Susan's Book Garden

Just around the corner

2008-03-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

What's just around the corner? Spring! This week we've finally gotten some warm days, and although the snow isn't entirely gone, it' s been banished from our yard, at least.

The buds on the pussywillow are starting to show just a hint of gray. That, and the fact that the dog comes in with mud up to his elbows tells me we're thawing out! And driving by a local lake this morning, I saw a pair of bluebirds sitting on a nesting box. The robins are back and staking out territory, and I heard a Great Horned Owl the other night.

No sign of any crocus or other bulbs peeking through the still-frozen ground. I keep telling myself that it's still early, but I'm ready for Spring!

Romance is in the Air

2008-03-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit more from Romance is in the Air~

Whispers in the Wind by Sherry Jones

Grace Belden looked her sister’s desperate face before her gaze dropped to Claire’s nine-month’s worth of swollen belly.

“I need a physical presence at that location, Grace. I wouldn’t ask but…” Claire’s voice trailed off, but Grace knew the words she’d left unspoken as well as the wording in the vendor contract.

“Only for you, Claire, because you are my baby sister who looks like she’s ready to pop.”

Grace gave a sigh over her designer outfit she’d not had time to change, however, she turned to reload the cart with the afternoon’s required supplies. “And because after today my life will never be the same.”

“Oh, pray tell me the reason, Older Sister O’ Mine.” Claire settled deeper into her chair to prop her feet up on a stool.

“Your sarcasm pains me, but I’ll tell you anyway. I whispered my heart’s desire into the wind, which, according to Madame Zelda, means that my wish will come true. She’s a nice lady. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

“Very poetic. I hope you wished for a date.”

“A romantic stranger would have to drop from the heavens. There is no suitable date material in Maydale, Texas. That means for today, you are my only date. On that note, I’m off feed the world.”

She guided the snack cart from the vendor’s supply area to the main circuit of the park. Lord, it had been years since she’d done this job. Her parents had owned the concession contract then. She lifted her face to the afternoon sun and breathed deeply, though her tired feet protested the long walk.

I’m waiting for you, Grace.

“What?”

Irritation knitted her brows into a frown. She’d go put in a vacation request Monday morning. A person who heard voices in the wind clearly needed a break.

The Red Hat by Robin Bayne

"Can you believe this woman?”
The voice came from behind her. Meg stiffened in her cinema seat. The scents of popcorn and tacos floated around the theater as the previews began, and she relaxed.
“What is with that hat?”
The voice came again, slightly louder this time. Someone was upset with her hat! It wasn’t that tall. What was his problem? She shifted lower in the seat, but that hurt her lower back. Theme music flowed from the speakers as she felt her friend’s gaze on her.

“Don’t worry about him. Just watch the movie. Think about that appointment you have tomorrow with your first sale customers.” Tina patted Meg’s arm then ripped open a box of Sno-Caps. Meg nodded and tried to ignore the man behind her, thinking all the time that his voice sounded slightly familiar.

* * * *

Joe Dalton entered the model home slash sales office the next morning, prepared for a meeting with the builder about materials he needed for cabinetry on lots ten and eleven. The smell of hot coffee greeted him as he headed directly for the house’s modern kitchen. As he passed the library off the main hall, he peered in, but didn’t see the real estate agent he usually chatted with. Instead, on the oak credenza behind the sales desk, sat a red felt hat with a small feather tucked in its trim.
The red hat he’d seen at the movies last night.
Now, he really needed that coffee.

Excerpt: Will You Be My Valentine?

2008-03-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from my story, found in By Grace Publishing's Romance is in the Air.

The chime that indicated someone was at the delivery door sounded from the back of the store.
“Wait one minute, Jack. I have a great idea, but I have to take this delivery first.”
Beth returned in a few minutes with a selection of chocolate flowers.
“How about these? They’re my favorites. They’re pretty, women love chocolate, and they won’t be hurt by the cold.”
“They’re perfect. And I know she’ll like them,” he said, eyes twinkling.

(c) 2008 by Susan Atwood

Is February really gone?

2008-03-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's March! I can't believe it! I thought February would never end - and not just because we had an extra day this year. The cold and snow and cold and wind and more cold and ice and... you get the picture.

There is an upside to the cold. An article on the front page of today's paper says pests like the Japanese beetle won't have survived. The funny thing is, I just had a dream about beetles on some pink roses. Odd, because the only rose I have is a red climber, growing on a trellis on the side of the house.

Today is beautiful-- a real herald of the warmer weather to come. The breeze is from the south and I'm itching to work in the garden. Unfortunately, the ground is frozen solid. I tried to pull some mulch away from the creeping lemon thyme that someday will grow between the pavers in the Book Garden, but it is just a frozen blob and I'm afraid I'll damage the plants underneath.

Sigh. Patience, I know. But it's really hard to be patient on a lovely day like today.

Blurbs!

2008-02-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Here are the blurbs for the three stories in By Grace Publishing's release Romance is in the Air!

Whispers in the Wind by Sherry Jones

Overworked Grace Belden hears whispers in the wind. Could Braden Colter be her voice of destiny?

Will You Be My Valentine? by Susan Atwood

Beth is perfectly content with her plans for Valentine’s Day---a date with an old romantic movie and a hot pizza. Why does she feel a stab of jealousy while helping her new neighbor choose a Valentine’s gift for the woman he is planning to ask for a date?

The Red Hat by Robin Bayne

Joe can’t believe the annoying woman from the theater was the new sales rep—could he learn to work with both her and that hat?

The anthology is available now at www.bygracepublishing.com

Romance is in the Air

2008-02-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Romance is in the air, and I can prove it!

Just take a look at the fabulous cover for By Grace's February anthology!

Coming soon!

www.bygracepublishing.com

...coming soon from By Grace

2008-02-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

And speaking of By Grace Publishing, the February release is Romance Is In the Air. This anthology features three short stories, including my contribution "Will You Be My Valentine."

I am honored to be included in the same release as By Grace authors Shara Jones and Robin Bayne.

The anthology will be available on February 29th!

www.bygracepublishing.com

...And the Winner Is...

2008-02-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Denise Patrick!

Adopting Alyssa is the 2007 CAPA winner for Best Inspirational Romance!

Congratulations, Denise.

Don't miss Kelly and Jason's heartwarming story from By Grace Publishing.
And Strikes Don't Matter, Denise's January release from By Grace, features Kelly's best friend, Gina.
www.bygracepublishing.com

A Valentine Surprise

2008-02-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is always fun... but even more so when that special someone sends you a Valentine. My daughter was surprised to get a note from the school office telling there was "a surprise" waiting for her. This beautiful rose was waiting... and the card was signed: To my favorite babysitter!

How sweet!

The Winter Garden

2008-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year that my fingers start to itch to get in to the garden. During Saturday's trip to the local home improvement store for some paint, I got sidetracked into browsing the display of seed packets, looking for something interesting.

Luckily, a couple of weeks ago, I came across some bulb kits on sale. My favorite for this time of year is forcing paperwhites. Easy as plopping the bulbs in a shallow container and adding water.

We are also fortunate to have a small, sunny alcove off the kitchen which is now the haven for all the plants I rescued from the garden. It's the perfect spot for the bowl of paperwhites. If you start now, you will most likely have blooms for Valentine's Day.

Two New Books!

2008-01-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite authors have releases this month: Award winning author Nell Dixon's Dangerous to Know is available at Moonlit Romance.

www.moonlitromance.com

Nell has also gotten a rave review for Be My Hero, which was released by Moonlit Romance in 2007. http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/bemyherodixon.htm

And later this week Denise Patrick's book, Strikes Don't Matter will be released by By Grace Publishing. I had the privilege to read it as Denise was working on it, and it's too good to miss!
www.bygracepublishing.com

And don't miss her book Adopting Alyssa, a 2008 Eppie Finalist and 2008 CAPA nominee!

January Freeze

2008-01-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

Old Man Winter is back - and with a vengence. I knew the warmer temperatures were too good to last. We're going to be below freezing for the forseeable future -and we're expecting snow this afternoon into tomorrow.

January Thaw

2008-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's came. Yes, it was early. Way early. Yes, it made a mess.

When you've had snow on the ground since Thanksgiving and suddenly the temperature climbs to the mid-forties... can you say swamp?

Naturally, the run-off freezes during the night. Yesterday morning, after a few showers, the roads, (steps, deck, patio, driveway) were solid ice. My husband called twice on his way to work to make sure our daughter did not drive herself to school. We skated together in the van in a ballet of skids and slides as drivers slowed for stop signs but didn't allow the cars to lose their momentum. One scary moment at a notoriously slippery intersection, but all was well.

Two New Contests!

2008-01-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

There is a brand new authors' blog for Moonlit Romance and By Grace Publishing, and there are two contests running right now.

Here is the new link: http://uniqueenterprises.blogspot.com/

Check out the new features: a contest and an e-magazine with free short story each month, and bi-monthly University Fridays for aspiring authors.

What better way to cure the after-the-holiday blues than with a little romance?

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

A new year filled with hope and promise. A chance to "do-over" the resolutions that lasted about a week last year.

With renewed grit and determination, we'll see how long I can stay the course. I have already bent one resolution slightly: take the dog for a nice, daily walk. With the temperature hovering in the low teens and a wind chill in the single digits it just didn't happen. We did have a long game of tug-o-war with his new tug-o-war rope which is attached to a small, but heavy, not to mention smelly, rubber tire.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year.

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone.

I took this photo of our white birch tree after a morning of freezing fog. We've had snow on the ground since Thanksgiving, with a few inches more expected tonight and tomorrow morning.

Turkey for Dinner - conclusion

2007-12-20T08:29:00.001-08:00

Turkey for Dinner - conclusion

Cate rubbed at her mouth with her fingers, but the sensation of Eric’s kiss lingered. What was he thinking? They were enemies, and had been for almost twenty years—ever since he’d put that half-eaten piece of pie on her chair. You just didn’t grab your enemy and lay one on her! Where were the ground rules?

She tried to pull away, but Eric tightened the arm he’d snaked around her waist.

“A five-minute wait is not going to make any difference in that turkey,” he said, as he lowered his head again. Cate froze, caught in his embrace, indecision running around her brain. Run, stay, run, stay. She’d almost decided to stay when she heard Gram come down the stairs. Pulling away from Eric, Cate bent over the turkey to hide her flaming face.

The next few hours were a whirlwind of activity. The onions bobbed gently in a saucepan, a mountain of potatoes was peeled and mashed, chairs collected from various parts of the house, and the table was set with Gram’s grandmother’s rose-patterned china. Eric slipped home to collect Aunt Ida and the house was crowded with guests.

Cate’s brother, Mark, and his fiancée, Anna, arrived just in time for dessert. Cate was just returning from the kitchen, a pumpkin pie balanced on one hand, apple pie on the other. Mark and Eric had been reminiscing about long summer days playing kickball during the day and card games in the evenings.

“Cate, remember the last time Eric was here for Thanksgiving? I left my pie on a chair when I went to get some milk and you sat on it. Never saw you so mad in all your life. And you thought Ricky—I mean, Eric, did it.”

Cate froze in the doorway, her eyes glued to Eric’s face.

“Oh no! You didn’t do that really did you, Mark?” Anna shook her head. “You’re always putting things down where they don’t belong. Can you believe he left his sunglasses in the freezer?”

Cate felt the heavy pie slip and she overbalanced to compensate. Suddenly, the weight was taken from her as Eric grabbed both pies and set them safely on the table. Without a word, he turned back to Cate, took her by the arm and led her out of the dining room.

“Where are they going?” Mark demanded, as the gathered company heard the front door open and close. “They’re going to miss dessert.”

“Excuse me a moment, everyone. I’m getting too old to sit here and my bones are aching. I think I’ll just walk a bit,” Aunt Ida explained as she stood up.

“Let me help you, Ida. Anna, will you serve the pies? Mark, there’s a bowl of whipped cream in the refrigerator.” Gram smiled graciously at the rest of the guests. “We’ll be right back.”

The late November afternoon was gray and swirls of snowflakes drifted down. Standing at the front window, Gram twitched the lace curtain aside just enough to allow Aunt Ida an unobstructed view.

“That went quite well, if I do say so, Ida.”

Aunt Ida nodded. “Summer wedding, do you think?”

“Could be. Now tell me again about your great-niece, Isabelle. My sister’s grandson, Jason, is just about her age...”

© 2007 by Susan Atwood

Turkey for Dinner Part VI

2007-12-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Part VI ~

“How can you sit there and peel those onions without crying?” Cate demanded. It really wasn’t fair. Not fair? It was downright galling. All that plotting to get Eric to suffer was wasted. Cate took a step back as the pungent fumes threatened to unleash a torrent of tears from her stinging eyes.
“Same way you can eat pumpkin pie and not end up in the emergency ward,” Eric replied in a cool voice that irked Cate. “It’s all a matter of sensitivity.” Cate took another step back as Eric’s eyes met hers across the table. He looked...amused. “Glad to see you have some.”
“Auugh.” Cate gave up. She stalked back to the counter and spooned stuffing into the turkey. There was silence in the kitchen for a few minutes. Cate flipped the turkey over with a grunt and a clatter as the heavy bird hit the roasting pan.
“Need a hand?”
“Nope. Got it. You done with those onions yet?” Cate didn’t even bother to look over her shoulder to see. Instead, she grabbed the ball of kitchen twine and a heavy upholstery needle. She pulled the flaps of skin across the bulging ball of stuffing and popped the needle through the bird’s tough skin and into the tender skin between her thumb and forefinger.
“Ow! Darn it!” She hopped up and before she came down, Eric had grabbed her hand and pulled her over to sink and was running cold water over her hand, which she’d balled up into a tight fist.
“Here, let me see.”
“I’m fine. Just let go.” But she wasn’t fine. Her heart was beating ten times faster than normal and she felt a flush crawl up her neck and suffuse across her face.
Eric’s hands were warm and gentle as he pried her fingers open and wiped a drop of blood away with a paper towel. They were even gentle as he applied pressure to the wound. Cate glanced up at him and saw none of the gloating she’d expected. In fact, there was nothing in his eyes but concern. Surprised, she raised her head and looked him square in the eye. She was even more surprised to find that his lips were warm and gentle as they met hers and he pulled her close.
Cate jumped back, her hand raised to her mouth. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing it all better. What did you think I was doing?” Eric’s hand traced small circles on her back. It made her dizzy.
“I don’t know. Stop that and help me get this turkey in the oven.”

(c) by Susan Atwood 2007

A Review

2007-12-04T08:48:00.001-08:00

*The Pendant: Callie* just got its first review from Coffeetime Romance. 4 cups!
Read the whole review here:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Thependantcallie.html

And apologies for dropping Turkey for Dinner in mid-story. Between family demands and a nasty virus that's hit the family (me included! ) I've barely had a coherent thought in the past 10 days. A new installment will be up today.

Turkey for Dinner ~Part V

2007-11-25T07:29:00.001-08:00

Part V

While Cate hung his coat up in the hall closet, Eric sprinted into the kitchen to take the heavy, old-fashioned coffee pot from Mrs. Miller’s trembling hand.
“Let me get that,” he offered. He set the pot on the stove and adjusted the flame underneath. With disaster averted, he looked around the small kitchen. Two pumpkin pies sat on cooling racks, a huge bowl of cubed bread stood next to a variety of herbs and spices in bottles and tins. A bowl of sliced apples sat next to a lump of dough and two pie plates. A saucepan of giblets and the turkey’s neck bubbled gently on the stove and the turkey itself, a monster, sat in an enormous pan waiting to be stuffed, trussed and roasted. Eric took a deep, appreciative breath filled with the aromas of Thanksgiving morning: cinnamon and spice and...onion?
Cate burst into the kitchen, a whirlwind of blond hair and energy. Her small hands pulled at his arm and she pushed him down into a chair. Before he could speak, she pressed a paring knife into his hand and dragged a huge pile of small white onions on a sheet of newspaper in front of him. She reached across the table in front of him and the citrusy scent of her hair eclipsed all the other aromas in the air. He wanted to grab her around the waist and pulled her into his lap so he could take another lungful of that scent. Only the fact that it would put a sharp knife in her reach prevented him. Instead Cate snagged a pot and plunked it down in front of him.
“Okay, you insisted, so here ya go. Just peel these and make an X in the bottom and drop ’em in the pot.” Cate wheeled away. “One hour, Gram.”
At that moment, Mrs. Miller turned from the counter, a plate of cookies her hand.
“Cate! You can’t ask a guest to peel onions.”
“Guest? I don’t see a guest. I see help. You said Mrs. Judson sent him over to help us. And I need help peeling the onions. Look, there’s a lot to do in the next hour, Gram. I don’t think Eric is up to making the stuffing or your famous apple pie. So, what’s left?”
Eric sat quietly and let the women work things out. He didn’t mind peeling the onions, although when his aunt sent him over to the Miller house to help them, he had envisioned putting leaves in the table, arranging chairs and bringing in firewood for the small fireplace in the living room. What he really wanted to do was be where Cate was. She’d grown from a spitfire ten-year-old whose gumption he’d admired into a beautiful woman. And if that meant peeling piles of vegetables, then he’d peel away.

