That I can be funny and write a humorous,  really happy, happily ever after. It just doesn't work out that way when I usually sit down to write. I always know what the story is when I sit down to write, but I never know how it's going to come out until the character tells me. And for all of you who read my books, I'm in the same boat as you today, because who the hell would have expected Alan Manzone to be funny? But that's how he told his story and damn if he wanted freaking HAPPY happily ever after. He wouldn't let me write it any other way. So I finally gave in because I was tired of arguing with him and wanted to finish the book.

All silliness aside, writing Broken Crown, has been an interesting process for me. I'm naturally in real life a happy and funny person. No, no darlings I can tell what you're think...Susan writes singe your eyebrow angst and WTF just happened happily ever after....but no I'm a pretty happy girl. But I only let my happy usually show in the comments of Jackson Parker. My simple philosophies about life. But dang, Alan Manzone highjacked my happy personality and put it in his book. Oh well it's there. What can I do now.

For what's it worth, my editor claims this is her favorite book by me. First time I ever got a "great, great, great book, love the humor, love the ending, love, love, love" out of her. She's a little tough. She likes my books, but like a good editor she likes to slap me around a bit, then pat me on the bat, then slap me some more. But I didn't get slapped once writing this book. She likes my happy.

So as I start my week of NO WRITING, as ordered by my husband, I need to consider why it is I'm a happy and funny person, but it's very hard for me to let that show in my writing. I hope you all enjoy the new release. I think it's not what you're going to expect from me, darlings. But really, I love Alan, so I let him have his story his way. He deserved it.

As Ever I Wish You All Peace!

Well, I've been in the writing cave for days now, rapidly click, click, clicking away on my keyboard trying to finish my next three books-Broken Crown(August 30th) The Girl of Sand & Fog(September 2015) Love me Forever(September 2015). I'm probably not going to pop out much until next week when life gets real for me again.  It's another week of hospital and surgery for my husband. Tuesday, it's heart surgery day.

There are some benefits to being older in life. We're quiet together as a couple. Things that would have freaked me out ten years ago--they still freak me out--but we're so damn calm about everything. And there is definitely a benefit to having a supportive spouse if you're a writer. Once I tallied up our calendar of events for August, I realized I better start writing like mad before the hospital thing. I crash after the procedures, once I know my husband is OK, and I don't write sometimes for days.

So, I've got my covers all lined for my next books. Cover reveal. Release Blitz. Blog tours set up. I'm nearly finished with the writing. And when life gets real next week, I'm stepping out of book world and letting it be. It's his turn to need me.

And thank you all for all the retweets and kind little messages. It makes a difference. Writing is lonely. It's wonderful so many people take time to say hello.

As ever, I wish you Peace.

So I've been chugging away, writing my new release Broken Crown, and really enjoying being inside the head of Alan Manzone. Jeez, I didn't know he thought the way he did until I let him speak in my head. And I'm a little excited and a little scared with the format change for my new series and new girl, Kaley Stanton, The Girl of Sand & Fog, starting with a series book 1 with a male point of view. It just seems necessary for my new girl for me to spend a little time in the head of her father  and Alan definitely had something to say.

Everything had been going swimmingly, almost all three books complete, and then I made the dreaded decision to announce release dates and ...OY... the writing has come to a screeching halt. I don't know why that always happens. I see on my dashboard people Googling for the new books, I get nervous and suddenly can't write. And yes, you naughty darlings, I know which books you're looking for. And don't worry my historical readers; I know you're looking for Love me Forever and I am in the process of finishing that book, too.

I guess the fear and sudden inability to put the story on paper is because we've all gone so far together the past year and I don't want to disappoint any of you continuing in my Parker family Saga. I would never have gotten through so many books so quickly without you, and you have made this journey so amazing for me. I think the highlight has been when a reader sends a note about the little folksy things Jack Parker say because it's wonderful to know they've touched someone. Especially since each little axiom from Jack is really a message from me for my daughters.

So as I try to crank out the last 15K words of each book, I'm working really hard not to disappoint any of you. But Alan will be Alan. And the apple doesn't seem to fall far from the tree. Kaley is definitely determined to be Kaley.  Neither of them seem intent to listen to me, but I don't think the story would work any other way. Sometimes you've just got to throw the rules out the window and let it be.

As ever I wish you Peace.

There's no secret that I love my hometown. Even if it wasn't the place I was born, raised, went to school, got married, raised my children I would still think it's pretty darn neat here. It has just the right blend of beauty, history, the rustic and culture. It makes you want to write. I can't remember a time I haven't wanted to write.  It's a magical place. That's why I didn't create a fictional location for my characters in the Parker Saga. I put them here in Santa Barbara.

Now there is that famous other author named Susan...no darlings, don't have to tell you her last name. She lives here too. I live on the mountain and she lives in one of the frou-frou neighborhoods. But she turned our town into a fictional place for her lovely mystery books. I'm not sure why. Fear of the neighbors? I get that. Every once in the while, someone writes me, do you even know Santa Barbara? Yep, and I also know what it was like 20years ago, 30 years ago, 40 years ago...well no need to go on. You get the idea. And our little city in it's truest form  is already semi-fictional. I mean really places like this don't exist any more--I know. I travel more than I want to--Where life is protected by mountains, ocean, and affluence. Where everyone moves just a smidge slower. Where everyone is happy and smiles at each other. Where a long line to wait in is 5 minutes. Where you can walk on beach and eat breakfast on the rocks, then drive twenty minutes and mountain hike. Magical.

