5 Questions People Always Ask About The Simple Soul of Susan

5 Questions People Always Ask About The Simple Soul of Susan

Thanks to everyone who has been reading The Simple Soul of Susan (SSS) and reviewing! I get a lot of questions from reviewers and readers about the book and wanted to answer them here on the blog. Here are some of the most frequently asked ones:

1. “Is this really your first book? I’m having a hard time believing it!” Yes, it is! I wrote it when I was homesick for Texas. It helped me remember all the things I love about Texas and eased my homesickness a bit. One of the reasons I decided to follow through with publishing it was so that I could always take a bit of home with me wherever I ended up.
2. “Who published this? It is very well written and put together beautifully.” This is a self-published book. I had two incredible editors who made this a possibility. Julia Roller was my main editor and over the course of six months, she essentially helped me rewrite it twice… talk about passion and dedication! She is also an accomplished author and has some fantastic writings out, one of them being Mom Seeks God which I recommend checking out! Lee Ann A. was my copy-editor. Besides working for NASA before she became a stay-at-home-mom, she is a talented editor and book lover. Ask her about any of the classics and receive a better than New-York-Times explanation and review.  All of her children are equally brilliant and incredible writers. Her youngest daughter even assisted in editing the final revision of the book!
3. “Who designed the cover and interior?” Before I began writing I did digital marketing for a living. That said, I designed the cover and put together the interior. I’m a watercolor fanatic and to be honest I finished making the cover almost a year before I finished writing the book. The cover inspired me to tell the story behind it.
4. “Where is Walnut Springs?” I named Walnut Springs after my hometown of Seguin, Texas. Seguin is named after Alamo defender Juan Seguin and he is buried near the coliseum in town. The town’s name was originally Walnut Springs until the famed Alamo defender was dug up in Mexico and buried in town to honor his service.  I went with Walnut Springs solely because its easier for most people to pronounce, but in the book, there is a street named “Seguin Street” to honor its namesake. Remember the Alamo!
5. “How long did it take you to write this?” I started writing it on September 25, 2015, when the first snow fell in St. Louis, Missouri.  I was homesick and needed an escape from the cold weather and foreign culture. The first chapter written was Armadillos n’ Critters and the last whole chapter written was Graduation an’ Gumption. I filled in the rest in between. Now a little more than two years later, it is published.

Thanks for reading and share with me any questions you wanted to be answered in the comments below!

Order The Simple Soul of Susan here!