A Home in the Portuguese Sun : Author Suzy Turner talks about books, life in Portugal and missing England...

I had the pleasure of meeting Suzy when I owned Magna Carta Bookshop in the Algarve (an English Bookshop). I really admire Suzy's creativity, talent and incredible hard work. So, I'm so happy to have her as guest in my new blog!

Suzy, tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up living in the Algarve.

Hi Susana! I actually moved to the Algarve when I was ten years old, I've been here 30 years now, but I do miss England terribly, especially now that I have numerous nieces and nephews. I'm very fortunate to be a self-published author and lifestyle blogger - I have a very supportive husband!

What type of books do you write?

I write YA urban fantasy and chick lit but I am considering branching out and trying out some different genres, but I'll use a pseudonym for those.

How many books have you published to date?

Eleven.

Are any of your novels set in Portugal?

Most of my books are set primarily in England but all have some kind of link to Portugal - whether it's a Portuguese character or the characters come to Portugal on holiday.

Are you working on a book at the moment?

Actually I've been working on three different novels but I've had quite a lazy summer lol. Aphrodite's Closet is my next chick lit novel, Paloma Black is the fourth and final book in The Raven Saga and the third book is a bit of a secret at the moment ;)

If you could have dinner with a well known author, who would it be and why?

Probably JK Rowling simple because she is absolutely amazing. I just love her and Harry Potter continues to be my all time favourite book series.

What was the last book you read and how would you rate it?

I just read a book called Shore House Slumming. It was enjoyable but lacked a bit of a depth.

What do you love most about Portugal?

I like that it's relatively quiet - apart from in August!

What do you miss about the UK?

My family, the history, culture, architecture, things to do, the possibilities for authors and bloggers. Can you tell I'd love to move back?

What advice would you give people wanting to move to Portugal?

Think long and hard before you jump into it. It's not easy making a living here. We're lucky that we came here as kids so we've had a long time to really get to know how everything works in this part of the world. If you're confident you can make a go of it, you really should try and learn the language. The Portuguese people love speaking English but they are so appreciative of those that at least try to speak their language too.

More about Suzy...

Born in England and raised in Portugal, Suzy lives with her childhood sweetheart Michael, two neurotic dogs and several cats – one who thinks she's a princess.
Shortly after completing her studies, Suzy worked as a trainee journalist for a local English newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she took the job of assistant editor for the region's largest English language publisher before becoming editor of a monthly lifestyle magazine. Early in 2010 however, Suzy became a full time author. She has since written several books: Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga), Daisy Madigan's Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone, Looking for Lucy Jo (The Morgan Sisters), Forever Fredless, And Then There Was You and Stormy Summer.