Greetings, my Darlings!

Here it is March 2007 and it’s finally occurred to me that I’d better update this welcome letter, which was last revised in September of 2005. Ooops! For those of you who are new to my website, let me extend a warm welcome. For those of you returning, the same applies only with a hug or two thrown in. I’m not a formal person so most of what’s included on my website has to do with my ordinary day-to-day life, my work, husband, cats, etc. I don’t post information about my children or grandchildren, all of whom I truly adore. I just feel protective of their privacy . . . and mine!

So let’s see where we are.

REGISTRATION ON THE FORUM:

You’ve probably noticed that we’ve switched to a registration-only format on the Forum, where many of you meet and chat. We’re changing access because we’ve been plagued by Spammers, Smut-sters, and other troublemakers who’ve posted disgusting messages over the past year.

To keep them out, we’re beefing up security, which we’re hoping will solve the problem. To be admitted to the Forum, you need to give us your name and e-mail address. This will take you less than five seconds. The information is confidential and is used for no other purpose than to monitor the site.

Once you’re in the Forum, we’ll ask you to abide by laws of common courtesy and respect for other Posters. No foul language, no rants and raves, no attacks, no hurling of insults, and no accusations. If you want to pick a fight with someone you’ll have to do it somewhere else. The people who post here are some of the sweetest most decent people on the planet. Our goal is to make friends, discuss books, cheer each other up, advise, console, and enjoy each other as good friends do.

The Forum now has a Moderator whose job it is to keep track of anyone who violates these rules. The Moderator has the power to suspend your posting, put you on probation, or ban you entirely. It’s unfortunate that we’re having to be so militant. The object of the exercise is not to exclude anyone who wants to join us, but to exclude the individuals who’ve plagued us for months. The level of hostility from some of these people was off the charts and none of us wants to be subjected to that.

Security issues aside, if you’re checking into the Forum for the first time, do introduce yourself and don’t be shy about speaking up. Many Posters have been friends for years and I can understand if it seems intimidating to raise your hand and make a comment or ask a question. You’ll find most Posters warm and welcoming and if they’re not, you can drop me a note at my post office box, which is listed later in this letter. I trust you won’t have to do that, but I offer you the option.

At intervals, you may see me post messages on the Forum. I sign in as Cybermom and as I scroll down the postings, I comment now and then. I don’t do it often because I can’t afford to get hooked on the process. But I do like to keep track of the mood and temper of those who are on and chatting among themselves.

‘T’ IS FOR TRESPASS . . . PUBLICATION DATE: December 4, 2007:

I’ll transfer a paragraph from a letter I wrote recently to a friend of mine. “I finished ‘T’ IS FOR TRESPASS on Friday, February 23 and sent the manuscript to my editor and agent, both of whom loved the book. The edited pages came back to me less than a week later and I spent an afternoon making revisions, additions, deletions, and corrections. The book won’t be out until December 4, 2007 but at least you’ll know it’s on its way. I can’t believe I have twenty ‘in the can’ now and only six to go. As I keep telling people, ‘anyone can write six books . . . it’s the first twenty that will kill you.’ ‘T’ was the toughest of the lot. It took me fifteen to eighteen months to come up with the storyline! I was tearing my hair out. Also, whining, bitching, and complaining to anyone who would listen. Somehow I muddled through. How does she do it, I ask myself. Wish I knew because I feel I’m inventing the wheel every time I get to ‘the end’ and have to start all over again.

OTHER UPDATES:

In addition to this letter, I’ll be posting new photographs and I’ll try to find a section from another couple of the journals from earlier books. As some of you know, I keep a running journal about the writing of each novel in the series. This is my way of talking myself through . . . sort of like talking someone off a ledge while the crowd below is yelling ‘jump! jump! I play ‘Suppose . . .’ and ‘What if . . .’ I throw out ideas, pursuing some and dumping others. I go back and analyze the novels I’ve written so that I can avoid writing the same book twice. This is harder than it sounds. I find that my psyche is ever so eager to suggest an idea I’ve done before, perhaps hoping we’ll have an easy book in here somewhere. With both ‘S’ IS FOR SILENCE and ‘T’ IS FOR TRESPASS, the process of coming up with the basic story took three times longer than the writing of the book itself. It’s hard to believe that after twenty books, I still haven’t found a way to knock these out. I just can’t do it. For one thing, if I rehashed or regurgitated a book I’d already written . . . even if I was clever in disguising the fact . . . I’d be bored. And my theory is that if I’m bored, you’ll be bored, which will never do. I’ll give myself a bit of a break and then I’ll go into the journal for ‘U’ IS FOR . . . and start tapping away.

THE HOME FRONT:

Aside from the writing, my life remains uneventful and good. We’re all in good health. We’re all in good humor. I’m still walking, though at the moment not quite as much as I was. I’ve been suffering plantar fasciatus, which some of you may have experienced as a ‘stone bruise’ on one or both heels. It’s a condition that comes and goes . . . probably the result of not stretching properly (oops!) I’ve cut back to four miles on the days I walk; usually three days a week. I could do more, but I was getting really nutty for a while, exercising twice a day and I realized I was getting too extreme. Between January 2004 and August 2004, I lost twenty-five pounds and people were alarmed. More than one friend took Steve aside and asked if I’d been stricken with a fatal disease. Right away, I thought to myself, ‘this is not what I had in mind. I wanted to look better, not as though I were months away from the grave.’ I regained ten pounds and now I look healthier. If anyone has the magic answer to reaching and maintaining one’s weight goal, please speak up. I can use all the help I can get.

I’m also reading a lot, as I always do. And knitting; simple things, nothing complicated. I like to make functional items like knitting bags and water bottle holders. I did knit a sweater for myself, which was a struggle because the book I was using was riddled with errors. The first time I wore the sweater, I discovered how itchy it was and I’ve seldom worn it since. I did much of a sweater vest for Steve, but the gauge was off and it would have fit a four-hundred pound man, which he is not.

My lifestyle doesn’t sound thrilling, which is just the way I like it. To write well . . . at least for me . . . I have to lead a quiet life with family and friends and as little drama as possible. This allows me to devote my time and energy to the work itself instead of grappling with uproar. Some people like stimulation, change, and adventure. I do not. I’m an introvert at heart and I love routine.

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH ME:

As I mentioned in my last welcome letter, you’re invited to send me any books you want signed. I’m introducing a new folder on the Home Page, called IF YOU WANT YOUR BOOKS SIGNED. You can check there if you want the particulars.

If you simply want to drop me a note, my mailing address is:

Sue Grafton
P.O. Box 41447
Santa Barbara, California 93140

I answer letters from readers when I can, though it might take me a while to get back to you. As you can well imagine, lengthy correspondence only takes time and energy away from the books.

I don’t make my e-mail address public because as a Southerner, I was taught to respond to all correspondence promptly, which means I’d spend the rest of my life trying to be polite instead of writing books.

Aside from that, there’s nothing else to report. I’m looking out my office window at a sunny day. I don’t know what the temperature is, but I see green grass, deep pink bougainvillae, a lovely lavender ground cover, the name of which I do not know. There’s a light breeze and all is quite peaceful here.

I hope it’s peaceful in your life as well. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your tour of the website and feel free to introduce yourself on the Forum. My only request is that you be nice to one another. No squabbling! There’s enough of that in life.

Sincerely,
Sue Grafton . . . a.k.a. Cybermom or Cybermommy