Far away, there in the sunshine...

"Far away, there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not
reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and
try to follow where they lead."
—Louisa May Alcott

Each book I write is a product of my highest aspirations. I might not always reach them, but I never stop trying. Here's some info about my latest.

The small Catskills town of Avalon, New York, on the shores of Willow
Lake, is what I think of as a "Velveteen Rabbit" of a place. It has
become real because we love it there. Thanks to everyone who has visited
my fictional town in the Lakeshore Chronicles. Dockside is a story for
everyone who's ever dreamed of making a life at an idyllic lakeside inn.
Researching this book, I met so many innkeepers who shared not only
their passion for hospitality, but some innkeeping secrets as well.

Each section of the book is introduced by a snippet about the Inn at
Willow Lake, followed by a hospitality hint from a working innkeeper.
They're little grace notes, the sort that make a guest's stay just a
little sweeter. But the real sweetness comes from the unexpected romance
of single dad Greg Bellamy, and the town's former mayor, Nina Romano. In
fact, expecting the unexpected is a major theme in this book.

• News
  * The wonderful folks at Bookreporter.com are giving away another
  crop of brand new, hot-off-the-presses books, and Dockside is the
  featured title the week of July 27. Enter to win this book and a sack
  full of other great reads by submitting your name here. Good luck!
• *Thanks to all for asking about Just Breathe, originally scheduled to be
  published in 2006. It is now tentatively slated for September 2008, and
  I promise, it is worth the wait!
•  * By popular request, I've added a link to the recipes from my books. Finally! Click here
•  * I also have
  a total free-for-all of a blog. I've been told my mind works like a
  mouse in a maze, and this is evident in the blog. See it here:
  www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
•  * As always, you're invited to join in
  at the message board. If you have a question, ask it there, and I
  promise to respond promptly.
• * Also, please check out "The View From
  Here" (Themed photo shows, including a first peek at Barkis the Wonder
  Puppy, at www.susanwiggs.shutterfly.com.
•  * My local bookstore, Eagle
  Harbor Book Company, will send autographed copies of my books anywhere
  you want, personalized however you like. Check it out here: Eagle Harbor
  Book Company. * You can get a Printable List of my books, which
  includes related books and series by clicking this link: Printable List.
• And below, a summer recipe for you. There's another one on my web
  site, so please try them both. Enjoy!
  
  LEMONADE CAKE
  
  6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
  1 pkg. lemon cake mix, without pudding
  3/4 c. sugar
  Small package lemon-flavored instant pudding
  3/4 c. water
  4 eggs
  3/4 c. cooking oil
  
  Mix lemonade concentrate with sugar and stir well. Mix the remaining
  ingredients and beat with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Bake in greased
  and floured 9x13 pan for about 35 minutes or until done when tested.
  While cake is still hot poke holes all over cake with large fork and
  pour lemonade glaze [a cup of powdered sugar, thinned with about 1 T. of
  lemon juice] over top. Leave in pan until cool. Dust with powdered
  sugar. If you're feeling artistic, lay a stencil on the cake and then
  dust with the sugar to make a pattern.
  
  Happy reading,
  Susan Wiggs
  www.susanwiggs.com

"Wiggs's uncomplicated stories are rich with life lessons, nod-along
moments and characters with whom readers can easily relate. Delightful
and wise, Wiggs's latest shines." —Publishers Weekly review of
Dockside