Living the Dream

Three weeks ago, I set off on my vacation. It was the first time we’d traveled outside of the country since COVID. We were going to Norway to see family and take an historic canal cruise, and then we were going to Southampton to take another cruise around the UK. Was I leery? Yes! I’d heard all about what a mess the airline industry was, about flight delays and missing luggage, but I knew friends who did a lot of traveling and they’d never had a problem, so why should we? And as for the cruise, well, I had my vaccines, 2 mild cases of the virus, and 4 boosters. If that didn’t protect me, nothing would.

Things started off well when we got to the airport–no line-up, checked in and through security in minutes, which gave us lots of time to settle in the business lounge until it was time to board the plane.

Unfortunately, the messages saying the flight was delayed started coming in regularly. We went to the gate four hours after the original departure time, only to be told the flight was canceled, and we would be rescheduled. In the meantime, we had to collect our checked baggage and present ourselves at a desk where we would be given a taxi voucher and a hotel room for the night. There was a mechanical problem with the plane, and by the time it got fixed, the crew would be unable to fly again because of the number of hours they’d been at work.

By now, it was almost midnight, and my hubby, not the most patient man, wasn’t a happy camper. We had a canal cruise booked in Norway, and if we didn’t arrive by Wednesday, we would lose it and the money we’d spent on it, not to mention, people would e waiting for us in Norway and I couldn’t get my damn phone to work. It had worked fine all day, but now, I couldn’t access any Wi-Fi or data.

It was after two in the morning by the time we got to our hotel in the east end of Montreal and managed to send our son a message. We had a voucher for the taxi and breakfast, and were told the airline was working on getting us another flight.

The next morning, it had — but with a different carrier which would take us to Nice before taking us to Norway where we needed to be. That wasn’t what we’d signed up for. Worse yet, we wouldn’t get to Norway until midnight the following day–assuming those planes were on time.

We decided to call our travel agent and see if she could do anything to help. She did! She managed to get us on the same flight we were supposed to take the following night, but we had to give up our business class seats we’d paid for.

The airline arranged for lunch at the hotel and then got a bus to take all of those staying at that hotel back to the airport were we checked in for the flight ready to wait again.

No longer in Business class presented another problem since our large bag was now overweight and we were allowed to check only two bags not three. When we explained that to the agents at the gate, somehow they were able to put us back in business class for the overnight flight to Amsterdam, but not for the flight to Norway, but since the bags were going on, it wouldn’t matter.

Back to the business class lounge we went and waited. Once again, the plane was delayed and I was afraid they would cancel this flight, too. The plane eventually took off only three and a half hours later than it should have, which cut our time down for our connection to Norway in the Amsterdam airport to three hours instead of six.

We made it to Norway, tired and jet lagged but happy to be there. We had a great time with family and friends. Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about that and the historic canal cruise.

Good morning. I hope you’re all having a wonderful time. Not only will this be the last post from It’s a Match, it will be my last post for the next three weeks. I’m taking a break but will be back on August fifteenth with a brand new story. This week, our word prompt is PLUG. Enjoy!

“Knowing Marissa, she has a bolt hold here somewhere. A hiding place where she can disappear for a few minutes to recharge. She’s always hated these kind of things, and we both know it,” Karen stated. “Remember the prom? She disappeared for a good hour. Where did we find her? The library, reading a book about circuits. God. Why was I always so mean to her? She was the closest thing I had to a sister and in my envy and jealousy, I pissed it all away.”

Karen had been envious and jealous of me? I found that hard to believe. She’d been the popular one with all the friends while I’d been the oddball.

“This place has to have a library,” Matt said. “Let’s start looking for it. If she’s not there, then we can try the conservatory. It could provide a quiet oasis for her.”

“Good idea. I’m sure one of the staff can point us in the right direction.”

“I agree,” Ken said. “In fact, one of them might know if she’d found another spot.”

“Are we friends again or do you still hate me?” The concern in Karen’s voice was real.

