The Writing House

Snowing in Connecticut

2011-10-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Its snowing up a storm right now in Connecticut.

Hopefully everyone reading this is safely home.

Be warm. Be safe. Have a splendid dinner with family.

Tonight we are watching "The Grinch's Halloween."

--Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley, author of
A Vampire for Christmas

The Wind is Blowing. I Hear Winter Whispering.

2011-10-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

It is autumn, and the wind is blowing. I hear winter whispering with its promise of

snowy nights cuddling under the covers and soft songs in the wind singing to dancing snowflakes. Autumn is the growing silence. Many call Winter nature's death, but it's all an illusion. Under the snow, grass sleeps. Bulbs sleep, even some creatures sleep deep in the earth. That's why I don't believe in death. Everything comes back. It may be in a different form, but it comes back. Spring is the promise that winter whispers about.

The wind is blowing.

--Susan Hanniford Crowley

Jennifer's Back with More Great Advertising Advice

2011-09-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Fusco will be on Nights of Passion blog on Saturday, Oct. 1st announcing the second volume of her advertising book series: Market or Die. Come and join us and be sure to enter her contest. The link is http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there.

--Susan

An Important Book for Writers: Market or Die by Jennifer Fusco

2011-06-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you about an important book for writers. More and more publishers are depending on authors to market their books. Now there's real, practical help.

Romance writer and advertising expert Jennifer Fusco had written the book Market or Die: Sensible Brand Building Advice for Writers (Volume 1). Jennifer will be on Nights of Passion blog on Sat., June 25th. She will also be running a contest. One lucky commenter will win an website analysis. Is your website effective? How can you improve it? Jennifer will let that lucky person know.

This book is available through Amazon Books as a paperback and in Kindle.

So enter at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com on Sat., June 25, 2011. See blog for details on entering.

--Susan

Writer Care 1

2011-06-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

Writer Care #1

Writers sometimes have this picture of half starving in a cold attic as they write. No, don't do it. Take care of yourself. If you need to take a day job to pay the bills, do it and consider it research for future books. Always take care of your Earthly needs. There will be things you'll learn in your day job that will come to play in your writing--the interactions between people, the technical aspects of certain professions, the change to examine different personalities, the opportunity to do new tasks, be a part of team project, etc. All of this is research that will give you a wealth of character and plot background information. Remember always change the sex and names of characters to protect the innocent or the guilty. In the meantime, cherish your research.

--Susan

NYTimes Best Selling Author Eloisa James on Nights of Passion blog

2011-06-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

On the romance blog I share with four other authors, we have a special guest. Our newest contributor Gerri Brousseau met Eloisa James at Connecticut Fiction Fest and asked her for an interview.

Visit Nights of Passion blog http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com to read the interview and see how to enter the contest for Eloisa's newest book.

Very cool.

--Susan

Goals and Compromises

2011-06-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be writing everyday or almost every day at my website-- http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com on the News page. I have some goals to work on. You might have the same ones or different ones. Let's help each other. How? With encouragement.

Goal 1: I would like to lose weight. I lost weight and then gained it all back again. Frustrating, isn't it? I'm going to exercise every day. I will post here what exercise I did. If you have this same goal, you are welcome to post what exercise you did.

Goal 2: I'm going to write a thousand words a day. That's words on a novel or novella. I not counting the words I post on a blog. i will post word count here whether I make it or not.

Goal 3: I needed to buy a new sofa. Mine... well, it sagged. Today my husband and I bought a new sofa. The one we really wanted was too big for the space. Sigh. But we compromised and bought our second choice. I wanted a great sofa to put up my feet and type like a maniac in comfort. It would also be comfy if a friend wanted to stay over and sleep on it. So GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!

This is how it works. You are welcome to post your goals and how you're doing. I will be, and together we'll encourage each other.

What's happening right now? I interviewed paranormal romance author Rebecca Royce at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com Rebecca's running a contest, so if you want to enter visit the site above and follow the directions.

I've also given a prize to the Night Owl Reviews Summer Web Hunt. Find out all about it and all the other prizes from a lot of authors at http://www.nightowlromance.com/nor/Pages/Hunts.aspx

--Susan
Goal 1: Kickboxed this morning
Goal 2: In-progress

I Love Vampires Contest

2011-05-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

You are invited to enter the "I Love Vampires" Contest at my website http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com You have to go there to enter and follow the directions. They're not hard, but there can be only one winner. It is a worldwide contest that ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 29th.

While there, you may want to click around the site check out the book and also the free writing exercises to try. It's fun. You may become inspired.

Thanks for dropping by and feel free to comment.

--Susan

Contests, Interview, Conference, Booksigning

2011-05-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

So many things are happening. It’s wild here. And yes, while I’m typing the kitties Bella and Buffy have just run over my body.

Anyway I’m having contest and a fun interview over at Vampires Anonymous. Visit http://nisykitty.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/the-stormy-love-life-of-laura-cordelais-by-susan-hanniford-crowley-interviewcontest/comment-page-1/#comment-53 and follow the directions. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only and ends midnight on May 9th. You can only enter at Vampires Anonymous.

I’m writing like a mad woman—steam roller—kitties gone wild and crazy. I think you get picture. I’m having a great time.

I’m going to Fiction Fest at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in North Haven, Connecticut, on Saturday, May 14th. http://toniandrews.com/FictionFest.htm There’s still time to register for the most amazing one day writer’s conference famous for its practical education. It’s fun too. I’m doing a booksigning from 4:30-6 p.m.

May 22nd, I will be having a contest on my website http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com Remember to drop by if you love vampires.

I’m sure I’m doing more. I just can’t think of it right now! I’m wild. Oh, oh! The vampires are getting restless.

--Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley

Writer's Care #1

2011-03-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Writers sometimes have this picture of half starving in a cold attic as they write. No, don't do it. Take care of yourself. If you need to take a day job to pay the bills, do it and consider it research for future books. Always take care of your Earthly needs. There will be things you'll learn in your day job that will come to play in your writing--the interactions between people, the technical aspects of certain professions, the change to examine different personalities, the opportunity to do new tasks, be a part of team project, etc. All of this is research that will give you a wealth of character and plot background information. Remember always change the sex and names of characters to protect the innocent or the guilty. In the meantime, cherish your research.

--Susan

Writers Conference and Agent/Editor Appointments

2011-03-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

Connecticut Fiction Fest (all genre writing conference) on Saturday, May 14, 2011 – Holiday Inn Conference Center, North Haven, Connecticut
Hotel Discount Code for night of Friday, May 13: CFF
This is a day chocked full of excellent writing workshops and guest speakers. Eloisa James is the keynote speaker. Registration is $99 and sells out quickly so sign-up at http://toniandrews.com/FictionFest.htm Sign up for agent/editor appointments at the same time. They go fast.
The Booksigning is open the public at 4:30 pm

PLUS I will be signing my vampire/supernatural romance The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais.

Contest and Guest Blog at The Romance Studio Blog

2011-02-17T17:19:00.001-08:00

On Friday, Feb. 18, I am guest blogging and having a contest at The Romance Studio blog. I'm talking about "Loving Characters" and share romantic excerpts from my vampire/supernatural romance The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais and my new steampunk romance Mrs. Bright's Tea Room.

You must go to The Romance Studio Blog first to find out how to enter the contest. The link is http://theromancestudio.blogspot.com

The contest ends midnight EST on February 18, 2011. See you there.

Please, Vote for My Works -- Last Day to Vote

2011-01-25T20:09:00.001-08:00

Last day to vote for me. Vampire in the Basement for best romance short

http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryr.shtml

Mrs. Bright's Tea Room for best science fiction short at
http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml

Poseidon's Catch for best other short story at

http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstory.shtml

Thanks so much for your support.

--Susan Hanniford Crowley

Book Release Party, Contest, and More

2010-12-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

My steampunk erotic romance Mrs. Bright's Tea Room will be released on Wed., Dec. 15th. I'll be having a release party and contest on the next day on Nights of Passion blog. http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com
Join us enter the contest, asks questions, dress casually, have some fun.

Also the voting for the Bookie Awards is still open.
My work has been nominated for 3 Bookie Awards. If you haven't gotten the chance to vote.

If this is the first you’ve heard about it, I’d love your vote at: http://www.authorsafterdark.net/bookieawards.html

Vampire in the Basement – Best Shifter Short Story in Poll 1 & Vampire Short of the Year in Poll 4 and

Poseidon’ s Catch for Best Fantasy Short in Poll 2.

Last but not least, this is an invitation to receive my occasional and very confidential newsletter. All you have to do is email me at onlyladyknight(at)yahoo(dot)com and put Newsletter in the subject line. I will be having a special contest for the Newsletter subscribers in January.

Thanks.

--Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Bookie Awards, Voting, Newsletter, and Party

2010-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

My work has been nominated for 3 Bookie Awards. If you haven't gotten the chance to vote.

If this is the first you’ve heard about it, I’d love your vote at: http://www.authorsafterdark.net/bookieawards.html

Vampire in the Basement – Best Shifter Short Story in Poll 1 & Vampire Short of the Year in Poll 4 and

Poseidon’ s Catch for Best Fantasy Short in Poll 2.

I've just sent out my Winter Holiday Newsletter out to the subscribers. Thank you. If you didn't get it and would love to get my newsletter, just email me at onlyladyknightatyahoo.com with Newsletter in the subject line.

Don't forget the Nights of Passion Blog Holiday Party from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 -guest blogging, recipes, fun, and contests. That will be at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

Best to everyone. Talk to you soon.

An Excellent Day

2010-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today was an excellent day. The air was soft, warm, and sweet. It eased all the worries out of me. I've just finished my steampunk romance and now I'm proofing it, but I did take a break to go to the bead store and get groceries.

I bought some Trinkette stuff to make a bracelet. It's a lot of fun.

It's been such a beautiful day that rests the heart. We opened windows in the house. I guess you'd call it an Indian Summer day. The dog was happy in the yard and the kittens kept sitting in the windows. LOL

Great Time at Authors After Dark 2010 and upcoming Guest Blog

2010-09-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm home after a fantastic weekend at Authors After Dark Romance Unlimited Convention 2010. This is the ulimate romance readers convention. I had the most awesome time meeting people. Fun panels, chocolate everywhere, free stuff (including lots of books), great food, rocking parties, a huge book sale and autograph session, great raffle prizes. Everything was just so much fun at a very reasonable price. Next year it will be in Philadelphia. If you love romance books and hanging out with other devotees of romance including the authors, please, come. Jacquelyn Frank is the mostest hostess ever. So when December comes around Google "Authors After Dark" and sign up fast before it's filled.

Thursday, Sept. 23, I will be guest blogging at Fang-tastic Books. Join me for the mischief. I feel Halloween in the air and can't help myself. See you at
http://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com/

New Book Trailer for THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS

2010-07-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

Please, celebrate with me. It's a new book trailer. I'm passing out cyber cigars to some, cyber ice cream to others.

