DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSIE

Looking for love in all the wrong places, Susie is lucky to be at the Candy Bar on a particular magical night. Born with a deformity, she was a major disappointment to her father. He’s a plastic surgeon and she became his work of art. Beautiful on the outside, she still feels flawed underneath. She longs for love and approval, but until she learns to love herself, happiness will continue to elude her.

With the help of magic, Susie is given a new sight and she can see beyond the surface, into people, and discovers this is where true beauty comes from. Art has always been her dream and passion, and now with the heightened sight she is able to view the world differently and her paintings, always good, become inspired.

Susie is becoming the woman she always wanted to be. She even has a hot new boyfriend, a firefighter, and maybe, just maybe, someone might love her, flawed and all. An explosion changes everything. He is badly burned, and now is the one who carries scars.

Her love for him is deeper than ever, but he pushes her away, encouraging her to live her dream of going to Florence to study art. Can the new Susie--strong, independent, courageous—stand up to his pressure and convince him that she is entitled to both?

Patrice we are pleased to welcome you to our blog.
Today Patrice tells us a story about having that part of us that calls for greatness. The part of us which seeks to accomplish. With the success of Patrice's books, there is no doubt that she is a champion! Patrice the blog is all yours.

Last Sunday, I got out of bed early, as I had spent the last couple of hours lying there, thinking to myself, how was Andy Roddick going to win Wimbledon. Now, if you’re not a tennis fanatic like I am, you might not know that Andy is from Florida and the only major title he has ever won is the US Open in 2002, when he was 21. Not because he doesn’t have talent. Not because he doesn’t have commitment. Not because he doesn’t train hard enough, or work hard enough, or care enough. He does all that and still doesn’t win. Why? Well, there is a little problem in his way. Possibly the greatest tennis player ever, was born a year before Andy. Roger Federer is the freight train that keeps running over Andy, the destroyer of all his dreams.
When I woke up last Sunday, I had thought of a way for Andy to beat Roger. All he had to do was ace him 90 times. Four aces per game, 6 games to win a set. That’s 24 aces, and he needed to win the best of five sets. I figured 90 aces should do it.
Well, Andy played his heart out and never lost his serve. He broke the mighty Federer twice, in the first set and in the fourth. They battled the fifth set, a record breaking 16-14 game, but still, after giving everything he had to the sport, his heart, his soul, his gladiator spirit and will to win, after all that he still came up short and Roger walked away with the winning trophy.
My heart ached for Andy, and it still does. What does it take to sit in that winner’s circle? Let’s ask all the writers that have been on the best seller list. Is that what it takes to be a winner? Or is selling one book enough?
For Andy Roddick, he is not content with being a top ten player, winning the small tournaments, he wants more. He wants the grand prize, to win another major title, but the same old Swiss keeps getting in his way and snatching his prize.
For us writers, we all have different dreams and goals. Some of us are content with writing for pleasure, others for publication. Some of us have set our goals on the majors, and nothing will satisfy us until we see our books on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. We are dedicated, we are talented, we work hard and we fight the fight, and don’t give up on our dreams, but sometimes that is not enough. We need a little luck, or the economy to be better, or for the young editor who is reading your magnificent story to understand how a forty-year-old woman might feel. We need the golden handshake that all successful writers share, we need to be brighter, funnier, sexier, scarier than all the other writers out there. We need to stand out. And when that doesn’t happen, we have to pick ourselves up again off the floor, dust ourselves off, and try again.
Like Andy, we can’t give up. We try, and try, and try again.

Patrice Wilton


SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEWS

The one thing Susie Levine has confidence in is her painting; she has never felt confident in her appearance, frequently comparing herself to her friends and family and finding herself lacking. In Desperately Seeking Susie, Patrice Wilton let's the reader see from the beginning that Susie is the one searching, for herself. It is the reader's luck to join Susie on her search, observing all her steps and missteps along the way.
While trying to find out who she is, Susie also meets the man of her dreams; does he feel the same, and how Susie validates her feelings for him lead to many interesting situations. Ms. Wilton is a very descriptive writer; she does not shy away from the passion between her main characters, reminding us often that Desperately Seeking Susie is a romance, by including combustible, steamy love scenes between the main characters Susie and Brett. The reader is fortunate in being able to experience a variety of eccentric personalities in the secondary characters as well, just one more element designed to keep us entertained for hours. And luckily for us, this is an entertaining book to read: I definitely recommend picking up a copy and finding that out for yourself!

