BOOKBUSTERS | BookClub discussion

For the month of December, BookBusters will be reading Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Denard.! Feel free to post all of your feels and thoughts on this book as we read it together this month.

Don't forget to use the hashtag #DeadlyBusters in your social media.

The liveshow for the book will be on January 3rd @ 7:30 pm EST.

Time zone information:
US (EST - East Cost): 7:30 PM
US (CST - Midwest): 6:30 PM
US (PDT - West Coast): 4:30 PM
UK (London - Europe): 12:30 AM [January 4th]
Australia (Sydney): 11:30 AM [January 4th]
Canada (Toronto): 7:30 PM
China (Beijing): 7:30 AM [January 4th]

Along with the read along, Susan Denard will be answering questions by you! Please ask them under this topic, and she’ll answer your question/questions as soon as possible!

Sara wrote: "what were your emotions while writing this book?"

thanks for the question!

nooo for me is it 1 AM 0.0 :'(

Thanks for the question, Sara!

So, my emotions while writing the book were basically whatever Eleanor felt. I mean, I sink into my character's head while writing them--I liken it to method acting in that I literally BECOME the character as I draft. So whatever Eleanor felt, I felt alongside her--throughout the whole series. :)

Do you have any tips for aspiring authors? Thanks! :)

Thanks for the question, Hannah! I actually have a HUGE list of resources for aspiring authors on my website (http://susandennard.com/links/for-wri...) and I offer weekly tips in a newsletter as well. :)

My BIGGEST tip is to read widely and often! That might seem obvious, but I really think it's the most important piece in the writing puzzle. Understanding story--not just in a specific genre but across all genres and nonfiction as well--is CRITICAL to being a skilled storyteller. Plus, reading widely and often teaches us various tropes (good ones and bad ones), common structures, the flow of various styles, etc. The more you read, the more you absorb that information until it's as natural to you to create as it was to the author. :)

How did you come up with this idea and the characters for this book?

Fun question, Nicole! So...it's sort of a silly/cliché answer...but...the idea for Something Strange and Deadly actually from a dream! You know how you have those dreams that, when you wake up, leave you feeling changed? They sit with you the rest of the day(or week), and something about those emotions just needs to be tapped into ?

Well, in this dream, I had an older brother who was missing, and I knew I would do anything to find him--even join that weird team of outcasts (yes! This really was in my dream!). So then I took that initial idea and "fleshed it out" into a full idea. :D

omg! If your still answering questions, were you ever worried at all when you finished your first book leaving Eleanor (SPOILER ALERT)!!!!!!!! with one hand? Also id like to mention that that was a shock so was like the cherry on to for me! loved it! And did you have it planned out whilst writing the first book that she was always going to loose her hand and that would take us to the second book where she could develop her necromancy?