Hang on to your seats, because you’re about to enter a world of romance, suspense, and fast paced action!  We’re lucky to have with us today Sue Swift, author of her newest release, Spy Game. 

There are two sides to each one of us. Tell me about Sue the woman, and Sue the writer. How do they differ, what makes them similar, and just what inspires each of them to do her best?

Sue the writer has taken a back seat to Sue the person.  I have undergone a lot of changes in the last few years, including the deaths of my brother, my dearest childhood friend, and my marriage, so working on personal goals; i.e., learning what happiness is and how to attain it, are what’s important in my life.  My writing career is, frankly, less important than my personal goals.

And with all the emotional hard knocks, the writing has really suffered. I have been working on my current work in progress for a year, and though I’m close to writing “the end”, it’s not yet finished.  Compare that to those times in my life when I’ve written six books in eighteen months!

As a writer, I’ve had to learn tolerance and patience. I know I have to wait until my Muse reawakens.  She’s showing signs of life, and that’s
encouraging.
 
Tell us about your book, Spy Game. 

I think that Spy Game is one of the best books I’ve written. In it, fledgling secret agent Ani Sharif has finally drawn her first undercover assignment. If she fails, her career is finished before it’s properly begun. She has to get aboard the yacht of cyber-magnate Richard Rexford to break into his laptop, because he’s suspected of selling top secret Defense Department software secrets to the Chinese via that computer.

She’s masquerading as a webhead, and doesn’t reckon on falling in love with Richard. Nor does she believe he can discover her true identity. But Richard is smarter than she initially understands. After they fall for each other, what will happen if he finally pierces her veil of deceit?

This book underwent a number of changes; in the first version, Ani Sharif was named Tyra and wasn’t a spy at all! The evolution of Spy Game illustrates the value of creativity and perseverance.

I love the cover for this book. How much say do you have in the process AFTER writing? Do you enjoy having ‘hands on’ experience, or would you rather just write and pass it along to the next set of experts?

Most of the publishers I’ve worked with have allowed considerable input into the covers. As for the final copy, that is under my control to an even greater degree.
 
Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written? If so, what was it about this particular book that stayed with you? If not, do you think you still have that special story hiding inside, ready to come out?

My fave would have to be Spy Game, or perhaps a book I published as Suz deMello called Seducing the Hermit.  It’s erotica and very hot, but that’s not why I like it. I love it because it’s the most layered and complex of my books. It’s actually a retelling of the Fisher King myth, one of my favorite legends. I also have a hockey novel on tap that I hope sees the light of day soon, and it’s also a very good book.

After writing so many novels, do your characters tend to share characteristics? Do you find it difficult to come up with new personalities, new looks, etc?

The characters tend to be quite varied but I find it hardest to come up with conflicts that are new.

Where could we go to learn more about you?  What would we be shocked to learn?

My sites, of course, especially http://www.sue-swift.com, or my old travel blog, Travel as Metaphor. I don’t blog much anymore since I find it takes time away from writing, working out and just living.

I’m not sure that anything about me would shock someone else. I’m really quite ordinary. Whether or not someone is shocked by me depends upon them, not me!

There’s also a lot of other stuff at my sites.  There’s always a contest and lots of excerpts.

Please feel free to share some excerpts and/or reviews with us. We’d love to hear what the reviewers are saying about this newest release.

I got a wonderful review from Publisher’s Weekly, which called Spy Game “a fast-paced romantic romp.” If any of your readers want the full review, they can contact me at suzswift@yahoo.com.

Also, Harriet Klausner gave the book five stars.

With the New Year in full swing, many of us have made resolutions. Have you done this? If so, have you kept it so far; and if not, what keeps you from making them?

Well, I’d like to finish the book I’m working on and start another.

If you had one place in the world that you could travel to, where would it be, and why? What would you take with you?

I travel quite a bit and consider travel one of my hobbies. I want to go to Europe again this year to attend the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera and hope that the weakness of the US dollar won’t stop me. I dream of earning a quality credential in teaching English as a foreign language and living overseas.

I don’t take anything special. I lived abroad for six months about a year ago and foolishly took my hockey bag with all my equipment; that was insane! I got on the ice only a handful of times. When it comes to travel and packing, less is more. Few places you’ll go will lack anything you need. For example, I lived in Thailand for four months and all my needs and wants were met.

What can readers expect from you in the future? More suspense, or is there another genre you’re dying to try?

I really like to write short, sexy books in a variety of genres, though I do have a couple of suspense manuscripts ready to roll.

Thank you, Sue, for taking time to answer these questions.  I enjoyed learning more about you, and wish you all the best with your future writings and traveling!