The Writing Life
Short fiction. Gardens.
Prose, observations, and the plants in between. Susann writes slow-burn medical thrillers, plus short fiction and garden dispatches.
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At Least He Didn’t Put His Hand on Your Thigh
Beth and Kathleen met outside the surgeon’s office five minutes before their scheduled meeting with him. Read more
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Rules, Rules, Rules
The pool beckoned, a shiny jewel in a sea of white structures and green shrubs. The gleaming blue tiles were surrounded by patio stones bleached white by the scalding sun. Read more
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How Does Your Goth Garden Grow?
Her name was Matilda Manor and she looked like a waif. Her raven hair cascaded down to her waist, while the sleeves of her jacket crept over her thin wrists. Read more
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An Intern Gardener Discovers Her Purpose
She was dressed to impress. It was her first day working as an intern in the Arboretum, and Mindy was eager to please Ingrid, her mentor. Read more
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Wings Away
It was one of the dog days of summer in Greenville, N.C., with ‘excessive heat’ health advisories issued. Lizzie planned to spend most of the day in her new in-ground fiberglass pool. Read more
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Who’s the Boss?
Enid wondered why her husband was having difficulty sleeping after all these years of getting eight hours without any interruptions. Read more
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Kayaking in an Origami Bathtub
Cathy couldn’t wait for Dan, her husband, to open his birthday gift. For weeks, she’d been wondering what to get him. Read more
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How to Keep Your Audience’s Attention
Clare had always been quiet. Her parents told her that she didn’t speak until she was three years old, and then only in response to direct questions. Read more
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If In Doubt, Fake It
Clare and Laurie were munching on their salads when Clare suddenly pushed away her plate. It was 1 p.m., and they were scheduled to deliver a 45-minute presentation at 4 p.m. Read more
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Making the World a Better Place
They’d met twenty-five years ago to the day. He was a medical physicist, completing his residency at a nuclear research site. She was a writer, assigned to translate complex scientific concepts into simple English. Read more