My first novel, Hermit, is out in the world.

From the publisher:
What if changing your life meant leaving almost everything familiar behind? In Susan Blood’s Hermit (Sea Crow Press, September 2, 2026) Holly retreats from the world expecting solitude, space to write, and a chance to reinvent herself. Instead, she becomes a garden hermit, and discovers that starting over is rarely as simple as it sounds. We talked with Susan about Hermit, reinvention, solitude, and what happens when a retreat from the world takes an unexpected turn. Read the Q&A

Arts Week Interview on WOMR

Reviews:

Hermit is a must-read for anyone who has ever thought, I could really use a monastic retreat—but how will I ever find the time? Reading Susan Blood is like sitting down to lunch with a dear friend—one who is sharply attuned to her own foibles and missteps, and who offers, with grace and humor, the hard-won insights of an unexpected journey. Thoughtful, observant, and wise, this book is a true delight.
—Elizabeth de Veer, author of The Ocean in Winter and The Blazekeeper of Bowmore House

Hermit is a complete delight and adventure from start to finish. Driven by Susan Blood’s dry wit, inspired prose and skilled story telling, this book is a total gem. For anyone who’s ever wondered what it would be like to have the experience of living like a hermit, wonder no more. This book is your ticket into that world, letting you be a fly on the wall as to what it’s really like. And it’s not all meditating and herbal tea.
—Candace Hammond, author of the Cranberry Harbor series

Hermit is a compassionate and completely absorbing novel, with characters you fall in love with. One finishes more than refreshed, reluctant to leave a world that shines with posssibilty.
—Indira Ganesan, author of As Sweet as Honey