Hi, my friends. Happy Holidays during this meaningful season. I’ve had a very productive few months and need to take some time to rejuvenate. I absolutely love living alone and not taking care of anyone but myself. And Rocky, my dog, of course, which is a pleasure not a chore. After two marriages and being a single mom from the time my daughters were 1 and 3, this is my first experience of living alone.
I am enjoying writing any time I want to, day or night, setting up my apartment and my kitchen exactly how I want it to be, eating when I want, what I want, dealing with just myself, not the moods of someone else, doing things I really enjoy, like staring into space while I create a new character, watching the birds, enjoying my own imagination, and my creative process.
It’s been 9 months since I arrived here in Jonesborough, TN, and I finally feel like I have arrived. I am very much enjoying my new friends. My confidence is returning after a rough few years. And I am beginning to remember who I am again. In a way, it feels like I have been heading toward this moment for years. A time for peace and enjoying my own company.
I’ve been doing a lot of soul-seaching. The questions I am asking myself are: How can I be of value now? Where am i needed? Is there anything beyond writing? Or in addition to writing that i need to be doing?
I am listening and waiting for the answer.
The cozy mystery i am writing now will be the first of a series of maybe 5-10 books. God -willing and the creek don’t rise.
I’ve decided to take a couple of weeks off and enjoy this season of new birth. I will be thinking about you, wishing you well, sending you love. 💕
The paid subscription members of this community get perks and have received 3 chapters of my new cozy mystery called First Things First. (Chapter 4 is ready to go, but I will wait until after my retreat to post it. I imagine that you are busy and won’t miss me anyway.) They will probably get the whole book.
I hope you will consider becoming a paid subscriber. It helps me pay my rent. You can do that for as little as $6 a month. I get $4.02 of that deposited in my bank.
That's all for now. See you in a couple of weeks.
Love you! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work.
Someone has asked if they can mail me a check to become a paid subscriber. Yes, of course. Email me at susan@susangabriel.com and I will tell you how to do that. Thanks for the question!
Sending you love, dear one!