Susan Gourley & Beyond The Gate Interview

Today is the first entry of a new segment at Tongue In Cheek - Author Interviews. And here to kick it off is Sue Gourley, author of fantasy and fantasy romance under her pen name Susan Kelley.



Thanks for agreeing to answer some interview questions about yourself and your
new book, Sue.

So, What is your new book about?

Beyond the Gate is Book #2 in my fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles. The book picks up the story a few moments after the first book, The Keepers of Sulbreth ended.

In this epic fantasy series the island kingdom of Futhark is besieged by a horde of demon creatures. The only way to stop them is for Keeper Sabelline Shelton and her protective Marshal, Cage Stone, to journey into a complicated network of caverns where she can use her magical skills to form a gate and trap the demons beneath the ground. But things are not what they seem. Cage and Sabelline encounter problems their education and planning has not prepared them to meet. Only by exploring Cage's lost heritage and Sabelline's courage can see them through the darkness beneath the mountains.

Can you share an interesting behind the scenes tidbit about your latest story?

After the first book many fans mentioned how they enjoyed the personal stories of some of the secondary characters in the first book. In Beyond the Gate King Jonared, Cage Stone's half brother, will have to grow into the king his people need him to be. Part of his maturation will be facing and understanding his feelings for Lady Kristall, Cage's step sister. I think readers will love their tale and perhaps even shed a tear.

What is your favorite part of the story writing process?

I recently addressed that in a blog post at http://www.susangourley.blogspot.com/

I do like writing the first draft but it usually takes me a long time. I like the second draft because I can clean up all the holes I left in the plot and catch inconsistencies. Usually I'm sick of reading it by the third draft and I have to slow down and take my time weeding out passive verbs, repetitive and weak words as well as grammar mistakes. After that, I do like doing the final edits and reading after a professional editor has done their work on it.

Writing can be such an isolated enterprise. Yet, I’m sure there are people who have helped or guided or inspired you along the way to becoming a published author. Could you tell us about one of them and how they helped you?

I met Megan Hart at a writer's conference years ago. The event was sponsored by Penn State University and was a first for both of us. We ran into each other on the elevator. Like many inexperienced writers we each had copies of our manuscripts with us. We exchanged the first few chapters and took them back to our rooms. Megan's prose blew me away it was so good. I think she used an entire red ink pen on mine. LOL. We became critique partners and continued for a few years. Her career took off and though we've remained friends we don't do critiques for each other anymore. She helped me tons during those early years.


Now for the S.A.T. portion of the interview:


Fill in the blank –
If I were a villain, I would have __________________ for minions to deliver my wrath because _______________________. (And remember, sea monkeys are already spoken for. Mostly)

I would have nanobots because they can go anywhere and reinvent themselves for the job that needs doing.

Sea Monkeys are to _______________ as zombie stinkbugs are to _______________.

The Sound of Music : JAWS

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and where we can buy your books.

The next two books in The Futhark Chronicles are completed and I have a second fantasy series in the works. I also write fantasy romance under the pen name, Susan Kelley. I have a new romance being released April 29th.

You can buy my fantasy books at Amazon or other major online retailers. My romance books are also available at most online retailers.

Thanks again for stopping in!

Thanks for having me, Ava. Your blog was one of the first blogs I started to follow.

Awww, thanks. *Ava blushes*