tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36921377722382380932024-03-13T19:24:32.020-07:00Rowena's ThoughtsRowena Sudbury publishes M/M novels with Dreamspinner Press. Her first book The King's Tale is available now.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-6765241757212042332016-05-08T13:08:00.001-07:002016-05-08T13:08:48.796-07:00An update on me...<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm still here!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just checking in to say that in just about five weeks I will
retire from my day job. I don't think this will sink in until it happens. Part
of me thinks I can work for another couple of years, but most of me knows that
it's time to step down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This might be old news, but three years ago this month I was
diagnosed with breast cancer. People find it hard to believe, but that was the
easy part. Pathology revealed that there was a micro-invasive component of the
tumor, so I underwent six months of chemotherapy. It was difficult, don't get
me wrong, but I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A month after
chemo ended I started experiencing complications. Eventually I ended up in the
emergency room. After a week's worth of tests I was diagnosed with a bowel
obstruction, and a large mass in my abdomen. Unfortunately, the blood tests
indicated a chance there was more cancer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Five weeks after chemo ended I had a massive surgery. The
tumor was benign, but I had part of my colon removed, and was left with an
ileostomy. Since I was weakened by the chemo, as you can imagine, I did not
heal well after this surgery. I went back to the ER twice, and spent a month in
a rehabilitation hospital, and then received the unfortunate news that I needed
more surgery. And then after that, even more surgery. Three major surgeries
between March 27, 2014 and March 24, 2015.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once all that was done it was back to reconstruction
surgery. I'm glad to say that the last of those procedures was completed two
weeks ago. It took me a while, but I finally realized...hey, I'm all done. Now
it's just 6-monthly visits with the oncologist until I hit the magic five year
mark.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for my writing career...every three months I still get a
royalty check, and it warms my heart. I know I've said this before, but I do
intend to complete the King's Trilogy. With retirement on the horizon, it's
more of a reality now than it ever has been. After that I'm not sure.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To close, I'd again like to thank all of you who have
supported me during this trying journey. I don't venture out much these days,
but it's good to know there are still people out there who care.</div>
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Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-56659475245583497952014-06-19T11:44:00.000-07:002014-06-19T11:44:08.222-07:00Another country heard from..When I was young, that's what my mom would say when one of us piped in on a family discussion. So, here I am, piping in after what seems like a very long time.<br />
<br />
I was very open about my struggle with breast cancer. I didn't mind sharing all the ins and outs, and ups and downs of getting diagnosed, having a mastectomy, and going through chemotherapy. It felt good for me to be sharing it somehow.<br />
<br />
I finished my last round of chemo on February 21, and was declared in remission. I'll never be cured as the cancer got into my lymph nodes, so apparently there's always a chance it will come back. I felt great for a week, started to get back to feeling good again. And then, everything started to go downhill.<br />
<br />
Although I was open about my breast cancer, I feel less inclined to be open about the roller coaster ride I've been on since the middle of March. Perhaps it's that I feel protective of myself. I'm convinced that what touched the whole nightmare off was the aftermath of chemo, starting with one of the more troublesome side effects and going forward into trying to recover from massive surgery a mere four weeks after chemo finished. My body just gave out and said, "no more, I can't do anything more now except make you worse." It was a classic case of what can go wrong will go wrong.<br />
<br />
I'm not really better yet. I still have a few lingering nasties to deal with. I have little to no energy, but I am working with a physical therapist 3 times a week, and through that I'm able to do small things like go grocery shopping (did that this week for the first time since March). Of course, I have no stamina for writing, so again that will have to wait.<br />
<br />
