Susan Gabriel's Blog, page 15
March 12, 2015
Temple Secrets: Southern Humor in a Novel
Please celebrate with me! I am super-excited to announce the release of my 7th book, Temple Secrets.
2015 has already been a big year, with the release of Grace, Grits, and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories last month, which I like to think of as an appetizer before the main course of Temple Secrets.
Reasons you might enjoy this novel:
You...






March 1, 2015
What to Do When Snowed-In or Bored? Watch a Wolf Cam
Not that many people know that in my spare time–while not writing–I watch wolves. Red wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and Canadian/Rocky Mountain gray wolves. In fact, don’t be surprised if a wolf shows up in a future novel of mine.
For years, I’ve been fascinated by these amazing and beautiful animals. In fact, here’s a...







February 25, 2015
Not My First Rodeo, But Still
When my first novel Seeking Sara Summers came out of the chute, I was terrified. I don’t think I slept for six months after it debuted in August of 2008. Like many first-time authors I was worried that nobody would like it, the reviews would be horrible, and that this book I’d poured my heart into would be launched and land with a dull...







February 23, 2015
Sign up to Win an Autographed Copy of Temple Secrets
http://eepurl.com/beS_xX
Here's the blurb:
Fans of The Help and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will delight in this comic novel of family secrets by acclaimed writer, Susan Gabriel (The Secret Sense of Wildflower, a Best Book of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews).
Every family has secrets, but the elite Temple family of Savannah has more than most. To maintain their influence, they’ve also been documenting the indiscretions of other prestigious southern families, dating as far back as the Civil War. When someone begins leaking these tantalizing tidbits to the newspaper, the entire city of Savannah, Georgia is rocking with secrets.
The current keeper of the secrets and matriarch of the Temple clan is Iris, a woman of unpredictable gastrointestinal illnesses and an extra streak of meanness that even the ghosts in the Temple mansion avoid. When Iris unexpectedly dies, the consequences are far flung and significant, not only to her family—who get in line to inherit the historic family mansion—but to Savannah itself.
At the heart of the story is Old Sally, an expert in Gullah folk magic, who some suspect cast a voodoo curse on Iris. At 100 years of age, Old Sally keeps a wise eye over the whole boisterous business of secrets and the settling of Iris's estate.
In the Temple family, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a secret.
February 19, 2015
Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories
If you don’t receive my newsletter, you may not have heard my big news so here it is:
Need a quick escape that doesn’t involve calories or committing to a long novel or a full-length film? I’ve got just the thing, and I’m super excited to tell you about it. As of this week, I have a collection of southern short stories...







February 4, 2015
To Kill a Mockingbird Sequel
Have you heard the big news in the literary world? Harper Lee, now 88, is releasing a To Kill a Mockingbird sequel! My daughter, Krista, sent me a link to the announcement yesterday afternoon and my response to her was: Oh. My. God.
Millions of fans, including myself, have been wanting more from Harper Lee for decades, and we will finally get our...







January 30, 2015
Meet the Book Babes from Winston-Salem, NC
I love book clubs, and earlier this week I met with a wonderful group of women in Winston-Salem, NC. I met The Book Babes, as they call themselves, via Skype. I absolutely loved this group of women. (Hi Book Babes!) I told them I was doing a post in their honor, and they were kind enough to send a photo, so I hope they stop by.
The Book Babes (I...







January 20, 2015
Can I Get Your Feedback?
In a month, my newest novel Temple Secrets will be published. YAY!! Before that happens, there are dozens of details that have to be handled. One of those details is creating a book description.
A book description is what goes on the back cover, as well as in the description section on Amazon, nook, iTunes, etc. It’s everywhere. Sometimes...







January 15, 2015
My Writing Goals for 2015
For working writers like me, as well as writers just starting out, it helps you stay focused if you write down your writing goals, or any creative goals, for the coming year. Here’s what I have slated for the next twelve months. It may surprise you.
What is a working writer, you might ask? To me, a working writer is someone who makes a...







January 6, 2015
The Creativity Cure
Dear Ones,

Gail’s kitchen at Christmas
Creativity cures all that ails us. I believe this with every cell of my being. If you asked me for a magic potion that would give you a more vibrant, joyful life in the coming year, I would prescribe creating something, consistently and daily. With that in mind, I wrote this post for you called...






