Author Interview + Contest: Suzanne Morgan Williams

Popping in today is Suzanne Morgan Williams, author of Bull Rider, a book about a teenage boy who prefers skateboarding to the family hobby of bull riding, only to get himself on a beast of a bull in an effort to win money to help his brother, now paralyzed from an injury in Iraq. Stick around after the interview for your chance to win a copy of Bull Rider.


If you had the chance to really learn to ride a bull, would you do it?

Are you kidding? I’m afraid to do a summersault or dive off a high dive. I’d rather get my teeth drilled. But . . . I love watching rodeo and cows and horses don’t scare me.

What about being a rodeo clown?

Nope. Crazier than bull riding, IMHO

How do you think you would have handled a situation like Cam's in terms of a brother injured in Iraq and that element of the story?

Cam’s reaction is a lot like mine would have been in terms of being freaked out and mad and not wanting to hang out in the hospital. I wanted Cam to want to take control of the situation, and that too, would be my reaction. Riding a bull to do it? No, I’d think of something else. And Cam is a physical reactor. I tend to stew and plot or work. I might have written a story or worked on building that extra bathroom for the O’Maras to release my tension.

What is your favorite thing about Cam's character?

Cam just really loves his brother. You can’t beat that.

If you could pair Cam with any character from any book, who would you pick for him?

You mean a girl? He needs someone strong and not too serious. Cam’s got enough of that in his own personality. How about Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird (after she grows up!) or maybe Sam from Terri Farley’s Phantom Stallion series. Cam and Sam both already live in Nevada and she’s good with horses. But those names? Might be a deal breaker.

What kind of cake/confection would you describe yourself as?

I think I’m a berry pie – sweet and fresh and just a little that’s good for you mixed in with all that sugar and crust.


Thank you, Suzanne, for that interview, and I have to say, I'm not sure I would get on a bull either. Then again, I'm my own brand of crazy...

Now, lovelies, if you want to win a copy of Bull Rider, all you have to do is go get on a bull for eight seconds. Okay, fine. Just fill out THIS form.

Contest is US only and ends December 22.