Eric Wilson Interview with Susan Sleeman
Q: Let me start by telling you and our readers, that I have many favorite authors and am very excited with the way the Christian suspense genre is developing and growing. That said, I think you have set a standard in your writing that raises the stakes for other authors to kick their writing up a notch. Your work always inspires me as a writer to work harder at the craft. Oh, don't tell me that. I can't handle that kind of pressure. Plus, all my writing friends will gang up and pummel me with leftover adjectives. Seriously, I have so much to learn. I do try to raise the bar for myself with each book.
Q: When I communicate with Suspense Zone readers you are most often mentioned as "must read author." I am excited to be able to give away three copies of your latest work, A Shred of Truth, this month so others can enjoy your work.
Hey, if they won't sell, give 'em away. That's my motto.
Q: So let me start by asking you a few questions about your published works. First, how about telling us about your professional writing career including how you got your first big writing break.
My "unprofessional" career started around fifth grade. I penned short stories, poems, lyrics, love notes to girlfriends, and finally a complete novel during eleventh grade. While in college, I wrote for the school newspaper. In 1988, at age twenty-one, after getting paid for my first magazine article, I was convinced NY Times bestselling novels would be right around the corner for me. Wrong!
I got married, youth pastored, had kids, and ran an espresso shop with my wife. My wife kept encouraging me to "follow what God's put in your heart." It wasn't till 2000 that I completed Dark to Mortal Eyes. I sent out proposals, and received seventeen form rejections. Depressing stuff. Then, in 2001, an agent contacted me, based on my Amazon reviews and a note in my bio that I was working on a novel. He read my stuff, made some suggestions. I made some changes. The next year, WaterBrook Press (a division of Random House) took a chance on me-fourteen years after my first published article!
Q: Your most recent release, A Shred of Truth, is the second in your Aramis Black Mystery series. From page one of The Best of Evil the first in this series where you introduce Aramis, I wanted to get to know him better and though I wanted the mystery solved, I wanted to spend more time with Aramis.
Sorry, but Aramis already has a love interest. Does she know how you feel about him?
Q: Now, after having read A Shred of Truth, I feel like he's an old friend that I don't want to lose touch with. Please tell me he will be back and if so when?
I do have plans for a third Aramis Black mystery. Due to my current writing commitments, I may not get to continue his story for a while. However, all of my novels (except for Facing the Giants) are tied together. I look forward to the day they come full circle-the Senses books, the Aramis Black books, and the Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy. While standing independent of each other, the books will have greater meaning when seen as pieces of one complete picture.
Q: I know you have some very exciting writing projects in the works right now. Would you share with us what you are working on?
I just finished the novelization of Facing the Giants, due out on September 4. It was a lot of fun working with the Kendrick brothers, who wrote and directed the film. They are down-to-earth guys, and we laughed a lot while talking through ideas. The end result is a story that will be recognizable to fans of the movie, yet laced with deeper character development and some additional plot threads. Maybe even a surprise or two.
With that project completed, I'm now working on The Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy. From what I understand, these will be the first traditional CBA vampire novels. I may have bitten off more than I can chew here (okay, lousy pun), based on some of the negative feedback already received. Ironically, the concept is more biblical than anything I've done so far. Imagine a battle between good and evil, with mankind caught in the crosshairs. Sound familiar?
The concept of vampires, life-sucking creatures, has been found in almost every culture, dating back thousands of years. I believe the concept is based in demonic activity. Jesus told us to "eat his flesh and drink his blood," and "to die to ourselves daily." I believe Satan has twisted those concepts for evil purposes, the same way the biblical sign of the rainbow has been hijacked as a symbol of gay pride. I want to take back stolen ground, reestablish the spiritual truth of being dead to ourselves but alive in Christ-and I want to tell some gritty, heart-pounding stories while doing so!
The first book, Field of Blood, will be out in Fall 2008. It could be the end of my CBA career. Which is okay with me. Yes, I want to challenge and encourage Christians, but if I reach Christian readers only, I'll personally feel that I have failed. We each have different purposes, so I can't speak for others. From childhood, though, I've felt called to reach those on the fringes of faith.
Q: I've always admired the very unique plots your books are based on. An example would be Expiration Date where Clay Riker with one touch of a person, sees their "expiration date", the day they will die. Where do you find your inspirations for your plots?
My plots are always based in my characters' struggles to come to terms with life's messiness and God's redemption. Expiration Date deals with the question of fate versus free will. If we knew the future, including the date someone would die, would there be anything we could do about it? Or would it be set in stone? Dark to Mortal Eyes deals with generational sin and the need to break those chains for future generations. Why not use a WWII biochemical agent as a symbol of that sin? I tend to think very allegorically when I write, more than most readers seem to realize. But I don't want to bang readers over the head. I want them to enjoy great stories, while deeper truths simmer below the surface.
