Susy Smith
Author Interview - Susy Smith
Author of Asylum
n the aftermath of the Big Crash, the President of the United States declares martial law. The National Guard rounds up citizens who are never heard from again. While fear and chaos reign, a small band of revolutionaries rise up to resist.
Lacy Monroe, barely out of high school, never saw herself as a leader. All that changed after the Big Crash. When the rest of her family fled, she remained on the farm, the last piece of land in the state holding out against the hostile government. Alone and vulnerable, she endures a horrific attack, yet survives and offers sanctuary to others like herself—until an old friend turns her world upside-down.
Jace Cooper has harbored a secret for years—he is completely in love with his best friend’s sister. The world is crumbling around them, no one knows how long they will survive, and all he wants is to protect Lacy and stay with her.
With the National Guard circling ever closer, hunger and sickness taking a toll, and betrayal and jealousy threatening to destroy the group from the inside, the struggle to hold onto the farm pushes them to the brink. And Lacy is keeping a secret so devastating it could drive Jace to unthinkable actions. Is the farm a safe asylum—or will the fight for freedom destroy them?
Author Interview - Susy Smith
Author I draw inspiration from: Music has always been my muse. One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein who said, "I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." Music inspires me to write and often propels a scene I'm working on in a new, more concise direction. I have a song for almost every chapter in Asylum.
Favorite place to read a book: Anywhere! Reading is an escape for me, and writing too, for that matter. If I'm stressed, I read, which means I usually carry a book with me everywhere I go.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Salinger created a complex character in Holden, and I've many questions for him.
Author Interview - Susy Smith | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I don't think there's a specific moment I can pinpoint. I fell in love with reading in the fourth grade, thanks to an amazing teacher who read Where the Red Fern Grows in class, about a chapter a day. I was on the edge of my seat! I've been a voracious reader ever since. When I reached high school, I started writing fiction, just for me. I'd written a complete novel by age nineteen, written some short fiction pieces, dabbled in poetry, which I still do! Then, life got in the way, raising children, church, and work. Finally, I decided to get serious. I finished my education graduating cum laude with a bachelor's in English.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Asylum is available in paperback and ebook.
The last book I read: One by One by Ruth Ware. I'm a big fan of Ms. Ware. I love her twists and turns.
Author Interview - Susy Smith | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pencil to paper first, then computer. I'm a certified pencil snob! U.S.A. Gold pencils are the only ones I will use.
Place I’d most like to travel: I would love to see Ireland.
Find more from the author:
susysmith.com
https://www.facebook.com/SusySmithWriter4Life/
https://twitter.com/susy8469
Author Bio: Susy Smith has a bachelor’s degree in English and is a language teacher for the Kanza Tribe. Her debut novel, Asylum, won the 2020 WriterCon contest in the novel category. She loves creating a home on paper for the characters in her head and dabbling in poetry. She lives in a small Oklahoma town with her husband, four grown children nearby, and two spoiled dog-children.
