iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

You write "eyes narrowed suspiciously," but you ain't seen "eyes narrowed suspiciously" until you've seen ...

close up of Polish tophat hen looking angry against a background of storm clouds

Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Welcome to Titan and Rocky, our new fosters, two pups of a litter of four shut up in a closet and left to die, abandoned. One brother is with another foster; a sister remains in ICU. They are frail but gaining ground, eating 8 small meals a day. Little loves. #rescuedogs #dogsofbluesky

Two bull-terrier mix puppies, looking up to the camera.

Emaciated puppies licking the last of their supper from a lick pad.

Rescued puppies just out of hospital, in their new xpen/bed space, wraps from their IV lines still on their feet.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Who needs an internal editor when you have *this* cat passing judgement over your shoulder? #catsofbluesky #rescuecats

green eyed cat with a slightly shocked expression

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Good morning! Actual photo of my Chihuahua springing up, bright and shiny, to greet the sub-zero day. #dogsofbluesky

Chihuahua peeking out from under heavy blanket.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Hi Kelly! Scroll interrupted. I have a Bean, too. :) Scritches to your sweet one!

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Farewell to Los Angeles, until we meet again. My heart is with you. Thank you to Best Friends Animal Society, working hard to meet so much need, animal and human. It's been an honor. #lawildfiresupport

Best Friends Animal Adoption Center sign on Sepulveda, Los Angeles. It reads: "Love is just around the corner."

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Comedy Central and The Daily Show donated boxes and boxes of collapsible food and water bowls and poop bags to Best Friends, and while it might seem laughable (and totally on brand), for displaced familes with pets in hotels or temporary shelters, these are essential. #lawildfiresupport

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Perhaps this playful, adorable kitten, rescued before the fires and newly adopted, is a little whiskered good news for a Monday. #catsofbluesky #rescuesaveslives #lawildfires

Tabby-and-white kitten looking through plexiglass

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

It has been a day in LA. After a 10-hour stint, crawled into a charming Indian restaurant where they know how to make a proper chai and could have wept at the perfect taste of it. Grateful for the kindness. #lafires

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Please spread the word—for pet owners impacted by the LA wildfires or general emergency needs, a pantry with pet food, toys, bedding, and even some human supplies is available 10-7 at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center, 1845 Pontius Ave. Los Angeles 90025.

Screen cap providing emergent pet pantry location.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

For those affected by LA wildfires needing help with lost or found pets. #dogsofbluesky #catsofbluesky #lawildfires

Placard providing resources for those in LA who've lost a pet in the current time of wildfire. LA Animal Svc hotline 213-270-8155. Petco Love Lost has a digital tool to scan databases for lost pets and allows you to report missing and found pets.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Heading to a deployment in LA to support rescue and recovery from the fires there, I have help packing from little Pepita, our newest rescue, who knows exactly what the suitcase and the go bag mean. #rescuedogs #rescuingsavelives #dogsofbluesky

A light caramel-colored Chihuahua sitting by an open suitcase.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Not every word is a pearl. Not every writing day is golden. Some days, it's enough to have just stuck it out in the chair and put down some ideas that can be polished later. (Think of it like moving: at least you got the furniture IN the house!) Celebrate your endurance, #writers. Carry on.

a room of moving boxes with an open laptop on one of them

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

As I further prepare to move to the East Coast (searching for the right house), I am aware of new challenges ahead of me. Like getting THIS Shetland Sheepdog to come in from the rare Texas snow. Here is a tidy photo of her, the very opposite of her shocking, thaw-muddy self right now. #dogsofbluesky

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Five weeks ago, these puppies were born under an old car, where mama had been abandoned at a dump. Today, they are happy, healthy, and redecorating their xpen 🙃. Good things happen for #rescuedogs. Love, a little time, and a safe space can do so much. ##dogsofbluesky #fosteringsaveslives

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Search dog Gambit loves his off-duty sniffari in today’s snow! A Texas dog, he doesn’t get that experience often.

Golden retriever playing with his long lead in the snow

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

This face looks innocent enough, but in little Opal's expression, I see a female who means business. :) 4 1/2 weeks old. #fosterdogs #rescuedogs #dogsofbluesky

small black-and-white puppy moving with great determination

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Have an indoor-only cat? How does (s)he behave when strangers visit? If the kitty is shy, note the kinds of places chosen for hiding places in the house. This is a clue to future behavior if the cat should someday get out of the house. /more #catsofbluesky

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

This smart, sweet boy, at four weeks old, has all that and then some. He has intelligence and drive! Let the cameras roll. 😃 #rescuedogs #fosterdogs #dogsofbluesky

black and white puppy with a speckled nose

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

This is how I found Little Mister Means, Motive, and Opportunity this morning. Xpen gate reconfiguration ...commence! -more-

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

With every litter, there's always one--the resourceful puppy, the forward puppy, the puppy who colors outside the lines. In this litter, Onyx is that puppy. AKA Peterbilt, Donkey Kong, Hank the Tank. No xpen made of man gonna contain HIM, he thinks. #rescuedogs -more-

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Ever wondered what your dog might do if (s)he got out a gate, or fled a dogsitter, or survived a car accident and ran in panic? My 3rd book can help prevent and prepare before that might ever occur. A memoir of lost pet recovery, with happy endings, but full of practical tips, too. #dogsofbluesky

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Meet this morning’s gregarious, opportunistic wanderer, now safely home. He is a textbook example of a friendly dog making poor choices while wandering loose. Fortunately, his owners had done a number of things right to keep him safe. -more- #dogsofbluesky

