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Susan Albert
I'm a full-time writer who enjoys gardening, fiber arts, family, and living in the country.
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Patsy, farming has always been a huge gamble but these days, it seems to be more so. We got a half inch last night, with maybe a little more coming today. So wish we could share!
Commented May 10, 2013 on In Bloom This Week: American Beauty at Lifescapes
In Bloom This Week: American Beauty
The drought has been hard on the roses, even the heritage roses, which are better adapted to hot, dry weather. But this American Beauty keeps on keeping on, bless her. She is dangerously thorny but the fragrance of her blossoms is alluring. Lovely, lovely on a cool spring morning. Book repor...
We have a new well, Melina, which makes life a lot simpler. But before we got that (last year), I lost quite a few plants--including roses. Not enough dishwater to go around!
Commented May 8, 2013 on In Bloom This Week: American Beauty at Lifescapes
In Bloom This Week: American Beauty
The drought has been hard on the roses, even the heritage roses, which are better adapted to hot, dry weather. But this American Beauty keeps on keeping on, bless her. She is dangerously thorny but the fragrance of her blossoms is alluring. Lovely, lovely on a cool spring morning. Book repor...
I wish you could too, Patsy! I've read that the IL corn planting is already late, and looks to be even later. No "knee-high by the 4th of July" this year, I'm afraid.
Commented May 6, 2013 on In Bloom This Week: American Beauty at Lifescapes
In Bloom This Week: American Beauty
The drought has been hard on the roses, even the heritage roses, which are better adapted to hot, dry weather. But this American Beauty keeps on keeping on, bless her. She is dangerously thorny but the fragrance of her blossoms is alluring. Lovely, lovely on a cool spring morning. Book repor...
Not sure that gardening is good for a bad back, but otherwise, yes, it gets us out into the sunshine and fresh air--and of course there's all that exercise and fresh food. Can't ask for much more!
Commented May 1, 2013 on Spring gardening in the Texas Hill Country at Lifescapes
Spring gardening in the Texas Hill Country
Lest you think that I spend all my time writing, here's a glimpse into another part of my life--the garden. The potatoes look terrific this year, there in the left foreground. I planted them in January, fended off a couple of hard freezes in March, and look at them now! But bushy green tops...
I've heard that the corn there isn't in yet--too wet. That sounds like a BIG problem. I worked on a detasseling crew when I was a teenager, back in the days when it was all manual detasseling. I have a special fondness for corn. :) Hope you get some sunshine soon, Patsy!
Commented Apr 30, 2013 on Spring gardening in the Texas Hill Country at Lifescapes
Spring gardening in the Texas Hill Country
Lest you think that I spend all my time writing, here's a glimpse into another part of my life--the garden. The potatoes look terrific this year, there in the left foreground. I planted them in January, fended off a couple of hard freezes in March, and look at them now! But bushy green tops...
The best book about Rose's life is Ghost in the Little House: A Life of RWL, by William Holtz, published in 1993 by the Univ. MO Press. He tells the story straight and got a lot of attention at the time--20 years ago. (University presses are generally free from commercial concerns, but not many publish fiction.)
I've followed the Alcott scholarship, too, Katherine, and have seen the range of readings. Somehow, the Wilder myth has survived nearly intact--just nicked a little by Bill Holtz and 2-3 other academic writers.
Commented Apr 27, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Jolyn, I knew very little about the storm before I began working on the book--it was an exciting learning experience for me. So glad you liked it!
Commented Apr 24, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
A bit of a flood?!? Hope you don't get washed away, Patsy. Good luck with those tomatoes.
Commented Apr 24, 2013 on A Wilder Rose: Progress Report at Lifescapes
A Wilder Rose: Progress Report
It's been a busy few weeks. Between the books, the garden, and the girls (my small flock of egg-layers), I haven't had a lot of spare time for blogging. But here's a quick update on A Wilder Rose, which will be published in October. If you've been following this saga, you know that I've been ...
The new technologies are making us all rethink our roles, Marilyn. I'm learning (with the help of a library consultant)how to make ROSE available to libraries--definitely not an easy thing. Lots to learn here. Good luck with your book. Persistence does pay off.
Commented Apr 24, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
It's not easy, Pamela, but one of the big payoffs is a look at the inner workings of the publishing process--something I've never gotten in the many years I've been writing books. You're on the right track with an editor: I treasure my copyeditor, who has caught many careless errors (and I think I'm an experienced writer!)
Commented Apr 23, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Dani, where I hope it will help is in the area of book reviews. I've been compiling lists of book blogs and print venues so I can send out ARCs for review. Quite a few state flatly that they will not review self-published books.
I understand that reviewers don't want to be deluged by a tsunami of poorly edited SPd books, but they may want to change their tune.
