Today I'm delighted to chat with the lovely (and very talented!) Susan Jean Ricci who has written over 30 books and novellas (wow!).
She writes in the genres of Women’s Fiction, Humour, Romance, and Romantic Suspense and is multi-award-winning, a USA Today best-selling author, and is so humble, saying 'I have no idea how that happened!' - I love people like that, so lets meet Sue!
Thanks so much, Jaye, for inviting me to share the skinny on me (if only) and my so-called writing methods on your beautiful blog. I’m humbled and honoured to be here.
Aww, that's so sweet. I'm honoured to have you here.
But first, please accept my heartfelt congratulations to you on your new book, My F In Life. The synopsis is so appealing to my sense of humour that I can’t wait to read it.
Oh wow, I really wasn't expecting that! Thank you so much 😍
But I can only dream about creating a body of work like yours, I am in awe, so can you tell me more about your journey?
In retrospect, I realise that none of this was achieved on my own. A few examples, like the majority of us in the writing community, are devoted friends who’ve all ‘been there’ and promote each other, either by reading and reviewing, shout-outs, or offering an appearance on a lively blog like yours.
I have to admit, I've been overwhelmed by the reaction of the community too - they're such a supportive bunch and I'm so grateful for every repost and review! But sorry, I've interrupted you - shutting up now 😶 Please carry on 😂
Okay 😆
It also didn’t hurt to have a husband who was a brilliant editor with a literary degree when we collaborated on my first novel, Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems. I didn’t even know he had such skills until after we got married. We were too busy focusing on those ‘other kind’.
What a lovely thing to find out after you'd married him! Sounds a keeper to me 💖 I'm going to circle back to Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems in a moment, but talking about the people who have helped you, do some stand out?
My graphic designer, Lynn Lamb, has had a lot of positive influence on my books and even on the physical attributes of my female and male leads, especially when I hit a mental wall. Switching out a blonde for a redhead, etc., is easily done if we find a snazzy female that fits the character’s personality/profile better. Same goes for the guys – I want my men to look a certain way according to their occupations, and of course, they have to be hot.
They sure do 😂
Lynn’s also a great brainstormer when I’m stuck deciding on a title, and she recently created my new website, as well as launch memes, videos, and banners over the years. While I respect the ingenuity of talented authors who are creating their own AI covers, the old-fashioned methods of cover design suit my brand better than what I could devise. (I AM looking forward to conquering GROK soon, though.)
It’s been said that writing is a solitary, or lonely, business; I don’t feel this defines me. I couldn’t do this job alone. Kudos, hugs, and kisses are owed to my designer and several dear, talented friends and fans who read and/or edit my work. Some of my friends are reviewers I’ve met through the writing community who have often taken the time to steer me in the right direction after reading a published book.
That's so lovely and I'm sure they feel the same about you. Returning to Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems now (I love the title!), can you tell me more about it please?
Oh wow, that's added to my TBR skyscraper then! I do touch on that subject in my book too, as it's not the easiest thing to do in middle age, but I see Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems is book one in your Cindy's Crusades series.
Yes, Dinosaurs was the first of 4 books that evolved from my journaling, and a LOT of it is pure fiction. The 2nd book, The Sugar Ticket, is the sequel and has some true snippets but is otherwise just Cindy and Jay, her husband’s, hijinks. This one can be read as a stand-alone too.
I find that so interesting - how much, do you think, of your real life appears in your writing?
Embellishment is my favourite word, and one I often lean on to create. I’ve also been known to weave some of my truths, the funny and the absurd, into my stories as well, while relying on a vivid imagination.
Which then led to a meet-and-greet with a muse that wouldn’t shut up. When a writer cries, “The words just poured out of me,” an overactive muse is likely behind the tornadoes of phrases for sure.
Oh, I hear you! I'm at that awkward phase of having started book 2 in my series, but finding the time to sit down and write isn't happening and my muse won't shut up! She's a real nag too 😆
I can see the next in your series is Don't Bruise the Bananas and now you're working on the next saga, Exodus to Shangri-La.
Yes, that's my current work-in-progress (WIP), although I’m considering changing its title because I’ve decided to use it as this year’s Christmas story. But for now, that’s the title of my WIP in this series.
And Cindy and Jay, your protagonists, also star in A Sweet Snafu, Christmas with Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion's Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat - so you've obviously created a big world around these two characters. I can see me doing that with my characters too, but what happened next on your journey?
Fast forward a few years, and after a wonderful educational writing experience and podcasts with a boutique publisher, I was invited to join a group called the Author’s Billboard in 2016. The Billboard was publishing anthologies/collections. Amazon started paying for pages read through their program, Kindle Unlimited, and the group offered me a wonderful chance for my writing to expand into other genres, via specific prompts for each collection.
For example, if the leader of the anthology wanted to publish a multi-authored set about single dads, ditzy dudes, or second-chance romance in small towns, for example, we were invited to participate if the subject matter appealed to our muses.
I loved, and still do, creating with a prompt, but most of my subject matter comes from my very twisted mind.
I think I love your 'very twisted mind'! And talking of creating stories, you've written so many books, so what's your secret for finding the subject matter?
Creating the hook for my stories either takes time or comes easily. I never know how that will go. Sometimes the solution comes in the night and wakes me up out of a sound sleep. Or in the shower.
The title for my second story, The Sugar Ticket, came to me in a dream. It’s the sequel to Dinosaurs and one of my favourites among my stories.
I started my Love for the Holidays Collection with Sparkles of the Season, which remains a favourite of mine in a completely different way, because it was the first book I wrote after my beloved husband passed. This, too, won an award, and I plan on adding it to my Audible collection soon.
