From the tip of your summer toes to your heart, my eBook makes good summer reading…AND it’s almost here.
I’m so pleased to announce that that The Beet Goes On: Essays on Friendship & Breaking New Ground is almost ready for my subscribers FREE on the blog.
In about two weeks you’ll receive a newsletter with all the info you need to download the book. It’s my first installment in the larger print book to come. There is no question that the support I’ve had from your comments has helped me keep writing. If you’ll check the acknowledgments in the back of the eBook, you’ll see that I thank YOU.
So, what’s been happening in the garden? Well, it has been a tough summer for me as most of you know. Next week, I’ll be traveling down to southern California to be with my dad as we note the one year anniversary of my little sister’s death—hard to believe.
Also, here in the Pacific Northwest, we have had hot weather and very little rain. I find myself hand-watering almost every day. I’m not complaining, but…well yes, I’m complaining. What a summer NOT to have tomatoes in the ground—they would be growing like mad.
So, the garden has suffered some as I’ve done necessary travel and worked on the book. Thank goodness for perennials, like this gorgeous tree Hydrangea. Coming back year after year.
Plenty of roses. Enough to make lots of bouquets for the house. Bees in the delphiniums, bees around the columbine, and plenty of bees in the ceanothus. (That’s “dark star”, if I remember right.) Large stands of crocosmia just came into bloom, so we have hummingbirds doing aerial displays over the bright red crocosmia, “Lucifer.”
I don’t know about you, but I find it hard when the spring flowers are gone and the summer ones aren’t full on yet.
Working on my book and writing about aging (and the garden) has been timely. Just yesterday I went to the doctor to try and figure out what all the black spots were in front of my eyes.
Floaters! Do you know about floaters? Well, I didn’t. I sure do now. They are enough to drive a gal nuts. First ya see ‘em, then you don’t. Little black spots.
So, I bet you can guess what a set up this is. I was sitting on my bed putting on my shoes, and suddenly…..a bug was flying right at my face! Ai yi yi…a bug in my eye. I slapped myself in the head over and over.
You know don’t you? You know it wasn’t a bug and there I was slapping myself in the head like an idiot.
Getting older—a passport to a new land. With no Visa.
So readers, I leave you one more moment in the Annals of Aging and Crazy-making. Next time you find yourself slapping yourself in the head, keep in mind, it may all be in your head. Your eyes to be exact.
Now, may you use your beautiful healthy eyes to read my eBook and report back in!
We’re going to have a great time.
Congrats on the near completion of your ebook! I don’t seem to have floaters yet, but some of my friends do and my parents do. Just a matter of time for most of us! Age is doing other weird things to my body though. 😉 I love, love, love the cover and title of your book. Can’t wait to read it! Cheers!
Yeah! The book is actually done, but now we have all the many moving parts, like building the landing pages on the blog, building the author and landing pages on Amazon, learning “Smashwords”…I know enough to drive ya crazy huh? It’s not enough to write a book these days! An author has to do a lot to promote it. So, I think you are going to enjoy it and I can’t wait to get the eBook into your hands Beth. Thanks for this lovely mail. Cheers to you my friend!
How lovely to see another post from you. And even better one filled with (mostly) good news and beauty.
Love your garden, and am excited about your book.
Those sad milestones crop up too often don’t they? I am glad that you and your father can comfort each other for this one.
Sigh on the floaters front. I can swim, I no longer need floaties and never wanted them in my eyes. I have them though.
Thank you Soosie! Yes, mostly good news. Lots of beauty around here. As I mentioned to Beth, I really can’t wait for you to read this eBook. You two are the kind of readers I’ve written it for. Yes, about the milestones. I just can hardly believe it. You are funny about the “floaties!” No, who needs them in your eyes for Pete’s sake. Pain in the butt-:) ‘Scuse my French.
.
I will read and review as promised and we are still set for end of July on my blog…very excited Susan for this book launch. You are an inspiration my dear friend….oh yes floaters…have them and I have yet to find something to help them but working with my acupuncturist on a few things and this will be one of them….if I find an herbal remedy I will let you know as it will save us both from slapping ourselves in the head.
Thank you sooo much Donna! Reviewers are a big deal with a new book. It helps drive a little bit of interest on Amazon, so I’m very appreciative. I’m looking for about ten people who want to read the book (it’s short) and review, so if anybody else comes to mind, let me know. So, you have floaters too? I’m glad I’m not alone in this. Seems like there is always some new weird thing around every corner-:) Fun and silliness too. I loved your last post and can see you are enjoying your garden this summer!
