This is Ink & Intrigue—the blog where romance ignites, secrets simmer, and every love story hides a twist. I’m your blog host, Sheila Kell, romance author and lover of plot twists, slow burns, and morally questionable book boyfriends.
Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to an author whose stories bring our deepest, darkest emotions to life. Stories that give readers all the feels. Susan Dalessandro. If you love angsty, emotional teen drama with a touch of suspense, you’re in for a treat.
Susan Dalessandro is known for touching on those teen emotions we all remember—and prefer to forget in some cases—as well as the angst, butterflies in the stomach, and heart flutters that characterize the first kiss, first love, and the joy and heartbreak that accompany them. Her latest release, A Whisper In The Trees, is a YA romance with paranormal elements that shows how hard it is to run from hard truths.
In this spotlight, Susan Dalessandro shares her lifelong passion for all things running—the same that motivates her main character, Gabby—and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at A Whisper In The Trees.
Whether you write love stories, devour them, or dream of doing both, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it and give a warm welcome to Susan Dalessandro! 💖
Character interview
What’s your full name, and do you like it? Gabby Patterson. Yes.
Where are you from, and where do you live now? I am from West Penn, PA, a northwest suburb of Philadelphia and it’s where I still live.
How old are you (or how old do you feel)? I am sixteen.
How would you describe yourself in three words? Driven, passionate, and kind.
What’s your current relationship status? I am single (I mean, I’m 16! Haha!), but I have met a cute, intriguing, and mysterious boy who makes my heart race and with whom I want to spend a lot of time with.
What do you want more than anything right now? To be the best cross-country runner in my school district. And look every part of it.
What’s standing in your way? Food and my darn 5’10” height
Who are you closest to? My mom.
Do you have any siblings? What’s your relationship like? No. But I do have a dog, a Border Collie named Lola.
Have you ever been in love? No, but I met this really cute boy, CJ, who’s a talented musician—a bit mysterious, too—and I don’t want to say it’s love, but it sure feels like it. We have a lot in common, and he just ‘gets me’, maybe too much.
What does “home” mean to you? My family home is in West Penn borough, where I run daily, go to school, and can walk to Larry’s, the coolest music store in the world.
What’s something you’re really good at? Running and math.
Morning person or night owl? Morning.
Favorite way to spend a day off? Hanging out at Larry’s music store with CJ or with my two besties and/or my dog, Lola.
What’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make? I’m learning that having success in running doesn’t mean you have to weigh a certain weight or have a certain ‘look’. It’s about the passion I bring to the sport, the fun I have doing it, the sheer joy it brings me.
What’s your go-to karaoke song? Almost anything by Journey.
Excerpt
His gaze falls to the ground, and he blows out a long, slow breath, like he’s trying to calm the tension rising in him, the same unease that gripped me a minute ago walking through here. Like maybe these woods are haunted.
A chill walks my spine. CJ has something to do with what’s happening to me. The cold. The music. I feel it in my gut. But what?
Susan’s Bio
I’m a lifelong lover of books and storytelling and hold an M.A. In Applied Math, a subject which finds its way into many of my stories.
I live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with my husband, two sons and two dogs. I gather story ideas as I run in the early mornings with my dogs. Running is the perfect environment for me to think and create. It’s also a central theme of many of my novels.
My debut novel, Complex Solutions, a YA coming of age thriller, released March 16, 2021, with Rhetoric Askew Publishing. As part of a group of authors in the Play Like A Girl shared world series, I released Strong Enough, a YA sports romance. My most recent book, A Whisper In The Trees, a YA romance with paranormal elements from The Wild Rose Press, released on June 30, 2025.
I hope you loved getting to know Susan Dalessandro and hearing about her journey, inspirations, and latest swoon-worthy release, A Whisper in the Trees. If you haven’t added this to your TBR yet, now’s the time—trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 💖
You can connect with Susan Dalessandro here:
📱 Socials: https://www.facebook.com/susan.dalessandro.5817
https://www.instagram.com/sd27auth/
https://bsky.app/profile/authorandrunner27.bsky.social
🛒 Grab her book: https://books2read.com/u/bQwQy0
Thank you for joining me in spotlighting a fellow romance lover who’s giving us all the feels. Stay tuned for more author features, book talk, and behind-the-scenes romance goodness.
Until next time—keep reading, keep swooning! ✨📚