Susan Stephens' Writing Diary

Okay, here's what we do. I'm finding it a real wrench saying goodbye to this Blog. I've loved chatting on it for so long now it's like a part of my family (but a whole lot quieter and less argumentative!)


Long term I'm not going to be blogging on two diaries. (my ed would shoot me, so that ain't good)
Because the diary attached to my new site is a welcome letter from me to you, I'm going to leave it up today and tomorrow, and then get back to blogging- on that page as normal- (Normal?) (Susan Stephens?) (If you say so, Susan)- on Friday.

At that time I'm going to bid a fond farewell to this page-
So, if you like to keep in touch with my bizarre and wandering thoughts, all you have to do is add the new diary page to your browser and delete this page.
Et voila! As the LFF would say!

Don't forget to pinpoint your position on the world map btw - I know I'm a baby (crazy would do, Susan) but I just love that thing- it took me ages to place myself, and then I got thinking about all the other places my cyber self could live... Oh, boy, do I feel a book coming on...

See you all over on the new diary, ready to start the weekend with a bang!!! (All right- a quiet bang- more of a whisper - just a few cymbals and a big bass drum...)

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan xx

Make the most of it, girls- this may be the last time you see me like this!
(Big grin)







(What the H is Susan talking about now- she's completely barmy, you know)

(Yep, I've known that all along)

Explanation: I'm on the point of launching my new site- that's why you won't be seeing me quite like this again...

(Oh, that clears everything up)

(It does?)

You're going to have to stop by and take a look at the new me if you want to see what I mean

(Okay, we might fit you in...)

(Hmm-mmm)

That's good enough for me- can't wait to see you there, girls- and in the meantime, let's give a huge cheer for Susan, who won my Access Romance Blog contest with this fantastic answer...
Q. Describe your perfect man...
Susan's Answer? My perfect man wouldn't be perfect.

Oh, yes, ladies, you are without doubt or hesitation THE BEST!!





Thank you all so much for whipping up a buzz for my February Harlequin Presents release-

(Whipping up?)
(Is that like a cream cake, Susan?)

Let's just say I'd let Theo Savakis take a bite out of me any day...

- The Greek's Bridal Purchase.

Our heroine Miranda has a battle on her hands and she needs you on her side!

Don't let her down, girls- we all need to be there for her-

Keep tuned in- you may know when we've gone live with the new site even before I do... get your names down for those contests and for the Birthday Babies page to share the friendship of the Susan Stephens' site on your special day.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

No wonder we look so happy!

Have a great one, ladies!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

Did I mention that Abby Green's fabulous book launch party in Dublin was a tango party?

No?

Take a look at this, girls!





At first I foolishly imagined that old clumpety-clump-two-left-feet here, might actually take to the dance floor... but then I witnessed the experts at work, and decided, basically, 'Nah...'
(And yes, that lady's leg really is wrapped around her partner's! Whoo-eee!!!)





Now, let's take a proper look at one of the quietest guests at the party. What a little angel...








Not a peep out of her all night...

Aaah.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

Ladies, ladies, ladies, thank you for your patience. Let's just say that life has got a little bumpy.

But before it did I went to Dublin to enjoy Abby Green's fabulous first book launch party- that's Abby, far right in the picture above.
And of course, I went with my chums- Margaret, Liz and Jane, and here we all are, with me looking half naked, which I can assure you I wasn't- it's just the way the flash picked up my underwear- next time I'll wear a vest, maybe.

Maybe not!

Anyway, there's a whole lot more pics to come from this fabulous event, so stay tuned.













Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susanxxx

Okay, Debbie, you're right, this scene is one crazy (and untroubled, precious) moment in time.

How quickly things can change.

But meanwhile, I was in Fuerteventura, a tiny island in the Atlantic, just off Africa.

Do I feel a story coming on?

Almost certainly

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

I was thrilled to learn that I am to have a surprise release of an author anthology in April. Doubly thrilled to learn that this will be with one of my all time fave authors, Lynne Graham.
The anthology will be called Mediterranean Weddings, and my story, The Italian Prince's Proposal is a By Request return of my favourite Italian prince, Alessandro of Ferara.

Alessandro's love affair leads to marriage with Emily Weston, the identical twin sister of Miranda Weston, my heroine in my February 2007 Harlequin Presents release, The Greek's Bridal Purchase.

I do hope you enjoy reading about the twin sisters as much as I enjoyed writing Emily and Miranda's stories...

Enjoy, ladies!

Hugs around the world, from your friend and author,
Susanxxx

Ladies. Pass a glass of water. Flap a towel in front of my face. Anything. But make it fast!








Yes, I look happy, don't I?

But, not for long...

I was keen to show you how the lava flow on this particular island had broken up into tiny (nasty, spiky) little pieces, so decided to revert back to TV presenter mode (should have known I'd have lost my sang froid after all this time!)

There I was, smiling happily as Mr de Mille moved in for my close up, when this very round, very orange, very naked man appeared over the top of a sand dune and started wobbling towards me...
(Believe me, you really don't want to know the detail)

He was followed by a group of fellow back to nature enthusiasts.

Clearly, your author is not as broad minded as she imagines, since her legs went all wobbly and she got that feeling in her thighs like standing at the top of a very tall building when you feel like you have to jump off.

Aaaargh! I'm ashamed to say I shrieked, doing one of those funny runs where your legs flick out behind you and your arms wave wildly in the air.

What a relief to think I'll be back, safe and (well, almost) sound, behind my desk on Thursday!

Sxxx

Seeking and finding and eager to get back to work.





All that's missing here is you.












Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

Writing for Harlequin is a dream come true, but every published author you care to name was once unpublished.
We all dreamed the dream, and along with the dreaming we worked our socks off
(and still do, but that's for another mail!)


I can promise you that every manuscript is read and given due consideration by an outstanding editorial team.
If you receive anything more than a standard rejection slip, soak in every tiny bit of advice you are given in the letter.
If you do receive the standard rejection slip, don't give up- your next book may tug at someone's heart.

Please remember that some of the best guidelines out there are available from www.eharlequin.com and many of the associated sites.

Join your local chapter of the RWA, RNA, or whichever writers' group you have in your country.
Listen to all criticism- there may be a grain of truth in it even if it hurts.
Accept praise with modesty- but don't linger- praise can also make you complacent- and that's a place none of us should ever want to be.

Finally, there are many self help books, and one of the best is my dear friend, Kate Walker's 12 point guide.










I do hope this has been of some help to you. And my final piece of advice is of course, NEVER GIVE UP.

And just for fun, here's another cover of The Greek's Bridal Purchase, my February 2007 Harlequin Presents release








Now, don't worry about the upcoming contests- I will let you know in plenty of time when anything new breaks, and in the meantime, there's my January contest on the Susan Stephens site to keep you entertained.
I share your excitement- it's going to be great.

Hugs around the world!

from your friend, Susan

I thought you might like to see some different covers for my Harlequin Presents February 2007 release.

The Greek's Bridal Purchase
And here's the really exciting news...
To celebrate 'the fabulous coincidence' I am joining up with truly great authors Anne McAllister, Kate Walker and Liz Fielding, in one humunguous competition- details of which are coming later, towards the middle of this month- so keep tuning in so you don't miss out.

Anne has also come up with an idea that may never have been tried before- to have our two Theo's talking to each other on our Blogs!

Whoah, ladies, this one promises to be a thriller, so do keep in touch, and the minute I know the details I'll let you have them.

Meanwhile here's my February cover for you






And here's Anne's...



I'm loving those two Theo's already

Hugs around the world
Susanxxx


Two sizzling hot alpha heroes for you to drool over, a contest and an alpha blog.
Cool me down, someone, will you?