Ken chuckled. “I could never hate you, no matter what a bitch you can be. None of us is perfect. Yes, you lied to Marissa, Zak, and me about that night, but we weren’t exactly innocent. As you spoke, some of the night came back to me, specifically what I said to her. I may even have recalled some of it when I saw her in Brockton when she mentioned that horrible Ice Queen nickname I gave her.”

“I doubt she ever was an Ice Queen,” Matt said. “It seems to me that girl was simply shy but determined to pursue her dreams, which back then wouldn’t have been easy ones to achieve.”

“Yeah. She was always working her ass off, getting top grades, and ignoring the fun and games we considered critical. Then, out of nowhere, Zak turned up and everything changed. Marissa blossomed, and while Zak was my friend, I was jealous of the way Marissa looked at him and how happy they were. When he proposed and she accepted … Maybe I’ve always been a little in love with her and never realized it, but as much as I care for her now, she needs to know the truth about that night as does Zak. Once everyone knows what actually happened, we can all move on. Until then, I’m going to pull the plug on my plans to pursue Marissa. I don’t want to be her second choice.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales. I hope summer is being kind to you. This week the Tuesday Tales’ authors are writing to the word prompt DIE. I’m continuing with It’s a Match, my contemporary second chance at love romance.

“He’s not too happy with you, is he?” I didn’t recognize the voice, but it seemed familiar, startling me out of my semiconscious state. “You didn’t exactly pick the best time to tell him all that.”

I sat up. How long had I been hiding here? I hadn’t worn my watch. The last thing I wanted to do was eavesdrop on a private conversation. I stood, reached for my mask, but one of the gloves fell onto the ground. I stooped to retrieve it, grateful for the slit in the skirt that made it possible.

“No, he isn’t, and you’re right. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and let the chips fall where they may, but I never expected things to go this far. I’ve been carrying the guilt around for too long. I came to England to escape it, but you can’t escape your past. It follows you everywhere. They say confession is good for the soul, but I didn’t expect Ken to be so angry. I never thought she’d take off like that, nor that he’d blame himself. My God, he could’ve died. He lost a leg because of me, and my damn mouth.” Her voice choked on the last words.

I stood riveted to the spot. I knew that voice. It was Karen. Ken had lost a leg? My God! He could’ve died just as he’d said. I dropped onto the bench once more. Tears brimmed my eyes, and I fought to keep them back. I’d been hurt and angry, but I’d never wanted anyone to die.

“Sweetheart, we’ve all done things we aren’t proud of.” In my mind’s eye, I saw him pull her into his arms. “That night, you were hurt and angry. You were in pain. When people hurt, they don’t see straight. They want others to hurt, too. They’d don’t see the big picture either. Unfortunately, it’s simply a law of physics. For each action, there’s an equal reaction. She believed what she saw was real and took off. If she’d really loved the man, don’t you think she would’ve given him the benefit of the doubt? I know I don’t know her, but to have risen in her field as she has, she has to be strong-willed, determined, and level headed. A woman can’t succeed in a man’s world without drive and ambition. If she was ready to believe the worst, then maybe she didn’t love the guy as much as she thought she did.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

I rarely enter contests and such for my books, but when I wrote Atonement, I decided to give it a try. Because of that, when I used my name, I used my legal one. Marie Huguette Susanne Lee Matthews. Quite the mouthful, right? They had no shortage of names back then. I usually stick with Susanne Matthews, which is both the name I use in my personal life as well as my pen name. It’s not surprising that someone might think all of those names belonged to more than one person. That gave me a chuckle, but as for the review itself, I’m honored and thrilled by each and every word of it. The page up, page down feature below works. Read the criteria and then read the review.

