Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, but I’m currently living in West Virginia (and dreaming of Florida). My husband and I have ten kids between us–5 are his, 3 are mine, and we recently adopted two teenagers from the beautiful country of Latvia. I’ve been a writer since high school, and started completing novels when I was in my early twenties. I was fortunate enough to get a three book contract from Harper Collins when I was 27, and went on to write eight romance novels for Harper under the pseudonym Suzanne Elizabeth. I won several awards for my Harper books, including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for best historical romance of the year. I’m also a screenwriter. I’ve written five screenplays, and I won the AAA screenwriting award a few years back with my first screenplay The Trouble With Love. That contest help me find my manager in Hollywood, and he’s currently shopping my latest book, hoping for an option (fingers crossed).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is The Goliath Code. I have always wanted to write a book about the end of the world. I’m fascinated by the apocalypse in any form. But when I became a Christian, the book of Revelation really grabbed me. I started looking for good fiction reads set during the Tribulation, but I couldn’t find anything that didn’t feel sappy or preachy. I wanted to read something real and gritty, something somebody who isn’t a Christian would find exciting and satisfying. So I wrote it myself. After three years of research, and two years of writing and rewriting, I’ve came up with an end of the world book that, hopefully, atheists and Christians will find thrilling.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I munch. It’s a terrible habit, and takes a lot of gym time to work off every book once it’s finished, but for some reason grazing while I write keeps the ideas flowing. Other than that, I sit down every morning and write until my brain stops. If it’s a first draft, I can usually go for four or five hours before I’m done for the day. If I’m doing an edit or rewrite, I work from the moment I get up until I fall into bed at night.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King has amazing characters, and I love the way he slowly reveals things in his books. Anne Rice wrote my all time favorite epic (The Witching Hour), proving a long book doesn’t have to be boring. I love C. S. Lewis and his ability to craft layers of allegory into a story. And Karen Hancock’s Arena proved a Christian book doesn’t have to preach to get across an intriguing message.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the second book in the Goliath series. I’m hoping to have it done by the first of the year and ready for publication by September 2018.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s a tough question. Not everything works for every genre. For my romance novels, I’d say Facebook. FB tends to have an older crowd, and it’s a good place to connect with women readers. I’m still testing the advertising waters for The Goliath Code. I’ve had some good responses from Instagram ads, but I’m seriously considering hiring a marketing team.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. That’s really the best advice I can give. The old adage is true: writers write. Try to stay off social media until you’re done writing for the day. Social media is a time sucker and is just a creative way to avoid doing your job.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never go to bed angry at each other.
Oh wait. You mean advice about writing? Hm…
Stephen King: “Kill your darlings.” Nothing about my writing is precious. My first editor struck out the entire first chapter of my first book…and I loved it. It was so much better without that first chapter weighing it down! When you hold tight to precious things in your writing, you make your editor’s job really difficult. That doesn’t mean you should let an editor (or anybody else) mutilate your story. But it does mean you should look at your story as a whole, not as a collection of favorite lines and paragraphs. Whatever makes the story as a whole great–that should be your focus.
What are you reading now?
My husband got me hooked on SyFy’s The Expanse. As a screenwriter, I love reading books that are connected to TV shows or movies, so I’m working my way through James S. A. Corey’s series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
One thing I never do while writing a book is think about what I’ll be working on in the future (unless it’s another book in the series I’m working on). So, I can’t really answer that question. I can say that I’m really enjoying writing young adult fiction, so I wouldn’t be surprised if, once the three (or four?) Goliath books are done, I start another book in the young adult genre.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I have to pick *one*?! I do so love me some Stephen King. But I’m also a huge Harry Potter fan. Then there’s the Maze Runner… and The Hunger Games… I really can’t choose. I’m going to have to pass on this one.
Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanne Leonhard Website
Suzanne Leonhard Amazon Profile
Suzanne Leonhard’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile