Chance meeting leads to publication of novel
Before Susan Edwards found a publisher for her novel, she experienced a challenge faced by many writers: rejection.
Her fiction-writing career was recently launched with the romance novel "Surrender," which she penned in the '90s and kept "in a drawer" for 15 years.
The manuscript was dusted off one day after an editor from book publishing company Ingram Elliott strolled into Wildhair Studios' Rock Shop -- the store Edwards runs with her husband in downtown Paducah.
During the chance encounter, Edwards was asked a critical question: "You wouldn't happen to be an author, would you?"
"We're always looking for authors we can build a connection with, and she reflected our passion," said marketing director Tiffany Elaine. "We like to work with authors who love writing as much as we love reading."
Edwards, who had self-published a nonfiction book, hesitated before answering.
"I had actively marketed (the novel) and had the classic stack of rejection letters," Edwards said. "By serendipity, she had just walked into the store."
Edwards said she's now found her niche in romance writing under the pseudonym Susan K. Morgan.
The author said "Surrender" is about a woman who thinks she has life figured out, only to realize happiness and comfort don't always go hand-in-hand.
"Jessica is already locked into this upcoming marriage," Edwards said. "Once the wedding plans gain momentum, she feels trapped â ¦ She meets someone new, and as you can imagine, chaos ensues.
"She has to make some decisions and grow up -- decide what's going to make her happy."
Edwards said "Surrender" took her 30 days to finish once she found that initial momentum.
"It was almost like I couldn't write it fast enough," she said. "The characters took a life of their own."
A St. Louis native, Edwards moved to Paducah with her husband in 2003, opening Wildhair Studios' in 2004 before temporarily closing and going to the National Quilt Museum as director of marketing.
She credits her career for her professional attitude towards writing but said she's always preferred fiction and inspiration over advertising copy and client newsletters.
"I'm at a place in life now where it's very clear that I want to be a writer," she said. "I didn't know that I was ready 15 years ago, but I am now. It's my calling."
