Susan Stephens' Writing Diary

Sorry, Dee, Yes, of course you're right- I never did announce that, 'Oh Joy and Rapture etc' is from HMS Pinafore- good work there- and I'm jolly lucky that you're all keeping an eye on me and my writing diary!! A bag of goodies is on its way to you as we speak! Thank you again!!

I've had one of those days- which of us hasn't? Lots of ideas for wip- but none of them arriving in a coherent order.
What to do?
Write 'em all down, and sort them out tomorrow when I'm feeling fresher.
Sometimes that chapter just rolls of the fingers onto the screen, and by 2.30 I'm all finished. Sometimes, like today, I feel I've spent the whole day writing down disjointed sentences.

When I unscramble them tomorrow, I'll start by writing down what I want to say in the chapter.
Then I'll work out how many scenes its going to take to do that.
Then I'll consider POV, and how that may help to tell the story.
Finally, I'll take a look at my disjointed sentences and try to put them into some sort of order.
Once that's done, I'll flesh them out where necessary.
Finally, I'll read the whole chapter out loud- just to make sure that brain-lock didn't come for a good reason- i.e. the actions in the chapter lack proper motivation
And finally, finally, I'll cut out as many adjectives and adverbs as I possibly can- actions speak louder than words, girls, in every respect!!

Happy reading and writing everyone!
Susan

I'm racing to the finish now- with only a few weeks left to Dallas, and yet another new project to get to the three chapter and full synopsis stage, like most of the other authors who will be attending the fabulous RWA conference, I'm really starting to feel the pressure.
Like I mailed to my good friend, and fellow author, Lucy Monroe, I expect I'll still be busy 'polishing' on my laptop when the jet lands in Dallas.

That's why your mails mean so much to me, and why on a day like today, when I receive a call from my great writing bud' Penny Jordan, I breathe a huge sigh of relief that I have such wonderful people around me.
Yes, it's tough, girls- I'm not going to lie to those of you who are waiting for that call- But let me tell you this- it's worth every last minute of your effort.
I had Penny to urge me on- let me do that for you now. If you have a story you want to tell never never give up on it. Someone, somewhere is waiting to hear from YOU.

Love to all
Susan

What don't I believe??

Wincie from glorious Tobago sending me a recipe for Lemonade, Greek style.
Great to have you with us, Wincie!!
Great to know you read my writing diary from start to finish to 'keep out of the sun', Wincie!
Did you have to tell me that, girl?! I'd like to see the sun once in a while, just to reassure myself that it didn't self-combust while I wasn't looking, or take itself off to another part of the galaxy altogether.
I put the central heating back on today, and my Aga is slowly heating up again. Soon I'll be able to stick my ass inside the oven door like I always do when it gets chilly round here, and get a much-neeed blast of heat to me vitals!

Anyhow- here's Wincie's fantastic recipe:

Finely grate the yellow part of the rind of three lemons.
Place in a pan with a quarter of a pint of water, a cinnamon stick and one pound of fine white sugar.
Simmer gently- that means watch it all the time, girls.
After about ten minutes remove from the heat and cool.
Serve over ice cubes, dilute with still or sparkling water- and enjoy that sunshine.
Or, if you live in the UK - heat it up, add honey to soothe your sore throat, and stir with another cinnamon stick to ease your bronchitis, pneumonia etc

Thank you again, Wincie! You're a star!
Love to all!
Susan

Heathrow is poised to receive the Olympic flame in about fifteen minutes.
One of my youngest sprog's friends has been chosen from many young UK athletes to carry this flame for a little way thanks to his prowess at the long jump.
We people of the world gaze at that flame and feel uplifted. Just for a little while all the boundaries and divisions between us are forgotten.
May the eternal flame burn brightly in our hearts forever.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Love to all
Susan

Books are like music- a type of book may suit your mood at certain times, yet not at others...

I can't list all the books by my bedside, or we'll be here until at least seven in the morning!!
Here are the three that made it out of my bedside book cupboard to within grabbing range:

The Secret History by Donna Tart
This is a dark thriller:no sex, no lurid descriptions of violence- just a fast-moving, thought provoking read about Classics students with murderous intent.
Parallels are hinted at between modern life and Greek legend, but there are no supernatural forces at work, no magic, no drug culture etc etc
In fact, there is absolutely no sensationalism to be found in this book- and it all the more gripping for that.
I'm finding it totally compelling.

Bath time cosy reading has to be: Just a Little Sex by the fabulous Miranda Lee. One of the first Blaze books, this one's a scorcher.

