Susan Ward's Blog

I'm so excited to be counting down to the release for The Girl in the Mirror on September 5th. This is a long book and I didn't think I'd get there. And because I'm counting down, you can read the first chapter on my blog>>http://www.susanwardbooks.com/blog/co...

Well my month home alone while my husband travel's China has been interesting. I thought I'd be more productive, churn and burn and get everything done. Nope, I'm not as focused when he's not around interrupting me...laughing...I so didn't expect that. When he's here I sneak out on the patio in little blocks of two hours and write like a demon, and when he's not here I spend 10 hours a day trying to work and getting hardly anything done. I'm such a creature of structure and routine. Did not expect having him off vacationing without me to throw me completely out of whack. But it has...but lets not tell him...he already knows I adore him.

I have managed to get some things done, and I'm putting up preorders July 13th. My birthday. I don't normally do the preorder thing, but I am this time, since I'm down to the point where I'm just waiting for final edit and formatting, and I figure I'll put them up at 99cents for the readers who follow my work, and regardless of what the release date is, I'm going to release them as soon as I get the finished product back. So if you want own my next releases at 99cents, don't wait, they could price change and release at any time.

I'm also hoping laying my publishing schedule out online will get me out of my funk of not having my husband here, and back writing like a demon. My own sort of self-motivation. Though he's coming home soon, so I don't think I'll need the motivation. We'll be back to old married couple, happy and bickering, and me sneaking off to the patio to write and him saying, Susan, let's do something together today. When will you be finished? And of course, I'm never finished writing, there's always a new story rattling around in my head, but we won't tell Randy that, OK?

Thank you to all my readers who stay so supportive of me even in this year of slowing down and taking forever to release anything. I've had a pretty interesting 2016 and maybe it follows that I would be a smidge less organized and productive. In six months time I've learned I have another grandchild on the way, my youngest totaled her car and scared the heck out of me, our oldest graduated Grad School in China, we have one bug announcing she's getting married in the fall, and my husband went on an adventure all by himself for the first time in our marriage.

Definitely a full first half of the year. So much seems to happen in so little time the older you get and time moves so quickly it gets away from you. I recently read a letter by a USA Today Bestselling author explaining why she's stepping back from publishing--I totally get it, why she's retiring--but for me I want to find the perfect balance between writing and the real world. I hope you all stay with me until I get it right. I haven't quite found the perfect balance yet, but I'm getting closer this year.

As ever I wish you Peace.
http://www.susanwardbooks.com/blog/go...

JUST WENT LIVE: Final Book of the Affair without End Series
One Forever Kiss. Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US Buy Link>>>http://amzn.to/1qQaF1u
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Somewhere back, far far ago, in my blog, I wrote a post about why the first book I released was The Girl on the Half Shell. Chrissie was a product of my generation, a woman who came to age during those decades of often over-looked change in the role women between my mother's generation and my daughter's generation. A messier time for woman. Less clear. In transition. But me, laughing. And I wanted to write something that might someday give my daughters a little insight into me.

As I started to roll in spinoff series--Affair without End, Sand & Fog, Locked & Loaded--I started to incorporate another theme about life I believe. Two people can be in the same significant moment, experience the same thing, but have it mean something different and walk away believing it was different, or rather, different things were made significant. I do that in Broken Crown, pulling in the one scene from Half Shell, when Chrissie runs back to Malibu for Alan. Then in the two of Sand & Fog, Kaley and Alan have their share of shared moments with different meanings, hopefully illustrated in The Girl of Sand & Fog.

But that Jackson Parker. He's the center of the universe I think. Even though not often on the pages of every book so far in the Parker Saga, his presence is felt and he's largely shaped who all these character became. Conversely, they've largely shaped him. So in writing his story I'm crossing all over the universe, the moments of others he shared, and what they were to him.

Everyone in a shared moment can be touched by it in different ways, and it doesn't have to be their moment to do that.

The first 100K words is just his story with Lena. A Very long novel on it's own. The second half of the book, nope, couldn't write it without pulling in those significant moments lived in other books. They are part of Jack. Who he became. The man he was for everyone in the Parker Universe, but more importantly, the man he was for Linda.

A rather complex, emotionally exhausting effort. I've probably cried more writing this book than with any other. I know I've worried more because Jack is man who has lived life and the rock in people's universe often isn't the one who's done everything right. It's the one who has lived.

So as I slug through the finalizing process of the last few pages, I'm wondering if anyone will like what I attempted to do, and if not, maybe it will just make them think. No moment in our life is ever only about us or as clear as we think it is.

As ever, I wish you Peace.

For the fans of Alan Manzone, I've started a new series, The Locked and Loaded Series, and what could be more perfect than a series about the bodyguards who protect Alan on tour?

Pistol Whipped just went live.

Available on Amazon: >>> getBook.at/PistolWhipped

This day is the same for all of us; that last day of the year when we reflect on all that's happened. There have been highs. There have been lows and there have been WOWS. All and all, pretty darn incredible for granny.

I released 9 books: Dillon in the Reckless Anthology; The Encounter in the Irrevocably Claimed Anthology; The Girl of Sand & Fog; Broken Crown, The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet; The Girl of Diamonds & Rust; The Gil of Tokens & Tears; One Long Kiss; and One More Kiss. Now that's a lot of work for anyone, even those authors who are not grandmothers. And your response to my work is mind-blowing. I never thought people would enjoy my little stories, and here we are all together still releasing more Parker Saga books--and a few pirate books as well.

