Feature Author Susan K. Beatty

Last September, I interviewed Susan Beatty as my first author feature. I’m thrilled to welcome her back today. New year, new release. I hope you enjoy learning about what she’s been up to as much as I did. And be sure to enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of her book The Fragrance of Violets.

Welcome back Susy. We tried to mix it up a little with different questions this time around. Can you tell us how long you’ve been writing?

It seems like I’ve been writing all my life. But I started out as a journalist (even worked as a reporter for the now-defunct L.A. Herald Examiner) and a technical writer. Then as a homeschooler and homeschool leader, I wrote a homeschool manual and hundreds of articles. But I’ve only been writing fiction since about 2015.

You have quite the background, and I’m sure many successes from my limited viewpoint. But what would you define as success?

Connection. I have succeeded when a reader tells me a character, theme, or idea touched her heart in some way, and perhaps learned something about the world or herself.

I love that. I think it’s the ministry-heart of writing Christian fiction. How many books have you written, and what is your favorite? 

I’ve written seven (six published so far), in the middle of an eighth. I think the proverbial answer here is choosing my favorite book is like choosing your favorite child. But if I had to pick one, I’d say my first full-length novel, Faces of Courage. It was based on my daughter’s cancer journey (the domestic abuse in the novel does not reflect my daughter’s experience, thank the Lord). I wanted the reader to understand the emotional process, maybe feel comforted in some way. Plus, my daughter and I worked together on the technical issues.

You and I have that in common—our daughters’ journeys inspiring a novel. What is the inspiration for your latest novel?

The Fragrance of Violets was inspired by a similar situation that happened to someone I know. I didn’t like how the real story played out, so I thought I’d see how it could turn out differently. In the end, the two stories are no longer anything alike.

What is the key theme or message in The Fragrance of Violets (beautiful title, by the way)?

Forgiveness is absolutely necessary to release us from the trap our enemy sets for us. Whether the other person repents and asks for forgiveness, we need to forgive that person in order to walk toward the future God has for us.

Amen! Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share?

In my upcoming full-length novel, to my usual women’s fiction, I’ve added a new genre twist—suspense. A birth mother who thought she was at peace with her choice, a celebrity adoptive couple, and a kidnapping. Tentatively titled Relinquished, it releases May 2023. A reader can meet the main character, Teagan, (and her grandmother) in a short story included in the back of the paperback copy (not ebook) of The Fragrance of Violets. It’s called Granny Parsons’ Independence Day. I also have a novella, A Castle for Christmas, that will be part of a multi-author set, releasing at Christmas time.

I’m looking forward to reading both of those. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions (again), and I wish you the best in your future projects.

You can connect with Susan Beatty at SusanKBeatty.com. And don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a paperback copy of The Fragrance of Violets.

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