Have an aesthetic board for Jen 😁 I've never made aesthetic boards before, but have wanted to make them for our primary gang for a while! It was fun tracking down various photos and quote images that represent the gang. By the way, I'm keeping the sale on the paperback through Cyber Monday! If you want a physical copy of the book, now's the time to snag one! ~~~ #aestheticboard #yafantasy #yafantasyauthor #fantasybooks #urbanfantasy #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #indieauthorsofinstagram #indieauthors #amwritingfantasy #yaauthorsofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #book1 #bookstagram #books4life #yareads #blackfridaysale #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #jenmonroe https://www.instagram.com/p/CWz7eGirsbc/?utm_medium=tumblr

I got mighty inspired by @cnvair and her post about her book’s starting point. Mine is, painfully admittedly, much longer of a tale, with the first draft originating back in December of 2008. I think back to that old draft and cringe. It’s poorly written and the overarching themes were barely there. I wrote things in that I thought were necessary but just bogged down the story. I’m still kinda shocked that anyone who read the original storyline enjoyed my less-than-stellar writing. But, I like to think that #cringe happens because we acknowledge that we’ve grown. That’s how I’m viewing it anyway. With t-minus 23 days till launch day, terror and anxiety are rising. Here’s hoping that I can keep it together! ~~~ What’re you working on friends? Anything fun for your weekend? ~~~ #authorsofinstagram #author #writer #writersofinstagram #amwritingfantasy #fantasy #fantasybooks #creatober #yafantasy #yafantasyseries #yareads #ifyouwriteittheywillread #hopefully #booklaunchcountdown #book1 #howfarwevecome #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #wordcount #beforeandafter #modernfantasy #fantasystory https://www.instagram.com/p/CU0r6w3Jqod/?utm_medium=tumblr

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

Next up for #characterintroduction is Tyron! ~~ Well trained and dedicated to his task, Tyron won’t let anything get in his way. He’s sure to stand firm against any opposition. He strikes a level of fear into others who don’t know him and commands a room with relative ease. Little scares him. He fights with the knowledge that if he fails, others likely will die. And that’s unacceptable to him. He’s seen enough of life to know what’s worth fighting for and what’s not. ~~~ Tyron was one of the first characters to pop into my noggin back in middle school. He's grown a lot since then, as have his motivations and goals. You can check out his full character sheet here: http://bitly.ws/geVV ~~~ Just another shoutout to @michaella_the_artist! All character and bestiary sketches were done up by her. Give her a follow if you haven't already! #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #youngadultbooks #fantasybooks #yafantasy #charactersheet #charactersketch #tyron #chiefmastertyron #thementor #teamleader #zaheri #definitelyscreaminginternally #imheretothrowcarsatdragonsandkickbutt #andimalloutofcars #harbinger #handtohandcombat #elite #pronouncedtieron #nafantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/CTgnjUYsz9D/?utm_medium=tumblr

Happy Black Friday friends! The Rise of the Raidin is $2 off! The paperbacks and ebooks are on sale 🙂 The link's in my bio’s linktree! ~~~ #blackfriday2021 #blackfridaybooksale #booksale #blackfridaysale #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #book1 #bookstagram #fantasybooks #yaurbanfantasy #authorsofinstagram #urbanfantasy #debutnovel #amwritingfantasy #authorsofig #authors #indieauthor #indieauthorsofinstagram #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuu-9grZCj/?utm_medium=tumblr

The Pinkerton makes for a good model. Sometimes. ~~~ The Rise of the Raidin has been out for a little while now! Reviews are starting to come in, which is great. And we’re nearly into my favorite season: Christmas! ~~~ #pitbullsofinstagram #dogsandbooks #yafantasy #yaurbanfantasy #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthors #fantasybooks #bookstagram #thepinkerton #book1 #authorsofinstagram #fantasyauthorsofinstagram #debutnovel #indieauthor #kdpauthor #authorlife #writersofinstagram #amwritingfantasy #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin https://www.instagram.com/p/CWq2Oq1Jr3Z/?utm_medium=tumblr

On November 30th I’m having my first meet & greet/book signing! ~~~ I’m a tad nervous about this. It’s a 2 hour event and I’m not 100% sure what to expect, or what others will expect of me. I hate reading in front of people, and I’ve never read aloud anything from my books. Soooo…I guess we’ll do our best? ~~ If you can make it, I’d love to see you there!! ~~~ #meetandgreet #aboutme #booksigning #localbusiness #smallbusinesssupport #smalltownbookstore #yafantasy #yaurbanfantasy #urbanfantasy #yareads #sellersvillepa #yaauthorsofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #book1 #booklaunch #authormeetngreet #amwritingfantasy #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #imabitnervous (at The Next Chapter Bookstore Sellersville PA) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWgarpQJl3K/?utm_medium=tumblr

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

There's some new faces here, so I figured I'd do a little #aboutme post 😊 ~~ You can call me Susan, Sue, Susie, Zuzu, literally anything similar to my name and I'll respond. (Yes, there's a whole group of people that refer to me as Zuzu. Lookin' at you Alaska crew). I'm a pretty big nerd, and love me some fandoms. What fandoms am I part of? Stargate, Narnia, Kingdom Hearts, Lord of the Rings, Dragon Age, Star Trek, and Disney to name a few. I have been known to geek out about any and all of the above with friends, family, and random strangers while waiting in line at amusement parks. I'm the middle of four kids (my older brothers are twins), a born and raised Pennsylvanian (so I love me my Wawa coffee and rep the Eagles and Phillies with pride), and archery is a favorite hobby, right up there with photography. Got any questions? Ask away! ~~ #book1 #bookstagram #yafantasy #yafantasyauthor #yareads #askaway #whoami #booklaunch #fantasybooks #urbanfantasy #debutnovel #allowmetoreintroducemyself #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #yaauthor #fantasyauthor #writerscommunity #authorssupportingauthors #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #theagerian #susanlmarkloff https://www.instagram.com/p/CWUvfkYMUvi/?utm_medium=tumblr

Why did I have art on the chapter title pages? My favorite books have had smatterings of artwork throughout the book. And as I was teaching myself typesetting, I kept staring at this huge blank space for the chapter pages. So I thought through what I wanted to fill that space with, and ultimately landed on the beautiful dragons that @michaella_the_artist sketched up. ~~ Do you guys have a favorite of the three dragons? I know I do! ~~~ #dragons #dragonsketch #readerquestionswelcome #askaway #book1 #debutnovel #whydidi #bookchapter #chapter #typesetting #yareads #yafantasy #fantasybooks #yafantasyauthor #writersofinstagram #writersofig #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #yabooks #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin https://www.instagram.com/p/CWSE2IHs7Oj/?utm_medium=tumblr

Disney World is, without a doubt, a favorite place of mine. I knew I was going to have a celebration for myself at Disney when the book launched. And I’m so glad I did! ~~ #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #authorsofig #authorssupportingauthors #book1 #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #yafantasyauthor #fantasybook #fantasyauthor #yareads #yaurbanfantasy #urbanfantasy #debutnovel #bookstagram #booktok #booktube #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #wdw #disneyworld #amwritingfantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/CWH9goqs6ev/?utm_medium=tumblr

Why did I do chapter titles? There's a weird story here. The earliest draft of The Rise of the Raidin had chapter titles. And then for like...ten years, any of the following drafts didn't. And then when it came time to start the publication process, I pulled chapter titles into existance again. I really love chapter titles, so I honestly don't know why the bulk of my drafts have them absent. I desire to be clever, and try to work in easter eggs into the chapter titles, especially with the later books. Points to songs that were inspiration for the chapter, for a scene, or for characters whose relationships grow in that chapter are littered in the later books. There's a little of that in The Rise of the Raidin, but not nearly as much as in later books (especially books 3-5). ~~ Do you have a favorite chapter title? Why? Is there a chapter you have a better title for? I'm all ears! ~~~ #chaptertitles #readerquestionswelcome #askaway #whydidi #book1 #debutnovel #toc #yareads #yafantasy #fantasybooks #fantasyauthor #amwritingfantasy #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorsofig #writersofig #yaauthorsofinstagram #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin https://www.instagram.com/p/CWFcjc5LJ5T/?utm_medium=tumblr

