Many women reach a point when their love lives and careers begin to feel stale, and the children they have cared for over the past couple decades are now grown-up with lives of their own. Until now, most of what the literary world had to offer these women sat in the self-help section. Susanna Sheehy's debut novel, "Marking Time," was born of her desire to provide fictional reading for those in her age group addressing the specific issues this stage of life presents. Sheehy's poignant writing draws readers in to vividly experience the heartfelt joys and sorrows of Victoria's journey. "Marking Time" is a story of rejuvenation, proving that life is far from over at the age of 50.

Interview with Susanna Sheehy

Reader Views talks with Susanna Chelton Sheehy, author of the contemporary women’s novel “Marking Time.” Susanna is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Susanna Chelton Sheehy Currently works as a veterinary technician in Marietta, Georgia. The changing circumstances of mid-life inspired her to leave a more conventional job and pursue a career with the animals that had always been her greatest joy.

Susanna and her husband live in Atlanta with their four dogs and two cats. She has two grown children, a son and a daughter, and always enjoys her time with them and their families. When she is not writing, Susanna loves to spend time working in her own garden.

Juanita: Welcome to Reader Views Susanna.  We are excited to talk with you about your new novel “Marking Time.”  Firstly, would you tell us what your book is about?

Susanna: It’s about a woman in her mid fifties, who finds herself in that stage of life that we approach so unprepared. As children and young adults, we prepare ourselves to build a career, find a mate, create a family, raise children, but when the children are grown and the family has dispersed, we’re at loose ends. Our careers, if we had one, have gotten stale. But life is not nearly over. What do we do now?

Victoria, my protagonist, decides to plant a garden in the yard that she realizes is badly overgrown. In the process of doing that, she sees opportunities to grow. She discovers talents she didn’t know she had and develops her creativity. This journey of self discovery brings her closer to her grown children, sparks her love life, and gives her a new and exciting career. As important as all of that, she makes valuable new friendships and learns to appreciate the old ones.  

Juanita:  Is this your first book?  Would you tell us about your trilogy “The Second Half”?

Susanna: This is the first book in the Trilogy. The trilogy is based on the friendship of three people in mid life and beyond. Two of them have known each other from childhood and one is a recent acquaintance. They form a bond between them that provides love and support. There are two women and one man in the group. Here we are able to confront the attraction that men and women feel for each other and the value of putting that attraction aside for a firm and binding friendship.

The second book, also titled Second Half, will be available in mid June. The third, titled Crossed lines, will be available in early fall.

Juanita:  What inspired this particular story?

Susanna: I suppose it was my personal experience, although, this is fiction. It’s funny, Marking Time, is about a woman who plants a garden. That’s symbolism really, but since the book has been published, people have started consulting me on gardening questions.

I like to work in the yard, but I’m really not a gardener.

As far as inspiration goes, one of the things I’ve noticed is that there isn’t much written about this life stage in fiction. There are all sorts of self help books written about it, but very little fiction. I like love stories and family stories, but it’s hard for me to relate to young love and infant families. I wanted to provide something for my age group. We still love and we still have families.

Juanita:  Would you tell us more about Victoria Vandor?  How did you come up with her, and how did she unfold in the writing process?

Susanna: Her character is based on me more than any of the other characters in the trilogy. Of course, when you’re writing fiction you can make the details whatever you want them to be. I did that with Victoria.

But I am reserved, incredibly clumsy, though surprisingly capable in many ways. That’s what Victoria is.

How she unfolded, I can’t really say. I took a walk everyday, then came home and wrote the thoughts that had run through my head. That’s the way I do it.

Juanita:  How common is Victoria’s mid-life crisis in the real lives of women?  Though there has been so much written regarding the mid-life transition for women, why do you think it still remains such a traumatic and somewhat mysterious event?

Susanna: I think everyone goes through it. Some of us are a little more dramatic than others. I seem to go through every life stage with a flare.

In my mother’s generation, I think women were trained to deny their feelings. As a result they blamed everyone else for their discomfort. My mother says that she didn’t even notice her menopausal stage. I remember it though.

My generation is different. We can’t shut up. We’ve made musicals about it, written books about it, it’s on TV. I’m a very quiet and reserved person, but everyone I work with has had a conversation with me about menopause, hot flashes, mood swings, and mid life. If anything is going to be personal, wouldn’t you expect that to be? No way!