(c) 2007 by Susan Atwood

Turkey for Dinner Part IV

2007-11-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

Part IV ~

“What are you doing here so early? We already have a turkey, so we don’t need you. Go take care of your aunt Ida.”
“It’s Eric.”
“What? Aunt Eric?” Cate was confused.
“No. My name is Eric. No one calls me Ricky except Aunt Ida. And she is fine on her own. She’s talking to your grandmother on the phone. She sent me over here to help wrestle the turkey into the oven. I guess she didn’t realize that you were here to help.”
“Nope, no help needed. I’m here. Everything is fine. Come back at two. See you later.” Cate tried to shut the door, but Ricky’s broad frame was in the way. When did he get so big? Cate had only caught a glimpse of him now and then during their teenage years. She looked up into his face. He was a lot better looking than he’d been at twelve, too. “Hey, Ricky, Eric, whoever, I’m trying to shut the door here. How about moving?”
In an instant, Eric was standing in the small entry hall and shutting the door behind him.
“Hey! That’s not what I meant. You’re supposed to be on the other side.” Cate protested.
“Look, Cate, have a heart. Aunt Ida is stewing prunes for breakfast, and if I go back there, she’s going to make me eat them.”
“Have a heart? Why should I?” Cate gave Eric a shove in the general direction of the door, but he didn’t budge. “You didn’t have a heart when you left that pie on my chair.”
“Cate, I didn’t...”
Cate set her feet apart, braced them against the bottom stair and pushed with both hands.
“Oooof. Go home Eric.” She was just getting ready to put her shoulder into it when Gran spoke.
“Well, hello Ricky. I didn’t know you were here,” She came down the narrow stairs into the front hall. Cate stopped pushing and panted.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Mrs. Miller. Thank you for inviting Aunt Ida and me to dinner.”
“Happy Thanksgiving to you. Cate, take Ricky’s coat. Come on into the kitchen and I’ll make some coffee.”
“Gran!” Cate protested as he dumped his coat into her arms. It was warm and smelled like cologne and snow. Cate stifled an urge to pull the coat around her and take a deep breath. “No!” Cate shove the coat at his chest. “Ricky was just leaving.”
Gran didn’t hear here; she was already bustling around in the kitchen, pulling out the coffee and a tin of homemade cookies.
Eric grinned at Cate before he tossed his coat over her head.
“Looks like I’m staying a while. Hang that up for me, will you?”
Cate nearly threw the coat in Eric’s face, but at the last moment, she remembered the mountain of onions waiting to be peeled. A grin spread slowly over her face.
“Fine. If that’s what you want, you can help. Let me find you a knife.”

(c) by Susan Atwood 2007

Turkey for Dinner Part III

2007-11-21T19:55:00.001-08:00

Part III

Cate pushed the red gingham curtain aside and peered out the kitchen window. Fat white snowflakes swirled down from a pewter sky. Already, there were a few white spots where the grass met the concrete walk. “Gran! Look outside! It’s snowing! I don’t think we’ve ever had a white Thanksgiving before.”
“My goodness, will you look at that! Starting to stick, too. I’d better call Mrs. Judson and tell her she can come early. I wouldn’t want her to miss out on Thanksgiving because of the snow.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure Ricky can get here even if there are a couple of inches of snow on the ground.” Even as Cate said the words, she knew that Gran wouldn’t be happy until she’d talked to Mrs. Judson on the phone.
“I have the phone number upstairs. I’ll go get it,” Gran said.
Cate picked up another small white onion from the small mountain in front of her and peeled it. So much for Gran making Ricky Hall peel them. Three onions later, Cate had tears snaking down both cheeks. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Just as she picked up another onion, the doorbell rang. Who could be at the door at 7:30 on Thanksgiving morning?
“Gran? Can you get that?” Cate called.
No answer. She must still be on the phone in the bedroom.
The doorbell pealed again.
Cate gave another swipe at her cheeks as she pulled open the wide front door. One look at the man standing there, and she swung the door closed. With one arm extended, the man at the door pushed the door back open.
“Hello Cate. Hey, Thanksgiving is a happy holiday. It’s not a time for tears. Not unless you sat on a piece of pie or something?” Ricky Hall propped one shoulder against the door frame looking so... smug, Cate itched to smack the smirk off his face.
“Saved an extra-big piece of pumpkin just for you, Ricky.” Cate retorted.

