Romance Sub-genre(s): Paranormal, post-apocalyptic, and portal fantasy romance
Steam Level: A book blogger described my novels as "hot, without being erotica." I typically have 3-4 steamy, open-door scenes in each book.
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Describe yourself in three words.
Imaginative, Empathetic, Curious
What are three fun facts about you?
I have two very spoiled Ragdoll cats.
I pick the chocolate chips out of chocolate chip cookies.
I studied Arabic in high school.
What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?
When I was younger, I felt guilty about things that gave me pleasure, especially romance novels. I thought I needed to read “worthy” books. Now, I’m older and wiser. I freely admit that I’d rather read about the Ice Planet Barbarians or the Dark Protectors than any prize-winning literature. When I’m not writing, I read and love genre fiction.
I also love to bake. I’m an old fashioned, from scratch, home cook. Cooking relaxes me. Pies, cakes, and breads are my specialty.
How did you discover writing as a possible career?
I’m a natural storyteller. Stories, characters, and imaginary worlds have filled my head since I was a child. I’ve always wanted to put them on paper, to give them an existence outside of my imagination. Over time, I became more ambitious. I wanted not just to write the stories down, but to write well. I studied the craft of writing and worked to hone my skills.
How did you choose your pen name?
I combined a version of my name with a family name.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
Everywhere! My brain is wired to ask "what if" questions and to think about how people react in different circumstances. Characters show up in my imagination and introduce themselves.
What trope is your favorite to write?
Fish out of water—human women who find themselves in an extraordinary new world. Enemies to lovers. Fated mates.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
The satisfaction of seeing the story and characters come to life on the page.
What is your writing process?
I'm an intuitive/discovery writer who does minimal plotting. I write slowly but produce a fairly clean first draft.
What time of day are you most creative?
Morning
What is your ideal writing environment?
I do my best writing at my desk in my home office while wearing headphones and listening to the sound of thunder and rain. If I tried to write at a coffee shop, I'd be distracted by people watching.
As an author, what challenges do you face?
Falling down the research rabbit hole. Getting distracted by social media and email.
What is your least favorite part of being an author?
I'm an introvert and marketing can be challenging.
If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?
I wish human creators didn't have to contend with novels written by generative AI.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
I’d tell aspiring authors not to pay attention to anybody who says there’s only one correct way to do things.
Some people need outlines and beat sheets in order to make progress. Other people find that their creative muse goes on strike if they try to outline a book.
Some people will urge you to write a rough and dirty first draft and absolutely not to edit as you go. That may work for many people, but others need to edit as they go or they stall out.
We’re all different. No advice works for everybody. It takes time and experimentation to figure out the writing system that works with and not against your inherent brain strengths.
Be willing to challenge your assumptions about what might work for you. Because I’m well-organized and like check lists, I thought I needed to outline. Wrong. Outlining shuts me down. My best advice is to feel free to ignore advice that doesn’t work for you and how your brain is wired.
What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?
Romantic suspense
Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?
I weave real-life experiences into every book I write. In the Black Rock Guardians series, the Hagen women own and operate a bakeshop named after their Norwegian-American grandmother. My Norwegian-American grandmother passed down her love of baking to many of her grandchildren. The dog in Marked Under the Midnight Sun was based on and named after a friend’s dog. Many of the pets in my books are based on real-life animals. The Black Rock Guardians series features close relationships between cousins. I dedicated the series to my cousins, who were my best friends when I was growing up.
Which of your characters have special meaning to you?
It sounds like a cop out, but they all do. I especially love my most recent hero, Viggo Creed. I fully intended for him to be an intimidating, scary, bad guy. He refused to cooperate.
How do you come up with character names?
When I start writing a story, I often use a placeholder name for a character. If the name doesn't feel right—doesn't make me say, "Yes! That's it"—I wait until inspiration strikes or the character tells me their name. I keep a list of names I like and might want to use someday.
What is something you love to hear from your readers?
I love hearing that something in the story resonated with them, that they could relate to a character's journey, that the story gave them all the feels.
When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?
Rebecca Zanetti, Cat Porter, Kristen Ashley, JT Geissinger, Dannika Dark
Where can readers find you online?
Susanna's Stormers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1572291033136914
Website: https://susannastrom.com/
Do you have any current ARCs or free downloads readers might be interested in?
I have two works in progress that will eventually have ARCs available via BookSprout and Hidden Gems. All of my books are available both wide and to read for free in Kindle Unlimited.
What is your latest/upcoming release?
My latest release is a paranormal shifter romance: Marked Under the Midnight Sun. It's an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity story featuring a big, bad grizzly enforcer and the feisty human woman he's ordered to kidnap. I had a blast watching my two strong-willed, hard-headed characters butt heads and fall in love. Marked Under the Midnight Sun is book # 3 in my Black Rock Guardians series, but can be read as a standalone.
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marked-under-the-midnight-sun-susanna-strom/1144182813
Closing Thoughts
Family and community play an important part in all my books. Sometimes I write about siblings, cousins, and badass elders. Sometimes I write about unlikely people who bond together to create a found family.
The stories are character driven, but feature action, life-and-death situations, and unexpected moments of humor.
Characters fight their attraction to the "wrong" person, who turns out to be exactly the right person.
My books are steamy, but always include enthusiastic consent. I write about characters, themes, and situations that push my happy buttons. I hope they push yours.