I have realized that I've let a few things lag that I'd intended to keep up with. First of all the "Wow" I was posting on Facebook. I was almost done with The King's Heart, and I suppose I can muster up the energy to finish that off. The other thing was the character journal entries for Brad and Scott. I finished Scott's, but still have to tackle Brad. Not sure if or when I'll get to that.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-89958853444452772942014-02-01T16:43:00.001-08:002014-02-01T16:59:28.590-08:00Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgNlzFdi-rczEE4JrNKjeMXEI4kz6oI-FZVhyETnyAiVuUbrwRezFsgYe6l8bTzybJGOO1p3bhuPPC8qLP45JL6EuNbfrJL8QO7SRE3ap5YFVH4Soiz1BjHkYqBUsvtL-zrISyC2OrXU/s1600/bigstock-Female-boxer-5696005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgNlzFdi-rczEE4JrNKjeMXEI4kz6oI-FZVhyETnyAiVuUbrwRezFsgYe6l8bTzybJGOO1p3bhuPPC8qLP45JL6EuNbfrJL8QO7SRE3ap5YFVH4Soiz1BjHkYqBUsvtL-zrISyC2OrXU/s1600/bigstock-Female-boxer-5696005.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm nearing the end of the hard part of my breast cancer battle. I started six months of chemotherapy in early September, and I now have three weeks left. I think this has been the hardest battle of my life. The first three months were the most difficult with the harsh chemo, and the last three months were supposed to get easier. In some ways they are easier, but in other ways it is just as hard.<br />
<br />
During this enforced down time I have had a lot of time to think about my writing. My brain is too scattered and fatigued to do any actual writing. Instead I've been posting something called the "WOW" at my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RowenaSudbury" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Basically it's an expanded synopsis, only I'm not giving away endings. There have been a lot of excerpts though. I started with <i>The King's Tale</i>, and I am now working on <i>The King's Heart</i>. One decision I have made is that as soon as my head clears I intend to pick up work on the third book in <b>The King's Trilogy</b>, <i>The King's Son</i>. This is mainly because sales for "Blue Moon" and "Red Sunset" have fallen off. Unfortunately I've realized two things about those books, I should have waited and published them as a full-fledged novel (along with the planned third novella in that series "Purple Dawn"). "Blue Moon" seemed to be well received, but "Red Sunset" was born into chaos, and I believe it is completely misunderstood. So, the project is shelved for the time being.<br />
<br />
While on the subject of chaos, I once stumbled over some discussion of my work on an Amazon discussion thread. I've fortunately never been able to find this discussion again because some fairly mean things were said about me, and my work. Primarily the one contributor seemed to think that <i>The King's Tale </i>was perfect the way it was, and I was purposely torturing my characters by continuing the saga of Christopher and Dafydd. Okay, that's one person's opinion, but I had always meant to continue the story, even as I toiled away on <i>The King's Tale</i>. In my mind it isn't torture at all. This contributor went on the say my contemporary work all sucks. Well, that hurt.<br />
<br />
<i>The King's Son</i> will be the story of Anwyll, and Christopher and Dafydd will suffer no more torture at my hands. Or not much anyway. When I read my notes for how I intend to end the book I suppose it might come across as torturous...but that remains to be seen.<br />
<br />
I sincerely hope to dive into my writing once summer comes. That is going to be my reward to myself for staying strong through this cancer turmoil.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-25367996374331567012013-12-17T15:48:00.000-08:002013-12-17T15:48:02.005-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLSJi8dvBr2hktdZ3bsvhaWnNuGQiyIpKAYSUJpCd-eFOgIBTB6WCiIGR6n11fM6O5DLi7vgd5iNhkHx3SNpe-terDApTKe2GcPHDjit_f2x1ZP-zPFjtCMmmJKsFAFYhBJpye2YzJTQ/s1600/scott.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLSJi8dvBr2hktdZ3bsvhaWnNuGQiyIpKAYSUJpCd-eFOgIBTB6WCiIGR6n11fM6O5DLi7vgd5iNhkHx3SNpe-terDApTKe2GcPHDjit_f2x1ZP-zPFjtCMmmJKsFAFYhBJpye2YzJTQ/s1600/scott.png" /></a></div>
<br />
If you have read <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2702">Blue Moon</a> or <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3792">Red Sunset</a> and are curious about the characters, here is the first of the "autobiographies"...this one is for Scott O'Doul.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/88740.html">The Story of my Life: Scott O'Doul</a><br />
<br />
<br />Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-65875654628172744752013-11-16T09:17:00.002-08:002013-11-16T09:17:25.165-08:00Revisit The King's Tale via the Weekly Wow...<div id="fb-root">
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Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-55325590778811493912013-11-14T08:02:00.002-08:002013-11-14T08:02:49.399-08:00Update on my struggle with Breast Cancer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHt4brlhTpHUZH2VDFQxT5VC29A7p7ntYpqJ-2NNtfFCLmYeiK2R5VRRRtlfnIzx18TagTCtSA3Ac49uZJHQXanrtiRXYDFlSfJvkqyWTWMSmemSPzC3MQBkDlGBPc1joDJAcwsfhymI/s1600/shutterstock_97614038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHt4brlhTpHUZH2VDFQxT5VC29A7p7ntYpqJ-2NNtfFCLmYeiK2R5VRRRtlfnIzx18TagTCtSA3Ac49uZJHQXanrtiRXYDFlSfJvkqyWTWMSmemSPzC3MQBkDlGBPc1joDJAcwsfhymI/s320/shutterstock_97614038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Just a short update about my health.<br />
