Susan Lower's Blog, page 4
April 16, 2019
Salvage Hearts Release Day!
I’ve got a new release for you! SALVAGED HEARTS.
It takes place in Kentucky just like the Silver Wind books, but this time we’re in the small town of Hidden Hills.
Bridget Wilson is a street savvy gal who knows how to take care of herself. That is, until her roommate tosses her out on the street for not paying the rent. With no other options, she allows a salvage seeking stranger to pick her up inside Lexington’s city limits and take her to his family’s ranch in Hidden Hills.
Living in an old RV beside the barn, Bridget isn’t exactly country girl material. But her granny always taught her to keep her eyes fixed on Jesus to find the right path to leading her home.
A former minor league pitcher for the Louisville Bats, Luke Meyers traded his career to return home and help on the family farm after his dad died. With his mother in a local nursing home, Luke manages his father’s salvage yard business. While Luke’s father taught him that not all things neglected are worthless, he’s not sure how he can prove to Bridget how priceless she has become to him.
Given the options of returning to the city or staying in Hidden Hills, it will take a little intervention from some caring folks to help salvage these two hearts for a future together.
It’s available on Amazon and Amazon Unlimited.
Happy Reading!
March 3, 2019
Reflections of Italy: A Tuscan Love Story
Castello del Trebbis is own by a family who took an old castle and turned it into a winery.
And today I want to share with you the love story of the man who bought this castle and created this beautiful place for his family.
And as any good story goes….
There once was a woman who was 19 years old, who fell in love a man riding a train from Austria to Italy to learn Italian. When the young woman finds out the man is almost 60 years old, but looks 20 years young than he claims, they marry with one condition. She wants start a family right away. They have 5 children.
This man in his 60’s goes to an auction to buy his wife a babble, a ring or a bracelet, perhaps. He sees a sign for a castle for sale and the price is written in Lira instead of Euros. This is much money, but Lira isn’t worth as much as Euros at his time. When the man calculates the money exchange, the castle is 35,000 Euro. He thinks, what is wrong with this place? This can’t be right. There are 800 acres around the castle and 18 farm houses included. The castle is in very bad shape, it’s falling down, but he buys it.
(I don’t know about you, but if my husband brought me home a castle, now that is love….lol. and so sweet!)
So the man goes back to his wife and tells her, he has bought her a castle.
The work on restoring the castle. There is only heat in one room. Fire places in all the others. The replant the vineyard, the olives and today it functions as a winery and olive oil producing business.
When the husband passes at 87 years old of natural causes, and the wife passes a year later at 49 in a car accident, one of their children stepped up to continue what her parents had started.
February 26, 2019
New Release: The Postage Stamp Bride (Brides of Annie’s Creek)
It’s release day!
I’m happy to share with you all another love story from the Brides of Annie’s Creek series.
Ester McDermott has been sitting at Samuel Sparks bedside for months sharing her heart, along with her hopes and her dreams with him. Then on the day his bandages finally come off and he can see her for the first time, he leaves town before she can see him. Through a series of letters, Ester expresses her feelings for him, but then she meets Matthew who tries to convince her the feelings she has aren’t real.
When Samuel hand delivers a letter to Ester at the post office, she’ll have to figure out if what is in her heart is true in order to accept him for who he really is.
This is the third book in the Brides of Annie’s Creek series, any of the books in this series can be read as stand alone stories are together as part of the series. This sweet novelette is just $.99 or part of the Kindle Unlimited Subscription.
Happy Reading!!
The Postage Stamp Bride
February 24, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Tuscan Castle
Welcome to Castello del Trebbio
800 acres of true Tuscan bliss
This castle once belonged to a family whose plot to take out another family failed. The only thing left of their family is their crest above the castle entrance. 
