June 27, 2025
Because he owns a jewelry shop, Vass often works through the weekend. That’s going to be me… for the foreseeable future, it seems! Pick up a copy of Saving Sima at all the usual retailers, and at my direct shop for the best price!
I did a volunteer edit of a short story for an anthology, and it was SO beautiful, so beautifully written, so well considered and conceived… totally blew me away.
And then I went to my monthly writer’s meeting and… well, it was interesting. I have to say, it was the first time in all the years I’ve been going that I didn’t leave with a smile on my face. My kid says that’s a pretty good track record.
Okay, ready to laugh at me? On Wednesday, I wrote the client letter and the email and thought I’d sent it back to the client. You know where this is heading…
I sat down yesterday morning, opened my mail and… there it was, waiting for me to hit send. Which I did. Unfortunately, with lousy timing; yesterday just wasn’t a great day for me, it seems.
Today, I get to start on the next client manuscript… a new series from an established author… I say that SO MUCH. But my clients and I are loyal to each other; what can I say?
This is one of the things I’ll be working on over the weekend.
Despite all that, I got my average of 1200 words down on Authentically Alyssa. I’ll take that as a win, of course.
I had been invited to be a vendor at a nearby cat cafe’s yard sale day, but when I asked if we could meet — it’s about five minutes from here — to discuss details, the woman running it apparently decided I was too high-maintenance for her.
I simply don’t like discussing business over Meta platforms. That’s all. And since they’re so close, an in-person meeting so I (with a slight disability and post-concussion syndrome) can get the lay of the land is helpful.
Ahh, well. I still have the Bad Bitch Bazaar on Sunday, and the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival at the end of next week and into the weekend. It may not be at my desk, but vendor shows are still ways in which I work over the weekend.
Good Girl, by Aria Aber
That’s, as most of you know by now, an affiliate link and I’ll get a few pennies to put toward operational expenses here at West of Mars.
Other ways to show your support of me: Buy my books (especially from my direct store) Talk me up on social media — that one’s huge. Request Saving Sima and Legacy on Hoopla. Book my editing services.
Or just stuff my ko-fi. Because mutual aid is a thing and yeah, even I need it from time to time.
March 26, 2015
Anyone who’s hung around these parts for any length of time knows I am a member of Pennwriters, and that I go to the conference in the odd-numbered years, when it is held in Pittsburgh.
This year, I’ll be presenting a workshop — but not on what you may think when you first see that I’m doing it. Susan the editor, Susan the writer … those personas are being shoved aside for a Sunday morning and instead, I’m going to be Susan the Reviewer. I’ll be using my experience as a longtime blogger and a professional book reviewer to run a workshop about reviews. I will have two outlines ready to go, and my audience will select between:
1. How to write a killer review, including how to evaluate the text and sound smart
2. Reviews for authors — how to get them, who to ask, the value of the paid review, the value of the one-star review, and what’s worse than that dreaded one-star review.
Frankly, I want to focus on the second topic. But it’ll be up to my audience.
So. If you’re interested, if you are burning to know if I truly am an Orange S on a Red Background, if you’re around, or if you’re looking for something to do Sunday morning before you hit the road for home, sign on up for the Pennwriters Conference. There’s lots more you’ll find besides just me. Acquiring editors. Agents. Other authors. And some of the friendliest, most supportive people around. This is the fun kind of networking, the kind that doesn’t hurt.
Come on out. And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Orange S on the Red Background.