<br />
The last I wrote I was facing chemotherapy, and as of yesterday I have completed four rounds of the heavier chemo (cytoxan and adriamycin). It has not been without its struggles as I experienced an uncommon reaction from the first round (chills and high fevers, and four days where I was barely functional). In a few weeks I start on 12 weeks of lighter chemo (taxol). A few months after that we go back to completing the reconstruction.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the chemo has affected me to the point where I have not been able to return to my day job. I was disabused of the notion that I'd be writing every day, as I have a hard time concentrating long enough.<br />
<br />
To fill up time, the other day I read a diary I kept during my junior and senior years in high school. Aside from making me cringe and laugh at myself, I noticed that I did have the writing bug even back then. I mentioned three novels I wanted to write, and I frequently wrote little stories for myself. It was uplifting in a funny way.<br />
<br />
I have two projects I'm trying to do to keep myself "out there." First of all, I'm revisiting my novels via a "weekly wow" on my Facebook page. I am posting them here too for anyone who is interested. I'm also planning to write two character journal entries. They will be "where did I come from" sketches for Brad and Scott from Blue Moon/Red Sunset.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, I spend my day playing solitaire on my phone, and watching the Food Network.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-46631813104007908672013-08-30T10:04:00.002-07:002013-08-30T10:20:33.854-07:00A new post about my health: Breast Cancer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQOLDPwt7YM1ktUpMZP2ADezFS_4bjm0FYRp_0PLB0oeumCAl_70wYwdqs9Kt-iwSslO3wQ9BmFJpn3V-AOnwmYDCa8zcHocEcODk2MAesNt3eO4MiJNTCsw3UVmTs0-g_W1J5iFKUiQ/s1600/bigstock-Heart-on-the-palm-26935460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQOLDPwt7YM1ktUpMZP2ADezFS_4bjm0FYRp_0PLB0oeumCAl_70wYwdqs9Kt-iwSslO3wQ9BmFJpn3V-AOnwmYDCa8zcHocEcODk2MAesNt3eO4MiJNTCsw3UVmTs0-g_W1J5iFKUiQ/s320/bigstock-Heart-on-the-palm-26935460.jpg" /></a></div>
Whenever I get something major wrong with me, it's never something normal. <br />
<br />
When I was in my early twenties, my lung collapsed four times before it was properly diagnosed. When it was, I was told that a spontaneous pneumothorax was a rare thing, and I turned up in the minority. Two major lung surgeries later (both before I turned 25) and I was cured. I had a suspicion I wasn't done with being weird medically though.<br />
<br />
Here's a brief rundown of my fight with breast cancer:<br />
<ol>
<li>February: I had my routine mammogram.</li>
<li>Soon after the center called to request I have it re-done.</li>
<li>March: Re-take of the mammogram and an ultrasound.</li>
<li>The attending radiologist said I should have a biopsy.</li>
<li>Biopsy.</li>
<li>Next came a phone call from my doctor, he said they found pre-cancerous cells. I fell apart.</li>
<li>I met with a surgeon. He reassured me that the lab results from the biopsy showed I had something called an intraductal papilloma. Basically, there was a blockage in one of my milk ducts. Common, and in 95% of the cases it's benign. I breathed a sigh of relief. </li>
<li>May: I had a lumpectomy, which is now classified as a partial mastectomy.</li>
<li>The surgeon reported, when I went for the results, that I had something called encapsulated papillary carcinoma. It's very rare. So rare neither he nor the pathologist had ever seen a case of it. There were surgical margins, which meant there was still some of it left inside my breast. He presented 2 options, either go in for another lumpectomy, or have a full mastectomy. He said I could wait a few weeks, and during that time he'd consult with colleagues.</li>
<li>I went to see an oncologist. The oncologist confirmed the cursory Internet research I'd done, encapsulated papillary carcinoma occurs in .5 to 1% of breast cancer cases. He had also never seen a case of it. He recommended full mastectomy. He also said because it was encapsulated I wouldn't need chemotherapy.</li>
<li>June: I went back to the surgeon. He had spent ten days meeting with colleagues and the chief pathologist at the hospital. The pathologist said he wanted to review both results (from the biopsy and the lumpectomy) because he, the surgeon, and all the colleagues agreed that it seemed implausible that the diagnosis went from something benign to a really rare form of cancer. In the mean time, he said mastectomy was the way to go.</li>
<li>I went to see the plastic surgeon. He gave me the rundown on what to expect for reconstruction.</li>
<li>July: surgery scheduled for the 17th. On the morning of surgery, the surgeon came to see me in pre-op. He said that the pathologist had reviewed everything, and the diagnosis was changed. It was now considered common ductal carcinoma in situ (dcis). It was still a good prognosis though, because in situ means it is contained in the ducts. He expected they'd get all of it out, and that I'd be done.</li>
