Falling in Love again

💗 
Last week I received a mock-up of the cover for my sequel that is due out this year. The book, Don't Call Me Mum, continues on with Lacey Taylor as the main character from My Husband's Sin.

Having a book of mine published was a dream for me and when I saw the cover for my debut novel, I was so excited and happy. I thought nothing will top this, but I've been proved incorrect. 💖
Seeing the new cover, I got goosebumps and chills, the thrill of the first was there, the excitement and the love.

Writing a book is not easy, there are so many ups and downs during the journey from start to finish. So many questions that plague the author, am I mad? Will I ever see the end of this? Why did I start it? Of course, self-doubt is in all jobs. 💝

I cannot wait to share with you this gorgeous cover, for me the designer has got it spot on, Elle, is amazing and thank you to my publishers, Tirgearr for employing the best there is. 💕

Yes, I've fallen in love all over again with all there is to bringing a book to fruition. So much so, I've plotted the next in the series and the outline is waiting for me to get cracking on it. This will finish up the trilogy of what is the Taylor family saga. 💞

Launch Day for Susan Clayton-Goldner

 Tell us about your book, Susan? 

 A River of Silence is about a hearing-impaired man, Caleb Bryce, who is falsely accused and imprisoned for the murder of a 19-month old child. This is the 3rd book in my Detective Radhauser series. Because of pressure from both the small community of Ashland and his boss, Captain Murphy, Radhauser makes the arrest, but remains convinced Caleb Bryce is innocent. With the help of a young public defender, who wants to prove herself to her father, a world-renown criminal defense attorney,  they set out to find the real killer and free Bryce. 

The novel deals with issues of abandonment and the effects it has on the child even after he reaches adulthood. It also deals with alcoholism and its aftermath which can cling to the lives it affected for decades. Mental illness and disabilities is also a theme. And the book shows us that sometimes a person who is mentally challenged sees life in a more beautiful way than those of us who are “normal.”  

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Mysterious, heart-wrenching and human.  

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I have just completed the edits and handed off a stand-alone novel to Tirgearr Publishing. It is entitled The Good Shepherd and is the story of a priest who falls in love with one of his parishioners and she ends up being murdered. I suspect it will release sometime in the summer of 2018.

I’m also working on the 4th book in the Detective Winston Radhauser series. It is entitled, A River of Shame and it is about the murders of two high school students in what appears to be hate crimes. 

And what about Susan herself?

I was born in New Castle, Delaware and grew up with four brothers along the banks of the Delaware River. I've been writing poems and short stories since I could hold a pencil and was so in love with writing that I became a creative writing major in college.

Prior to an early retirement which enabled me to write full time, I worked as the Director of Corporate Relations for University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. It was there I met my husband, Andreas. 

Through the writing process, I've learned that I must be obsessed with the reinvention of self, of finding a way back to something lost, and the process of forgiveness and redemption. These are the recurrent themes in my work.

Andy and I, now share a quiet life in Grants Pass, Oregon, with my growing list of fictional characters, and more books than one person could count. 

When I'm not writing, I enjoy making quilts and stained-glass windows. I think it's a lot like writing--- telling stories with fabric and glass. 

To find out more about Susan's other books in the series and read her author page, check out the folowing link 

http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/ClaytonGoldner_Susan/index.htm   

I wish, Susan great success with A River of Silence and thank her for being my guest. 

Remember, Resolutions Are A Business

A new year begins, a clean slate, a new chapter, all the usual clichés and as you look about you, the shelves are full of magazines telling us what to do. Radio and television have shows dedicated to getting you off the couch and get moving, and yes, I see nothing whatsoever wrong with being told exercise is good for us.

BUT, but why are you doing it? A lot of what we do is because of outside influences. 

Do you stop to think these new resolutions you will carry out with great fervour for a month or two are actually suited to you?
An example, you pay for a gym, buy new gear and after a few weeks, the novelty wears off (the weather is too bad to go out). Dieting? 50 different ways with lettuce is not very appetising, is it? Pressure makes us act in ways that if we stop to think about what we are doing, we might act differently. Why not go for a walk each day? Cheaper and you are still getting your exercise.
What I'm trying to say is, look in to yourself. See what is important to your life. Is there a change needed in it? If there is, approach it with an open mind.
What you read and see around you are companies that need to make a profit. New Year resolutions are a business for them.
So tread with caution, make small changes, ones that can be achieved. Nowhere is it said or written, that resolutions must be made in January, you can start anytime. If you do go for making a change in January to better your life, then wait until February to make the next change. By then the first one will be part of your daily routine and will not be a challenge to continue as you introduce the next.
This can be applied to all aspects of life, even your writing. You like to enter short story competitions? It can be costly, so set a budget for the year, even search for free ones online. Can't write each day but would love to? Why not make it 15 minutes a day? We can all squeeze in 15 minutes but not maybe two hours. Consider less television viewing and write instead, maybe two or three evenings a week. You still get your fix of TV but you also get your writing mojo up and active.
Whatever you decide, I wish you a happy and healthy 2018 and remember don't rush in, think about you and not what the advertisements are telling us we need.
Lecture over for now 😍