I made it to my favorite park! ~~ The Rise of the Raidin has been out for about a week now! Have you started reading it? What’re your thoughts? ~~ If you happen to be in MK today, give a wave and a holler! ~~ #bookstagram #booksanddisney #disneyworld #wdw #imcelebrating #booklaunch #book1 #yafantasy #yareads #winterreads2021 #debutnovel #fantasybook #yaurbanfantasy #urbanfantasybooks #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #theagerian #amwritingfantasy #fantasyauthor #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CWEL-zxJFkK/?utm_medium=tumblr

Lots of people have been asking me about this. We had an impromptu hang out/launch party on Monday night, and several friends and family said I should take time off and unplug and reward myself for reaching launch day. And I intend to! I leave for Florida tonight! I'll spend three days in Clearwater visiting dear friends @katehasbrouck and @dhasbrouck1, and then I'll be off to Orlando for five days to celebrate publishing The Rise of the Raidin at Disney World! ~~~ The Rise of the Raidin has been out for 5 days - anyone get a chance to read it yet? Thoughts, questions, comments? ~~~ #book1 #booklaunch #debutnovel #yafantasy #yareads #yabooks #yabookstagram #bookstagram #booktok #booktube #fantasybooks #urbanfantasy #dragons #imgoingtodisneyworld #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #writersofinstagram #writersofig #amwritingfantasy #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4keqHLzK2/?utm_medium=tumblr

Why did I make a glossary? Quite honestly, a glossary has existed since the very first draft of The Rise of the Raidin that I cobbled together back when I was nineteen. Even then, I knew I wanted to have an accessable thing in the book to provide readers with descriptions of creatures, people, and places in the world of Tilion. That said, by the time we get to book 5, the glossary is pretty dang substantial. My story editors and beta readers can attest to that. ~~ Who's started reading #theriseoftheraidin? What're your thoughts so far? Do you like the glossary addition? ~~~ #readerquestionswelcome #askaway #debutnovel #whydidi #glossary #bestiary #yafantasy #yafantasyauthor #yaurbanfantasy #urbanfantasy #yareads #newyareleases #novemberrelease #fantasybooks #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #thehumanbornera #susanlmarkloff https://www.instagram.com/p/CV191BYLpJH/?utm_medium=tumblr

"Susan L Markloff has pulled off a fantastic story here, with depth of plot and characters that leave you wanting to read more. Young Adult Fantasy readers will find a whole world to love in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯, and the premise fits nicely within the genre. Superbly written, with great humor and attention paid to each character that makes the whole read thoroughly enjoyable." - ManyBooks ~~ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯 launched yesterday! Did you get a copy of it? If not, here's a handy-dandy link for ya 😉: http://bitly.ws/hUyi ~~~ #releaseday #book1 #booklaunch #bookstagram #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #fantasybooks #urbanfantasy #yaurbanfantasybooks #bookreview #editorialreview #manybooks #manybooksreview #debutnovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writerscommunity #yaauthor #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #theagerian https://www.instagram.com/p/CVw1eyiL_pO/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today's the day! The sun is shining! The tank is clean - wait. But legit, TODAY'S LAUNCH DAY! Grab a copy of The Rise of the Raidin today! http://bitly.ws/hUyi If you've purchased it and read it, leave a review so others can know what you think! ~~ #launchday #booklaunch #booklaunchday #yafantasy #yaurbanfantasybooks #yafantasyauthor #authorsofinstagram #yareads #writersofinstagram #amwritingfantasy #yawriters #bookstagram #bookrelease #book1 #fantasybooks #urbanfantasy #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #debutnovel #booktok #booksofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CVuNhI1sTp0/?utm_medium=tumblr

Happy Halloween friends! Halloween is @nancysmarkloff favorite holiday. As a kid I loved it, because it seemed like 90% of the houses in our area were decorated, and almost none of them were scary or gory. It’s not my favorite holiday, but that’s not gonna stop me from putting on my dinosaur costume and going around town with the littles visiting for trick or treating! ~~ #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writersofig #yafantasyauthor #yafantasywritersofinstagram #yaurbanfantasy #yafantasybooks #happyhalloween #halloween #bookstagram #book #booktok #booktube #authorlife #bookdropstomorrow #bookcountdown #thehumanbornera #theriseoftheraidin #yafantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/CVtOJHxJajN/?utm_medium=tumblr