<li>I stayed in the hospital two nights because the plastic surgeon (the most compassionate doctor I have in this whole nightmare) felt I needed more time to heal.</li>
<li>Two weeks after surgery I went to see the surgeon, and the diagnosis changed again. They did remove an expansive dcis tumor. The surgeon quipped it was a "football field" (7.5 cm. According to a book the oncologist gave me, that's the size of a lime). There were no margins, so this time they did get it all. But...there was also a micro-invasive form of cancer both at the site of the dcis, and also in one of the four lymph nodes they removed. Prior to surgery they injected a radio-active isotope in my breast. During surgery they use a "Geiger counter" type thing to find what they call the sentinel node (the first lymph node in the chain). He removed two lymph nodes, and they were evaluated while the surgery continued. They looked "weird" so he went and got two more. This micro-invasive cancer (the cells were 1 mm in size) was only found in one of the four lymph nodes.</li>
<li>I went back to see the oncologist. He had a hasty phone call with the pathologist right before seeing me (I heard him in the hallway). Bottom line, no matter how weird this is (the pathologist says in the report that it's "unusual to find micro invasive cancer with dcis, and that it raises questions") there was cancer outside of the breast, so the best course of action is an estrogen blocking medication, and chemotherapy. There's a website he used to show the odds, and the best odds for the cancer not coming back is a 6 month round of chemotherapy, and then the estrogen blocking drug for 5 years.</li>
<li>I had a CT scan. Fortunately I finally caught a break in all this trauma, the CT scan was clean, no other cancer was found. This means that the surgery got it all. But, the chemo and the estrogen blockers are to help ensure it doesn't come back. Since I still have my right breast, this is the way to go.</li>
</ol>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">So....my first chemotherapy treatment is September 4th, two days after my birthday. I'm told I will feel terrible for about a week. I'm also told I'll lose my hair. There will be a total of four heavy duty treatments, but the first one is the worst. Once those are done, there will be a weekly treatment, but it supposedly easier to deal with. I met the chemo nurses at the oncologist's office, they say I have a positive attitude, and that's half the battle.
</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">I'm kind of a strange person. I tell people I'm not very curious. In other words, there are a lot of people who have wanted to take me under their wing and tell me exactly what they think will happen to me during chemo. I don't want to know. I want to find out as it happens. It might be different for me. Prime example of this is the tissue expansion process I'm going through. Countless people told me how much it would hurt, and that it's "worse than the surgery." I've found that it's not. Yes, it hurts, but it's not that bad. Believe me, so far nothing I've experienced has been worse than lung surgery...not even giving birth to a ten pound baby naturally!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">
What I recommend to all women is to get your annual checkup. I've had yearly mammograms since I turned 45. Even though this mass they removed was "the size of a lime"...I didn't feel it. The ob/gyn didn't feel it during my annual check up. I'm going to make it through this nightmare, and I'll be the one in five years saying "I made it."</span>Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-44789669736217011702013-05-25T09:40:00.002-07:002013-05-25T09:40:43.091-07:00A post about my health...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I never planned to go public with this because I thought it
would be all over by now, but at each juncture it gets more out of control. So,
I've decided to share this crazy story.<br />
<br />
In February I had my annual mammogram. A week later they called to tell me I
needed to have it redone, and that I had to schedule it for a time when the
radiologist was there. Because that would mean taking a day off from work, I
opted to do it on the first day of my Spring Break. Also, I had major lung
surgery 30 years ago, and I suspected that whatever they were seeing was scar
tissue from that surgery as the adhesions have been bothering me more lately.
During that second mammogram they also did an ultrasound, and that's when I
began to suspect something might really be wrong. They found a mass. Of course
it was impossible to tell anything about it from the ultrasound, other than the
fact that it didn't look anything like a cyst. They scheduled me for a biopsy
the following week.<br />
<br />
During the biopsy, usually if the needle is inserted and the mass deflates then
it is a cyst, and they take a fluid sample to test. Unfortunately, that didn't
happen, and in fact I heard the doctor say the word necrotic tissue. This also
led me to believe it was left over scar tissue. They took a tissue sample,
inserted a marker, and I was done.<br />
<br />
Three days later the doctor called to tell me they'd found pre-cancerous cells.