For those with issues downloading, here’s the review itself.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite Atonement by Susanne Matthews revolves around Anca Cole, a Boston bartender disillusioned by her urban life, who returns to her Salem roots to care for her injured Aunt Selma and protect her family’s threatened heritage. Propelled by her aunt’s prophecy, Anca navigates mystic quests, rekindles a relationship with her childhood love Walt, and uncovers latent magical abilities. As Anca and Walt unite to combat a malicious threat, they uncover sinister activities within their community and wrestle with their interconnected past. Confrontations with fraudulent demolishers and revelations about hostile hospital staff deepen the conspiracy threatening their heritage. Anca’s supernatural vision reveals her selkie lineage, marking a crucial turn in her journey. As they balance personal revelations and daunting challenges, Anca and Walt recommit to protecting their legacy and confronting their adversities together.

 Atonement by Susanne Matthews is a fantastically woven novel that surpassed even my loftiest expectations in both the quality of writing and just how engrossing it is. In the interest of full disclosure, I entered the Mystic Adventures series with this book but it read perfectly well as a standalone. The Salem setting being a place already imbued with a rich history made the personal ties to Anca feel deeper, and the authors incorporate its atmosphere without turning it into a travelogue. I love Salem but I care more about Anca, which is a testament to how well she is developed as a character. The heartwarming rekindling of Anca’s childhood relationship with Walt not only adds a sentimental touch but also anchors her to her hometown in another layer of her connection to the land. There’s no question that I will go back to read the first two books in the series and Huguette and Matthews have hooked in a faithful new fan. Very highly recommended.

Atonement is available from all Amazon sites and on Kindel Unlimited. Why not grab a copy today!

I never truly appreciated the scene in the Wizard of Oz because I couldn’t imagine something as harmless as water being lethal. Now, I’ve changed my mind. Yesterday, the humidity was 94%. My windows were sweating on the outside. Thank goodness we got a bit of rain, otherwise all of my plants would be dead.

Today, the humidity is a mere 55%, but I swear five minutes outside, and I start to melt! At the moment, the temperature is 88 degrees Fahrenheit or 104 degrees with the humidex–that means the air feels 16 degrees warmer than it is. If that was your body’s temperature, you’d be having a tremendously high fever that could lead to convulsions. Hell, you might even be on your way to the ER. Here in Canada, we measure temperature in Celsius, so 31 degrees or 40 might not sound as bad but believe me it is!

So what can you do in heat like this?

1. Be sun smart

It’s best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, but sometimes that can’t be avoided. When out in direct sunlight, wear (and regularly reapply) sunscreen, cover your head with a hat, and remember to take regular breaks indoors or in a shady area to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing will also help you to keep cool.

2. Wetter is better

Heat escapes through the skin, which is the largest organ in the body. So, the more skin you can cool down, the better. 

In baking hot weather, drenching a t-shirt and keeping it wet can be very effective. If you’d rather not walk around in wet clothing, you can buy cooling spray or having a cool shower will work just as well. You can quickly cool yourself down by putting your hands and feet in cold water. Wrists and ankles have lots of pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you will cool down more quickly.

3. Drink plenty of water

As you sweat throughout the day, the liquids you are losing need to be replaced to avoid dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, dizziness or confusion, and headaches. If untreated, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion. If the person’s condition gets worse, you should call 999 for emergency help.

Avoid caffeine and make sure you’re drinking lots of water and, if possible, isotonic sports drinks to replenish the lost salts, sugars and fluids.

4. Keep your home cool

During the hot weather, it’s important to make your home a place you can escape to out of the heat, so keeping it cool is key to feeling comfortable. It may feel natural to throw open the windows and doors when the sun is shining but, keeping them closed during the hottest parts of the day can help keep the cool air in and the hot air out.

You can open them again in the evening once the temperature has gone down to let the cool air circulate. It also helps to keep your curtains, shutters, or blinds closed, although metal blinds can make the room hotter. You can also try to avoid creating too much heat in the home by cooking or using appliances. Choose meals that don’t require extra heat, or if they do, try to prepare them earlier in the day. 

