AUTHOR CRUSH FRIDAY: SUZANNE VAN ROOYEN
Glitter girls, you have pressing questions for your favorite authors and we have their answers. Welcome to our weekly segment, Author Crush Fridays.
We love asking questions and we love the answers from some of our favorite authors. Today we’re talking to Suzanne Van Rooyen, author of I Heart Robot (March 31, 2015; Month9 Books). Thank you for talking to us today, Suzanne! We’re honored! Glitter girls, Month 9 Books, is also giving away three ebooks of the book away internationally so make sure to comment below on why you want to read this book now! I mean, robots?!! Need we say more?!
GLITTER: Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
SUZANNE:
1) I’ve never ridden on a roller-coaster.
2) I have a phobia about crickets and grasshoppers.
3) I had a recurring role on a TV show when I was a kid.
4) My favourite flavour of ice cream is what the Finns call ‘terva,’ which translates to ‘tar’ but tastes like heaven.
5) I don’t care what it is, but if Matt Bomer is in it, I’m watching!
GLITTER: Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer.
SUZANNE: It was accidental really. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve enjoyed making up stories and had folders filled with hand-written short stories. As a teenager, I wrote lots of angsty poetry and only returned to story writing once I got to university. It was only once I was doing my Masters and discovered NaNoWriMo that I attempted to write a novel for real. Despite failing miserably at writing 50k words in a month, I finished that novel, edited, revised and eventually submitted it. I never expected to get a response, let alone an offer of publication. After that, I started taking writing a bit more seriously. With my next novel, I went in search of an agent and a couple of years later, here I am, about to have a book released by Month9Books!
GLITTER: Where did the idea for I Heart Robot come from?
SUZANNE: Out of the blue, as most of my writing ideas do. I was firmly entrenched in a zombie novel when this little voice whispered in my ear: “What if a girl fell in a love with a robot but didn’t know he wasn’t human?” That question played on repeat all day until I gave up with the zombies and started writing a blurb for the robot idea. The words started flowing and the blurb expanded into an outline. I think I had the first chapter done within twelve hours of hearing that little voice. The title of the book was also a source of inspiration. I had the title before I had the plot all figured out, because I wanted it to be a play on Asimov’s I, Robot – a seminal work, which definitely influenced how I constructed my robot society.
GLITTER: In I Heart Robot, what was your favorite chapter/scene to write and why?
SUZANNE: Oh gosh, this is almost impossible to answer without giving away major spoilers. Two scenes stand out in particular though. The first being between Quinn and another android in a cemetery – more than that I can’t say, but it gave my chills writing that scene and I hope readers feel the same. The second is between Quinn and Tyri, when they discover just how much music means to both of them and ‘feels’ ensue. That scene was fun to write for obvious reasons! 😉
GLITTER: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
SUZANNE: Um… tricky question. I think about two years ago, someone who was reading my work said they struggled to connect emotionally to the characters in the book at that time because it felt to them that I, as the author, was emotionally disconnected and consequently not allowing my characters to feel enough. I came to the stunning realization that I was indeed holding back and that in order to write more authentic characters I had to be more authentic as a person myself, allowing myself to feel everything even if it scared me. Thank goodness for that criticism. Giving in to my emotions has made me a much better writer!
As for the best compliment, I think the best compliment any writer can get is to know that their work has touched the reader’s heart. I’ve received some feedback like that, which I am always exceedingly grateful for and humbled by.
GLITTER: What are you working on now?
SUZANNE: I’ve got a few things in the works right now, but my current work in progress is a YA fantasy novel based on South African mythology and culture.
Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing, she teaches dance and music to middle schoolers and entertains her shiba inu, Lego. Suzanne is represented by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.
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