I'm happy to host international author Sue Searless on A Writer's Devotion today. Read my interview of Sue to learn more about her and her new release, Lucia's Web. Enjoy reading an expert of this story below. Her writing drew me in immediately. This out of the box writer also gives excellent advice to aspiring authors.
What book(s) have you written that you would
like to tell us about?
My latest release, Lucia's Web. I didn't think it was possible to have so much fun writing a book, and hopefully that carries through to my readers. The characters are so real to me that I feel I know them personally. I'm beyond excited about this latest release and can't wait to start getting the reviews.
Do you have any favorite childhood books?
Strangely
enough, I wasn’t a huge reader as a kid. I enjoyed a bit of Nancy Drew and
Beatrix Potter, but nothing particularly memorable. I only started devouring
books as an adult.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Stop procrastinating and just WRITE! We all have busy schedules and it’s
way too easy to come up with reasons why you’ll tackle that first novel “when
you stop working” or “when the kids are older.” If you don’t MAKE IT HAPPEN, it
never will.
Where can we find you and your books?
Instagram – Sue Searles
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucias-web-sue-searles/1122137024?ean=2940151276801
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/551150
Excerpt:
I sucked in a deep breath and held it, then
wiped sweaty palms on my trousers. I’d only arrived home ten minutes ago and
hadn’t relaxed enough to freshen up or change out of my work clothes.
Get a grip, Ali. I shouldn’t
be so nervous—this was my apartment, my advertisement. So I was in charge.
It took me a little over eight seconds before I
snapped myself out of my trance. If Lucia James had seemed distant and sociably
inept on the phone, meeting her in person only solidified my impression of her.
Pin-straight hair, dyed jet black with purple streaks, hovered just above a sorry pair of
sagging shoulders. A thick, black fringe fell across an insipidly white face,
barely hiding brown eyes bordered top and bottom with a heavy band of eyeliner.
Black lipstick sapped the girl of any natural color and made her look deathly
pale. She clutched a brown leather bag across
her chest, and a black leather jacket and studded jeans rounded off the look.
The girl bit her lip and dipped her chin, her nervousness palpable.
I closed my mouth when I realized I’d been
staring. “Um, sorry…come on in.”
I stepped aside to let
Lucia enter. Her brown eyes darted furtively around the spacious lounge, then
focused on an invisible speck on the hardwood floor.
“So, do you live nearby?”
My eyes remained on her as I asked the question and tried to size her up.
“No, I’m not from around
here. I don’t know many people in Umhlanga yet.” A shoulder raised two
inches, then went back down.
“Where are you from?” I studied her, trying to
draw the girl out of whatever spell she was in.
“Eastern Cape.” Her eyes remained averted, the
brown leather bag clutched like a lifeline across her chest. The long fringe
hung like a thick, black curtain over her right eye, and I had to resist the
urge to reach out and pull it aside.
“So, what brings
you to Durban?” I honestly wasn’t trying to sound pushy, just curious. Besides,
it was a reasonable question, not so? When
Lucia didn’t reply, I crossed the room and closed the front door to give her
time to answer. Just as I turned back to face her, she jerked her head away and
averted her eyes back to the floor. I felt my frustration levels start to rise.
So Lucia could quite easily look at me, as
long as I wasn’t looking back at the same time?
I held my palms together and tried to shake off
the girl’s unsettling presence. “All right, so…the rent is fourteen grand,
split three ways. With water and lights, say an extra grand, we can round it
off at five grand each. How does that sound?”
Lucia bit her lip hard and her eyes darted
around the room briefly. “Sure. Whatever.”
“Rent’s due by the first of each month.” I
tried to keep it upbeat, to sound much friendlier than I felt. “I’d like to
check references before I make a final decision.” I gave Lucia a pressing look,
one intended to communicate that I wasn’t too
convinced about her yet. And in case
she hadn’t been looking, I’d made sure she heard the threat in my tone.
“That’s no
problem, you don’t have to worry about me not paying or nothing.” My warning
didn’t seem to rattle her one bit.
I drew in a
deep breath and gathered my thoughts. “Right, so we have a domestic worker who
comes in once a week. Name is Thandi.”
Lucia met my
eyes for the first time since she’d stepped foot in the place. “A-a cleaning
lady?” There was measured trepidation in her voice.
“M-hmm. That’s
okay, right? With all three of us girls working—”
She waved her
hand. “That’s okay, I’ll clean my own room.” Lucia returned her grip to the bag
and her gaze to the floor.
I narrowed my
eyes at her, unsure how to respond. For somebody trying to gain approval, she
was being surly and aloof, if not downright rude. “Well, if you’re sure. Just
let me know if you change your mind.”
She gave a
quick nod, obviously just to appease me.
Lucia’s tone was as colorless as her complexion, and lacked any kind of verve or energy whatsoever. The girl was as insipid as a jellyfish, with a personality to match.
Lucia’s tone was as colorless as her complexion, and lacked any kind of verve or energy whatsoever. The girl was as insipid as a jellyfish, with a personality to match.
Author Bio:
Sue Searles
has written several books, ranging from women’s fiction and short stories to
poetry and children’s books. Having worked on various forms of storytelling
since childhood, writing has been a lifelong passion.
Now somewhat
older and wiser, she is passionate about thinking outside the conventional box,
and conveys messages that are thought-provoking and life-changing.
Her
inspiration comes mainly from studying people, reading, and daily life.
Sue is happily married and lives in sunny South
Africa with her husband and son.