I panicked, as you can imagine. The following week I called a surgeon to make
an appointment, and through scheduling conflicts and all, the appointment
wasn't until the end of April. During that appointment I was informed that it
was an intraductal papilloma, and that in 95% of those cases there's no cancer
involved. I had to have what sounded like a fairly complicated procedure to
remove the tissue, and that was scheduled for mid May.<br />
<br />
For that procedure I had to go back to the imaging center, and during a
mammogram they inserted a needle in the spot where the marker was left. This
was worse than it sounds, being trapped in the mammogram machine for almost 20
minutes! A wire was attached to the marker and pulled through the skin, and I
was admonished to move as little as possible on the ride back to the surgery clinic.
From that point on it was pretty straight forward. They put me under local
anesthesia, and removed the mass. It then had to be sent back to the imaging
center to ensure the marker was removed, and I stayed under anesthesia while
that happened. I had two days recovery, and on the third day I had the most
pain, but I'm pretty much back to normal now.<br />
<br />
The pathology reports were ready yesterday, and because we all thought I'd get
a clean bill of health, my husband didn't go with me to the appointment. My son
took me over, but he wasn't in the room with me when I got the news...I have
cancer. It's an encapsulated carcinoma, and apparently it's very rare to have
one in the breast. In fact, the surgeon has never seen it before, so he says he
needs to meet with his colleagues to discuss it. Even in the lab where they
analyzed the results the conferred with one another according to the report. We
agreed that we'd either talk with him on the phone, or make another appointment
before we decide exactly what to do. There are 2 options, the more radical of
which is a full mastectomy.<br />
<br />
Just like when I write m/m romance novels, I can't do anything normally. I
write a historical romance, and while the history is fairly accurate, the
homosexual history is not. Thus, The King's Tale is a hybrid that is
either scorned, or loved. My health has always been that way too. When I was in
my early twenties, both of my lungs collapsed spontaneously. Fortunately not at
the same time, but it was something that was very rare. So now, while the
prognosis for this type of cancer I have is good (it says that right on the
pathology report, and the doctor said to me, "If you had to get cancer,
this is the kind you'd want to get!"), it's still something out of the
ordinary. My husband made me cry yesterday when I told him I can't do anything
normal, he said "That's why I love you!"<br />
<br />
I don't mean to dwell on this, so I won't update about it again until it's
hopefully all over. That was the reason why I had kept my silence until now...I
was hoping it would be "nothing."</div>
Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-89394967160502092172013-05-04T14:24:00.003-07:002013-05-04T14:30:15.278-07:00News on Reviews...First of all, let me share a terrific five star review for Red Sunset from Top2Bottom Reviews:<br />
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<a href="http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/red-sunset-by-rowena-sudbury/">http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/red-sunset-by-rowena-sudbury/</a></div>
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And secondly, I was remiss in mentioning that The King's Tale & The King's Heart received a high honor from Two Lips reviews, both are marked as Recommended Reads!<br />
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<br />Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-40095300196934214462013-04-17T15:27:00.001-07:002013-04-17T15:27:28.003-07:00Red Sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbYMxG4jl3UfkfJhonXg4FCIDyemTlPoyYBziYQz6DrORKNpRepxyllmfeQLtbGLsdBanwSBSVD-l2gNU6QMcVvxQUvLaS3LvJ7IqFhq9MfxSjcEUyAVJaeTKC0ZT4RzA1tqG17TAvtg/s1600/rs-150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbYMxG4jl3UfkfJhonXg4FCIDyemTlPoyYBziYQz6DrORKNpRepxyllmfeQLtbGLsdBanwSBSVD-l2gNU6QMcVvxQUvLaS3LvJ7IqFhq9MfxSjcEUyAVJaeTKC0ZT4RzA1tqG17TAvtg/s1600/rs-150.jpg" /></a></div>
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Red Sunset -- April 17, 2013</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding love in the wrestling arena is unlikely, and a
relationship based on the illusion of control isn't easy. Scott
O’Doul and Brad Fraser have managed both: one night under a blue moon's light
they found they meant more to each other than either expected. Their
comfortable world is shattered when Brad is released, and he must head to Japan
if he wants to keep wrestling. The work is exciting but lonely—six weeks seems
an eternity. Once Brad and Scott reunite, they vacation at a lakeside cabin and
find the miles apart have brought them closer—but they’ll need courage if
illusion of control is to become the heart of love. </div>
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Available at <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3792">Dreamspinner Press</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sunset-ebook/dp/B00CE3FT0W/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366237612&sr=1-4&keywords=rowena+sudbury">Amazon</a>.</div>
Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-87350130371176176612013-03-31T17:13:00.000-07:002013-03-31T17:13:20.360-07:00Contractions are a Thing<br />
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I'm not sure why people get so up in arms over contractions.
