Quite a prolific writer of Vampire lore.
Please, introduce yourself. Tell us about your personal life, family, education.
My name is Sue Mydliak, and I live in Joliet, Illinois. I wasn’t always a writer, in fact, I used my artistic abilities in my jobs I held as a Paraprofessional in Special Education, for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This job I held for 19 years, working through preschool through my last 5 years in High School. It was during those times, actually 2011, that I wrote and published my first book, Birthright.
Growing up my passion was art, not writing. I enjoyed reading books, my favorite book was Helen Keller, and my friends and I used sign language to talk when we weren’t supposed to. Go figure, right? My mother was an artist and painted with oils. I have a few of her pieces hanging on my walls. So, that’s where I got my love of drawing from. Recess time was when I would draw in grade school, and the love of art continued throughout my school years. My drawing really improved as I got older and had one drawing published in Mississippi Crow magazine, Girl With Crow, was the name of it.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
In my spare time I would do jobs for other authors creating book covers and illustrating for children’s books. I still do. One that I work for mainly is with Denise Baran-Unland. I do her book covers for her YA series Cornell Dyer and the chapter images. I am working on another one for her as we speak.
Aside from the artistic part of me, I like to do gardening and create a sanctuary in my backyard with decorative yard pieces and a wide variety of flowers and vines.
Do you have hobbies? How did you get started in them?
My hobbies are many, I enjoy drawing, photography, writing, and watercolor. I got my love of art from my mother; she was a beautiful painter. Photography I started several years ago and found I had a real good eye for it. I entered a photography contest at the Starved Rock State Park and my photo I took of Ottawa Canyon placed 2nd. As for watercolor, started that in High school, I found it to be easier than acrylics, and oils, well…I wasn’t that brave. I was told at a watercolor class I took 5 years ago, that I paint like I am using oils, so maybe I would have done alright.
If you are a writer, are you an avid reader?
I used to be an avid reader. I have 3 Kindles which are loaded with books that I have yet to read. I do tell newbie authors that they need to read as many books as they can in the genre that they write in. It’s very helpful.
What is your ultimate writing goal as you see it today?
My goal, if I can get my muse to wake up to the idea again, is to get a book out every year like I used to when I worked. Since I’ve retired, I haven’t been in the mood much. I participate in an event called Burgoo Fest. It’s held in Utica, Illinois, where my fan base is. It holds over 350 vendors, all outdoors. I sell my books there every year, because my book Birthright takes place there, thus having a fan base in that vicinity. Every year my fans would come to my tent asking for the latest book. That’s why I have published a book every year.
Inspiration
What inspired you to write your first book?
I read Twilight. The books are better than the movies. Anyway, I was so into it, the whole vampire thing, and the genre was at an all-time high because of Twilight, but I thought to myself, “I can do this.” So in 2011, I published my first vampire novel.
How do you decide on the title of a book?
Not sure. It just comes to me. Knowing the storyline of your book helps with finding a title.
Have you developed a specific writing style and why?
I like writing first person. See, Birthright was writing in third and my publisher, Vamplit Publishing, wanted me to change all of it over to 1st person. That was challenge for my first time writing a book, but I met the challenge head on. I don’t know why I write all my books that way, I think it’s because I’m comfortable with it, and changing it, well, I don’t think I’d do very well. Besides, I am a retired teacher who is set in her ways.
About Realism
How much of your books is realistic and experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
I use emotions that I went through in my lifetime. The happy, the hardships, and love. I also like using fireplaces in some of my stories because I grew up with having one in my home, and they were a source of comfort then and still is. For anything that I had experienced in my life that I used in one of my books, I guess it would be the loss of my parents. In my Historical fiction series, Elspeth, she loses both her parents too and so I took myself back to that hurtful moments and put them into my book, so that when the reader reads that part it’ll be felt as a real emotion, and not one that was made up.
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?
Deborah Harkness. She wrote, A Discovery Of Witches, series. She, herself, is an historian, just like her main character is the book. So, not only is the book interesting, but you are also learning about Alchemy, witchcraft, and history that took place when she time traveled to find the Ashmole 782. Ashmole 782 is a real-life, 15th-century manuscript (often referred to as a “Book of Life”.) It’s housed in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. It serves as a central, enchanted plot device in Deborah Harkness’s All Souls trilogy, acting as a palimpsest; believed to contain the origins of witches, vampires, and daemons. I’ve read it at least 10 times.
Do you remember the first book you read?
Helen Keller. I was fascinated with her trials of being deaf, dumb, and blind, as how they referred to her. The whole learning sign language was so interesting, and who knew that, I too, would be working with deaf children and myself being almost deaf in one ear, and hard of hearing in the other.
Is there an author, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
I’d like to meet Anne Rice. I have a hardcover of her book, Interview with the Vampire, and she signed it. I’ve tried reading her books, one in particular, Queen of the Damned, but I couldn’t get past the first page. It was like reading Jane Eyre all over again, in that, it was slow to read. I like books that take off and lead me right into the story.
If you could not write, how would you express what you wish to convey through any stories?
My art. Art easily conveys emotions. Look at the Blue Guitarist by Picasso, or Van Gogh, in his Starry Night, such emotions.
When you see new authors struggling, what single piece of advice could you give them on a moment’s notice?
I tell them what has helped me, what editing software that’s free that’s very helpful, to read, read, and then read some more, especially in the genre they plan to write theirs. I also tell them, not often, but if you post anywhere on social media, use correct grammar. I see posts by new authors who don’t capitalize their “I’s”. I tell them if you’re telling people you’re a writer, do not post with grammar issues, because you’ll come across as being not a very good writer. Also, I’ll read over some of their work they post and let them know if sentences are too long or hard to read, watch the glue words that really don’t need to be used, and words being used way too many times.
Being Remembered
How do you want others to see you or remember you? Is it important to you?
Gosh, I never thought of that. It’s not really important to me what others think of me. I mean, if you like my work that’s gold right there, if not, so be it. I read a review of Birthright where she gave me 4 stars, but wasn’t thrilled with it, and thought maybe I used Al. That annoyed me, because Al wasn’t about in 2011 when I published it. It’s like with anything you create. Your work is not going to please everyone, it’s just not. Enjoy those who like it and move on with the ones who think otherwise. In the end, if I wanted to be remembered, it would have to be that they enjoyed my books, and that maybe they shared them with others.
Do you have a blog or website viewers can visit for updates, events and special offers? Include HTML links to any and all of your sites.
I have an author’s website that lists my books with links to my books, and events when they happen.
http://www.suemydliak.wordpress.com
See her other books, with some translated into other languages on her Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sue-Mydliak/author/B008ADS99I?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1772397902&sr=1-2&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=1d1cea18-90eb-430b-9f95-0528fad9c080
Sue’s Excerpt from the historical fition, Elspeth, here on this site: https://writeanygenre.com/2026/04/15/sue-mydliak-3/