Susan Boles's Blog

Greetings y'all!

Book 2 (Curve Balls and Commitments) in the Pickwick Pirate Queens series is coming along. I'm shooting for a March (or possibly April) release date.

Sneak peek news ....I had a reader tell me she loved Aunt Jean in Curve Balls and Second Chances.

Now...if you're not sure who Aunt Jean was, she had one scene in the entire book. But it stuck with this reader and she said Book 2 needed more of Aunt Jean. I agree with this reader that Aunt Jean is a hoot for sure and deserves more pages.

So, you heard it here first....
Aunt Jean will have more pages in Book 2!

She's not only going to be advising her niece Rose, but also the whole dang town. She's going to be writing an advice column for the local paper. "Ask Aunt Jean" advice column will debut in Book 2 of the Pickwick Bend Pirate Queens romance series!

Who's excited to hear the sneak peek news? What other news would you like to hear about?

Thanksgiving memories
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and I'm feeling nostalgic about Thanksgivings long gone, along with a lot of the people from those memories.
When I was growing up, we would have a big potluck family Thanksgiving dinner at my maternal grandparents' house. It was on Highway 45 just up the road from Boyd's Grocery and the McNairy Road. All of my aunts and uncles would be there with their spouses. There were six kids in the family. And all of my first cousins would be there as well. There were EIGHTEEN of us first cousins! All of these people, plus great aunts and great-uncles who were there or 'just dropping by to see everyone.' All crammed into my grandparents' small 1920's farmhouse with a big wrap-around porch. I was still eating at the kids table in my thirties! Along with the next generation of kids coming along.
My Aunt Helen always made the chicken and dressing. To this day, it's my favorite. And a few years ago, I managed to score a small pan made by her granddaughter, who has the recipe and can make it taste just like Aunt Helen's. Funny thing about specific recipes...it's very rare for anyone else to make them, and they taste just like the original.
Those Thanksgivings were full of family, and sharing, and laughter, and warmth. I treasure them always. The memories are bright and shining each year.
Now, my grandparents are gone. My mom and her twin brother are the only ones still with us from their kids. And several of the first cousins are gone as well. And that's how life works. We come into this world, and we leave it. But, I believe, as long as someone remembers us and says our names, we are never gone.
My grandparents always put up their tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. My mom always does, and I do as well. Traditions 🙂
What are some of your cherished memories and/or traditions?

Hi sweet friends,
I want to talk about something not-so-glamorous but very real: rewriting.
When you pick up a finished book, it might look effortless, but behind the scenes? That story has probably been written two, three, maybe even four times over. And not just polished—completely reshaped.
Rewriting can feel like tearing down a house you just built so you can rebuild it stronger. It’s exhausting, but it’s also where the magic happens. That’s where the characters deepen, where the emotional threads tighten, where the story finally sings.
So if you’re a creative person struggling with revisions—whether it’s writing, painting, or even a project at work—please know: messy drafts don’t mean failure. They’re part of the process.
I’ll leave you with this quote that I repeat to myself over and over:
"The first draft is just you telling yourself the story."
Sending encouragement (and positive creative vibes),
Susan

Hi everyone! I'm so excited about this new discovery that I have to share. There is a new bookstore opening this weekend in a coffee shop sort of near me. The coffee shop is amazing! And the addition of the bookstore that is opening this weekend makes it even more amazing. I just wish it were closer so I could visit more often. It's an hour away in Henderson, Tennessee. I'm going to check and see if they will stock my books! :)

If any of you are close to Henderson, y'all stop on in there. It's inside Besso Coffee on Main Street in Henderson, Tennessee. The bookstore itself is called Fable House Books.

Let's hear it for a brick-and-mortar bookstore!! YAY!!!!!

Check out this great review of Death at the Midnight Dragonfly….

mjbreviewers

Death At The Midnight Dragonfly

A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery, Book #3

Susan Boyles

5 Stars

Synopsis:

On the fourth day of Christmas,

In Mercy, Mississippi….

Four suspects lying,

Three sleuths a sleuthing

Two clues a hiding

And a very, very dead body.

It’s the Christmas season in Mercy, Mississippi. But things are far from jolly.

For Vlad Templeton the sleepy little town where he spent his childhood provides the perfect place to conduct his state funded sleep study. But when the local bank manager, who was participating in the study, is found dead on his doorstep, is it a set up…or is Vlad somehow involved?

But, when someone makes an attempt on Lily Gayle’s and Dixie’s life, the two realize they better move fast….or they might end up sleeping forever.  (Amazon)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed.  I love all the genteel Southern women in this…

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Check out this great author spotlight….

mjbreviewers

Today’s Author Spotlight is Susan Boles, the author of A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery Series.  I have read both books in the series and I have loved them both.  Learn a little bit about the author and her series and one other book she has written and then get the books so you can enjoy them.

About The Author:

Susan calls McNairy County, TN her home ground even though she has moved away. It was here, at Bethel Springs Junior High School that she began her writing career with two friends. They formed their own little writers group that was so secret they were the only ones who knew it existed. She still has some of the stories they wrote carefully preserved in a loose leaf binder and tucked away for safety.

She has worked in retail management, briefly for the Census Bureau and for many years in the investment/insurance…

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Revew of Cherry Cake and a Cadaver. Thank you so much!

mjbreviewers

Cherry Cake and a Cadaver

Lily Gayle Lambert, Book #2

Susan Boles

5 Stars

Synopsis:

Lily Gayle and the gang set out to find a killer after local baker Luxen Natolovich is found dead hours before the grand opening weekend at the new Bed and Breakfast in town, Midnight Dragonfly.

As Lily Gayle deciphers the clues around Luxen’s death she uncovers a conspiracy of lies and half truths that could very well be tied to a refugee camp in Mississippi during World War II.

The deeper Lily Gayle digs the deeper the conspiracy runs and the closer she comes to being the killer’s next victim. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed.  Lily Gayle is smart, sassy and a well bred Southern woman.  She also is as curious as a cat and cannot help getting into trouble with her snooping.  So when the local baker is killed…

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Here’s another sneak peek at the cover for Book 2 in the Lily Gayle Lambert mystery series and a snippet from the book. Stay tuned for full reveal and release information.

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Here’s a sneak peek at the cover for the next Lily Gayle Lambert mystery. Stay tuned for a full reveal. I’m mixing a little local history into the mystery in this one….[image error]

I LOVE a the sound of a good downpour at bedtime. Not tornadic stuff, just heavy rain. What about you? http://ow.ly/i/ruKDw