2016 is going to be just as busy. I have 3 books releasing shortly after the New Year: One Forever Kiss; Love me Forever; and Graham in the Hearts Afire Anthology. I've been very busy, and as soon as my editor catches up and I pick cover designs I'm hitting release. 7 books 2014. 9 books 2015. The goal this year is 12 books for 2016.

But the highlight for me as an author was going to book signings and getting to meet so many wonderful readers. I am overwhelmed that anyone would travel anywhere just to meet me and have a book signed. Truly, it's been like living a fairy tale. It's what I always wanted to do with my life and couldn't, but now that I'm old I can and am so grateful that so many of you are joining me on my journey. Thank you, wherever you are, for giving me this incredible highlight in a life I did not think would have too many more highlights.

In my personal life, the highlight was the birth of my grandson, Baby Hugs, and my husband finally on track health wise after a hell of year.

So from the bottom of my heart, from me to all of you, when you pass a moment reflecting on 2015 may your highs be grand, your lows few, and you WOWs truly special. And may your new year be filled with only love and smiles.

Have a safe and wonderful New Year's Eve.

As ever I wish you Peace.

For updates on new releases and my 2016 book signing schedule, please check my website www.susanwardbooks.com

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Well I'm back from Authors by the Beach with more paperback books to add to my collection. Grabbed me some great signed copies of Sylvia Day, Andrea Smith and Jenna Galicki, to name a few. Yep, I did the fan girl thing after I got my table set up and before the event started. And of course, because I'm me, I didn't get one of those sit next to Sylvia Day like we're best friends photo. Nope, I photo bombed. And darn if little Joy Eileen didn't photo bomb me in the process.

As cool as it is being an author signing books and meeting readers, it's just as cool to meet all those great authors I fan over. Heck, I now have a print copy of Bend signed and the book was banned by Amazon even though it made USA today Bestseller list in 3 days...read more...
http://www.susanwardbooks.com/blog/i-...

☆.•°*°•.☆ Cover Reveal~Releasing June 30th☆.•°*°•.☆
The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet
The 4th Book: The Half Shell Series
Add to you TBR: http://bit.ly/1e5ghj1
::Synopsis::

“Some secrets are meant to be kept forever. What no one ever tells you is that secrets hurt you and never the ones you lie to. They are your solitary hurt and shame. The people you withhold them from go on with their lives. They live. They fuck. They love. They are unharmed by your silence and the words you haven’t yet shared.” ~Chrissie Parker

“We have a perfect life together. Don’t let the past ruin it, Chrissie.” ~Neil Stanton

“We are the farthest thing from enemies, Chrissie. I will always love you.” ~Alan Manzone

Married to her gorgeous superstar husband, Neil, and living a picture-perfect life should have put the past to rest forever for Chrissie. But some mistakes you can’t escape from, the truth always comes out in time, and some loves refuse to go away.

As she starts the family she’s longed for and builds her own career as a singer-songwriter, Chrissie is confronted with more unexpected changes. Truths about her loving father, Jack. Neil’s shocking secret. Alan’s unrelenting love for her.

Caught in a web of lies, with everything she believes coming crashing down around her, will she fight to save her marriage to Neil or will she fight for the love of her life, Alan? And will Chrissie find her happy ending at last?

My Half Shell Series readers, did you know that The Signature plays into the storyline of the series? It is a separate series and the universes are not connected and will not collide like The Affair without End Series is with Half Shell, but it is an element of the storyline...but I won't tell you how. What would be the fun in telling how?

FREE TODAY :::Buy Links::
Amazon US buy Link: http://amzn.to/1r48rHR
Amazon UK buy link: http://amzn.to/1Cqp3fW
Amazon CA buy link: http://amzn.to/1Di2NWd
Amazon AU Buy link: http://bit.ly/1FPhvb4
Amazon US buy Link: http://amzn.to/1r48rHR

If you are reading my coming of age/new adult series The Half Shell Series or The Affair Without End Series you should know by now that I put my girls through all those not-so-perfect coming of age moments we all go through. You can write a compelling love story, full of magical moments we all wish we had, and yet keep it real with all those not so magical moments most of us women as young women live through.

It amazes me how many letters I get from women who cried in a bathroom after losing their virginity. How many women have had secret self-destructive behaviors caused by trauma they've internalized. How many women write to me and say "That happened to me. How did you know?" I'm old. I've got a house full of daughters. I think I've lived through everything. Or maybe not, but I'll never tell what lefts on the list because there is still time to finish the list, and you never know when a new not hallmark moment of being a woman will happen so I'll have something new to put my heroines through.

But really, stop sending me angry notes about Chrissie giving a hand job in the car. Don't pretend you haven't done it. And don't pretend that your first experience was magical. Old women get together and we talk. I know better. At best it was odd and awkward. Shit, I remember the first time that situation evolved for me like it was yesterday. I still laugh over it.

The point of the way I write is love is perfect in its imperfect journey. That's what most of us get. The perfectly imperfect journey of love. And I don't think a girls first hand job in a car experience ending in a hearts and flowers type of way would ring true for most readers. I was worried about the scene, if I'd been with a traditional publisher they would have made me cut it, but I'm not. I'm an Indie and I can do what I want to. So I do what I want to.

The important thing about the journey of love~at least for me and how I write~ is that it doesn't haven't to be perfect, I don't need to speckle the pages of my books with things most of us will never know, things that do not ring true to life. What we will know, the experiences we all share as women, as perfectly imperfect as they are, they are glorious.

As ever, I wish you Peace.