Local author releases new "Big-G" novel

WALLA WALLA—Susan D. Matley will celebrate the publication of her latest book, “Crisis In Big-G City” with a book-signing at Book & Game Company in Walla Walla on September 23. It is the fourth book in a series that began four years ago with a modest novella entitled, “Small-g City.”

That first book introduces us to a cast of lower-rank immortals (small gods) whose job it is to keep the world’s precarious mortal infrastructure intact. This includes Ralph, a small-g who is responsible for modern Seattle’s 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. His daughter, Veronica Zeta, is gunning for the position.

Area residents may remember Matley as a former resident of Prescott, with late husband Bruce Matley. They performed for a number of years as the music duo “Nevada Slim and Cimmaron Sue.” Matley now lives in Walla Walla with her cat, Hoosegow.

Matley has created a fictional, yet recognizable, world in her novels, populated by small-g’s, like Ralph, and big-G’s, such as the familiar Zeus, his wife, Hera, and their son, Ares, the god of war. They are all entertainingly caught up in family drama and corporate intrigue. Themes of friendship, romantic love, and familial love touched on in the first book are developed in the later books. Matley’s work falls under the umbrella term of speculative fiction – which includes fantasy, science fiction, or any other style that combines reality with elements which alter it in some way.

In 2019, Matley had no idea how many other books the story would spawn – or if it would spawn any. Fortunately, she found a micro-publisher, WolfSinger Publications, which specializes in fantasy and science fiction, and the story kept spinning out. After “Small-g City,” came “Big-G City,” and “Beyond Big-G City.” Matley already has a fifth book in progress, and even has a title picked out: “Justice in Big-G City.” Each subsequent book is thicker than the last.

“You’re never really finished,” she says. It’s just like our own lives. You might end up meeting your long-lost father you’ve never met, but then that leads to other questions.” Characters that started out as minor players now figure prominently in the latest book, she says.

In the latest book, climate change takes center stage when the goddess Athena’s Secret Ops program comes to the rescue with an eleventh-hour carbon-curbing solution. Meanwhile, David Bernstein, a down-and-out barista introduced in the first book, has discovered that he’s the son of an immortal mother and a mortal father and is now on a journey back in time to recover the memory of a century-old love affair. Talk about drama and intrigue.

Matley’s interest in Greek mythology began in the third grade, when a reading lab assignment put her in touch with it for the first time. She has spent her life researching and learning about the pantheon ever since, and this influences her writing in the series, as does the work of other authors. For the latest release she borrowed elements from the writing of early 20th-century American writer, H.P. Lovecraft.

“I don’t particularly like Lovecraft,” she says. “His language is too polysyllabic. I don’t like fiction that depends on its own vocabulary. But his plotlines can be very good.”

This squares with one of the things which Matley considers important when reflecting on ways she has grown as an author.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to be a writer if you don’t enjoy reading. And you have to read from a variety of sources. Keep your mind inquisitive and open. Also, I think I’ve worked harder to develop compassion for characters I don’t agree with, or who I think are downright evil in a general sense.” Every character has internal motivations worth understanding for the story, she asserts.

Her advice for aspiring writers includes the discipline of daily writing, getting plenty of exercise, and drawing on one’s own experience.

“Everything you’ve been through in your whole entire life is useful. You can draw on all of that. Some people say write what you know. But if you’re interested in a subject that you’re not familiar with, don’t be shy about asking people who are experts in that field. People love to talk about what they do and why.”

Aside from the Big-G series, Matley is always working on other writing projects. More information, along with an interesting blog series, can be found on her website, http://www.susandmatley.com. She is excited to be doing an interview with KPTZ Radio in her hometown of Port Townsend, Washington on October 8.

“Crisis in Big-G City” can be found at Book & Game Company and Earthlight Books, both on East Main in Walla Walla, and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Better yet, meet Susan at Book & Game on September 23 from 11am to 2 pm for an autographed copy.