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     Susie's News

           May 2011

     
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Susie on couch 2010
Soul-Stirring Fiction
Greetings!

Hello faithful reader! Before I launch into this month's newsletter, I wanted to let you know about the fun Missions of Mercy Giveaway happening right now at my website. Visit the Contest Page or click on the banner to enter to win a Flip HD Camera prize pack worth over $200! Good luck.

 

Missions of Mercy Giveaway 

In This Issue
My Book Therapy
Thanks!
My Foolish Heart



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Handshakes and Growing Up

My only daughter graduates from High School in 25 days. 

She leaves for her summer job 4 days later.

She goes right from there to....COLLEGE. 

She's gone from this....

Little Sarah


to this...to this.

old sarah

 
How did this happen? 

Time moves too quickly for me these days.  My eldest son will be a junior in college next year, I have three kids driving, and apparently, my doctor claims I haven't been to see her in three years.  Liar.  My last appointment is still vividly burned into my brain. 

I miss the days of my children climbing onto my lap and letting me blow raspberries into their neck (yeah, try that on a 16 year old, 185-lb middle linebacker). I miss them asking me to read them a story, or tuck them in (now I lurk outside their bedroom doors - "Goodnight Noah - do you need anything?  Anything at all?  A hug?  A glass of water?  A little goodnight song?")

I miss those days when we'd all actually eat around the dinner table, (instead of heating up dinner in the microwave for each child as they come home from sports, theater, band practice).  I miss my daughter singing at the piano at the top of her lungs, while the boys wrestle in the family room (and I hold onto my lamps). 

Oh wait, that happened last night. I take it back. 

But, as I riffle through old photos to create Sarah's graduation party decorations, I can't help but be proud, too, of all she's accomplished.  Recently, I overheard someone say, "Sarah can do anything," (well, no, she can't seem to clean her room, but that she'll learn, someday).  But I understand - this little girl who couldn't even seem to sit still long enough to play her scales or do her multiplication tables can now write songs, is an amazing singer and is graduating with honors. 

I love graduation because it holds so much hope, so much accomplishment, so much potential.  For a parent, it's a project well finished.

I love to see projects finished.  Like our new theater room we built from scratch.  Or finished books delivered to my doorstep. Or a retreat or party well-executed, with satisfied guests.

Or....my new website.  Over the years, I've wrestled out websites using my meager graphic arts skills, or my scary html abilities.  I finally surrendered to the truth - I needed help.  So, I turned to Matt Jones with Jones House Creative, and about a year ago we embarked on a project to overhaul. www.susanmaywarren.com

And last week, we finished.  Or at least, enough to graduate. 

Just yesterday, I chatted with the mother of my son's prom date.  "My husband met your son the other day.  He told me that your son looked him in the eye and shook his hand.  My husband is a cop, and decided right then that our daughter was in good hands for prom." 

Yes, she is, but I was impressed with my son, (and a little surprised...why is the mother always the last to know?), and I told him so.  He replied, "It's all in the handshake."  And then he demonstrated the various wimpy handshakes - the wrist grab, the limp fish, the over-zealous. "Your handshake reveals what kind of person you are." 

Right.   

My website is my handshake.  Matt did an excellent job of reflecting my personality - from the pictures, the colors, the themes, the details (I love the flowers and the splashes of red), and...well, even the shoes.  I love the fresh greeting box on the front page, and the nifty boxes on the bottom that highlight events, contest and latest news.  We've also added in reviews, backstory and other tidbits about every story on the individual novels pages. And hopefully we've created a system that is easier to track down all my backlist novels.  We'll be adding first chapters and other goodies to the site, so stay tuned, but for now, I'm thrilled to announce the new website. 

Thank you for being a faithful reader and staying with me over these years as I've grown up, and graduated to this new site.  And thank you for letting my stories into your life.

Now, do you need anything?  A drink of water?  Maybe a goodnight song?

 

From the blog...My Foolish Heart

In June I'll be launching a fun promotion for My Foolish Heart.

In the meantime, pick up a copy here and meet some of the characters on my blog:

Meet Caleb

Meet Lucy

And coming on May 19th, meet Seb.

Read an excerpt here.

 

Thank You

Thank you for reading this month's newsletter.  I wouldn't be sad if you forwarded it to a friend who might enjoy my novels! 

 

Blessings on your month of May!
Susie May