(c) by Susan Atwood 2007

Turkey for Dinner- Part II

2007-11-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

Turkey for Dinner
(c) 2007 by Susan Atwood

“Aunt Ida? Do you need any help with that?”
Eric Hall arrived in the kitchen in time to see his Great-aunt Ida juggling the teakettle and her walker.
“Oh, no, Ricky, I’ve got it.” Eric, seeing her hand tremble with the weight of the kettle, had his doubts. “You sit right down there and I’ll get you some of those macaroons you bought yesterday.”
For a split second, Eric thought about refusing the cookies. For one thing, in the few days that he’d been staying with Great-Aunt Ida, he must have put on five pounds. Ida Judson was the proverbial food-pusher. But he knew that if he ate some cookies, she’d eat some too. By the time the social worker had contacted him, Ida had been missing meals on a regular basis. She was the one who needed to rebuild her strength after a bout with pneumonia that had landed her in the hospital.
Secondly, he hated macaroons.
Aunt Ida put a plate of cookies on the table and Eric took one. He bit into the sweet coconut and barely repressed a shudder.
“I’ve made reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at The Admiralty Inn. Have you ever been there, Aunt Ida?”
Eric jumped to make the tea when the kettle whistled and, whistling himself, surreptitiously dropped the half-eaten macaroon in the trash.
“Oh, Ricky, I forgot to tell you. We’ve been invited to dinner already.” Aunt Ida sat down heavily in her chair, even though she only weighed about ninety pounds.
“We have? I don’t feel right about that, Aunt Ida. I’ll just take you out and we’ll have a lovely meal. You’ll love The Admiralty Inn. They have a grand piano in the dining room and someone will play all those show tunes you’re always asking me to play for you. Only better!”
“Ricky, we’ve been invited by Mrs. Miller, down the street. As soon as she heard you were coming to visit, she asked us. You remember her, don’t you? You used to play with her grandchildren when you visited me in the summer. A boy and girl. Went to live with her after their parents died in a car accident. Very sad. I don’t remember the girl’s name, but the boy is Mark.” Aunt Ida smiled. “She remembered you right off.”
“The girl?” Eric asked, playing dumb. He knew her name almost better than he knew his own. Caitlin MacTavish Miller. Blonde pigtails, blue eyes, she’d been the girl of his dreams, except most of the time they’d been nightmares.
“No, Mrs. Miller.”
Cate Miller. She’d never given him the time of day after that Thanksgiving when she’d sat on a piece of pumpkin pie—whipped cream and all. Eric had had the bad luck to come into the room just as Cate stood up. He couldn’t help laughing—really it was funny. Cate didn’t see it that way. In fact, Cate blamed him for the whole thing, even though he’d never touched a piece of pumpkin pie once in his life. He was highly allergic to pumpkin. Cate didn’t know that, and had thrown the pie she’d scraped off the back of her purple velvet dress at him before she’d run out of the room. He'd had hives for two days.
It had been the worst Thanksgiving Day of his young life.
“Any chance Mrs. Miller’s grand-daughter will be at her house for dinner?” One could always hope she'd married and moved far, far away.
“Why, I believe she will be,” Aunt Ida answered.
Great. This could turn out to be the worst Thanksgiving Day of his adult life.

Turkey for Dinner - A short story

2007-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Part I ~

“How much did you say this turkey weighs, Gram?” Cate braced herself, then heaved the bird onto the kitchen table.
“Twenty-two pounds is what Herb says,” Gram. Gram flipped the wax-paper-covered pastry disc over and paused, rolling pin in her floury hands.
“Two-twenty is more like it. Herb didn’t have to lug the thing home from the butcher shop. Doesn’t he deliver?” Cate peered under the paper wrappings. “I hope you have a roasting pan big enough to fit this monster. Why such a big turkey, anyway? Planning to have leftovers for the next six months?” Cate said, over the rhythmic bang-roll of the rolling pin. “It’s just the two of us for dinner this year. Mark is going to his future in-laws for dinner, right? I think Anna said they’re only stopping by for dessert.”
Cate’s brother, Mark, had recently become engaged to Cate’s best friend, Anna, which left Cate as the only unattached Miller. Cate wasn’t bothered by it, much. After all, she was the youngest of all the Miller grandchildren. It wasn’t like she was thirty and didn’t have any prospects. And she still had six months, three weeks and two days ’til her birthday. And no, she wasn’t counting. Not really.
“Well, honey,” Gram glanced up from her pastry again, looking as guilty as an eighty-four-year-old grandmother could look. “I invited a few extra people. Just a few folks who really didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Cate closed her eyes. She loved Gram with all her heart. She was the most generous and caring woman Cate had ever known. But Gram also tended to get carried away with things. Like the time she volunteered to crochet baby blankets for the shelter and volunteers kept dropping off donated skeins of yarn until the dining room looked like a yarn factory.
“How many, Gram?”
“Oh, honey, not that many.”
“How many, Gram? And I sure hope you can corral one of them to peel the onions.”
Six was all Cate heard, as Gram mumbled the rest of the words.
“Sixty! Gram! You invited sixty people to dinner?”
“Caitlin MacTavish Miller! Don’t be ridiculous! How could I invite sixty people with only a scrawny bird like this one?” Gram poked at the turkey with the rolling pin’s faded red handle. “I said six--” Gram broke off in as she coughed. “Flour,” she explained. “Would you get me some water, please?”
“Six? Okay."
Cate handed Gran a glass of water. After the elderly woman took a sip, she looked Cate straight in the eye.
“No, honey, what I meant to say is there’ll be sixteen of us all together if Mrs. Judson and her great-nephew come.”
“Mrs. Judson’s great-nephew?” Cate didn’t want to yell at Gram, so she ground her teeth, held her breath and counted to sixteen. Her breath came out in a whoosh. “Gram, which great-nephew would that be?”
“Honey, you know Mrs. Judson only has one great-nephew. Ricky Hall.”
“Ricky Hall? You invited Ricky Hall to Thanksgiving dinner? Are you out of your mind? Do you know what he did to me the last time he came to Thanksgiving dinner?”
Gram laughed. “Oh, honey, I haven’t thought of that for years and years. And the look on your face when you sat on that pumpkin pie—how old were you?”
“Ten. It was my favorite dress, Gram, and Ricky Hall knew it and he ruined it on purpose. I will never eat another meal with that...” Cate ran though a list of descriptions searching for one she could say in front of her grandmother. There weren’t any. “...that person as long as I live, so you can just un-invite them.”
“Cate Miller, you never say never. I won’t un-invite them. Mrs. Judson is not doing very well these days. That’s why Ricky is staying with her. I’m sure that boy has no idea how to cook a turkey dinner.”
“Why can’t he buy one at the supermarket?” Cate grumbled. “Fine, Gram. But he’s peeling the onions.”

(c) 2007 by Susan Atwood

Short Story

2007-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving only a week away (where did the rest of this month go??) I got to thinking about a little seasonal romance. And so, starting tomorrow, I'll be posting a short serial Thanksgiving Day story.

Meanwhile, I'm gearing up for T-day here at home - juggling things in the freezer in hopes that by Saturday I'll be able to go buy the main attraction and have him fit.

Ice cream, anyone?

New Pendant Book!

2007-11-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

This is release week for the second book in the Pendant series: *The Pendant: Maeve* by Laura Hamby, from Moonlit Romance http://www.moonlitromance.com/

Laura and I had a blast creating the elements that will "travel" from book to book: the antique shop, Tesoro del Cuore, it's proprietor, Dacien, and of course, the unusual properties of the pendant itself.

So, check it out all this week. Laura is featured on the Authors' Blog : http://ue_authors.bravejournal.com/

There is also an excerpt up on her blog: http://laurahamby.blogspot.com/

And don't forget to visit The Pendant ~ Journeys Through Time website, which is devoted to this series:
http://www.freewebs.com/thependant/

A New Hero

2007-11-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find it difficult to let go of a character so I can move on to a new project. And that is how I feel about Luke Graham in *The Pendant: Callie*

Luke is the epitome of the good guy - even though his efforts are sometimes misguided. His feelings of guilt over his sister's accident have colored his perception of responsibility and have greatly influenced his relationships. After all, if you can't keep an eye on your little sister for a few hours, how on earth could you keep a wife and children safe?

As interesting as I find Luke, it is time to let him go and get to work on a new hero: C. Jefferson Worth. Jeff's attitude toward responsibility is a little different - he is willing to tackle any project his father throws his way, but when it comes to managing a multi-million dollar trust fund for Carilla Morgan, a grad student at NYU, he balks. Unfortuntely, there is nothing he can do. And because Jeff has seen several close friends run through that type on money like it was water, he is bound and determined to keep Carilla's spending under control. His control.

I'm enjoying the nuances of Jeff's character as they develop - and I'm enjoying the tussles he's having with Carilla!

Character Study

2007-11-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

What makes the ideal heroine? We all have our own opinions - the wild-child, the spunky go-getter, the sweet girl-next-door. I like my heroines to have a measure of independence - like Callie does in *The Pendant: Callie.* She's independent to a fault, however, and this nearly costs her relationship with Luke.

My latest heroine, Carilla Morgan, has a streak of stubborness and independence as well, but she is not as strongly motivated as Callie. Callie was being smothered by her well-meaning but definitely overbearing family. With four older brothers watching her every move, it's no wonder she fled to Elm Springs, PA.

On the other hand, Carilla has just lost her father, leaving only her Aunt Elizabeth and two cousins as her closest relatives. With independence foisted on her, she turns to the people in her apartment building and they become her "family." When she uses her inheritence to help them, she runs into a road-block: C. Jefferson Worth, who controls the trust fund left to Carilla by her father.

Carilla is stubborn and creative, and she uses these characteristics to outwit Jeff. Meanwhile, Jeff is doing all he can to keep Carilla from running through her inheritence. He's also been charged with the task of keeping her safe from fortune hunters. Fortune hunters!!?? In modern day New York City? No wonder Carilla thinks she's been trapped in a Regency romance novel!

There's a thing in my garden

2007-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Huge and green. With a horn on the end to boot, and some huge mandibles.

Freeze, but the writing is hot!

2007-11-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, last night did it. A hard freeze. We'd spent the weekend pulling out the tomatoes and peppers and a bunch of marigolds, and trimming back some annuals that were scraggly.

I'd seen a really fat, green catapillar on one of the tomato plants and just ignored him - and a few days later, his friend. And in my "Oh, but it's going to be a butterfly or a moth" misplaced sympathy, I decided to leave them on a tomato branch instead of sending them to the yard waste collection.

Then I did a little internet sleuthing. Yep. Tomato hornworms.
So, in 40 mph winds, I hike out to find the critters. The big one was gone, naturally. They burrow into the ground to pupate, which I'm sure is where it is now.

Of course the website I visited suggested "squishing" them as a control method in a small garden; I'd like to see whoever wrote the article "squish" a caterpillar that is 5" long and 1/2" in diameter and has a pointy hook on its rear end.

Daylight savings gives us so much. You really pay for that extra hour of sleep you get on Sunday morning. We're paying because the animals have decided they're not falling back this year, and between the dog woofing and the cat crying at the door, you just may as well get up. Well, today I just ignored the beasts, and in that wonderful state between sleep and awake, plotted two scenes for my new work-in-progress.

Of course this comes on a day when I'm running errands galore and still haven't even opened the document. I have about 35 minutes before it's time to pick up the car from the garage... let's see what I can do!

Contest Winner!

2007-11-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations JoAnn Carter, you've won *The Pendant: Callie* and a TryMe kit from Devita Natural Skin Care!

Thanks to all who participated!

Check back, I'll be having another contest soon!

Frosty, But Not Freezy

2007-11-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who participated in the contest. The winner will be announced tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the garden is still holding its own. We had a heavy frost in some areas last night, but it didn't do much damage in the garden. Even the most tender of the plants are still green. It is time spray the evergreens with an anti-wilting solution that will protect them from the bitter cold and harsh winter winds that they're subjected to here in the plains. This weekend will be busy as we add mulch to the perennial beds and start clearing out the annuals.

Writing was a little slow today. I came up with some names for two secondary characters that I think fit their personalities well. After all, a woman who wears lurid blue nail polish and eyeshadow needs a name that stands up to her quirkiness! The plot is plodding along. There were a lot of interruptions this morning; hopefully tomorrow things will take off.

Powdered Doughnuts and Apple Cider

2007-10-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Fabulous fall treats: powdered doughnuts and apple cider. Candy or caramel apples. Candy corn and those little mellowcreme pumpkins. I'm getting the shivers - not thinking about scary cosutmes - just thinking about all that sugar.

