Little pulls Susan Carol Kent in like a good mystery or historical story — both reading and writing them.

“When I’m reading a novel, it’s like a movie in my head,” Kent said. “I lose myself.”

With the recent publication of her first novel, “Bad Neighbors,” Kent hopes to provide others with the same immersive experience.

A resident of Buckingham, Kent’s “Bad Neighbors” explores a mysterious and unexpected murder that may shatter the illusion of a seemingly quaint town. 

Close-knit communities and historic sites have always drawn Kent, who graduated with a degree in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington. She’s worked for several years writing nominations for the National Register of Historic Places.

This blend of research and persuasive writing, Kent said, fueled her own novel writing.

The setting for “Bad Neighbors” was based from her experiences in Colonial Beach, a small community with businesses in Victorian-style buildings.

Though Kent’s novel hails from a town by the sea, the farmland for her continues to have an impact.

Kent’s five-acre property is close to Buckingham’s courthouse, where she raises more than two dozen rescued animals with her husband.

Kent and her husband have two horses, three donkeys, three goats, eight dogs, eight cats and 13 sheep.

She described finding one goat at a gas station near her home.

“Luckily, he was a very friendly goat,” Kent said with a laugh. They located the goat’s owner, who let them keep the goat because the goat had escaped from the owner’s property several times.

Kent said she has always enjoyed giving back, whether through caring for animals or donating a portion of book sale profits to historic sites.

Kent, also an artist and photographer, has been involved in the Farmville art community.

She is currently working on a second novel, though “Bad Neighbors” is keeping Kent busy.

Kent is establishing book signings and generating giveaways and interest for the novel on social media.

She said there were challenges in publication of the novel and said self-publishing allowed her to both send the book out and have mastery of its format and presentation.

“You have to be persistent and sometimes you have to take a different route,” Kent said. “Today there’s so many outlets for publishing.”

She encouraged people, particularly writers, to pursue their goals despite the possibility of rejection or people who may have different preferences for books.

“You have to be brave, and you have to take the rejection and not take it personally if you know you’re a good writer and that’s what you want to do,” Kent said. 

She said writing for her is a way to bring different places and characters to life. Rather than working toward fame, she plans to use profits to give back to deserving organizations and bring awareness to places that have inspired her.