Susan Louise Peterson is an author and school psychologist living in Las Vegas, NV. She has taken a twenty year journey working in the tough inner city schools of Las Vegas, Nevada as a teacher and later a school psychologist. Susan has worked with students from pre-kindergarten to high school levels. Working in a large inner city high school she noticed that many teenagers were dealing with communication issues related to their parents, teachers and other adults. Students were given limited information from adults when they asked questions and usually did not understand the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ type of responses they received from adults. In response, Susan Louise Peterson wrote two companion books to help teenagers with this communication dilemma. She is the author of the newly released books entitled THE YES BOOK FOR TEENAGERS and THE NO BOOK FOR TEENAGERS.
Susan is an award winning educator and has won several national awards for improving educational practice. She was named to the Practitioners Hall of Fame for Improvement of Educational Practice from NOVA University.
In addition, Susan is the author of the recently published book IS MY CHILD AUTISTIC OR DELAYED? (Vilnius Press-2013), as well as eight other books in the areas of education, research and child behavior.
You can visit her website at www.susanlouisepeterson.com.
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ABOUT THE YES BOOK FOR TEENAGERS
The Yes Book for Teenagers was written to address the multiple meanings of ‘yes’ as teenagers often ask parents and adults for numerous requests. Susan Louise Peterson, a school psychologist has worked in the inner city high schools of Las Vegas with a large number of teenagers. She has seen the ‘quick and fast’ requests from teenagers. These requests when answered with a ‘yes’ response often need a little more explanation and detail. It is hoped this book will help teenagers understand the broader meaning of a simple ‘yes’ response.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.
ABOUT THE NO BOOK FOR TEENAGERS
The No Book for Teenagers seeks to help teenagers understand why adults (such as parents and teachers say ‘no’ to them. Teenagers literally have thousands’ of requests and these requests can cause major disagreements between teens and adults. Parents and teachers are often helping teenagers understand the ‘bigger picture’ and some of the challenges they may be facing now and in the future. The book is written by Susan Louise Peterson, a school psychologist who has worked with teens in the inner city schools of Las Vegas, Nevada. As Susan emphasizes in the book, the word ‘no’ can be connected to many things. She helps teens explore the various meanings connected with a ‘no’ response.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Susan. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
The Yes Book for Teenagers and The No Book for Teenagers will be my tenth and eleventh books published. I have nine other books on a variety of human relations and education topics.
Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?
I have taken a traditional academic publishing approach to the first eight books, but I am now using a more independent publishing approach for the last three books. I have a greater interest in being involved in the direct publishing issues and promotion of the books than I have had with traditional academic publishing.
Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?
Since I have been through the publishing process before I feel it moves at a much faster pace. I think I spend more time getting the foreword and comments for the book than I do writing the book. The delay is not with a contract, but rather in putting the final touches on the book.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
The first book published came after numerous rejection letters, but I really appreciated when an editor recognized and respected my work. He worked with me on seven other books and this was a really good feeling.
Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?
Actually, when my first book was published I knew nothing about promotion and just assumed the publisher would handle it all (I was totally wrong about that). I think they listed my book in an academic catalog and that was pretty much all of the promotion there was, so I learned I needed to be more involved in the promotion.
Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?
I think I have grown as a writer from seeing that it is more than getting a book published. The book has to help someone or say something that gets a person thinking about a change or a new way to look at something.
Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?
I love the publishing industry because it can change like any other business or field. New technology, new marketing approaches and new companies are popping up and changing the whole publishing field.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?
The most rewarding thing about being a published author is the joy I have with self expression of my ideas through the written word. I cannot always express these things orally, but I am much more comfortable expressing them in written form.
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
I hear many people say “I am going to write a book someday.” I just want them to know that writing the book is only the first step and that there is so much more to the publishing and promotion process of the book.
Beyond the Books 