Susan Goodwill's Blog

It's been a while...First an update on Agnes: she was last seen scooting under my mouse-sitter's fridge during a cage cleaning incident. My friend swears he heard a faint little mousey voice yell, "Live free or die!"
As his house is older and has been declared a D-Con free zone, she is believed to be happy, healthy, and thriving.
Now, on to me: I am working on a new series!
It is fun and intriguing and I am excited to see where it leads. It is a little more serious than the Kate London books, but not overly so.
Kate and Kitty are still alive and well and waiting on the sidelines.

SusanPS Thanks to Eeek Mail for the image. Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

So, it has been sub-arctic up here in Michigan.

That having been said, things are coming out of the woodwork. Quite literally. The c-c-c-old has driven mice into the crawl space under my livingroom. And other places, I fear. But blocking the crawlspace is a problem for when the snow melts.On with my story....
A week ago Saturday night, the mice had been driving the dogs nuts making noises in the baseboard area. ClaraBelle and Ernie were obsessed with one particular corner, and as soon as I opened the bedroom door the next morning, ClaraBelle made a beeline for said corner. I guess I'm a little crazy myself, because I was about to pick up the Tupperware pitcher that holds thistle seed for my bird feeder, which (ahh, the plot thickens) happened to be in that very same corner. I noticed the lid was slightly open. I looked inside, and I'm proud to say this, I didn't even scream when the mouse inside looked back.
So, with me looking horrified and the mouse looking horrified, I think we both were thinking the same thing:Uh-oh, what do I do now?
But the ball was in my court, or should I say the mouse was. I narrowed it down to three options.
1. Kill it.....nope. I apologize to boneless skinless chicken breasts in the grocery store aisle. No way.
2. Let it outside far from the house..... the windchill was 15 below. This would turn into option 1 pretty quickly.
3. Let it outside near the house....the equivalent of letting it into the living room. I'm crazy, not stupid. No way.
So, I chose option 4. I headed for WalMart and came back armed with a terrarium, water bottle, mouse food and bedding.
I've named her Agnes, and she lives in my office now. She is gray and white (must be the great-great granddaughter of someone's pet.) She is partial to blueberries and infinitesimal slices of apple.
I like to think she is an inspiration. A muse of a mouse to nudge me toward my writing goals.Yeah, yeah. I know. I told you I was crazy.

Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

They say the first step to changing a bad behavior is facing it, admitting it. So, here's my confession: Hello, my name is Susan, and it has been one year since I have written anything significant.
I've talked about it and diddled around with maybe 100 words at a pop. This has gone on for at least the last twelve months.
As you know, I haven't even posted to my own blog in almost that long.

Most of the writerly folks I know sneeze and a hundred words hit the paper. But for some reason, this past year and this book, a new day-job, and this all-or-nothing personality of mine have conspired to create a wee bit of some kind of er, ummm…, BLOCK!
There, I said it. And I do NOT believe in writers' block.

Here's the thing: I want to write. I plan to write. It's what I feel I came here to do. But every day, I don't. I can make enough excuses to fill a dozen blogs, let alone this one. The truth is, I've procrastinated because writing is hard, and it doesn't pay well at this point in my career. The odds are that it will never pay well.

That's the dirty little secret about novel writing. It's really hard, and maybe the top 10% make enough to pay our bills and eat.

The pay well part is important because I am largely motivated by financial recognition and furthermore, I like to eat.

But here's what happened in the last twenty-four hours. First, it has really been bugging me that I haven't been writing. It's on the new years' resolution list for this year, as it has been every year for my whole adult life. Most years it got shoved aside, but as you know, not all years. Hence, the two novels I have out there.The receptionist at my doctor's office, Miriam, left me a voicemail last night. She had just finished my second book. After the various and sundry appointment information, she launched into a gushing riff on how much she loved Little Shop of Murders.

This morning I called to change my appointment. She called my book the best book she'd read in a long time. She proceeded to say that she stayed up until 4:00 AM finishing it. She said that what she loves about my books is that they are funny with a good mystery, but that there is something about them that is just a tiny bit sad underneath. No one else has gotten that yet, but I meant for it to be gotten.
And she asked that I put her first on the list for the next book.

Thank you, Miriam!I am bottling that phonecall and putting it in the writers' room in my head. I'll take a sip of that potion every day and use it to inspire me to get back on track. 2009 will bring another book. I swear. And I'll blog once a week. I promise.

