Moon Dance by Susan K. Earl

1. What is your name and the title of your book(s)?
Hi my name is Susan K. Earl and my recently released book is moon dance ~a novel.

2.What is one thing you think your readers would like to know about you?
Imagination played a major role in my life, and I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t write down my thoughts, short stories, or poems. My mom was a songwriter, my dad told stories all the time, and many of my ancestors traveled from across the waters in Wales to somehow, eventually end up in Texas. I’ve heard tell that Wales is a lot like where I grew up, and I’ve read that one of the national pastimes there is storytelling and writing. I’ve always felt an affinity to the folks there and often felt that my yearning to write is deeply rooted in my ancestral past.
Moon Dance is my first attempt at writing a full-fledged novel. It was born one cold day in December 2007 when I was overcome by a desire to write a story about my Aunt Margaret. Let me go back just a bit in time. My sister, Vickie, and I had begun researching information on my aunt and uncle during the summer of 2007 because we both felt that Aunt Margaret should be inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which is located in Ft. Worth. We gathered a fair amount of information, and then school started, so our plans were put on the back burner for a bit. During our summer research we uncovered quite a lot of information, including one of the deeds to the largest portion of my aunt and uncle’s ranch. This deed was for the purchase of 250 acres a few miles down the road from Hugo, Oklahoma, and just a hop, skip, and jump from the tiny community of Sawyer, Oklahoma. Margaret and Joe ran the ranch together for many years until my uncle had a heart attack and died while fighting a wildfire on their ranch. After this, my aunt ran the ranch on her own for almost twenty-five years. She was close to eighty when she finally decided to sell off her land and move into town. As Christmas break neared, a yearning filled me to tell my aunt’s story. So began a journey of love, more research, and many late nights working on my “project”

3. When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
All my life. I have always written, journaled, and researched. I .wrote my first novel at age 15, but didn't try and get it published..,it was just something I had to do.

4. What are your strong points in your writing style or methods?
I write from my heart. I write about things I know and strive to make them interesting to the reader. I put myself in the place of the reader and ask myself if it would be something that would reach out and capture readers attention.and would it capture the readers heart. I also taught writing at both the intermediate level and at the college level for many years.

5. Are you a reader?
I am an avid reader. I read all the time, for relaxation and to take journeys to places far away I've dreamed of, aqnd/or to enrich my own life. I encourage and try to instill in my students a love of readings because it is so vital to our lives. I read to them, I read with them, I show them how much the written word has affected our world in so many, many ways.In the words of Dr. Suess " Oh the Places You'll Go..."

6. What are you reading right now?
I must admit that during this time of the year I need books that take me away from everyday stresses and relax me, offer me a touch of humor and romance, so now I am rereading "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" by Janet Evanovich. I love her kooky characters and my sister and I often refer to quirky moments in our lives as Stephanie Plum moments. I love all kinds of books and read my favorites over and over again. It seems every time I read a book, I get something new from it.

7. Do you have another book that you are working on and hasn't been submitted for publication? Tell about it.
I have begun a sequel to moon dance based on the same characters, but set during the early days of WWII.

8. What are your biggest obstacles to writing and how do you overcome them?
Time is my biggest obstacle right now. My job teaching 5th grade math consumes much of my time right now, so I look forward to some time off in July when I can get back back to writing full time.Once I get involved in the story I'm writing and get to know and understand my characters, the writing just seems to flow. If I get stuck on a part, I just start looking at the world around me and usually something triggers a train of thought and off I go again.

9. Please put a description of each of your books here. (back matter is ok)
That day, that dreadful day began it all… It began like any other, just another carefree, lazy, May afternoon… Then without warning, as we rounded the corner, my heart commenced beating rapidly and just like that, I knew… I just knew something terrible had come to pass.Maggie didn’t notice being poor; her family managed to scrape by, even during the Depression. Times were hard for everyone she knew, but as long as she had her family, she felt contented. After a devastating accident, Maggie’s world is shattered.A Second Chance ‘Sometimes we just don’t understand why such things come to pass, but I don’t think God plans on bad things happenin’ to us. I believe he helps us through our troubles, and helps us realize that even in hard times, there’s been some good things happen this past year.’I fixed my eyes on him and whispered softly, ‘You’re my good thing, Joe.’While Maggie longs to find the love and trust she desires, Joe strolls into her heart. After the heartaches she’s endured, can Maggie believe there is happiness in store for her? Should she trust Joe, or will he abandon her as well? Moon Dance, by Susan K. Earl, is a captivating family saga portraying the heart and soul of hard-working small-town Texans during the Great Depression, bringing to life highly flavored, ‘deep in the heart of Texas’ characters readers will love—or love to hate. Let Moon Dance transport you to a simpler place in time; experience a tale that transcends generations and offers an outspoken story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness.

10. How can readers contact you or purchase your books? Please put your website or blog here.

You can contact me through e-mail at moondance2010att.net or at my website http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net. Moon Dance is available on my website, on Amazon, Google or major bookstores online as both a soft copy book or a Kindle download. It is also available from most major booksellers