Hey there and hello,

Spring is coming, I hope, real soon. After Mr. Groundhog made his opinion known, we got more winter weather in the form of snow and ice. My hubby and I had gone on a vacation and were stuck in South Carolina for a couple of days due to the cold weather. We hung out at the Buc-ees in Florence for the most part. If you have never tried their brisket sandwiches, it is well worth the drive.

Have you been hammering away at your New Year's resolutions? I have been trying. Unfortunately, my chronic pain issues have thrown a wrench in it some days. Tomorrow is a new day and you can always start over with good intentions. Nobody will judge you, I have discovered that it is really a race against yourself to see how much better you can be.

I hope you have a warm spring and an even better time sitting for a short while and reading one of your favorite authors. They will appreciate it and you get to enjoy a great story in the process.

Until next time, Susan

 Hey there and hello!

First, I must wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I hope you all had a warm and festive holiday season!

I am mad at work on my third book. It has taken me a bit longer on this one as I just cannot sit for long periods of time anymore. I haven't let that stop me though. I work on it when I can, and I hope to have it ready to go out sometime this year. It usually takes me about 2 years to write one, along with the research, travel, interviews, and pictures. I have had some illnesses over the last few months that have slowed me down, but I am going to keep plugging along. Slowly but surely has become my mantra.

This is a great time to start thinking about what you want to accomplish this year. We always make those resolutions, but somehow they never come to fruition. I made some easy resolutions this year - Lose 10 pounds, try to walk more when I can, and finish this next book. I may also work on my 2 fiction novels as well. I would love to see them published in the upcoming year or years, depending on how long it takes me to finish them.

Nonfiction can be a great learning experience, but it takes a lot of research and effort to get them situated the way they need to be for publishing. It can be an overwhelming experience at times, but once you get the hang of it, that only helps for the book you are working on at the moment. The next one is totally different and you need to approach it that way. It can be very intimidating as well, sometimes there is a lot of information  to squeeze down into 35-40,000 words.

I hope everyone finds a book that they love this year and if you do, please share it with others. Even better, leave a review for the author on Goodreads and/or Amazon. Tell people on Facebook, X, or Instagram too. I heard somewhere that if an author gets 50 reviews on Amazon, they can get a free Unicorn. Can you imagine playing leapfrog with one of them? LOL!

Until next time, Susan

 Autumn has arrived with cooler temperatures and pumpkins starting to pop up everywhere.

Hope your fall is one to remember as we celebrate some important dates along the way to New Year's. It is always this time of the year that most people take stock of their lives, what they have done, and what they might do better next time. I think that these thoughts, much like New Year resolutions, may place way too much pressure on people. It is scary to look back and see what you have gotten done this year, then wondering if you can continue the pace into the next year........or maybe you haven't accomplished all you set out to achieve, that just gives you the goal to hit next year.

Take a break, have a seat, get a snack, go play with your puppy..........

Everybody needs a break to stop and smell the roses, enjoy friends and family, and most of all, let them slow down for a day and take stock of what is around them.

On that thought, I see the beginnings of Halloween decorations starting to appear on some houses. We have pumpkins, ghosts, and other ghoulish creatures. We start collecting candy to give out on the appointed day and little ones giggle with delight over their sweet spree. 

I know some kids would holler No Cheap Stuff! I think some of those were my favorites: the filled strawberry candies, the wax bottles, buttons, tootsie rolls, and Now & Laters. I think today if someone asked, I would say really Dark Chocolate or Toffee type candies. I guess our tastes change as we get older; however, I will always love my chocolate..........

I hope you have a spooky Halloween and even better Thanksgiving. Watch out for those Ghouls and Goblins!  Mwha-ha-ha!

See you next time, Susan

 Happy Summer!

We are heading into fall and the days are starting to get shorter again. Take a walk in the crisp evening air, watch for little animals that may still be foraging for food.

I am hard at work on my Richmond book and a paranormal romance. I hope to be done with both hopefully by the end of the year or before then. I am really excited about the Richmond book; I have learned so much of Richmond's history. I am finding locations I didn't even know Richmond had. It has been an eye-opening experience.

As we head into fall, be sure to check my events page on the website. I have a few signings coming up, so make sure you take a look. If you have books already, please bring them with you as I would love to sign them for you.

Well, that's all the news for now. See you next time! Susan

 Hey there and hello,

Wow! I have been so busy the last couple of months trying to research for my new Richmond, Va book. I have found so many locations; the hard part is picking which ones I want to use. My brother and I have photographed many of them already, I think there may be a few more, but I am very happy with the progress I have made.

My sweet granddaughter, Freyja, is growing like a weed, trying to say a few words we think, and has gotten up to about 17 pounds. She is so happy all the time unless she gets hungry. She is such a pleasure to visit and we all love to play with her and make her smile.

Writing has become a place to get away from everything else for a short while. I tend to give my characters free rein so whatever you see in my stories, it is definitely their fault. I am only here to tell their story. While working on a paranormal romance and the Richmond book, I am delving back into the short story market and sending them out to different venues.

I will keep you posted as it happens. Check my event page for signings, there are a few for this year, and I am awaiting some OKs to add a few more. I enjoy meeting my readers and hearing about their haunting experiences. It also gives me ideas for the next haunted book, which I already have in mind once I finish the Richmond one. I also thought up a couple more for the haunted series,,,,,,,,,more to come on that later.

I wish everyone a Happy Easter! Watch for Mr. Bunny to come hopping down the trail, but please don't lose your Easter basket! That would be a shame!

Til next time, Susan

 Happy New Year!

That is right, it is a new beginning. Get started on that new hobby or class you want to take. Better yourself in the best way you know how. It only takes the first step, the rest will follow.

I am reminded of the God, Janus, from Roman mythology. He was the gatekeeper of time. He had two faces, one that looked forward and one that looked backward. He is seen between the years sometimes on that Dec31 - Jan 1 dateline. He is waving goodbye to the last year, while simultaneously welcoming in the next one. It is a fascinating study. Please see https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god Speaking of the New Year, January is named after Janus as it sits right there across from December. 

I am still writing and working on many different projects. Both non-fiction and fiction as well as a few short stories added in to the mix. I am also editing several people's manuscripts to help them move forward with their novels. It usually takes me around 6+ months to do these though as I cannot sit for long periods of time, usually between 20-30 minutes at most. Most of the people I work with have been very accommodating though.

Well, take care and see you soon, Susan

 Hey there and hello,

Exciting news from the Schwartz family. We got our own little pumpkin on Oct 31, 2024. My first grandchild was born, a little angel named Freyja. She is too cute and well-loved. She did her first sleepover this week; we had a great time taking care and playing with her. It was so much fun! I can't wait to watch as she gets bigger. What a sweet girl!

She even helped me sell some books at a signing!

The holidays are upon us with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming real soon. Are you ready? I am not. We are planning Thanksgiving right now, and I hope we get a great big turkey. The ones that live down the street have mysteriously gone into hiding with none to be found. I hope you have a wonderful day and feast.

I just did my last signing of the year unless I can be coerced into another. I usually take December off anyway. Too much to do with the shopping and decorating. I hope you all have a great time buying gifts and seeing your loved ones.

See you soon, Susan