The famous phenomenon of pandemic projects that millions around the world took up during 2020, amid country-wide lockdowns due to COVID-19, is, for many people, a distant but fond memory of being able to try new things while staying safe at home. In contrast, Susan Clawson took her own pandemic project to a whole other level. While many took up baking, yoga, or raising pandemic pets, she saw a golden opportunity to really have a go at her life-long passion for writing – which blossomed into a riveting five-book dystopian series telling an evergreen tale of human resilience amid adversity.

A proud mother of three and one granddaughter, Susan’s foray into storytelling was a path that was far from straightforward and easy. Having been passionate about writing from such a young age, she had to let this take a backseat as she focused on her duties as a single mother during her kid’s earlier years. One of the many sacrifices she had made was being unable to completely finish her time travel sci-fi trilogy, the first installation of which had already begun publishing. 

Despite the winding curves, roundabouts, and roadblocks, Susan knew her journey would eventually lead her to return to her love for writing. How she got there was – to say the least – an interesting route. Even before a civilization-halting worldwide pandemic struck, key pieces were already falling into place for Susan to find the courage to pen her imaginative story. One of the most important pieces being… love.

“My husband and I are high school sweethearts, but went our separate ways after graduation,” she shared. “About 20 years ago, we re-met on classmates.com, got married, and now live in the New England area.” 

This chance reconnection-turned-lifelong companionship, coupled with all their children (five total) having already grown up and moved out, meant that by the time lockdowns began and time became an abundant resource, Susan’s journey had finally brought her to where she belonged – at home with her supportive husband, writing her five-part story ‘better lands’ at last.

“better lands is a timeless story about human resilience in the most treacherous times,” she said. “Folks are thrust together with others that they normally would not invite into their lives. They live, love, fight, kill and reflect as they try to survive in an environment that they have little to no control over.” 

The series weaves together the absurd yet familiar reality the human race had lived through during the past two years, with its own twist through the introduction of the fabled better lands and the harrowing journey of its characters to get there. The first installment of the series has already been picked up for a film adaptation, with the rest to follow soon.

Susan’s story pushes readers to reflect and ask themselves what choices they would make in the same circumstances, given the parallels within the book that creatively mirror real life in 2020 and onwards. “In some small way, maybe it helps them prepare and understand if the world does face such a crisis that, if they fight hard enough against evil, there are better lands out there, waiting for them to find,” she finished.

You can check out the story on her website at www.susanclawson-author.com  Also, books 1-3 can be purchased on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/betterlands.  Enjoy the journey!