January Authors Who Knit: Susan Sleeman

To kick off the second year of featuring authors who knit, we check in with mystery author Susan Sleeman.

Susan, What’s on your needles right now?

Sad to say there is nothing on my needles right now. I’ve been swamped with book deadlines and the holidays. Hopefully I will have a break soon to begin projects for next Christmas. First up are little snowmen that my grandmother used to make. These have knitted bodies that cover Styrofoam balls. I am planning to make several of these for the children in my life for next Christmas. I’m going to start on them so hopefully I will have all of them finished by Christmas. With the way my schedule is going it will take that long. lol

What feels like your favorite/greatest knitting accomplishment?

I look at the first sweater I ever completed at my greatest accomplishment. I made the sweater for myself in high school using a luscious green angora yarn. It turned out really great and I wore it often. 

What feels like the worst knitting mistake/foible/wrong choice you’ve ever made?

Just about every project I started when I first learned to knit was a mistake. My grandmother taught me to knit and she was so patient. I remember on some of the more difficult projects we did together, tearing out stitches until the yarn was nearly frayed, but she sat next to me and kept encouraging me to move on. 

Straight or circular needles?

I’m a straight needle kind of gal. But then I’ve never knitted an afghan as my mother often did and I think if I did, I’d use circular needles for that project.

Metal or wood needles?

Metal.

White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate?

All, lol. Seriously, I love milk chocolate, but in the last year, I have changed my diet to eat healthier. So I limit chocolate most of the time, but when I have to give in, like on deadline weeks, I now eat dark chocolate.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee all the way. Tea only in iced form.

Have you written a knitting character? 

I have written a knitting character and the first book featuring her just released. Her name is Shannon McClain and she is the main character in the Creative Woman Mysteries series. This is an ongoing cozy mystery series featuring one main character who finds herself embroiled in a mystery that needs solving.

Shannon is a member of a wonderful group of women who get together to knit. The group is called The Purls of Hope as they formed to support one of their friends who was going through breast cancer. They are a vivacious group of women and I love to write about all of them. So far I have written A Deadly Stitch, Dog Gone Shame, and A Matter of Wife and Death in this series. As of this point, A Deadly Stitch is the only one that has released with the other two coming soon. You can learn more about the entire series, which is available in print or e-book format, by clicking visiting creativewomanmysteries.com. 

What’s the last thing anyone would suspect about your most recent book?

I have named one of my characters after a family member. I do this in almost all of my books. My sister particularly likes to be the evil villain in my mysteries and romantic suspense titles so she appears more often than others! Though I have to say, her hubby recently felt left out so he’s made his debut in Dog Gone Shame. 

Visit Susan's website and learn more about her books!