My fiance’s home is a true man-cave. But when I moved in, I didn’t say, “That awful elk head has to go!” Nope. Not me. I embraced it, and the animal skulls, shotguns, walrus genitalia, and the terrifying stuffed turkeys, too. I was determined to keep my man’s decorating style intact. Well, you know how they say “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions”? So is the road to the emergency room. For full, funny details of my misadventures in man-cave land, read my latest column on The Huffington Post. De-Man Cave or Un-Man Cave. That is the Question. And feel free to leave me a comment out there. Thanks!

It was very tough and yet, and you can imagine how this added to my guilt, very exciting.

A month ago my younger son and I moved into my fiance’s home. On his vineyard. And just a stone’s throw away from his winery. It’s beautiful here. Lush. Bursting with life (we’re surrounded by 26 acres of chardonnay vines and lots of bunnies). And busy. On the weekends, the winery is packed. I haven’t seen this many people since we left New Jersey!

In two and a half weeks I’m getting married. A year ago I found this great guy in the street. Quite literally. He’s handsome, smart, successful, generous, and funny. He makes me laugh, and I make him laugh, and everything in my life is better because he’s in it. God gave me this brand new beginning, and I am thankful and plan to enjoy every single second of it.

Who knows, maybe I’ll even post more.

Love,

Susan

My latest piece is up on the Huffington Post. And yes, it has much to do with this fellow. Hope you enjoy it!

(And in case you missed it, this one’s pretty funny, too!)

Attention teen writers age 12-17:

Don’t miss the

 Saturday, March 9^th, noon to 5pm AND Sunday, March 10^th, 10am-4pm

At Lord Fairfax Community College, 6480 College Street, Warrenton

This two day boot camp is designed to help you develop your voice, hone your craft, and push past your comfort zone. You’ll write, share your work, and gain important tips and techniques to strengthen your skills. Writing prompts will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring pieces, (short stories, poems, personal essays, etc.), in progress to work on.

Specifics:
Saturday, March 9th, noon to 5pm
Sunday, March 10th, 10am to 4pm (please bring a lunch on this day)
Bottled water and nutritious snacks will be provided.

Fee: $95

Registration: Please call the LFCC Workforce Solutions office at 540-351-1524 or click here.

A few days ago I appeared on the Be Better At Business TV show. For half an hour, host Jamie Gorman and I had a terrific time discussing one of my favorite topics. No, not chardonnay, advertising copy writing. Marketing. Headlines. Selling stuff to unsuspecting consumers. We had some technical difficulties at first, during which we thought the microphones weren’t working but, as it turned out, they were. Thanks to all of you who wrote to compliment me on my mellifluous rendition of “The Hills Are Alive.” Yikes! If you missed my interview and would like to see it, it’s here. No singing, promise.

Right before that, my new column “My Face Is Up To (I Mean, Down To) No Good” ran at the top of the Huffington Post’s Huff Po/50 site. For us writer types, this is a big deal, like having your article appear at the top of the fold of the New York Times. It means you done good. So of course I called my mom, printed out the piece, and insisted she tape it to the refrigerator.

And speaking of things taped to refrigerators, this photo of my son Cuyler went up on mine last night. He took first place twice at AllSports Grand Prix Kids’ Racing School this weekend. My very own little Mario Andretti. (But sorry Cuy. Ya still can’t take the car.)

All this, and it’s only the 4th. Hope your February is off to a fabulous start, too!

Before I became an author I was, and still am, an advertising copy writer. You know, one of those folks who write the ads that fill your favorite magazine, pop up on billboards along the highway, and come on between songs on your preferred radio station. To me, there’s nothing more fun than convincing an unsuspecting consumer to buy something she or he didn’t know they needed! If you and your business could use some help in the ad copy department, tune in Friday, February 1st at 11am to “Be Better At Business TV.” I’ll be talking with host Jamie Gorman of Sigma Business Management about how to make your words work so that the end result is less telling and more SELLING!

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
― Sylvia Plath

I didn’t. I just recommitted to the five decisions I made after Stu passed. If you’d like to take a look, they’re in my latest column on the Huffington Post. Leave me a comment out there if you like!

“I’m gonna order a pizza five minutes before the New Year and when they arrive, I’m gonna say ‘I ordered this damn pizza a year ago!’”

Hope your New Year is filled with health, happiness, love, and lots of laughter!

Love,

Susan