Chat with Mike: Author Susan D. Matley

Perusing a resume of Susan Matley's entire work history would be a kick. She has been an actress, an accountant, a family historian, a life-long journalist, and a musician. Her "right" and "left" brains have an effective partnership, which serves her well in the world of speculative fiction, but I'll get to that later.

Many readers will remember Matley as one half of the Cowboy song and poetry duo "Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue." I first met Susan in that role, but life has altered course since I last saw her.

She and her late husband Bruce Matley retired from Cowboy music in 2015, the year she published her first sci-fi/fantasy book, Small-g City, with Wolf Singer Publications. In 2016 she published a sequel entitled Big-G City.

In 2018, the Matley's decided to move from their home in Prescott to Walla Walla. Soon afterward, Bruce was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away in November of that year.

Bruce had always been the first-test reader for Matley's fictional stories. Adjusting to widowhood has been graced with the support and partnership of other writers, including Martin McCaw, a long-time Prescott resident now living in Walla Walla, and her high school creative writing teacher, the celebrated Japanese-American poet James Masao Mitsui, with whom she still corresponds.

Last December, the third book in the G-City series came out: Beyond Big-G City, and yes, there is a fourth book in the works.

"Writing is an anchor for me," Matley said during a recent visit. "It's my artistic expression, of course. But I have always been a writer. I have loved reading and writing basically ever since my big sister taught me to read."

Matley's writing career has spanned several genres, including poetry, American Western historical fiction, and a life-long interest in Greek mythology. Her research discipline, love of the ancient pantheon, and her own life experience have come together to create a fictional yet recognizable Seattle. Populated by members of the pantheon (both Gods and gods) who live, move, and struggle, impacting both the mortal and immortal worlds. Matley describes it as "speculative fiction" – a phrase of which I was not familiar.

"It's a broad category," she said. "Anything that combines reality with elements that alter reality in some way."

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and to a lesser extent, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are considered speculative fiction.

Matley's first book, Small-g City, introduces us to a series of Little-g gods who keep the world's precarious mortal infrastructure intact. Ralph is a Little-g god who is responsible for the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct. Meanwhile, Zeus, the CEO of Olympus, Inc., is ready for retirement and wondering if any of his immortal offspring can handle the job.

For anyone wondering, yes, I picked up the book. It's whimsical, imaginative, and at times hilarious. It also has me wondering whether the next bridge I drive over will hold up or not.

"It all started as a short story idea," she said. "At some point, I realized it needed to be a bigger story. The characters and the scope of the idea started to grow. I have always enjoyed Greek mythology since I was a kid, so that was a very organic way to expand the ideas. I didn't start out with the idea of a series of books. It just evolved."

It's still evolving. She is now working on the fourth book with the working title, Beneath Big-G City. She disciplines herself to write 1,500 words a day, five days a week. In addition to writing the G series books, her work is featured in two anthologies, also published by Wolf Singer.

"I have a small and loyal following," Matley said of her series so far.

In addition, she keeps up a weekly blog available on her website, http://www.susandmatley.com. Her site also contains a page entitled Bricks and Mortar, which is devoted to encouraging the support of local independent businesses in the age of growing internet commerce.

Accordingly, you can find Matley's books on sale at Book and Game Company and Earthlight Books, both on Main Street in downtown Walla Walla.

I have all three books in my possession. I'll enjoy keeping in touch with Susan D. Matley as I journey through her fictional world. Occasionally I may have questions, such as, "What job does Ralph have now that the Viaduct is gone?"