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“Prep Work”, a short story about coming of age in the seventies, was chosen by the editors at Riversong books to be included in their 2022 Best Short Stories. I’m thrilled by this honor and more so after reading the other five selections. Great stories, deep characters, and authentic voices. If you enjoy short fiction I urge you to check it out. Congrats to Sean, Robert, Markus, Nape, and Jack. Available on Amazon ($10.99) or you can order from me ($14 incl shipping) by sending an email from the contact page.

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I’m thrilled to have my short story “Prep Work” included in this short story collection released last week. I’d be honored if you’d check it out on Amazon. Thank you!

You may have wondered why I haven’t posted much lately and you may have seen posts about struggling with illness this spring and summer. The past few months have been rough, running from bad to worse and now to tragic.

David, my husband, passed away earlier this month. Although he had been ill for a while, his passing was sudden as he seemed to be improving.

He was a loving husband, father, and friend who taught high school chemistry for nearly 30 years. I’ve been touched by the outpouring of love, respect, and memories from people who knew him, especially from former students. He may have scoffed at the sentiment but I chose the graphic above as David was a scientist and an avid stargazer.

We were truly blessed with one adventure after another. I miss his smile, his hugs, and his sense of humor more than I can say.

Understandably I’m taking time away from everything that isn’t necessary including writing and book biz. I’ll be back at it when the time is right.

Susanne

“Thank you, babe, for being a friend and for shining your light on my life. “

Hello, Everyone! However you spend it, enjoy your weekend. Here are a few Friday word funnies from a friend in my local writer’s group:

Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen.

What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter.

Did you hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu – you get what you deserve.

I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday, but couldn’t find any.

What do you call a bee that can’t make up its mind? A maybe.

I tried to sue the airline for losing my luggage. I lost my case.

Is it ignorance or apathy that’s destroying the world today? I don’t know and don’t really care.

I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.

Which country’s capital has the fastest-growing population? Ireland. Every day it’s Dublin.

I saw an ad for burial plots, and I thought: That’s the last thing I need!

Need an ark? I Noah guy.

You’re not completely useless, you can always serve as a bad example.

I broke my finger last week. On the other hand, I’m okay.

Don’t spell part backwards. It’s a trap.

Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink.

It was so dark all night. Then it dawned on me.

If you’re looking for a weekend Ebook read, Runaway $2.99, Veteran $4.99 and Gutter Punk $4.99 are on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZC4D97R Gutter Punk

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KGZYJNQ Runaway

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MCV3WB2 Veteran

My fourth novel, a thriller entitled ‘Swan Song’, will be released Fall 2022. Kudos to J. T. Atkinson for the perfect cover photo. Follow webpage for updates.

Happy Friday! I hope you have a fun summer weekend planned.

I have news to share! My short story “Prep Work” was selected by Riversong Books — a division of Sulis International Press—for their collection of the best short stories of 2022. A coming-of-age story set in the 1970s, “Prep Work” involves a teenaged girl, her relationship with her grandmother, and how past and present mingle together over a craft project.

It’s exciting to have the story included and I look forward to reading stories submitted by the other five winners. One of the five is Markus McDowell, author of “The Sky Over Chaos” and “Mortals As They Walk”. Markus served as one of four beta readers for my soon-to-be-completed fourth novel entitled “Swan Song”. He’s a talented author and editor and I enjoy his work.

“Swan Song” is a novel of impending death and revenge and I plan to release the book in Fall of 2022. As these new releases move closer to publication, I’ll post updates.

Thanks and keep reading indie authors! As always, thanks for posting reviews. *Reviews and ratings are the best way to help indie authors spread the news about their work.

If you wondered what happened to me lately here’s the scoop: I’ve been sick with Covid. After two and a half years of caution and three vaccines, it (probably Omicron) finally got us.

If you have had Covid I’m so sorry you had to deal with this. If you’ve had Covid and had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic, I’m thrilled for you. If you escaped it so far — as I thought I had — don’t get it! In my experience, Covid sucks!

