You need nerves of steel to come out as a writer. I do, anyway. But after 18 months of “transitioning,” it’s time. Hello, my name is Suzanne and I’m a writer.

It’s a challenging, fascinating time to be a writer. The writing process is really just the same as it ever was — butt in seat, words on the page. Publishing, on the other hand, is completely different than it was ten or even five years ago and its opportunities and pitfalls seem to change from week to week. Figuring out how to get your book or story or poem published seems incredibly daunting — a veritable smorgasbord.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. At the moment, my focus is writing. I am in the throes of completing a historical novel. It’s about a British naval officer at the time of the Napoleonic Wars who has a successful career, his problematic marriage, and his entanglement with another woman. So, not a romance. But romantic enough. Jane Austen meets Patrick O’Brian, to be aspirational about it. Only with a little more going on in the bedroom.

Oh, and somehwhere around here, I have the draft for a mystery, too.

So that’s me, firing up this blog. I want to write about books and writing and writers (I’ve met so many warm and bright ones in the last year), life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, travels near and far, and whatever else I’m burning to talk about.

Welcome aboard! Please tell me about yourself in the comments and let me know what you like to read. Also, please tell me if you have a blog or are on The Twitter or Facebook so I can connect with you. I would love to hear from you.