Susan Kiernan-Lewis – French Mysteries

Susan Kiernan-Lewis is a USA Today bestselling author with multiple mystery series set in France and a dystopian futurist series set in Ireland. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today on The Joys of Binge Reading Susan talks about her passion for all things French, her fascination with the idea of a post-apocalyptic world, and the challenges of living with face blindness – a condition which makes it difficult to recognize other people’s faces. And don’t forget, you can also get exclusive bonus content associated with the show, like hearing Susan’s answers on the Getting-to-Know-You Five Quickfire Questions, by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter. It costs no more than a cup of coffee a month, and you get a lot of exclusive bonus content. Details at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREON Where to find links to things discussed in this episode An American in Paris Mysteries: https://susankiernanlewis.com/exclusive-content/mysteries/an-american-in-paris-mysteries/   Maggie Newberry Mysteries: https://susankiernanlewis.com/exclusive-content/mysteries/the-maggie-newberry-mystery-series/ Cozy French Village Mysteries: https://susankiernanlewis.com/exclusive-content/mysteries/a-cozy-french-village-mystery/ Mia Kazmaroff Mysteries: https://susankiernanlewis.com/exclusive-content/mysteries/burton-kazmaroff-mysteries/ Irish End Game Mysteries: https://susankiernanlewis.com/exclusive-content/irish-end-games/ Peter Heller: The Dog Stars: Charlie Fletcher: A Boy and His Dog At The End of the World: Where to find Susan Kiernan-Lewis:  Susan Kiernan-Lewis - USA TODAY Bestselling Author Reach her at: suekier27@me.comWebsite: http://susankiernanlewis.com/ Facebook Group: Maggie on Facebook! What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions. Introducing mystery author Susan Kiernan-Lewis Susan Kiernan-Lewis in French lavender field - A USA Today Best selling mystery author But now, here's Susan. Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Susan, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Susan Kiernan-Lewis: Hi, Jenny. Thank you for having me on the podcast. Jenny Wheeler: You are a USA Today bestselling author with multiple mystery series, including contemporary mysteries set in France and a dystopian futurist series set in Ireland. What got you started on this big adventure of writing fiction? Susan Kiernan-Lewis: I have always written stories. I think a lot of writers have written stories since they were kids, and I'm no exception to that. At this particular time, I had written the first three books in the Maggie Newberry mystery series, which is probably my most popular series. I wasn't finding a publisher, mostly because I tend to twist the genre. It's not purely cozy. It doesn't adhere strictly to the tropes that are expected in certain cozies. As a result, I was having trouble getting them published. This literally happened about 10 years ago. I had just gotten laid off from a soul-sucking healthcare corporation where I was living in Atlanta. My son, who was 13 at the time, happened to mention that he had put a book of mine I had on a floppy disc up on Amazon. He found it one day when he was bored. He said, did you notice that it's selling? I looked at him and said, show me what you did, and I'd made about $2,000 off this book in a month. I made him sit down and show me exactly how he published it and, since I had three other books in the series, I quickly put those up and I have been at it ever since. Hitting the ground running with her first book Jenny Wheeler: That's fantastic. Without any marketing at all? Susan Kiernan-Lewis: Yeah, none. None at all. Jenny Wheeler: You make this specialty of being a little bit cross genre.