Author Interview

This interview was originally published on A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog

Tell us about your latest book.

Degrees of Love: A Novel is about a Silicon Valley soccer mom who on the surface has it all, but internally she struggles with bouts of unhappiness and unspoken resentment of her success from her husband. When she meets her new boss, she goes through a sort of awakening and is caught in a moral quagmire after becoming involved with him. In some ways, it is an exploration of the variations of love, including love of family and self.

Where did you get the idea for Degrees of Love?

When I was a VP of sales, I traveled a lot. During a particularly grueling back-to-back travel period, the idea for the story came to me while I watched a well-dressed woman jetting through LAX. That night I had dinner by myself in a Marriott hotel lounge and spent most of the time observing the other business travelers. I left the lounge, went to my room, and scrawled out a scene. Most of that first scene has been cut, but there are snippets of it in Chapter 5.

You are a former actress and have been a sales leader—how autobiographical is Degrees of Love?

Although I have been asked a few times if the book is a memoir, having similar work history and love of cooking is where the similarities end. I met my husband when we were sophomores in college and have been married for over thirty years. We both pursued theater for a number of years and jointly decided to exit stage left in order to give our girls a more stable home environment. I have no regrets. Just like any marriage we’ve had our ups and downs, but he is the great love of my life and I know I am his.

Does your family support you in your writing career? How?

Absolutely. Just as some families are sports families, my family is the artsy family—my oldest daughter wants to be a screenwriter, my youngest wants to be a concept artist for film, and my husband used to be an actor/musician and still plays multiple instruments. They all understand the urge to create and give me space to write. My book launch was family event with everyone pitching in and cheering me on.

In Degrees of Love, Susan loves to cook. Do you cook?

Yes, I do. Since I spend so much of my time either on the phone or in front of a computer, I find the physical mindfulness of cooking very relaxing. I have a pink kitchen, complete with a pink stove and refrigerator and a plethora of pink accoutrements. On Sundays, I love pouring myself a glass of wine and spending the afternoon cooking a big meal for my family. I actually have made all of the dishes referenced in my stories, except for the casserole prepared by Sarah in Chapter 3!

What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

When my husband was in law school, I was the sole support for our young family. At the time, I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue and made good money as retail goes, but struggled to make ends meet with two toddlers in daycare and living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I took a risk, quit my salaried position, and went to work as a straight commission sales person in the financial industry. I barely had enough banked to float us until my first commission check. Thankfully, it worked out, but I did have some serious motivation.

Any New Year’s resolutions?

Lose fifty pounds, but I’d settle for fifteen! Read one book a week and finish my second novel.

Originally Published January 4, 2018 on A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog