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| November 21st, 2008 Did you ever get the feeling you should have been twins?
Big family weekend/Gordon Ramsey cook-in tonight- deadline/ cutting 30 pages out of book Need I go on??? Ah, well don’t think I’m cut out for living like a hermit either! Vive la Chaos Have a great weekend, everyone! Sxxx November 18th, 2008
For my welcome back- thank you all, really, very much appreciated- must attempt not to put you off now with- tales of my grunts and groans in the gym in the run up to the annual donning of the custom made torture devices
And, yes, of course I’m on a ridiculous deadline- when am I not- and should not be here- but don’t you think that’s half the fun? Plus, I know the eds read too- Hi Jenny. In fact, hi to all the gorgeous girls in Richmond-
We don’t have to search too far for inspiration when it comes to our heroines- though I have to say the eds are a lot better looking (should I say that?!) (of course all my heroines are gorgeous, Susan adds hastily- though most of them have red hair and freckles, for some reason, which isn’t to everyone’s taste…) Someone asked me at my latest talk- where do I find my inspiration?
Nothing hard about that, now is there?! Well, if that hasn’t cheered you up, I’ll eat my halo- waving to you in New Zealand, Amanda- glad someone thinks I’m a saint!
Have a good one, ladies, Sxxx November 17th, 2008
And more or less alive after my session in the gym this morning- yes, it’s going well, thank you Paul. I just love this uncoordinated sweaty exercise- that would be me, not you, Paul- you don’t break sweat, you just yawn (inwardly and invisibly) (but I know) (and who can blame you?!!!) We have discovered, Paul and I, that not only do I have zero sense of balance, but when it comes to coordination I am educationally so gym-impoverished its just not possible to measure my ineptitude. However, with the promise of family ski craziness in Val d’Isere, I press on. (Why can everyone ski better than me?) (Please don’t answer that, Paul) But blimey O’Reilly, when it comes to the old scribing I seem to be doing something right- Thank you so much to everyone for loving my prince with a penchant for unusual activities in the grape treading arena, (The Prince’s Arranged Bride) my sheikh with a willingness to acknowledge a girl’s innermost needs, (Desert King, Pregnant Mistress) and a soldier who is badder than he oughta be. (Housekeeper At His Beck And Call) So glad you liked, Alessandro, Kahl and Cade, ladies. And batten down the hatches and get out the hard hat (that’s a memo to self) for a reprint of Virgin for Sale. If you like a bit of hanky spanky, March 2009 is your month- though I’m a little concerned that the anthology is called The Millionaire’s Virgin (perhaps it’s a sign of the credit crunch hitting our titles…) I do think The Billionaire’s Virgin has a much better ring to it. And talking of anthologies- here’s another
This includes a reprint of The French Count’s Mistress, which, as I have only just put a French Count to bed- so to speak- in Count Maxime’s Virgin- is a delicious surfeit of French Counts. What else can I tell you? I had a great little session in the Saltaire bookshop- Hi, there, everyone! And plugged my good mate Kate Walker’s fab book: The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. Ain’t none better folks… (never said grammar was my strong point, did I?) Was almost adopted by a cat today- so sad that all living here are allergic to cats- I love them. Had to turn poor moggie away, but if he/she returns tomorrow cannot promise to be so strong… The Betster rules- though she hates fireworks still and will be better when November’s over. And let’s end with the Adorabubbles.
By ‘eck it’s like I’ve never been away! Waving madly (How else would I wave?) Sxxx October 28th, 2008
On 30th October I’m having a super contest and chat over at www.accessromance.com All-A-Blog. My theme? Hot, hard dangerous men- and one Italian Prince in particular- Alessandro, my lush hero in And there is more… grape treading like I promise you’ve never seen it before, as well as an encounter in a hay barn- Well, that all sounds pretty good to me. I think I’ll buy a BIG chunk of chocolate and take my copy of The Prince’s Arranged Bride to a quiet corner of the house. And on the 3rd November I’ll be over at iheart Presents discussing the perfect man in some considerable detail- Who? Alessandro, of course! Have a good one, ladies, Sxxx October 23rd, 2008
I must be enjoying my writing more than ever, because I’m feeling impish and composing a book on the side - no, not really- of the lines that got away. Here’s me in an Antonia Banderas moment- you have to imagine me mimicking that voice. (sorry in advance, ladies) Come on Antonio, sock it to us: Oh, all right then… *sheepish grin* What? Sheepish grin? From Antonio??? Nah. ‘Not so fast, signorina. Please don’t mistake me for a civilised man. I smile because my teeth are perfect.’ Oh, well, darn it, these alphas can’t take themselves seriously all the time- and no, the line didn’t make it into my current wip, thankfully- I found the delete key just in time Have a good one, ladies. Sxxx October 17th, 2008
I am just more thrilled than I can tell you to see this book zipping up the charts. I was talking about it only last night, as it happens, in the wonderfully atmospheric Saltaire Bookshop- and thank you, David, for inviting me to share such a convivial evening with a very nice glass of wine and some excellent company. I was asked about the themes I like to cover in my books, and one that crops up again and again is batting down snobbery. I loathe it. (you’d never guess, would you!) And in The Prince’s Arranged Bride I get the opportunity to do just that with identical twin heroines swopping places. One is a classical violinist (and you can find Miranda’s story in The Greek’s Bridal Purchase), while the other is a barrister.
