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Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Value of Patience

Giveaway Alert: Comment on this blog post for a chance to win a RB4U T-shirt, size XL! Be sure to leave your email address with your comment. I will pick a random winner on February 3rd. Note: We only ship to US or Canada.


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Patience is a virtue--unless you are in a hurry.

I have never been a patient person. I think that there are many other people in today's instant-gratification society that aren't patient, either. Between the internet, on-demand telivision, and fast food resturants, people are used to getting what they want now and not a minute later. Even an extra five-minute wait at the drive-thru window is enough to get people annoyed. 

But life doesn't always give us what we want, does it? Sometimes things happen, and suddenly you are left feeling adrift. This happened to me a few weeks ago when my husband slipped on black ice over asphalt and broke his femur in six places. Needless to say, it was a life-changing experience.

For legal reasons, I can't give the details of the accident or his recovery, but you can imagine that it will be a long road for both of us before our lives return to anything even remotely close to normal. Most of my writing has been put aside to handle his care--and it is a lot of care. Not only did his femur break, but he has suffered nerve damage, which will make his recovery even more difficult. We have a long, hard road ahead of us, but we are both determined. All of his doctors seem confident that he will walk and drive and enjoy life again--eventually. We just have to be patient, because it will be months, not weeks or days, before he's feeling like himself once more.

I say this not so that you can all feel bad or take pity on us. Believe me, we have a strong marriage and we're both very stubborn. We'll roll with the punches life has handed us together. No, I say this because I was asked to answer some interview questions to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my personal life. As I was reading over the questions, I realized that in many of the cases, what was true a month ago, isn't true now, and most likely won't be true in teh spring. My life is in a state of flux, and right now I'm just taking things one day, sometimes one hour, at a time.

There are a couple of questions I can answer, however, and I'll do so below.


Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books?

All the time. I think a writer would be lying if they said that things around them in their everyday life have no influence on their stories. For me, I write as a form of therapy to deal with life's difficulties. I have a reoccuring theme in my stories where the main character(s) go thorugh a path of self-discovery and gain confidence in who they are as people. Quite often this involves shedding society's expectations of them and forming some new view of themself and the world around them. This is something very close to my heart. For me, it's important to stay true to yourself and to follow your passion. Life is too short to do anything else.

How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?

I have too many ideas, and not enough writing time, lol. Whenever I get an idea, I write it down in a word document and keep it in a folder on my computer.

If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be?

Don't be in such a hurry, or sweat the small stuff. Be grateful for the little pleasures in life and know that everything will happen for you in its own time.

Are you going to any conferences this year?

Because of my husband's condition, conferences are out of the question for the first half of the year. I will be at RWA in July, however. This will be my first time attending. Hope to see you there!

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Thanksgiving, because it's about being grateful and family. It isn't over-commercialized like some other holidays.

What is your favorite food/drink?

Sushi is my favorite food. The drink depends on my mood. It's either a good cup of strong coffee, or a dry, red wine.

Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?

Oh, summer, definitely. My favorite summer activity is sitting out on my back deck with my computer and either reading or writing. I have a nice, cold drink next to me, of course!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below. I'll do my best to answer them. :)

Bio:

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

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Note: My addition is Conquista, the second book in the Junlge Heat series:

Rev up the heat and take a ride on the wild side with Rio's newest off-road motorcyclist in "Conquista" by Suzanne Rock.

Like us on Goodreads for up-to-the-minute information.

You can find Suzanne in these places:


18 comments:

Sandy said...

Dear Suzanne,
I'd missed seeing you on the loop, and now I know why. I'm so sorry for your husband. The nerve pain will probably stay with him the rest of his life and crop up from time to time.

I have fibromyalgia and neuropathy due to a car accident that damaged the mylin around my spine. The rest will heal in time. It will get better.

Maybe this was meant to be so, you can both learn patience. What a drastic way to learn though. Whatever it does, it will bring you closer.

Hugs,
Sandy


Nicole Morgan said...

I'm so sorry for all you've had to go through. Sending healing thoughts, and hopes that his recovery will be speedy and full.

Shared your post! :)

Paris said...

Suzanne,

Attitude is everything, well, almost everything when it comes to recovery and you guys sound as if you have a have a great outlook. Sending some good thoughts your way:) Best of luck with your upcoming release!

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Suzanne! You and your hubby sound like very strong people which equals a good outcome for all. Seven years ago, Handsome had throat cancer--who knows how he got it? Couldn't worry about that. What we had to do is keep him strong and get through treatments. I tossed writing aside, but not writing related like reading, critiquing, workshops, etc. All is good and remained so since. I'm very lucky.

jean hart stewart said...

I'm applauding your excellent attitude in coping with this blip in life. If we live long enough we all have these blasted crises and yours is daunting. Be sure you and your husband will be in all our thoughts.

Melissa Keir said...

I'm sorry about your husband. I know so much about the long road to recovery from my mom. She faced a lot of changes after she came out of her coma.

I will send healing thoughts. I'm not a patient person either. I have had to learn a lot as a writer.

I love the cover and look of your new book!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Patience can be one of the hardest lessons to learn on this planet. You and your husband will make it through this challenging time in the best way possible, thanks to your determination and solidarity. I'm sending good vibes your way. I hope to go to RWA this year too since it's in my "neck of the woods" -- haven't been to one since the last one held in Texas. Hope to see you there!

Rose Anderson said...

My wishes for a speedy recovery go out to your husband, Suzanne. Best luck on the upcoming release.

Suzanne Rock said...

Oh Sandy - I had no idea about the fibromyalgia! I'm so sorry. Yes, this has brought us closer, and has taught us to value things that we often take for granted - like walking. Thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne Rock said...

Hi Nicole! Thanks so much for sending healing thoughts. And for stopping by!

Suzanne Rock said...

Hi PAris! I agree - attitude IS everything! Thanks so much for leaving a comment!

Suzanne Rock said...

Hi Vicki!

Wow - I had no idea. I'm glad that you stayed strong and that he made it through his treatments. Yes, sometimes we need to put things aside to deal with the difficulties life throws at us. I'm so glad that things are better now. Thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne Rock said...

Thank you so much Jean. I appreciate your warm thoughts. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Suzanne Rock said...

Thanks so much Melissa. I can only magine the difficulties you went through with your mom. You're a strong woman! Thanks so much for stopping by - andthe compliments on the cover! :)

Suzanne Rock said...

Oh Gemma - that will be so much fun! If you go, then we definitely need to connect. I've never been to Texas before, but have heard great things about it. I can hardly wait to go! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Suzanne Rock said...

Thanks so much for your well wishes, Rose. I appreciate it! Thanks for leaving a comment, too! :)

Suzanne Rock said...

Okay, now it's time to pick a winner...I did it through random.org because I want to be fair. :)

And the winner of the T-shirt is...

Jean Hart Stewart (January 30th 1:06pm)

Congrats! Please send your email address to Marianne at

marianne (at) mariannestephens (dot) net

Put "Suzanne's RB4U T-shirt winner in the subject line and we'll get your prize out to you. Thank you everyone for participating!

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