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In my biweekly newsletter, I highlight specific quotes from my recent reading, quotes that resonate with me in some way. Maybe I love the snark, or the style of writing, or the description. This one [1/2] See all the quotes in this issue at buff.ly/6sz5nVV #AmReading #mystery #CozyMystery

Quote from THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE HONEYMOON MURDER by Kelly Oliver

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

People think of Florida as being always sunny, but that's not true. The past few weeks we've had rain, rain, hurricane, and more rain. . . Here's a picture I took of a rainy day on Morse Blvd. in Winter Park, taken from inside my favorite French patisserie, [1/2] #FloridaRain #WinterParkFL

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

[2/2] interesting and relevant to my #WritersLife. It's free, although there's also a paid option if you'd like to support me (thanks in advance!). You can take a look, and sign up, at buff.ly/Nocbeo8.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Cozy mysteries are often described as “light,” but the best ones know how to balance comfort with consequence. DROWNING IN DECEPTION brings readers colorful characters, a welcoming Florida setting, and a mystery with enough bite to keep the pages turning. Expect warmth—but don’t expect [1/2]

Cozy Florida scene with a lake in the background

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

#AmReading: THE CASTLE IN THE GLEN by Rhys Bowen. Clever book-within-a-book tells the story of young Australian author Emma and famous older author Iris, and the real-life mystery that brings them together. This story is [1/2] Read the full review at buff.ly/2xprq13 #mystery #IsleOfSkye

The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen cover

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

It's been one heckuva week here in my writing world. . . You solve one problem, and a dozen others rear their ugly heads. . . buff.ly/nrkjEey #WritersLife #AmWriting

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

[2/3] Chords of Deception is an edgy #CozyMystery that takes place in a youth orchestra. You'd think a youth orchestra would be a harmonious place. You'd be wrong. . .

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Are you going to be in the #Tallahassee, #Florida area this weekend? If so, please join me. I'll be signing copies of the 2nd book in my Lily Gallagher Mysteries series, CHORDS OF DECEPTION. WHEN: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 10:00 AM-noon WHERE: My Favorite Books, 111 Magnolia Dr. [1/2]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I love bookstores that support local authors. On October 10, 2026, My Favorite Books in Tallahassee will host me for another book signing, for CHORDS OF DECEPTION. I'll be there from 10-noon to chat, answer questions, do some reading, and sign some books. The store is located at . . . [1/3]

My Favorite books has an entire wall devoted to local authors.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Winter Park, FL, the setting for the Lily Gallagher Mysteries, is known for peacocks. I captured this image at dusk a few years ago, of the peacock fountain in Central Park. (Central Park is featured in the second. . . [1/2] #FloridaMystery #WinterPark #CozyMystery

The peacock fountain in Winter Park, Florida's Central Park, at dusk.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

What makes a Florida mystery feel like Florida? 🌴 Maybe it’s the contrast: lush greenery, warm air, charming Winter Park streets—and an unsettling secret that refuses to stay buried. The sunshine may be . . . [1/2] #CozyMystery #WinterParkFL #AmWriting

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

To be fair, when I envisioned becoming an internationally known mystery writer, this was not exactly what I had in mind. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 As an independently published author, there are months like this. How is it possible to earn thirteen cents? I hear you ask. Without . . . [1/2] #WrtiersLife #BigBucks

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Lily Gallagher isn’t looking for trouble. She’s looking for rest, relaxation, and time to read. But after a body appears in the condo pool, ignoring trouble is no longer an option. 🔍🌴 For readers who love found family, complicated neighbors, and a sleuth who knows how to ask the [1/2]

Dusky, brooding scene with the remains of a sunset and lights on in the town.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#AmReading: IN THE SPIRIT OF FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge, 4th in her American in Paris series. A persistent medium warning of danger to Tabitha's beloved grandpere, a reunion of old friends from the Resistance, and suddenly [1/2] buff.ly/FxFAhAn #ParisMystery #FrenchResistance #mystery

In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge book cover

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Writers can be pretty funny. Or maybe just sad. Some days I can't decide which. Which one do you think this joke is? #WritersLife #WritingHumor #IsItFunny

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Today I learned that my alma mater, Middlebury College, has taken an enormous step toward making a quality liberal-arts education affordable. Here's a screenshot of the opening paragraph of the email announcing free tuition for the non-wealthy. This makes me very happy. #AffordableEducation

Text of the announcement offering free tuition for middle- and lower-income students.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Love The Thursday Murder Club? Drowning in Deception serves up the same sweet mix of over‑55 community drama, sharp characters, and surprises—this time in a Winter Park, Florida condo where retirement is anything but restful. buff.ly/uz5JFEd #CozyMystery #FloridaMystery #FloridaFiction

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Oooh, I just got an email from an editor at Simon & Shuster who wants to talk to me about the "fit" between my mystery series and her company. And I KNOW it's legit, because it comes from a GMAIL address!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 #AuthorScams #AreYouSerious #WritersLife

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Have you seen the TV series Severance? Wow. I didn't think I would like it so I resisted watching for quite a while, but my kids finally talked me into it. Just finished Season 1 and mind completely blown. If you've seen it, what was the most surprising thing you [1/2]

brain and heart on a balance. Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tumisu-148124/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7314501">Tumisu</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7314501">Pixabay</a>

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This is a picture I took a few years ago. I believe this is a pink trumpet tree -- there are quite a few in the Orlando area. This one is in Central Park, Winter Park. I just loved the pink canopy overhead with the pink carpet of fallen petals underneath. One of the many attractive [1/2]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Lily Gallagher has retired from nursing—but apparently not from taking care of people. 🩺📚 When trouble hits her Winter Park condo community, she can’t simply close the blinds, pour iced tea, and return to her book. Especially when the trouble involves a dead [1/3] #AmateurSleuth

Woman reading a book with iced tea in a tropical setting.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Ah, the trap of endless rewrites. At some point a writer needs to say, "Enough. This is good enough." #WritersLife #WritingHumor

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A dead body in the pool. Too many secrets. Old trauma. Welcome to your Florida retirement. Meet Lily Gallagher in Drowning in Deception by Susanna Sullivan — a cozy mystery with heart, humor, and real stakes. buff.ly/uz5JFEd #CozyMystery #DrowningInDeception

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

THE CELLULOID SENTRY is the 10th book in the Homefront Sleuths series. It includes the usual cast of village characters, but now they're all involved in a move shoot that's disrupting the village! buff.ly/w6sCSId #AmReading #mystery #WWIIStory

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Recently I read a book that I basically liked. The main character was relatable, the plot was interesting, the mystery was a nice, solvable puzzle. But there was one thing that bugged the snot out of me. buff.ly/n6Lptow #AmReading #mystery #AmWriting

Frustrated reader saying "what the dickens?"

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Remember when Lily meets Adam's Auntie June for the first time in CHORDS OF DECEPTION? That meeting takes place at Barnies on Park Ave., Winter Park. Yes, right here! If you love Florida mysteries, check out Lily Gallagher. books2read.com/chords #CozyMystery #WinterParkFL #BarniesCoffee

The front of Barnies Coffee at 118 Park Ave., Winter Park, FL.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

[2/2] my indie-published books are on the shelf for anyone with a library card to borrow. Tada!!!

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I've always loved libraries. When my mom took me to my first library at the age of 5 or 6, it was a revelation! My first after-school job started the day after I turned 14 when I proudly became an employee of my local public library. So it means a lot to me when [1/2]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

The 3rd older female amateur sleuth in my favorites list is Kate Tessler. Kate has unwillingly retired from her career as a war correspondent after she's blown up. She comes home to Arizona and moves in with her dad while she recovers. After several suspicious [1/3] #CozyMystery

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Look what I just put on my car!! I'm old enough to remember when a library card catalog was my datacenter... #SupportTheLibrary #LibrariesRule #AmReading

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Agatha Shadewell is a retired criminal. She's a furniture restorer, an art restorer, an artist, and a con artist. She's always taken from the greedy and given back to their victims. Now she finds herself in a thoroughly unlikely [1/2] buff.ly/2uAxtcm

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

September in Winter Park means warm evenings, glowing storefronts, and secrets hiding behind closed doors. In this cozy mystery, a newly retired nurse with a talent for noticing what everyone else misses, discovers that retirement may be the most dangerous chapter yet. Ready. . . [1/2]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Another difference between writers and non-writers: A non-writer says, "I wish I had time to write a book." A writer says, "I wish I had time to do laundry." #WritersLife #IHateHousework #I'dRatherBeWriting

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Great news!! the ebook for DROWNING IN DECEPTION is now widely available from your favorite online bookseller, not just Amazon. It's also at Apple, Google, Kobo and Everand. You can [1/2] buff.ly/jdTecDy #CozyMystery #DrowningInDeception #FloridaMystery