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susanxxx

Talk about funny coincidences- completely without knowing we were doing so, the fabulous Presents author Anne McAllister and myself came up with practically the same name for one of our heroes... Anne's is called Theo, and so is mine. The full name of Anne's hero is Theo Savas, whilst mine is Theo Savakis.

And if that wasn't coincidence enough for you both books are scheduled to be released in February 2007

You really couldn't make it up.

Anne is a great author and a lovely person, so take a look, ladies, at what I have to say are two fantastic covers...







Here's a link to Anne's site:
www.annemcallister.com
And to Anne's blog too...
http://anne-mcallister.blogspot.com/2007/01/who-is-miranda-weston-and-why-do.html

Entitled, Who is Miranda Weston? The puzzle is solved when Anne discovers that Miranda is in fact Susan Stephen's heroine!

Love to all, and now you have an excuse to buy both books- which I never find a hardship when it comes to reading my friends wonderful stories.
Hugs
Susanxxx

Don't even get me started on The Goonies.

I'm just so thrilled to have found an hotel where the promised internet access actually works- I've had some bad luck recently.

Here are aome pics so you can share this research trip with me...


One of the nicest features of this hotel is that there are flowers everywhere, and I mean everywhere

That's great until you burst into your room after a four hour flight, during which time you couldn't bring yourself to use the loo, and another couple of hours in transit-make that four hours- eight in total.
Bursting, moi?
Sorry to be indelicate ladies, but that was me... and then to find flowers floating in the loo...
I couldn't bring myself to use that loo either- so doing a mad sort of bunny hop I left the room and went racing around the hotel like a demented flea, searching for a flower-less loo.

Finally, finally I find relief.
Uuuuuuuuh, bliss.
Stress free trip?
Not yet!

More news tomorrow

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan

But wasn't this a lovely surprise to come back to!
The banner was designed for me by Jo of Glass Slipper Web Designs- one of the hottest web designers I know, and an award winning graphic artist.
Thank you, Jo!!

Yes, it's back to work, and so we all deserve a treat...

And look... I almost managed to take this shot before I started eating it. Almost.




I fear this is another of those slurp dribble moments.

Oh, and I forgot to show you a pic of my fave Steak Frite joint in Paris, which you have to know about.

They bring the yummy steak skewered on the wood straight from the Barbie with a piece of thyme still smouldering to cause a stir amongst the other diners.
The chips are proper chips- home made and delicious.

Fattening? What do you mean, fattening? Chips like this are life-enhancing!

Unless you like your steak bloody, do remember to ask for one step more cooked in France- So, if you like your steak cooked medium, go for bien cuit (well done) (I wrote bon cuit earlier, but that was before I woke up!)
Hope I got the spelling right now, but anyhow, 'Bien cuit, s'il vous plait' ('Well done, please') seems to work for me!!

The restaurant is called The Kiosk, and is situated in Place Mexico.


This photo makes the place look empty, but we arrived around eight and no one really gets round to serious eating until later in gay Paree, as we discovered.
It worked for us as we never had to wait for a table.

And this pic? Just another extraordinary window display- though this standard is the norm in Paris.
Why aren't people incredibly fat over there, because they aren't, and yet pastries, chips and hot chocolate seem to be a regular part of the national diet...
It ain't fair, my friends- it just ain't fair.

And on that happy note I'm leaving you for a day or two, as I'm off the the Canary Islands tomorrow in search of some inspiration!!!

I don't have a lot of faith in hotel internet systems, so don't worry if you don't hear from me for a week- I will be back, as they say!

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susanxxx

Yes, it was another sedate and sober evening with the Stephens tribe on New Year's Eve.




(Go on, admit it, you've always wondered what to do with those wire egg cups you get out of a cracker, haven't you?)

And no party of ours would be complete without the 'Who-Can-Make-The-Best-Hat-Out-Of-A-Napkin' competition...

Here are some of the contenders...




Hope your headaches are little ones and your tbr pile shrinking as you treat yourself to some well earned rest

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!
Susan