting quietly until he says the unexpected. He’s
fun and funny and quite frankly, just a bit freaky.
Did you
ever have a minor character evolve into a major one. Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?
For these first two
novels, not really. A few grew more important than I had thought they would be
originally. But for novel three in this series, “Flippin’ Out”, John Evans, the
security official for Ryan’s company, hijacked a good portion of story. Did it
change the direction? Well, in this series, I didn’t plan much, I just went
where it took me and the characters all told me who they were and what they
wanted to do. It’s an astonishing thing how that happens. As a psychologist, I
know it’s all in my head, but the way things in the beginning fit into events
at the end, how they offer up solutions to situations you hadn’t contemplated,
never ceases to amaze me. It’s astounding what the mind works on in the
background.
Do you outline your story or just
go where the muse takes you?
Catnapped and All That’s Hidden were my first two novels. I’ve conveyed factual
information all my life for work, but I’ve never had a creative writing class.
I had no idea really what I was doing, so, as I said, I didn’t plan. I got
stalled on Flippin’ Out and wrote
another novel before I went back to finish. I did make a plan when I sent back
to it but I wouldn’t call it an outline. In my head, I had a skeleton of what I
needed to finish. This writing journey has been a learning experience. You can
solicit advice on how to proceed, but you need to find your own path. I plan
more now, but I would say the muse goes where I want in the end, she just
decides how we get there. I’m just along for the ride.
Did you hire an editor for your manuscript before publishing?
Yes.
I think they are absolutely essential to putting out a quality piece of work.
Because no one is stopping you from self-publishing should not be an excuse to have
less than professional standards. Resources not withstanding, if you have the
means to pay for professional editing, then I firmly believe you should do so.
It’s not just about the quality of the work. My editor has helped me grow in my
writing as well.
Besides Amazon, are there
any other sites where your books are for sale?
What advice would you give to a new author just entering into the
self-publishing arena?
It’s
fun to have control. It’s satisfying to know no one is going to tell you no.
Those are the positives. But you are alone. There is a great deal that you will
be required to take on by yourself if you want success that has nothing to do
with the quality of your writing.
You need a good story, of course. Nothing is going to take the place of
that. But there is so much more and most of that is both time-consuming and not
particularly fun. Write because you love it and have a story to tell. Spend
time in the beginning researching and planning for how to go about those “other”
things.
Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?
I
love to cook. I learned to sew when I was in junior high and have sewed on and
off for my whole life. Recently, I’ve discovered machine embroidery and I have
to say, I’m hooked. I do volunteer
work for several organizations and I am a critique partner of sorts for several
people. I’m retired now and time is a resource I didn’t have in the past. I’ve
unfortunately got a fairly long list of things I’d like to try doing. The cat
inside me is easily distracted by bright and shiny objects.
Some fun facts about you – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee
or tea? Talk or text? Day or night?
Animals
of every stripe, chocolate, coffee, do not text me.
Day
or night – depends. What are we doing? (Yes, my books do have some steam.)
Fun
fact: I would much prefer to laugh than cry. I look at the world as a slightly
absurd place. Amplifying the ridiculousness around me keeps me sane.
What’s next for you?
As I
mentioned, I’ve written a number of novels after All That’s Hidden. I presently have a historical romance (Regency) that
is in the querying stage with traditional publishers. So, I’m in something of a
holding pattern regarding releasing those other novels that are completed. I do
plan on putting out “Flippin’ Out”, perhaps as a self-publication by year’s
end. And I’m currently writing another historical romance (1700s). Then we’ll
see where the muse takes me. As I said, I’m not really a planner. Not knowing
is a lot more fun.
All That’s Hidden
Susan Golden
(Sugar Shack, #2)
Publication date: August 12th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
All That’s Hidden is a delightful story with intrigue, humor, and of course, romance. A perfect read for the beach or traveling on a plane. I fell in love with Sugar and Rupert!
-Lorence, singer/songwriter
Pet sitter turned entrepreneur, Jennifer Albright thinks she has it all: an expanding business, a new, blissful marriage to a very sexy husband, a dog named Rupert that people frequently think is a bear, and a parrot named Sugar that Jennifer’s pretty sure is psychic. But her idyllic life begins to unravel when a series of creepy incidents threatens to sabotage the launch of her doggie day care center, and the discovery of a hidden treasure thrusts her into the world of federal agents and international thievery. The chaos soon spills over onto her home life and Jennifer reluctantly begins to suspect that her seemingly perfect, unbelievably supportive husband is hiding something from her. There’s just so much that doesn’t add up.
Tech-mogul Ryan has found the love of his life in his adorable new bride, Jennifer. But trouble seems to follow her like a basset hound. When one strange twist of events offers Ryan an opportunity he feels he can’t pass up, he unknowingly launches himself down the road of suspicion and mistrust. But he’s got this covered. She doesn’t suspect a thing.
Author Bio:
Retired federal government employee turned accidental author.
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