historical fiction writer, amateur photographer, retired computer guru and math geek
I know, I know. I made a commitment to post every two weeks. Well, as they say, "that ship has sailed." I have a good excuse: I'm working hard to finish my latest draft of Nostalgia and get it in the hands of my beta readers before the end of the month. I have a … Continue reading It’s Been Awhile…
Marketing can be the toughest part of writing, especially since so many authors are introverts. In the past couple of years, I've done a few book talks and two book fairs and maybe--just maybe--I'm getting comfortable with it. I'm signed up for an authors and crafters show in August and an author meet and greet … Continue reading Getting Out of My Cave
For those of you who wonder where I've been the past few weeks (Hell-o-o-o! Anybody?) I'm hard at work trying to finish a solid draft of Nostalgia and send it out to my beta readers. I promise I'll be back soon. If you'd by chance like to be a beta reader (that means you read … Continue reading Hiatus
Yes, Napoleon is a character in Nostalgia. Yes, he was my ancestor. An yes, that was his name. Go figure. In Nostalgia, Napoleon is Jim's cousin (in real life they were not related) The fictional Napoleon lives next door to Jim. His father, Isaac, is a veteran of the Mexican Wars and a raging alcoholic, … Continue reading Napoleon Bonaparte Drown
I am way overdue for a Nostalgia teaser, so let's talk about Peleg. Captain/Major Peleg Anthony is Jim's nemesis, and he represents the larger antagonistic force of the US Military in the Civil War which refused to recognize PTSD--what they called "nostalgia"--as a legitimate disorder. Back then, men who exhibited signs of "battle fatigue", both … Continue reading “Nostalgia” update
First of all... this has been a cra-a-a-a-zy week! My dryer starts acting like it's possessed by aliens. My car turns into a zombie. And the heat! High 90's, heat index 105! What the heck? This is New York, not Florida! Now, about that writing: When I started writing Nostalgia I rattled off the first … Continue reading Trash can writing
I promised a sneak preview a couple weeks ago, and finally I have something to show you: an advance image of my second novel, "Nostalgia," a novel about PTSD in the Civil War. Once again I have an ancestor to guide me. My great-great-great uncle. Dr. James Dana Benton, was a surgeon in the 111th … Continue reading Coming soon…
I remember the first time I heard it: Your first novel will never see the light of day. No matter how good you think it is, it’s probably not ready for prime time and it probably never will be. “Not my novel!” I thought. I was indignant. Downright upset. Crushed. How could this—my best work, … Continue reading Shelved: When your “best” just isn’t good enough
A lot has been happening since War Sonnets was launched on July 5th. In July I was honored to be a guest on the local TV show, Bridge Street. And in August I was a guest of the Cato, NY Rotary Club where I shared my writing journey. Would your group (library, rotary, etc) be … Continue reading “War Sonnets” Update
I was a pretty good student in high school. I loved math and science. I got high grades in English. But I hate, hate, HATED history class! Maybe it's because a lot of history involved memorizing dates, and I am not good at memorizing unless you draw me a picture or give me a mnemonic. … Continue reading Confessions of An Historical Fiction Author
Susannah Willey Writes 