When I'm not in the mood for murder, or anything else involving passion it has to be the 2002 Whitbread Book of the Year:
Samuel Pepys The Unequalled Self
Beautifully written by Claire Tomalin, this is a fascinating account of the life of the famous English diarist, and can be dipped into whenever a little cerebral refreshment is called for. I'm loving it.

The sun is shining today, and I'm off to one of the most beautiful parts of the UK in the North of England where my youngest sprog goes to school. This weekend is her exeat/weekend home- so its time to fit in all those cuddles and shopping expeditions we've been missing.
Yes, you've guessed it- I've got a big, fat smile on my face this morning!

Happy reading and writing everyone!
Love
Susan

Thank you, Mary from Kendal in Cumbria UK for responding like Wildfire to my mention of knitting in waiting rooms... I'll be sending you a preview copy of The Greek's Seven Day Seduction for your speedy response, along with some other Goodies- Great to know the surgery where you are receptionist will have its own knitting basket from this morning- Thank you so much, Mary!!

How Good is that, Girls! So, if you have any spare balls of wool around- you know what to do with them!

Had a query: 'Where's my work at right now...'
Here's the answer Barbara from US...
1) Will be signing The Spaniard's Revenge at the fabulous RWA conference in Dallas

2) The Greeks' Seven Day Seduction (Yes, that naughty old slow-coach!) comes out UK and OZ in just a few weeks- August

3) Have just seen what a fab job copy editing have made of The Sheikh's Captive Bride I couldn't find a single typo, which, when you're dealing with over 50,000 words, is an incredible job- a huge Thank You to the girls at Harlequin- and especially my great ed'

4)Am working on 4 other projects, apart from the book I'm sending in today, which has a very straightforward working title: The Spaniard (no prizes for where this one's set!!)

7) Am waiting to see copy edit of my very exciting (at least to me!!) first anthology piece, which will appear at Christmas along with Jane Porter and Michelle Reid (How great is that!!)
And that's called The Sultan's Seduction

Yep, I'm a busy bunny- but as I told my local writing group I start at seven in the morning, sometimes earlier, work 6, and sometimes 7 days a week- and don't knock off until the family are screaming for food-
No, of course Steve can't find the cooker- what do you think he is- a woman?

Love to all!!
Susan
ps.(who should be working- it's 7.30am after all, but would rather write to you!)
pps. Actually, that Spaniard of mine is rather yummy- so here I go... XX

OK, so you younger gals don't go for breast screening- but you should, you know...
Anyway, I had to share this with you because I thought it was so great.
We all know that visits to the Doc', Dentist, or various clinics are great opportunities to catch up on our reading of three year old magazines...
Well, our local breast screening unit has a better idea:
They provide a basket of knitting wool, needles, and several pieces of blanket already started- you just pick one up and knit!
The pieces are all sewn together and go to various charities.
I had the best half hour wait I've ever had- how therapeutic is that?!? I haven't picked up a piece of knitting in 20 years- and you know what- I still can!

Love to all
Susan

Just finished Sunday lunch crazy-time in the kitchen...

My eldest sprog, having spent 25 years avoiding all things domestic has bought herself a cookery book.
Today we sampled the first dish: Borscht. Absolutely delicious-
Therefore, I commend to you, The Conran Cookbook.

However- before you put the beetroot, liquid, and other veg' in your blender, might I humbly suggest that you put a cloth over the top of it before you blitz, 'just in case'

'Just in case' wasn't observed in our nice cream kitchen , and therefore we now have lovely purply-pink smudges- well, just about everywhere, actually.

No problem- well done, number one- your soup was Great!

Then my son's beautiful and very Lovely French Girlfriend, made a cake to celebrate Father's Day here in the UK
One of the best fruit cakes I have ever tasted- sadly eldest sprog hates fruit cake- and was too polite to say so, and so fed it surreptitiously to the hound-dogs under the table- All was going really well (no one, especially not LFG, noticing) up to the point where dh saw what eldest sprog was doing and said, 'If you make those dogs sick with that cake, you're clearing it up-'

Great work you're doing there for d'etente, darling!

Happy Sunday everyone!
Love
Susan

OK, all you G&S fans out there- the first one to tell me which operetta that line comes from gets a bag of goodies!

