Author Interview: Susan Leigh Noble
Today it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Susan Leigh Noble , author of ‘The Elemental’ trilogy. A little about her directly from her blog:
Ever since I was young, I have always liked to read. It seemed natural that I also liked to write. Given my love for dragons and magic, it was not hard for me to decide to become the author of fantasy novels. Of course, being a cat lover, I decided to throw a telepathic cat into the mix and thus started my trilogy called THE ELEMENTAL: SUMMONED (Book 1), QUIETUS (Book 2) and DESTINY (Book 3) are available Amazon, Barnes and Noble and anywhere else e-books are sold. I also have a short story, THE SEARCH, currently available exclusively on Amazon.
I live in Texas with my husband of 17 years and our two children – Jase (7) and Lexie (4). We also are “owned” by three cats – Nikki, Spooky, and Tails.
I began this blog as a way to write about two of my favorite things – writing and being a mom.
And here is the interview:
What is the title of your current book?
My latest book, Destiny, just came out November 27th. It is the final book in my The Elemental trilogy.
#/pages/Susan-Leigh-Noble/200225396700412
Please provide us with a brief synopsis of your book.
Since Destiny is part of a trilogy, let me give you some background from the first two books: At an early age, Lina discovered she could start fires with a mere thought. In Summoned, she learns she has power over all the elements, something no one had been able to do for centuries. And she learns she is the center of a prophecy claiming she would save the Land. In Quietus, the Land is ravaged by a magical force that Lina races to stop. In Destiny, Lina finds that the Land is still being slowly damaged by magic and must find a magical scepter to help her end the devastation to the Land once and for all.
What genre does your current book fall under?
Fantasy
Do you always write for the same genre?
So far, yes, all of my books have been fantasy novels, and I will be sticking with this genre for a while.
Who or what motivates or inspires you to write?
My husband is my biggest supporter. He is the one who encouraged me to stick with writing. He is my sounding board for story ideas and the first one to read any drafts. It’s his belief in me and my abilities that keeps me going with something that I really love to do.
Tell us about your writing background.
I have always enjoyed making up stories. I remember writing short stories and poetry as a child. In high school, I began writing for the school newspaper which helped me decide to make journalism my major in college. It was my senior year in college that I got the idea for Summoned which was originally titled The Elemental. Later I decided to use that title for the trilogy and re-titled the first book. (I originally didn’t plan on writing a trilogy – it just sort of worked out that way.)
How long does it typically take you to write a first draft?
That’s a tricky questions since I have never been a full-time writer and the length of time it takes really depends on how much time I can find to write. I think with Destiny it took about five months.
Do you employ an editor to assist you in your writing process?
No, I don’t have an editor. I bounce ideas off my husband and he reads every draft and marks them with his suggestions or pointing out any flaws. He is really good about strengthening the story and helping me make it believable.
Are you self-published or represented by an agency?
I am self-published.
Do you have future projects we can look forward to?
Now that my trilogy is complete, I have the idea for a stand-alone novel that is tentatively called Alexandria. Of course it may take me longer to write as I will have a whole new world and characters to develop.
Do you have any tips or advice to offer fellow writers?
Keep reading and writing because you only get better by doing both of those things.
Is there anything else you would like to share with your potential readers?
I just want to say that I love writing and I hope that they enjoy the stories that I have created.
Tell us how we can connect with you in the world of social.
Twitter: #/SusanLeighNoble
Facebook: #/pages/Susan-Leigh-Noble/200225396700412
My blog: http://susanleighnoble.wordpress.com/
There you have it folks! Another great author for your reading enjoyment. 🙂
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Filed in: Author Interviews
This such a good review. I really gained an insight into this author. I will be checking out her site out now, and will be looking in to buying her book. 🙂
I am a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy myself. 🙂
ScFi and Fantasy has always been a hit and miss genre for me, probably because I tend to be do darn literal-minded. I find it fascinating that Susan mentions her husband as her source of inspiration. I'll place my bet that many writers would wither without the support of an awesome spouse, myself included.
First, congratulations on writing your first author interview!!
Second, why is it that I keep coming across novels with telepathic cats?????
Third, I'm impressed the role that her husband plays in her writing–being a support. I think we all need that support and its so nice when it is right at home!
Good interview Cheryl and although fantasy books are not usually my thing from this interview I will have a look at the book.
Thanks Susan. 🙂
I used to be very literal-minded so I understand. Now I try to lend my mind to sci-fi and fantasy so it can explore less literal things. 🙂 Supporting spouses are indeed awesome.
This is the first of many interviews to come. Telepathic cats… hmmm… don't know. LOL Support from a spouse? Priceless…
Congratulations to your first author interview, Cheryl!! There's more to life than meets the eye. It's a genre I used to read a lot when I was a teenager. But not anymore. Having said that the book sounds interesting.
Yay, Cheryl! As an author, I really appreciate bloggers who take the time to introduce their readers to authors they enjoy.
Although I don't read this genre, I'm always interested in what makes other authors tick. Well done!
Thanks Doreen! There will be more author interviews to come. Perhaps you will find one who's genre interests you. I agree with you in that I also like to know what makes other authors tick. 🙂
Thanks Catarina. The 'teenager' in my still loves this stuff. 🙂
Great interview with some good tips. I was just thinking today, I need to get the writing schedule back in order – this was very inspiring.
Thanks! Glad you liked it.