Suzi Albracht
Near
Annapolis, MD
Good morning, Suzi, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. Can you tell us what you've written?
At the moment, I have
3 books published – The Devil’s Lieutenant, Death Most Wicked and Scorn Kills.
They are all part of The Devil’s Due Collection. I am currently working on the
4th book in the collection – Confessions of a Soul Collector.What is your favorite genre to write?
I write Horror Crime Fiction and love every aspect of
it. I got addicted to horror in the womb and never even think about getting
clean. My style is in the view of Stephen King, no slashers or Friday the 13th
for me. My books are about everyday people, they could be you or your friends,
and the temptations they run into. I think the horror is more real if you feel
it could happen. My book Scorn Kills, is slightly different. It’s almost a
thrown back to the Twilight Zone television shows. A little snarky at times,
but it keeps the reader turning the pages. The other two books are more dark
and frightening over all, add in the human factor and the fear factor raises
the roof.
Favorite food.
I grew
up mostly in the Midwest so beef is my go-to food. But since I’ve lived in
Maryland for the last 20 years, I gotten a new addiction – hard shelled blue crabs
steamed with Old Bay, cracked open and the meat dipped in butter. Yummy in my
tummy.
Tea or coffee?
Neither,
I am a Pepsi chick. I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste. So I drink
Pepsi with lots and lots of ice, all year round. I even have a special cup that
keeps it way colder than most. Nirvana.
Pizza or ice cream?
Ben and
Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, please.
I love that one, too. In fact, there's some in the freezer right now. Hmm...not for long. Wine or beer?
Neither,
I seldom drink but if I do, Pina Coladas or Kaulua and Cream is my pleasure.
But truthfully, my Pepsi keeps me happy so I don’t do alcohol much.
Where would you like to visit?
I love the United States and have seen a lot of it but I haven’t made it
to Yellowstone National Park or the balloon races in New Mexico. My favorite
spots to revisit are Sedona, Az; Key West, FL; Nags Head, NC; Vegas, NV – but
not the gambling mecca, there are lots of other interesting places around
Vegas.
Oh, don't miss the Hot Air Balloon races in Albuquerque. They are fabulous. It's something about the box currents. Favorite musical artist. Do you listen to music when you write? What?
I’m not
a musical person. I do like listening to music in the car but honestly, while I
write I have the tv on in the background, mostly the ID channel. I listen to
crime investigations while I write. Every now and then, something will make me
look but mostly it just goes into my brain bank for future reference. I love to
find what makes some people tick and I’d rather see it on the ID channel than
be friends with some of those individuals.
What makes you laugh?
Irony. I
like those laughs that come when you least expect them. I do love comedy clubs
but I never go to comedy movies.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
I don’t have a favorite but I do like Monet.
How old were you when you started writing?
Six, I think. I read early, taught myself. I had a rough life so my little
stories were escapism and no one ever saw those stories. Don’t laugh but
sometimes I ate them to be sure. I was six, remember? Kids that age don’t think
about the consequences of eating paper. Then in grade school, I began to be put
in excelled English classes and would show my work at school to certain
teachers. I got encouragement from those teachers that I didn’t get at home. The
irony is that even though my mother did not appreciate my writing skills, in
some ways, she gave me a nudge toward writing horror. She loved scary movies
and read a lot of the True Detective magazines. That meant I got exposure to both.
I used to steal her magazines from the trash and read them in my closet. So I
think my love of horror was developed in the womb. The first men I fell in love
with were William Faulkner and Stephen King, because of their stories. Love
from a distance, of course. Never met them. William Faulkner was not a horror writer but
he taught me to appreciate descriptive words and scenes.
Describe your perfect evening.
Having dinner on the water in southern Maryland, crabs with Old Bay and
butter (see above, I told you I was addicted). Then watching something like Ray
Donovan, Master Chef, The Voice, or my new TV addiction, Animal Kingdom with
Ellen Barkin. All with the love of my life, Tim. This would be after an
afternoon of football or Nascar. I’m easy that way.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere. I find little nuggets in everything. But mostly I let my
characters talk to me. The best inspiration is when they are whispering to each
other and I listen in. I have to admit that sometimes they shock me so I have
to tell myself and they are not real so it is okay.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I never get writer’s block. Well never, unless you count these
questionnaires. For some reason, I freeze at certain questions. The stupid
ones, like – what’s your name. For some reason, I feel that I am letting the
reader down because I don’t have some snappy retort. Silly girl, right? I don’t
mind baring my soul on the pages of my novels but somehow, telling people I am
a Pepsi addict is cringe-worthy to me.
Who is your favorite author?
Of course, I have to say myself. I mean, I’d have to love my own writing
since I spend so much time doing it and then tweaking it to the best, right?
But if I have to give a different answer, then I have to say Stephen King. I
love everything he writes. I also like that he doesn’t lower himself to write
slasher books. He has a great deal of influence over my writing style.
Best book you ever read.
Salem’s
Lot by Stephen King. It was the first book that made me think I could write one
as well.
Last book you read.
I’d
rather not say. I’ve been reading a lot of Indie books lately and some of them
need help. I do have some Indie authors that I enjoy reading their novels but
it’s been awhile since I read a really good one.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a
writer?
I was a technical writer for 23 years. I can’t
imagine doing anything else. But I think that if I had to be anything, I’d love
to be a prosecutor and put the scum of the earth where they belong. Ooooh, I
went dark. I told your horror was my thing.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal
life the most and why?
I can’t really answer
this question. The answer is too personal and private.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE
person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
The real answer to this is personal but I will give you my second choice.
I would like to have a conversation with Tim Tebow. He seems to have a really
good head on his shoulders and I love his dedication to his faith without being
preachy or overbearing. And I’d love to hear about his football stint in the
professional league and I’d love just to be in his circle of life.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a
writer?
Believe in yourself and your writing. Always tell the
truth of your story whether it be beautiful or ugly. Never fully trust your
fellow writers. Most of them want the best for you but there are some who will
try to sabotage you. If someone tells you that they think your book has a
problem or you should change something, first take a step back and take an
honest look at it. If they are right, cool, do something about it. If not, be
gracious and ignore the advice. And if many people are telling you something
like your dialog needs serious work, take the hint. When you have set backs,
and they happen to everyone, just remember to always, always believe in
yourself.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Links:
·
My Amazon Author Page: Author.to/SuziAlbracht
·
My website:
www.SuziAlbracht.com
·
My Youtube:
http://ow.ly/TOztv
·
Individual book
trailers:
·
The Devil’s Lieutenant:
getBook.at/TDL
Additional Information
I would like to share:
·
I am a highly creative
animal. I created all my own covers, my book trailers, my social media cards,
and my websites. And now I am offering my services to fellow authors. Mostly, I
create stunning social media photo cards for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve noticed that many authors use the wrong sizes for the various social media
and sometimes they use photos that don’t really call attention to their books.
Not only do I use the correct sizes, I create cards that express emotions and
lure the reader in. I’ve done the cards for children’s books, memoir’s, and
thrillers. Readers can view my website for my horror crime thrillers
(www.SuziAlbracht.com) or Wickedly Awesome Designs
(www.wickedlyawesomedesigns.com/) to see my work. I am open to all genres
except erotica. And I do not wish to create any cards for issues such as politics,
religion, or cards that are designed to be hurtful toward others.
·
As I mentioned earlier,
I am writing my fourth book in The Devil’s Due Collection. It’s very exciting
and opens doors for the fifth book and possibly more. I also have a couple of
other books I have in the works in the thriller and horror genres.
Please come back when your fourth book comes out and share your cover with us!
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