Sue, welcome! And thank you so much for accepting the invitation for
this interview! How have you been doing lately and can you please
introduce yourself to our readers?
I’ve been doing great — thank you! I’m Sue Denver, and I write stories about Sara Flores, a divorced housewife who was transformed into a werewolf and now uses her secret to rescue innocents in trouble (and beat the crap out of evildoers!).
Many don’t know you, or your works yet, but they will soon, because of
their quality, specially if they like mysteries and werewolves! How
did you reach this point in your career, and how did it all start?
I wrote two novels in my early 20s which didn’t sell (fortunately — they were bad!) — so I quit and became a business woman. Eventually I got bored with that and turned back to writing novels. This time the writing is much better (!!) and they are selling very well.
Sue, many times, or, on average, werewolves are male, but not on your
books! Why is that? Why did you go to the approach of a badass female
werewolf and how did this idea come about?
I’ve been fascinated with wolves since I “met” one in a zoo and couldn’t get him (or her) out of my mind. It was like the wolf saw into my soul. I was also the oldest child of four and felt very protective to my siblings — once taking on a bully that was making life miserable for my baby brother. So when I decided to try novels again, I wanted something I’d really care about. Wolves. Protecting innocents. Kicking ass. I thought — what would it be like if I could become a wolf? A real one, not some Hollywood monster. What would it be like if I was actually stronger than almost any man — but I looked just like an average woman. Wouldn’t that be fun? Wouldn’t that feel good?
´
So, you have two books reviewed by us, and one of them is your
latest book: 192 days missing. A quite interesting book indeed, and
with a concerning topic. Can you tell us about why you wrote it?
I don’t plan out my books in advance. I write to EXPERIENCE the journey. However… books are only good when you write about things you care about. After you’ve written a few, you start to see patterns in what you write. I, personally, get mad as hell at bullies and people who abuse others — especially helpless animals and children. I love being able to save innocents in my books. I also think their abusers should die terrible, painful deaths — and I love being able to write that.
Weird question for you Sue: do you think that this book, 192 Days Missing, will
help call the attention towards these problems? I see that many people
think that, because the book is fiction, it’s rooted in fiction.
When you write a strong character like Sara, you can’t have her go up against lightweights. She needs to confront evil that is a real challenge for her. I can’t have her take on some common street thug. She could beat a guy like that with one wolf claw across his throat and not be late for dinner.
So who is a bigger evil in our society? It’s an abuser with a lot of money. Money buys power and powerful friends. It buys the best attorneys who can figure out how to keep you out of jail. Look at Jeffrey Epstein. His money and lawyers kept him out of jail for 2 years, then got him a sweetheart plea where for just over a year he slept in jail but was able to go out to his office every day. Then he was totally free to pal around with royalty and CEOs and as many more young girls as his scum-bag heart desired.
So when my missing person that starts my book 192 Days Missing turned into a sex trafficking case — I knew the villain had to be very, very rich. Which made him a very big challenge for Sara. The rich are very good at defending themselves. I had to figure out how to get to this guy — and it stumped me for two weeks. No writing. I began to worry it was impossible and I’d have to throw away the book. Fortunately… I eventually figured out a way.
There is an interesting group dynamic on the book, and the series
itself. It feels like the book grows both in scope of characters and
importance, as if building itself on and raising the series to a new
level. How do you manage to do this so well, overall?
Well, thank you! When I started the book I wanted to add some kind of personal challenge for Sara. I’d written her as a loner, and having to keep the secret of her werewolf status just made her more of a loner. So I thought — she really needs more of a team around her. She had a genius computer expert, but she could use two more people with skills she and her computer guy just didn’t have. And I thought — wouldn’t that be fun? A loner who has to keep relying on others and letting them get involved in her business. I pictured sparks flying, shouting matches, and — maybe — a chance to realize that others can make us stronger.
When it comes to characters, how do you go about their
personalities and evolution throughout the plots of the books? They
are quite dynamic and alive in terms of growth. How do you manage
that?
I have to start with a photo. I pick the gender and age range and then scan through hundreds of Google images until I see a face that intrigues me. A face with an attitude that makes me nod in recognition. After that, I haven’t a clue. They just start coming alive to me as I write them into one scene after another.
Weird question #2: What’s your secret to making wacky
characters that are just a bliss to read?
You’re probably referring to Judy Street — she’s one of my favorite characters ever. So smart-mouthed and sassy and sexy and impossible. I’d love to BE her. She just took over my fingers and wrote herself.
Now, Sue, in a more detailed view, the plot. The plot of your
books, 192 Days Missing in particular, seem to grow and expand, both
inside the novel itself, but series-wise, what is your approach when
it comes to plotting?
I love a good story, but I can’t plot in advance. I imagine I’m in an interactive game or movie and then something happens. I’m abducted. I get a case. Whatever. What would i do? What would I do next? What if this new thing then happened? Now what? The excitement of writing for me is seeing what happens next and then what would I do? I figure as long as I have no clue where the book is going when I write it — it can’t be predictable to the reader.
Sue, your books are about werewolves, and sure, they are canine,
but, there is always a wolf-and-dog dynamic going on on your werewolf
series. Why is that?
I like cats. But I LOVE dogs. I love how they live in the moment, and grab for any happiness they can find right now — without worrying about tomorrow. And I’ve been intrigued with wolves my entire life. Before I started writing, I’d read every wolf and every werewolf book I could get my hands on.
Do you think that the werewolf aspect allows you to ramp-up the
possibilities and choices of horror and suspense in your thrillers?
It gives me more to play with. More strength. More ways to defeat bad guys. More intriguing personal questions/problems to think about. It’s just a lot more fun.
How do readers receive your books, in general? What kind of
feedback do you get from your readers? Can you share some with us?
Here are my 4 favorite reader quotes thus far. They’re exactly what I was hoping to make readers feel:
“The conflict in who Sara is and what she can do makes her really interesting to read. 192 Days Missing is funny (some character descriptions will have you laughing out loud), serious (it does not pull punches on human trafficking), gory (Sara is a werewolf and we get to see her wolf out), entertaining, and ended much too fast for my liking!”
“My heart is still racing. I could not stop reading 192 Days Missing.”
“Fast-paced and direct, you’ll want to finish this one in a single sitting, it’s that compelling.”
“A page-turner I stayed up way past bedtime to finish!”
Before we go, Sue; for those readers who want to check you book
out, can you share a scene so they can see how cool
your books are?
Here you go: Click here for free download.
Is there e new book you are working on currently?
My next novel, out the end of the year, will take Sara to Yellowstone Park on a case. I thought it would be fun to put her around packs of wolves and see what happens(!)
Which books of yours will readers love to read before and after
reading 192 Days Missing?
Sara’s first P.I. case is Werewolf for Hire.
Before that, I have 2 books that are short story and novella collections that show Sara being turned to a werewolf, then all her adventures before she gets her P.I. license and starts rescuing people as a business. They’re Newbie Werewolf, and Werewolf Vigilante.
Thank you so much Sue, for being here with us, keep up the great work.
Cheers!
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