Author Spotlight: Susan Count

Susan Count writes at an antique secretary desk which belonged to the same grandmother who introduced her to horse books as a child. Today, she shares her love of horses through the pages of her award-winning Dream Horse Adventures series. 

Where did you grow up? 
I’m proud to say I am the daughter of a career Army officer. We moved every nine months except for one assignment in Hawaii. Transferring schools in the middle of terms meant being constantly disoriented and translated to only having superficial friendships of convenience. But the lifestyle galvanized me with tremendous strength and confidence to take on unknown challenges. I think the experience gives depth to my stories.

Did you read a lot as a child? 
My father was twice deployed to a war zone and left us with my mother’s parents in Falls Village, Connecticut. His mother, Charlotte Dann Count worked as a librarian in the same town. She recognized in me a love for horses and supplied me with the classic horse books. It wasn’t that I loved to read as much as I wanted to experience a life with a horse and the only way that could happen was in a book. 

What were some of your favorite authors and books? 
Anything horse. Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, Misty. And Saturday morning television fed my equine addiction with Fury, Flicka, The Lone Ranger, and Roy Rogers. Back in the day, all heroes rode horses.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I knew at an early age that my gifting was in composition. While I had a natural aptitude for vocabulary, punctuation skills evaded mastery. I used what literary skills I had in my everyday life, but had no career aspirations. When my children were born, I was completely, exclusively devoted to their well-being and education.

Tell us about some of the jobs you’ve had before you became a writer.
My first job was at a finance company where I learned that it is imperative to be responsible with credit. I loved being a secretary and organizing a work environment. Later, I earned an Associates Degree in applied science and worked as an x-ray technician. I never felt that it suited me and didn’t return to work after I was blessed with children. 

How did you get started writing? 
I’m always surprised to hear myself say, “I’m an author,” because I wrote a book by accident. In fact, if anyone had told me to write a book, I would have scoffed at the notion. Now there are three novels in the Dream Horse Adventures series. I started writing in a season of grief. Some days I wrote 100 words and others 800. The pain of my loss lifted and was replaced with sweet joy. I realized I was finally doing what I was born to do. I loved writing and I loved the story that seemed to magically flower on the page. It took me only three months to write my first book – Selah’s Sweet Dream. Then it took nearly two years to take it chapter by chapter to a critique group to shape it into an award-winning novel.

Why do you write books? 
I write because God has blessed me with gifts and abilities that He expects me to use for His glory. In the process, He gives me a great joy, a sense of a job well done, and a certainty that I have pleased my heavenly Father.

The real Selah and her painted dream.

What do you like best about writing? 
Three things: First, my heart is completely blessed to get to read my stories to my grandchildren. Second, it’s a sweet satisfaction when a child runs to my book table and expresses delight in discovering a new horse book. Third, I’m greatly humbled and appreciative when readers take the time to leave a review on Amazon to tell me how much they loved the book. All these things give me great joy and bring a smile that cannot be suppressed. They encourage me to write on.

What do you find the most challenging about writing? 
Meeting the expectations of people and conforming to the rules of publication. I was told by traditional publishing houses the market for horse books was saturated. 

What makes a good story? 
Experiencing the struggles of life through a character and seeing how the struggles change them. The relationship between Selah, her horse, and her grandfather is special, tender, and endearing. It is my calling to write wholesome books that take readers on a wild ride.

Where do you get your inspiration? 
The beauty of old age is the wealth of life experiences that enable me to layer nuance into a story so that it connects with readers of all ages. My grandchildren and my equine treasures keep the stories real. Horses have a strangle hold on my heart. I’m not sure if I was born with a love of horses or if I fell in love at first sight. I can’t imagine my life without my pasture ornaments and I hope to be able to ride them on the forest trails all the days of my life.

Tell me about your latest book. 
My new release is Selah’s Painted Dream. It was a great delight to write and I’m excited to share it with you. I stalked the artist, who lives in Moscow, to obtain the rights to the cover. Thirteen-year-old Selah’s life is about as perfect as it gets. She has horse friends at school, and on weekends, she rides her black mare on Grandpa’s farm. Training the horse to do upper-level liberty work is what makes her heart beat. But one word can ruin a perfect life—moving. A move would separate her from her horse, so she plots to get her name on the farm mailbox instead. She’s sure she could persuade Grandpa—except he’s overly distracted by a sheep-loving neighbor. Determined not to let Grandpa's new sweetheart take her place in his heart, Selah puts her hope in a painted dream horse from Grandpa’s past. When she snugs up the girth and buckles on her spurs, Selah rides to win.

What’s next for you? 
While I have another horse adventure book in the back of my mind, it has not made it to paper yet. My grandboys are clamoring for stories about them and have given me some hilarious moments to paint into their adventure story. The Firefly Warriors is in the process of being submitted to traditional publishing. Saddle up and ride along! 

For more information about Susan Count and her books, visit www.susancount.com.