The ebook is available at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thestormylovelifeoflauracordelais-374695-139.html

The Kindle edition is available at http://www.amazon.com/Stormy-Love-Laura-Cordelais-ebook/dp/B00318D5VY

and also at fine ebooks stores everywhere.

The Author's Blog at Fiction Fest

2010-04-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I had a great time at CTRWA's Fiction Fest. I did on workshop on "The Author's Blog", and I wanted to bring up another matter that I didn't bring up.

Back up your work and the materials on your blog. The world changes and things happen. There are good prices out there on portable hard drives and then again there is Sky Drive. Make sure your materials are backed up.

That's me with Erotic Romance Author Collette Thomas and here's her blog newsletter about the event: http://www.newsletterofcollettethomas.blogspot.com /
An excellent way of using a blog. I encourage you to check it out.

This year Fiction Fest sold out. Next year when registration opens, I encourage you to jump on it right away. Our focus is giving writers practical information that they can use. In addition to the workshops, we had speakers, an agent/editor panels, pitch session with agents and editors, sessions with Leslie Wainger, the book doctor, and a booksigning. With lunch and the cocktail party at the end, it was a full day. By the way Leslie is the author of Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies. I highly recommend it. http://www.lesliewainger-bookdoctor.com/

Until next time, happy blogging and writing and living.

Blog Lesson 3 - Tags and Categories, Labels

2010-03-21T02:35:00.001-07:00

For our lesson today in blogging, we're going to look at tags and categories in Wordpress and labels in Blogger. What are they?

Tags and labels are the same as keywords. They make your blog searchable. That means when someone is in Google, they type in keywords for what they are trying to find. Simply saying if your keyword and their keyword match up, they may find you. I say may because your blog may not show up until they've gone several pages in. We'll save Google ranking for another time.

Categories in Wordpress is part of the internal indexing system of your blog. It allows you to find every entry written under the category or topic.

What does all of this mean? To make it easier for your viewers, in Wordpress, go to the right hand side of your dashboard and fill in the tags and then scroll down and enter your categories. Once categories are established, you have to check on them. In Blogger, fill in your labels in the box called Labels for this post.

That's it for this lesson.

Lesson 2 - Linking in Blogs

2010-02-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

I received this question: How do we code to open in a new window using wordpress?

Let's just start with links. You are in the Dashboard in Wordpress. Go down the left hand side to Post, and click Add New. You put in your title. Wordpress has an automatic system where it will index your title. That entry is actually saved by the title.

Next type in the box your blog entry. When you reach a place where you want to place a link, highlight, click the chain symbol (in Blogger it is a chain symbol on an Earth. A window will open up asking for a web address.

Example Nights of Passion I would type in http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com and press enter or submit.

When you are done with your blog entry, press Publish on the right hand side.

When you view your blog as you would a visitor, when you roll your mouse over the link, a preview window will come up in Wordpress saying it is generating a preview. When you click on your link, it will take you to that other web site. You can arrow back to the blog.

As for opening it in a new window, I have never seen that setting for Wordpress. It is a common setting for web site design. Blogs are different. If there are any more questions about links, just ask.

So enjoy playing with your blog. More next week.

Blogging, Lesson 1--Getting Your Feet Wet

2010-02-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

Someone, I won't say her name, has requested that I give some lessons on blogging and I said, "Okay."

Lesson 1

Reason: Why do you want a blog? You're an author, an artist? You want a journal? They're lots of reasons but have that reason in mind to give some focus to your blog.

Next: Pick a name. That's right, come up with a name for the new puppy that you'll be playing with a lot. Google that name to see if it's original. You may want to change it if you find the name you've chosen is also taken by a lot of people. Anyway spend some time on a name.

Next: Location. Location is everything and if it's a good location that's free, it's even better. My personal favorites are Blogger (aka Blogspot), which is where The Writing House is hosted, and Wordpress, which is where Nights of Passion is hosted. Why do I love these two? Blogger is the easiest way to blog. Building a blog here is a very simple, step-by-step method. There are lots of pretty themes and layouts to choose from. The Writing House is my first blog. I learned a lot about blogging using it. What about Wordpress? They are also excellent. They have a lot of very fancy items you can add to your blog. I found, however, especially when I was working with pages and pages in blogs are NOT like pages on a website. They can get glitchy and do bizarre things sometimes. To have great pages on Wordpress, decide what you're going to put on them that will stay that way forever with very little changing. Then you won't have glitchy things happening. Remember the blog page is the one you will always change. The blog entry page is meant for constant changes. It's the first thing people see.

Both are lovely. People have made exceptional blogs using both.

Most important rule of blogging--Only write what you wouldn't mind your boss, your mother, your old boyfriend, every single person in the world seeing. Never say anything you would regret later.

Now choose either Wordpress or Blogger and follow their directions. Blogging is play, but take some time to learn their rules and enjoy the process.

If you want to blog, it's time to jump in. I'll be back next week.

To visit Nights of Passion to check out it's features and ask me questions, visit: http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com Yes, I will check back and answer questions.

Ta for now.

--Susan

Snow is coming! Happy Holidays!

2009-12-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

I'm surrounded by sick people in the family. It's supposed to snow big time starting tomorrow afternoon and I'm exhausted and haven't gotten any holiday things done. I have one present--for my husband. Yes, I know we're not doing well.

On the up side, I've been guest blogging a lot regarding A Vampire for Christmas and even The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais (which is being sold in several places now in addition to All Romance Ebooks and is even becoming available for Kindle sometimes tomorrow). That's exciting.

The upside of snowing is that while it's blowing, I can peacefully retreat into my own private writing world. Right now, my mind is on taking care of the family. So I'm making a list of what I need before the snow hits. When that's done, I'll decorate.

May your world be filled with good health, good food, and dear people and pets you want to keep close. Happy Holidays!

A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS and More

2009-12-11T12:13:00.001-08:00

On the SFWA Blog: How I Fell in Love with Paranormal Romance

I was honored to be invited to talk about paranormal romance on the SFWA blog. Here's the link to the article.
http://www.sfwa.org/2009/12/how-i-fell-in-love-with-paranormal-romance/

I'm a long-time member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and I've been a romance writer for almost two years and a member of RWA for not quite one year. I hope I did justice to describing paranormal romance. It's a lot to live up to--such an exciting genre.

Drop over and take a look.

Ta.

Sue

A Vampire for Christmas

2009-12-04T05:34:00.001-08:00

A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS is out from Tease Publishing. It is three flames and available from All Romance Ebooks
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-avampireforchristmas-387184-139.html

Georgia doesn't know she's a Harmony. Jobless and about to be homeless, her heart sinks when a hand snatches the coat of her dreams from the storefront window. Then she sees him staring at her reflection . . . the stalker.

Trevor Stenwood, a vampire and Arnhem Knight, is handsome, sophisticated, and tongue-tied every time he sees her. Sworn to protect the supernaturals of the city, he's fallen for a woman marked for death by demons. How can he save her when she's afraid of him?

At Christmas time in New York City, will love bloom in the snow?

I'm so excited that it's out. Note the blood dripping new logo for the VIM Vampires in Manhattan. WHEN LOVE SURVIVES and THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS are prequels. I'm still so excited. I'm giving a holiday party on Nights of Passion blog on Dec. 19th and 20th -- If you like, please, come. http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

A Sneak Peek of THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS

2009-11-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Here is an excerpt from my debut contemporary vampire romance novel, THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS. In this novel Vampire David Hilliard meets his life mate, a tormented and very different supernatural. But once he has Laura can he keep her?

Excerpt Rating - PG

Laura struggled through the dark and burst through a great light. She gasped for breath and it filled her. Warmth spread through her every part, then a surge of energy she didn’t understand. Her heart beat. Differently. Odd. Different from any feeling she’d ever had. Her eyelashes fluttered and then in the dim light of a strange windowless room, she saw a man’s face.

His dark, curly hair framed his chiseled features. What struck her most were his dark, fathomless eyes. I can get lost in those eyes and never want to leave.

He smiled.

She flushed. I hope he can’t hear what I’m thinking.

I can.

She sat up, smiling with embarrassment. “You pulled me out of the river?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Laura trembled. “I don’t understand. I was dying.”

“You were very badly injured in the fall. I was going to take you to the hospital, but you said, ‘No hospital.’ That you’d keep trying to kill yourself.” His jaw tightened. “I couldn’t bear the idea of your death. Please, forgive me, but I couldn’t let you die.” He gazed deeply into her eyes.

Laura moved her tongue inside her mouth and came across the fangs.
“Oh, my God!” She tried to sit up, but he pushed her gently down.

“Don’t get up just yet. You’re still healing.”

“You made me a vampire?” Every tale she’d heard as a child in New Orleans rushed back to her. Vampires were monsters. “Now I’m a monster!” Anger flushed through her. How dare he make her this! He had no right. She seethed.

“No. You are not a monster. Neither am I. I gave you a life. It’s your choice how you live it.”
Then another emotion unexpectedly filled her, when she gazed up into his eyes. I couldn’t bear the idea of your death. His tender words echoed in her entire being and soothed her broken heart, as if he’d kissed her lips without touching her. She looked at him with wonder, reached up and caressed the young beard on his chin. He smiled and she could see his fangs now.

Strangely, she wasn’t frightened.

“We must do the last part.” He bit into his arm just inside the elbow and put it against her mouth.

“No.” She pushed his arm away.

“You need it to stop the hunger from possessing you. Just close your eyes and drink.”
The blood oozed into her mouth, as he pressed his arm against her lips. At first, she choked and sputtered but then finally accepted it. Laura tried not to think about what it really was.
The warmth reminded her of ginger tea with a citrus tang.

“Since I am your sire, my blood will give you a balanced mind. You will not need to feed again until tonight.”

After a few more minutes, she pushed him away. The wound on his arm healed before her eyes. Wide-eyed, she smiled. “I feel so strong and well. I don’t ache or hurt anywhere.” Then his reference to being her sire struck her. “So you own me now!” Her anger flared again along with her strength. She slapped him.

“What was that for?” He held his hand to his cheek.

“Oh, I don’t know. You made me a vampire and now you own me. Take your pick.”

David gazed upward. “This isn’t going well.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“God.”

Laura scoffed. “A vampire talks to God? Does God answer you?”

David frowned at her and sighed. ”God apparently has one hell of a sense of humor.”

“What does that mean?”

“Never mind. Let’s get back to the subject at hand. No, I do not own you. I have no claim on you whatsoever. You are free to decide where you want to be and with whom. I’ll help you get started, that’s all.” With every word, he seemed more uncomfortable. “We do have a blood tie though, so if you ever need my help, just think of me and I’ll come. I’ll find you.”

Her anger dissipated. Laura enjoyed seeing him vulnerable. And he didn’t hit her back. She smiled. “I don’t know your name.”

“I’m David Hilliard.”

This time she gently touched his face. “I’m Laura Cordelais.”

He held her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes.

Laura gasped as she realized her surroundings. “Do you live here?”

“No.” He chuckled. “I just needed to get you out of the sun. I have an apartment.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I thought I’d have to live in a cemetery.”

