Susan Stephens' Writing Diary

Couldn't get it to spin- but you get the idea I'm sure!!!




Packers move in tomorrow and I have a drinks party tonight for the best neighbours on the face of the earth. Wiggy needs pictures/mirrors and and other 'stuff' hanging before we leave, minimus is returning to uni' after a month at home and I'm still packing.
It's a bit like cleaning the house before the cleaner arrives. I want to be organised...

What? I hear you shriek. Has Susan changed into another person altogether?

Okay, so you found me out. Just bought a new coffee machine to go with the six packs of my favourite coffee pods, which I had already stocked up on... Now I discover the new machine only takes beans, which it grinds and performs magic with, apparently. Frankly, I don't care if it dances the ruddy tango. What am I going to do with all those pod boxes? Oh, I know, I'll leave them for the new owner...

Organised, moi?

Okay, so this is it... I'm signing off until later next week when I hope I have the internet up and running in my swish new office.
Just imagine- no more writing on the garden table. (where will I stack my junk?)
Have already had visit from Neville Johnson's wonderfully organised designer at the new house (Hi Chris!!!) as I needed to order another bookcase- Chris mentioned disapprovingly that some people actually stoop to sneaking 'in trays' and other gubbins onto their perfectly designed space when everyone knows that Neville Johnson provides a 'place for everything'
Oh, dear... what is Chris going to think of me?

Photos to follow just as soon as I get organised...
Er, okay then, a lot sooner than that.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Couldn't get it to spin- but you get the idea I'm sure!!!




Packers move in tomorrow and I have a drinks party tonight for the best neighbours on the face of the earth. Wiggy needs pictures/mirrors and and other 'stuff' hanging before we leave, and I'm still packing.
It's a bit like cleaning the house before the cleaner arrives. I want to be organised...

What? I hear you shriek. Has Susan changed into another person altogether?

Okay, so you found me out. Just bought a new coffee machine to go with the six packs of my favourite coffee pods, which I had already stocked up on... Now I discover the new machine only takes beans, which it grinds and performs magic with, apparently. Frankly, I don't care if it dances the ruddy tango. What am I going to do with all those pod boxes? Oh, I know, I'll leave them for the new owner...

Organised, moi?

Okay, so this is it... I'm signing off until later next week when I hope I have the internet up and running in my swish new office.
Just imagine- no more writing on the garden table. (where will I stack my junk?)
Have already had visit from Neville Johnson's wonderfully organised designer at the new house (Hi Chris!!!) as I needed to order another bookcase- Chris mentioned disapprovingly that some people actually stoop to sneaking 'in trays' and other gubbins onto their perfectly designed space when everyone knows that Neville Johnson provides a 'place for everything'
Oh, dear... what is Chris going to think of me?

Photos to follow just as soon as I get organised...
Er, okay then, a lot sooner than that.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Sorry this is late, ladies... but here we go with the most important room in my new house.
Aunty Kay's bedroom.
Aunty Kay will be 88 on the 3rd July and is coming to stay with me for a week, so her room has to be really special.
Aunty Kay doesn't do modern, and at 88 years young, why should she? So we have a patchwork quilt, broiderie anglais trimmed bedding and fresh pin stripe curtains in candy pink and white. Fresh flowers will be part of the welcoming committee naturally, and I just hope Aunty Kay enjoys the views across the moors!

How are we doing at the cottage? A bit tense, to be honest. I'm definitely not ready to move. Can anyone ever be ready? But I am quite excited too.
I am hosting a drinks party on Sunday for my truly wonderful neighbours here... and spent the morning popping into the local shops to say goodbye.
I shall miss being able to walk to the post office, chemist, corner shop and the like, but I'm sure I'll get used to driving to find someone to chat to during my working week... Aaargh! It sounds grim when I put it like that. But I do love those wide open spaces and big skies and though I shall miss watching the ducks and herons flying over the cottage I'm sure there will be lots more wildlife of a different kind to enjoy at my new house... I do hope so.

Here's to the new challenge everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Have spent my first 'free' day for ages frantically dashing round trying to find curtain fabric for the new house.

Having set what I thought was a sensible budget I seem to have blown it on my first purchase!

I ask you, ladies, what is wrong with cardboard?!

But I couldn't resist this fabric... I shall have a large open-plan kitchen/family area/dining room, complete with cream Aga and wood burning stove. There is also a brick wall type area above the wood burner with a wooden beam set into it- so I'm thinking 'country'.
Now with palest linen coloured walls and a wooden floor I thought we could stand a bit of something colourful in the curtains to pick out the oak and the brick.
Eh, voila! As my French daughter would say!

I hope you approve- I shall be keeping you 'in the loop' as the house takes shape... more fabrics to follow!

(secretly, I'm loving it) Susan Stephens Perfect Housewife?
Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration too far, but it is nice to get out of the writing cave and chat to lots of lovely women in the various curtain departments... Hi Carol! Hi Linda! Hi Stephanie!
Thank you so much for your advice and help, ladies.

**** Urgent message for anyone who has been trying to contact me on susan@susanstephens.net There has been a problem with this address, but it has now been resolved. Mail away, ladies!!! ****

More tomorrow
Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Title of a fab song, I know... 'What a difference a daaay maaaaaakes, twenny four liull' howeeers...'

But even drifting round in a dream yestersay after waking at 2am to finish off my wip I managed to sort out minimus's bedroom for the new house in a mammoth shopping spree... After trying out several mattresses we decided that my youngest is not so much a sprog as a sprig. Oh, to weigh nothing... or practically nothing compared to me!

As soon as I get the samples through I will show you her colour choices... I think I mentioned before that my 2 girls are very different with Wiggy, my oldest sprog, being the 'Armani' girl... all plain lines and understated style, whereas my youngest child has a wild approach to fashion and styling- you'll see! Suffice it to say her bedside lamps have stands composed of dainty mosaic in pinks and silver and silvery blue glass... definitely a touch of the fantastic!

But today is lush... here I am at 8.15 am writing to you, watching TV, sipping herb tea... what a luxury!

Here's a reminder of our competition winners... on Access Romance All-A-Blog we congratulate Sabrina Nguyen from the USA and on our Susan Stephens site it was Maire Scott from Scotland.

Make sure Rosie has your snail mail girls, or write to me at susan@susanstephens.net

And today's picture? Just dreaming, girls... just dreaming...

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

It isn't easy to fit everything in when holidays come in the midde of Deadline Hell and packing house bedlam!

Quite a combination I'm sure you'll agree!

Love my family too much to send out the usual hints...
'Ooh, is it that time already!' (big yawn)
'You don't mind if I slip into my pyjamas, do you?'
And the all time favourite...
'Time to clean out the parrot's cage... Sorry, I know you don't want to be around for that!'

Life is to short to worry therefore decided to get up in middle of night to polish wip and write 2 more scenes I felt it needed before sending off today.
Everyone went home around 9pm I went to bed and got up again at 2am
Hey presto! Bright and breezy around here in the middle of the night and wip went off on schedule.

Thank you to everyone who kept that deadline vigil with me!!!

And the winner of our Easter contest on www.susanstephens.net is Maire Scott from Paisley in Scotland. (we put all the names in a hat this time and pulled out one over the Easter table) So, congratulations Maire!!! I love your name- I had a friend called Maire at college- Do you pronounce your name the same way she did?? i.e. Moyre
Don't forget to mail me on susan@susanstephens.net everyone!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

Wishing you all the happiest of days

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Oh, yes... it's that time of year again.


Having threatened my family with a flash of my naked belly (not a pretty sight) if they so much as show me a piece of chocolate, I have a huge stash of the yummy stuff ready for tomorrow! (so much for self control!)
And dh arrived home yesterday with the biggest box of Ferrer Roche chocs on the face of the earth.,, (so he clearly love my belly!) (but then he does wear specs like bottle tops)

And where are we with deadline?
Well I rewrote the first three pages today- breaking off from repotting my babies (plants) to rush inside the house to do it.
Book finished. Will read through tomorrow. Fingers crossed everyone!

