Susan Sey's Blog, page 5

TALENT FOR TROUBLE Winner!

Hey, MARCY SHULER!

You’ve won!  

You’re a winner!  

A copy of Susan Sey’s latest contemporary (with a ghost!) TALENT FOR TROUBLE is yours!  

Email her  to let her know whether you’d like your book via Kindle or print!

(susan @ susansey . com, only without spaces of course)

Congrats, Marcy!

Talent for Trouble

I didn’t mean to

My youngest child has a catch phrase:  ”I didn’t mean to.”

It’s become sort of her signature song.  Break something?  ”I didn’t mean to!”  Forget something?  ”I didn’t mean to!”  Tackle her older sister to the ground under the guise of giving her a hug?   “But I didn’t mean to!”

What she’s saying (as I understand it) is that she didn’t intend to hurt her sister.  But, yes, she fully intended to tackle her.  In her seven-year-old mind, these events are completely unconnected.  A hug is fun! Affectionate!  A flying tackle of a hug is only more so. But, wait, somebody got hurt?  Whoa. Didn’t see that coming.

This, as you can imagine, frustrates me.  (Her sister is equally frustrated, though more bruised.)  But I gained new insight–sympathy, even–when I recently found myself in a similar situation.  

You see, I have just today released the second book in my Blake Brothers trilogy, TALENT FOR TROUBLE. Now this trilogy was originally conceived of as a trio of straight-up contemporary romances about three brothers.  The first book, TASTE FOR TROUBLE, was the middle brother’s story.  (Imagine David Beckham, if dear ol’ Becks came up dirt poor in West Texas.  Now imagine a hot, young Mary Poppins who reluctantly takes him (ahem) in hand.  Throw in a bunch of pie, & you’ve pretty much got it.)  

TALENT FOR TROUBLE, the follow up I have just released, is the oldest brother’s story.  This would be Will.  He’s a super-smart, super-arrogant uber-alpha male who’s been brought low.  (Book one was rough on him.)  He’s rebuilding himself into the man he was always meant to be before tragedy threw a wrench in his works.  

And I accidentally made it a paranormal romance. 

But I didn’t mean to.

Honest, I didn’t.  

Here’s the way it went down:  In book one (TASTE) I had to kill off a secondary character I really loved.  Really, really loved.  It hurt, but you have to do what the story demands, & I’m a big girl.  There’s no crying in baseball.  I got over it.  Or thought I did.

So then I was writing along on book two (TALENT) and that character’s voice–his very distinctive voice–turned up in my hero’s head.  Only this voice?  It wasn’t exactly the same as it had been in book one when that character was alive.  He was recognizable still, but exaggerated.  A little more unhinged.  A little more honest.  He was..oh, let’s be real:  he was foul-mouthed, abusive & hilarious, & I couldn’t give him up again.  So I let him stay.  And now I have a…ghost story.  Sort of. 

Except that everything else about this story–everything you’d expect from a straight-up contemporary romance–is still there!  You have a complicated family situation, you have witty repartee, you have a blistering love story between two reluctant, damaged souls.  

You just also have…a ghost.  Or two.  I don’t know.  It got crazy in there for a little while.  

I gave it to a few reviewers & one of them said (and I’m paraphrasing here), “You could never have gotten this story published in NYC.”  She meant it as a compliment, & I took it as one. This story goes unexpected places, & in ways you didn’t see coming.  And while I think that’s a good thing, it does make it hard to figure out which shelf it belongs on in the bookstore. But at the same time, it still delivers every ounce of the romance & the community you expect from a contemporary. It’s a genre-bending mash-up, & I’m a little worried about it.  I didn’t intend to break any rules.  I didn’t intend to freak anybody out.  I just wanted to write Will’s story.  And I ended up writing ghosts.  

But I didn’t mean to. 

Honest.

How about you?  Have you come across anything lately that surprised you?  In a good way?  In a bad way?  How did you respond?  I’d be happy to gift one lucky commenter with a copy of TALENT FOR TROUBLE of their very own, & you can make up your own mind about how/if my little accident is working out.  Would love to hear what you think!

Interested in an excerpt?  Click here!

Hearts and Sorry images courtesy of Free Digital Photos.  Mouse over for artist attribution.

It’s the most wonderful time…

…of the year!

Ladies & gentlemen, it’s awards season!

We kicked things off with the Golden Globes last weekend (Tina Fey & Rachel Poehler were amazing, as usual).  We had Oscar nominations come out on Friday.  The Screen Actor’s Guild awards are tonight.  And so it goes until we wrap things up with the Oscars on March 2nd.