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

This week I've been wrestling with a complicated timeline of events for my current work in progress. This morning I created a visual timeline, because I have to know exactly what happens, and when. Yes, I'm a very visual person #WritersLife #MysteryTimeline #DetailsMatter #AmWriting #CozyMystery

Part of my very complicated timeline for my current work-in-progress.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Last chance for summer vacation! In many states, the kids are already back in school but there are still a few places where they don't start until next week. . . What's your ideal vacation? Can you guess what mine is? 🏝️⛵️📚 #vacation #LaborDay #DrowningInDeception #ILoveToRead #mystery

Woman leaning against a tree reading Drowning in Deception

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

First of my top 3 favorite retired female amateur sleuths of the 21st century is Julia Bird. Julia has recently moved into a small English village after a divorce, and life there is NOT what she expected! Especially when she's doing some renovations and uncovers a dead body. . . buff.ly/EWWgvva

Cover for An English Garden Murder by Katie Gayle, featuring retired amateur female sleuth Julia Bird.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

In my last newsletter, I shared 4 of my favorite retired female amateur sleuths from the 1900s. Today, I’m sharing 3 of my favorites from the 21st century (so far!) If you have another favorite, let me know. Because my TBR pile isn’t nearly big enough! 🤣 buff.ly/FZZsaHV #AmateurFemaleSleuths

A line of narrowboats on an English canal

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

What's a writer's idea of housekeeping? Moving a stack of books from one chair to another. #WritersLife #JokesAboutWriting

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A cozy mystery set in a youth orchestra comes with its own kind of tension… and it isn’t jump scares. 🎻✨ In cozy mysteries, the fun is in the *puzzle*: • a tight-knit community (hello, orchestra parents) 👀 • everyday settings (a music library, not a haunted mansion) 📚 [1/3] #CozyMysteryBooks

A cozy table with a book, a cup of coffee, and a hat overlooking a small lake

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

When I lived in Winter Park, FL, I spent several afternoons each week working on the 3rd floor of the library, overlooking a corner of the Rollins College campus. It was a lovely, quiet workspace. This display sat in the corner, and I always tried to sit next to it. [1/2] #library #WritersLife

Interesting display at the old Winter Park, Florida library

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

A typical Florida day In downtown Winter Park. Here's a view from the park looking at the shops on the other side of Park Ave, on a beautiful sunny day with [1/2] #FloridaReads #CozyMystery #CentralFloridaSetting #MysteryWithHeart #BookEscape

A view of Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, from Central Park.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Why do cozy mysteries work so well for readers whose lives are already too full? Because they offer danger with a comforting landing place. 🫖📖 Drowning in Deception brings together: • A familiar condo community • A retired nurse with practical instincts [1/3] #CozyMystery #FloridaReads

Table with a book, coffee, and a sunhat.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The Lily Gallagher Mysteries take place in and around Winter Park, FL. That's where Lily lives, so her condo complex is there. That's also where the private school where granddaughter Chloe has her orchestra rehearsals is located. And, FWIW, I lived in Winter Park [1/2] #WinterParkFlorida

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

There's something magical about seeing your own books on a bookstore shelf ..

My book DROWNING IN DECEPTION for sale on a bookstore shelf.

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

What do I love about this quote? It's so. . . catty. MJ Trow captures perfectly the human-cat relationship, where the cat is definitely in charge. buff.ly/5xKjBxK #AmReading #NotableQuote #CozyMystery

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

#AmReading: WHAT'S A LITTLE BLACKMAIL BETWEEN FRIENDS by Lynn Morrison -- Fun first book in a new series. In 1868, rules for women's behavior in the upper echelons of British society were stifling. Lady Edith Redgrave (Etty, to her friends and family) has [1/2] buff.ly/i0V8NiO #HistoricalMystery

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Tiny details matter. From a misplaced sheet of music to a stifled cough, good sleuthing often starts with listening and watching closely. That's something Lily is very good at -- she's naturally inclined to be observant, and 40 years of nursing honed her observation skills to a fine art. Try [1/2]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A few years ago, I was picking up a chai at the drive-thru window at this particular Starbucks. The barista mentioned that she was very tired and I said, “Well, you’re in the right place to do something about that.” “Yes,” she replied. “There’s no dearth of caffeine here.” “Dearth — that’s [1/3]

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Susanna @susannaauthor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

This week I decided to highlight my favorite older female sleuths. Here are my 4 favorites written during the 20th century. If you have one who’s not on my list, let me know in the comments. buff.ly/HUSnH1W #CozyMystery #FemaleSleuths #BooksBooksBooks #Mystery

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