They both laughed.

Laura looked around at the grim tomb. A spider crawled up the stone wall nearest her, and she trembled. “I’m afraid of small, closed spaces. And bugs.”

He enclosed her in his arms. “Don’t be afraid. As soon as it’s dark, we’ll leave.”

Her mouth was so close to his, she could almost taste him. Then he pressed his firm lips against hers.

Hmm. He tastes of honey. I love honey.

Their fangs knocked together. Laura giggled nervously.

“Shall we try that again?” he suggested.

She nodded.

David gently took her chin and tilted her head slightly. Then his lips possessed hers again.
Laura tingled from head to toe and wondered if a vampire was capable of love. She hoped David was.

When their lips parted, Laura frowned.

“I’m still angry with you.”

“Really? You don’t sound that angry.”

“I’m furious with you. I mean you made me a vampire.”

“Are you furious?” He carefully pushed a hair off her face and kissed her forehead.

“Now that’s not fair. Are you using your hypnotic powers on me?”

“No. I want everything between us to be real.” He kissed her left temple and moved down her jaw line. His mouth caressed her lips. His tongue rubbed her fangs.

“Whoa.” Rubbing her fangs stirred a passion so hot, it was hard to ignore. Still. He had just made her a vampire. All his distractions were making her forget that. She should be angry with him, but his kiss stirred up a frenzy of desire.

#

The excerpt is based on David’s earlier request to God to take pity on his loneliness. Of course, keeping her is a whole different issue. The two are torn apart by supernatural forces that refuse to see a vampire together with a Telkhine, and it’s here that Laura truly discovers the enormity of her powers. Will she be able to stay with David?

THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS is available at All Romance Ebooks at
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thestormylovelifeoflauracordelais-374695-139.html

The novella that started it all is there too. WHEN LOVE SURVIVES (about two supernatural rescue workers at the World Trade Center)
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whenlovesurvives-362921-143.html

For more information, visit Susan at http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com/
Or http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/

--Thanks.

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Understanding Publishing

2009-10-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know that it's possible to understand publishing until you've been in it a long time. Being published means plunging headfirst into a business you only know the outside parts of.

Years ago, a friend told me that I was afraid of being published. He was right. I liked my very quiet life. Several months ago, another friend told me that when I published my life would change. She was right. I now have to concern myself with self-promotion which is a whole book in itself. I am knee-deep in edits from my editor. Though it is cool to say I have an editor and a cover artist. It's very exciting to be published.

It hits you when you see the cover. Not when you sign the contract. Not when the rewrites come. But when you see the cover. By the way, the book is a paranormal romance novella of 15,00o words and is available at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whenlovesurvives-362921-143.html

Now I've got more edits and two deadlines looming. My second novella A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS is in production. Also what is even more exciting is that my full length novel THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS is being published and is also in production.

Then I'll get excited again, when after they come out in print, they'll come out in print next year.

So what am I doing for Thanksgiving. Being incredibly grateful ... and continuing to write the next full length novel in the series.

But yes, I'm still excited and I hope to after many years to learn about the publishing business.

And don't forget to visit me tomorrow (Oct. 30) at Hannah Howell's blog http://hhowell.blogspot.com I'll be talking about Halloween and the book. I love Halloween. I find it so inspiring. I can't imagine why. LOL

Home from Albacon and Published

2009-10-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

This week has been a worldwind. Albacon was lots of fun. You'll want to see the Albacon post at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com as I posted photos. There were workshops, panels, the booksigning, and parties. The readings were great and the art wonderful.

While at Albacon, I stole away an hour here and there to finish another novella that I promised my editor. There's something soothing about writing at a conference. I find it gives a special quality to the story to be partially created in the midst of living with science fiction and fantasy folk. I had to finish it by Oct. 15th, which was also the release date for WHEN LOVE SURVIVES.

As soon as I came home I had an interview at Paranormal Romantics. Today WHEN LOVE SURVIVES was released at All Romance Ebooks http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whenlovesurvives-362921-143.html It's a contemporary paranormal romance novella, 15,000 words and it can be purchased for 99 cents. Courtship and sex, adventure and courage all wrapped up in one story.

a.c. Mason interviewed me for Nights of Passion. Yes, that's my other blog. It's rather funny being interviewed by someone who knows you. I kidded Mason a lot. She's fun that way. You'll just have to see the interview to know what I'm talking about. Plaid.

While my editor edits my full-length novel, I'm writing another one. Being a writer is being in perpetual motion, always writing, researching, living, and writing. It's important to always include living. I don't think I could be a writer if I had to be a recluse.

It's snowing today. Yes, a great day for writing. But not enough snow for snow angels and snow men. Not yet.

Making Romance History in Albany Oct. 9th

2009-10-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

We’re going to be making Romance history when we bring romance to Albacon on Friday, October 9, 2009 at the Sovereign Best Western in Albany, NY.

From 9-3 will be writers workshops and romance panels. For registration, visit http://www.albacon.org/

Open to the Public: From 3-5 will be an exciting group book signing. Join us and be part of history. Tell all your friends and bring them too. Bring books from home and books will also be on sale.

Romance authors signing: Jackie Kessler, Jessica Andersen, Stella Price, Cat Johnson, Toni Andrews, Virginia Reede, C. Margery Kempe, Roberta C.M. DeCaprio

Fantasy authors signing: Melissa Mead, K.A. Laity

And a special treat for vampire literature lovers: Author of The Vampires of New England Series, Inanna Arthen

Join us and be part of making romance history. Tell all your friends and bring them too. You have my permission to spread the word to as many blogs and writers as you can. Copy this post and send it forth. Thanks.

So Much is Happening

2009-09-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

The fall is happening. The nights are getting colder and a few trees are changing color. It's also the season in my life when everything is happening at once. I have a job as a webmaster--lots of projects and meetings.

I'm now officially a romance author under contract. WHEN LOVE SURVIVES is currently in the editing stage. I'm writing another small book. It has a deadline. I'm also printing out my full length novel to send to my editor. At the same time, I'm trying to help my youngest pull together her wedding. There's just a few things left to do. Don't let me forget the runner for the aisle or the decoration for the archway.

Oh, and I'm on staff and program at Albacon, the science fiction and fantasy convention of Albany, NY, on Oct. 8-11. Thursday night there's an agent/publisher panel event. Friday there's the writer's conference with writing workshops and romance panels. From 3-5 that day in the Sovereign Best Western, the booksigning will be open to the public. If you have any of the books of Jackie Kessler, Virginia Reede, Toni Andrews, K.A. Laity, C. Marge Kempe, Cat Johnson, Audra and Stella Price, Robert C.M. DeCaprio, Melissa Mead, then Jessica Andersen, then come, meet the authors and have them signed. Books will also be on sale there as well. Vampire expert Inanna Arthen will be there with her latest book. I'm definitely getting one. By the way Audra won't be there, but Stella will.

If you're part of the convention, you can eat at the Ice Cream Social. They'll be a concert and a Vampire Ball. I'm still trying to decide what to wear.

Saturday is filled with panels on Science Fiction, the banquet, the art demonstration. I'm sure I'm forgetting things and they continue into Sunday.

I have a lot that I've posted on http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/ If you want a glimpse into my personal life, check out today's post. Coming up this week are a.c. Mason, guest Sandra Sookoo cooking up romance, BB Roberts, and Mayan doomsday author Jessica Andersen. Nights of Passion is always so much fun.

If you are so inclined to write, I've just posted the weekly writing exercise. This week I require you to get more exercise than usual. Try it out at http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com/

It's always nice to hear from people. Wherever you drop by, be sure to post and say Hi. If you're in Albany most definitely. Thanks. See you.

What's Happening?

2009-08-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

BIG ANNOUCEMENT ON AUGUST 20th on http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/ Don't miss it!

What's Happening at Nights of Passion, Albacon, and more

2009-08-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

A ton is happening at the Nights of Passion blog. Right now Mason is doing her thing. Then Tuesday an interview with romance mystery author Sandra K. Marshall. Then Wednesday an interview with Aasiyah Qamar/Nolwynn Ardennes specialized in exotic settings. Then Thursday, Mason is back and Friday is BB Roberts. Saturday and Sunday is a Book Launch Parthy with a Contest with erotic romance author Ari Thatcher. Next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is a Pre-Order then a Book Launch Party and Contest with Leanna Rennee Hieber. All in all a very exciting week and then some.

What does this mean for me? Well, I'll learn a lot from some writers I've just met and others I've known for a while. Now I won't kid you on this other part, but blogging--the physical act of putting everything up and downloading and sometimes resizing photos is a lot of work. I do all that on top of my own writing, editing, my website, and then day job as a webmaster. I'm also on staff for Albacon which is Albany, NY's science fiction and fantasy conference on Oct.9-11. Albacon is making history with its romantic Friday, panels with romance writers and workshops on writing. The entire weekend is a blast. If you think you're going to be near Albany during those dates, register now at http://www.albacon.org/

Going back to everything--ah, yes, I'm the crazy person who is still traveling at light speed. Actually I have moments when I think I'm moving rather slowly. Hmm, I wonder what that means. Believe it or not I'm still part of a family. They sort of work around me at time, and other times drag me out of the house into life. I also have friends that do the same. It's easier living an overstuffed life when people love you. I really appreciate them.

I don't have a counter on this blog only subscriptions, but when I'm at conventions, people walk up to me and comment on The Writing House. Thank you so very much for dropping by and if you want to join in on this huge education in both romance and in writing in general, drop by http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

It's always great to hear from you.

Don't Feel Like Talking--Much

2009-08-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I should be getting ready to leave for kickboxing. Ever notice how many shoulds there are in life. This has been a tough week. Tons of work at my day job. Large to do list at home. My characters of my in progress book are now screaming at me.

Sooner of later if you really get to talk to writers, they will tell you that their characters talk to them. My vampires will bare their fangs if they think I'm ignoring their book. I have another book about dragons--they blow fire. I find that writing demands uninterrupted time. I try to write for snatches when I get free time, but sometimes I just do a day in bed with the laptop. I know that does not sound romantic, but when you're writing adventure and romance or adventure in romance, that's the only way to do it--get cozy with your laptop. I let the air conditioner blow on the poor mechanical beast.

So now I'm off into the night. Yes, that's right, like a vampire or werewolf. I'll kickbox for 45 minutes, come home and write until I collapse. But I'll be incredibly happy typing across that keyboard as fast as I can every wonderful bleeding word. When I dream, I'll still be writing. That's what it's like inside an author's head.

Talking about Vampires Continue

2009-08-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing to talk about vampire books and movies at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com There's so much coming up. I have a lovely interview in process with author Rebecca Royce on Monday and Tuesday. It's all about her book Her Wolf, which is about shifter-wolves. Very exciting. You are invited to drop by Nights of Passion anytime.

