Luton thriller author inspired by famous skull - how you can read her debut novel for free

A debut thriller novel written by a Luton author will be free to read this week as part of an Amazon deal.

Susan Sachon released ‘So Now Go Tell’ at the end of July, and it will be free on Amazon Kindle Daily Deals from October 4 to 6.

The novel mixes André Tchaikowsky’s legacy, combined with Susan’s love of Shakespeare. Polish concert pianist and composer Tchaikowsky died in 1982, leaving his skull for use in performances of Hamlet. Susan said: “His voice was given new life onstage for audiences of Hamlet, bringing a sense of shocking depth that had always been there, in the words.

"Tchaikowsky’s legacy set me thinking about the power of writing and theatre to regenerate lost voices: a major theme in So Now Go Tell, along with the idea that we should never give up our dreams.”

Luton-born Susan, who attended Rotheram High School and Barnfield College, penned her first novel at 14. She said: “I would say that my experience of writing that early novel definitely influenced the process of writing So Now Go Tell. I created and carried stories in my head from an early age, and with that first novel, the characters lived and developed in my imagination.

“I loved putting them into all kinds of scenarios, even if they didn’t end up on paper; I was always asking myself what a certain character would do; how he or she would react. I also think my strong work ethic began with that first novel.”

Following this, Susan struggled with rejections from publishers, but used it as encouragement. She added: “I had a roar inside me that never really died down, and a supportive family who believed in me. I was also lucky to have a couple of inspirational English and history teachers. So I carried on writing: plays, stories, pantomimes – even a musical (co-written).

"The imposter syndrome never really left me, even though I went on to achieve a PhD and write an academic book on Shakespeare. It was only at that point that I decided to write a novel that wouldn’t end up in a drawer. When it came to So Now Go Tell, I started going down the submission route, I knew from experience that it could take years of waiting so I decided to take the plunge and self-publish.”

Susan worked with Troubador Publishing, which offers assisted self-publishing. She said that the experience has been enjoyable and that writing and publishing So Now Go Tell has been a journey of discovery.

Susan said: “You need to write what gives you pleasure. But above all, don’t lose sight of what you love. What I’ve taken from that early experience, is that the fourteen-year-old who penned that first novel never really changed. I’d always been in love with words, and they found their way onto a page, in one way or another.

"What held me back was poor self-confidence – and so my last piece of advice comes directly from one of the central themes in So Now Go Tell. Don’t give up on your dreams, no matter how old you are, where you come from, or whoever tells you that you’re bound to fail.”