Here's my new e-mail address for you...
susan@susanstephens.net

Love to all and happy reading everyone!
Susan

That is the sound of an exhausted author

And this is Wiggy's gift to me, which she had to lower into the deepest darkest pit in the centre of every author's nightmare country: Deadline Hell.

On one of the few days when the courts are closed and we could have spent some time together I was in my study battling the beast for the sake of Kate and Santino's future happiness. And that man ain't easy, ladies. He's a big brute of an Italian film producer with a real chip on his shoulder where women are concerned- and mother's in particular.

And Kate's a mother... I'll say no more, or I'll give the plot away!

I have a new e-mail addy for you where you can contact me in person right away...

susan@susanstephens.net will find me most evenings relaxing- except right now when I have a deadline extension until Tuesday.

Holiday? what holiday!!

Huge hugs to Wiggy for helping me in my pursuit of love!

And thank you everone who tuned in to my Blog on www.accessromance.com yesterday and made it such fun!

I'll be announcing the winner from that tomorrow- so don't forget to stop by!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Congratulations to Zara Heflin from Decatur USA

Zara, you are our winner for the Susan Stephens' Access Romance contest!

Your prize will be in the post to you tomorrow... It should take around a week for it to arrive in the US from the UK.

Thank you so much for entering.... and thank you everyone else for your interest- please do try again!

Now then, if you hop over to www.accessromance.com All-A-Blog you can see me venting and fretting and generally getting in a tizz- You know you want to!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

The title of this book is pretty much in accord with my feelings re my deadline tomorrow... Page 151 (*!"%)*&$%!!!)

Doesn't show a whole lot of progress since yesterday?

At last I have checked the previous 150 pages now- and am ready to roll with last 50...

How do I keep sane?

Read someone else's book.

Stephen Clarke lives in France and his first book 'A Year in the Merde' was self-published in 2004

So, all you writers out there... never give up!

A Year in the Merde became a 'word of mouth' bestseller and has now been translated into 14 languages- including French

Why?

Because it's the funniest book on the face of the earth.... or should I say Merde!

If you need a lift, treat yourself!

Back to the writing cave for me!!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Deadline looms on Thursday... and I'm on page 141. Oh, that's OK then...

Why won't this book write?
Having dragged H and h kicking and screaming through discovery, uproar and reconciliation I now have them in bed- where they can jolly well stay for a while, while I drink my afternoon tea!

(I guess that's going to suit them as they're a pretty hot-blooded pair, and they have been apart for 5 years...)

What's this one called?
I haven't got as far as a title yet, but here goes...
'Midnight and hunky muscly man in Rome...' A bit clunky?
'Raunchy Rome...' Wrong genre?
'Roman Holiday...' Er, no- that one's been done before, Susan.
Okay, so what about, 'The Roman's Love Child' Or is that too much of a hint?

Back to bed, so to speak. Boy is it hot in here!

Oh, and don't forget my Access Romance competition has come to an end and I will be announcing the winner tomorrow!!!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Do you see that strange out of focus hooded creature dressed in black with red trimmings, standing next to the white van? The thing that looks like it might have wandered out of a Stephen King novel? The thing that is holding a laughing white cow in its hand- not that you'd know.

Well, that, dear readers is your author, freezing her purty pink ass off in order to sell an overflow of 'stuff' before she moves house.

Explain if you will how my son and my French daughter (new nomenclature I have chosen for Solene) can have the pitch next to mine and sell a whole pile of rubbish, including a rusty gate, at a huge profit... while I can hardly afford to pay for the pitch after selling my infinitely superior 'stuff'?!

No worries... I had heaps left, but my French daughter says we are going to do another boot sale to get rid of it!
I should co-co, as my dear old dad used to say... we had to be there by 5am and then the heavens opened and all the punters went home leaving us to clear up in the freezing rain.

Good way to spend a Sunday morning?
I think not!
Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

I know we'll all agree when we read Robyn's entry in our Blog exclusive competition that nothing beats a baby...

