Author Susan Blexrud-Quilter who Writes, Lover of Chihuahaus!

How do you say no to an author who has such a sweet little Chihuahua who appears in her books? How do you turn down a guest post from a woman who likes to enjoy bird watching, especially hummingbirds, as much as I do?

Susan is a quilter, whereas my sewing consists of putting a button back on when it falls off but I do love quilts!

Please welcome this lover of crafting, Chihuahuas and all things alpha male!

all photos provided by author

I write. I quilt.

My second floor office requires three steps from computer to sewing machine. I’m a person who has to be busy, and when the words don’t flow, the sewing machine is my respite.

I started sewing in home economics class in junior high. With my first project, a wrap-around skirt, I was hooked. Through college and my kids’ school days, my sewing machine was dedicated to apparel. I’d make curtains on occasion, but mostly, I was the mom who everyone counted on to stitch up a bridesmaid’s dress or Darth Vader costume.

When my children grew up and retirement in North Carolina beckoned, I took up quilting because I was enamored with the Appalachian legacy of the quilting craft. Also, I wanted to use my sewing skills to fashion something that could become a family heirloom. I still treasure crocheted doilies and table runners made by my grandmother, and I hope my children will remember me, at least partially, through the quilts I made.

And as a writer, I find quilting to be a symbiotic activity. Because it requires dexterity and math skills, it frees my head from the process of storytelling, and I think all writers need to take a break from their stories. There’s something to be said for pushing through when your muse goes AWOL, but breakthroughs can also occur when you interrupt one activity to devote your mind to another. It works for me.
 I love to hear from readers…and quilters. You can contact me at:
susanblexrud@bellsouth.net
Susan's Web Site
EMBRACE THE SHADOWS SITE My e-books are available on NOOK and Kindle and my print book is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Here are a couple of links.SUSAN'S BARNES AND NOBLE NOOK BOOK LISTING
LOVE FANG  ON NOOK SUSAN'S AMAZON BOOK LISTINGS FOR KINDLEDELORA'S NECKLACE ON KINDLE
I leave you with an excerpt from The Gettysburg Vampire, my current work-in-progress…

Malcolm leaned back in his chair. He was aware of his heartbeat, which was odd. It typically beat so slowly that any doctor would have declared him dead. Of course, he was dead. Feeling the thrum of his heart was disquieting, yet exciting. He stared at the door Abby had just closed and listened to her footsteps fade down the hall. Humans wouldn’t have heard the soft pad of her boots on carpet, but he had no problem detecting each step. The fact that she was stomping helped. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Had he remembered her? How could he forget?
She’d always sat in the front row of his class, glued to him with those soulful hazel eyes. Other coeds regarded him lustfully, but she hung on his words. She seemed genuinely interested in what he was trying to convey, not simply entranced by his veneer. He knew she was special, which is why he’d avoided her. The last thing he needed was human entanglement. Once she left the college after her graduation, he thought he was safe from the lure of her. He’d repressed the image of her pert nose, peachy skin, and bouncy breasts. But damn if she didn’t come back to Gettysburg to teach, and inadvertently, to haunt him.
And now he had no choice; he had to rescue her. He’d been unable to save Sarah those many years ago, but he could keep Abby out of harm’s way. She’d probably go to that Goth club decked out like a fangbanger with no idea of the danger she was in. So, there’d be no compartmentalizing this time. He’d have to see her again. And then what? Act in her play? He could feel his resolve melting like the November snow. For the first time since Sarah died, he seriously considered the prospect of companionship…and passion. Now his heart was beating in his ears.

Thanks for having me, Jackie. Keep hugging those Chihuahuas!!!!

Susan's Chihuahua "Baby"

Susan it has been a pleasure, hopefully Romeo and Baby are keeping your "nest" busy since your two "human" children are grown. Not only do I really admire someone who can easily switch gears and go from a sewing machine to a computer but it is nice to find someone else who enjoys Chihuahuas as much as my family and I do! Thanks for being here today and thanks for the book excerpt, I need to meet Malcolm when he makes his debut.