Susan Jones's Blog

Hope you’re enjoying that little ray of sunshine that’s breaking through. I’ve got an offer on my Facebook page.

If you like the post and leave a comment, you’ll be in the chance of winning a free copy of my midland’s saga. Pride of Paradise Lane.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pride-Paradise-Lane-Country-during/dp/1068158301

With the book you’ll get a bookmark, made by me and a beautiful crystal bracelet, so well worth a go.

I got my April Writing Magazine in the post a few days ago, and waited until the afternoon to sit down with a cuppa and browse through my favourite read. One of my favourite pages is the letters page. I always look to see if anyone I know has sent something in. Surprise surprise, my letter’s there. What a shock. I didn’t know it was going to be there, so that made it even more of a treat.

April Writing magazine

Some great news coming soon, but that’s on 20th March. I have a slot in a national daily paper. One my dad reads every day. It’s a surprise for him, so more on that on Friday 20th. I’ll leave it until then in case they change it.

Now sending out some more letters, articles and stories before getting on with latest books.

Me out reading the tarot cards. Having a break in between clients.

All going on in the garden, and book news.

Hello everyone, haven’t we had some good summer days? As I’m typing this it’s been a day of heavy rainfall, but much needed for the garden and the woodlands, so can’t complain can we?

I’ve read some great books lately, so let me tell you about them. The first in Patsy’s Little Mallow series is a great read, as you would expect. Disguised murder and Community Sprit in Little Mallow is the first in the series of 3 books, and I’ve just downloaded the second. Well worth a read if you like cosy crime. A spoonful of murder by J. M. Hall is another cosy crime, with a group of retired school teachers who meet every Thursday for coffee turning into sleuths to solve an untimely death of their friend. The Murder Game by Tom Hindle is a great read. Set in a seaside village, guests assemble for a New Year’s Eve party. They’re here to take part in a murder mystery weekend with a 1920’s twist. A real page-turner. The Full Moon Coffee shop Mai Mochizuki… Under a glittering full moon, a Kyoto coffee shop appears only where and when it’s needed. It’s run by cats serving delicious deserts and age-old astrological wisdom. All I can say is – you have to read this, and I’m more of a dog person, but the cats are fab. Far from a Far and Lovely Country Alexander McCall Smith one of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency – another great read from the master of fiction. Gentle stories with great morals, and plenty of red bush tea. Death on the Lucitania Departing from New York, and heading for war torn Europe. Great setting, and characters will keep you reading until the end. All of the above recommended, and I will get round to reviewing them as my next job.

In the garden – We have lettuce, herbs of all kinds, tomatoes, yes actual red tomatoes ripening fast, so salad dinner tomorrow. Also runner beans, doing what runner beans do. Flowers of all colours, sunflowers, marigolds, cosmos, petunias. It’s a real pleasure to sit outside or even eat outside with the scent of blossoms, and the buzz of bees drifting from trumpets on the foxgloves to the creamy blossoms on the clover patches on the lawn. We leave it to grow a bit more now, giving the pollinating creatures chance to enjoy them too.

I’ve finally got round to publishing with my own Isbn’s, for Pride of Paradise Lane, Paperback or kindle though I’ve complicated it a bit as I wanted to keep a lovely review. Both the same version, and I have a link here for the Ingram sparks one version if you’re reading from here.

Now I am aiming to republish my back catalogue of novels in a new format, smaller book, and new covers, same stories, to get into libraries and bookshops, and of course selling online is the main place where I get my readers, so thank you all for your interest in my jottings. I will keep you up to date with how it’s all going. And of course, the next stage in the garden will be sending for winter pansies and spring bulbs.

Let me know what you’re reading, growing, writing, creating. All for now, and have a great August.

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Phew, it’s hotter than ever isn’t it? Though I remember the heatwave that lasted all of 1976, I’d just left school and off to get a job. I was working in an office at a grain silo, but that’s another story I’ll tell sometime. I’ve now re-published my saga, as I’d mentioned Queen Alexandra’s nurses going out to war, making it sound as if she was queen at the time, and it was Mary, with George V on the throne. Also I’ve now got my own Isbn’s so I can get the books out to a wider audience than just on Amazon. Though of course they’re still on Amazon. The new version with Mary included is here on kindle or the paperback version is here I’ve kept the first version and kindle as I didn’t want to lose the lovely review I have on there. Now I’m going to do the same with all of my books, which will now be published under the publishing house Palm Tree Publishing, with me being CEO of the organisation.

