Mike Dellosso Interview with Susan Sleeman
Q: Let me start by having you tell us a little about yourself. A. Great. I'm 36, married for almost twelve years, have three daughters, and a black Lab who follows me around everywhere. My daytime job is in physical therapy and when I'm not working or writing I'm usually found reading, laughing with (and at) my kids, watching movies, or hiking (weather permitting). I'm very involved in my church, too, where I serve as an elder and teach Children's Church.
Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including the release of your first book, The Hunted?
A. The releases of The Hunted and Scream are my professional highlights. I wrote for nearly ten years before finally getting that elusive contract. The Hunted got some great reviews and landed on some "Favorites" lists and, so far, Scream is looking positive. I've been blessed, I know that, and am forever thankful to my Lord for giving me this opportunity. If I never get another book published I'll still consider myself blessed beyond belief.
Q: Would you tell us about your current novel, Scream?
A. I'm terrible at this. Really. I know I should have some pat little description down but when someone asks, "So what's your book about?" I always walk away thinking I sounded like such a dork. How do you condense 300+ pages of thrills and chills, of one man knowing when death will come calling for its next victim, of a madman with a twisted sense of justice on the loose, of two stories colliding with such force that everything-and I mean everything-winds up at stake? Hmm.
Q: Through your descriptions of the screams in the book, I have a much more vivid picture of what hell might be like. Did your vision of hell come easily to you or did you have to work hard on creating it?
A: The vision came easily. The Bible does a pretty good job of giving us a glimpse of the suffering and agony and fear of hell. Writing about it didn't come so easy. It's not fun writing about a place of eternal damnation and weeping and gnashing of teeth. I searched hard for the right words and similes and metaphors to convey a feeling of utter despair and torment. Think about it, if we could hear hell, what would it sound like? How do we even begin to describe that, to put that kind of anguish into common language?
Q: Scream has a powerful spiritual message expertly woven throughout the book. What is the main message you want your readers to take away from Scream?
A. That all of us will die. Death is an appointment we can't escape. I know we don't usually like to think about death but it's real and it's imminent. And the catch is that none of us knows when our appointment will come due . . . so we better make sure we're ready. That's the message in Scream. But it's more than a message, it's a call to action. My desire is that the story will stir believers to sense the urgency to tell others about the good news of God's salvation. Here's a smack of reality: we never know when we talk to someone if it will be the last time we ever exchange words with him or her? That's humbling.
Q: Scream's very unique and creative plot kept me turning the pages. How did you come up with this particular plot?
A. I started with the story of Mark Stone, a failed husband and train wreck of a Christian, who finds he's cursed with knowing when people are going to die. Then I got the idea for Judge, a madman with a twisted idea of justice and an agenda as evil as hell itself. I wrote them almost as two separate stories knowing at some point they'd have to collide like two locomotives with heads full of steam. The idea for the screams came from something that happened in real life, though. My wife's grandfather died a few years back and, sadly, to the best of our knowledge he was not a believer. A couple weeks later my mother-in-law was talking to her mother on the phone when their conversation was drowned out by a chorus of hideous screams. This happened a few more times then just stopped. We never did figure out where the screams came from. Weird . . . but great story material.
Q: Mark Stone struggles in Scream with finding a way to repair his marriage and his damaged faith. How did you decide to give him these particular struggles?
A. The struggles found me (and Mark). I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer so I let the characters kind of develop themselves. I knew I wanted to make Mark a very flawed but sincere character and as I was writing this idea of infidelity and apathy just emerged. It's hard to explain. I think, though, that Mark struggles with a lot of the same issues and questions and temptations that most of us do. He messed up and he knows it and is sorry for it; he is also in search of a Christian faith that is real and relevant, not some performance that is put on for Sunday church service. Does that resonate with anyone?
Q: The Hunted and Scream were both such unique stories. How long does it take you to develop these storylines?
A. When I start writing I know where I want to start and where I want to end, everything else is usually made up on the fly. I try to keep my mind one or two chapters ahead of my fingers so I know what's around the next corner, but sometimes the story will surprise me. I can't say how long it takes me. It's not a matter of days or weeks or months, it's a matter of letting the reigns out on my creativity and tapping into that "weird" part of my imagination.
Q: How has the release of your second novel been different than the first?
A: Well, first of all, I found out real quick that just because you're published doesn't guarantee contract after contract. You have to work for each one. With this second novel I'm a little more used to promoting and marketing. I had a fairly good plan going into the release and I hope it pays off. I also learned ways to network online and gain that all-important web presence.
Q: How has being a published author changed your life?
A. It really hasn't. At least, I don't think it has. I wasn't an instant success and millionaire (darn!) and I'm still not (double darn!). I still get up, go to work, put in a full days work, come home and have family stuff to attend to. I squeeze writing in where I can. It's been interesting to see people's responses to my books but not earth-shattering or life-changing. I am living my dream and that's changed my life . . . in a way. There's a satisfaction and fulfillment to seeing your hard work pay off and people actually enjoy what you've produced.
Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. Well, I don't have any contract right now but I'm working on a story about a town haunted by fear and one couple trapped in that town. To escape they will have to face their greatest fears and give up what they hold most dear. The town (and story) is called Darlington.
Q. As a published author, what do you see as the greatest obstacle to becoming published today?
A. Besides the obvious one of the slow economy? The number of writers out there wanting to be published. The competitive field is vast. I don't know how agents and editors sort through the jungle of submissions they receive. When you look at how many aspiring writers are out there, the odds of getting published are astoundingly low. That's why it's so important to spend the time honing your craft and networking and doing all the things you're supposed to do before getting serious about being published. Laying the groundwork is critical now days.
Q: What were a few of your favorite fiction books you read in 2008 and tell us why you think they were great?
A. Winter Haven by Athol Dickson. Athol is one of my favorite authors. His plots are always original and his prose is spectacular. A Pocket Full of Rye by A.J. Cronin. Cronin is another of my favorite authors. His voice is so natural and his characters wonderfully flawed. Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz. If you're afraid of clowns, don't read this book.
Q: You have recently come out on the other side of a battle with cancer. Can you share with us how this has impacted your life?
A: Wow, where do I start. Cancer is quite the schoolmaster. I learned so much about myself, about God, and about others through this journey. I learned I'm not as strong as I thought I was, that God is my strength, and that the strength of others is a blessing beyond compare. Cancer has focused me and set my sights on things that really matter in life. It has taught me to make things matter, to not take anything for granted, and to not take life so seriously. It has taught me that life is short so live it like there's no tomorrow and make every day count for something.
Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?
A. My wife says, "Tell them that you're a big goofball and don't take life as seriously as you do in your books." Um, thanks, Babe. I think. Also, that I've always struggled with stuttering and am not as smooth with the spoken word as I am with the written word.
Q: Anything else you'd like to tell or share with us?
A. Yes! Log onto www.mikedellosso.com/screamteam.htm and see what my vision for the Scream Team is all about. Get the book, read it, and pass it on to someone else. Then ask one simple question: What did you think? Only God knows what will happen from there.
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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