Q: One of your other strengths IMHO, is the weaving of faith in the life of your characters. So often Christian fiction has a preachy, overt almost tacked on feel to the faith message.
That's beginning to change, I think. More writers are coming to terms with the interaction between art and faith, and the importance of recognizing society's spiritual questions instead of ignoring them.
Q: Your books read real - characters living and struggling with their everyday walk and fight to overcome their basic nature. Do you start out writing a book with an intentional Christian message you want to convey or is the faith element a natural outcome of the characters development as they travel through your plot?
I don't want to preach sermons through novels, no. If that was my point, I'd write nonfiction. First, I want to tell fast-paced stories with memorable characters. Once that foundation of fiction is laid, then a writer can explore all of life's complexities. The more honest the search, the better. Avoiding the dust in the corners doesn't make the dust go away. I do believe Jesus is the Answer. Which is why I'm not afraid to wrestle with the questions. I expect my characters to do the same.
Q: Because of this natural feel to faith, I could see your books being read by both the secular market and Christian market. Do you think Christian Suspense is too segregated and should be marketed more in the secular world? If so how?
Oh, boy. That's a loaded question. There will always be Christian novels intended strictly for a Christian audience. That's okay. For me, though, it would be wrong to provide only "comfort food" for believers. I write with my non-believing relatives in mind. Would they be willing to read this? Or would they think I was just preaching at them? Would they think the story's phony, based on what they've seen in my own life?
By getting bracketed in one small section of Borders or Barnes and Noble, my books miss the larger audience for which they are intended. That is a big frustration of mine. Thankfully, I've found some readers outside the CBA market. One non-Christian storeowner near Nashville has become a fan of my writing. He's hand-sold more of my books from his shop than any other store I know of. I believe that novels written from a Christian worldview can reach the mainstream market. People are searching for hope and answers. They just don't want it sugarcoated.
Q: On the subject of Christian suspense, as you know our website is devoted to promoting the word about this growing genre. What changes do you see coming in Christian Suspense?
There are more skillful authors in this market than ever before, branching into all types of subgenres. Can we convince readers to come back to Christian bookstores for great suspense stories? Or should we get these books placed in more of the independent and chain stores? Both can happen.
Q: Any break out novelists we should watch for?
With the right marketing, I think Brian Reaves, Melanie Wells, Kathryn Mackel, and Chris Well could get a lot more attention. I love Brandt Dodson's mysteries. Tim Downs creates incredible characters. TL Hines is offering up some great originality in his stories. I could go on.
Q: I see on your website, www.wilsonwriter.com that you have a list of books that you are still waiting for in 2007. Tell us a little bit about why these books are on your list?
Pretty simple: because I can't wait to read them! Daniel Silva writes thought-provoking suspense, dealing with Israeli issues. James Lee Burke is an amazing wordsmith. Geoffrey Wood has a great CBA debut, in Leaper. In my opinion, Tricia Goyer is the heir to Bodie Thoene's crown, writing great historical novels with Christian meaning. Dean Koontz is incredible at weaving suspense, social commentary, and spiritual ideas. Sometimes I wonder why I even try!
Q: What other jobs have you held (do you hold) and how have they developed your writing?
Hmm, I still work part-time at FedEx Kinko's. I've been a grunt for construction work, sheet metal work, and brick-laying. I've delivered pizza, delivered for FedEx, delivered washers and dryers for Sears, and been there for the delivery of my children (the most rewarding of all!). I've smuggled Bibles in eastern Europe. Done missions work. Youth pastored. Worked at a Waterbed Warehouse. Worked in the mail room at the LA Mission. Owned an espresso business (think, my Aramis Black novels). Oh, and yes, I did work for a monument company, carving tombstones. That played into my novel, Expiration Date.
All of my jobs have introduced me to real people, with real struggles, and that has played into my writing more than anything else. These are all individuals God created and Jesus died for. I just love the variety of people in this world.
Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?
I definitely thought I'd be making a living at it by now, five years after signing my first contract. I knew all the statistics beforehand, but I was too hardheaded to believe them. Of course if I had believed them, I would've never kept writing.
Also, I'm still surprised at some of the restrictions within the CBA market. It seems silly that I should be asked to remove a reference to someone farting, for example. Hate to tell you, but the Christians I know do still suffer from the occasional intestinal gases.