It's like they're the new adverbs or something. I've read, in more than one
place, people saying they couldn't get into a book because of a lack of
contraction usage. Really?<br />
<br />
The original place I read it was in a review of <i>Blue Moon</i>. The reviewer
didn't like the fact that Scott rarely used contractions.<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, along with the fact that <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">nothing ever
happens</span> in my books, I really get into character building. I
was building Scott's character with his lack of contractions. I don't want to
give too much away about <i>Red Sunset</i>, but Scott is beginning to unbend, and
now he's starting to use contractions. Maybe after <i>Red Sunset</i> comes
out I'll write another post about that.<br />
<br />
The latest knock on contractions came in a generic post about medieval
romances. The person didn't mention which medieval books they read, but since
I've written two myself my hackles went up. I got the impression that the
medieval speech was too difficult to read due to the lack of contractions.
Great. As if my semi-accurate speech patterns weren't enough, now there are
droves of readers who balk at the lack of contractions.<br />
<br />
I will not apologize for the lack of contractions in either my medieval or
contemporary works. I have my reasons for not using them (character building in
the contemporary works, and semi-accurate language in the medieval works). It's
just one more thing to add to the list of "why I'll never read your stuff
Rowena Sudbury!"</div>
Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-56429612857269048632013-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:002013-01-13T09:12:09.727-08:00Nothing ever happens...<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The writing isn't bad but the story is dull and the characters aren't fleshed out. When I read, I want to get wrapped up in the book and feel something but all I felt with this one was boredom. There are no emotional highs or lows and no excitement.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't get me wrong, this 2 star Amazon review for <i>Blue Moon</i> doesn't really irk me all that much. It's the person's opinion, nothing more. Granted, I read it and think...no highs? no lows? Whu....? Are you sure you were reading <i>my</i> book? But, whatever, I'm sure the knock was what the entry title suggests...<b><i>nothing happened</i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my books...nothing happens. They're love stories. My sole purpose in writing them is to study the human condition as it pertains to how love works on the emotions. There's no action. My characters aren't spies, or vampires, or shape-shifters. They don't do anything except exist in their worlds. They are kings, woodsmen....wrestlers! They live mundane little lives, but they burn with passion and have all the emotions that fill people who are in love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't get mad at people who read my books and are disappointed with the fact that nothing happens, and believe me, this is not the first time I've been accused of being "boring." Reading should be an escape after all. For me the escape is diving into someone else's normal world and going through all their ups and downs as they revolve around love. I'm fascinated by that, so I write <i><b>that</b></i>. I can see where that doesn't work for other people. It's kind of a shame when they feel the need to give low ratings for my work...as the above reviewer notes, the writing isn't bad. But...it happens, and I've grown accustomed to it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Twelve days into the new year, and I've still yet to write anything. Still trying to get my mind out of the whirlwind of things that have happened over the last few months, and I'm sure within a week, or two (or several) I'll be back at work on the next boring little book. I can't wait!</span><br />
Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-53184096742358887632012-12-29T10:43:00.000-08:002012-12-29T10:43:21.216-08:00Year End Reflections on Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As 2012 comes to a close, I spend a bit of time reflecting on writing <a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/78383.html">here</a> .Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-73893010767688610452012-11-17T11:54:00.001-08:002012-11-17T11:54:29.327-08:00Red Sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnonhOgim6QlLw1H10KyyB-0UlxzYSMwfhvP-BdXXxDmtVZsAueXkUcg8RWY1cU2sB2kWVq4IaT8ilZ4olV0uq9MncejObb6H7W4LfglUmAbwQLThaE7JB9FLtEFjTfhaKdFMKeNILH2Q/s1600/20935bqpj2x42l9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnonhOgim6QlLw1H10KyyB-0UlxzYSMwfhvP-BdXXxDmtVZsAueXkUcg8RWY1cU2sB2kWVq4IaT8ilZ4olV0uq9MncejObb6H7W4LfglUmAbwQLThaE7JB9FLtEFjTfhaKdFMKeNILH2Q/s320/20935bqpj2x42l9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased to report that Dreamspinner Press has accepted my novella Red Sunset. This is the sequel for Blue Moon. It will be published sometime in April or May of next year.