Congratulations to you and your niece Robyn, and indeed to your whole family. What a wonderful event... the birth of a little girl. I can still remember the divine scent of the soft down on a baby's head. I adore babies... don't let me go on and on, let's read Robyn's post and enjoy!

This weekend is extra fun because: my niece had a baby girl on April 1/06 at 2:45 a.m. and we went to see the darling sweetie today at the hospital and I got to hold her AND our youngest son and family moved to the city so we went to see the house and took them out for supper.Tomorrow I'm helping some friends who had to leave town; they run a flea market on weekends in our small town and I'm working tomorrow for them. I get to look at all the new things that have come in even though I go down almost every weekend anyways.

The baby is precious and her name is Haaven Elise... A bundle of joy for her parents and 2 brothers, Dawson and Ashton. We will get to see her again on Good Friday...

Thank you Robyn for sharing your wonderful news with us!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Okay, so the Wicked Witch of the West got her comeuppance!

The snow is thick and white, and the sun is blazing down, and Wiggy is really, really happy cos the skiing in the French Alps is absolutely great!

(Thank you, Jennifer for passing on your kind wishes for Wiggy's happy skiing trip- that was nice of you)

But back to my feelings regarding Wiggy's trip...
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Whatdya mean am I grinding my teeth in frustration and rage?
Well.... (small bashful voice) Okay then, I am. (Bottom lip trembling)
I wanna go skiing too.
Wah! Wah!
No skiing for you, Susan. You have a book to finish (big, bad voice of naughty editor)
Wah Wah!
If you're a good girl
(perking up)
A very good girl...
(somehow I have the image of moi sitting like a begging dog, panting with her tongue hanging out... I must be working too hard)
'Yes, yes,' I pant.
You can go to RT Daytona in May
Can I?! Can I?!
Only if you finish that book...
Back to the writing cave my friends!

Don't forget to pop back tomorrow to find out who won our weekend wonder Blog Exclusive competition... and there's still chance to enter- just tell us what you are doing this weekend to enter
mail your entry to susanstephenshmb@yahoo.com
Mark it 'Blog contest'
That's all you have to do!!!!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Have just exchanged early morning call with Wiggy, who is on her second skiing trip this year.... whilst I, as you will have noticed, dear reader, haven't had one (Wicked Witch of the West voice)

'Well, be careful darling,' I intoned softly, 'Because at this time of year (more Wicked Witch of the West voice) there are bound to be boulders sticking out of the snow- That's if there is any snow...
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! (Remember that laugh from Wizard of Oz? Mine's better)

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Mentally, I'm in great shape! (the kids might disagree!) And thanks to all of you for your comforting remarks and fellow feeling on my parting with little bug!

In answer to your question, I'm buying a bigger and slightly sleeker car from a friend of mine who likes to change their vehicle every 3 years. (I do such low mileage that it would never occur to me to buy new. ) But the 'new' car still has loads of room for puppies in the back...
You see, I have a plan to take Fin along to puppy rescue and see if there's anyone there she'd like to adopt. If not, that's fine, we'll leave it until another day.

Physically, I don't have a nail left- not that they were much to write home about (ho ho) in the first place... I have also strained my back lifting packing cases. And no, I won't 'be told'. Just like my heroines I chose to ignore dh's advice. Anything he can do I can do better, right?
Er, no. I can't lift packing cases without straining my back!
(knew men came in useful for something- but I'm at that age where I can't remember what)

Haven't forgotten our contest re weekends... I'm going to be looking over the entries tomorrow and choosing one to print on Sunday

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Moving house brings lots of changes, not least of which is accepting that as I no longer have three dogs and a hoard of children to cart around I should think about changing my car.

My cars have history. (I keep them so long, how can they fail to have history!?!)

Children have learned to drive in 'the bug' and minimus famously knocked down our new garden wall during one of her first driving exploits in our large gravelled yard.
One of my darling dogs died in the back of 'the bug' on the way to the vet...

The sprogs may deride it and call it 'the family skip', but I've loved my bug and shall eat a large bar of chocolate to console myself when it is finally driven away.