The reason for my using the line is- Tan-ta-ra... I have discovered a writing group in my very own village only three doors away- just shows you what happens when you bury yourself in the writing cave 7 days a week!
So- Hi to Liz Richards, who hosts the group at her beautiful home (and won a fabulous cash prize for one of her short stories last year, and has now embarked upon a Masters Degree in creative writing), and Hi to Hilary (who writes very funny short stories, one of which she read out to us)... and Hi to Anne, Margaret, Doris and Pam (who has written her life-story, no less)- way to go, girl!
Thank you for making me so welcome all of you- only wish I could be with you every week!!

Oh, I have another reason for joy and rapture- I have a link to my best bud's web log- check it out, girls- we're talking Penny Jordan here- Yes, The Penny Jordan!!!

Have a great weekend one and all!
Love
Susan

Yes, that's right, Tara from Tucson US, the Greek's Seven Day Seduction doesn't come out in the US until 2005, even though its available in the UK and OZ this year.

I'm really sorry- not my fault, honest- all to do with Harlequin schedules and forward planning... I'll bring some copies over with me to Dallas- but I guess that's a long way from Tucson!

By the way- I love that place- Tucson is where I went ranching last year- fantastic- in fact, the best trip ever. Check it out on my US 2003 pages.

And thanks to you also Tara, for pointing out that my Greek takes his time compared with my husband, Steve- who managed to woo and win me in five days flat. OK- watch out for Steve's Five Day Seduction coming next
Have to say, Tara- don't think you'll be disappointed with what my Greek gets round to in seven- nuff said!

Love to all, and happy reading!
Susan

We're having such a fabulous sunny day here in the North of England- the rain, for once, has gone somewhere else.
Yippee!

Just popping in to say, thank you a million times to Sadie from London UK who mailed me to tell me that a programme about the late Maria Callas, the fabulous Greek opera singer, was to be broadcast on TV last night.

The programme was poignant and wonderful, and sad. I had forgotten how Maria Callas could shake your soul and thrill your heart.
In her later years there was criticism that her voice lost some of its magical quality; others said she sang 'sharp', or a little bit above the note. What they missed was that Maria Callas was more than a machine, she was a living breathing woman who poured all her considerable artistry and yes, all her life, into her wonderful singing.
To me, she will always be, La Suprema.

So, thank you again, Sadie- your goodies will be on their way to you tomorrow.

But come on, Girls- where are those Greek recipes- and don't forget, I love puds!!

Love to you all
Susan

You know I don't always post at the weekend, but I had to pop in for Carla from Maidstone in Kent, UK

As you know, I am celebrating all things Greek in preparation for the release of The Greek's Seven Day Seduction (out in the UK in August), and Carla sent me this from the Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations:

'Being so long in the lowest form at Harrow (school) I gained an immense advantage over the cleverer boys.
They all went on to learn Latin and Greek- but I was taught English.
Thus I got into my bones the essential structure of the ordinary British sentence- which is a noble thing.
Naturally, I am biased in favour of boys learning English. I would make them all learn English- and then I would let the clever ones learn Latin as an honour, and Greek as a treat....
Winston Churchill
My Early Life 1930

Thank you for that incredible quotation, Carla, and for your very kind words re' The Spaniard's Revenge.
Your goodies will be on their way to you first thing on Monday!!

Didn't I tell you I have some interesting people visiting here?!

My very best to you all
Love
Susan

First of all- congratulations to Claire from Reddish Worcestershire UK for being so hot off the mark- and I admire your wit, Girl!

Remember I asked for some Greek recipes etc to celebrate my next book, The Greeks Seven Day Seduction, well here is Claire's suggestion for your first Greek meal:

Method: Visit your nearest Marks & Spencer's food department.
From the cool counter extract one box of 'Traditional
Greek meatballs.
Return home- no road rage on the way as you race
back,with saliva dribbling down your chin.
Once home, open box.
Heat contents in microwave.
Turn onto plate.
Decorate with large glass of red wine (or two if
preferred)
Eat, and enjoy!!

Congrats, Claire! A passle of goodies is in the post to you as we speak!!

I told you the best people visit this site, didn't I?
And here's another one- my very good friend, Amanda Grange
Amanda has another of her unmissable historicals out today- and this one is really going to ring your bell (ship's bell? Never mind, just me wandering off again- which is allowed at my age)

Entitled The Titanic Affair, here's the skinny:

April 1912
A first class ticket on the Titanic offers Emilia Cavendish the chance to escape to a new life after the death of her beloved Aunt Clem, and the unwanted advances of Mr Montmorency.
The first few days on board the world famous 'unsinkable' liner are all she could have wished for as she enjoys the luxuries of her stateroom, and makes new friends amongst her fellow passengers... not least, the darkly handsome, if somewhat overbearing, Carl Latimer.
As the iceberg looms that will send the Titanic to its watery grave, so Emilia finds herself dangerously attracted to Carl- a man whose world is very different to her own...

