Susan Quilty's Blog

Every spring and fall, Comic Logic Books and Artwork hosts Lot Con. This outdoor event fills their parking lot with a wide range of artists, authors, and vendors. It’s family and pet-friendly, featuring art and collectibles from many fandoms.

I will be back at Lot Con 2026 on May 17 from 12 to 4 pm.

Special guest Phillip Kennedy Johnson will also be there, signing comic books from 12 to 3 pm!

For me, Lot Con is a great chance to catch up with my comic book friends, who I don’t see as often as I’d l...

In a stranger-than-fiction moment, I stumbled into a scene from my second novel, To the Left of Death. This was an unplanned visit to a story setting. One that I only realized months after booking the hotel and days before leaving for my trip. Here’s what happened.

When writing fiction, I tend to create my own towns, loosely based on real places. In To the Left of Death, some characters take a road trip to New York City.

While I’ve visited New York City many times, we usually stay downtown, near T...

There are many inspirational sayings in yoga circles. One of these well-known aphorisms comes from Ashtanga guru Pattahbi Jois: Practice and all is coming.

The simple idea is that if you keep showing up—keep practicing consistently—all will fall into place.

It’s a lovely idea, but what does it actually mean? What “all” is coming to you?

Whether you’re applying this philosophy in your physical yoga practice or to aspects of your life off of your mat, it’s easy to become focused on a very specific go...

Questions about audiobooks come up at nearly every book event I attend. I get it. I’ve been wanting to produce my first audiobook for ages… It’s taken nearly 10 years, but I’ve finally made that happen!

While I had several books to choose from, my heart was set on starting with my first novel, The Insistence of Memory. Still, that was a difficult choice when there were strong arguments for starting with To the Left of Death, my only first-person novel, or Healers and Thieves, the first book in Th...

Heading into spring, it’s time for another Blend Coffee Bar Book Fair. This free event will be held on April 4, 2026, from 12-5 pm. It will include over 50 local authors, including me!

The book fair will be held on Blend Coffee Bar’s spacious patio and adjacent lawn. Authors will span a wide range of genres, making it easy to find books for yourself, your friends, and your family.

Blend Coffee Bar is a local business that supports the community with a variety of special events, including open mic ...

Let’s get real about meditation. You’ve already heard that meditation has proven benefits. You think it would be great to add some meditation to your day… in theory.

But your thoughts are like chattering voices that won’t be quiet. One judging what you are currently doing, another thinking about all the other things you need to be doing, another wondering if you’re hungry, maybe another singing an earworm, on repeat. And so on…

Trying to quiet those voices may seem impossible. That’s okay.

Luckily...

The day before the big winter storm of 2026, I was having a lovely time at Williams Gap Vineyard’s winter book fair.

This was my second book fair at Williams Gap Vineyard, after having a great time at their event last summer. While the June event was on their beautiful patio, this book fair was held in a cozy upstairs alcove.

With the forecasted storm, we were pleasantly surprised when the vineyard had a fantastic turnout with every table filled. While I’m sure many people had come for some wine a...

You may already know the benefits of meditation, but where do you begin? Among the many styles of meditation, guided meditations are often the easiest place to start. You can simply find a comfortable seat, relax your gaze, and let the words flow through you. Which leads to the next challenge: where to find guided meditations that speak to you. One option is to explore the wide range of meditations available through Insight Timer, including practices led by me.

Insight Timer is an international p...

Nadi shodana, also known as alternate nostril breathing, is a common pranayama technique. It’s thought to restore balance, purify your energy, and leave you feeling more steady and calm.

The “nadi” part of nadi shodana refers to energy pathways (nadis) that run throughout the body. This particular method of breath control focuses on two nadis: ida, which runs through the left side of the nose, and pingala, which runs through the right side of the nose. 

Ida and pingala have opposite qualities. Ida...

This was my second year as an author at Eat Local Read Local, Loudoun County’s annual local author book fair. The October weather was lovely (warm in the sun!), and I was in good company with over 70 local authors, including some I’ve gotten to know better through previous events.

Two author friends were conveniently located near me: J. Denison Reed and Austin Shirey. You can visit LCPL’s event site to see all of the authors who were there: Eat Local Read Local.

While the turnout was a little quie...