A resident of Bude has published her debut novel, and it all started as a ‘homework’ assignment.  

On Sunday, September 17, Susan Pfeiffer proudly launched her debut novel, ‘House of De Vries’, at The Barge, Bude. It was a successful and fun evening.

Susan joined Dawn Robinson-Walsh’s writing group in 2016 to explore her creativity. Her intentions were to write a story about her late husband, Robert Walters, but she was surprised when the House of De Vries jumped into view. Born from a writing prompt set as homework, Susan said she just allowed the words to flow onto the pages and was just as amazed as her fellow students were when she read it out loud in class. It left them wanting more, and so her novel took on a life of its own. Six years later, sheer determination and hard work finally paid off. 

Susan said: “I had a writing itch, which kept me intrigued, and I was compelled to make it my mission to get it published.” 

It was a long, hard journey, she explains: “Learning to create a novel is like learning to paint a beautiful painting; it takes years to master your craft, but we can all do it if we put our minds to it.” 

Susan thanked Kate from The Barge, Dawn for her guidance and knowledge and all those who came to support her launch. Susan added that without Dawn’s mentoring, her book would not have been born.

Spencer Thorn Bookshop in Bude will be stocking House of De Vries and a prequel is already starting to formulate.