Q: Do you approach your books in a methodical planning way, setting out the plot and character development in advance, or are you more a seat of the pants writer?
I'm a mix. I start with a basic concept and a character with a specific internal/external struggle. From there, the story can take on shapes I never expected. I'm often surprised at things that occur. Some of my plot twists are planned, while many reveal themselves through the telling of the story. In Expiration Date, I didn't even know the true meaning of the villain's name until a third of the way through the book. It was a genuine surprise.
Q: You give great advice for unpublished writers on your website. One point is for a writer to be open to criticism. How and where do you get feed back on your own writing? Tell us of a time you struggled to accept criticism that in the end helped you grow as a writer.
Criticism is such an important part of any writer's diet. It sharpens you for publication, and prepares you for the jabs that publication will invite. Really, it's about dying to your pride so that you can more effectively communicate through story. I keep learning with each book, partly through reviews (good and bad), partly through readers who are close to me. Although my best friend in Nashville never pulls punches, he is always aimed at helping me. He's an unpublished writer and a big reader. He has a good intuition for what works and what doesn't. Strangely enough, he's reviewed and trashed all of my novels on Amazon, under the moniker: "The Scandalizer." He just likes to stir things up. And it makes us both laugh, even though some others don't get the joke. Which makes us laugh even more.
I would still be unpublished today, I believe, if I hadn't listened to Jefferson Scott back in 2000. He told me I could be a great writer but I still had the marks of an amateur. He suggested I read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers before writing another word. Oh, that was hard to swallow. But I ordered the book the next day. Two years later I was under contract with Random House. (Jeff, you rock! That's another Sobe on me!)
Q: Do you have a scripture verse that expresses your writing message or keeps you working?
Each of my novels includes a verse or passage that captures the idea of the story. These are often areas God is working on in my own life. My theme verse as a novelist: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter hidden things." Psalm 78:2
Q: What's God been doing in your life lately?
He's been reminding me that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Before my father left my mom and the ministry, I was so full of belief that God would be victorious in every situation. I struggled afterwards with the reality of human choices that lead away from God's perfect will. My joy suffered, partly through my own wrestling, but even more so through my identification with those all around me who are wrestling with deeper and more painful things. Jesus is reminding me, through prayer, friends, and my own Bible reading, that I need the fruit of the Spirit. Including joy. I can't fake it. Can't manufacture it. But I am making choices daily to live with a joyful, thankful attitude. My wife is such a free spirit. She helps me a lot, through her constant love and patience.
Q: I'm looking at your bookshelf? What books, authors, do I see?
Hold on. I'm going to make a list from the living room. No kidding. Be right back…
Okay, here's what I see. In the fantasy section: C.S. Lewis, John Marco, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen Lawhead, Stephen King, Terry Brooks, and Kathryn Mackel. Mystery/suspense: Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder, Randy Singer, and James Lee Burke. Contemporary/classics: John LeCarre, Ray Blackston, Graham Greene, Dale Cramer, Charles Dickens, John Dalton, Morris West, and River Jordan. Non-fiction: The Problem of Pain, German-English Dictionary, 1001 Ways to be Romantic, and Fodor's Austria.
Q: If you are like many writers you have times when you have a great need to do nothing but write. If this is true for you, how do you balance your family life with such a drive?
I'm almost afraid to start a new book. I know that once I dive into the lives of these fictional characters, I will be only halfway present in the real world. I try to make time for dates with my wife. My door is always open for my kids to come in for a hug. It's tough. Anyone who works out of the home knows the struggle. It takes some sacrifice on the part of everyone in the household. Sometimes, the sacrifice means that I need to leave the laptop and go have dinner with my family. They always come first.
Q: Anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Thanks for being patient with my longwinded answers. I know you have things you could be doing, other than reading Eric's rambling thoughts. I write with you in mind. Without you, my books would be lonely sheets of paper.
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Romantic suspense author Susan Sleeman's books include High-Stakes Inheritance, a romantic suspense novel to be released in 2010 by Love Inspired Suspense an imprint of Steeple Hill Publishers and Nipped in the Bud, a cozy mystery coming soon from Barbour Publishing. Read more about Susan Sleeman |
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Susan Sleeman
is passionate about Christian Suspense as both a reader and a writer. She is the author of High-Stakes Inheritance, a romantic suspense novel to be released in September by Love Inspired Suspense an imprint of Steeple Hill Publishers and Nipped in the Bud, a romantic cozy mystery in October from Barbour Publishing.
Read more about Susan's. . .
Christian Suspense
To Die For
©2006-10
Susan Sleeman
Susan Sleeman
