Happy New Year to my friends, fans, and family! I appreciate every one of you!!! Since so many have asked when will I release my next book, I’ll offer a little backstory on that subject. In 2011 I decided to take a one-year hiatus to rebuild my muse that had been battered by a decade of back-to-back deadlines and the passing of my mom. I’m so glad I did. I think that one of the most invigorating–and scary–things a person can do is to make the conscious decision to step off life’s treadmill for a time. Taking away the pressure of the deadlines and publisher demands, I was able to better focus on my family and my full-time career as a commercial airline pilot flying 747s overseas, as well as living out a few HGTV fantasies by doing two–fixer-upper homes in a row, and LIVING in them as we renovated. I have traveled and challenged myself, and have grown so much, all while collecting story ideas like seashells at low tide. I never intended to take such a long break, but in a blink of an eye, it seems, my one-year hiatus has turned into three!
Sorry about that…
Thankfully, since I plan to go straight from keyboard to online digital publishing, the pipeline with be short and thus so will the wait when I do start putting books out there again. Please do keep your notes coming. I feel blessed knowing y’all have loved my stories enough to badger me into creating more of them. My readers are the best. I love you all!
Here are a few photos from 2014, a year of ups and downs, great adventure, and many significant personal challenges taken and completed:
In January I lost my best friend, shadow, and soul-doggie Tala to heart cancer:
I worked a heavier than normal schedule this year, which included one last layover in lovely Sydney, Australia before the 747s were pulled from the route:
Fun, fun! Birthday layover in Beijing with my bestie, also a United 747 pilot:
Daughter’s 21st birthday vacation/spring break girls’ trip to Maui. My first time there. A gorgeous island. Lobster at Dukes…soooo good:
Kaanapali sunset:
Misty, one of my 2 cats:
Cherry blossom time in Tokyo:
“My” valley. View from our back deck (million-dollar view from a fixer-upper house):
Bucket list trip, a westbound transAtlantic crossing on the AMAZING Queen Mary 2 (blog on that trip to come):
My view of Mitchell Hall from the head table at the United States Air Force Academy Class of 2015’s Ring Dance dinner, where I was the guest speaker. Another challenge to myself, my first lengthy “speech,” something I always vowed to avoid (and plan to continue doing so in the future, haha) :
Got a new puppy last summer. A naughty, spirited, wicked-smart Border Collie named Skye who now has to live up to “Saint Tala.”
Ripening grapes in our vineyard. The deer subsequently ate every last one. A tall fence is in our future:
Sauce made with beefsteak tomatoes from the garden:
Another challenge accepted and completed–my first 5K. I took second place. :):
Dad’s 90th:
Labor Day/Parent’s weekend this year included as always Sunday brunch at the amazing Broadmoor:
Jumbo jet selfie:
Filets made from our next-door neighbor’s grass-fed beef (with homegrown rosemary). The meat is so delicious I can almost forget how cute this steer was before..:
September New York City trip with my bestie and her daughter. So much fun! Tavern on the Green in Central Park:
Freedom Tower. If you haven’t yet visited the new 9-11 Memorial, do. It’s so incredibly moving and beautiful:
Aw! Skye napping:
Fall views from the property:
The drought in Northern California has taken a toll on our land :
Parched vineyard. Irrigation is in our future as well as that deer fence:
Skye at 7 months is growing fast:
Sunrise at the “office”:
A bounty of Meyer lemons. These are a hybrid of mandarins and normal lemons and so delicious:
In cruise…:
A frigid morning in downtown Tokyo:
From the cockpit–The sky, the beautiful, ever-changing sky that I never tire of seeing:
And, when home, I never tire of the sunsets from the back deck…:
And to wrap up the year, here is Mew, the matriarch of the house, a 15 year-old Maine Coon, posing in front of the Christmas tree:
May 2015 bring you love, happiness, and good health!
xxxooo Susan
Happy New Year! What lovely pictures, and wonderful news about your writing. You’ve been missed 🙂
Phyl, you are so sweet! Thank you!
Thank you for your blogs and updates! Your novels are some of my favourites and I’ve reread most while you’ve taken your understandable and deserved break! I am eagerly looking forward to your new writings when you are ready for them to be released.
Kim, thanks so very much! 🙂 It’s people like you who make me eager to jump back in the game.
Happy New Year, Susan!!! Beautiful pictures, an amazing year for you and a exciting year coming up for all your fans. Can’t wait to hear all about your next book! So glad you’re getting back to writing. Yay!!! 🙂
Aw! Thanks, Jill! I’m glad you liked seeing the photos! I aim to get back to writing really soon. 🙂
So Marty’s looking through all these (gorgeous) photos and he gets to the grapes and says “okay – that’s it. we *have* to move to CA. Can you telecommute?” He’s been wanting a vineyard for ages – and those photos look amazing! (ugh – we felt your pain over the deer. Same here, only with peach trees stripped bare – how can they strip the plants so quickly?!?)
It looks like you had a fantastic year (except for Tala’s loss. I’m so very sorry). Can’t wait to read about the QM2 bucket list cruise!!
I can’t figure out why I’m not getting notified about comments. (sigh) BUT, at least I saw it quicker than some tweets I just noticed–one nearly a year old! (gulp!). Needless to say I’m working on my notifications settings. 🙂 As for deer, our squirrels are even worse! They know the perfect time to strip the nut trees. We had almonds and pecans heavy with fruit and within days they were bare. We set out some Havaheart traps and I think they guffawed as they scampered by. Not sure what to do, aside from a well-aimed .22. 🙂 And YES,… Read more »