5. Keep cool at night

Hotter temperatures can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Keeping your home as cool as possible is the best way to make sure you are not disturbed. Shut windows during the day and open them when you go to bed to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. If it is still too hot, try sleeping in the coolest room in your home, or if you have another level move to the ground floor. Heat rises so downstairs is often cooler.

Try to stick to your usual bedtime routine, even if it is tempting to change it due to the heat. When you do get your head down, don’t ditch the duvet completely as this can disrupt the body’s ability to control the temperature next to our skin. Instead, try a thin sheet. You can also try having a lukewarm or cool shower before bed, to help bring your body temperature down gradually.

What you eat and drink during the day can also affect the quality of your sleep. While it’s important to stay hydrated it’s best to stick to water, especially in the evening.  

6. Limit your alcohol

The sun is high, and so are many people’s spirits. And that can lead us to the pub.

Unfortunately, combining too much sun with a few too many drinks is not a good combination. Alcohol causes dehydration, which can hit especially hard if your body is already struggling to cope with the weather. Drinking alcohol can also make it harder to get a good night’s sleep, something that’s already difficult in warmer temperatures. While you may fall asleep quickly, you’re likely to have poor quality sleep and wake up earlier than usual – not exactly the refreshing sleep you’ll need. Try to drink in moderation. 

7. Eat light meals to feel cooler

When it’s hot, you are far better off sticking to light, well-balanced, regular meals. Food with a high water content like strawberries, cucumber, celery, and lettuce, will also help to keep you hydrated and cool.

You can also try foods with high fluid content like soups and stews that contribute towards hydration levels. 

8. Limit physical activity to cooler parts of the day

It’s important not to disrupt your routine too much because of hot weather, but sometimes you may have to. An early morning run may feel punishing when you’re nice and sleepy in bed, but it could be dangerous to exercise in the blazing midday sun and risk dehydration, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Take the temperature into consideration when planning your day and, if you can, limit physical activity to when it’s cooler. If you do decide to work out or play sports, make sure to drink lots of water and take more breaks than usual to make sure you’re not putting any extra stress on your body. 

So, best advice I can give you is to stay inside and relax. Don’t want to watch TV, why not read? Check out my website for some great suggestions. https://mhsusannematthews.ca/

Welcome to this month’s IWSG blog post. I hope the summer finds you well. This month’s question is – 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

My story ideas tend to come from what happens around me. I get a lot of ideas from obscure news reports, current events, the places I visit, and from my own family’s behaviour. My current work in progress came from my granddaughter’s unwillingness to get as excited about her prom as her mother wanted her to be. Eleni is not in any way a Girlie-girl, but she does have a boyfriend and they’ve been together for well over a year–an eternity in the life of a teenager. She’s a sergeant in the army cadets and intends to pursue a career in the trades as a carpenter. Dressing up and getting her hair and makeup done seemed like insurmountable obstacles for her. Eventually, she found the right dress–army green or olive as they called it. As for shoes, she wore gladiator sandals–no heels for her. She’s threatened to wear her work boots under her gown at next year’s graduation. She refused the visit to the spa, but did let her mother do her hair and her nails, while her sister put on the bare minimum makeup.

In my story, Marissa’s sister is marrying into the British aristocracy (see the Meagan Markell -Prince Harry theme here?) and as her Maid of Honor, Marissa has to endure a whole set of social rules, dress fittings, and yes, a visit to the spa. What makes it worse is that among the people at the wedding is the man who broke her heart.

It all works out, but in the end, Marissa gets the man she wants and stays true to herself. This summer, I’m going to Norway and then taking a cruise around the British Isles. I’ll bet more than one book will come from that.

Want to see what motivates others? Check it out here. https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Happy Independence Day. Canada Day was a little wet, but wishing you all good weather. Welcome to July and this week’s Tuesday Tales. Each week, our talented authors do their best to use either a word or picture prompt in a scene from their current work. I’m working on It’s a Match, a contemporary romance. Our word this week is BLACK and as always we’re limited to 400 words. Enjoy!

“As I live and breathe. Zakary Mitchum. You are the last person I ever expected to see here.”

The woman dressed in a black satin pantsuit propelled herself into Zak’s arms.

He stood there as if carved from stone. His eyes widened and his jaw tightened, not the look I would’ve expected on the face of a man meeting his former lover.

Ken glanced at me, then at Zak, then at Karen, and back to me once more. Fate was one cruel mistress. She’d brought the four characters of a five-year-old tragedy together again. Was she expecting an encore? She wouldn’t get it from me.

I looked away, right into the Duchess’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed, and she nodded slightly in a now, I understand motion.

I leaned back, not ready to be included in this farce just yet. Sensing eyes on me, I looked over to see Mom’s concerned ones. Once more, I took a drink.

“Karen. It’s been a while.” Zak, his face flushed, disentangled himself from her.

Karen frowned slightly. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve returned to the Motherland, too?”

Zak shook his head. “I look after Lord Broadmere’s horses back in Cedar Glen, his stud farm near Cedar Lake. He offered me a ticket to the opera tonight. I was anxious to see Marissa again. Seeing you and Ken is a … pleasant surprise.”

His comment lacked sincerity and from the slight pout on Karen’s face, she knew it.

“Speaking of Marissa, where is she?”

 Karen, as bold and brash as ever, grabbed Zak’s hand and led him around the table, sitting down next to her brother, leaving Zak no choice but to sit next to her.

Ken put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me forward so that she could see me. “She’s right here. You know Rissa. She likes to try and blend into the background, but not tonight.”

Just this once, why couldn’t the earth open up and swallow me whole?

Zak frowned but quickly hid his emotions. He didn’t like Ken touching me? Too bad.

Karen’s eyes grew the size of saucers. “Marissa? What … how … you look … fabulous, absolutely fabulous. You always were gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s you. I was hoping to see you while you’re in London.”

I certainly hadn’t been hoping to see her. In fact, I’d hoped to avoid her altogether both in the city and at the wedding. I had no idea she would be at tomorrow night’s ball. Was there any way I could avoid attending? Probably not. Mom and Marley would never accept whatever excuse I concocted.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

 

There are thunderstorms in the forecast, the air quality isn’t the best, but getting to spend the day with four of my five grandkids before they go off on their summer adventures is absolutely priceless. We’ll see the fifth when we go to Norway this summer.

Today is Canada Day, the day we celebrate our nation’s greatness. Canada Day, first celebrated on July 1, 1868 is a commemoration of July 1st, 1867, when the British North American Act (now known as the Constitution Act) united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a single country. Before that, we were all separate British colonies. After the initial unification, we gradually grew into the ten provinces and three territories we are today. Canada occupies the largest landmass of the twenty-three sovereign countries occupying North America, including the protected French territory of St Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland and 60% of Hans Island which are Danish territory.

Canada has the third largest population in North America and our official languages are English and French. King Charles III is our King and he’s represented here by the Governor General, the Honourable Mary Simon, an Indigenous person. We have universal health care, social programs to look after the elderly and the poor, and a top-notch education system. We aren’t perfect, but we do try to do better.

Canada is a mosaic of cultures. With the exception of the Indigenous people, we are all the descendants of immigrants. When you think about it, even the Indigenous people came here from somewhere else. Most archaeologists believe the first peoples of Canada, who belong to what is sometimes called the Amerindian race, migrated to western North America from east Asia sometime between 21,000 and 10,000 B.C. (approximately 23,000 to 12,000 years ago), back when the two continents were connected by a massive land bridge known as the Bering Plain.

My paternal ancestor arrived in what was then New France in 1665. He was French with a touch of Basque. My maternal ancestor arrived some fifty years later, also French but with a dab of English. They and thousands like them helped make Canada the great country it is today. We strive to do the best we can, offering help to the oppresses, opening out arms to the refugees, and seeking to make amends for the sins of the past.