Thanks Patrice for blogging with us today.
Greatness is certainly in all of us. We just have to dig deep into our souls and pull out that strength. The strength that makes us keep writing despite all the rejections. Because one day a publisher will read our story and get it. From then on, we are what we were destined to be, authors.

18 comments

  1. Nightingale // July 13, 2009 at 1:12 PM  

    Thanks Patrice for the reminder that we must pick ourselves up and continue the game. I got an instantaneous rejection to a query to Avon today and I think your blog was a message! Welcome to PFS.

  2. Mary Marvella // July 13, 2009 at 1:20 PM  

    Thanks for visiting us, Patrice! Mary finds the best guests! Your book sounds like a good read and your story is a good reminder to us!

  3. Mary Marvella // July 13, 2009 at 1:21 PM  

    Linda, I have a couple of Avon rejections what took more that a year, so long I didn't expect to hear anything, anyway.

  4. Traci // July 13, 2009 at 2:22 PM  

    Patrice, trust you to use a tennis analogy, lolol - but I couldn't agree with the sentiment more!

  5. Anonymous // July 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM  

    Hi Ladies, and thank you for having me here to blog. I'm not much of a blogger but hope my words helped to inspire you to never give up. The only way we lose is to give up. I'm sorry about the Avon rejection. I had one for a new book of mine, came within a week. The young lady liked everything, but couldn't understand why a woman in her forties would have a problem dating a younger man? Now, if she had crowsfeet and cellulite, maybe she'd get the picture!
    Keep trying!
    Patrice Wilton

  6. patrice wilton // July 13, 2009 at 2:33 PM  

    Hi Traci,
    Nice to see you here. Does anybody know how I can use by open ID instead of being anonymous? I'm tired of being that person!!
    Patrice

  7. patrice wilton // July 13, 2009 at 2:34 PM  

    Hey,
    I think I just did it! Yeah, me.
    Patrice

  8. Beth Trissel // July 13, 2009 at 3:37 PM  

    welcome to the Fuzzies Patrice! How lovely to have you here. Thanks for the chins up and a great intro to you and your work. :)

  9. Edie Ramer // July 13, 2009 at 4:20 PM  

    Patrice, thanks for a great blog! Very motivating.

  10. Mary Ricksen // July 13, 2009 at 4:23 PM  

    I am a computer dummy too Patrice, so don't feel bad. I know the anonymous thing was bothering you, I am glad you were able to fix it. Great post Patrice!

  11. patrice wilton // July 13, 2009 at 4:51 PM  

    Hi, and thanks, Beth, Edie and Mary. I'm telling you this rejection thing sure can get a person down. I haven't sold anything since these two books came out. Nearly 18 months, and 3 books later. Really good books, if I do say so myself. LOL.
    But what choice do we have, except to keep on keeping on. We write because we love it and have stories to tell. Also, in my case, because I'm stubborn. Ha. Ha.
    Patrice

  12. Emma Lai // July 13, 2009 at 5:17 PM  

    What a great post! DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSIE sounds like a real heart wrencher, but in a good way!

  13. patrice wilton // July 13, 2009 at 5:29 PM  

    Hi Emma,
    Thank you. Yes, I love Susie, and had fun writing her story. It's more of a comedy than a tear jerker, but it was written as part of a chick lit series.
    Well, we all know what happened to chick lit, but it was fun while it lasted! LOL.
    Patrice

  14. Mary Ricksen // July 13, 2009 at 6:00 PM  

    Maybe it's time to try something new?

  15. patrice wilton // July 13, 2009 at 7:19 PM  

    Hi Mary,
    I did. My last 3 books are Women's Fiction about women in their 40's, going through some serious life changes, and they are written in third person, not first. So, more marketable. It's just timing. It will happen, it will happen. That's my mantra.
    Patrice

  16. Scarlet Pumpernickel // July 14, 2009 at 1:20 AM  

    Great blog, very inspirational! Never give in, never give up!

    Scarlet

  17. Jianne Carlo // July 14, 2009 at 8:21 AM  

    What a wonderful comment about Andy Roddick. I could hardly watch the last few games, I so badly wanted him to win. And such a great lesson to impart to all of us.

    I enjoyed Replacing Barnie and I'm sure I'm going to love this new one.

    Congrats

    Jianne

  18. Mary Ricksen // July 14, 2009 at 1:31 PM  

    People are having trouble posting?