Just for Fun

"These are a few of my fay-vor-ite links..."

My superfantastic, ultra-talented writing buds, also known as the Brain Trust:
Anjali Banerjee
Carol Cassella
Lois Faye Dyer
Kate Breslin
Susan Plunkett and Krysteen Seelen
Sheila Roberts
Suzanne Selfors
Elsa Watson

Web Stuff:

Awesome graphic design (my laugh cry dream logo): Pocahontas Productions
The ever-amazing Willa designs both jewelry and web sites.
The most affordable—also warmest, fuzziest web design and hosting is right here: Web Design.
And of course, Writerspace!
Here's a handy way to make those big, long, breakable URLs manageable: www.tinyurl.com.
Best place to sit and go, "Awwww..." www.dailypuppy.com

Other places to find me on the Web:

Yahoo! Groups
Gather
Redroom
Facebook
MySpace
Shelfari
Booktour
Goodreads
Amazon blog
Multiply
Shutterfly
Barkis's Dogster Page

Oprah has her favorite things. Here are some of mine:

Clairefontaine notebooks: I write all my original drafts in the graph-ruled multiple subject wirebound books.

Sheaffer pens with peacock blue ink : I use a Sheaffer Javelin fountain pen for my first drafts.

How I type up those handwritten drafts: Dragon Naturally Speaking

Kashwere bathrobes: What the well-dressed writer wears to work.

Dog fart neutralizer pills. I'm not kidding. They work!

Shutterfly projects: www.shutterfly.com – the easiest way I've found to turn your photos into calendars, picture books, and anything else you can think of.

To turn your photos into fine art, try Mydavinci.

Best snarky sticky notes: Gallery19.

Best snarky cards: despair.com, 16 Sparrows.

How to keep your cold drink cold: the Fridge

The kinder, gentler way to get rid of bugs without squishing them: Bugzooka (and trust me, you need one)

How to make a faux latte: aerolatte

My favorite face cleanser: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

My favorite face cream: Strixaderm

The most delicious thing you can put in your mouth: Sweet Taste of Texas pecans

Track airfares at www.farecast.com or use www.yapta.com .

Books Books Books:

My favorite book review site—see what your favorite writers are reading: www.writersarereaders.com
The uber-librarian, Nancy Pearl will have you reading like there's no tomorrow.
Best copyeditor on the web is Bill Walsh, of The Slot.
Creative editors: Sherrie Holmes (She also has the best office staff). LoriZue has the nicest mom and daughter.
Ghostwriting and collaboration: http://fictionstudio.com/Site/Home.html. All the fun of being a writer, with none of the work!
Best writers' community: www.fieldsend.org

Blogs I Like:

The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks - misinterpreting bad punctuation since 2005
And in a similar vein, Apostrophe Abuse.
The Daily Coyote - I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this guy.
Best place to get a free blog: www.wordpress.com
Keeping it clean: www.unclutterer.com
Everybody's doing it—go see why: www.cuteoverload.com and www.postsecret.com

Susan by the numbers.

1: number of times I've been married
1: number of children I have
18-23: number of cartridges of peacock blue ink it takes to write a first draft
40: number of days it takes to write a rough draft
40: number of weeks it takes to turn the rough draft into a novel
14: number of books I've written with dogs in them
1: number of times a dog has died in one of my books (and trust me, it won't happen again)
11: number of years I worked as a schoolteacher, either full or part time
2: number of finished manuscripts I wrote before selling my first book
147: number of times my work was rejected by publishers (there were more; I just stopped counting after that)
26: my age when I sold my first novel
10: number of different editors I've worked with at various houses
6: number of writers in my local writing group
8: number of writers (includes a former bookseller) in my area writing group
2: number of times per month each group meets
178,000: number of words in October Wind (my longest book)
33: number of weeks my books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list
0: number of times I've been mentioned in "Class Notes" of Harvard Magazine
50: approximate number of books I read each year
179: current number of unanswered e-mails in my in-box
400+: daily visitors to my blog
6: miles I walk with Barkis each day

Give me books, fruit, French wine and fine weather and a little music out of doors, played by someone I do not know. ~ John Keats ~