Trick or Treats has changed. My parents put time and effort into the treats they gave away. A paper napkin was unfolded. In this you put a couple of MaryJanes, a couple of circus peanuts (the orange marshmallow kind) and some candy corn and other small candies. A lollypop was put in the center and the four corners of the napkin were pulled up and twisted around the stick. Considering we had in the neighborhood of 100-150 kids come to the door, it was a fair amount of work. And the littlest kids started coming just as it got dark - which in the old days before daylight savings time extended into November was about 4:30.

We'll carve a pumpkin this afternoon and tonight we'll toast the seeds in the oven, sprinkled with salt. I love the crunch of the shell and the salty-sweet taste of the kernel.

The garden is winding down. One of the basil plants has turned completely brown; the other may give us one more batch of pesto. The raspberries are nearly done; there were only about a dozen ripe ones today; I ate them as I picked them.

Now the writing should be picking up. It's time to immerse myself in the new story, play the "what if" game and see where it leads. Rather than my usual "seat of the pants" method, I think this story will require some actual advanced planning. We'll see how far I can go - hopefully all the way to Happily Ever After. I've also got two sets of names for the hero and heroine. I'm not really sure how that happened.

Romance Genre Survey

2007-10-29T09:56:00.001-07:00

Bronwyn Clarke, winner of the RWA 2007 Golden Heart for Best Romantic Suspense Manuscript, "Falling into Darkness" is conducting a survey on the "Online communities of romance readers and writers and their perspectives on the genre." The survey is part of her research for her PhD.
Please take a few moments of your time to complete the survey, which closes at midnight, Oct 31st.
http://bronwynclarke.com/survey.html

First Frost

2007-10-27T14:46:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's already the 27th of October, and we still have not had a frost. Fall is about 2 weeks late, here in the plains. We're not taking any chances; we'll pick all the tomatoes and peppers today.

As for the writing, I've picked up a story that I began just before I first saw the photo of the pendant. It's been percolating for a while; there are about three chapters or so in very rough draft. We'll see what the characters have been doing while I was busy telling Luke and Callie's story.

Enter A Contest!

2007-10-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's easy, it's fun, and you can win a great prize!

Here's how to enter:

Answer the two questions taken from exerpts of *The Pendant: Callie*, available from Moonlit Romance. www.moonlitromance.com

The answer to the first question can be found in the exerpt that was posted here on my blog on Release Day. For the answer to the second question, visit The Pendant ~ Journeys Through Time website and read the exerpt there.
Email your answers to: susan atwood writes @ g mail dot com
Close up all the spaces and change dot to a period. Because spam should clog your arteries, not your inbox.

Make sure to put "Contest Entry" in the subject line!

Everyone with the correct answers will be entered in a drawing for a download of
*The Pendant: Callie* and a Try-Me kit from Devita Natural Skin Care.
http://www.devita.net/

The contest ends on Wednesday 10/31/07. Winners will be announced on Friday, 11/2/07.

From my blog:
Question #1: Luke calls Callie by the name of a character in a childrens' book and recent movie. What name does he call her?

From The Pendant ~ Journeys Through Time website:
http://www.freewebs.com/thependant/
Question #2: Dacien looks at Callie with eyes that burn with the same fire as this stone. What is it?

Good Luck All!

More Garden

2007-10-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

The plan was to post some pictures of the Book Garden yesterday. As usual, things didn't work out quite as planned. My daughter took the camera to the state Student Council convention. So, here is what I'm calling my Book Garden- minus furniture as the weather had been rainy and we didn't put it back outside. The area has several names, mostly depending on my husband's beverage of the moment. :) We like to sit here to read or to relax after working in the yard. The empty space under the window used to have a beautiful calla lily, but it was getting too much water, so we moved it.

The Garden

2007-10-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

According to my husband, yesterday was the last nice day that we will have this year. I'm not sure what he means by *nice* - but yesterday's high temperature was near 80 degrees. I'm still looking for those sunny, crisp fall days when the sky is dark blue, the clouds are impossibly white, and the trees and shrubs are a whirl of gold, red, orange, and brown. I hope we'll have lots of those before winter sets in.

Those are my favorite days of the whole year. Working in the garden is invigorating, and there is something wonderfully cinnamony-apple baking in the kitchen.

For now, we're letting the tomatoes and peppers stay. We've had so much rain this month that all of the tomatoes are split before they ripen. But with colder weather just around the corner, it is time to rescue some of the more tender plants. Today, we're bringing in a calla lily, rosemary, and some Australian violets that won't survive the harsh Midwestern winter. And with some TLC and a lot of luck, we'll be returning them to the garden next May.

Release Day!

2007-10-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

*The Pendant: Callie* will be available today from Moonlit Romance! And here, just to whet your appetite, is a bit for your enjoyment:

Callie knelt before him and watched his face as she pried the shoe off, but he showed no evidence of pain. Anger? Oh, yeah, there was still plenty of that. His eyes were blue lasers that bored a hole right through her. A small muscle worked in a jaw clamped so tight Callie was afraid he’d break his teeth.
She removed his sock, took his foot in her hand and bent her head to examine it. The base of his big toe was red and swollen, and the nail was chipped.
“We need to get some ice on that. Stay put.”
Callie rummaged through a drawer and came up with a plastic bag with a zip closure. She grabbed the ice tray from the fridge and dumped half-frozen cubes and cold water into the bag.
“Of all the hare-brained stunts, this one takes the cake,” Luke growled.
“Hare-brained?” Callie wheeled on him, hands on her hips. “You call that hare-brained? I’ve studied hares, and I’ll have you know that they are not stupid, if that is what you’re implying. In fact, they’re quite intelligent. And if you’d let go of the hammer in first place—”
“Okay, Doctor Dolittle, whatever. It was still dangerous to be hanging out the window like that.”
Doctor Dolittle?
“Here’s your ice.”
She knew she shouldn’t push him any more. After all, the man was holding on to his temper by a thread. But still…
The bag of ice cubes fell from Callie’s hand.
“Ouch!”
“Oops.” Callie spun on her heel. Before she could stalk away, Luke’s hand shot out; his fingers closed around her wrist like a vise and yanked her back. The room darkened to pinpoints of light, just like the end of an old cartoon. That low hum grew louder, resonating in her head.
She needed to sit down. Quick.

