Please help me welcome today’s guest, Susan Dalessandro…
Please tell us a little about yourself. I’m from Bucks County, PA, a northwest suburb of Philadelphia. I still live here now. I have two grown sons and two dogs. I am a passionate runner and have been since I was seventeen.
Where did you get the idea for A Whisper In The Trees? I love to write coming of age YA stories, and I wanted to show both the physical and emotional pressures that young runners go through. I ran cross-country in high-school and still run 6 days a week currently, so I have a lot of experience!
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)? All of my books are YA contemporary with a romance subplot, but this one I wanted to add a paranormal element. I thought the woods created a great venue for that aspect of the book.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? Honestly, it’s the marketing! Getting your book in front of people once it’s published. As to the writing itself, sometimes getting stuck in the middle of the story. I know where I want the story to go, but I’m not always sure how to best get there.
What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular? For this book, it was making the ghost story believable. As I mentioned above, I write YA contemporary (usually with a romance subplot), but I wanted to add a paranormal, ghostly element, because I thought if fit in perfectly with the story and I wanted to add some mystery to the woods. Hopefully, I’ve done that!
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it? I have an M.A. in Applied Math -I’ve always loved math and figuring out problems- and I work in Assessment Sciences. Yes, I love what I do and the people I work with.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do? It’s probably running long distances. So many people say, ‘I hate running’, but I can’t live without it. It’s an integral part of who I am, and it helps me think and plot story lines as I run.
What was your first job? My first job was a lifeguard and swimming instructor for a summer day camp. Swimming is also a favorite of mine.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read A Whisper In The Trees? It’s important, no matter what age you are, to be true to yourself, be your real self.
Have you written any other books that are not published? I have a book I’m querying at present, ‘All The Secrets That Aren’t’, a YA romantic suspense.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? Some of the characters are derived from real people and share some of their characteristics and qualities. Some are entirely fictional.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? It’s so important to be you, to be yourself, to not let anyone else define you.
How much of the book is realistic? All of it, except for maybe the ghostly presence in the woods. Although, people claim to have had paranormal experiences, so maybe it’s not far-fetched.
How did your interest in writing originate? I’ve always had stories in my head, and I finally started writing them down.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I love Jennifer Armentrout. She writes both fantasy and contemporary. Her writing (especially her YA books) gives me all the feels, makes me care about the characters, and that, to me, is what I want to experience when I read a book.
Hard truths aren’t easy to run from
Excerpt:
I hug myself tightly and glance around. Nothing but leaves blowing in the dusty, hot breeze. Hot, not cold. It doesn’t change the fact I’m frozen inside like the last time. And I didn’t pass out at practice today. I was totally fine for our mile repeats. In fact, I killed them.
The chill leaves as quickly as it arrived, and I exhale, a dense vapor billowing from my mouth. I take off along the path and the song resonates in my head. Only this time the lyrics are sharper. Stronger.
My stomach clenches and I try to push the song out of my head, but it refuses to be silenced.
It taunts me.
Buy links: https://books2read.com/u/bQwQy0
About the Author:
I’m a lifelong lover of books and storytelling and hold an M.A. In Applied Math, a subject which finds its way into many of my stories.
I live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with my husband, two sons and two dogs. I gather story ideas as I run in the early mornings with my dogs. Running is the perfect environment for me to think and create. It’s also a central theme of many of my novels.
My debut novel, Complex Solutions, a YA coming of age thriller, released March 16, 2021, with Rhetoric Askew Publishing. As part of a group of authors in the Play Like A Girl shared world series, I released Strong Enough, a YA sports romance. My most recent book, A Whisper In The Trees, a YA romance with paranormal elements from The Wild Rose Press, released on June 30, 2025.
Author Alicia Dean 