An Interview with Susan Diane Black Blackmon: Author of Celey

Susan Diane Black Blackmon is a genealogist turned Historical Fiction writer. After publishing several volumes of family history, her older sister nudged her into writing a story based on some of the family stories she had collected. The result was Emma, the first in the Heritage Series. While Emma was still in the proofing stage, Blackmon began work on Celey, the second in the series. Each of her books is a stand-alone work, so there’s no set reading order.

When she isn’t writing, she works as an Income Tax preparer. In the off-season, she teaches a genealogy course at her local library.

Why did you want to write a book?

I had never considered writing a book. I’ve published several genealogy books, but that’s quite different. I planned to write a short story for my sister, so she’d stop bugging me and then get back to my family research. The next thing I knew, I was handing her a 247-page rough draft of Emma and already planning Celey.

Would you self-publish again?

Oh, definitely. My books may never be read by millions, but I want to preserve these stories for my family and self-publishing is a wonderful way to do that.

What do you think are the main pitfalls for indie writers?

Getting your story out to the public and getting it noticed. I’m thrilled that my family and friends love the books I’ve written and think that they are amazing; however, I think there are many more people who would love reading them if they knew they existed.

As a writer, what is your schedule? How do you get the job done?

I really don’t have a schedule. When I have the inspiration and the time, I write. When life is in the way, I think about what to write.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I walk away. I concentrate on my job as an income tax preparer. I pet my cats. I work on genealogy. I watch television. Anything that has nothing to do with what I’m writing about.

Tell us about the genre you wrote in, and why you chose to write this sort of book.

I chose Historical Fiction because my material is family stories, many of which are over 150 years old. While the history and stories are wonderful, they didn’t always paint a complete picture, so that’s where the fiction part came in.

How do your friends and family get involved with your writing? What do they think of your book?

My older sister is why I wrote the first book in the Heritage Series, Emma. I’ve researched our family for almost fifty years, and in that time, I’ve gathered a wealth of photographs and facts and dozens of stories. She “strongly” encouraged me to step out of my wheelhouse of genealogy and try my hand at historical fiction. The character, Celey, is based on my great-great-great grandmother and was introduced in the first book, Emma.

My family has been very supportive. They’ve contributed stories and tell EVERYONE they meet that they should buy a book! LOL

Why did you write about this particular subject?

As I said, the character of Celey is based on a 3rd great-grandmother. Her husband was murdered in 1851 in Arkansas, and I have the letter she wrote to her family in Texas detailing that horrific event. There has always been a lot of speculation as to the motive behind the murder. Celey offered a way to present my thoughts about what may have happened.

What did you learn on your journey as an author?

That people enjoy reading what I write. I’ve had some wonderful feedback from people about the books. One of my favorite things was a reader saying, “It gave me hope of love and of wrongs being righted.”

What’s next for you as an author?

Melinda, the third book in the Heritage Series, is based on Civil War letters that have been in my family for 160 years.