Author Susan Harris Howell
As a psychologist on faculty at a small university in Kentucky, Author Susan Harris Howell has loved teaching and mentoring young adults for over thirty years. The Spirit of Vanderlaan draws on that career to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a psychology professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
Howell has published extensively in her professional areas of expertise – psychology and equality between women and men. Her first book, “Buried Talents”, was published by InterVarsity Press and was named a winner in their 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
She and her husband have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. While Doc doesn’t understand a word she says, he fully supports her books and the messages they convey.
This is Author Susan Harris Howell’s writing and publication journey in her own words…
I’ve been writing for decades, but all of it until recently has been non-fiction. As a college professor, my writing has focused on translating psychological information into readable articles for those who aren’t professionals in the field.
In fact, I never saw myself as a fiction writer, until a student challenged me to give it a try. I couldn’t be more grateful, because now I’m hooked!
The inspiration for this novel came from a student when we learned that he lived in a dorm room that I had lived in as a student. He and I agreed that a novel in which not one, but several students mysteriously lived in their favorite professor’s former rooms would be great fun as they unravel how and why this “coincidence” happened. When I couldn’t shake the idea, I wrote it!
Challenges as an Author…
The biggest challenge so far has been writing both of my books while still working full time. I love my work as a college professor, and I also love writing; both are incredibly rewarding. But dividing my time between the two has been exhausting, so I’ve recently decided to retire from my university position after this academic year and make writing my “day job.” As hard as it will be to leave my work on campus, I’m thrilled to get more time to write.
Howell’s favourite quote from “The Spirit of Vanderlaan”…
“If [her students] only knew how many times she had wanted to flat out scream, No! For the love of all that’s holy don’t do that! they would appreciate the level of restraint of which she was capable.”
Howell’s published works…
The Spirit of Vanderlaan (Set for release on December 2, 2024, and open now for pre-orders through Amazon).
Buried Talents (This is my first book and it can also be purchased directly through my website susanharrishowell.com ).
Any plans to publish further works any time soon?…
Definitely! I have started writing my sequel to Vanderlaan, The Hayes Spirit. It’s already so much fun. I can’t wait for readers to follow Samantha and her crew into their next mystery!
One thing that Howell has achieved in her writing career that she’s proud of…
I couldn’t be more pleased that Buried Talents has garnered such good reviews. Readers tell me it provides clarity and puts into words many of the gendered experiences they have had. And I am proud to have written a novel. If you had asked me 10 years ago if this was in my future, I would have thought it impossible.
Words of advice from Author Susan Harris Howell for aspiring authors…
Keep reading and writing. Read in the genre you want to write in and read books on the craft of writing. And then of course put all that you learned into practice by writing and honing your skill.