That will take up more time in one way, but less time sending out and waiting for acceptances and getting it how somebody else wants it when I can get it just how I want it. And now my aim is to get my books into Waterstones, and all other good bookshops. But that will take some time, but I’d rather be putting efforts into promoting what I want to write and not spend too much time trying to fit a mould that isn’t me.

We’re still enjoying salad days, eating all sorts in the garden. I keep on butterfly watch, making sure they don’t keep landing on the cabbages but it’s not working much, we have holes in the leaves but they’re still growing, along with tomatoes and herbs.

All for now, and hopefully I’ll get the hang of this publishing lark, but I’d rather be writing, so doing that as well.

Bye for now.

Suzy. xx

That cute little dog is called Binky.

Hello everyone, hope your June is going well so far. I had my monthly writing magazine through the letterbox a few days ago, and I’m in there. Talking about how old diaries can reveal good things. It’s hard not to throw pages away, especially as the house gets filled with folders, but I really love looking through old papers, showing how hard I was trying to be a writer, when I was one all along! This is the magazine if you’re looking for it in the shops, Latest Writing Magazine or a subscription will give you a free Writer’s & Artist’s Yearbook, the bible for writers. Hope you like my subscribers news bit in there if you get one.

And the garden is full of herbs, tomatoes, tomatoes, yes I know I typed it twice but time it by ten for tomatoes and lettuce x 20. We have so much I gave some away and they also gave some away. Today I put a tray of tomato plants outside the front as we live on a main road. Hopefully they’ll all go to good homes sooner or later.

Herbs are taking over as well, but we do eat them most days and when you research what they do it’s a joy to eat them either on food cooked, or chopped into a salad. I’ll be looking like a bowl of herbs one of these days.

I did a book drop off – where we leave a book out in the world with a note, for whoever finds it to get in touch. We sat on a monument in Brixham, a little fishing town in Devon, you know the one. Full of pirate boats and fishing related things. When we left the William of Orange memorial, I left it there, and hoped nobody would run after me shouting, ‘Oi missis, you left your book!’ Nobody did, so I hope it got into the hands of a saga reader. Maybe one day they’ll let me know, or it might have gone to someone without a computer, but either way, it’s a fun thing to do. As long as the bin men didn’t scoop it up and take it away. Has anyone else done a secret book drop off, and if so have you a story to tell me?

Today for some reason known only to me, I had a clear out, and moved things around, got rid of our juke box as we don’t use it much and as books are priority to me, I now have a cabinet full of latest books. Recently I picked up The Murder Game, set in Exmoor and really exciting. Now I’ve started reading about a cat café that appears when you need it, run by cats. The full moon coffee shop. Sounds right up my street, other than it would be dogs if it was left to me. Looking forward to reading it, with a cup of coffee of course.

I finished crocheting a summer scarf that came in handy for our short break away. Keeping the sun from burning, and on chillier days, keeping my neck warm. It’ a yellow and green blended colour. I’ll post pictures next time. And doing some more socks, you can never have too many can you?

Now to get on with my latest book. The title has changed from the longer one but more news on that when I’ve done more to it. Have a great weekend, and hope your garden is blooming with all good things. Pictures next time.

Bye for now,

Suzy doodling.

Ps. I am now on substack, you can find me here. Subscribe if you’d like to follow me on there, although I haven’t done much so far.

Hope you’re all enjoying the weather. We’ve been in the garden a lot. Tomatoes and lettuce are growing well, along with spinach and radish. I had my writing magazine yesterday, so it’s going to be a great weekend catching up with latest news and views on the writing world.

Have you read my latest book yet? I am ordering more copies soon, and if you’d like a signed copy, let me know and I will organise a book box for you. Book and gifts is £15 that includes postage. I have a review! It means so much to writers to have a few words on how you enjoyed the book, or what you thought of it. All of my books are available as signed by me. Otherwise you will find them on Amazon kindle or paperback.

I’m crocheting a summer scarf. You know the type made in cotton, and to slip around your neck to stop the sun burning too much. Also handy for evenings or mornings when it’s a bit cool to have an open neck. I’ll put pictures on here when I’ve done them.

