IWSG: October 2019

It seems like it was September IWSG day just last week. Obviously not. Welcome to this amazing blog hop and the IWSG group started by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Join us in supporting and helping each other in what can be a lonely business. Find the other participants here.

This month's optional question: How can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

I can't imagine not enjoying reading. I could read every spare minute I have. There are so many great books out there, including ones written by members of this group. If a person doesn't enjoy reading, I don't believe they can be a writer. 

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.” 
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Book News
New Concepts Publishing has released my latest space opera romance, Starship Refugees IV: The Alien and the Slave. A ship of Earth's refugees lands on a planet and find themselves forced into slavery along with the native humans. A great escape is planned but only if the two races of humans learn to trust each other.

Personal News
For the first time since I married, I have an empty nest. My husband had two wonderful sons when we met, and then we had three boys and one girl together. This past weekend, the last child, now an adult, moved out. My husband thinks the house is too quiet, but I love it. My children are wonderful, but it was time for them and us to be on our own. And the bathroom is so much cleaner. Except for my daughter, the kids all live close enough that we're not alone for long.

TV Time
I watched the first episode of the new CBS thriller, Evil. It was so scary! I loved it. I also enjoyed the first episode of Poldark's last season on Masterpiece Theater. Really good, as usual. Killjoys ended on a good note. Fun and hopeful. No bittersweet stuff there. Only one more week to wait for Supernatural to return. Too many final seasons for my favorite shows this year.

Do you read a lot? Should writers be readers? Do you enjoy a quiet house or the chaos of family? Did you watch Evil or another new show you could recommend?

Stuart Horwitz and News

Today, Stuart Horwitz is guest posting on IWSG and sharing a short writing lesson on the editing process. I met Stuart this past May at the Pennwriters Conference where he appeared as a featured

speaker.

Stuart spoke about book tours in the workshop I attended. He's not only knowledgeable but very entertaining. He's not shy about sharing the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to booksignings. He has so much to share about publishing and writing. Please visit IWSG or his website. I have his books sitting on my desk where I only keep a select few within reach. You can also check out his tour schedule. He's going to appear at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in September. That's a conference I have on my list of ones I want to attend.

Yesterday was my dear husband's birthday and it was quite a grand day. Three of our sons played golf with him in the morning and then the entire family met back at our house for pizza, cake and ice cream. It is so wonderful how they all get along. It was a lovely day and then became a brilliant day when our son and his wife of only one year shared the news that they are expecting. Yes, I cried tears of joy. I feel like telling all my friends. So now you know.

Having a place to go -- is a home.
Having someone to love -- is a family.
Having both -- is a blessing.
Donna Hedges

The Olympics have distracted me during my writing time. Those American lady gymnasts are something else. And the American swimmers, male and female, have been inspiring to watch. I wish the entire world could get along like the athletes do.

Last week marked my blogging anniversary. I started Susan Says in 2009. After a slow start that first year, I stumbled upon Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog and slowly learned how to grow my blog into what it's become today. I expect I'll still be here for a few more years though who knows what social media will look like down the road.

Don't forget to visit IWSG today and learn something about the editing process. I know I'm mostly alone in loving the summer heat. 112 degrees heat index last week when I mowed the grass. Nice! Much better than cold and snow. And warm summer nights help those tomatoes ripen. I'm giving them away by the dozens.

Did you learn anything from Stuart's post on IWSG? Have any special days this month? How old is your blog? Are you loving this heat too?