For the next couple of months you won’t be able to throw a stone without hitting a fashion disaster, an ill-considered speech or a priceless reaction shot from a loser while the winner takes the stage.  

It’s a scandal a minute this time of year, folks, & I for one am delighted. 

I’m not a mean-spirited person, but come on.  What else does one do with January & February?  (I already shoveled.  Now what?  Celebrity gossip?  Don’t mind if I do!)

So…what are we thinking about the Oscar nominations?  Is this the year Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins one?  Or is the Wolf of Wall Street too reprehensible?  

What about Barkhad Abdi for Best Supporting Actor?  He was the first-time actor who played the pirate in Captain Phillips.  I have a soft spot for him, seeing as he’s a home town boy.  (I’m not from Somalia, he’s from Minneapolis.) 

What are we thinking about Tom Hanks’ shocking failure to get a nod either for Best Actor (Captain Phillips) or Best Supporting Actor (Saving Mr. Banks)?  He’s such a pillar of the community, & I love seeing him up there with his wife of a gazillion years.  How often do we see that in Hollywood, huh?  There should be an Oscar for that.

How about Best Picture?  Of the nine nominees, I’ve only seen three: TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and GRAVITY.  I’m hitting THE WOLF OF WALL STREET tonight.  That leave me about a month & a half to hit HER, NEBRASKA, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, PHILOMENA,  & DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.

But based on what I’ve seen, I’m voting for AMERICAN HUSTLE.  I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it, but I will say this–the story telling was exquisite.  And unlike so many movies where they serve up reprehensible characters & expect you to just go along with it, they made every single character sympathetic.  You felt for each & every one of this hugely talented ensemble cast.  The one guy with his heart in the right place, who was genuinely trying to make the world a better place?  He was the one who went to jail.  And I still left the movie feeling awesome.   It was a great story, and told by master artists. 

That said?  I still have five movies to see.  I might change my mind.  I’ll get back to you. 

So…are you an awards show kind of person?  Will you be following the action straight up to the Oscars this year?  Do you have an opinion on who should get which award?  Share!  

For those of you who are really into it, here’s a webpage where you can download a ballot, or do a thing where you post your predictions on Facebook!

Things I Ate

I’m not proud of myself.  

Normally, I eat pretty cleanly.  Lots of fruit & veggies, heavy on the lean proteins.  I avoid refined sugar.  I’m trying like hell to break the ninja grip that nutra sweet has on my soul.  If there’s a whole-grain option, I take it.

Except for this past week.

This past week, I ate everything that landed in front of me.

And it was delicious.  

I feel like crap, of course.  I’m too old to eat like a teenager.  But the sugar-induced smile on my face won’t budge.  

Here, in no particular order, are the things I ate (or drank) this week.

Mimosas–that classic excuse to drink at breakfast.  Nothing says Christmas morning like opening presents under the influence of champagne.  But excusable champagne, since you mixed it with orange juice.

Chocolate Crack–I don’t even know what this is, only that my sister handed me a gift bag full of it on Christmas and said, “Be careful.”  I wasn’t careful.  I ate the whole thing.

Pasta–So.  Much.  Pasta.

Chocolates–My mom got a five pound, three-layered box of chocolates from Uncle Moneybags for Christmas.  (Every family has an Uncle Moneybags, don’t they?)  I think I ate an entire layer by myself.

Cake–I avoided the Christmas cookies but we have two family birthdays the day after Christmas.  Which means two cakes.  And it’s not like you can say, “Yes, I will have a slice of yours.  But not yours.  Because I don’t love you as much as I love him.”  That’s not right.  So you eat two slices.  Because it’s the right thing to do.  And I am all about doing the right thing. I’m just selfless that way.

So, yeah.  I had a delicious week & I do not regret a bite.

But I’m glad I got new running shoes for Christmas.

So how about you?  What did YOU eat this week?  Believe me, I won’t judge.

All images courtesy of Free Digital Photos.  Mouse over for artist attribution.

The Ghost of Christmas Past…a

Ah, Christmas.  It’s a season heavy with tradition–the songs, the decorations, the food.  

Oh, yeah, the food.  

Now I’m a pretty traditional girl–it’s not Christmas for me without a big ol’ hunk of my mom’s Dutch apple pie.  It’s not the day after Christmas without a hunk of that same pie posing as breakfast, either.  

For my husband, it’s not Christmas without a giant pan of mac-and-cheese on the table.  (My mind boggles at the idea of mac-and-cheese for Christmas dinner, but whatever.  You marry a guy, you marry his traditions.)  

But on the very first high holiday we spent together as a couple, just the two of us, we went outside the box.  We made pasta.  