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-3025853909598431302012-10-08T17:28:00.002-07:002012-10-08T17:28:46.559-07:00The King's HeartI read a nice little three star review on Amazon today for <i>The King's Heart</i>. The reviewer admitted they hadn't read <i>The King's Tale</i> first, and was disappointed that there wasn't more drama in <i>The King's Heart</i>. The speculation was that there was probably more drama in <i>The King's Tale</i>, and I reckon they are correct. At least in my mind there is a lot of drama in <i>The King's Tale</i>.<br />
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So, this leads me to something I've hinted at before. The original version of <i>The King's Heart </i>did have a pretty dramatic scene in it, but at the request of the publisher I removed it. I could see the publisher's point, and rather than inadvertently send the wrong message, I revised the story. This was tough work, as I had built up the story in a lot of places to counteract this scene I removed. I fought to leave all these scenes in, even though as this Amazon reviewer noted, a lot of the sex scenes were rendered pointless.<br />
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In any case, a three star review is a win in my book, so I marked the review "helpful."Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-67158448395355597962012-10-06T14:36:00.001-07:002012-10-06T14:36:31.820-07:00Passionate Cooks eCookbook!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HDECbCQ_pglklV8VGPEUHjSwhuYti9W9CXndCtLhSe0KX7CYbSNd9llRQec4jgblxJruRchJa605Njsj4-UwvVmQiPbIOb9uftoJC3_dtAf6yuAjVThVhD4EAzCOynp7_mKZ3xUKrk0/s1600/passionatecooks793X173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HDECbCQ_pglklV8VGPEUHjSwhuYti9W9CXndCtLhSe0KX7CYbSNd9llRQec4jgblxJruRchJa605Njsj4-UwvVmQiPbIOb9uftoJC3_dtAf6yuAjVThVhD4EAzCOynp7_mKZ3xUKrk0/s320/passionatecooks793X173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-passionatecooks-944744-174.html">The Passionate Cooks cookbook is now available!</a><br />
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I have a recipe included, and you can click <a href="http://www.arecafe.com/cafe-news/my-dreamy-pasta-salad-is-born/">here</a> if you want to read a little short featuring Brad and Scott from Blue Moon. They tell how the salad was created in the first place.Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-31894664445297141772012-09-30T08:32:00.001-07:002012-09-30T08:32:27.699-07:00Timeless DreamsThe other day I was looking at my titles on Amazon, and I noticed they finally include the "Timeless Dreams" classification. <i>The King's Tale </i>was among the very first books published by Dreamspinner Press in the Timeless Dreams category.<br />
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<i>A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma.</i><div>
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I'm glad to see this included in Amazon's description of the book, because I have received complaints that the books are not historically accurate when it comes to homosexual history. As I have stated countless times, I chose to ignore the history. It isn't that I was clueless about it, I did research it. My goal with the books was to write classic historical romance novels, like the m/f novels I grew up reading, only with two men instead of a man and a woman. That is why I was glad that DSP had, and still has, this category.</div>
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At the end of the day, I'd rather read about the romance.</div>
Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-22542690556725579292012-09-17T09:57:00.002-07:002012-09-17T09:57:35.163-07:00The King's Heart Reviewed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUfbnJZCPZlN3avCME94bvTEUG5BkTYY_lM3MbE0f6_nOQHiZcjbBb7JTzaUzv_5gWdb4bu99eP6-Y7G3k19Pl8w7aRxHYXRpliaMIIlWr0D9IqwfN7GEY2A8vX5dS4Nz74gJu_Xwajs/s1600/tkh-150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUfbnJZCPZlN3avCME94bvTEUG5BkTYY_lM3MbE0f6_nOQHiZcjbBb7JTzaUzv_5gWdb4bu99eP6-Y7G3k19Pl8w7aRxHYXRpliaMIIlWr0D9IqwfN7GEY2A8vX5dS4Nz74gJu_Xwajs/s1600/tkh-150.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Stop by to read about a fantastic review for <i>The King's Heart</i>! <a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/75925.html">Here!</a>Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-61120828550988724522012-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:002012-09-16T19:58:55.797-07:00Passionate Cooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HDECbCQ_pglklV8VGPEUHjSwhuYti9W9CXndCtLhSe0KX7CYbSNd9llRQec4jgblxJruRchJa605Njsj4-UwvVmQiPbIOb9uftoJC3_dtAf6yuAjVThVhD4EAzCOynp7_mKZ3xUKrk0/s1600/passionatecooks793X173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HDECbCQ_pglklV8VGPEUHjSwhuYti9W9CXndCtLhSe0KX7CYbSNd9llRQec4jgblxJruRchJa605Njsj4-UwvVmQiPbIOb9uftoJC3_dtAf6yuAjVThVhD4EAzCOynp7_mKZ3xUKrk0/s320/passionatecooks793X173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Coming soon from All Romance eBooks...the Passionate Cooks free eBook...more details soon!</div>