Watching "Coraline" about alternate realities. Hmm. I know there's a lot wrong with my reality, but I sort of like it. Perhaps it's because I'm writing about vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night and other realities. :-)

Happening at Nights of Passion

2009-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

For two blogs in a row at Nights of Passion, I expounded on my personal preferences. Today I talked about my love of vampire movies, books, and tv shows. I think the most interesting thing I've heard in years is the rumour of putting "Dark Shadows" on the big screen. Ah, Jonathan Frid. I raced home every day from school, just to glue myself to the tv for his every performance as the tortured vampire that longed for romance. Now it appears Johnny Depp may be playing that unique vampire. I can't wait to see him try. Every "Dark Shadows" fan will be hoping it will live up to their expectations. I will be one of them. To explore the discussion about "True Blood" and some upcoming writers' conference dear to my heart, drop by http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com Thanks. It's always lovely when you drop by.

--Susan

Virtual Vacation to Egypt

2009-07-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

I've given it some thought and when planning a vacation of the mind, why have limits. So first stop is Egypt. I love Egypt. When my parents went to Egypt they went on a private tour of a pyramid. I believe it started something like this.

First they entered between pillars and then went down a dark hall sloping always downward. You get a sense of the silence and magesty. There's also the feeling of ancient eyes watching, observing. What are you doing there? Why are you there?

Going down makes the heart flutter, palms sweat, despair is creeping in your consciousness. But be sharp and go slow. Nothing can touch you in this moment.

Here is our first treasure. Ah, going down the aisle with Cleopatra eating figs. A gentle breeze blows off the Nile. The servants are fanning you. (Hey, when I go on vacation, it's a vacation from stress and all limits. No lost baggage. In your imagination, go royal.) Speaking of royal, I think I've found her.

Is that really a sarcophagus with a guardian on top? I wonder who is inside. I wonder if they are dreaming of this world and thinking , "How strange we are." I will poke around the artifacts and see what else I come across.

We've found her. I think that's Queen Nefertiti. I'm going to sit here for a while and just admire her. After all, I've come a long way just to get here. There's no hurry to get back. It's dark, cool, silent and I can almost hear her whisper to me.

Writing Tips and and News on Nights of Passion

2009-07-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

A Lot to Say plus Advice for a Young Writer is up on http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com --this post is a mixture of writing tips and news.

I've gotten chatty on Nights of Passion. There's a lot of good advice for writers up today--advice from authors Carmen Hines talking about author and contest judge Toni Andrews. I talk about organizing ideas. I also invite guest bloggers to write about their favorite romance novel or romantic movie. Come visit. There's too much to write here. Visit us at the link above.

Two Movies that Excite or Make you Giggle

2009-06-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

At Nights of Passion I have reviewed "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" and "Confessions of a Shopaholic." I'm not going to tell you about them here other than absolutely worth it, especially the first.

So much going on: writing, editing, editing for a friend, setting up an interview for Nights of Passion, setting up a bridal shower, a birthday party, webmastering, and I know I've forgotten something. Ever have one of those days, when you know you've forgotten something. Oh, and waiting for the transfer of my domain to be complete. In the middle time, I've changed over links. If you would like to see my brand new website before the domain transfer is complete,
check out: http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.webs.com/ I'd love to hear your comments.

An Amazingly Busy Week/Virtual Vacation

2009-06-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

This week I am blogging like crazy over at Nights of Passion with interviews and contests. So drop by and enter a contest or two or three. The interviews are fascinating. http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

My brain is in overdrive what with working on my own book and blogging like a maniac.

I've come up with the concept of giving myself a virtual vacation. Since I can't go on an actual vacation, a virtual one is all I've got. I'm going to start by laying on the grassy bank of a river with my hand in the water as it flows by. I stare up at the interlaced branches of trees. Greens in varying shades mixes with gold light weaving through and making my vision fold into the surreal. The cool water is so refreshingly calming.

I won't think of anything.

Overwhelming My World

2009-05-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's always ironic when you want to diet, that you overload your plate in other ways. I'm planning a wedding for a daughter, writing a blog on an almost daily basis, changing my website, working a job, submitting my novel, writing the next one, Twittering, and trying to keep up on emails and other correspondence. There are days when I sit on my bed and hand write in a journal my next book. There's something intrinsically elegant about handwriting. It's also very relaxing for me. Almost as relaxing as making jewelry. I love designing because it let the mind explore new shapes. I also love reading. Lately I've been reading Christine Feehan's Dark Celebration. It's very good overall. But again I am a bit confused with its label as paranormal romance. I would think it was urban fantasy. That's a debate that still continues as definitions either haven't really been ironed out or publishers are having different definitions and there's no industry standard. One definition says that paranormal romance is all about the couple, while urban fantasy is all about their world although there might be romantic elements. I love great stories with drama and excitement, but I also love great passion. So I guess I looking for a hybrid of the two. It's funny that my brain can entertain such a debate at 1 in the morning and in a state of spinning. I will have to find a way to adjust to new faster velocity my life is currently operating on.

Nights of Passion Interview and Contest with Emily Bryan

2009-05-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

In a short time, the book contest will end on Nights of Passion http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com for Emily Bryan's book PLEASURING THE PIRATE. At 10 pm Eastern Time to be exact. To still make the contest, just go to the blog and comment on the interview. It's that easy.

And the World Speeds Up

2009-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

So many things are happening this week. One is Fiction Fest in Connecticut. I'm an attendee at this conference. I've been on a lot of programs of sf/f. This is romance and it's different. I'm a newbie in romance. This is my opportunity to learn a ton and I'm going to love it.

There are moments when you just want to lie among the stars and feel the cool soothing breeze of the universe blow over you. You're in the way. You're going with it, and it's providing comfort, contentment, and a little bit of chaos.

I will always remember A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle. One of the characters, Mrs Whatsit, talks about her memory of being a star. Not the kind of star of a movie or tv show, but a star that shimmers in the dark night. The star we gaze at and it fills us with a serenity. She had sacrificed herself by blowing up in an attempt to stop a great evil. A noble death and a wondrous rebirth into a new form.

Living at Light Speed

2009-04-04T17:14:00.001-07:00

I'm living my life in a mad rush with moments to pause and look for roses. No, no roses yet. In one day, I put up an amazing interview I did with romance author Bianca D'Arc on http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/

I edited a story for a friend, which is always good for me as it hones my talents as well as help someone else. I'm editing me, and I'm always harsher on me.

I wrote several email letters to friends. Proofread taxes with my husband to get that signed and in the mail.

Now I still have some critiques to review on my work and then critique the work of others. I may be floating into tomorrow with this.

I'm also writing an original storyline. Not done yet.

Of course, I've Twittered, blogged twice, and checked the website. I've visited other blogs and I've Facebooked.

I did eat and walk the dog a couple of times. I did watch "Enchanted" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". I think I watched some other things but not really. See what I mean about busy.

At least I can't wake up in the morning and say I have nothing to do. With a writer, there is always something to write. Something to explore. Research that needs to be done.

Now as it says in Douglas Adams's book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic!" I'm not losing it, I've just adjusted to living at light speed.

The World is Spinning

2009-03-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes events happen so fast, it feels like the world is spinning. That's my life right now. Change is occurring at a breakneck speed, and I'm doing everything I can to keep up and keep balanced. Being balanced sometimes means stepping to the side of the rat race and taking a bubble bath or reading in a room alone or kickboxing. Tonight there was something going on with my romance blog and no matter what I did to fix it, something else happened that needed fixing too. Finally I had to say, "It's good enough. The world won't end, if it's not perfect."

Letting go can free you. Try it.

Trying to Keep Going and Being Patient

2009-03-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

A friend wrote to me about the process of writing and publishing and told me that the hardest part was being patient. Sigh. She told me how even with an agent a publisher took a year to decide on her book. Another sigh. But she told me to keep writing and keep submitting, so that's where I am. It's important to stay balanced and just enjoy life. Below is a link to Nathan Bransford's blog and he has some insights on how writers can do just that.

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/03/ten-commandments-for-happy-writer.html

Dreams and Snow

2009-03-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

It's snowing in the deep woods. The world outside my cozy little house is brutally cold and yet it's mystical with white sparkling in the trail of a flashlight. Flakes dance like white pixies in the air.

My little dog loves this. Pete wants to be a Husky when he grows up. He flies off the stoop and lands in snow that blankets the yard. Tomorrow it will be deeper and I will have to rescue him. He counts on me, knowing that whatever he does, I will rescue him. Pete's such a wild ball of fluff. That's why I keep him always close to me. He doesn't go anywhere alone, but he doesn't seem to mind. I think he thinks the leash is so I won't get lost. He believes that he's supposed to watch movies and eat snacks. What a happy life he leads.

The lovely thing about snow is the dreams that grow when the world grows colder. Dreams flow through my sleep giving me epic stories to write. The white blanket temporarily blurs the world and drives us all back into our homes. It is there that we realize what we love, what we care about, and what we get to spend time doing in the home for a change separate from the world. Sometimes it's good to cherish what we have for a while. The snow makes that possible.

So if you get the chance to stay home, take it. Use it to write, to play, to do those things you don't get to do, to love, to contemplate on what make life a treasure that sparkles. Dance in your dream tonight and you'll realize . . . What you find is your treasure.

It's Okay to Breathe/Help a Bonsai Tree

2009-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Things are going very fast in my world and I'm working like the dickens to keep up. I'm Linked in, Facebooked, Live Journaled, have two blogs and one website. Oh, yes, I Twitter. During this I'm an associate editor for Space and Time magazine. My short story "She Came to Sing" came out in the January edition of Beyond Centauri magazine, which has sold so well that it's temporarily sold out. I'm currently trying to market my paranormal romance. And I write and edit.

For a part-time job, I'm a university webmaster. So yes, I'm traveling at lightspeed and possibly a little weird from too much chocolate. I blame Valentine's Day. That's when my romance blog, Nights of Passion, was born. http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/ It was my official entry to the world or romance, besides becoming a RWA member.

Now if you think I'm done, I'm not. To prevent myself from becoming a lump in front ot the computer, I go to a dojo and Thai kickbox. I find it very peaceful. To keep my brain and nerves from fizzing, I do spiritual exercises.

I'm a mom with two grown daughter, a husband, a dog, a cat, and a rose bush that's doing well, and a Bonsai tree that's not. Anyone with suggestions on the care and feeding of a Bonsai tree, please, help!!!

Ta ta. I'm off to update the creative writing exercise on my website. http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com/

Romancing the Blog

2009-02-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Writing takes new twists and turns and it was around April last year, that I took another author's advice and explored romance. I went to the bookstore to buy books. I picked up paranormal romance and fell in love. I've been writing at lightspeed every since.

What does that mean? I'm on a new adventure. This week I just found out that the magazine BEYOND CENTAURI which has my most current sf story, "She Came to Sing," has done so well that they are temporarily sold out. Hooray! This week a daughter announced she was engaged. This week I started submitting my new book manuscript to agents. Yes, it's a paranormal romance. I'm already writing another.

What else does this mean? A new and different blog--a romance blog. In the blurry hours before Valentine's Day morning, I built http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com
If you're a romantic at heart, drop by. I'm talking romance with movie and book reviews, upcoming books soon to be released. Who knows? At some point, I may even be announcing my new book. Not yet though. Be patient.

Life is a romance and the lovely thing now is that science fiction and fantasy has joined the game of love.

My husband took me out to dinner and dancing for Valentine's Day. I hope your day was equally fun. Ta ta for now.

Booksigning--an education and a blast

2009-02-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go to a signing of 15 romance writers recently. It was great meeting them, talking about writing, and about their work. I learned firsthand a lot about presentation--how to create an inviting booksigning. There was the three long tables where the authors sat with their books ready to sigh, a table with refreshments, and give aways and prizes that were drawn from a box. I had filled out a card with my name, address, and email and put it in the box. Of all things, being on the mailing lists of authors is something I don't mind at all.

And there was all the different genres of romance to choose from ranging from contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical. It was a light-hearted, fun time. What I particularily enjoyed were the readings. At different times, it was announced that one of the authors would read. "Oh, wow!" is all I can say.

Here are the web sites of the authors I met. I've attached their links so you can visit their sites.
Annette Blair
Kristan Higgins
Marie Force
Stella Price (I actually already knew Stella.)
Jessica Andersen
Cat Johnson,
Tilly Greene
Allie Boniface
Donna Michaels
Leigh Ellwood
Denise Eagan
Emily Bryan
Isabelle Santiago
Kathryn Smith
Toni Andrews

Ah, Valentine's Day and a little romance reading is just the thing!

The Wildness of the Season

2009-02-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, since I'm recovering from the flu, and yes, I did get a flu shot, I find this part of the season inspiring. I love looking at the moonlight on the snow. I love the silence in the early evening. I even love the wild winds that roar through late at night. All of it lends itself to excellent dreams.

So I've finished one book and have started another. So begins the flurry of submitting and finding the balance in my day. A certain portion goes to sending things out, while another part of the day belongs to the new book. Of course, I'm working, kickboxing, and being part of a family too. Never! Never forget to hug the dog. He loves that. However, if I hug my cat, her eyes bugs out, she wiggles out of my arms, and gives me the most incredulous look as if I've lost my mind. Isis is not the warmest kitty on the planet. She believes in boundaries.

During my part unconsciousness of the flu which started last Sunday night, I started reading the TWILIGHT series. I'm halfway thorugh the 3rd book. Very intriguing.

I'm typing this during the Superbowl. They just had another beer commercial on--the one with the Clydesdale horses. I'm such a sucker for a good Clydesdale commercial. Years ago, when I was visiting Busch Gardens in Virginia, I got to see a baby Clydesdale--this very small delicate looking colt with huge feet. He was a bouncing happy guy though.

Enjoy the solitude of Winter while you can. It's nature's rest break. We can all use more sleep and dream time in our lives.

Home from Arisia

2009-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

I love Arisia, which is my home con. I'm sort of devoted to going to that con every year. It's hard to say which I find the most fun. I love all the magnificent costumes. Dealers' Row is something I look forward to every year in my efforts to add to my collections of the strange and wonderful. Arisia is a big party con, so there's lots of opportunities to mingle and enjoy yourself.

The panels are fun. This year I had the honor of being the moderator for the "Vampires vs. Werewolves Debate". It was hilarious, uproarious fun. I love full room debates. Whenever I can get everyone to participate, I have the most fun. The werewolves did weaken their argument when they admitted to chasing their own tails. Their comment regarding mirrors was easily deflected. All in all, I'd have to call the debate a draw. I imagine the debate between the two factions will undoubtedly continue for centuries. Ah, so much to look forward to.

I also moderated the "I'll Be Back" panel. Not only was it informative, but my research actually helped me write my synopsis for my book. Just by studying the structure of the movies, I was able to finally see the structure. The discussion on time travel was very educational from various viewpoints, and just goes to show how difficult it is to write convincing time travel. Consistency being an issue.

I enjoyed being a panelist on the "Responsible Monogamy." It was very pleasant to exchange ideas on the subject, and for those in the room with questions, I sincerely hope we were of some help.

The panel on "Publicizing Your Book" was extremely educational. I took copious notes and really valued the list of books they recommended. Some things I knew, but some I didn't. I grew in practical knowledge by attending that very valuable panel.

Meeting people is always a highlight. An editor I know gave me excellent advice concerning my synopsis and book manuscript. I met romance writers from Albany, and I'm finding the company of romance writers to be increasingly enlightening. Paranormal romance is finding a home in the sf/f cons and it makes perfect sense. The more I read of paranormal romance, I find it fits perfectly into speculative fiction. The plots are so exciting. Heroines save worlds and still find time to fall in love. ;-)

The challenge for the weekend was returning home. I left Boston around 1 with snow blustering around me. The city streets were slick, but the Mass Pike at 40 mph was better. The snow stopped around Framingham, but after I entered Connecticut, it started again in Danielson for a short while. I was glad to be home, because it really snowed that evening.
I'm alway happy to attend Arisia. It adds so much to my life--meeting great people and being part of a marvelous adventure together.

Other events of importance that happened at the same time was:

The latest issue of Space and Time Magazine came out. I'm an associate editor with Space and Time. http://spaceandtimemagazine.com/

The latest issue of Beyond Centauri came out. My sf story "She Came to Sing" is in this issue. http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/purchasecenter/magazines.htm

It's been a great month so far.

Kicking the Holiday Blues

2008-12-15T10:25:00.001-08:00

This has got to be the hardest time of the year. We remember people who are gone and, frankly, cry. A friend of mine once told me that it's all right to cry, "tears are like rain and help us grow." He was right.

Then everything gets harder when you go shopping. You can't blame people for shopping online. Too many people. Too short tempers. Too much stress. Too many expectation.

There's also a biological reason some people feel sad during this time of the year. S.A.D. is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Here's the website for what the Mayo Clinic says about it. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195

Personally, and I can only say the following works for me--I try to be busy, eat healthy, and get enough rest. I kickbox, which helps me on many levels. While doing my kickboxing, I tend to zone out and my mind experiences peace.

Going to worship service and lunching with friends brings me past the peace into joy. So does staying warm with family and curling up with my laptop.

May everyone have a happy holiday experience regardless of what you celebrate. Look past the shopping lines and gruff voices and hear the music of life. It's there. It's you.

Writing Kicks

2008-12-08T12:07:00.001-08:00

Today is a splendid day for writing. Why? Well, it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit here. Even the birds at the feeder are all fluffed up trying to keep warm. There's nothing like curling up on the sofa with a laptop and writing away. When the story flows, it's like blood flowing through your veins. Lately I've had the opportunity to learn so much. My ending was all wrong for a chapter, so I took one of my favorite books off the shelf and examined the ending of a chapter. Oh, mine had been so lackluster. So the key is to leave the reader on the edge of something, wanting more, needing to know the next sentence. I recut the ending of that chapter.

Later I will be warming up by kickboxing. I feel every writer needs an activity that gets the heart going and clears our minds out even for just a while. I don't know about you, but my mind operates at about light speed--no joke. At least it feels that way. I usually have at least 8 things to do in addition to several story lines being juggled in my brain at any one time. There are other ideas and concepts that linger on the edge waiting for me to notice. As a friend of mine frequently says, "There's always something." And since that is the case for so many of us, it is a luxury to linger on one thing--spend time with it--caressing a story with the keyboard.

I enjoy doing a lot of things, but writing kicks. It's the thing I always go back to. A writer the other day was giving me his word counts. I guess on a bad day I write 200 words, which is a page. On a great day, I can easily write over 2,000. I'll let you do the math. Sometimes I think of making jewelry or cookies or painting or playing the flute, but when push comes to shove, I'm happiest writing. At the end of all times, I want to remember all the great things I've done and people I've known and in some cases loved, but I don't want to regret that I didn't write enough. I think I'm finally writing at a rate that makes me happy.

Kicking Box and the Writer

2008-11-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

Kicking the box is kicking the routine, kicking the expected. As a writer, I'm always seeking a new concept, a new view, something I hadn't seen before. I'm pretty open. That's just the way I am.

On writing: I write everyday. When an aspiring writer asks me how to get published, I tell them to write everyday, send it out, and then write something new. You create a kind of perpetual motion for yourself of writing and sending it out into the world. I've learned over time to worry less, have less angst, and just enjoy the process. What I'm writing now makes me giggle all over the place. If you're not having fun when you write, do something else.

On cold winter days, I can think of nothing but writing. Well, I do think of kickboxing too, but it's more of a release, an emptying of everything. When I come back from kickboxing, I have a clearer perspective for writing.

Snow also creates a clearer perspective, as everything slows down when it snows. I love writing a piece that vibrates with excitement. A lot of writers tend to rush. I know all about that. I'm an associate editor of a magazine. Too many of the stories we receive were not given their full justice by their writer, because he or she rushed through it.

Ah, Thanksgiving. Turkey, family, and writing. I'm looking forward to it.

Kicking the Box and Romance in Fantasy

2008-10-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a wonderful sf/f convention called Albacon in Albany, NY. I drove up through the Berkshires and the autumn foliage colors were glorious, a very breathtaking and peaceful journey. The con was amazing fun.

I also had the priviledge of talking with some amazing writers of Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy: Jackie Kessler, Stella Price, and Bianca D'Arc. The conversation was lively, fun, and I learned tons. I moderated a panel called "Fantasy and Romance," and it was very revealing in the hows, whats, and whys of the romance author.

Another panel I moderated was "Bad SciFi Movies." It was a full room involvement kind of panel with the panel and audience sharing their picks for really bad movies that no one should see, and those that are bad but marvelous at the same time.

I won't go into all the panels I went to or participated on--the main point is that is was overall an excellent con. From the banquet to the masquerade, I'll remember Albacon for a long time.

Kicking the Box and Suicide

2008-09-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

I don't usually speak about controversial topics. I vote in every election, but I don't enjoy talking politics. But today I was struck with the overwhelming feeling to speak on a subject hushed up by our society--Suicide. I read about an author, who was at the top of his profession, and he hung himself. When I read it, I couldn't breathe for a moment. Then I got angry. He had wasted his time. He had wasted my time as well as I won't get to meet him.

I'm going to be blunt here. Often when someone kills themself, they mean it as an outcry for help--rescue me before I die--or to punish someone for hurting them--or to punish the world. Sometimes they want to punish themselves for the hurt they've caused others. In the long run, they have only cheated themselves of the opportunity to make amends either to themself or others. They haven't given others the opportunity to help them. Worse yet, they've missed the step that comes after pain and sorrow--the adventure that the next day brings.

Recently, I sent my husband to Ireland to see his family. Most writers don't have a lot of money. I'm one of them. Even though it was a pretty penny, it was worth a million to hear his experiences. He told me that he felt like Frodo and around every corner was a new adventure.

That's what life is. Every moment, around every corner, there is a new adventure. There are people waiting to meet us. Something we say or write may make them laugh or cry--it's a sharing of the adventure. Something they say or write may make us laugh or cry. If you kill yourself, you miss out. And all of us miss you.

Each of us is important to the world. If we were missing, something would be missing. People we haven't met yet would not receive the gift that is us. Don't waste the gift that is you! If you're having the worst day of you life, remember that tomorrow starts a new adventure. There are people waiting to meet you. There are sights you haven't seen, stories you haven't shared. YOU ARE HERE AND YOU'RE IMPORTANT!

Movies in the Summer--Relaxing in the Cold Dark

2008-07-20T13:45:00.001-07:00

I love going to the movies in the summer. There's something refreshing about a cold dark room where you can sit and escape. Here are some of the movies I've seen so far and how I would rate them.

Five Stars--Amazing
Four Stars--Great
Three Stars--Good
Two Stars--Okay to rent on dvd
One Star--Okay to rent on dvd if you have nothing better to do

Beware that I have not put the ratings on any of the movies I've recommended. If ratings are a concern to you, please, Google the movie title and find the rating. Thanks.

"Iron Man" -- Five stars: I was just blown away and Robert Downy Jr.'s performance was a masterpiece. I don't want to say too much as it will give it away. A must!

"The Incredible Hulk"-- Four and a Half stars: Wonderful but an inch below "Iron Man." Well worth seeing.

"Journey to the Center of the Earth"--Two stars: I was disappointed. I went with someone who loves this story and it ruined it for him. Brandon Fraser was good but the script let him down.

Now if you're going to the dvd rental store anyway, there are three recommendations I have to make.

"The Lives of Others"--A Five Star movie--an amazing drama about life before the Berlin wall fell. It's riveting. I couldn't leave the room. I don't want to say too much.

"Black Sheep"--Four Stars worth of giggles: It's a New Zealander film on zombies--when I wasn't laughing hysterically--my mouth was open in disbelief. Yes, the Kiwis have quite a sense of humor.

"Shaun of the Dead"--Five Stars worth of laughs: This zombie movie comes from Britain and answers the age old question of what to do when surrounded when zombies. I'm not telling. You'll just have to see it.

That's it for now. I've got kickboxing to do. Bammm!

--Susan

Kicking the Box - Poison Ivy & Death Not Necessarily Together

2008-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

In the never ending search to Kick the Box--all those stereotypes and preconceived notions, I had the chance to look at poison ivy up close and personal and the death of a friend.

I've been ill for the last two weeks. For me, the poison ivy rash doesn't go away under the usual treatments. It spreads. Forget about itching. I don't itch. I burn. I needed a doctor's help and a severe med to begin to recover, which I have. The funny thing about this, was that I couldn't figure out how I came in touch with poison ivy. Then I remembered. I was in bed on a Monday two weeks ago and realized that I hadn't put out the garbage for the collectors. I jumped out of bed and ran out to pull the cans up to the street. One lid fell into the grass and overgrowth of the woods. I searched for it in the dark. When I came in I washed my hands, but by the rash in the morning the poison ivy must have brushed an arm. What followed was a hectic, sleepless, and painful two weeks. All along I tried to maintain my normal life--do chores, work on the websites I maintain, and write. Between the pain and the med interfering with my ability to concentrate, it was difficult to do. I was incredibly grateful when my vacation started. Though the medication made me sleepy, tired, and nausous in addition to creating brain fog, it has beaten the poison ivy.

I look at it this way. The poison ivy kicked me and I kicked it right back. While the medication had the reverse reaction on me, it gave me much needed sleep. Even though I had planned to do a ton of things in the last two weeks, my plans changed. I guess they were supposed to and that's okay.

Death is something else I've been kicking around. Friday a dear friend of mine died. When I received the email from another friend, I sat stunned reading it. This friend named Tom was very close to my family. He was a geniunely kind person. When my husband was in the hospital, it seemed that everything in the house began to break. My computer went out and after trying everything I could think of, I called him. He came over and opened up my computer. There was a screw laying on the motherboard. He looked at it and said, "You have a screw loose." We laughed and laughed. A thousand memories went through my head as I read that email and thought about him. I am glad he came my way. I don't know what you believe, but I know deep in the core of my being that death is just a door to another realm. I know that those he's meeting now will be glad he came their way too.

Kicking the Box and Be Free

2008-06-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

I've taken up Thai Kickboxing and find it exhilarating, fun, and very challenging. To give you a better picture think of a 53 year-old woman who has never been athletic a day in her life suddenly kickboxing. I've been at it since the end of January. I'm a gold belt now. That's good for me. No, don't get all impressed because I have a long way to go.

Kickboxing does several things for me: relieves stress--I have major stress, strengthens my body--I have different medical issues, and takes my mind out of the loop. I get huge migraines at times and I've discovered that stress brings them on. My brain keeps working on things even when I sleep. If there's a lot of stressful things happening, my brain is running like a computer out of control and the migraine builds and explodes. Kickboxing has helped tremendously in making my brain focus on one small task at a time and lock out everything else. That's why I call it Kicking the Box. Think of the box as being all the things you have to do, all the things you expect of yourself, and all the things that others expect of you.

Kicking the box frees me. It could free you. If you aren't interesting in kickboxing, find something--anything that will help you kick the box. You deserve to be free. I knew I deserved it and I am.

Kicking the Box - Genre & The Labels of Life

2008-06-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to discuss "kicking the box" in several posts. It started out as a joke between me and my friends whenever I went off to kickboxing class. They would say so "you're going to kick the box" or "how was kicking the box?" But the term eventually took on a bigger meaning--bigger than thinking outside the box--exploding the sterotype--more like exploring the universe within.

I found the child within long ago--my child within is a mischief maker but as a child doesn't know enough to do anything really well. Now I'm looking for the Ancient Elder within. I want to know all the secrets of the universe. Wouldn't you, if you could?

One of the boxes I'm going to kick this week is because I'm a writer. I write science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal romance. I have written practically everything including non-fiction. Now I've been told it's important to being able to label a particular piece, but it appears to me that by doing that I'm limiting the audience for the story or book. I can think of several mainstream novels I've read which to me are clearly science fiction but are labeled mainstream. They reach a larger audience of readers by being labeled that way.

I've kicked the notion of labeling anything all my life from works of art or literature to people. But it appears people in general need labels to anchor thoughts on. They are not confortable in the total freedom of free thinking. So I've created my first non-label--Experimental Fiction. The label implies that this is an experimental form and you won't be able to pigeonhole it into one single aspect of life. So I must be a writer of Experimental Fiction. Sounds explosive doesn't it. Sounds surprising? Sounds like the unexpected could happen? Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Isn't that what literature--all literature--is supposed to be? Let literature move us, inspire us, and become part of our reference for life.

I'm going off now to write more Experimental Fiction. How about you?

A Quiet Tribute to a Great Artist

2008-01-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

My mother died a few years ago. She was a great artist. Her name was Sultana Hanniford. She signed her work as S. Hanniford. My mom was a quiet, shy person. She was the former president of the Lyme Art Association and displayed in their gallery as well as the Mystic Seaport Gallery and many others. She painted primarily maritime scenes in oil. My father was entirely devoted to her. He gave me some of her art supplies, and I thought about it. I considered being an artist when I was a kid and following her to outdoor art shows and galleries in the Northeastern United States. But I'm a writer right down to my toes. So I didn't know what to do until today. I took the collection of unused watercolor pads and the expensive blocks of art paper to the university where I work and into the hall where the art classes are. I put up a sign: Free Art Supplies. I knew my mom would want artists to have them. By two o'clock, they were all gone. May the artists that found them today be blessed with great art. May their art inspire others, just as the work of Sultana Hanniford does.

Devoted to Films--See "Once"

2007-12-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

I love movies, especially unique and magnificient ones. I saw one today that is called "Once." It's an Irish film and the splendor of it touches you in subtle ways and by the end you're breathless. It's a story. It's music. And it's art--masterpiece kind of art. Once you see it, you'll remember "Once" forever. I know I will.

--Susan Hanniford Crowley, author

The Challenges of Writing and the Unexpected Story

2007-12-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

I've been torn recently between my urban fantasy novel which is almost completely edited and my sf novel. I've written mostly fantasy, but it's always been my dream to write a sf novel I could be proud of and what do you know--it came along. I started writing it longhand in a journal in October. Usually I write sf in the morning and edit urban fantasy at night. But sometimes I can't help myself. I thought I would never write horror. I don't care for horror that's just gore. I like horror that creative, inventive, amazing, and unexpected. I didn't expect to write two horror stories that I recently sent out to magazines. We'll see what happens.
When I think about growing up, I have to admit that I thought Charles Addams are completely funny. I adore Tim Burton's movies. I remember when I was in college and read the real stories by the Brothers Grimm. They were frightening and you could easily understand at the time how it would terrify children how not to do something or go somewhere. They weren't just gore but really great stories that you remembered for a long time. Poe, however, was my favorite. I still remember "The Tell Tale Heart" almost by heart. They were revealing stories that not only uncovered fear but sometimes uncovered the deepest part of our consciousness. I loved Sherlock Holmes too. I don't think it was ever any one story but the depth of the character. As the reader, I was willing to follow him anywhere.

Oh, to write such wondrous tales like golden spun dreams on the edge of a twilight reality.

That's all for now as the year begins winding down.

--Susan Hanniford Crowley, Fantasy Author, but now Science Fiction and Horror Author as well

Great Scenery to Write By

2007-09-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

When looking for a place to mellow out and write, I have found some amazing ones. These two are very close by. You probably have a place nearby that you've never really noticed before.

This little public beach on the Connecticut shoreline is generally overlooked and nicely quiet. Perfect for plunking down an unbrella and chair and cooler and start writing. I'd rather not name it as I'm sure you'll find one near you..

This is a view of the Mystic River from downtown Mystic, Connecticut, and a lovely place to go shopping and/or eat when you're taking a break from writing. And it's so inspirational.

The day we went to Mystic there was a storm off coast and it made for some very dramatic skies. My photo doesn't really do it justice.

This is my little cat Isis. She has the right idea. After a hard day writing and windowshopping, a nap is the perfect inspiration.
"Ta ta for now," I whispered. "I'm working on another book."

Finishing a Novel - Archiving and Celebrating

2007-09-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

Today I finished cutting 60,000 words out of my 160,000 word novel and it was still wonderful, still made sense. If anything, it made the novel faster moving, sharper in detail, and more riveting. Now I finish my letter to the agent and it's off. Wow! I'll celebrate really when the letter is finished and the whole thing is sent off. It's like launching a new ship. You put all this love and attention and sweat into it, and now it's going out into the world seeing exotic places and meeting people.

I love it when my work meets people. Sometimes I get to meet them too. If ever you see me at a con, please, by all means just say, "Hi!" I had one gentleman that followed me around and around. I finally turned and said, "Hi," and he asked me to sign his book. No problem at all. I'm very easy to talk to at a con. Like I said--I love meeting people.

Now in addition to the letter, I have to archive and make more cd copies of all the version of my book. I keep copies on paper, cds, flash drive back up, and friends. I have a few trusted friends that keep versions of my book for me. It's important to keep all these copies. Yes, I know it's a bother. But at least you'll have them if you ever have to prove you wrote the book.