Yeah, pasta.  By hand.  

Don’t ask me what we were thinking.  We were giddy with love & having an adventure.  We had no idea we were even getting married someday, let alone hatching a life-long tradition.   We just happened to both be family free for the holiday & decided to do something crazy.

Like make pasta.

By hand.

So, fast forward about fifteen years.  Throw a kitchen aid mixer with the pasta attachments into the mix.  Throw in a couple of kids & a few in-laws.  Cover the whole thing in flour, & you’ve pretty much got the pasta adventure we staged last Christmas chez Sey.   The pictures really do say it all, but here’s the basic recipe & procedure: 

Basic Egg Pasta:

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon water

3 1⁄2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in mixer bowl.

Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and mix 30 seconds.

Exchange flat beater for dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 and knead 2 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead for 1 to 2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 pieces before processing with Pasta Sheet Roller attachment.

Okay, at this point, you’ll have four balls of dough.  When they say “process with the pasta sheet roller,” they mean to run it through the attachment on your mixer that essentially squeezes each ball between a couple of rollers that look like a mini-laundry mangle.  (Anybody old enough–or read enough historical fiction–to know what a mangle is?  I know I do!)

This will get to you the point you see in the first picture where I’m dealing with an incredibly long, flat sheet of pasta.  At this point, I flour a bunch of parchment paper & cut the sheet of dough into noodle-sized lengths–maybe a foot?  I let them sit between layers of floured parchment while I switch out my pasta roller for my pasta cutter.  I like the fettuccine one.  I feel like this width cooks nicely.

So then you run the sheets through the cutter (as seen in picture #2) & you end up with…fettuccine!  It truly is like magic.  (Picture #3 shows some of the sheets waiting to be run through the fettuccine cutter, & some that have already been through.)

Drop each little coil of fresh pasta into boiling water, cook for about 6-7 minutes, & voila!  You have actual, honest-to-goodness, edible pasta.  

It might look like a flour bomb went off in your kitchen, but you can deal with that after dinner.  

Just drain that gorgeous pasta, top with your favorite sauce–we went with pesto, though at least one of my girls went with just straight up olive oil & salt–and eat that deliciousness right up. 

And if you lick your plate, I’m not going to judge you.  

So how about you?  Have you ever done anything strange for the holidays, & had it turn into a tradition on you?  Share!

And to reward you for swinging by the Bandit’s 12 Day of Christmas, we’ll be gifting one lucky commenter with a copy of Susan’s last release TASTE FOR TROUBLE, kindle or paperback, winner’s choice!  (And you’ll want to read it soon as the follow up TALENT FOR TROUBLE is coming out in January!) You’ll also receive a fabulous Rooster ornament for whatever you choose to decorate this time of year!

I did it!

Hey, so remember last time we talked & I told you I was ready to get my hair cut off? 

I did it!

I really did.  

So here on the left is all the hair I’d been wadding into a bun or a braid for the last five years or so.

Over here on the right is me sitting in a beauty shop for the first time in five years.  I think I might’ve just remembered that somebody was going to wash my hair for me, & how much I like that.  I REALLY like that part.  How did I forget that they do that?

Okay, so back to to the left, here’s where they section off your hair into ponytails for donation.  (I donated my outgrown hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for kids who lose their hair to cancer.)   I think I donated something like 10 inches of hair.  It was certainly more than I needed.

 And there on the right is the end result.  A cute little bob that isn’t QUITE wash & wear, but right next to it.  And I’m delighted.  I usually have to digest large changes for a while before I’m at peace with the new normal but I don’t miss my old hair at all.

 

How about you?  Have you made a dramatic change to your look?  Did you have to stew about it for a while, or did you just go for it?   How did it turn out? 

The Long & the Short of it

So I’m contemplating a change.  A major one. 

I’m thinking of cutting my hair. 

That picture of me above?  It’s about five years out of date.  I don’t think I’ve cut my hair since.  

Here on the left?  This is what it looks like now.  Quite a ponytail, no?

I love my long hair, don’t get me wrong.  I barely have to groom myself.  My only choice in the morning is bun, braid or ponytail.  I’m down to washing it maybe twice a week.  Oily hair takes a braid better.  (That’s my story & I’m sticking to it.)

That said?  I’m getting frumpy.  

I used to do outdoor education when I was right out of college.  I was twenty-one & adorable (aren’t we all at twenty-one?) and remember looking at the older women running our program.  They were grown-up granola girls from the 70s who were still wearing their Birkenstocks & long braids clear into the 90s.  And I thought, “I hope that never happens to me.  I hope I never just give up & stick with what’s comfortable instead of making any effort to stay current.”