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FYI...this free eBook includes a recipe for the Dreamy Pasta Salad...courtesy of Rowena Sudbury!</div>
<br />Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-79158920205868443692012-09-09T17:44:00.000-07:002012-09-09T17:44:02.283-07:00Red SunsetYesterday I finished the rough draft on a story called "Red Sunset." It is the sequel for "Blue Moon"...if you're interested in reading an un-edited excerpt, stop by over <a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/75072.html">here</a> .Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-89512487898706325932012-08-26T09:18:00.001-07:002012-08-26T09:18:17.680-07:00Historical Romances<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stop by to read some thoughts on <i>The King's Tale</i> as well as an excerpt of <i>The King's Heart</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/73897.html">Click Here...</a>Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-77409179217935454512012-08-07T09:14:00.001-07:002012-08-07T09:14:14.084-07:00Summer Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnonhOgim6QlLw1H10KyyB-0UlxzYSMwfhvP-BdXXxDmtVZsAueXkUcg8RWY1cU2sB2kWVq4IaT8ilZ4olV0uq9MncejObb6H7W4LfglUmAbwQLThaE7JB9FLtEFjTfhaKdFMKeNILH2Q/s1600/20935bqpj2x42l9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnonhOgim6QlLw1H10KyyB-0UlxzYSMwfhvP-BdXXxDmtVZsAueXkUcg8RWY1cU2sB2kWVq4IaT8ilZ4olV0uq9MncejObb6H7W4LfglUmAbwQLThaE7JB9FLtEFjTfhaKdFMKeNILH2Q/s320/20935bqpj2x42l9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Summer Vacation is nearly at an end...stop by to read what I did for my <a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/72799.html">summer vacation</a>...Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-7780771647754533582012-07-27T09:33:00.002-07:002012-07-27T09:33:51.533-07:00Happy Anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is the third anniversary of the release of the first edition of The King's Tale. I'm hosting a giveaway at GoodReads for an autographed copy of The King's Heart...and I will include a copy of The King's Tale when I send the book out to the winner. Stop by and read my meager thoughts on the day.<br />
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<a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/72680.html">Third Anniversary thoughts on The King's Tale</a>Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-29094449420488405062012-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:002012-06-11T09:48:07.432-07:00Release Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's release day for The King's Tale, edition two, and The King's Heart!<br />
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Stop by <a href="http://rowenasudbury.livejournal.com/69852.html">here</a> for more information!Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692137772238238093.post-52630796778839817932012-06-09T09:24:00.000-07:002012-06-09T09:24:15.625-07:00The King's Tale Fan Page<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzapMNLpDGwXeGMG2UjmA1pNzFcOdla56ntrwZ2NNzSGR80mjRdyRDFOpfxG10rDxdsOqOjHRb0r6_mvsNkHgEFPAKSAtNEptkecDGfJYpYGrzuAc6LKODuXa9jScxjDTP_FEX_DAi6w/s1600/swords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzapMNLpDGwXeGMG2UjmA1pNzFcOdla56ntrwZ2NNzSGR80mjRdyRDFOpfxG10rDxdsOqOjHRb0r6_mvsNkHgEFPAKSAtNEptkecDGfJYpYGrzuAc6LKODuXa9jScxjDTP_FEX_DAi6w/s1600/swords.jpg" /></a></div>
I have created a fan page on Facebook for <i>The King's Tale</i> series. Today I posted an excerpt from edition 2 of <i>The King's Tale</i>.<br />
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Please stop by and "like" the page if you're interested in reading further excerpts. I plan to post all excerpts on that page (for <i>King's Tale</i> books) from now on. Monday, the day <i>The King's Heart </i>releases, I will post an excerpt from that book.<br />
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Additionally, I plan to hold a giveaway on July 27, the third anniversary of the release of <i>The King's Tale</i>. Still working out the details, but the winner will be drawn from fans of the page.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheKingsTale">http://www.facebook.com/TheKingsTale</a>
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Thanks!Rowena Sudburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06929323733141404514noreply@blogger.com0