(c) 2007 by Susan Atwood

The Inspiration

2007-10-17T07:43:00.001-07:00

Friends and relatives have asked: How did you come up with the idea for this book? Well, it all started about a year and a half ago. A friend in an online writing group was selling some old costume jewelry. She posted pictures of the pieces. I was browsing through the pictures when one struck me - a pendant with an opal in the center and eight emerald-green stones surrounding it. Wow, I thought. What an interesting piece. Just look at the picture - I think it's beautiful.
I kept thinking about the pendant - and then I started to wonder - what if it had magical powers? What if it could tell who your soul mate was?
I contacted Laura Hamby and said - hey, here's an idea for a continuity series. You can write one, and find some other people who are interested in the concept. She said - you write one. I said, Oh, No! I'm just giving you the idea.
And then she said those three little words - I'll help you.
So together, we wrote the prologue and came up with the elements of the series that will carry from book to book: Dacien, the guardian of the pendant, his wife, Lena, and the antique shop, Tesoro del Cuore (which means Treasure of the Heart in Italian.)
And that's how it started - and the result is The Pendant: Callie - book one in the series, and The Pendant: Maeve, Laura's story, which will be out in November.

Susan

The Hero

2007-10-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Luke Wolverton Graham needs to fix things. The business he started with two college buddies provides computer security. Fixing things is his business, and it spills over into his private life. His sister, Jennie, can attest to that. Ever since Jennie fell out of a tree at the age of eight, Luke has watched over her - like a hawk.

When he meets the new Zoology professor, he knows she's trouble. The woman drives like a maniac and hangs out fourth-floor windows. How can he keep an eye on this Do-It-Yourself-disaster-in-waiting and still run a business?

The Heroine

2007-10-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Meet Calantha Hass, the heroine in my upcoming release *The Pendant: Callie.* Callie hails from Red Prairie, Kansas, population 433. The youngest of five children, with four brothers, Callie has been protected and coddled all her life. Now she is more than ready for a change. With the ink barely dry on her diploma, Callie accepts a position as assistant professor of Zoology at Cherwell Springs College in Elm Springs, Pennsylvania.
To go along with her new position, Callie also has a new attitude. No more relying on her brothers to help her. This is the new Callie. The independent Callie. The Callie who is going to do whatever it takes to be independent.
All this determined independence is good - to a point. But what happens when Callie meets a man who fixes things for a living?

Susan

Catching up

2007-10-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

It all comes from using every available minute to work on my upcoming release, *The Pendant: Callie.* Once the edits and revisions were done, I thought, okay, downtime. Ha! There was the galley waiting for my attention. I finished the galley corrections yesterday, and today I received the review copy.

Today I spent the whole day catching up - laundry, a bit of housecleaning, paying more than cursory attention to the dog and cat. Now it's time for some fun!

Join my fellow writer, Laura Hamby, on the Spooky Express. She is posting clues to her next stop on her blog - see if you can guess the spot!
http://laurahamby.blogspot.com/

~Susan

Late nights and early mornings

2007-10-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

Staying up late to wait for my daughter to come home from a marching band competition on Saturday, then waking up often last night as a series of thunderstorms rolled through our area brought to mind this picture. And you know he's saying, "How come the cat always gets the top bunk?"

Busy Saturday

2007-10-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

I always plan a lot for Saturdays. It seems that it's the only day that my husband and I have to do all those chores and errands that we need to do together. But inspite of all our good intentions, we never seem to accomplish everything on the list. Today was no exception. I really don't know where the time went!

~Susan

Cover Art

2007-10-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover for my upcoming release

I love it!

And here is the back cover blurb:
Callie Haas thinks it’s about time she takes charge of her life and leave the family home in Kansas. The first step is taking a teaching position at Cherwell Springs College in Pennsylvania. The next step? Finding a place to live. Easier said than done, given the housing shortage in Elm Springs.

Luke Graham, computer technology whiz and Callie’s new landlord, can’t stop thinking about the new Zoology professor. Her penchant for risk-taking drives him insane. How can he keep her from injuring herself during her quest for independence if she won’t let him help her?

Complicating matters is an antique pendant with the magical power to bring soul mates together. Too bad the pendant believes Callie’s soul mate is a man she can’t stand. Luke. She is determined to prove the pendant wrong. All she needs to do is survive her debunking experiment, and keep firm hold of her heart. Easy. Right?

~Susan

Down to the Wire

2007-10-03T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Moonlit Monday chat was a lot of fun. My neighbor won the doorprize. Thanks to all who came!
Okay, this is it, and we're down to the wire. Today is the deadline! I'll be spending the day formatting The Pendant: Callie, and then sending it off for publication.

For anyone who believes that writing romance is all marabou feather boas and high-heeled mules and chocolate bon-bons, well...
Okay, it is about the chocolate! But it's also hard sit-you-tail-in-the-chair-'til-it's-numb work!
But in spite of it all, I'm having a blast!

Check out the Moonlit Readers' Group contest. The link is on the Moonlit Romance home page.
http://www.moonlitromance.com/

Back to the salt mines

Welcome

2007-10-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Susan's Book Garden. I'm pleased to announce that my book, The Pendant: Callie will be available this month from Moonlit Romance. Stop by the Moonlit website. Check out the authors' blog and join the readers loop. Tonight at 9 p.m. US Eastern time is the Moonlit Monday chat. We'll be discussing my book.