Today is the first day of Old Spanish Days and I will be out celebrating with my neighbors the discovery of this magical city for 5 days. Since I released the first Half Shell Book, locals come up to me sometimes and say, you're her. You're the woman who writes those naughty books set in Santa Barbara.***see husband cringe out of the corner of my eye*** But why shouldn't I? It's my town. I still have my sash from when I was Miss Santa Barbara to prove it! And why do they comment on the naughty? I made hope a tangible thing, a place in my series. Hope is here for me. You see there really is a place called Hope Ranch. It's a neighborhood here. The neighborhood I was raised in, where I raised my girls. I'm a girl from a place called Hope. Very appropriate for an Indie Author. When we release a book, what have we got going for us but hope.

So I'm off not writing for 5 days and enjoying my hometown. But I'll be back at work Monday finishing Broken Crown, Book 1 of the Sand & Fog Series.

And as ever I wish you Peace.

Well I'm back in beautiful Santa Barbara California and getting ready to go into that writing cave and finished my next 3 releases. It was wonderful to take time and be only with my daughter, but I'm watching my dashboard--you naughty girls I know what you are looking for--and I can see the searches for my next 3 releases. So darlings, and we know I hate to do this, I'm going to go out on a limb and do a release update:

Broken Crown-Book 1 Sand & Fog Series--I've finally found the perfect man to be Alan Manzone and my cover, so game on! Expect a cover reveal August 17th and a release date of August 30th. And yes, to you impatient readers who want things from the Half Shell Series  answered absolutely--but you know the answers, they are already there in the books, either spelled out or because you know these characters well--the parts of the Parker Saga which I felt belonged more accurately part of Kaley Stanton's story will be 100% clear, no doubt possible, in the Sand & Fog Series. And it may surprise some of you, but then what would be the fun of a book by me if it were predictable.

Now my new girl, The Girl of Sand & Fog, book 2 of the Sand  Fog Series--I'm targeting  September 27th for release. I am absolutely loving writing about Kaley. So different from her mother. More like my daughters. Less like me.

For my historical readers, I see you searching for Indy's story, Love Me Forever--well darlings I said summer 2015, and so if all goes well with my naughty pirate--and believe me darlings, Indy is not letting me write his story my way--then expect a mid-September release.

Then, for those of you waiting for the final book of the Affair without End Series...well, this date has changed. As I complete the Parker Universe with the Sand & Fog Series, I realized I shouldn't release this book until after the final Sand & Fog Series book. So expect both those series to tie up end of December. And then in 2016 we are going into Spruce & Ebony Series with a few random standalone novels to boot.

Oh, and there is going to be something new on the horizon I didn't plan. An anthology with some great authors scheduled to release November 7th. I'll post more details once that's firmed up. But granny is putting on her naughty writing hat and doing something with a group of erotica authors. It sounded fun, so why not?

Whew, I think that's everything for now. I have a busy end of summer and fall planned for me and you. To all those reading my books, sending me notes, pumping me for answers; Thank you so much for taking this journey with me. You have touched my heart more than you will ever know. You have made the highs higher; and the lows, less low.

And as ever THANK YOU  and I wish you peace.

Hello darlings. I'm back from my vacation with my daughter, writing, I've got release dates for the Sand & Fog series to announce, but I wanted to leave you with this today, this blog post by Rachel Blaufeld. I love her books. I love her enthusiasm.  And I love her attitude. I have nothing more to add than "An Ode to My Readers" by Rachel Blaufeld:

An Ode to My Readers (I’m back to rambling instead of doing what I should be doing)

Last week, I shipped my fifth book off to the editor.

Earlier this week, I wrote a prologue for book number six.

Does that make me an expert? A seasoned author? I don’t know––

But every morning this week, I took pause. Time to reflect on my writing career, the romance industry as a whole and what we can be doing better…as authors, mostly myself.

My books have seen medium success. More than that, I have a really amazing group of readers. I talk to most of them. Ask them, and they will tell you. If they message or email, I write back. If they write reviews, I like them. It was easy with one book and one reader and with each release, it takes a little more time. BUT this is something, I will never give up.

Listen carefully, I’m going to share my biggest trade secret:

Readers make it all happen.

Whether they blog big time or for small peanuts, tweet, share on Facebook and/or simply leave reviews. Without readers, we are nothing.

Meeting a new reader, reaching a brand new pair of eyeballs is like grabbing the holy grail for an author. It’s why we don’t spend all day in our robes, eating donuts and writing books (that’s only 50% of the time). We get online every day and chat, go to signings and hand out swag and smile for photos and sign kindle covers, and do giveaways.



Does my time on email and social media drive my family bonkers? Yes.

Do my eyes feel like they’re going to cross at the end of the day? Yes.

Do I still love what I do? Yes.

Do I dream of my books making it big time? We all do. We just lie and say we don’t.

This week among all the riffraff and chatter (low sales, new strategies), it was suggested I write “something en vogue” or join KU or every other theory as to what I could be doing to be more successful. Which is why I took pause…because what does SUCCESS mean?

Absolutely, this is my business––100%––and I have to sell books, make a profit, pay my assistant (because she is away and crap, everything is falling apart).

BUT still success can’t just be in the number. It is but it isn’t I told myself.

If it were only in a number, I wouldn’t write what’s in my head but rather what is expected.

If it were only in a number, I would NOT answer emails and messages and send signed books to Colorado when a reader cannot make a signing.

If it were only in a number, I wouldn’t worry about Mandy (my first reader) and her health. Seriously, I do.

If it were only for a number, I wouldn’t have created these stories and the ones to come. Stories from my heart and my head.

Hence,

Readers make it all happen.

SO, as I start book number SIX, I take pause and think to myself of all the blessings, the good parts, the highs and forget the lows because of the readers. They may be few, but they’re mighty and growing.

Thank you. ~R