Your posts are always a delight. Floaters — ah yes, I’ve had those, but on an encouraging note, they seem to have retreated for the nonce. Maybe they will for you, too. The next time I see someone on the street slapping his or her head I will take it as a sign of floaters and not anything more alarming. Congratulations on the book; I can hardly wait to read the whole thing.
Hi Marilyn! I’m glad you caught the spirit of the thing! It is really good to know that floaters can come and then disappear. Funny about seeing people slapping their head on the street—you crack me up. Of course, we know THAT could be a whole lot of bizarre things. Watch for the newsletter coming very soon with the link to the book!
Can’t wait to read your E-book Susie. Love the title too and it reminds me literally of your ethnic roots! Keep us posted.
Ciao Marisol! I always love seeing you here. Hey, do you want to be a reviewer? I would love you to be. Basically, I would send you the book now + plus a gift card to Powell’s if you wanted it as a thanks for your time and energy. Then on July 20th, when the book goes live on Amazon, you would post a review on that day. (On the Amazon site itself.) If I can have ten reviews hit the day it goes live, that would be amazing! I’m glad you like the title-:) Miss you, Susie
Yes Susie, send me the e-book now, no need to add the Powell’s gift card. Will do my best to write a review by July 20! miss you too, but travels are taking me to the North East and Italy again this August.
Dear Friends, my close friend Margaret Beyer wrote me this morning hoping to put this link of May Sarton reading: Sisters, Oh, my sisters on this site, but couldn’t. So I put the link up myself on behalf of Margaret. It is Amazing. If you have a few minutes, if you are a writer, a reader, a poet, a grandmother, a lover, anyone trying to find their way, this may be for you. Sarton says: “We who are writing women and strange monsters”, she speaks of solitude, growth, change…Thank you Margaret! What a gift this morning. I haven’t heard Sarton read! She is very much like my mentor Anna Lea Lelli as I listen to her begin her poem in French.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toU4FjohGxI
You are fabulous! How amazing to be an author. I would have been hitting myself in the head, too. Can’t wait to read it! :o)
Hey Tammy, Hi! Thank you your great comment. I think you are going to get a kick out of some of the stories, others may touch a soft spot. I hope so. I appreciate your alternative translation of my “hitting myself in the head-:) Hadn’t thought of it that way!
Ahhhh….floaters. It’s one thing to slap yourself in the privacy of your home but it’s another scene trying to follow them when pushing a grocery cart. Entertainment for others for sure. Good reading ahead for us! Can’t wait.
Haha…that is a very humorous image. Yes, good point. I’d best keep that slapping myself in the eye to the house, otherwise, they are going to haul me away in a white coat-:)
Congratulations! Big news! Looking forward to your book-however my floaters and poor sore eyes from painting, no longer read for pleasure. Instead, I listen to audiobooks. Any chance you’d consider reading from your book? 🙂
Elena, that is a very good idea. I hadn’t thought of it, but I will now. I have a good voice for such a project. What a terrific thought you given me this morning, thank you! I’ll let you know what comes of this. Could take some time to pull it together, but I do need a book trailer, so that is a start. Thanks for coming by Elena.
I so look forward to reading your e-book! I must confess, it will be a first for me.
A brave sojourn into the world of technology….I have no clue as to how to begin. Learning curve here. I will do it. It will come.
Glad for your sunny garden and your big sunny heart.
Wishing soft refreshing for both.
Love and tenderness,
Jennifer
Oh Jennifer, you are so great! Thank you for letting me be the first to share an eBook. My follow on collection of essays will be a print AND eBook collection, so you will have a real book to give to people then, but I wanted to start building my mailing list, growing the blog, you know…all those things we have to do to have more readers. It turns out that eBooks are a good way to go. Do you have a Kindle? Then you can download the book onto your Kindle. But if not, there will be a PDF file (very simple and sturdy file) on this blog next week that you can either read on your computer or download to a different e-reader. VERY easy I promise you. BTW, I received your ZINE and LOVED it. I keep your words with me, some of them every day. Susie
When I read your excerpt from “The Blue Buddha” some time ago, like any enticing preview, I wanted MORE. Not because it promised non-stop action adventure, or constant humor, but it promised a well-rounded series of stories that reflected both. Life is filled with fun and fear, and the best stories have both elements.
The Title “The Beet goes On” transports me to the days we lie in front of our huge Mediterranean color TV, watching “Sony and Cher.” And once my mental time machine leaves me there, all the media memories come flooding in. And I realize just how long I’ve lived. Susie’s stories capture the commonality of all our experiences, and will send you tap dancing along your own timeline. Few authors have the rare ability to weave the complex tapestry of life in joy and pain. I’m sure Susie can, and your tootsies will be dancing when we get our next taste!
Leeessslieee! I found you! You were in the “pending file.” What a purgatory of a place, “pending.” Anyway, thank you for these very kind words. It’s funny that I never have the Sonny and Cher recollection, don’t know why, they were huge when I was growing up. But the title came from the doll of a person who runs Culinate, Kim Carlson. Anyway, I really appreciate that you write about both pain and joy, as that does seem to be what I write about. What I long to do most is give people a strong story with a few twists of things to think about, but never seem “preachy.” (I think we all learned long ago that preachy is the kiss-of-death for any writer.) Thank you for giving me such encouragement, it is an honor to write for people like you and I really mean that.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover of your eBook, Susie, and am very excited for you as it “comes out.” YAY for this creativity and inspiration. BRAVA! Now, if we all do a rain dance for you, just maybe you’ll see your garden grow?!
Ginnie, I’m so happy you like the cover! It was a real adventure to work on, whether to go with the zany “Beet” font, what colors to choose, the whole thing. Then, the evening when I was searching for beet pictures….that was a hoot! This little beet just spoke to me. Thank you for the big-hearted BRAVA, which my mentor always used to say to me and yes….(we’ll take that rain right about now.) The book comes out next week right here on the blog and it will be easy to get. As you know, on Amazon on July 20th. I appreciate your support more than I can say Ginnie-:)
Ah yes, floaters. They came into my life in June, like a door flying open announcing, “You are officially amongst the ‘aging’!”
Congratulations on finishing the e-book. Well done! It looks beautiful and I can’t wait to read it. A toast to you and the floaters and a new book and the wisdom that also comes with this thing called aging.
You know, it makes me feel…how to best describe this?…normal I guess?, to know that others have stuff like floaters. It’s one of those silly things you don’t hear much about. And look at you! You must be much younger than me and you have them. So, it helps. I won’t worry. Thank you for the very nice atta’ girl–I appreciate it. I hope hope that the best part for you will be in the reading of the eBook. It’s written just for readers like all of us at Vision & Verb (in the day…)Let me know if I succeeded.
How exciting. I hope you are nearing or are finished Susie. That would be a dream of mine.. Thank you for the lovely comment on my little grandson. They live 5 hours away in PA and we are managing to see him once a month which is not enough at all as I could rock him for days. But I hope to be a part of his life even with the distance.. How I wish they lived here, I would watch so he didn’t have to be in daycare… hugs.. Michelle
Thanks for writing in Michelle! I’ve been really enjoying the pics of your beautiful grandson. Five hours is kind of a long way away, but not so long that you won’t be a very active part of his life. Think of all the holidays! I’ve had many friends say that being grandparents has been nearly the highlight of their lives. You can REALLY spoil that sweet grandbaby (with few to no repercussions, as you are sending them home-:))
Susan, congratulations on finishing your book, I’m looking forward to reading it! I like Elena’s idea about you reading from your book, it could be nice. Think about it…
Beautiful flowers!
It’s been interesting to observe the steep learning curve that comes in publishing, so many things are new now. I don’t know what it would cost me to make a book on tape, or to do a video. Perhaps a simple YouTube video of a story or two…honestly I’ll have to think about it. Now, what I will be doing is readings in book stores. But I’d have to send you a ticket from the Czech Republic! But seriously, I have a good voice for this, there must be a way. I just haven’t found it yet. Thanks so much for reading Petra! Oh, P.S. You DO have the book now, yes? It should have gone out in my mail merge last week.
Wow, reading in book stores sounds great! I just thought you could record a story or two, by means of e.g. you tube as you mention. That could be good, and actually you could use it as a promotion of your book. It would cost nothing.
As I’m subscribed to your blog, I expected to get an e-mail with a link but I haven’t got any yet. I’m not quite sure what I should do…
hope all goes well with the audio book. My niece used to listen to audio books in the car, when she was working and stuck in traffic.