Character Interview: Cassie in Silver Lady: The Invisible Captain
Cassie Navrone is the main character of my new book, Silver Lady: The Invisible Captain. My novel is a standalone sequel to Silver Lady: Travels Along the River Road. This one takes place a year later in 2034. Cassie is able to leave New Orleans following a six-month civil war aboard the luxury houseboat. She begins heading back up the Mississippi River. Unlike her earlier journey, she’s by herself—at least, at she thinks so.
Interviewer: How did you know it would be safe to travel during such turbulent times?
Cassie: I didn’t! Once again, I knew it was risky, though for a while I didn’t even have passengers. It was just me and Silver Lady.
Interviewer: Well, at least you’d had some experience as captain for the second trip. It must have helped you deal with any difficulties, right?
Cassie: I don’t know about that…We got stuck again. A few times, actually. Remember that quarantine from another possible pandemic? It kept us from docking in a town. We were low on supplies at the time. At least it didn’t last too long. But then it felt like there were pirates around every bend in the river!
Interviewer: Glad you’re here to tell the tale! Weren’t you supposed to deliver Silver Lady to her owner on your first trip?
Cassie: I was never able to locate him. Believe me, I tried.
Interviewer: Did you find out what happened to the passenger who disappeared?
Cassie: Yes, Silver Lady let it slip.
Interviewer: Did I hear you correctly? You spoke of Silver Lady, as if she’s a person.
Cassie: It’s complicated. You’ll understand when you find out more about the upstream journey. I’ll tell you this: magic worked a little differently than before. Silver Lady has secrets.
Interviewer: It wasn’t just Silver Lady and you the entire way back, was it? Care to tell me a little more about your passengers?
Cassie: None of them stayed aboard the entire way. There was an elderly couple, two boys whom I’d met on the Island of Lost Children. An elderly man and a younger woman who worked at the Ritz Hotel—one of the strangest places on the journey.
Interviewer: It doesn’t sound like you became friends like you did with the others, like you did on the first trip.
Cassie: I guess not. I certainly felt a bond with Silver Lady, though after learning a couple of her dark secrets, I became uneasy.
Interviewer: Did you visit the same places as you did before?
Cassie: Only a few of them. Doze was one of the few places that hadn’t changed much. As well as the Land of Nod.
Interviewer: We’re running short of time, but I’m curious: did your daughter join you?
Cassie: Only after I fell ill, but her visit came as a complete surprise. She toured Silver Lady, but didn’t travel home with us.
Interviewer: Last question. Are you the invisible captain, Cassie, or are you referring to Silver Lady?
Cassie: And this is where I tell you: read the book to find out!! This has been fun. Thanks so much for your questions!
Interviewer: And lastly, where can we read more?
Cassie: You can read more about my book and pre-order it here: https://tinyurl.com/yxy32mwv or on my website: www.susanesage.com
(Release date: November 15, 2026)
—
ABOUT SUSAN:
Susan Sage is a prize-winning fiction writer and poet. For several years, she taught English at an adult-alternative high school and was a reading tutor for at-risk students. Susan currently lives in Flushing, Michigan, with her husband and two cats. She is an active member of both a book club and a writing group.
She has published five novels. Her other novels include, INSOMINY (2010), A MENTOR AND HER MUSE (2018), and DANCING IN THE RING (2023), and SILVER LADY: Travels Along the River Road (2024). Her new novel, SILVER LADY: The Invisible Captain will be released this November (2026). DANCING IN THE RING received an American Writing Award, Global Book Award, and Literary Titan Award. SILVER LADY has received the Literary Titan Award. Susan’s shorter pieces have appeared in many magazines and journals.
Category: Interviews
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
