Look and Listen

Biography

I'm Suzy and I'm an author - indie author, self-published author, whatever you want to call me, that's fine. I've lived in the Algarve, Portugal, since 1986 when I was a wee lass of just ten. I moved here with my family - who have since moved back to the UK (although my dad has since returned). I'm very much a Yorkshire lass at heart, even though I would consider myself to be European rather than English or Portuguese! I live with my lovely husband, who I've been with since I was just 16. You could call us childhood sweethearts. We've no kids but plenty of cats and dogs (and my husband would say bikes and cars too...yes, he's a bit obsessed with anything with an engine!) I've always loved anything associated with writing and books, and when I finished my A levels, I went straight into the publishing business, starting out as a trainee journalist. I wasn't so keen on the prying side of it, though, so I ended up becoming more of a features writer which I loved. I moved on to become assistant editor for a magazine / book publisher and then features editor for a local newspaper. Finally I became magazine editor... a job I was particularly fond of, until I was made redundant! It proved to be the motivation I needed to finally do what I've wanted to do for a long time: write books.

Inspiration

The very first book I wrote was a novel called Molly (I never published it though!). I was inspired to write it after reading a wonderful interview in Cosmo magazine with an author I admired. Her name was Jenny Colgan and she has written a variety of hilarious chick lit novels. I believe it was that interview that made me really believe in myself as a writer. Since then, I've been inspired by so many things. For example, in 2009, I visited Canada for the very first time and it was while in a place in BC called Powell River that I began to think about writing YA urban fantasy. It was such a beautiful and mysterious place that I envisaged vampires, changelings and werewolves hiding among the trees! I have since written the first two books in The Raven Saga, both of which are set in that town, Powell River.