Susan Tarr

Biography

I've been passionate about my writing for 25 years now, and usually have three books on the go.
I've had many adventures and careers but my interests are travel, tourism and mental health.
As I write, drawing from family and friends, my characters lead me to places I couldn’t imagine, so I relax and just let them form. The upshot of this is that they often become larger than life.
As a recipient of the New Zealand Creative Arts Award, 2012, I released, SEACLIFF a Regular Boy Within in 2013. This title was later released for the international market as PHENOMENA the Lost and Forgotten Children, followed by MIRANDA BAY, JACK just a regular dog in the dog house, FRIENDS to the END, and FRANCESCA the Room Upstairs.
Along with writing, I also edit, proofread and review for others.

Smashwords Interview

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Writing, reading, connecting with other authors and seeing what each new day brings.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have so many but these are among my most recent reads: John Steinbeck, Jojo Moyes, Joseph Heller, Janet Frame, Jodie Picoult, Bernice Rubens, Louis de Bernieres. Marian Keyes and so the list goes on...
Read more of this interview.

Books

This member has not published any books.

Smashwords book reviews by Susan Tarr

  • My Lady Love on Aug. 20, 2014

    I am hooked on Lesley’s delicate writing style. There’s no need for gore and ribald descriptions for a true romance to work. This story is a gentle romance with building intrigue. I thought I knew where it was heading, but then I didn’t. There was so much in the way the characters spoke and acted that reminded me of my younger life. Just like a real family. And the cameo shot of running a B&B in South Africa made me feel at home. The relationships between Alison, Peter, Claire and their family and friends read as genuine. So authenticity shines through the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this little book. Truly a love story, and a really cosy read as well.
  • Deadly Thyme on Oct. 28, 2014

    DEADLY IN THYME Rebecca Nolen A most compelling read. I would have to say it’s the best I have read for some time. And what a great voice. Nolen’s eloquent writing and jam-packed descriptions of the old English villages, of Cornwall, Devon, and Wales drew me right in. The colloquialisms, and, of course, the plots within plots, held me there. This story is not as simple as it may first appear. As in her other book, The Dry, Nolen carries the story along at a steady pace. We first have Annie, the little girl who has disappeared. Sure, her shoe is found on the foot of a dead child. But is that child Annie? The mother insists it is not. So we have two missing children? Yet no one has claimed the other. Annie’s mother is living under a false name. So what or who is she running from? And which of the villagers know the full story, and who’s not telling the whole truth? This is a comprehensive read, a real psychological thriller, and deserves readers who appreciate those combined quality. I know I did. Highly recommended.