Suki: It’s such a pleasure to talk to you, Renae. You always make me smile <3
Renae: I have been fan of Suki from her first release, This is Not a Love Story. So when I hear the words “new Suki Fleet story”, my heart goes bumpity-bumpity. Suki’s newest story is out in 8 days – count ‘em off!! So on the 16th of April, we’ll all get to experience, The Glass House.
At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it's not enough and everyday he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.
Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can't understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love, and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realises accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.
Renae: I like the imagery of the broken glass – is this how Sasha see himself?
Suki: Yes, Sasha identifies with being broken, but however hard he tries he can’t fix things on his own. Instead he gives up on himself. He becomes resigned and thinks that broken is just who he is.
His negative view of the world was initially what drew me to writing his story.
In the first few pages Sasha sums it up by saying: “I’d found my place in the hierarchy of things a long time ago.”
Thomas fights to show him there is no hierarchy.
Renae: I sense that Sasha has a tortured past. Is this correct?
Suki: Yes. Bad things happened to him. But Sasha overcomes them. This is probably one of the most uplifting stories I’ve written.
Suki: I like to see characters fight to overcome the most awful odds. I like to see them find a way to succeed when no one thinks they can.
The strength of the human spirit amazes me.
Renae: Would you classify this story as HEA? HFN? Not even “H”?
Suki: LOL. HEA all the way. (It’s got a bit of H for humour too!! XD)
Renae: Another theme I often see in your work is the unrequited love – or at least it seems that way to the character, that their love is not and will never be returned. How often do you think this happens in real life?
Suki: Oh I think it probably happens a lot, which is why I write it. I like to give my characters what real life can’t always give us.
Renae: Are you more comfortable writing in the YA genre?
Suki: Definitely. Young adult/new adult, that’s the genre I enjoy writing the most--the struggles with identity, the intensity and excitement of new experiences, the mistakes that come from inexperience.
Suki: I’m currently writing a story for the M/M goodreads DRiTC event.
After that I’ll come back to Foxes—my story about the kid who lives in an abandoned swimming pool looking for his best friend’s killer.
Renae: Where can people contact you?
Suki:
https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919609.Suki_Fleet
http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/
http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/
Renae: Thanks for coming along today and talking to me. Good luck with this release. I can’t wait!
Suki: Thank you so much for having me, Renae <3 <3 <3