Commented Apr 23, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
P.S. Carolyn, thanks for offering to help spread the word. I'm taking you up on it!
Commented Apr 23, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Carolyn, I can tell you that Rose visited the Wilder farm in upstate NY, to get detail for Farmer Boy. Laura's first submission was rejected by Harper, but Rose rewrote it and the book was accepted.
I think some publishers felt that Laura fans would howl about the book, as they did about Bill Holtz's outstanding biography of Rose. I'm expecting that.
Commented Apr 23, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Yes, it'll be available in ebook format, Susan, for Kindle, Nook, iPad, and whatever else is out there. It'll also be available in print.
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Marjorie, thank you! A couple of years ago, Sue Grafton made the remark (for which she has since apologized) that self-published authors were "too lazy to do the hard work." I have to laugh at that--being traditionally published is easy-peasy compared to the challenge of managing not only the writing but the publishing and the marketing of a book.
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
The minute I hit the send button, I thought of one possibility: a workshop on "writing a woman's life." That's what A Wilder Rose has been for me, all along: the opportunity to turn a woman's diary/journal into a story of her life.
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Kind of hard to think of a way to build a workshop on this topic, Susan. It feels lecture-ish to me. But maybe I'm not thinking from the right angle. Suggestions?
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Chris, definitely yes. There are good reasons for first-timers to do this, and the strategies will be the same: write, publish, market. But the newbie faces the challenge of building the reader base at the same time that his/her book is out there, waiting for readers. Established authors have already built that reader base and can continue building ON it.
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Thanks, Diane--keep your fingers crossed that this works out!
Commented Apr 22, 2013 on "Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?" at Lifescapes
"Why in the world are you publishing that book yourself?"
I did a book signing at the Wildflower Center in Austin on Saturday, a very nice meet-and-greet-and-chat affair. Someone asked me what I was working on, and I told her about my new project, A Wilder Rose. She'd read the Little House books as a kid, so she knew the Laura-myth: "Sweet little w...
Thanks, Linda--I very much enjoyed doing the research for the hurricane part of the story. Glad you liked it!
Commented Apr 17, 2013 on A Wilder Rose: Progress Report at Lifescapes
A Wilder Rose: Progress Report
It's been a busy few weeks. Between the books, the garden, and the girls (my small flock of egg-layers), I haven't had a lot of spare time for blogging. But here's a quick update on A Wilder Rose, which will be published in October. If you've been following this saga, you know that I've been ...
You can have LOTS of tea, then, Debbie! Here are some more ideas: http://oldfashionedliving.com/beebalm2.html
Commented Apr 15, 2013 on In Bloom This Week: CrossVine at Lifescapes
In Bloom This Week: CrossVine
The crossvine (it looks like trumpet because they're cousins) is blooming against the house on this beautiful spring day, and the trees and grasses are celebrating the half-inch of rain we got last night, accompanied by a great deal of lightning and thunder. The volume on our weather radio h...
Thanks, Mary Alice! I've been itching to write a Gothic, and this was it.
Commented Apr 8, 2013 on A Wilder Rose at Lifescapes
A Wilder Rose
Mysteries and Such At last! Finished China's 22nd mystery yesterday: Death Come Quickly. And yes, the title is the name of an herb (pictured above): Geranium robertianum, Herb Robert, which may be growing in your backyard. Death come quickly is one of its folk names, along with Red Robin, s...
Phyllis, my mysteries are all traditionally published. The publisher makes the cover choice, and I don't have a say-so, although they do show it to me and ask if I like it. (Of course I have to, since it's a done deal.) This DIY process is VERY different for me, and I'm learning a lot!
Commented Apr 7, 2013 on Help me choose a book cover at Lifescapes
Help me choose a book cover
Cover designer Sherry Wachter has sent me drafts of four possible covers for my new book, A Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses. Peggy has posted them here for you to look at. Which one do you like best? Vote, and you'll be entered in a drawing for t...
We're shooting for October, Brenda. Fingers crossed!
Commented Apr 6, 2013 on Help me choose a book cover at Lifescapes
Help me choose a book cover
Cover designer Sherry Wachter has sent me drafts of four possible covers for my new book, A Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses. Peggy has posted them here for you to look at. Which one do you like best? Vote, and you'll be entered in a drawing for t...
Heidi, whichever cover is chosen, we're using the art from #2 on the book's webpage. Hope to launch that next week.
Commented Apr 6, 2013 on Help me choose a book cover at Lifescapes
Help me choose a book cover
Cover designer Sherry Wachter has sent me drafts of four possible covers for my new book, A Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses. Peggy has posted them here for you to look at. Which one do you like best? Vote, and you'll be entered in a drawing for t...
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