Aww, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband, Sue, but what a lovely way to convert something so tough into something that now brings you joy. That's admirable.
Okay, let's change tactics. Pantser or plotter?
You’d probably refer to me as a panster, because the content of my stories comes at me from all directions, which is impossible to outline, even with a prompt. There have been many times the lightning bolt of endings comes to me, so my writing course is fleshed out and penned accordingly. I also read and edit the scenes I wrote before I left off to get in the mood, but authors need to leave final edits to a pro.
Sometimes an ending doesn’t work out well at all, and a better idea rolls in to replace it. I’m willing to bet lots of our writing buds have trashed half a book or three because the original ending sucked.
Most times, burying the garbage leads to a better ending, though.
Isn’t writing fun?
🤣 It sure is! And as you've mentioned them a couple of times now, do you find writing prompts helpful?
But worse still is the possibility of no ideas at all – which scares the living out of me. Then my muse hops on the pendulum known as my brain and sways clear to the opposite edge of the imaginary abyss.
I’ve come up with a few ideas so outrageous they’re not viable, and it’s so helpful to have devoted advisors or beta readers who are truthful, even if what they share is not what one wants to hear.
I also read and edit what was written before starting where I left off, but leave the final edits to a pro.
I've found leaving a scene midway through is a good way to end a writing session for me because, like you, I tend to reread and edit when I restart, and it seems to get my head into its creative space and I'm off!
When you did first want to become a writer?
The burn to become a writer started when I was ten, but the real stuff began in the nineties with opinion pieces for one of our state’s newspapers and writing magazine articles.
As a fledgling author eager to publish my first book, which was terrible, I committed some mighty serious faux pas - like ploughing head-first into the publishing industry without doing the proper research. The worst sin a new author commits is submitting unsolicited romance synopses to an agent who prefers to rep nonfiction authors – or the first three chapters of books, too, without acknowledging their genre preferences.
😂 Oh dear, I bet that made you popular!
You can laugh (and I don’t blame you), but I didn’t even know what a genre was back then – and as others in our profession can attest, I learned how to improve my craft and the rules of publishing etiquette as the rejections piled in, with or without helpful suggestions. In those days, you sent a self-addressed, stamped envelope to query agents.
But you did become successful, so what did you do?
For over a decade, I travelled to writer’s conferences, took online courses, and did everything possible to hone my skills. The birth of the independent/self-published author and online sites, like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, enabled other like-minded authors and me to choose this exciting, albeit new, path to publishing. I became obsessed and joined self-publishing groups on social media like Twitter and Facebook – anything that was pertinent to furthering my education. And I’m still learning—every single day.
I'm shocked to hear you're still learning! I'd assumed seasoned writers like yourself would know everything! Bummer 😅
Now, I've heard through the grapevine that you have a new book coming out soon. Can you tell us anything about it yet?
Yes! My latest story, Canine Intervention, will be released in September, and I’m really excited about this one – it explores the darker side of my female lead’s mind, which took her on a dubious path, all because of a broken heart.
How exciting!
Squee! Let’s call this my cover reveal, okay?
OMG, really? Double squee 🤣
Oh, the cover is gorgeous, Sue! I want to take those dogs home. Thank you so much for sharing it. Can you give me the blurb?
Sometimes you need a little nuzzle in the right direction...
Two naughty dogs unwittingly decide their humans’ fate and, just like that, Casey’s nomad days are over, and maybe her unconventional job, too.
Her hot neighbor, Royce Cooper, is zesty, captivating, and knows how to play a good game of poker. With his talent for bringing out the best in people, Casey considers leaving the past behind to start anew with this interesting man – provided that their dogs approve.
UPDATE: Since our interview, Sue has uploaded her book and you can find it here (US) or here (UK). Returning to our chat:
Aww, this sounds lovely, Sue!
My main objective is to entertain readers and to provide hope when it’s needed, along with gentle reminders that everyone, young or old, deserves a second chance, or even a thirtieth, if that’s what it takes to find happiness. All I need do is to resummon that indescribable feeling of falling deeply in love, and, if I’m lucky, my work is off and running. It’s kind of like a Groundhog Day thing.
That's absolutely amazing, I've really enjoyed chatting with you, thank you so much. And if you'd like to find out more about this really lovely lady, you can visit her website here or see her links below:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Jean-Ricci/author/B0094H8BEC
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-jean-ricci
https://twitter.com/Susanjeanricci
https://www.facebook.com/DinosaursCherryStems/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6540974.Susan_Jean_Ricci
The Love's Salvation series includes contemporary stand-alone works of fiction and short stories. Sue has two new series, Wicked Moments 2024 and Single or Mingle 2025.
Her nonfiction title, Running On All Fours, was a best-selling RONE Finalist in 2022 and was penned with true love.
And you can celebrate Christmas all year long with her Love for the Holidays Series.
Awards:
A member of the RWA, Chill Out Books, The Author’s Billboard, The Independent Authors' Network, and AllAuthor, Susan Jean Ricci . Many of her titles have earned awards and are recognized as the following: Novella Finalist in the IAN 2025, Novella and Holiday Novella Finalist in the IAN 2024 and 2022, Semi-Finalist in the Kindle Book Review Awards 2022, Novella Finalist with the IAN 2021, Outstanding Novella Award Winner with the IAN 2020, Gold Medal Award Winner in the Reader’s Favorite Awards 2020, and Finalist in the Outstanding Novellas Categories 2019,2018, 2017, the Women's Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016, the Bronze Award Winner for Humor in the Reader’s Favorite Awards and a Silver Award in the Global eBook Awards 2015.
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