To pay for her training at the music conservatoire, Miranda is a cabaret singer at night. A sore throat puts Miranda’s sister, Emily on stage in her place. The attitude of other characters in the book towards Emily in her guise of cabaret singer and then in her true colours as a barrister, allowed me both to wonder and to examine what, if anything, would change in Emily as she moved between the two occupations. And thank you once again to all my fantastic readers, who not only sent Desert King; Pregnant Mistress to 1# in the UK, but also 1# in the Presents Extra in the US.
And if I tell you what’s happening with Housekeeper at His Beck and Call you’ll think I’m in danger of getting too big for my boots
So, I’ll just say I’ve been told the sell through in the UK is fab’ and my lovely h Liv and hard man Cade rose 3 places on Waldenbooks in the US this week And again, that’s all thanks to you, my wonderful readers, and I thank you all for sharing my dreams. Yay! Whoopee!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! (whaddya mean, am I thrilled?!) Have a great weekend, everyone, Wishing you all the best of everything, Suexx October 16th, 2008
I just love this cover- for much the same reasons as I remain a fan of CSI Uh? I hear you thinking. CSI? I love the colour in that programme- everything is enhanced to the max. (and I love H, but that’s another story- actually, I’m transfixed by his voice and delivery, as well as his mascara. Horatio, you’re the best!) I’m also rather fond of the story in this Desert Princes collection- The Sheikh’s Captive Bride is one of my all time favourite encounters between an unsuspecting heroine and a ruthless sheikh. I also think this cover has a touch of Bollywood about it- I adore those films! For pure spectacle- we’re talking colour, drama, emotion- in my opinion, they’ve got it all. The Desert Princes’ Brides is a Mills & Boon Single Title special release. Wishing you plenty of colour in your life today, everyone! Susanxx October 13th, 2008
On Friday we enjoyed the hospitality of Sue and Andrew in the Laidler club at the magnificently restored (though terminally uncomfortable- at least in the dress circle) Alhambra theatre in Bradford (more knee room, pleeeeease) to see the stage version of Calendar Girls.
The real life Calendar Girls are already triumphant for the massive amount of money and recognition they have raised for Leukaemia Research in memory of Angela Baker’s husband, John, and now the story lives on thanks to the memorable film and the emotion stirring stage show.
It was a brilliant evening with a marvellous cast featuring most memorably, Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Sian Phillilps, Elaine C Smith, (Yay, loved your performance, Elaine) Gaynor Faye and Brigit Forsyth. Brilliant. And now it’s back to an arrogant Italian and a lady who is determined to… er, sort him out Have a good one, ladies, Sxxx October 12th, 2008
I gave a talk recently where I was asked, ‘When did you start writing stories’? As luck would have it, I have recently been clearing out my loft (before the roof falls in) and found this- written as we do when we start writing- in pencil, in between lines, with my teacher’s admonishing marks where my letters haven’t quite reached the desired height. I think you’ll see from this that not only was my imagination flexing, but my love of fashion was already firmly established. I give you, Susan Stephens way back when. Long, long ago there dwelt a witch in a thick wood. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone, Sxx October 5th, 2008
We seem to have jumped straight from a non-existent summer to winter here in the UK. I cried ‘Uncle’ yesterday, lighting the log fire and turning on the Aga. (Now, we’re sweltering- but I will get the temperature right. I will!)
I admire farmers more than I can say- I still remember the dreadful Foot and Mouth disease that brought so many to their knees, and in fact in my book for the upcoming (2009) 6 Nations Rugby series for Mills & Boon Modern and Presents, The Ruthless Billionaire’s Virgin, features a heroine who comes from a farming family devastated by this tragedy. On the home front I’m going to see Chloe and Eloise today Yippee! And Wiggy and Rob are running in The Great North Run to support Breast Cancer- so that was an early start putting together a hamper of food for them to take.
Better get cracking on some pudding and snacks for James and Sol, who, with the twinnies to look after, don’t have too much spare time to spend in the kitchen these days! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! All my very best to you, Suexx |
My lovely D.i.L has set up a fan page for me apparently, on Facebook, though what this entails I’m not quite sure- again, hugely appreciated (so long as the sprogs don’t spill the beans about their witchy mama!) 
Hello… 
Way to go, Beth Tracey Torrance from Liverpool!
As you can see, the fields around my house are freshly tilled- It was such a relief to have an interlude of fine weather so the farmers could complete the harvest. Tractors were everywhere, working from dawn to dusk while the good weather held. 