Anyway, eating is overrated. Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

I'll be the first to admit, it's not the vacation for everyone. But I like it. I really do. I like cottages.And I mean real cottages--the kind built somewhere between 1935 and 1950, where you make your own bed each day and have to sweep and wipe down the counters and strip the beds when you check out.Maybe one or two bedrooms are packed in the little building, with a little kitchenette and a more shabby than shabby chic living room and a tiny vintage bath.Outside is usually a beach of some sort, picnic tables, barbecues and maybe a fire pit for late night bonfires under the stars. This picture is of a cottage where I recently spent a week. It's on beautiful Longboat Key in Florida--right smack-dab on the beach.A wonderful place that alas, is about to be sold. The new owner swears they 'won't change a thing." I hope that's true, but did I mention, right smack-dab on the beach? The writing is on the wall.Every year more cottages disappear. Their old, freestanding buildings are expensive to maintain, and they don't demand the dollars of a highrise on the same beach front property. They are often replaced with slick, resort style chain hotels or condos that could be anywhere in the world. And our lives becomes a little more homogeonized, a little less rich. Another thing we lose in the name of progress and convenience. Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

I'll admit it, I'm excited. I just this week received the advance copies of book two in the Kate London Mystery Series, Little Shop of Murders.
I absolutely luuuuve the cover art, with its concept designed by the talented Kevin Brown of Midnight Ink and the design's flawless execution by illustrator Kim Johnson of Lindgren & Smith.
Acquisition editor Barbara Moore and copy editor Connie Hill combined efforts to make the finished story-product shine and flow like quicksilver, and the back cover copy, worked and fine-tuned by Amy Martin, also of Midnight Ink, gives just the right combination of intrigue, romance, and slapstick.
Finally holding the finished product in my hands, I'm one happy girl!Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

It's good writing weather here in Michigan. Today is foggy and snowy, and it's nice to be inside.With the holidays behind and a few months of winter out in front, it's a favorite time of year for me to hunker in my garret with my current work in progress. Right now it's La Cage aux Foul Play. Little Shop of Murders is on its way to the world, and my first baby, BrigaDOOM has survived, even thrived, for almost a year now.So, I've brewed a cup of tea and tossed an afghan over my lap. I've lit a candle to the muses, put some classical on the headphones, and I'm ready to dive into my story. Going back to La Cage aux Foul Play is like seeing an old friend on a winter's afternoon. Today my only orders are to say hello, to show up, to make a joyful noise. Hello, old friend.Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

Notorious author, Jack Getze, of the Austin Carr Mysteries fame, was gracious enough to allow the everpresent paparazzi to snap this shot of him on tour with BrigaDOOM!

Mystic is apparently a historic seaport in Connecticut that also, ahem, happens to host one big, honking gambling casino.

Well, you know what they say-- all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy-- and trust me, if you've read Jack Getze's recent debut Big Numbers-- you know, Jack is anything but dull!



Jack-- you win a pin!

Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

Beth continues her treck with BrigaDOOM shoe-shopping at the Mall of the Americas. Today she crossed the midwest with 659 miles under her belt and on her odometer. What's next for our intrepid traveler? Take your own pictures of BrigaDOOM on the move and you, too, can win the coveted Skull and Crossbones lapel pin.Look at the June 27 post to see the artist's rendering. The actual pin is too beautiful to photograph. Blogger bans photos of such beauty, in fears that they will crash the system. If you send me your photo of BrigaDOOM on the Move here, along with your name and address, and where and why you took the picture you did, you, too, may have your photo posted and win the pin!Who's playing?Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

From Beth this morning, "...the North Dakota Badlands, at Painted Canyon in Teddy Roosevelt National Park. Apparently there are badlands in SD, ND, and MT so far...maybe there are more...who knew? I took the picture from an overlook, which I shared with a woman who was threatening to swim in a lake far below us. I thought she was kidding til she shouted to her hubby, "I found a path!" and disappeared over the edge, as she hollered back to me, "Don't take a picture of the fat lady skinny-dipping!" I drove from MT through ND to Minneapolis on Thursday, and this was my first stop. And the best of the day - who knew ND was pretty??" Thanks Beth!!Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries

We have a new player in the BrigaDOOM is on the move game.


Beth Hanggeli from Idaho sends us this shot from Lake Coeur d'Alene, at the very start of her cross country road trip. She says it was too early and windy to find a tourist to hold the book and the seagulls were no help at all.
Beth tells us we can plan on pictures from the Dakotas to Maine to Florida!
Go Beth!!

Beth is a writer and world traveler. Visit Beth's blogspot here.
When Beth lands long enough to receive mail, we'll send her the coveted Skull and Cross bone pin.
Who's playing next?Susan Goodwill, author of BrigaDOOM, and the Kate London Mysteries