Matley Publishes First Novel

PRESCOTT – Best known locally as western singer Cimarron Sue, of the traditional cowboy music duo Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue, Prescott's Susan Matley has been acting, singing, and writing most of her life. With the release of her fiction novella Small-g City later this week, she will add the title of published novelist to her long list of achievements.

Matley says her love of creative writing began when her sister taught her the alphabet at three years old, but she began writing with the intent to publish in 1996. She sold her first short story, "I Saw Him Kissing Another Man's Wife," to True Love Magazine in 1997 at three cents a word.

Matley's writing sales increased significantly when she moved from romance to the speculative-fiction genre. These days, she says her writing falls into one of two tracks – sci-fi/fantasy or western history. Her first published novel falls into the first category.

"I've always liked what's called 'sociological science fiction.' A sub-genre that's less concerned with technology/space opera and more concerned with human relationships and the world," Matley said. "My early influences were C. S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, the old 'Twilight Zone' television episodes, and lots of stuff in between."

"Small-g City" started as a short story, about ten years ago, and just kept growing, Matley said. With the first draft written, Matley set the story aside for years, before picking it back up in 2010. She submitted the novel to WolfSinger Publications in June 2010 and learned that it had been accepted in December 2013.

Matley said she often receives suggestions to self-publish her works but has opted not to take that route because she finds value in the editorial process.

"I've spent years working in theater, writing and music. I've learned that if you can't take constructive criticism, you don't grow," she said.

Matley stuck with the author's rule of "writing what you know" as she developed her novel.

"'Small-g City' started off as a short story called One Block Story because it was going to happen within the confines of one city block of downtown Seattle," she said. "Then, two characters, who survived the cut for 'Small-g City,' crossed the street. The story grew from there.

"I worked in downtown Seattle in the mid-1980s, so the world of the story is a combination of what I saw then and what I saw in early 2011 when I was putting the final touches on the manuscript," Matley added.

Matley's book is written for adults but she says it will likely appeal to older teens as well.

"The book, though written with a comic hand, centers on people facing crisis in their jobs and relationships," Matley said. "If you've experienced those things, chances are good you'll identify with the characters."

As for the title, Matley explained that "Small-g" refers to lesser ranked Olympian gods like structurelings and weather gods, as opposed to "Big-g" Gods like Zeus and Hera. In her novel, Ralph, a "small-g" god is the only one aware that Seattle is on the brink of disaster.

Ralph is suffering from job burn-out and is unsure if he can continue his job of reinforcing Seattle's notorious highway, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, by disbursing his molecules throughout the unstable and hazardous structure.

Matley said has completed a sequel which has also been submitted to WolfSinger for consideration. "Yes, there are plans for a third in the series," she said.

"Small-g City" is scheduled to be released Friday, Aug. 14 and will be available at Amazon.com in print and Kindle versions, in print at Barnes&Noble.com and in eBook format through Smashbooks.com.

Small-g City (back cover blurb):

Seattle is on the brink of disaster, but nobody knows it! Nobody except Ralph, a "small-g" god from Olympus, Inc.

Ralph suffers from extreme job burn-out, and no wonder- -his job is to reinforce Seattle's notorious raised highway, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, by disbursing his molecules throughout the unstable and hazardous structure.

But Ralph's molecules are feeling the pull of reconstitution. Will he survive one more agonizing rush hour without resuming his humanoid form and emerging from the viaduct, sending thousands of commuters to their deaths? And what about the familiar shadow hovering over him? If Zeus (Olympus, Inc., CEO and the Biggest of Big-G Gods) is spying on him, all Tartarus is sure to break loose!

Small-g City (back cover blurb):

Seattle is on the brink of disaster, but nobody knows it! Nobody except Ralph, a “small-g” god from Olympus, Inc.

Ralph suffers from extreme job burn-out, and no wonder- -his job is to reinforce Seattle’s notorious raised highway, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, by disbursing his molecules throughout the unstable and hazardous structure.

But Ralph’s molecules are feeling the pull of reconstitution. Will he survive one more agonizing rush hour without resuming his humanoid form and emerging from the viaduct, sending thousands of commuters to their deaths? And what about the familiar shadow hovering over him? If Zeus (Olympus, Inc., CEO and the Biggest of Big-G Gods) is spying on him, all Tartarus is sure to break loose!