Twenty years later, here I am wearing Birkenstocks & a long, greasy braid.  I have no make up on my face, & I’m wearing jeans older than my children.  

Now I’m not going shopping.  (I don’t hate myself *that* much.)  But I’ll admit it:  It might be time for a hair cut.   Not just a trim, either.  I’m talking about a haircut.  A hair style.  A real one.

I should admit, I’ve been down this path before.  I had my hair cut boy-short  right after I came out of that just-had-my-first-baby-haven’t-slept-in-six-months haze.  It wasn’t a great look for me. (Never make big decisions when sleep deprived or hungry.  Trust me.)

My hair’s extremely fine (though there’s a lot of it) and pin straight.  My would-be pixie cut ended up looking vaguely militant.  Not quite what I was aiming for.   So now I’m in the market for something short & stylish but overtly feminine.  

I’ve contemplated Jody Foster’s look from Elysium (up there on the right.)

My mom thinks Lisa Osborn’s new look (up there on the left) would work for me.

I really like Carey Mulligan’s modified pixie (right) and have always thought Winona Ryder (left) was gorgeous with short hair. 

But I’m still having brush-cut flashbacks from last time.  I need guidance.

Help me out here.  What celebrity looks are you a big fan of these days?  Did you ever take a celebrity photo to your stylist & say, “Give me that?”  Which one?   How did it turn out?

I said yes to what now?

So I just volunteered to start a Daisy Scout troop for my 1st grader.

I can’t really explain how it happened, either.  

One minute I was emailing around, trying to find the right troop for my eager-beaver six year old.   The next minute, I had received my own troop number & a list of interested kids.  

Now I can’t legitimately object to this turn of events.  My 10 year old has been scouting for 5 years now, & all I’ve had to do was provide occasional snacks & go on a spectacularly rainy camp out.   But scouting is like any other volunteer-led activity.  If your kid likes it, if your kid benefits from it, sooner or later, it’s going to be your turn to produce it. 

Evidently my number came up.  C’est la vie, right?  

Also, autumn is just the season of rash decisions for me.  I don’t make them often–I’m a pretty stick-with-the-plan kind of girl–but when I do leap without looking?  It’s always in the fall.

Exhibit A:  I got pregnant with my first child in September 2002, not three months after graduating from a masters program.  The plan was to wait three YEARS before thinking about kids, to really make that degree pay for itself before I was tempted to stay home, but what can I say?  Mr. Sey is one hot ticket and I could not resist his charms.  

Exhibit B:  Remember last year when I volunteered to bake like two dozen holiday pies for a church fundraiser and personally deliver them to the purchasers’ homes for either Thanksgiving or Christmas?  (You can read all about it here in case you missed that little debacle.)  Yep, that seemed like a genius of an idea in November when I conceived of it.  It seemed remarkably less so when I actually had to follow through during Holiday Madness.

Exhibit C:  Me, leading a Daisy Scout Troop when I haven’t scrounged together the time to even mop my kitchen floor in a month, & haven’t finished a book since last year.  (Haven’t finished a book I’m writing, I should clarify.  I’ve read loads of books front to back since last year.  Because reading is way more important than a clean kitchen floor, am I right?)

So how about you?  What was the last impulsive decision you made?  How did it turn out?  Is there any pattern to your rash decisions?  Share!

 

All images courtesy of Free Digital Photos, mouse over for artist attribution.  Except for the pie.  That’s a legitimate apple pie, made by yours truly.  And it was delicious.  

Lazy Sunday

It’s Sunday & I’m feeling lazy. 

Here is what I want to do today: 

1)  Sleep in.

2)  Read the entire Sunday newspaper.

3)  Have waffles for lunch in my pajamas.

4)  Nap.

5)  Do the crossword puzzle.

6)  Nap.

7)  Read.  (I’m dying to get going on DR. SLEEP, Stephen King’s sequel to THE SHINING.)

8)  Have cereal for dinner, still in my pajamas.

9)  Watch TV, preferably something trashy & mindless.  SAY YES TO THE DRESS comes to mind.  I love that show.

10)  Go to bed early, in the same pajamas I’ve been wearing all day.

My day will not go this way.  This is a fantasy based on a vague memory from this mythical time Mr. Sey & I refer to as BC–before children.  Alas my real Sunday will really be crammed with Sunday school, grocery shopping, homework, piano practice, vacuuming, & Halloween costumes (which we still haven’t pulled together.)  But a girl can dream, can’t she?  

How about you?  What does your perfect Sunday look like?  Share!

All images courtesy of Free Digital Photos.  Mouse over image for artist attribution.