Thank you all for your lovely comments regarding friendship... they've given me an idea, which I am going to research- not a writing idea, but something nice for all of us... shan't say any more until I find out if it's feasible or not.

Meanwhile, the sun is shining and revisions are waiting... but I love my H and h, so missing a little sunshine for their sakes isn't so bad.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

'You have too many *!~*! plants! Will you stop buying them?'

Yes, things get a little fractious around moving time! But it was only when dh made this comment last night that I realised I haven't bought a single plant in my home- And yes, he's right, there are dozens of them...
I refer to them (privately so no one thinks I'm completely bonkers - and this diary's private, right?) as my pets.

Above you can see a selection given to me by friends over the years- in the centre is a cutting of my adored mother's favourite Christmas cacti... I have the original in my sitting room, and that one is about four times the size!

You're looking at a picture of my current study window at the cottage. It faces onto the street, which I love because it ensures I'm never lost for ideas!
You can see the masks I bought in Venice when I was researching 'In the Venetian's Bed', for which- if I had the correct sheet handy- I could tell you the release date!! Goodness, I loved writing that book and my wonderful stay in Venice with minimus... I must get myself out of this muddle and give you some more details tomorrow!

Meanwhile, what I really wanted to say was this... I have the best job in the world, and the best part of that job is the friendship I've encountered either face to face with individuals, or by e-mail from right across the world.
Every time I look at my plants they convey a message to my heart- and say that's soppy if you like but I truly mean it; friendship fills our life with love.

Wishing you the blessing of good friends.

Happy reading everyone!
Love
Susan

Went for my camera this morning to take a lovely pic for you of the sun shining on my cottage garden...

Er, how did my nice shiny red camera get a ding in the side?
No one has touched it apart from me... have they?
If you could see the honesty shining from the faces around here, you'd be impressed...

So, we have a phantom dinger. That's all right- he used to ding my car when I was away too- I guess he likes it here and he's come back...

So, my apologies ladies, for today we have to make do with a pic of a smiling sun.

For my good friends in Tasmania, of whom I know I have many, I picked this up in the restaurant section of our Sunday paper yesterday...
'... seasoned with wild herbs that only grow in Tasmania. The island is astonishingly beautiful and friendly in an engaging, outdoorsy, deep breaths sort of way. If you're ever passing you should drop in...'

Well, it won't be this year with the house move, but one year soon I intend to visit conference in Australia and New Zealand, and 'drop in' to Tasmania too! I really can't wait- it's one of my life dreams.

Now keep those ideas and actual happenings for weekends flowing in- I haven't made up my mind yet which one to print- and there are so many fantastic ideas and events to choose from, so thank you everyone for sharing your exciting and sometimes drowsy moments with me.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

I now have a brilliant chart for moving house courtesy of minimus... The only thing wrong with it is that it starts at 3 months to 'M' day, and we only have 3 weeks.

But I'm not complaining... I can now tell you which room I will be working on each day... today the Summer House... but it was raining and I didn't feel like trecking across the garden with dumpers and dustbin bags... and so I turned out more of my office- How much stuff have I got in there, anyway? A ridiculous amount is all I can tell you- roll on the car boot sale next Sunday- I can't wait to tell you how that goes. I expect I shall be down on my knees begging people to take the stuff off my hands!

Keep your weekend 'happenings' rolling in if you want to win a prize... you can either mail via this blog, or direct to www.susanstephenshmb@yahoo.com And I'll print the best here for all to read!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

And here is the weather forecast from the UK

Just as well we changed our minds about the car boot sale! My son and the LFF's idea. We would go to a car boot sale this weekend with our respective rubbish (sorry- top of the range stuff we have accumulated over the years) and spend a jolly day together.

My trip would have involved leaving the house with minimus at 3.30am in order to travel in convoy with son and LFF from their house- thus ensuring we had neighboring pitches.

Now it's to be next Saturday when both minimus and I can stay over- but we'll still be leaving my son's house at 5am to get a good pitch...

What kind of fun do you have on your weekend... ?

A prize to the one we print!

Enjoy yours everyone!

love to all

Susan