We are a relatively young country, and like any youth, we tend to want to do things our own way since of course, like any headstrong young person, we know better than our elders. As a writer, I’ve come to appreciate the differences among British English, American English and my own English. Canadian English is a weird mix of Amercian and British English with a dash of French thrown in. But that isn’t the only place where we tend to mix things up. Take measurement.

I grew up with the Imperial system. Gas was sold by the gallon, but even then, a Canadian or an Imperial gallon wasn’t the same size as an American one. Distance was measured in miles. When Canada made the formal switch from imperial to metric units on April 1, 1975. Many did not take kindly to the change. After all, our indoor thermometers were in Fahrenheit as were our ovens, refrigerators, and freezers.

In time, most of us accepted what we couldn’t change, like the Loonie replacing the one dollar bill, and then the twoonie replacing the two dollar bill, and then the loss of the penny and the introduction of rounding … we’re accommodating like that, but measurement? We still pretty much do our own thing. If you work in a hospital or a lab, it’s all metric. If you work in carpentry, it’s mainly Imperial, and for everyone else well–here’s a chart to help you understand the unique ness of Canada.

Enjoy your pint as you celebrate the wonders and mysteries of this great land of ours.

Want to know a bit more about my ancestors on the challenges they faced coming here? Check out my historical romance Canadiana Series available from Amazon. The Price of Honor and The Price of Courage, a fictionalized history of the times. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085NJ1ZFD

It’s Tuesday Tales’ time and here we are at the end of June. Half the year has gone by in the blink of an eye. This week’s word prompt is FINISH. I’m continuing with a scene from It’s a Match.

“Fine, Knightsbridge it is, but we will talk, Marissa. Count on it. You can’t leave without giving me an explanation. Not this time.” He turned to Aaron. “I have my own car, so I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

Aaron had been standing next to me and could hardly have failed to notice the tension between us, but he simply nodded. “We’ll see you there.”

I was about to get into the car when Zak reached out to me and took my hand. His gaze fastened on my eyes, he raised my hand to his lips, and kissed it, sending shivers and coils of heat warring through me.

“We aren’t finished, Marissa, not by a long shot. It was wonderful to see you again. I’ve missed you more than you’ll ever know.” With that, he turned and left.

Seeing me again? The damn fool hadn’t even recognized me, and as far as being finished went, we were way past finished.

“Such a nice young man,” the Duchess said, her eyes twinkling, a tiny smile on her lips. “He seems quite fond of you, more than fond, yet I sense something happened between you that remains unresolved.”

I smiled and shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, what we had ended a long time ago.”

The Duchess pursed her lips and shook her head. “Young people. Have you heard the expression, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater?”

I chuckled. “Of course, but it’s never made much sense to me.”

“That’s because you don’t understand it. Years ago, bathing was a time-consuming and difficult process undertaken infrequently. The tub would be filled with hot water, and the head of the household would bathe first, then the eldest son, and so on according to age and status. By the time the youngest got into the bath, the water was usually quite cloudy and dirty. One had to look carefully to make sure no one was left in the tub. Today, it applies to anything that is set aside without careful investigation. Relationships fall into that category. Marissa, that young man cares deeply for you. I can see from your eyes that he did something that hurt you deeply, but before you throw love away, remember things are not always as they seem.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Happy Summer Solstice! Celebrate the coming summer months with pre-covid prices on fantastic novels.

Think about it! 30 box sets of full-length novels for only 99 cents each (USD) You won’t find a better bargain anywhere to kickstart your summer reading. There are Unforgettable Suspense box sets, Unforgettable Romance box sets, and Unforgettable Christmas box sets. This is your chance to read over 250 novels from International and NY Times bestselling authors at a fraction of the cost you would expect for so many wonderful and compelling stories. You’ll definitely find stories to cherish! I’m pleased to be part of this select group.

Check out the sets here. https://authorsbillboard.com/book-bites/ You’re sure to find something that’s right for your reading pleasure. May I suggest: