Susan McBride is a prolific author of women’s fiction including mysteries like Too Pretty To Die and young adult series like The Debs. Her latest novel The Cougar Club is dedicated to all the women who have achieved their greatest success and found their truest love after forty, just like the author did herself.

How do you describe your work? I’d like to think of my books as good escapist fun, perhaps a bit fluffy on the outside but with heart and substance at the core.  Creating well-rounded characters is so important; people who are strong and vulnerable at once (since most of us are!).  And my sense of humor always seems to work its way into my stories, so I hope readers find plenty to chuckle about!

What three adjectives best describe you? Driven, passionate, curious.

Cats, dogs, birds … describe your pets?I’m a cat person to the core, although I grew up with cats and dogs.  Right now, I have three, but someday I’d like to have a barn that I can convert into a kitty hotel so I can rescue more.

Favorite season? Fall.  I’m an October baby so I love when the weather cools down and the leaves start to turn.  I wish fall could last forever.

Name a city you’d love to visit.  Why? This is going to make me sound like I’m 12, but I’m dying to visit the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando after it opens in June.  I gobbled up the books, and I can’t wait to see how they recreate the settings.  I know, I should’ve said “Paris” or “Rome!”  I’m such a geek. 

What’s the best thing about being single? I was single for a long time (until I was 41 and met my husband).  My life was so full and happy that I never felt like I was missing out if I didn’t have a boyfriend.  It took awhile to get my writing career off the ground, and I appreciated being able to do things on my own terms and on my own schedule.  Plus, I knew that I only wanted to be married once. I met Ed when I was a St. Louis Magazine “Top Single” in 2005, and we fell in love quickly.  My life didn’t change as much as I’d anticipated it would when we moved in together; but I did curtail a lot of my road-tripping, preferring to stay home with him.  We got married in February of 2008, and it was one of the best days of my life. The coolest part about not rushing into marriage is that I got to grow as a person and find out who I really was before I tied the knot.  I don’t think enough people take the time to do that.

Describe your ideal “Girls’ Night Out.” Eating out and going to a chick flick.  Okay, and maybe a margarita or two!

What’s the nicest thing a friend (or friends) have done for you? I went through a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment three years ago, and I definitely found out who my real friends were.  It’s pretty heart-breaking to realize someone you celebrated good times with isn’t there when times are bad.  But life is about learning and moving forward, and I’m thankful I had so much support and so many people holding my hand during that rough patch.  The friends I have now are like sisters. That’s part of why I wanted to write “The Cougar Club” and focus on women’s friendships and living real.  Romance is great, for sure, but true friends are priceless.

What do you do for “Susan” time? There’s nothing better than curling up in a quiet spot and reading a good book.  My life can get so hectic that I cherish any chance to relax.  Getting a pedicure while sitting in a massage chair comes in a close second!

What’s the best advice you ever received? When I turned 40, my mother said, “Stop trying to make everyone around you happy and just focus on yourself.” That’s hard for a people-pleaser to do!  But I’m working on it and getting a little better at it every year.

What quality do you admire most in a man? Ah, this one’s easy:  honesty.  I’ve met too many guys who are liars in one way or another.  At the end of the day, I want to be with someone I can trust with all my heart. Some women like bad boys.  I always wanted a Boy Scout (and I got one!).

What quality do you admire most in a woman? Again, I’d have to say honesty.  It takes a lot of courage to be truthful.  I respect women who are direct and don’t play games.

Who are your real life heroes? I have so many heroes:  my husband, my mother (heck, all mothers!), and survivors.  I’ve met a lot of amazing women during my breast cancer experience.  Knowing them has made me realize how strong we are when we need to be and how precious every moment really is.

What is your guilty pleasure? Ordering a gooey, totally unhealthy dessert after eating a plateful of veggies!

What is your biggest fear? Losing someone I love.

If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be? Wasting time and energy on people who weren’t worth it.  But we all make mistakes we can’t take back and, if we’re lucky, we’re wiser for it.

Other than your own talents, what talent would you most like to have? If I could paint like Monet, that would rock!  And maybe sing on key so I don’t scare the cats when I’m working out with my iPod and start wailing to all the Def Leppard songs.

What is your motto? Or what words do you live by? Shakespeare had it right when he wrote, “To thine own self be true.”  Be yourself, no matter what anyone around you thinks.  Listen to what’s in your heart and follow it.  Love the things about you that make you unique.  It’s much easier to be a sheep and act like everyone else than to be different.