It’s a good time to de-clutter when you can open doors and windows and get rid of stuff you might be hoarding. Yet again, I love making something out of nothing, like my little journals. They’re so cute and handy to keep in your bag of the moment. Talking about bags, I have… well, I’d better not count otherwise I might think it would be sensible to get rid of a few, but they all have a meaning or a memory. Gifts from special people, freebies grabbed from different shows and exhibitions. My Romantic Novelist bags from conferences, etc. And, I am doing a tapestry, started long ago. After a year or two, mom said, let me finish it for you. Then it stayed in her house for around 5 years! Then she said do you want it back, so I did. Now it sits there waiting to be completed… One day soon.

What crafts are you enjoying, and do you take them on the move with you. I’m going on a day out tomorrow, and we’ll take chairs, with cushions, and my writing magazine will be with me. Sometimes it just feels better to get away from your usual environment and do a bit of relaxing somewhere else don’t you agree?

Next time, I’ll show you my new book cover, and working on that in between other crafts. I aim to create a pair of shorts next! Aim high, and see what happens, that’s my motto.

Happy bank holiday weekend, whatever you’re up to, and keep making time for reading and writing and keep on doodling.

See you next time,

Suzy doodling, xx

Robert Browning 1812 – 1889

O, TO be in England
Now that April ‘s there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England—now!

He was visiting Italy, when poet, Robert Browning, missing the English springtime, penned the poem, Home thoughts from abroad.

Later, in response to this, Rupert Brooke wrote his version of this in 1912 – in the Cafe des Westerns.

The Old Vicarage, Grantchester
(Cafe des Westens, Berlin, May 1912)

Just now the lilac is in bloom,
All before my little room;
And in my flower-beds, I think,
Smile the carnation and the pink;
And down the borders, well I know,
The poppy and the pansy blow . . .
Oh! there the chestnuts, summer through,
Beside the river make for you
A tunnel of green gloom, and sleep
Deeply above; and green and deep
The stream mysterious glides beneath,
Green as a dream and deep as death.
— Oh, damn! I know it! and I know
How the May fields all golden show,
And when the day is young and sweet,
Gild gloriously the bare feet
That run to bathe . . .
                                 ‘Du lieber Gott!’

There’s more to it, but the opening lines sum up this time of year don’t they? Who would want to be anywhere else, but here, in England. I have my own springtime poem, but I’ll post that next time. Enjoy the sunshine, scents of the blossom and fresh cut grass, even if it makes your eyes water, like mine. Oh the joys of springtime, enjoy every day, and take time to smell the flowers, even if they make you cry!

Hello, hope you’re all keeping well. Thanks to everyone who has been buying my books, and if you haven’t already, here’s where you can find them all. Such shameless promotion, but is there any other kind? All I know is that you have to get yourself seen and heard, which is the total opposite to what writers want to do. But, in this day and age, {I know about clichés but?} we have to do all we can to promote, so here you go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B00BSP7B26

Putting the holiday picture to warm up what’s a bit of a cold and grey day in Warwickshire. Good day for writing though so I’m off to make some hot cocoa and grab a shortbread or two and write down my thoughts. Not the novel, just random creative writing. Like shall I book a holiday, or can we afford it, or why is the man next door cutting the grass in his shorts!!

It’s a funny old life isn’t it, and I’m going to get some little fillers done for magazines and papers. Has anyone on my subscribers list written for the Oldie magazine? Getting towards that bracket now, so wondered if anyone I know has it.

All for now, keep creating and promoting.

Suzy doodling. xx

To be in the draw, which will take place on Friday all you need to do is leave a comment at the end of this post. Why would you like to read it? It’s set in the midlands, and heroine is Molly, who is left to run the hat company while Issac goes off to fight in WW1.

The book with all the little extras would normally cost twelve pounds, so well worth a minute or two to tell me why you’d like to win this. Good luck everyone who has a go. I’m so thrilled that my readers are already buying this, thank you all, couldn’t do it without you.

Thanks to all who have a go, and good luck everyone.

I’ll let the book speak for itself. Hope you like it. It’s a midland’s saga, with all the accent, and other stuff that you get in 1915. Now I feel like a proper tea leaf cuppa and a toasted by the fire crumpet.

I am going to do book boxes. Being positive everyone will want a box with signed book, lavender tea light candle, coffee sachet, crystal bracelet, and chocolate wafer bar. Oh not forgetting your bookmarker made by me. These will be £12.00 each, that’s with postage included. What a bargain, or lovely gift for someone. Let me know if you’re interested and I will make you one up. More on that next time.