We went down in the castle’s dungeon where they keep the barrels of wine. These barrels are over 6 feet tall.
more barrels deeper into the dungeons. 
old wine bottles dating back decades
The rings on these ceilings were once used to chain prisoners in the dungeon.
old tools found around the castle throughout the centuries
a ‘light’ lunch and wine tasting to conclude the tour.What I haven’t shared about this castle yet, is the love story of the family who owns it. You know me, romantic at heart, it’s such a sweet story I decided to save it and make it a post of it’s own.
You can bet this castle and it’s love story has inspired a few ideas of a novel to come.
Join me next week, as I share the story about the man who fell in love with a woman and bought her a castle.
February 17, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Florence at Night
Our tour of Italy included out Tuscan feast and tour of a old monastery built back in the 1100’s. In order to respect the monks there, we could only visit at night and very few photos.
Monastery at night
Inside the monastery chapel
monk living quarters 
After visiting the monastery and a feast at a local restaurant, the night would not be complete without gelato.
We had the pleasure of meeting a fellow author and expert gelato maker, Tulio Bondi.
With our ‘old school’ gelato in hand and having been grateful for my husband’s mission of trying all the gelato flavors possible on our tour of Italy, we headed back to our hotel to check in with the kiddos. Yep, we left them at home, but video chatted with them nightly.
Next week, I’ll take you to the castle. Yep, a castle… with wine… and a history!
Stay warm and eat lots of gelato.
February 10, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Florence
A rainy morning in Florence, Italy We set out to explore Florence on a damp and rainy morning. Our day started with a tour of the Duomo and some other amazing places. Including the museum where we saw the statue of David.
A replica of the Gates of Paradise 
When the rain had stopped and we could put our umbrella’s away. 
Gelato in the square
Ponte Vecchio in Florence. The views off this bridge are beautiful, and if you’re a people watcher you could stand on this bridge for days and see so many interesting ones. The couple in this picture were inspiring. They say Rome is the city of love, but this couple were so sweet, I may have to use their inspiration in a future book. 
February 3, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Siena
We spent a day in Siena before heading to Florence.
As soon as our tour guide said the word “horse” and “race” she had my attention the entire time. You know me, I love horses and Siena takes two weeks in the year preparing their circle “square” in the middle of town for a horse race that last less than a minute.
Each district in Siena has a horse to run in the race. They pull straws as to which districts which years gets to race. Imagine, two weeks of putting up stands and turf for a race for less than one minute!
The horses are taken to the church to be blessed, and I have to say Siena had one of the most interesting churches we toured while there. Not to mention my husband hit at least three gelato shops before we left!
Siena Cathedral
Inside Siena’s gothic cathedral
January 27, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Perguia
If any place could inspire you to step back into the world we know as Harry Potter, it is Perguia. From the underground hidden city, lost for centuries, to the cobble stone allies and quaint piazza, I feel in love with this place.
Perugia is the most unique place to visit. It’s small, about 30 minutes away from Assisi.
But it holds a deep secret. In the 1500’s part of the town was built into a hill. Those people were captured and a prison was built to hold them. Their homes were ordered to be destroyed, and the prison built in its place. Except, it was buried and hidden and the prison built over top. Not until hundreds of years later was this gem discovered.
If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Diagon Ally in Harry Potter’s world, this is one of those places.
Today the underground city is a walking subway. You can believe this was my favorite spot of all the places we visited on our tour. And, yes, I’ve got story ideas that will be coming in the future!
We enjoyed supper on the square, and yes, dessert was gelato!
Our next stop on the tour to Italy takes us to Sienna. Until next week, I’ll catch you on social media.
January 20, 2019
Reflections of Italy: Assisi
The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is a beautiful hillside church with medieval art in a small medieval town.
It is the birthplace of St. Francis, and his tomb lies down in the basement of the church. While no photographs were allowed inside, I did venture down to see the tomb.
I loved everything about this picturesque little town. It was like stepping out of our modern world and into the past. While we had only an afternoon here, I was sad to leave.
Of course, we had to make a quick stop for gelato on the way out of town.
and we’re off to explore again. Perugia is our next stop…
