Once again Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Susan Wakeford Angard author of On Wings of a Lion and now with her latest novel, The Persian Glories.

Susan graduated high school on the lot of Twentieth Century Fox Studio. During this time, she had leading roles in major television shows at Fox Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal and MGM.

Her fascination for Ancient art then led her to study for an art history MFA at UCLA. After leaving UCLA, Susan joined a family-owned TV Commercial Production Company, shooting consumer product commercials from McDonald's to Budweiser, Purina and Boeing.

She traveled much of the world filming on location, including in the Middle East during the last months of the Shah of Iran's regime. Susan became an eye-witness to the Islamic Revolution.

Her attraction to visual arts persisted leading to a career as an architectural interior designer and owner of an award-winning Los Angeles design firm and has won competitions on several episodes of Designer's Challenge, an HGTV design show.

Susan wrote briefly for CBS episodic television but with a need to tell her own stories, she changed genres to write fiction. During this time, she raced vintage autos, was director of a prominent Arts Décoratif Collectors Gallery as well as raising four children.

Norm: Good day Susan and thanks for participating in our interview

What inspires you?

Susan: What inspires me are people placed in situations and locations that are juxtaposed to their norm. What will happen? How will these people affect each other ?

What wonderful, horrible, funny, passionate, love or hate…so many possibilities!

I love beauty in nature, people, places and things, art, buildings, music.

Norm: What do you think most characterizes your writing, and how has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?  

Susan: What characterizes my writing, and how has my upbringing  colored my writing?

My father was a Jazz  Musician who played Tenor and Clarinet with famous big bands, in nightclubs.

My mother wrote radio mystery shows, and acted in amateur theatre like The Pasadena Playhouse.

Creativity was a norm in our home. Books were revered.

My mother read "Gone with the Wind" in one sitting. We three kids often learned to fin for ourselves.

But times were often slow, difficult. But my active imagination to create stories were lavish, adventurous and challenging.

Norm: Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing? 

Susan: Loved Play writers, and novelists who wrote big storytelling novels like, James Clavell;  Shogun, Noble House, Tai Pan and of course Whirlwind where I used his knowledge of Iran's geography for On Wings of a Lion. 

Norm: What has been the best part about being published? 

Susan: The story ripped from the headlines both during the revolution and now.  

Iran continuing to suppress women is backfiring with demonstrations against freedom for women—and all the citizens.

I love getting wonderful reactions from readers in fan letters, on social media like LinkedIn, and amazon reviews who love the book. Both beautiful book covers and positive reaction from so many people delight me.

Norm: What does your family think of your writing? 

Susan: My amazing family actually read my books and have just posted terrific reviews.(Those who are old enough) And I didn't have to ask.

Norm: The Persian Glories is your second novel. Was it easier or more difficult to write your second novel and how would it compare to the writing of On Wings of a Lion?

Susan: The Persian Glories follows Wings into an even more intense times as the villains no longer have to hold back their most evil deeds.

The Shah is out of power, risks are greater for our hero, Anthony and devastating for Kathryn. The lengths they go to are driven by their courage and determination even in the darkest moments.

I was so into these  characters-all of them that  the obstacles were not mine but theirs. I'm proud of the lengths they had to go through, the grit—and the outcome . . .Well, people will just have to read the electrifying saga. 

Norm: How much research went in to writing The Persian Glories and where did you look for background information?

Susan: Having been an eyewitness to the Islamic Revolution while Filming for Boeing with our film team, we witnessed the country go from beautiful well dress men and glamorous woman in lovely restaurants and breathtaking nightclubs to boys and girls playing in co-ed schools.

Within eight days we returned from Shiraz to find utter horror.

The books I used were,  William Shawcross, The Shah's Last Ride,  Fereydham Hoveyda, The Fall of theShah, Sattareh Fiarmanfermaian, Daughters of Persia others portraying the Iranian Tribunals murders of exceptional politicians.

And my memory was acute recalling street names, architecture, and mountain ranges and tribal camps.

Norm: Do you agree that to have good drama there must be an emotional charge that usually comes from the individual squaring off against antagonists either out in the world or within himself or herself? If so, please elaborate and how does it fit into The Persian Glories?

Susan: Charge or conflict in this book abound. In the beginning Anthony squares off with Mirdad in along coming fist fight. Assassins ordered by enraged Mirdad kill many.

Mirdad with evil Rena, his mother. Anthony with his enemies in the showdown. Kathryn and Rena, So many egregious matters blow-up into well deserved physical confrontations.

Don't want to give away story so I'll demure on more. 

Norm: If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be The Persian Glories?

Susan: Why buy this book?

1. "Amazing story! Great weaving of exciting action with actual historical events"

 2"The book is non-stop action and adventure for cover to cover. So hard to put down. Can't  wait for the next book to come out!!!"

3."Great read-adventure action history, love story—loved it-

4"Awesome!!!"

 5"This is a must read by terrific writer. Spellbinding.":Reader Reviews

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and The Persian Glories?

Amazon.com

Susan: This is Book is Two of the Persian Glories Saga. NEXT— Book three is in development. Below the Crescent Moon.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, if you could invite three authors (dead or alive) to your dinner table, who would they be and why?

Susan: Three only..!. Oscar Wilde, his unbelievable wit! Upton Sinclair, Albert Camus, and James Clavell.( need four)

 Norm: Thanks again and good luck with all of your endeavors

Follow  Here To Read Norm's Review of The Persian Glories