Interview with Susan Troutt

Susan Troutt's Amazon Blog

Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always had a great imagination, and I’ve always loved to write. When I was a little girl, teachers encouraged me to write and hung my stories and poems in the hallway for others to read. As a teacher, I wrote along with my students and gained valuable insight into the kind of stories kids like. So naturally when I retired from teaching, I sat down at my computer and began writing, working at it eight hours a day, just like a real job.

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

I loved the first novel I created and wanted to share it. I did my homework and found out that most publishers take two to three years to publish a book. I guess I can wait, I thought, so I gave it a try. I sent out queries and received rejections saying my middle grade novel was very good, but historical fiction just isn’t selling right now.

What was I to do? I’d spent a year of my life putting this book together. I liked this book. I couldn’t let it die.

One day as I was thumbing through a writer’s magazine, I came across an ad for AuthorHouse. I sent for information, read it through, and made that first call to the AuthorHouse sales rep. He answered all my questions, gave me lots of advise, and arranged a conference call with patient, understanding designers who knew about publishing and worked with me every step of the way. I was thrilled with the results.

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

As a sequel to THE CHILD PIRATE, my second book, PIRATES TO THE END, is a suspenseful page turner packed with trickery, masquerade, ghosts, and adventures that lead readers on a clue-filled treasure hunt.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

I always think about what my former students would like to read. My readers were the ones who kept asking what happened next to my main character, Briney McDoogal, a 14-year-old pirate captain. They inspired me to write the sequel, PIRATES TO THE END.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

I have a wonderfully patient husband and three grown children who are very excited to have an author in the family, but my most loyal supporters are my cat and two dogs who sit beside me (or on my lap) while I write.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

That would have to be spaghetti!

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

Brush my teeth, kiss my husband, walk the dogs.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

You would probably be surprised that I’m so Artsy-Crafty. I am SO into scrap booking and card making that I’ve devoted a whole little studio room in our basement to it.

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

I’d be RED! I’m vivacious, I have a vivid imagination, and I’m full of energy. Isn’t that what red is all about?

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Taz. It’s that energy thing again.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Although he’s not really a cartoon, the Muppet Gonzo is most like me because he finds good in everyone and tries to see the sunny side of things.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

I’ve narrowed it down to three choices. My first is 18th century Europe. I love the quaintness of the dark, narrow streets—a perfect setting for mystery. My second choice is pioneer times in America which would lend themselves to stories of strife and hardship (which my characters would struggle to overcome). America’s Victorian period is my third choice. It’s more modern, refined, and filled with curiosities that would lend itself to quirky stories about interesting characters.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I love all types of music (except jazz, probably because it doesn’t have any words). I don’t listen to music when I write because I’d lose my train of thought. But there’s usually music going when I’m not writing. I sing along. It’s a great mood booster.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

My husband and I DVR All My Children. Sometimes we have All My Children marathons. I never get tired of movies like The Princess Bride or Romancing the Stone. The last movie I saw in the theater was Revolutionary Road, starring Kate Winslet. I became a great fan after seeing her in The Reader. I saw those two movies and Slumdog Millionaire all in the same week.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

Keep smiling, because a smile goes a long way in life.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

I’ve just finished one called THE HOW-TO JOKE. It’s about a little kid who doesn’t understand that jokes are supposed to be funny. He thinks they’re directions, how-to’s for something.

Hoping to see time fly, he throws his father’s alarm clock out the window. It shatters into hundreds of pieces. Maybe didn’t throw it right.

His cousin Clyde tries to explain jokes to him. “How do you make a bandstand?”

“How?” asked Jake, filled with expectation.

“Take away their chairs!”

“What’s so funny about that? If they didn’t have chairs of course they’d have to stand.”

After several tries, Jake thinks he has the perfect joke. What kind paper makes you itch? Scratch paper!

He grabs Clyde’ bare arm and scrubs it with scratch paper.

“Clyde pulls away. “Hey! What’re you doing?”

“You’ll see.”

Clyde looks at his arm. “It’s all red! Is that what’s supposed to happen?”

“Is it working?

Clyde pokes a finger at his arm.

“It is! It’s working!’ exclaims Jake. “Hooray! My how-to is working. I rubbed scratch paper on your arm. Now it’s itching.”

When that fails, Jake resorts to eggs, but after telling jokes to eggs all morning, they still won’t crack up. “What’s wrong with me?” he wails.

But when Jake is asked to tell jokes in the school’s talent show, he begins to see why jokes are funny.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!