So, I’m back from an amazing ACFW conference, hanging out with all my author friends, brainstorming new novel ideas with my brilliant Sunrise Publishing authors, and eating way too much delicious food from the Peabody hotel.
But…this was one of their delicious desserts.
It’s a duck. A white chocolate duck that appears to be floating in a pool of its own blood!!
I can hardly believe this but… seven years of remodeling—SEVEN, (the biblical number of completion, which feels almost too on-the-nose)—we have reached the end of the Great House Project.
Okay, almost. Let’s not get too excited. But let’s say we’re on that final room. The Garage.
Now, if you’ve ever remodeled anything,
Here they are. My executive team. The people behind all the strategy in Susan May Warren Fiction.
I think the founder looks a little too caffeinated.
That’s my daughter, Sarah, (yes, that Sarah, who writes Hockey RomComs with me) and her lovely daughter Jojo. They’ve got their thinking caps on.
In truth,
Listen, I’m just sayin’ I’m not ready.
It can’t be the end of summer already! I still have more home projects, still need more rides in the T-top corvette, more summer nights by the fire table, more long walks to frogs chirruping in the marsh.
And wouldn’t you know it — now my garden decides to show up.
Oh, what a week.
Last week I got to do my very favorite thing— I hung out with my grandkids (and their parents! Also my favorite!) We spent the week at the pool, hit the Mall of America, wandered the Dakota County Fair, played approximately nine thousand games, and generally caught up with our favorite little humans.
Okay, I’m going to tell you a secret.
Today. Just now. I finished Book 3 of an epic new series I’ve been hinting at for weeks, and I simply cannot hold it in one more second: Roy and Ziggy: Against All Odds.
Seven books. All releasing in 2027. International,
It’s a rather gloomy day here in Minnesota. I’m not complaining—I love rainy days. And my pajamas. Rainy days and pajamas. That’s where we’re at today.
I’m sitting here with my coffee, reflecting on July. It was a good month. We attended two family reunions, hung out in Pennsylvania with friends, visited Constitution square and installed a sprinkler system in our garden (actually hubs did that,
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,
Okay, it’s been HOT this week at our house. Mostly because today, we discovered our bedroom AC wasn’t working. Whoops.
But here’s the thing. We just got back from our epic trip out east for the family reunion (last weeks news!) and staying with a writer friend, (also last week) and then made an epic one-day stopover in Phili to hang around constitution square.
I’m writing this newsletter from my author friend Tracy Higley’s backyard, and friends—it is gorgeous out here. Rolling green hills, birdsong, a summer breeze… it’s the kind of place that makes a writer want to linger over her coffee and call it “research.”
Tracy has been the most gracious host—she’s even been on a personal mission to keep the sun off me (see photographic evidence below ).