Maybe my daughter’s generation won’t be so surprised by it. Maybe all our verbalization will give them a heads up. It’ll still be dramatic, though. It just is. In a good way, though, with all the ups and downs and all the discomforts, it’s the life stage I’ve enjoyed the most.

Juanita: What does Victoria do to change her situation?

Susanna: She points herself in a direction of interest then she looks for the opportunities that come along. Someone said to me when I first wrote the book: “Oh sure, she goes to the plant store and there just happens to be a job available so she applies for it. That just doesn’t happen.”

I think opportunities to follow our dreams come along all the time. We just have to be open to them. I’ll always remember what one of my high school teachers said. “Observation is the thing!” I thought she was weird at the time, but now I see that you have to look at what is happening around you and figure out what you can do with it.

Juanita:  How is Victoria’s garden a metaphor for her life?

Susanna: It’s funny that you ask that. My daughter is an English composition whiz and when she read the book she said: “Mom, your symbolism is excellent.”

I said, “My what?” but I guess that’s what it is. This story just spilled out of my head onto the paper, but creating a garden is in a lot of ways like creating a life. If you work on it, it grows and is beautiful and smells sweet. If you don’t, it dies or you just descend into depression. You loose your energy.

Juanita:  Once Victoria begins to enjoy her life again, she is forced to endure a number of family crises that would have completely overwhelmed her during her depression days.  Why was she better prepared for confronting these issues?

Susanna: I don’t think the family crises would have overwhelmed her during her depression days. She’d have risen to the occasion. It may have snapped her out of depression. You never know what the trigger will be, but something makes you see that you can’t go on that way. You have to make significant changes. That can be hard.

Juanita:  What personal issues common to women do you address through Victoria’s journey of self-discovery?

Susanna: So many of us spend so much of the first half of our lives as support for everyone else that we don’t get to know our own needs. Not everyone. I address the career women in the next book. But in this book, it’s the support for husband, children, employers that is the focus of early life.

In the second half of life, it’s important to get to know ourselves and focus on our needs. It’s fine if it doesn’t happen until then, as long as it happens.

Juanita:  What are your thoughts on stretching out of your comfort zone, and taking steps in a positive direction when in the throws of depression?  

Susanna: It’s the only way out and anyone who’s ever been depressed knows that they have to get out. Honestly, I think everyone experiences depression. Some don’t acknowledge it. Some project it onto someone else. But we’ve all felt it. Something isn’t going right. Our energy is blocked. Change is the only answer.

Juanita:  One reviewer said “Not only is ‘Marking Time’ difficult to put down, it's emotional - you'll laugh and cry along with the characters.”  Would you comment on the emotional nature of your writing as well as your character driven writing style?

Susanna: It’s the kind of thing I like to read. I think it’s the kind of thing that drives people. When you cry over the pain of a fictional character, you cry over pain you’ve suffered yourself. It’s cleansing. When you laugh with them, you feel invigorated. Your energy is released.

The characters become my friends. I like having friends.

Juanita:  How will Victoria and “Marking Time” inspire women readers?

Susanna: For one thing, like I said. It’s about us. My audience is women, primarily middle age and older women. It’s something we can relate to. Just because we’re over fifty, we don’t cease to exist. In fact, life is really good now. Women who read my book will be encouraged to enjoy it. It says something to younger women, too. Don’t dread this part of life, it’s wonderful.

Second, we’re not alone. I hate the word typical, but this is real and deserving of notice. “Hey, I may have grey hair, lines in my face, and a bulging belly, but look a little closer. I’m still beautiful and I’m valuable.”

Juanita:  What do you enjoy about writing with a women’s focus?

Susanna: I’m a woman and that’s the easiest thing to do, but wait until the third book Crossed lines. That one is written from a man’s focus. I’m not a man, so it was a stretch, but the men who have read it say that my observations are pretty good.

Juanita:  What is the underlying message of “Marking Time”?

Susanna: Life doesn’t end until you die.

Juanita:  What can readers expect for future novels in “The Second Half Trilogy”?

Susanna: I think each one gets better. I loved Marking Time. But from reviews I know that the second and third are even better. If you like Marking Time at all, you’ll love the other two.

Juanita:  Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.  Please tell your readers where they can get more information about your book. (e.g. website address, etc.)

Susanna:   Marking Time is available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com or you can order it through my website www.SusannaSheehy.com. It can also be ordered at bookstores everywhere.