Susan Sarah here, hoping you all (or "y'all," as even we true-bred Yankees learn to say once we live close to the Mason-Dixon line) - had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday filled with good moments, good food, good company. And for those who don’t celebrate this American holiday, I hope your weekend was lovely anyway!
A quickie blog today – we Wenches, and we readers of Wenchly works, don’t always have time to read long posts, especially on Mondays following long weekends, when we're busy catching up with the usual routines. The bigger holidays are coming soon, Christmas and Hanukkah and whatever you may celebrate, so these next weeks will be crazy-busy for all of us. I pledge shorter posts - sometimes the author needs 'em, too.
For a few moments, sit back and sip your tea or coffee, and stick with me on this -- Thanksgiving is past now, but it’s a time when we are reminded everywhere – ads, headlines, even the fortune cookies we open when we’re ordering Chinese cuz it’s too much trouble to cook – we’re reminded to give thanks … so we pause, look around at family and friends, at tables filled with goodies, with wonderful foods prepared by people we love … it’s a time when, theoretically at least, we look inside ourselves a bit, and think about what we’re grateful for in our lives. How many of us actually do stop to take those moments? Well it’s okay, we all mean well, and mean to do it. I know I do, even when I don’t always find the time.
We did take time this year, at our big fancy Turkey Day table. We each said something, and sincerely so, about what we're thankful for. It was nice to share, and even better, it was brief -- my four guys (sons and DH) aren’t into sentimentalism, and neither am I. We do know what we like and we know what we love, and it was more than just a succulent turkey (and great dressing and everything else, if I do say so myself) … and we were very glad, this holiday, to be together and all is well. We’ve had a rough year and are looking forward to improvements and lucky breaks. So last Thursday afternoon, we were happy to have each other, and to be together on what was a sunny and quiet day, with just a few family members (another thing to be grateful for -- a family gathering with minimal fuss and muss!). And it was nice to have great leftovers to share with other family members who dropped by. All part of a good, satisfying Thanksgiving.
So today in my quickie blog, I'd like to share some leftover Thanksgiving thanks-givings with you all. Here's a wee list of what I’m grateful for, Wench-wise:
1) I’m feeling grateful … for family, for friends, for our doggie too, for books, for the stories, for the readers, and for the chance to do and be what I really want to do and be in my life
2) … so grateful to be part of this loverly, clever, classy and talented bunch of Wenches!
3) … and that I get to blog on a Monday - I so often end up with Fridays! woohoo!
4) … that my new Sarah Gabriel novel will be out this January -- trust me, it’s always a relief, and a treat, to see that next book in the stores ... and the trade edition of Lady Macbeth will be out in the spring, another long wait soon over, and another nice feeling
5) … that this week I made progress on my WIP about Margaret of Scotland, plus revised two proposals for new novels that I’m really looking forward to writing
6) … that dh and I got outside before the rain to get a bazillion leaves raked up, sucked up and bagged, too
7) … that years ago I read like mad, crazy voracious reading habit, everything I could get my hands on, because all that reading was helping to shape me into a writer, whether or not I knew it (I didn’t, for a long time)
8) … that I am a published writer now, because it’s a privilege to be able to do something you love, and what, even get paid for it!
9) … and I’m grateful for the readers who love the books, and who love the blog, and lend their support and their opinions, and make this writing thang so much more interesting and far less lonely
If you feel inclined, please let us know what you're feeling good about today. It seems like a very good way to start the week after Thanksgiving. Then we can all go back to being in a normal Monday mood ... ;)
BOOK GIVEAWAY for someone who posts what they're grateful for, even the eensiest thing -- an advanced reading copy of THE HIGHLAND GROOM! We'll pick a random name, and who knows -- you could have yet another shiny new book on your TBR pile!
Before I go, I'll indulge a quick spot of shameless promotion: my newest novel will be available in January 2009 (only weeks away now!) … I'll tell you more about that in my next blog or two.
And -- this is cool!! -- You can read an excerpt of THE HIGHLAND GROOM on Avon’s website on their “Love Gives Back” page. They’ve posted a couple of chapters of the new book to share with readers, and they’re posting an entire novel of mine, KEEPING KATE – this one will be available online for a very short time for this special Avon promotion. The book can be read online only, and only until Dec. 23.
It’s a great way to spend a lunch hour or spare time here and there – enjoy! And every page that’s read online will help contribute toward Avon’s donation of books to literacy -- so click and read, and spread the word!
Susan Sarah