This is also going to help me with the next book, because I have one cd archive where I have each chapter as a separate file. You see some of the chapters didn't make it into this book, but they will make it into the next one in the series. The mind is a funny thing. Writers don't always get the book in chronological order, so a chapter archive is very handy indeed.

Ta ta for now. I'm off to archive some more and celebrate!

Comments and Writing Exercises and more

2007-08-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've discovered an unusual phonomenon. People will talk to me about my blog but don't usually comment. I'll get calls. Sometimes I'll be at a conference and someone will walk up to me and start a conversation about it. Well, anyway.

I have over 50 creative writing exercises posted on my official website currently. It's at
www.susanhannifordcrowley.com if anyone wants to try their hand. I've received comments on how helpful they are. I hope they can help you out too.

Lately, I'm in the final edit of my book, after a close friend did an amazing intricate edit of it. Now I'm editing and rewriting on bits and pieces. Next it will be out the door soon. For a while, while I was waiting for him to return it, I worked on another book. I also spent some pleasureable time watching movies. I was so blown away by "The Lives of Others" and "The Illusionist." I highly recommend them as 5 star quality film with brilliant plots.

I also have been trying my hand more in photography. Now if I can only get them downloaded to my computer. I plan on sharing them soon.

Ta Ta for now.

An Enchanted Place

2007-07-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

For over 27 years, I've been privileged to live in an enchanted place. It's inspired my writing. My children have grown up here. My marriage has been happy here. I live in the woods of Connecticut in a very modest house. The house is surrounded by a dark green leafy forest in the back and sides and a planted overgrown tree garden in the front that transforms it into a very private place where golden light shines on cherry trees and tufts of grass on the hill sparkle with dew in the morning. This is the same hill that when snow covered provided the perfect sledding path for my children. I remember the time when they were on top of the hill close to the tree that separates us from the street with their sled and our dog Sabrina (half-Rottweiler and half-Doberman). I looked out the window and saw Sabrina sliding down the hill and into the bushes on her own. My girls were laughing. Sabrina actually loved sledding.

We have a giant pear tree (14 ft. high) on the other side of the shed. Last year it rested deciding it had provided enough pears for the family, friends, squirrels, and bees. When we bought it, the nursery had labeled it a dwarf tree so we were surprised when it kept growing. When that tree was still young in the yard, a hurricane ripped it out of the ground. My husband reseated it. I had read about talking to plants so I spent time talking to it. It seems to have enjoyed our conversations. Half the pine trees in the yard started out as Christmas trees that we planted. Each started with the family in a warm cozy home and then was given their own special spot in the yard. I prefer planting plants that show independence. The French pussy willows, the rhododendrons, holly, day lilies, etc. all came from me. The other pines, oaks, birches, cedars, and wild black raspberries and wild grapes all came from the Master Gardener. Together we built an enchanted world where dreams came true, fantasies happened, children played games, adults dreamed, and there was one heck of a Pooh party.

For the uninformed, a Pooh party is a tea party where each participant brings one stuffed friend. While the refreshments were delightful and the games fun, the company was excellent and that's what makes for a magnificent Pooh party.

Well, you're going to think I'm crazy but in about two years' time we're leaving. My husband loves the seashore where he grew up. I love the sea too. Health-wise it's probably better for me. Besides new stories are calling me from far away. I don't know where we'll end up, but I know the journey will be grand. So in moving from one enchanted place in search of another, I have learned it isn't the place, it's the company you keep that makes the magic.

Nebula Awards® Weekend

2007-05-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I admit it. I took the Star Wars personality test and I'm a Yoda. Actually being that way has helped me a lot in putting on the multi-author book signing at the Nebula Awards ®Weekend. This conference is all about the business of science fiction and fantasy writing. If someone was interested in what being a sff writer is all about, this is the conference to come to. In addition to the book signing, I'm doing a reading at the Nebula Awards® Weekend, Marriot Financial Center hotel in New York City on Saturday, May 12th at 4 pm.

Here's the book signing details.

2007 Nebula Awards® Weekend
Multi-Author Book Signing
Friday Evening, May 11, 2007
5:00-8:00 p.m.
Borders Book Store 100 Broadway (at Wall St.) New York, NY 10007

Authors & Times
5:00-6:00 p.m.
Peter S. Beagle
Keith R.A. DeCandido
Marianne Dyson
Carol Emshwiller
Esther Friesner
James Gunn
Joe Haldeman
Elaine Isaak
John Moore

6:00-7:00 p.m.
Christopher Barzak
Richard Bowes
Ellen Datlow
Scott Edelman
Jeffrey Ford
Theodora Goss
Ellen Kushner
Jack McDevitt
Nancy Jane Moore
Delia Sherman
Jennifer Stevenson
Paul Witcover

7:00-8:00 p.m.
Marleen S. Barr
Kate Brallier
Tobias S. Buckell
David Keck
James Patrick Kelly
John Kessel
Nancy Kress
Wil McCarthy
Suzy McKee Charnas
Ron D. Moore
Jo Walton
Connie Willis

2007-04-30T09:52:00.001-07:00

A Passion for the Movies--The Holiday

2007-04-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've always loved movies and for a time wrote movie reviews for two local newspapers. Of late, there are pitifully few movies I would recommend except: I have to recommend highly "The Holiday" with Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, and Jude Law. It is romantic fun at its best. Working with the delightful premise of two women with broken hearts changing locales, it just keeps getting better. Recently I saw it again to comfirm that I was in love with the film, and I was. This is one for stormy nights drinking cocoa by a fire and wanting to forget a sad, weary world. And for the guys that say that this is a "chick flick", I have to say even my husband liked it. It's all around fun, inventive, and leaves you feeling all warm and happy.

Five Stars for "The Holiday"

The Passion to Write

2007-03-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have put over 80 creative writing exercises up on my website. Just when I think I can't come up with something new, I do. That makes me very inspired.

Recently I've been editing my novel that I finished before Christmas. I was reading it and it was like someone else's book. I laughed. I cried. And when I was through I was inspired to write. Well, if I feel that way about my own book, I'm sure someone else will too.

Someone once asked me why I write? I told them because I breathe.

I can smell the ocean.

2007-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today is January 5th and the temperature is 50 Degrees F. It's a little overcast and drizzling ever so slightly. The air is wonderful. I can smell the ocean.

Just so you have a frame of reference, I live in the woods down the street from a lake, 20 minutes away by car from a major river, and 45 minutes from the ocean. Today I definitely smell the ocean and it's filled with stories. I've loved that smell all my life. You inhale it and it's like an adventure coursing through your body. It frees the captive heart. When I smell the ocean, I don't think about errands or work, I think only of the endless possiblities in life, washed up on my shore.

Last night I stayed up to 3 am completely entranced with a short story I'm writing. It was such fun, I wasn't sleepy in the least.

Learning

2006-12-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a scare. No one died or was injured. A web page was accidentally deleted. This page took almost a month to create. I couldn't find the backup file. A colleague was able to find it and restored the page within 5 minutes. Then he taught me how to find the backup, where it was stored, and how to restore it.

I learned a new skill thanks to a mistake and the colleague that rescued my mistake. Still I learned. That's exciting to me.

Writers Who Inspire

2006-09-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting when I meet someone, and they mention my other website www.susanhannifordcrowley.com. Usually it's because they are trying the writing exercise for the week. It's nice to be told that I inspire someone to write. After all, there are several writers I can name that have inspired me.

Marion Zimmer Bradley personally inspired me, first by my reading her work, second by her wonderful rejection letters that told me exactly what was wrong, and third when I learned something from all those rejection letters and started getting published.

Ursula LeGuin inspired me with her book The Lathe of Heaven. I couldn't get that book out of my mind. Isn't that what it's really all about in the relationship between authors and readers--making those characters or that story or both so memorable, that you'll remember it for a lifetime.

Anne McCaffrey wrote a book called The Ship Who Sang. It's another story that sails through my mind at times. I know a lot of her readers love Pern, but I can't forget that conscious "living" ship of hers.

Ray Bradbury inspired me with practically everything he's ever written. My favorite is still The Martian Chronicles. That woman calling every phone on Mars makes me laugh.

The story that took my breath away was written by Robert Heinlein. It was called "The Green, Green Hills of Earth." It is the ultimate heroic story. I know there have been other heros, but I always come back to that story. Perhaps it's the idea of how much home really means to someone who misses it. I can't read that story without crying.

Now you know who has inspired me.

Confluence, making friends, and writing

2006-08-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was at Confluence in Pittsburgh the end of July, and it was wonderful. My three hour writing workshop went exceedingly well. The panels I participated on were fun, as well as the panels I attended. A friend of mine was facilitating the Saturday morning writing exercises and asked me to co-facilitate. That was fun too. I got to see my roomie from Worldcon Interaction, and I got to meet an old friend from Critters. I actually met so many lovely people at Confluence. It's a very warm and friendly con, and I spent a large amount of time chatting with folks both in and out of the con suite. It's a con that if you can get your room on the same floor as the con suite, it is definitely worth it. They had the most outrageously funny musical. Apparently they also have their own theater group that worked hard producing the musical play. It's definitely a con to relax at, though I can't say that I did. Being that it was my first time at Confluence, I wanted to see and do everything, and I almost did.

I got to stay with a lovely couple, Jim and Laurie. It was great to be around people who value books as highly as I do. They have the most amazing library. Another guest at their house was Lawrence Dean, a famed Filk singer from the UK. I got to hear him sing, and yes, now I have his cd. They also ran the most amazing and intriguing party. I was able to chat with the incomparable William Tenn about matters concerning the world, truly a once in a lifetime experience.

When I got home, of course, I ran immediately into the regular worlds with all its problems. But I didn't care, because I was on a Confluence high of energy and high spirits. A few days later, I was sick. A friend told me that was my coming down from my huge expanse of energy. No matter, it was all worth it.
I've been writing like a maniac. I actually wrote at Jim and Laurie's house, as well as at Confluence. I always write like a maniac. I just want to be able to write faster without so much needed editing. I've been sending out stories to magazines, query letters to agents for my fantasy novel manuscript, and writing a new fantasy novel that I never intended on writing. I belong to the online Critters critique group, and they have really inspired me.

Three editors have asked for another story. I've got to get back to writing.

Writing Workshop at Confluence 2006

2006-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed facilitating the Special Workshop at

Confluence 2006
http://www.parsec-sff.org/confluence/
The Eighteenth Annual Literary Science-Fiction and Fantasy Conference in Western Pennsylvania
July 28th -30th, 2006
Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport

Writer's Workshop:
Writing Characters that Drive Plots Wild

The talent in the room was immense, and I'll be looking for those names in the future.
Confluence itself is warm, hospitable, intellectual, and fun.
I had so much fun, that it is difficult to say what I liked best.
If you've never been to Confluence, put it on your list to attend.
It's a blast!

