Raise your hand if you have great memories of getting lost in a book during summer vacation? In my opinion, there’s nothing better than finding a perfect book except if that book is a part of a series.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians who are always on the lookout, I have a series for you!

Let me first give you a bit of background. When I began my writing journey, I was able to attend the wonderful Mt. Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference. I went by myself and was paired with a roommate who was also at the beginning stages of becoming an author. Her name is Susan Marlow and we became life-long friends.

Well, Susan published her first middle-grade historical fiction novel and went on to write many more. Now, I will introduce you to:

THE CIRCLE C ADVENTURES featuring the brave Andrea Carter. Set in the Central California Foothills during the 1880s, Andrea lives on the family cattle ranch with her widowed mother and older brothers. Andrea loves to be outside riding her horse, Taffy, and seems to have a knack for getting in trouble and finding herself in the middle of dangerous situations.

This series combines adventure, excitement, and Christian values. In each book, Andi experiences the faithfulness of God as she learns to trust, obey, forgive, and love others. Perfect for readers age 8-14.

And there’s more! Readers kept asking for more books so Kregel Publishing encouraged Susan to write more books and she did!

Here’s an interview with Susan (her responses are in italics):

Hi Susan, Thanks for stopping by for an interview. I live near Fresno and hardly anyone sets a book, much less a series in Fresno.

Funny, Claire! I think it’s kind of what folks feel about my hometown of Tacoma. Everybody sets things in Seattle, but nobody would do the same for Tacoma, a city the size of Fresno and only 30 miles to the south.

So, why Fresno? I wanted to set my 1880s ranching/historical/horse books in California—not in the southwest US, and certainly not in the back-of-behind ranching country of eastern Washington. By the 1870s, California was a state with lots going on: a large city (San Francisco) if I wanted a more sophisticated plot setting (San Francisco Smugglers), the mountains and gold country (Trouble with Treasure), and ranching and orchards (not to mention the nice weather). I love the mountains and wanted the books to be set close to the Sierras, but also close enough to a town (for school settings).

So I picked up a Rand McNally map of California and ran my finger down the western slope of the Sierras to find the town in the San Joaquin Valley closest to the foothills (and was also a town in the mid-1870s). My finger landed on Fresno, which met both criteria. And that, as they say, is that.

What’s not to like about 1880s Fresno? I know more about the little valley town of 1,000 (in those days) than I know about my own hometown. I love that 3 creeks (Big Dry Creek, Fancher, and Dog Creek) regularly flooded the town in winter, providing even more real-life plot twists. I don’t know about modern Fresno (it probably has a bad rap, like my hometown of Tacoma, WA), but I really like the original town.

Describe Andi, your main character, in 5 words:

high-spirited, impulsive, compassionate, honest, outgoing

Do you see any of yourself in Andi?

Andi is who I would want to be. We’re both honest and compassionate, but I’m not impulsive or outgoing.

When did you know you were a writer?

I knew I was a writer when my fourth-grade teacher introduced me to outer space. Right away I wrote a story about two children going up to Mars. And I never stopped writing. Even while raising my four children, I homeschooled by day; wrote by night.

Tell us a bit about how travel helps as you research your books:

Traveling is the only way to really see the setting; feel the heat; experience the surroundings. We “followed” the route I had laid out in my mind for Andi’s next adventure, Heartbreak Trail—when she goes along with her brothers on a cattle drive to Los Angeles. There is no substitute for driving through the Tehachapi Mountains, stopping by Ft. Tejon, and then driving through the valley (we drove the route backwards). I would not have believed it for myself that the valley was once much wetter than it is now had we not worked hard to find the Kaweah Oak Preserve. It was worth fighting the heat (must have been close to 100 that day) to tramp through the preserve and really feel what Andi might have experienced in 1884, before the valley dried out. The new story even mentions Tulare Lake, which is—sadly—no more. 

I know that you travel to share your Circle C books with readers. What are some of the places you have visited pre-covid?

My husband, Roger, and I pack up the truck once a year and travel around the U.S. to share Andi’s adventures with homeschooling families at conventions. We’ve been as far east as Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Tennessee; we’ve visited the Midwest (Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri); ventured into Texas and New Mexico; and we love traveling the West, closer to home: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, and—of course—California, the setting for the books.

Here’s some quick questions:
A perfect day for me would be:
a warm, sunny morning with no interruptions to write a chapter, broken up with a walk on our 14 acres, followed up by a steaming chai tea and . . . to make the day extra perfect—chocolate.

On long road trips I like to:
work on my computer writing stories!

Purse, backpack or tote bag?
Backpack. Or fanny pack.

What’s next for Andi?
Andi’s going on a cattle drive. It took plenty of persuasion, but her mother finally gave her permission. Andi thinks it’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime. Boy, is she ever in for a surprise. Here’s a quick summary for Heartbreak Trail:

A real cattle drive is a far cry from what Andrea Carter envisions when she receives permission to accompany her brothers on the trail. Can Andi survive hard work, lack of sleep, danger, and an obnoxious cowhand?

Thanks so much Susan for sharing your Circle C series of books. We’re looking forward to your next book and wish you many happy trails!

Head over to the Circle C website to see the other series of books for early readers up to teens. There ae also lots of resources, activities, contests, and other fun stuff!

Contributed by Claire Noland

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