Feb 10

Meet YA Urban Fantasy and Chick-lit Author, Suzy Turner

Today, I’m delighted to welcome author Suzy Turner to my blog. Suzy has worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor and magazine editor. Early in 2010, however, she began writing full time and has since completed six books for young adults: The Raven Saga trilogy and The Morgan Sisters series and a chick lit novel, Forever Fredless.

Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 15 years, Michael, their two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she’s a princess.

She also has the best author photo ever. I told you so!

Suzy, perhaps you could start by telling us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Having always had a passion for reading and writing, the natural progression when I left college was to go into journalism, where my love of features writing developed. After climbing up the ladder to become a magazine editor and then being made redundant, it seemed like the perfect time to do what I really enjoyed and that was writing fiction. That was almost four years ago and I haven’t looked back once!

What genre do you generally write in and have you ever experimented with other genres?

I absolutely adore writing YA urban fantasy. My passion grew after I discovered the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight. I was totally hooked – which led me to start writing it myself. But my earliest passion was always chick lit, a genre I’ve recently got back into with the release of my first chick lit novel, Forever Fredless.

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I am actually very superstitious to talk about my work in progess, so I feel slightly bad in asking – what are you working on at the moment?

I’m actually currently making a movie! It’s called The Eye of Praxos and is based on my YA series, The Morgan Sisters. I was very fortunate a couple of years ago to be involved in the making of a Brit flick (The Right Juice) that was being made where I live in Portugal. I met so many amazing people with a passion for film making that we eventually decided to make our own, which we’ve been working on since November. It’s very exciting!

When I have time, I also try and work on two new novels. One is my second chick lit novel and the other is the next instalment in The Morgan Sisters.

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

Anywhere and everywhere! My first series, The Raven Saga, was inspired by a visit to Canada in 2009. The Morgan Sisters was created after working with the most amazing actor on The Right Juice – Mark Killeen. I just knew I wanted to base a character on him and then the rest of the story just came to me. The idea for Forever Fredless, however, was based on an experience I had as a child. Music, places, dreams, people, art… I find inspiration in so many things around me.

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Are you a writer who likes quiet or do you find that the noise of a coffee shop, the rumble of a train or music helps you to be more creative?

Usually I like peace and quiet, but if I need a little inspiration, I’l listen to some music – usually something dark and eerie if I’m writing YA urban fantasy. I love the idea of writing in a coffee shop but I think I would be too distracted because I love people watching!

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What do you like to read? Are there any authors you would like to recommend?

I adore YA urban fantasy and chick lit, but I’m not averse to reading other genres. Occasionally I’ll read a ‘light’ horror, crime drama or a sci-fi fantasy. I love to discover new authors and can recommend Melissa Pearl, Shalini Boland, Poppet and Patti Roberts who are just a few amazing authors I’ve discovered and connected with since I started out. There are tonnes of other amazing authors out there though!

The bestselling book of all times in Britain is E.L. James’ “50 Shades of Grey”. The BBC even reported that the trend towards erotic adult fictions was “cannabalising” other genres including science fiction and fantasy, sales of which have decreased by 25%, and horror,which was down by 30%. Have you – or have you felt any pressure to – succumbe(d)?

I’ve thought about it but I don’t think I could. My sister calls me a ‘prude’ – so I’m probably just not that way inclined! One day I might give it a go though… you never know!

What is your favourite name of a fictional character?

Luna Lovegood – genius!

How do find the experience of reading a novel on an eReader differs from reading a ‘tree book’?

OMG the minute I started reading on my Kindle, I was a convert. I love that I can take hundreds of books with me wherever I go. It’s amazing. But I do still love a good paperback!

Are there any books that you have given up on half-way through? And, if so, why?

I couldn’t get into The Time Traveller’s Wife, I don’t know why. In principle, it should be right up my alley but I just didn’t get it. It bugged me, so I gave up.

What can we find you doing when you’re not writing?

I’m a TV and movieaholic! I just love to curl up on the sofa and watch all my favourite shows!