Special Writing Workshop at Confluence

2006-07-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Special Workshop at Confluence 2006
http://www.parsec-sff.org/confluence/
The Eighteenth Annual Literary Science-Fiction and Fantasy Conference in Western Pennsylvania
July 28th -30th, 2006
Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport

Writer's Workshop:
Writing Characters that Drive Plots Wild!

Learn a practical approach to developing a hero or heroine, a villain, and a teacher or sidekick. This is a hands-on writing workshop focused on making your characters so riveting, endearing, frightening, or intriguing that readers will love them and need to read what will happen next.

Pre-con assignment: Watch Episode IV of Star Wars. (You know the first one with Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.) You are welcome to bring characters you are working on.

Facilitator: Susan Hanniford Crowley, SFWA member, writing teacher, and workshop facilitator for over 20 years.

This workshop will run from 5-8 on Friday afternoon, so you must be at the con by 4:30 to attend.

This workshop is open to Confluence members only. You need to register for the convention before you sign-up for the workshop. Be sure to bring paper and a pen; laptops are OK but we may not have enough power for everyone.

This workshop is limited to the first 12 Confluence members who E-mail Susan at onlyladyknight@yahoo.com.

Spread the news about great movies! - Serenity

2006-05-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm suffering from not enough great movies out there. They're lame. They're boring. It's time to spread the news about the really great ones out there. Maybe you have seen them. I know I was surprised when I saw "Serenity." I didn't expect it to be so visually exciting with an actual storyline. It even threw some surprises at me. I saw it when another sf writer was a house guest, and frankly, I was nervous. I figured if the movie was bad, he'd never come back. He loved it too. So for the sf lovers out there, I recommend "Serenity" with four out of five stars. They could have just gone one more inch in one scene, but I'll forgive them that.

New England Weather

2006-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we've done it again. One photo was taken at 10 in the morning and the other at 5 in the afternoon. I guess Mark Twain said it best.

"There is a sumptuous variety about the New England weather that compels the stranger's admiration--and regret. The weather is always doing something there; always attending strictly to business; always getting up new designs and trying them on people to see how they will go. But it gets through more business in Spring than in any other season. In the Spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of twenty-four hours." -- Dec. 22, 1876, Mark (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) Twain

Scenes in a Mind--A Movie in the Making

2006-03-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

I had the great honor a few weeks ago to be invited to a movie shoot. The movie in progress is called "Scenes in a Mind". It's an independent film directed by Micheley Angelina. The scenes I saw shot that day were of the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto waiting to be put on trains for the Nazi death camps. I found it profounding moving and disturbing at the same time. I had to keep turning to look at the camera crew, so my mind wouldn't be tricked into thinking it was real. I don't want to tell the story line, but I found the heroism in it to shine brightly in a dark time. These are some of the private photos I shot that day. It makes you think. How far can evil go, before someone will stand up?
I don't know that it goes far enough just to remember.

Speaking from the heart of Connecticut in a blizzard

2006-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, the 12th of February in 2006, and the northern coastal region of the United States is hit by a storm. For a friend in Maryland, there was only a few powdery inches. For us, it is 5 in the evening and it is almost two feet deep. The photo is of my driveway and the shed. It's a bit blurry because snow is still falling and somewhere behind all that the sun is setting. It's predicted to end around midnight. It has been a hard day with shoveling twice, and we're likely to shovel again tomorrow morning. Tonight I'm really looking forward to being warm, writing for a while, eating supper, and watching "Serenity". Best wishes from the heart of Connecticut to all who are surviving and trying to survive the storm.

When You Are Golden!

2006-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Some creatures are made for inspiration. This is my cat Isis. She is golden-orange with gold eyes.

Hail, Arisia! A hugely great time. Also seeking photos of Arisia.

2006-01-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Arisia as always lives up to its rep as being large yet still warm and fuzzy. It's a fun con in frozen January, and yes, it always snows. But there is masquerade and panels on everything including blogging. The party floor really parties. The dealers are many and amazing in their wares. I especially enjoyed the artists this year.

Seeking photos of Arisia. If anyone has photos of events at Arisia that they don't mind sharing. I'd love to post them here. Thanks.

Writing Workshop at Confluence in July

2006-01-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

From July 28th to the 30th, I am going to Pittsburgh to Confluence 2006 http://www.parsec-sff.org/confluence to give a special writing workshop: Writing Characters that Drive Plots Wild. In it, I teach a practical approach to developing a hero or heroine, a villain, and a teacher or sidekick. This is a hands-on writing workshop focused on making your characters so riveting, endearing, frightening, or intriguing that readers will love them and need to read what will happen next. Pre-Con assignment: Watch Episode IV of Star Wars. (You know the one with Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.) You are welcome to bring characters you are working on.

I am a SFWA member and have been a writing teacher and workshop facilitator for over 20 years. This workshop is open to Confluence members only. You need to register for the convention before you sign-up for the workshop. Be sure to being paper and a pen; laptops are okay but we may not have enough power for everyone.

This workshop is limited to the first 12 Confluence members who email me at onlyladyknight@yahoo.com Confluence 2006 will be at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport. See you there.

Serious about Writing

2006-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

I'm very serious about my writing life. Part of that life entails teaching other writers, being a mentor to a young writer, and publishing writing tips and exercises on my website www.susanhannifordcrowley.com . My focus is primarily science fiction and fantasy, but the exercises on my site can apply to any writer. On the bottom of my philosophy page, I have other websites listed which I believe are important to a writer's life: organizations, e-magazines as I discover the ones I love, and fun sites to explore.

A note about organizations: A writer's life is often solitary. We spend a huge amount of time thinking and writing and thinking again. Most of it is not aloud. Writers' groups and organizations can be a wonderful outlet: a way of finding out about new markets, listening and learning about the pitfalls of selling your work, and just mingling with others who are just like you in many ways. Whenever I have left my sanctuary to venture out to a writers' gathering, I have never regretted it. It has always been an adventure.

My next adventure is Arisia 2006 in Boston coming up in two weeks. There I will mingle with other writers and meet the all the amazing people who truly love science fiction and fantasy. There is nothing like the warmth of Arisia in the midst of a cold January.

Winter is here!

2005-12-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

Winter is fluctuating strangely from the snow and ice to the unseasonably warm. Here are a few early pictures from my yard. We feed the birds. Yesterday we spotted a Northern Harrier. He was sitting above a ground feeding station. Needless to say, the other birds and animals all hid from the raptor. He wouldn't pose for photos. I guess he was shy.

Falling into Winter

2005-11-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

In my little corner of the world, I'm surrounded by inspiration all the time. Although I have come to love other parts of the world, I would miss this. I love the fiery colors against the blue of lake and sky. The deep shadows across the lawn. The Japanese Maple tree in my yard is always splendid but shows off a bit more when it's fall. This is my calm when nothing else in the world is. Here I write and dream and wake to write again.

Colors of Fall

2005-10-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

This year the colors were late in coming to Connecticut. I took this photo at my cousin’s house.

However, I am still finding inspiration and while I write, the colors may grow brighter. It snowed here in the middle of the night but was gone without a trace by morning. But the smell of snow is still in the air.

Autumn Falls

2005-10-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

The vibrant colors of autumn always inspire me in a huge way. The fire goes right through me down to my fingertips. Watch this site. I will be posting photos of the colors of New England.

More photos from Glasgow

2005-09-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

This photo is of Dan, me, and Sean McMullen.

Here's Sean's website
http://www.bdsonline.net/seanmcmullen/

Here's Diane and I in downtown Glasgow. The architecture is wonderful.

Here Dan and I are standing outside the Armadillo, which is part of the convention center called the SECC. It's equally amazing inside.

The picture to my left is me on the left with James Swallow in the middle and Sally Mayer on the right for the Star Trek panel. Such a wonderful room of people--I enjoyed it immensely.

Here is a photo of an after panel chat concerning setting your fiction in Scotland.

Stopping at Iceland

2005-08-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

The photos here are of the landscape of Iceland as you leave the airport and end up at the Blue Lagoon, which is a geothermal spa. In other words, you are swimming in a lagoon heated by a volcanic spring or geyser. Very hot!

Continuing Adventures at Worldcon in Glasgow

2005-08-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Susan and some new SFWA friends. The River Clyde in Glasgow

Susan on a panel on setting your fiction in Scotland with Deborah J. Miller on the right and Paul Cockburn on the left.

More on Glasgow

2005-08-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Glasgow taken from an upper street. Sections of the city are very hilly. It's a large city with amazing architecture. One photo is of science fiction writer Dan Hall and me in what I remember as the Princess Street Mall. It's an extremely lovely mall.

I'm back from Worldcon.

2005-08-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Worldcon in Scotland and had a few hours to play in Iceland. I'm going to begin posting pictures here.

In the first photo, I am on the left and to the right is Diane Turnshek, science fiction author and astronomer. We are standing in front of the Argyll Hotel in Glasgow, which has a wonderful comfy atmosphere and its restaurant The Suntherlands has great food.

I'm still trying to get the hang of composing on this site. Please, bear with me. More photos will appear as the week goes on. Thanks for visiting.

2005-07-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

I will be in Scotland soon and am looking forward to meeting the other science fiction and fantasy writers in the world. I'm also looking forward to eating Haggis.

Sometimes you take a journey for reasons you don't entirely understand. I have waited for three years to return to Scotland. I was there once before but it was a bit of a blur tour. This time will be different.

You'll know I'm back when you see the photos start showing up here. I'm off now to prepare for the adventure.

Packing for a Con--Don't forget the Umbrella

2005-07-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

I love science fiction and fantasy cons (conventions). Once you're there, they're lovely with lots of things to do and lots of people to meet. What you do is totally up to you.

I'm preparing to go to Worldcon in Scotland and am going through the usual: I've made sure my passport is up to date and have prepacked a folder with my hotel reservation, my con membership, my airplane tickets, and such. I'm also trying to figure out clothes as right now I'm experiencing a heat wave at home. The last time I looked at the weather in Scotland it said in the 60s F. So I'll bring along some sweaters and a jacket. Oh, and an umbrella.

I was looking at the program online and trying to plan what I'd like to attend. I saw Light Saber Making, but was disappointed that I'm not young enough to be part of the youth program and make my own light saber. Actually I have one--I got it as a mother's day gift. I think everyone should have a light saber, an hour or so of light saber practice and you'll feel better about everything.

I am going to keep a Con Journal and will be posting when I can to tell you all about my adventures at Worldcon. I'm also planning to take some pictures and share them here.

Ta ta

Susan

Welcome to The Writing House!

2005-07-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Writing is the breathe of my life. I write because not to write means not to live. It is the truest and bravest expression of freedom in the world. "
- Susan Hanniford Crowley

I invite you to express your truest feelings about writing. We can discuss writing for a healthier self, writing for freedom, writing to get published and the publishing world, how to cope with rejection, etc. I could go on and on. Please, don't post anything you're not willing to give away. This is a venue for discussion and not publication. And please, please, keep it clean and be thoughtful of the others that share this blog with you.

Thank you and welcome!