I missed many things or had events get away from me while I was ill with Covid:

*Coffee —only wanted green tea. *Adult beverages—no way; sounded awful. *Most meals—no appetite. *Father’s Day. *Summer Solstice. *My short story entitled, “Prep Work” was one of six to be selected by Riversong Books for publication in a collection. I was thrilled to receive the news but too sick to appreciate it fully. *Received feedback from the last of my beta readers for my soon-to-be-completed fourth novel entitled, “Swan Song” but was too foggy headed to handle re-writes. *Couldn’t read for two weeks due to headache and vertigo. I’m so far behind in the tbr list now but at least I can read again. *I had just purchased a new lap top and barely had a chance to power it up before I got sick. *I missed two bi-monthly meetings with my local writers’ group, Write On…

However, I didn’t have a fever. I had no issues with taste or smell. Most important, I’m getting over being sick. I’m fortunate to have not been hit harder. If you experienced a bout of Covid, and you’re comfortable sharing, please let me know how you’re doing.

I’ll be in touch soon with updates on the new novel, “Swan Song”. As always, you can make my day by reading one of my novels and posting a review or rating. Plus — don’t miss the short stories posted here on my blog.

www.instagram.com/p/Ce4CaVBq3_N/

An excerpt from Gutter Punk:

Liz, a cop in her late thirties, had a few years on Quinn, the Youth Advocate. The two met during an investigation the prior year and it had been Liz who introduced Quinn to Mike.
“For a morning meeting, it drew a good-sized crowd,” Liz mentioned. Quinn looked in Mike’s direction, saw that he was in conversation with the man who had become so angry. Liz followed her gaze. They watched as Mike and the man parted company. The man left the building, cell phone again in hand.
“I feel for him,” Quinn told Liz. “I feel for all the businesses, but attacking each other isn’t going to help. And what of the punks? Many of these kids are in serious need of help. Most of them haven’t learned how to meet their own needs in ‘socially
acceptable’ ways. A lot of adults, privileged or struggling, either forget that or never realized it because their homes of origin were stable and caring.”
Quinn paused for a moment, took a deep breath. “Sorry. You already know my feelings. I try not to come off like a bitch, but how many of these business owners slept on the street when they were fifteen?” Liz nodded in agreement as Mike approached.
“What was that about? Liz asked Mike, referring to the conversation with the man ejected from the meeting. “Do you know him?”
Mike sighed. “I do know him, but not well. I’ve forgotten his name. He even told me again—Harry or Harvey maybe, but hell, I don’t remember. He’s not a bad guy. I was surprised he responded the way he did. He didn’t hear what Quinn had to say. I wanted him to know that she and her staff would try to help with the punks. Also, I told him I understood his frustration, but that yelling at his neighbors wasn’t helping. He agreed.”
Liz wondered if Mike was acquainted with the man through sobriety support meetings. It wasn’t her business so she wouldn’t ask. Respecting the man’s privacy, Mike wouldn’t tell her anyway.
“When people don’t know what to do, they feel powerless and look to place blame,” said Liz. “Cops see it all the time.”
“It’s a kind of a compassion fatigue,” said Mike. “People want to help. It’s in our nature. But the size of the problem eventually weighs a person down. You become emotionally and physically exhausted. It’s not only people in the community. Professionals fall into it–cops, teachers, caregivers, social workers. That’s why people who do this work have to take care of themselves. That’s why I run,” he said to Liz. “It’s not only about physical exercise.”
“That’s why I box,” Quinn said, nodding her agreement. “It helps keep my stress to a minimum. It’s a great work out.”
“Boxing, Quinn? How did you get into that?” Liz asked her with wide eyes. wide. “I’m impressed.” She was more the runner-weightlifter type. “It’s no big deal. I took a class at a gym. I needed to step up my work out. It was like nothing I’d done before. I just go at it with a heavy bag. The release is amazing. You should try it sometime.”
“Hey, I will keep that in mind,” Liz answered, thinking about punching a heavy
bag but doubting it would ever happen.

I am thrilled to announce that my fourth novel is in the capable hands of beta readers. I’ve carefully selected this handful of individuals because of their expertise in a variety of subjects and I trust them to give me their unabashed feedback.

In addition to the betas, Matt Love with Nestucca Spit Press, editor of books two and three of the City Streets trilogy, has been contacted to serve as editor for the new novel. I’m fortunate to rely on his skill as an editor, but also on Matt’s love and respect for the craft of fiction writing.

A completely different story than the series of mysteries I’ve already published, the new one is dark and suspenseful. The cast of characters are all new to me, of course, and I love them all. Well, most of them anyway.

Here’s a quick sneak into the story: the main character’s life was rough even before she learned she was dying. Her illness was not only caused by greed, but was preventable. Instead of seeking restitution in the time she has left, she wants revenge.

I’ll keep you all posted with more info as I move closer to publication and release. Thanks so much for your continued support!