Book Day

Thoughts are in London today, but we’re not going to change, and we won’t be changed.

I’ve got quite a few suggestions for book day, starting with this amazing series by Angelique Armae. If you love fantasy look no further than this fabulous series.

If thrillers are your bag, try this amazing first novel by the celebrated journalist Frank Gardner

 

I’ve just finished another Jean Plaidy ❤️❤️❤️

I can’t recommend Caroline the Queen highly enough, but then I’m addicted to historical novels!

And if you haven’t grabbed a free Tsar – or an incredible box set for just £0.99 in the UK – get on it 😉

Hope there are enough ideas there to whet your appetite!

Much love to everyone,

Susan xx

Christmas Tsar

Grab a Tsar

 

 

 

 

Thursday is pet day

*weirdness alert* Those of a nervous disposition should turn away now!

Yep. We all know I’m a little bit obsessed by cats. I absolutely love them, and have never been able to share my home with one due to family allergies. Waah!

But I am the luckiest person alive when it comes to the wonderful dogs I’ve shared my life with – starting with Mitzi, my Welsh corgi when I was a little girl, to Betty in the present day I have never been without a wonderful dog to share my heart with as well as my home!

And here’s another of my passions – taken to the extreme in this instance – I adore birds and am absolutely fascinated by them. The most surprising thing about this encounter with an Eagle owl in Dubai was how light it was. The ranger explained that the birds have hollow bones, which I didn’t know.

Love to all creatures great and small❣️

Susan xx

Wednesday is surprising fact day

As a child I was painfully shy, so my mother decided there was only one thing for it – I must  act, sing, play the piano, and generally get out there and show myself, instead of hiding my head in a book.

This was my first stage appearance as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I can still remember my mother painstakingly dabbing glue on the pale green chiffon costume she made before dropping sequins on the glue. She was so much better than me at this sort of thing. When my children were small, if they needed a fancy dress outfit, it had to be something I could fashion out of a bin liner – the kids had some great Punk outfits, I seem to remember ?

Here’s another pic of an older me in the musical ‘Lock up your Daughters’, based on an 18th century play, luridly entitled, ‘Rape upon Rape’. The modern version was a lot of fun to take part in, and, I’m guessing, not nearly as naughty as its 18th century counterpart.

My fellow actor must have been very tolerant to let me loose on her hair!

All the best from the Yorkshire moors – where it can’t decide whether to rain or not right now 🙂

 

Love to all,

Susan xx

Back!

 

And how appropriate that Tuesday is Jibber Jabber day. I’m great at Jibber Jabber. ?

I actually spent an entire week away without a computer, or any way to write – unless I set to on my phone, and even I draw the line at that.

I ❤️ Majorca, especially away from the coast, where the countryside is so beautiful and the life is so laid back. We stayed on the coast so DH could swim in the sea every day, but it was great to explore the ‘real’ island.

I particularly love to be out on the sea. It’s just so beautiful and tranquil.

Happy to say, I returned refreshed and more than eager to join my latest characters on their journey to true love.

Such a contrast here in Yorkshire as autumn sets in, but beautiful in its own way…

 

But let’s say goodnight for today with sunset out at sea off the coast of Majorca.

Back soon!

Love to all, Susan xx

 

Really?

My *thing* is walking…usually across the wild and woolly moors. Today the beach, where I encounter the Towel Draper and the Scavenger.

Bearing in mind I was walking at dawn, imagine my surprise when a tense and harried looking man squeezed past me as I was exiting the hotel’s secure grounds to access the beach, where the hotel also has a number  – make that a couple of hundred or so – sun beds lined up in neat and very close together rows. (I’m freaking out at the thought of reclining on one for even part of a day even as I write that)  My first response was concern, thinking he must be hurrying to attend a relative or friend who had had an accident, so I kept an eye on things in case he needed help. But no. Glancing over his shoulder in the dim light of dawn, he quickly laid out his towels on what must be his favoured position on the edge of this sardine arrangement.

Now, forgive me if I sound slightly perjoritive here – but wtf??? First off, why make the focus of the day laying out in the sun courting skin cancer? And secondly, does the position of a sun bed matter so much that you have to forget you’re on holiday and rise before dawn to dash down to the beach to bag one?  I must be missing something here.

Then there was the guy with the metal detector going round the empty sun beds. I’d like to think that if he had found someone’s precious engagement ring etc, he would return it to the authorities.

Oh, and there was a thirdly – when I returned from the beach after around an hour, the Second Battalion Towel Drapers was frantically exercising its right to drape.

Do give over. It can’t be good for your health.

Love to all my fabulous and highly sensible readers, whom I know without asking would be too busy searching out shade to read a book! You are, without question, the absolute best.

Susan xx

Memories

The cabaret singer tonight reminded me of my time doing the same, testing job – I guess it’s a right of passage for all singers – but a huge reality check for the classically trained singer, who is accustomed to silence falling the moment she opens her charmed mouth *read me*

It’s a hard job, and done wonderfully well tonight. This is how I knew Mr S was for me. We’d met on a night when i wasn’t singing, so he returned to hear me sing. Guys were talking loudly, as guys are wont to do, so Mr S decided they should be listening to the cabaret singer aka me. So he, um, silenced, them – with no more than a look, I seem to remember 😉

I LOVE my sweetheart. Wishing you love,

Susan xx

 

‘Xausted

Not even enough strength to write the entire word. Just ‘xausted. *sob* *pity me* etc etc

Okay, so now we’ve got that out of the way – how about this supremely cute kitty-cat from the lovely Shell?!! Thank you so much for understanding my pressing need for a fur ball that goes mew instead of… well, the glorious Betster doesn’t growl – she’s far too ladylike, but she can bark up a storm if the mood takes her. And I don’t see why the two wouldn’t get on really well…

All right Betty! There’s no need to start growling!!!

Gorgeous kitten, please adopt me!

Friday is book day, so obvs I’m going to suggest you grab a Tsar! If you haven’t, you should. He’s free, and he’s hot.

Christmas Tsar

Grab a Tsar!

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And if that has whetted your appetite for more heated drama, how about Jean Plaidy? I’m re-reading this incredible author’s entire oeuvre right now. My mother used to take me to the library every Saturday morning when I was a child, and Jean Plaidy was always my first pick. All the stories are amazing and, as I have discovered to my glee, they are available to load in bulk on to your ereader right now!

How can you resist?!?!

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Off to immerse myself in some furiously vicious and violent Medici scandal!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Happy reading!

Susan xx