The Teddy Bear Eye Club
Author: Suzanne M. Hurley
Publisher: Wings ePress
Pages: 286
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Kindle/Nook
Author: Suzanne M. Hurley
Publisher: Wings ePress
Pages: 286
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Kindle/Nook
Book Description:
Depressed, fourteen-year-old Mayah Lewis hides from the world, until she befriends new girl, beautiful bald-headed Celeste Daniels.
Everything begins looking up, until one day, Celeste disappears.
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Author Interview
1. Tell us a bit about your writing background. How did you get started writing for teens?
I worked with teenagers for over twenty-five years and nothing gave me greater joy then having my office filled to the brim with young people hanging out. I love their joy, vivacity and excitement. I write an ongoing mystery series for adults and also women’s fiction books, but one day, while out walking my dog, an idea came to mind for a young adult story. I hurried home to start writing it and my first young adult novel was born. The Teddy Bear Eye Club is my second young adult story, written from my heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of writing as a fourteen-year-old, remembering all the young people who hung out in my room and inspired me.
2. Who/What were your earliest influences?
I have two older brothers who were all voracious readers. They had The Hardy Boys series, which I devoured, often standing in front of them until they finished the latest one, grabbing it and curling up in a cozy chair to delve into the world of Joe and Frank and Chet. I then turned to Agatha Christie to whet my enthusiasm over the mystery genre and soon branched out to any book I could get my hands on. To this day, I still visit the library two or three times a week to load up on books. Mysteries are still my first love and I am currently writing my sixth installment in my own mystery series about Samantha Barclay, a high school psychologist.
3. Did you face any early challenges to finding success in writing?
My biggest challenge is that I am very shy about my writing. I write from the heart and love to write and would continue to do it, whether I was published or not. However, I have a hard time promoting myself or even acknowledging that I am a writer, due to being shy.
4. What are your favorite books as a reader today? What qualities in them appeal to you?
I love all books, but especially love Marcia Muller’s mystery series and Jonathan Kellerman and his wife Faye Kellerman’s books. I love a good series where I can lose myself in a different world and look forward to the next installment and learning more about my favorite fictional characters.
5. What do you do outside your writing life?
Dog training is huge in my life. Six years ago I adopted a little black and white puppy –a Havanese, named Rico. We fell in love with the dog sport – agility – and began competing. I am proud to say that we now have five titles to our name. Currently we are taking freestyle lessons – which is creative movement with your dog. Rico is in love with this, because his most favorite thing to do in the whole world is – tricks. He loves to learn new things to do. It’s an exciting hobby to have and brings lots of laughter and joy into my life.
6. What encouragement helped you along the way?
I kept my writing quiet, but once people found out they were very supportive. My family and friends encourage me and promote my work tremendously, and I am eternally grateful for all of their support and for spurring me on to reach for the stars.
7. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
My main advice is to just do it. Just sit down, open wide your imagination and write your stories. Most of writing is freeing up that period of time where you get your story down on paper. So don’t procrastinate, wishing you could write that book – do it. Even if you just write a little bit every day, at the end of the year, you will have a book.
8. What's up next for your fans?Well, definitely more books. I am currently writing the sixth installment in my mystery series. In this book, Samantha discovers a skeleton buried in her basement and sets out to figure out who it is and who put it there. It is so much fun for me to delve into Samantha Barclay’s world and re-visit her life in Paxton, West Virginia.
9. What has been your biggest compliment?
Whenever anyone says I’ve inspired them, and also provided a respite for them out of their busy days. That makes me feel good. It’s what reading is for me – an oasis where I can retreat to – a break from my busy life. That is what I’d like my books to be for my readers – a chance to enter a world of make-believe that will make you laugh, cry and leave your own world for a brief time.
10. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans and readers?
Yes, a huge and hearty thank you for taking the time to read my books. I really appreciate that enormously and consider it a huge honor. I write from my heart and hope that my words touch your heart, as well. Thank you.
I worked with teenagers for over twenty-five years and nothing gave me greater joy then having my office filled to the brim with young people hanging out. I love their joy, vivacity and excitement. I write an ongoing mystery series for adults and also women’s fiction books, but one day, while out walking my dog, an idea came to mind for a young adult story. I hurried home to start writing it and my first young adult novel was born. The Teddy Bear Eye Club is my second young adult story, written from my heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of writing as a fourteen-year-old, remembering all the young people who hung out in my room and inspired me.
