Sue Perkins

Thank you for agreeing to an interview with Enchanting Reviews. We look forward to getting to know you better Sue.

1. When did you decide to become an author and why?
I’ve always written, but in 1990 I decided to take it to the next step and try to be published. Luckily I had the encouragement of my family and a very good creative writing teacher.

2. Who is a writer that inspires you? Who is a writer that you admire and would like to get to know better? Do you have an author that mentors you?
I love Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Jasper Fforde and Isobelle Carmody. I would love to meet Jasper Fforde to find out if his sense of humour in his books comes across when you meet him in person. My mentor in all things is Joan Rosier-Jones, a New Zealand author who has been there for me from day one.

3. What award that you have won are you most proud of? What award would you like to win?
In 2006 I was the Australasian/Pacific winner of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Short Story Award. The stories were recorded and sent out to all the Commonwealth countries (British) so my story was heard all over the world. I’d love to win one of the big awards for novels but unfortunately I don’t think I write the right type of story, plus they don’t always recognise e-books.

4. Do you have a set schedule for when you write? Do you have any superstitions or rituals when writing? Anything in particular that inspires you?
I don’t have a set schedule, although I do tend to write on days when I don’t work (to earn the daily crust). The only ritual I have is to make sure there is a cup of coffee at hand when I start writing. No superstitions that I can think of, except of course for thinking positive at all times. Anything inspires me, literally anything I see or hear, sometimes even a particular smell sets of a train of thought for another storyline.

5. How long did it take you to get your first book published? How did you go about picking an agent and/or publisher?
It took 16 years of trying from 1990 to 2006, that’s why I jokingly call myself an instant success. I kept sending off several different manuscripts while I worked on creating new ones, until at last Whiskey Creek picked me. They were recommended to me by a friend who also has books published with them.

6. What encouragements would you give other writers? Any advice?
Ask yourself if writing is truly what you want to do. If the answer is yes, then never give up. Try to find like-minded people to encourage you and keep you focused and if a story seems to be getting stale, put it aside for a few weeks, then go back. It’s amazing how different it looks after a break.

7. Please tell us about your favorite book that you have published and what makes it special to you?
This has to be BLUE & SILVER: SKY CASTLES BOOK 1. This was released in January 2008 and is the first book of a fantasy trilogy with a hint of romance. I first started writing this book about ten years ago, and over the years it evolved so much I found other stories developing from it, hence the trilogy. I really loved giving my imagination full rein when it came to creating a new world.

9. How do you come up your with your characters and/or plot? Are your characters usually hard or easy to work with? Are any of them based loosely on real people in your life?
My storyline comes to mind first, and the characters evolve from that. I find I can’t write about them until I find just the right name for them. As mentioned before, a word, or scene can bring forth a book. Real life people probably creep into my characters, but not consciously, although friends say I tend to put a bit of myself into each book. Characters can be both hard and easy to work with. If they become too hard I take a break. Coming back to the scene fresh tends to sort out any problems.

10. Which couple that you have written is your favourite and why? Can you describe them using only 3 words?
Oh definitely Caishel and Ailan from BLUE & SILVER. Caishel is such a lively person, perfectly complimenting the more sober Ailan. They were made for each other. I’d like to revisit Caishel and discover how her life evolved after having a family and helping to save the planet. Caishel - vibrant, funny, impulsive. Ailan - thoughtful, sensuous, gorgeous.

11. If you had to describe your writing to someone using only 3 words, what would they be?
Fantasy, sensual, fun. Not being able to find time when a good idea comes to mind.

12. What do you like least about writing?
Although sometimes this works in my favour as the scene often evolves more the longer I wait before I write it down.

13. Can you give us a sneak peek into what you are writing now? Or a hint of what is up-coming?
My latest romance RECIPE FOR LOVE has just been released by Whiskey Creek Press. The second novel of the trilogy RUSSET & GOLD will be released in August and I’m working on the third book EBONY & IVORY. The second and third books of the trilogy tell the story of minor characters from BLUE & SILVER and how the world of Hejmen deals with a major crisis.

14. Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with Enchanting Reviews and your readers?
I’d like to thank all my readers for buying my books and hope they enjoyed reading them. Also thanks to Enchanting Reviews for their review and for sharing their review with everyone. I intend to write for many years to come and hope Enchanting Reviews will want to review other books.

Sue, thank you so much for your candour in answering our questions. We can't wait to review more work from you in the near future!

Interviewed by Desiree de Cleves
May 2008