Say no more- we love dangerous men, don't we girls?
At least we enjoy reading about them. (The ones we keep at home have to be tame before we allow them to live with us).

Love to all, and happy reading!
Susan

This is rather like part two to last night's Blog.
I just want to emphasise how very careful you must be when you ask for 'advice'. NO AXE TO GRIND has to be at the forefront of your mind when you make your choice because...

When I was at York University studying for my Masters in Music, I was beyond lucky to have Tony Rooley as one of my tutors.
For those of you who love Early Music, Tony is the lutenist married to Emma Kirkby- she with the voice truly of an angel.
Tony taught me what Renaissance man believed... that in every audience there is the 'Gentle Listener', but there is also the 'Carping Critic'.

The more I learn about the world of writing, the more I realise how very similar it is to the world of professional singing I used to inhabit.

Please, please, please, find yourself a clued up 'Gentle Listener', and be aware that in EVERY audience there is a Carping Critic.
You really don't want a CC for your critique partner!

My love to you all-
Happy reading and writing!
Susan

I have just received my latest ms back from my editor with some suggestions for improvement.
Of course it's a bummer when she doesn't fall at my feet and praise my work unreservedly- but is that what I really want?
I don't think so (said in that annoying way that only teenagers can master properly)
A fresh eye looks at your work objectively, and I urge those of you yet without ed's, or critique partners to get one immediately. Make it someone whose judgement you trust; someone with no particular axe to grind, someone who wants to draw the very best out of you.
Then you will find, as I do, that far from being stale, your work become truly exciting all over again.
Open your mind, and let it fly...
Love to you all
Susan

OK, poor joke- but I would certainly appreciate some words of wisdom from all you lucky people who live in sunny countries- how do you work when then sun shines?
Actually, I've just answered my own question- I remember when I was first married and lived in Malta (a tiny mediterranean island) I shunned the sun because it was too hot too often. Here it's such a treat- so, yes, you guessed it- I'm off outside again to tug up those weeds!
Happy reading and writing everyone!
Love Susan

I am celebrating all things Greek in readiness for the publication of The Greek's Seven Day Seduction in the UK in August
I love the heroine in this book in particular, because she boldly goes where no sensible woman should- into an Alpha's bed- as well as into the line of an all-male dance in an incredibly traditional Greek village- just the type of faux pas at which I excel!
To get us started I thought I'd give you the recipe for my absolutely favourite Greek soup- Avgolemono... basically, its chicken soup with egg lemon and rice- delicious!!!
When Sara was poorly in a particularly Dickensian hospital years back, I used to smuggle it in and spoon feed her surreptitiously. Now its on the 'must have' menu for this family!
Enjoy!!!

Two and a half pints of good chicken stock (or cubes- come on, girls, we all cheat)
2 oz short, squishy pudding rice
2 Eggs
Juice of about three lemons
Salt and Pepper

Method: Bring your seasoned stock to a rolling boil, add rice and cook for 15 mins until soft.
Whisk eggs and lemon juice together until frothy.
Lower heat. Add egg mixture a ladle-full at a time- DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL OR THE MIXTURE WILL SEPARATE.
Soup should thicken slightly.
Taste and season if necessary.
Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with fresh, chopped parsley.

Next: Find Alpha. Provide him with a spoon- and open your mouth.
(Purring optional)

It's great to get out of the writing cave and meet other writers. There's always something interesting going on in someone's career- and when else do I get to eat treacle tart and custard??
Today the Cheshire Chapter of the RWA met for some good food and good chat. Hi to everyone! It was great seeing you!

I went on from lunch to watch Harry Potter at the cinema, which proved why fantasy is having such a revival- JK Rowling has proved a great inspiration and she has given the genre a huge boost.

The part of HP I loved best of all? Alan Rickman's voice, of course! Simply Yummy!

Happy reading everyone!
Love
Susan

Yes, I am sinking beneath the weight of folders for this, that and the other project.
Sometimes its fun- other times its chaos- I guess this is one of those chaos moments!
How many research books do I need to complete one ms?? Multiply that by 5, and you get the idea. My desk (garden table covered with blue gingham cloth to be precise) is big, but it ain't that big!
Still, I got my tax returns off today, so that's one pile of paper a mountain high that's someone else's problem now!
Good luck with it, Claire- and everyone else down at WGN, You're the best!