2. Who/What were your earliest influences?
I have two older brothers who were all voracious readers. They had The Hardy Boys series, which I devoured, often standing in front of them until they finished the latest one, grabbing it and curling up in a cozy chair to delve into the world of Joe and Frank and Chet. I then turned to Agatha Christie to whet my enthusiasm over the mystery genre and soon branched out to any book I could get my hands on. To this day, I still visit the library two or three times a week to load up on books. Mysteries are still my first love and I am currently writing my sixth installment in my own mystery series about Samantha Barclay, a high school psychologist.
3. Did you face any early challenges to finding success in writing?
My biggest challenge is that I am very shy about my writing. I write from the heart and love to write and would continue to do it, whether I was published or not. However, I have a hard time promoting myself or even acknowledging that I am a writer, due to being shy.
4. What are your favorite books as a reader today? What qualities in them appeal to you?
I love all books, but especially love Marcia Muller’s mystery series and Jonathan Kellerman and his wife Faye Kellerman’s books. I love a good series where I can lose myself in a different world and look forward to the next installment and learning more about my favorite fictional characters.
5. What do you do outside your writing life?
Dog training is huge in my life. Six years ago I adopted a little black and white puppy –a Havanese, named Rico. We fell in love with the dog sport – agility – and began competing. I am proud to say that we now have five titles to our name. Currently we are taking freestyle lessons – which is creative movement with your dog. Rico is in love with this, because his most favorite thing to do in the whole world is – tricks. He loves to learn new things to do. It’s an exciting hobby to have and brings lots of laughter and joy into my life.
6. What encouragement helped you along the way?
I kept my writing quiet, but once people found out they were very supportive. My family and friends encourage me and promote my work tremendously, and I am eternally grateful for all of their support and for spurring me on to reach for the stars.
7. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
My main advice is to just do it. Just sit down, open wide your imagination and write your stories. Most of writing is freeing up that period of time where you get your story down on paper. So don’t procrastinate, wishing you could write that book – do it. Even if you just write a little bit every day, at the end of the year, you will have a book.
8. What's up next for your fans?Well, definitely more books. I am currently writing the sixth installment in my mystery series. In this book, Samantha discovers a skeleton buried in her basement and sets out to figure out who it is and who put it there. It is so much fun for me to delve into Samantha Barclay’s world and re-visit her life in Paxton, West Virginia.
9. What has been your biggest compliment?
Whenever anyone says I’ve inspired them, and also provided a respite for them out of their busy days. That makes me feel good. It’s what reading is for me – an oasis where I can retreat to – a break from my busy life. That is what I’d like my books to be for my readers – a chance to enter a world of make-believe that will make you laugh, cry and leave your own world for a brief time.
10. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans and readers?
Yes, a huge and hearty thank you for taking the time to read my books. I really appreciate that enormously and consider it a huge honor. I write from my heart and hope that my words touch your heart, as well. Thank you.
About the Author
All her life, Suzanne M. Hurley had a secret.
She loved to write, about anything and everything.
Suzanne Hurley was born in Peterborough, Ontario, where she spent most of her childhood immersed in The Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie novels. Secretly she wrote stories about murders and dead bodies and detectives who painstakingly uncovered the truth.
She attended Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario where she continued devouring every book she could get her hands on in the mystery genre, branching out into women's fiction. Secretly, she wrote pages and pages about women facing challenges and overcoming them.
As a youth minster in a parish and a chaplain in a high school, a ministry that she loved with all her heart, she began to write about teens’ struggles, challenges and ways to overcome problems.
Eventually, combining her love of mysteries, women’s fiction and teenagers, her secret burst forth in a series of novels that embraced her passions. To date, Suzanne has written eleven novels. She is currently writing the sixth book in her mystery series, has written three women’s fiction novels and two young adult books.
No more secrets for her. She loves every minute of it.
Her latest young adult novel is The Teddy Bear Eye Club.
For More Information
• Visit Suzanne M. Hurley’s website.
• Connect with Suzanne on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Suzanne at Goodreads.
• Contact Suzanne.
• Visit Suzanne M. Hurley’s website.
• Connect with Suzanne on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Suzanne at Goodreads.
• Contact Suzanne.
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