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Tonight we welcome another rescued mama and her four puppies, three days old. We will foster all of them through the end of January, when they will, ideally, find forever homes straightaway. These cuties have been rescued by Dallas Dog RRR. #rescuedogs #fosterdogs

a pile of three-day old puppies, three black and white and one brown

Mama dog, petite with brown and merle/black spots, a white blaze on her chest. Said to be a Chihuahua-cattledog cross, from far South Texas.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

The hardest thing for many #writers, I think, is finding the discipline to sit down to a work in progress and give it the regular time and space it needs to move forward. We have to find ways to give our work priority--even in the midst of full lives with other demands placed on us. -more-

pencil sketch of office chair with laptop in front of it

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Losing a pet at any time is awful, but at the holidays even worse. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year periods see more lost pets than any other. Some thoughtful preparation beforehand can prevent this. A safe, beautiful, loving and happy holiday season to all, two- and four-footed alike.

Cover of book: "Where the Lost Dogs Go: A story of love, search, and the power of reunion." Susannah Charleson, 2019

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Our yard gates are locked as a standard, unlocked only when we know someone needs to purposefully go in and out of it. Then, the flight risk dogs (we rescue foster) are behind three doors in the house. -more-

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

I leave a sticky note on both interior doors that the dogs are shut behind.

A sticky note with a picture of a dog on it, reading "Watch for" (photo of beagle)

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

From my third book, a simple rule for keeping your pets from going missing: practice what I call the "rule of three." Three doors or three prevention means of any kind for those animals who are a flight risk during travel, during stays in unfamiliar places, and at home when you have guests. -more-

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

The sweet constancy of a loving dog is such a gift. I had outpatient surgery this morning, and sweet #rescuedog Pepita has not left my side since.

Chihuahua on couch gazing into camera, nose wrinkled in her typical smile.

Chihuahua on same couch, gazing into the camera at night.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

A great trick for proofreading is to CHANGE YOUR FONT and BLOW IT UP! When you repeatedly look at the same text in 12 pt. Times New Roman, your eyes can slide right over the mistakes. I use 20 pt. Courier New and follow with 24 pt. Arial for proofreading--one serif and one sans serif font. #writers

Vintage typewriter with lightbulb overhead

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

I cannot fault this view of Boston from my hotel room tonight.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Was on a plane yesterday, and when the airline’s flight tracker hiccupped midflight, went to Flight Aware and got this update. A bit surreal, an opening for a story maybe— finding out you’re on a flight that was last seen a decade ago. #writers

Might aware listing for a flight last seen a decade ago.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Always a crapshoot whether an automatic faucet will ignore me or acknowledge my presence. — feeling validated today

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

A lot of out-and-back travel these days. When every trip reads to her as forever, sweet #rescuedog Pepita never wants me to go. Home soon, little one. 💐(The other dogs are so used to this that it doesn’t even interrupt their naps. 🙄) #dogsofbluesky

Woebegone Chihuahua sitting beside open suitcase.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Somewhere on another stone is carved the 1750 BC Yelp! review that followed. #writers

Stone bearing carved complaint about delivery of the wrong grade of copper, about 1750 BC (Old Babylonian period), from UR

Credited to British Museum

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

At the signing table for my first book, about the early work beside my golden retriever search K9, Puzzle. Puz went on the book tour, sat beside me at the table. Her beautiful face IS the cover of that book. Reader in line, rubbing the ears of Puz's living self, asked, "Does the dog die at the end?"

Book cover featuring golden retriever Puzzle, a search-and-rescue K9.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Meet Pepita, a rescue who came to us shy and popping with puppies. We saw her babies raised and homed, and now she is my Certified Snuggler. Warm little curl of a dog. It’s like sleeping with a fresh baked potato every night. #dogsofbluesky #rescues

Very round, pregnant Chihuahua in a bed, patiently waiting

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

#Writers If you've never talked about publisher "advances" or have no idea how they play out, here's a guideline based on my own experiences and those described to me by agents/editors for the various deals and publishing houses with which they have worked. -more-

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I removed those paragraphs, and I wrote her comment on a sticky note I use as a reminder for every book, every after.

sticky note reading "why do we need to experience this?"

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I once had an editor note on a section of manuscript about a passage I loved (that was not particularly touchy) -- "Why do we need to experience this?" She's super smart. I pulled those two paragraphs. And I wrote that question on a sticky note I've kept for every book, ever after. --more--

sticky notes reading "Why do we need to experience this?" with a sketch of a little dog, a question mark over his head.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Writing close to home: if you're writing a memoir or a work of fiction drawn, however loosely or closely,, from your own life events, you will inevitably come up against the question of how much to include, what to say, etc. about people very much a part of your own history. --more-- #writers

1920s photograph of woman on wooden bridge with a blurred dog in motion.

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

#Writers: when you sign a book contract, in many/most cases, the contract will articulate a "delivery" date for the book's completed manuscript. Consider that firm. --more-- (Actual photo of editor learning her author has missed the manuscript delivery deadline.)

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

One way to warm up on synopsis writing is to try writing them for 2-3 books you, as reader, know very well. Write a one-paragraph synopsis, then a tight one-sentence version for each. Consider: do your synopses convey the power of these books you love? Revise at will. Then synopsize yours. #writers

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Susannah Charleson @susannahcharleson.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meet Bean, our little paralyzed, three-legged rescue, who is very mobile, nonetheless--fast as our four-footers, and faster. He brings me this look about an hour before mealtimes. Bean's hints are not subtle. Bean does, in fact, have ears. #dogsofbluesky #chihuahuas #rescuedogs

woebegone Chihuahua begging for supper an hour before mealtime

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