1--What is the title of your latest release?
DEEP TIME
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A life-changing raft trip through the Grand Canyon inspires Lauren to become a geologist. She thrives on the adventures which geology affords her: studying undersea volcanoes; shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park; and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples. When Mount St. Helens awakens, Lauren scouts a perfect site for observing the volcano. On a Saturday in mid-May 1980, Lauren, her husband, and her best friend wait for the mountain to erupt, but Mount St. Helens remains annoyingly quiet. On Sunday the volcano erupts with epic power, and Lauren’s life is upended irreversibly.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
The life of a graduate geology student is adventurous, as is that of a working geologist. The settings for Deep Time are the Grand Canyon; East Texas; Atlantic Ocean; Caribbean Sea; Guadalupe Mountains National Park; Oregon; Washington; Mount St. Helens; Colorado. Geologists are outdoor people!
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Sure, if I could keep up with her! She would also be fun to interview, since she's explored so many interesting places.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Vulnerable; smart; beautiful.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
In 1980 geologists could not predict when Mount St. Helens would erupt or with how much power, despite their monitoring of the volcano. Forty-five years later, geologists are better able to predict volcanic eruptions--but not perfectly.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I do both, although I think waiting a while to have a fresh perspective on your own writing is valuable.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I'm trying to be a good vegan, but I love plain Greek yogurt with honey drizzled over it. Not vegan!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My desk faces a window, and I see dog walkers and families with children pass by on their way to a small park or open space. Shelves with books and files line all the walls. A beautiful wool rug hangs above one of my bookshelves. It depicts a scene of village women from the tiny country of Lesotho, which is in the middle of South Africa. I love spending time in my office.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
All the great books I read have changed my life. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and The Covenant of Water are two recent books that affected me and the way I interact with life.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
She Writes Press is a curated hybrid publisher. When my editor complimented my changes and revisions, I knew my book was on the road to publication!
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Literary fiction.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Out of Africa
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall (in a four-season climate).
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I like to celebrate with a small group of friends or relatives over dinner--not a big hoop-de-doo.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Drive My Car is a long, wonderful Japanese movie that I saw recently, but it was released in 2021.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Mexican food. Guacamole and pico de gallo are two vegan concoctions that are delicious, healthful, and addictive!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Hike, walk, and travel.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I've started a Substack column that focuses on life's quirkiness and humor. I post every Wednesday.
A Novel
For adventurous fiction lovers, this debut novel tells the story of a young geologist working with ancient rocks who finds herself in present mortal danger when Mount St. Helens erupts with catastrophic power.
After an inspiring trip to the Grand Canyon, Lauren Brown falls in love with geology—so much so that she convinces her husband, Kenny, to follow her from Philadelphia to East Texas, where she enters a male-dominated graduate program at Texas Polytechnic. Lauren thrives on the adventure geology affords her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples—but at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.
When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. The dream event of a lifetime is at hand. On a Saturday in May, she and Kenny, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens.
The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
Fiction Adventure [She Writes Press, On Sale: May 6, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781647429164 / ]
Susan Sizer Bogue is a lawyer-turned-writer who has published many humorous essays and written the script for the musical The Christmas of the Phonograph Records. This is her first novel. She lives in the Denver, Colorado, area.
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