Picky Penny continued …that’s me, Miss Penny speaking. Finally, Susan moved my food bowl and I can eat in peace. She got the message about peas, I still can’t believe she’d feed me peas, oh yes and no more rice, it saves a lot of spitting out and both are messy on the floor if squished by Susan’s feet. Hee-hee!
So, this week has been plain chicken, warmed slightly is best. However, the big problem, which Susan only figured out yesterday, is the unsuitable, even horrendous placement of my food bowl. My water and food bowl are stainless steel, situated on a tray that Granny Betty brought from Gibraltar, long before Covid, when we could travel, the pictures are quite interesting. Ah, I digress. As nice as it is, the tray is situated by the garbage can and recycle stuff. Need I say more, not somewhere where a princess would eat, although that’s not the worst of it. I am a bit skittish, I don’t like loud noises and the garbage can lid clanging, cans and bottles rattling while I’m eating is disconcerting but I put up with it
until about a month ago when I was terrified. A large coffee tin and an enormous juice bottle sprang out of the recycle bag, attacked me while I was eating and clattered on the floor, it scared me to death. Truly I kid you not, the coffee tin could have swallowed me whole. So, now you can understand why I went off my food, well that’s only part of the reason I am picky as mentioned last week. The happy ending is my tray, is now safely placed in a quiet spot at the other end of the kitchen, where I can eat my warm chicken in peace, although I suspect the chicken-only is short lived and kibble will find it’s way back into my bowl soon. Oops, here comes the evil eye ….
My author boss, Susan has been very busy this week, updating the first book in the Sophie Series. As you know book two, Heart of Sophie’s War is at the editors and she decided to revise book one
Prelude to Sophie’s War. The beginning was a bit weird a flash back that didn’t work but I’m a dog, what do I know. So, Susan re-wrote the beginning, starting the story at The Sackville Hotel, where Sophie worked and had her heartbroken for the second time, all this before she went to London to nurse. Psst! Susan went a little nuts, one chapter turned into three and the words poured onto the page, some serious tweaking is called for, but the story is really good.
The Blue Pendant is Susan’s biggest selling novel and the first in The Sackville Hotel Trilogy If you like the elegance of Edwardian Society and decades spanning adventures you’ll love this trio. Start reading Anna’s story in The Blue Pendant. Take a peak at the new cover. It will take sometime before the new print cover shows on the books. E-book or paperback click here
The prequel Ruins in Silk .99c or free (e-book only), also available in paperback on Amazon. The story of Sophie’s young life in Lucca Italy on her father’s silk farm and in Derby England at the family’s silk mill but tragedy strikes and Sophie’s life is dramatically changed. Book 1 of the series Prelude to Sophie’s War is set at the Bartley Hospital in London England as Sophie starts her nursing career and before she nurses in the Great War.
Sophie’s story continues in Prelude to Sophie’s War – London 1915, German Zeppelin attacks are not the only thing Sophie battles at Bartley Hospital. Will her courage be enough to keep her sane and alive? Watch for revised content and new cover to be released soon and then Book 2 Heart of Sophie’s War will follow.
The Blue Pendant and Book 2 Anna’s Legacy Book 3 Sarah’s Choice All ebooks and paperbacks on Amazon. Please, pretty please, take a minute and write a review after you read the books. Thank you!
If you like the elegance of Edwardian society, bold characters, and decades-spanning adventures, then you’ll love this historical fiction trio. New covers coming in the next a week or so.
The Sackville Hotel Trilogy – Ebook Box Set Click here for details
She defies Edwardian protocol. Avoids marriage, but loves twice. Anna’s epic story of a strong woman’s determination and courage spans two continents and three decades.
Classic trilogy, historical, family saga, from the drawing rooms of the Edwardian era to ruthless spies of the 60s Cold War.
Lavender Cottage books, now available as a series in e-book and e-book box set, also in paperback, Click here for the whole series
Susan’s Reader News if you’d like to receive it in your Inbox click here. Issued 3 or 4 times a year.
Save Some for Me – A single mother’s memoir
Could you survive an abusive man and raise five children alone?
This was a brave, insightful, revealing, and well written book of what must be one of the hardest experiences any person can go through. The courage and grace with which you tell this story is a truly affective reading experience……. Judge’s commentary: Writer’s Digest
Click for the retailer of your choice. Available in paperback or e-book.
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The Blue Pendant 
wonder if there are any socks in there. Usually I have to wait until bedtime then I paw at Susan’s feet urging her to get her socks off. Aha, that pile of laundry is easy prey. Keeping one eye on Susan, I nudge my nose in the laundry. Yippee, eau de foot. Careful now, Susan hasn’t noticed yet, I quietly tug on a pink one and shake the heck out of it. ‘Ah, that was good.’ Oops! Susan spotted me. She’s laughing, well, that’s an insult. Oh, she’s pulling my sock. I’m not having that so I pull harder. A battle has begun, Susan wins the first one, but I’m clever I know socks
shivering. Hee-hee, get it, Western and its cold on both fronts. I thought that was clever. Okay maybe not, but I’m a dog remember? Last week we talked about the completion of Heart of Sophie’s War. During the first re-write … really! There’s more than one rewrite? Oh well, Susan knows best. I listen intently as she reads aloud, it helps her pick up weird words or muddled sentences. It’s a good job as 
the grammar police would have a field day and they can be brutal. As the story progresses, winter is setting in at the casualty clearing station and it’s getting cold on the Western Front, snow and freezing temperatures. I was shivering just listening. These poor nurses lived in canvas tents surrounded by frost and snow,
read with accuracy and humour. First published in 1917 and republished in 2014. Well, that has taken the wind out of my sails, I maybe shivering on the cold Western front of Ottawa but I have a warm apartment to sleep in and my walks last ten minutes when it’s cold, even shorter when the wind chill is
The
treat injured horses and dogs. Nanny, a dog with injured paws has arrived at the Casualty Clearing Station. She is a special dog who not only sniffs and finds injured soldiers but stays with them, comforts them and keeps them warm until help arrives. Because of her protective nature the soldiers nicknamed her Nanny. Has anyone else noticed how often Susan has dogs in her books? 
dogs, BuddyBoy who belongs to Katie and Arthur belonging to Piers and Katie’s best friend has two Gold Retrievers. I notice I am not in this series. Huh! I am proud to be a dog, we are very clever, including me. I protect Susan form all kinds of things, I may be small but I’m mighty!
the enormous needle that is unceremoniously jabbed into haunches. Usually Susan holds me and cuddles me but not this time because of this Covid thing, a stranger, not even our usual vet, came out to the car grabbed me and ran off. I thought, this is it I’ve been dognapped and I’ll never see Susan again. I expected Susan to panic and run after me but, no, she just sat in the car and watched, that deserve retaliation. Thank goodness I was safely returned.
this Zoom thing. It must be a bit cramped; no social distancing there and be warned nobody wears a mask in Zoom. I like to attend all Susan’s Zoom meetings. As soon as I hear a voice coming from the laptop, I’m on Susan’s lap, hee-hee, not the laptop, although that’s not a bad idea. I listen for familiar voices, 
from people who used to visit before this corona thing. I have to say it is very confusing for a dog, I hear my name and kind of see someone in this little square on the laptop screen, sometimes there are two or three squares and other times it is a mass of squares. My head goes form side to side, every time I hear Miss Penny, I’m trying hard to understand and would really like to sniff this person and maybe get a pat or two, but nothing happens, just a voice, so disappointing and frustrating. Susan agrees with the frustrating part, but I think that has to do with the technology. I had better get on with my job and talk about writing before I get the evil eye.
