Wednesday 22 November 2017

Boss Women: Suzy


I'm thrilled to introduce you to the next incredible woman in my Boss Women series: Suzy
Ever since I found her blog, I've felt a strong connection to this powerhouse of a woman. She's living the life I'm striving for: writing books, teaching yoga, being comfortable in her skin and stylish to boot! Also, she's a fan of BC, my home province, and everybody who adores Canada as much as I do has my heart!
Since I'm a newbie to the world of book writing and publishing, I'm eager to learn a bit more about the tricks and habits of a successful author.  

Q: You have published 12 books. That's an incredible accomplishment! When did you start writing book?
A: Thank you Miriam! I actually started writing when I was made redundant from my job as a magazine editor about seven years ago. It was the kick in the backside that I needed. 

Q: Did you always want to be a writer?
A: I guess I'd always been interested in writing - when I left school I became a trainee journalist before moving on to become a features writer and eventually, editor. Writing was always something I was quite good at, but I didn't think about actually writing fiction until I was in my 20s. I wrote my very first book then, but put it away and didn't do anything with it until recently. 

Q: How does your editing process work? Do you work with the same editor all the time, or with different ones for each project?
A: To be honest, I've used a few different editors over the years. Most have been good but I've yet to click with anyone in particular. I must admit, editing is my least favourite aspect of writing books. I love the creativity more than anything else. 

Q: How do you come up with your story lines? Are they inspired by your own life?
A: Some have been inspired by my life, but I'm also inspired by my dreams and places I visit. For example, my first published book, Raven (for young adults) was inspired by a visit to British Columbia a few years ago. That place had a huge effect on me, and I think that comes across in the book.


Q: You chose to self-publish. Can you tell us a bit about the process? Where do you get the books printed, where do you store them, who designs your covers?
A: Today, self-publishing is so easy for anyone to do with the advent of Amazon KDP, KoboBooks and Smashwords (to name a few) - all distribute ebooks easily, making them available to potentially millions of readers. All of my books are sold online as ebooks. Some are also available as paperbacks through Createspace, but most sales are for ecopies. It's just so easy for people to guy, download and read almost instantaneously! I have designed a few of my own chick lit covers, but all  of my young adult book covers were created by professional designers. 

Q: Do you write every day? If you do, for how long?
A: When I am writing a book, I'm pretty hard working and dedicated - giving myself a target of so many words per day. I usually write from 10am to 1pm and then 2pm until I've had enough (about 4:30/5pm). I'm having a break from writing books at the moment though, but I hope to start again after the holidays next year! I've got some ideas floating around in my  head. 


Q: You are also a fellow yogi and a yoga teacher. When did you start your yoga journey?
A: I started practicing yoga about four years ago. Initially I went to a local class, but when I injured my lower back, I was put off attending so I started my own home practice every day. I loved it so much that I took a course and qualified as a teacher a year ago.

Q: What style of yoga do you teach?
A: I teach hatha yoga - slow and gentle. I can't be doing with all those gymnastics!

Q: How do you keep motivated to practice?
A: I've suffered with back pain almost my entire adult lifeso that keeps me pretty motivated! I know that if I wasn't practicing yoga, I'd be much less mobile, and in a lot more pain.


Q: What does a typical day look like?
A: I roll out of bed between 7:30 and 8, and feed our two dogs and three kittens. Have a tall glass of water then hit my little studio in the garden where I practice yoga for anywhere between 40 and 90 minutes. Then I sit down for a leisurely breakfast before I start 'work'. Work can either be writing a book; blogging; recording, editing and uploading a yoga class. Lately I've been mostly blogging though.

Q: You seem so at peace with your body. Have you always been like that?
A: Not really. It's only within the past few years that I've accepted my body fully. I think hitting 40 and having a regular yoga practice have both made a big difference to my confidence. 

Q: You are a British expat living in Portugal. What do you like most about your chosen country? Do you ever miss good old England?
A: I've actually lived in Portugal since I was ten years old (I'll be 42 on Boxing Day!) so this is very much my home. I love the weather here – we certainly get much more sunshine than the UK! I love the fact that the roads aren't anywhere near as busy as the UK either lol! But generally, it's just a really lovely place to live – safe too, which is a huge plus considering these worrying times we live in. There have been times when I've wanted to move back to England though. I miss the English countryside, the architecture and it's history – not to mention my family and friends over there! And the shopping... mustn't forget that!

Q: Any advice for other aspiring writers, blogger, or dream chasers?
A: If you have a dream, chase it and never give up on it. Let the dream evolve with you, and always avoid being around negative people. Be confident you are going to achieve whatever it is you dream of achieving. It is within grasp – you just need to reach high enough ðŸ˜Š ❤.


Thank you so much Suzy!

To learn more about Suzy, check out her lifestyle blog and her yoga blog Yogadocious.
Follow her on social media:
↠ Instagram
↠ Facebook
↠ Twitter
↠ Pinterest

BIO
Born in England and raised in Portugal, Suzy lives with her childhood sweetheart Michael, two neurotic dogs and three adorable kittens.
Shortly after completing her studies, Suzy worked as a trainee journalist for a local English newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she took the job of editor for a monthly lifestyle magazine. Early in 2010 however, Suzy became a full time author. She has since written several books: Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga), Daisy Madigan's Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone, Looking for Lucy Jo (The Morgan Sisters), Forever Fredless, And Then There Was You and Stormy Summer. 
Suzy began her popular lifestyle blog, www.suzyturner.com, for 40+ women in 2015 and a year later also added yoga teacher to her repertoire.

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