Upcoming Susie May sightings in the wild…

So the older I get, the homebodier I become. (Yes, I made up that word. But I think it works, right?) My natural habitat is a desk chair, a cold cup of coffee, and a half-written manuscript. I love my office/writing cave. It doesn’t judge me for wearing pajamas at 2 in the afternoon.

But twice this year, I am dragging myself out of said cave, blinking into the sunlight, and going to hang out with my actual favorite people on planet earth: writers.

Because here’s the thing nobody tells you about this job — it’s lonely. It’s just you and the voices in your head (the fictional ones, mostly) for months at a time. And then you walk into a conference hallway and suddenly you’re surrounded by people who also talk to imaginary people for a living, and who also ugly cried over their own plot twist and who get it without you having to explain a single thing. IOW: these are my people.

First up: ACFW’s 2026 Annual Conference — “The Premier Christian Fiction Conference,” and they are not exaggerating. Thursday, August 27th through Sunday, August 30th, at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. I’ll be teaching an early bird session, so if you’re a writer (or writer-adjacent, or writer-curious, or just enjoy watching me try to explain plot structure with my writing partner, Rachel Hauck), come find me.

Then: Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers, September 25th–27th, at the Hilton Phoenix Airport. Smaller, cozier, and every bit as full of my people.

Two conferences. One cave-dweller. Lots of caffeine. We’re gonna have fun!

Meanwhile — while I’m packing bags and prepping teaching notes — I’m also elbow-deep in a brand new story — set in Copenhagen. I almost jumped on a plane last week. More on that soon!

And speaking of stories already out in the world — SOUTH is here, available on all retailers now (except Amazon)!

About SOUTH:

She picked up the wrong bag. He caught her with what was inside. Now they’re both lying about everything.

At the Honolulu airport, Jayden Pierce grabs the wrong suitcase — a mistake, an accident — until she opens it and realizes someone on her Sydney tour group is planning to assassinate the President. Dakota Rivers has been undercover for three days hunting exactly this threat, and when he finds Jayden holding the evidence, every instinct says she’s the enemy. His gut says something else entirely. So he makes a calculated gamble: fake engagement, two weeks touring Australia, work together to find the real threat before the summit. Professional. Strategic. Completely insane.

Except Jayden isn’t a travel blogger — she’s a Black Swan operative on a classified mission, and she is absolutely not telling Dakota that.

Two undercover agents. One fake engagement. Zero trust. And somewhere between the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour — real feelings neither of them can afford. Book 3 in the Hunt for Alan Martin series.

Grab SOUTH today!

Stay tuned for this Friday’s Free book alert!

P.S. If you’re a writer, I hope to see you in Memphis and/or Phoenix — come find me if you’re there!