Interview with YA Author Suzanne Lilly

Aspen Dwyer, recently emanc-ipated from foster care, is search-ing for a place to hide from a past with secrets too dark to share. Honey Creek, Ohio, presents itself as the best place to start a new life and stay undercover. There she meets Colton Moraine, a man with strong family ties and an even stronger sense of loyalty. His boisterous, loving family welcomes Aspen with warmth she hasn’t felt in years. She’s surprised at how quickly and deeply she falls for Colton. When a dangerous crim-inal comes to Honey Creek, intent on his revenge against her, Aspen must choose between two options. Should she stay and risk her life and the rejection of the people she’s grown to love? Or should she run again and leave behind any chance of a happy future?

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Excerpt

“Tell me how the new job is working out for you.” I knew this was more than just small talk. Margot was evaluating me.

“It’s fine.” I nodded. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed working at the lodge. “Linda is a super boss. Even though I hurt my ankle the first day, she still took me in. She’s having her nephew help me learn to drive. She has a wonderful family. Of course, you know all that already.” I stopped babbling to take another sip of my latte before going on. “I really want to do well for her. I think she cares more about me than my last four sets of foster parents did, and she’s only my employer.”

“Linda’s always had a heart the size of Texas,” Margot agreed. “She’ll stand behind you and support you in whatever you want to do.” She made a note on a form and shoved it back into a manila folder. “Now, off the record.” She clicked her pen shut and slid it into her purse. “How are you really? Do you feel safe?”

I considered her questions for a moment before answering. “I don’t think I remember what safe is supposed to feel like anymore. It’s comfortable with Linda and working at the lodge.”

Did safe mean I could sleep at night, resting easy, trusting no one would come to get me in the darkness? Did it mean not having to look over my shoulder everywhere I went? Did it mean not worrying if the person who gave life to me was waiting for the day he could kill me?

“I guess I feel as safe as can be expected.”

Margot waited, her expectant eyes boring into mine.

“You said Rick will never think of looking for me in a tiny town like Honey Creek.” Rick didn’t deserve the title of dad, father, or anything else indicating a relationship between him and me. As far as I was concerned, he was just the sperm donor.

“He won’t look there. He’ll be concentrating on the bigger towns. Columbus, Cincinnati, places where jobs are more plentiful.”

I shook my head. “Do you think I should try to move out of state?”

“Don’t leave Ohio.” Margot reached across the café table and grabbed my fingers. “I won’t be able to help you if you move far away. Besides, haven’t you heard of hiding in plain sight?”

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Listen to Suzanne's Synopsis & Reading

AUTHOR BIO

Suzanne Lilly writes lighthearted young adult stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance, and always a happy ending. Her short stories have appeared in numerous places online and in print, and she has placed and received honorable mentions in writing contests. Her debut novel was Shades of the Future in 2011 followed by Untellable in 2012. She lives in Northern California where she reads, writes, cooks, swims, and teaches elementary students.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Welcome to Book Bling, Suzanne! I'm so excited to have you here today. Would you mind answering a few questions so my readers can learn more about your work?

Thank you, Elizabeth, for having me on your blog today. I’m delighted to answer a few questions for your readers. Let’s dive right in!

 What is the book about? Where did you get the idea?

In Untellable, Aspen Dwyer is on the run from her criminal father. She knows he’ll come to get his revenge against her when he gets out on parole, because her testimony helped put him away. She’s hiding from him in Honey Creek, Ohio, trying to start a life he won’t be able to destroy, a life with happiness and love. The story is tense and realistic, and it may open a view on life some people haven’t known about before. A young woman in a similar situation whom I knew years ago inspired Aspen’s character. She endured a traumatic time when her father was released from prison.

However, the main idea for this book came from one of the foster children I had in a class of mine years ago. I began wondering what it would be like to be completely on one’s own after aging out of the system. Aging out is when foster children become adults and must start a life on their own. They often have no strong resources other than their social workers and programs in which they’re enrolled. After her father went to prison, Aspen spent four years in foster care. She doesn’t know how to drive, and Colton Moraine agrees to teach her in exchange for swimming lessons. It’s not at all uncommon for foster children to not get driving lessons or a permit until after they age out. Many foster families don’t have the time or resources to teach them to drive.

In Honey Creek, Aspen falls in love with Colton, and with his family, and thinks she will finally have the life she wants. When her father shows up in Honey Creek, she must fight to protect them before he destroys everything.
 
Do you have a target reader?

Yes! My target readers are young adults and older adults who enjoy clean reads about people overcoming obstacles in their lives. I pack as much emotion as I can into my books, so if you like a story that touches your heart, you’ll enjoy Untellable or any of my other books. I tend to have a dry sense of humor that comes through in my writing, so many people tell me they love the banter and humor in my books.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what sets the right mood?

I only recently started listening to music as I write. I choose movie soundtracks, because I don’t want the distraction of lyrics while I’m writing. I’m one of those people who has to sing along with songs I love, and I don’t get much writing done if I’m singing and dancing. The soundtrack of The Man from Snowy River worked well as I wrote Untellable. The book I just finished, Diviner of Hearts, was written to the movie soundtrack for Meet Joe Black. Now I’m searching for the perfect soundtrack to go with an 1850s gold rush story. Any suggestions?

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