“I love to write, so I want it to continue to entertain me and my readers.“
— Susan Toalson
A member of the Writers’ League for 15 years, Susan lives in Austin, TX.

Scribe: Welcome, writer! Tell us — what do you write?
Susan Toalson: Amateur sleuth mysteries. My protagonist is a 75-year-old woman who lives in Austin.
Scribe: If you could choose one author to blurb your book, who would it be, and what would you want it to say?
ST: Joyce Carol Oates! I’d want her to praise my character development and my sense of place.
Scribe: You have one book you’re allowed to push onto all of your friends, and they’re forced to read it to remain your friend — which one would you choose?
ST: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Scribe: Tell us your WLT story.
ST: I’ve taken so many great classes at WLT. The one I remember best is John Pipkin’s overview of how he plotted [his 2009 novel] Woodsburner.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
ST: I love to write, so I want it to continue to entertain me and my readers.
Scribe: Here at the WLT, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one book that has come out within the past few years that you couldn’t put down? (Bonus points if the book is Texas related!)
ST: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
ST: Designed for Murder is chock-full of Austin’s most iconic characteristics: food, music, people, buildings, weather, traffic, etc.! If you love Austin, you’ll love Designed for Murder!