This is me, Susan Tuttle, “Woman of 1,000 Words,” author, editor, and creative professional. 

I’m the award-winning author of three suspense tales (“Tangled Webs“, “Piece By Piece“, and “Sins of the Past“), a paranormal suspense novel (“Proof of Identity“), an historical suspense novel (“A Matter of Identity“), and one mini-collection of award-winning short mystery/suspense stories (“Death in the Valley“), all available on Amazon in both print and ebook format. (Just click on the titles and, voila! Amazon!)

“Proof of Identity” is also out as an audio book, available on amazon, Audible and iTunes. It’s narrated by Jan Kennedy, and she does an amazing job. “Sins of the Past” is scheduled out in audio format by June of 2017.

I also have a series of workbook-type on writing titled Write It Right. There are six volumes in the series and they cover all 12 of the writing skills you need to produce awesome fiction and creative nonfiction: Vol 1: Character, Setting Story; Vol. 2: Point of View; Vol. 3: Plot, Dialogue; Vol. 4: Scenes, Style/Voice; Vol. 5: Conflict/Tension, Subplots; Vol. 6: Brilliant Beginnings, Extraordinary Endings. They are all available in print (again, just click and you’re there!), with some of the first units available in Kindle format. But most writers want print books, so I haven’t rushed to get the rest in e-format. I’m really too busy writing my stories!

My shorter works appear in several anthologies:  Somewhere In Crime  and Deadlines, Vol. 1 and Vol.2 by the Central Coast Mystery Writers; The Best of SLO NightWriters in Tolosa Press; and Tales From A Rocky Coast, Vol.1, slated for publication in May 2017. (available as a kindle book).

That’s 12 books of my own and 5 anthologies! I sometimes find that hard to believe!

I also write sci-fi/fantasy and—my newest foray—YA trans-dimensional suspense—or maybe fantasy, not quite sure just where it fits in. And I’m hard at work on a P.I. series featuring Skylark, who lives in my Central Coast town and who has paranormal abilities that tend to step on her life. Look for the first volume (“Tough Blood”) to debut in late 2017 or early 2018.

Oh, and I also write spiritual meditations and Bible studies (“Lord Let Me Grow: A Journey With Jesus Through the Parables), and have developed a 3-year Lenten program titled Lord, Let Me Walk: A Journey With Jesus Through Lent. It’s gotten great reviews in the churches and Bible study groups that have used it so far, so I’ll be publishing both sometime in 2017. Yes, it’s all a rather eclectic (some might say schizophrenic) mixture of genres, but it keeps me from getting bored and fills both my heart and my soul.

I’m also a professional editor-for-hire (see my “Services” page for more information). It’s one of my pleasures in life to help a writer’s voice shine out. And make sure the grammar is correct and the details are consistent.

For anyone who’s interested (if not, skip this part), I’ve won a number of awards for my writing, starting in High School when I won honorable mention for a human interest news story in a state-wide competition. I’m not going to list them all, but I have taken firsts in the Lillian Dean First Page Competition at the Central Coast Writer’s Conference in Short Story, Creative Non-fiction, Novel and Young Adult (and a bunch of seconds and thirds, too). And once I actually tied myself for first place in the Central Valley Writer’s Workshop Contest, and won a couple of times in the San Joaquin Chapter of SinC competition. Won first place in the Mindprints Literary Journal flash-fiction contest, and my poem, “Centennial,” took first place (adult category) in the Arroyo Grande, CA, Centennial Competiton (2011) and is now buried in the time capsule—100 years of immortality. Cool, huh? So I’m not doing too badly in the contest arena. And my paranormal suspense novel, Proof of Identity, was awarded an indieB.R.A.G. medallion.

You could say I’m a bit of an over-achiever. Currently, I’m Treasurer and Newsletter Editor of SLO NightWriters, the premier writing organization on the Central Coast of California, and of the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime (SinC). I teach two writing classes (on which I’ve based my Write It Right e-book series of workbooks on writing), and am a member of the Friday Night Writers Group. I’m actively working on my Skylark series as well as three stand-alone “prequels” and two YA fantasy series, and about 17 other stories. Basically you could say I eat, drink and sleep writing and books! It’s a wonderful way to live.

I’m not much on housekeeping or cooking and sleep is something with which I have only a nodding acquaintance (as my son says, we can sleep when we’re dead). But I do have hobbies other than writing. First of all, I work part time as the bookkeeper of my church. Volunteer-wise, I’m head of the music ministry and sing two services each weekend. I’m also on the Liturgy Committee, the Pastoral Council and the Finance Committee. Needless to say, I keep rather busy.

I’m an avid knitter and quilter (Lia, my protagonist in Tangled Webs, is a professional art quilter) and I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on, even the backs of cereal boxes. Needless to say, I adore my iPad and its Kindle app.

I’m a native of Buffalo, New York who once spent 15 months in Lexington, KY (awesome city!) and a couple years in Westchester County (Ossining, NY). I moved out to California in 2004 because I felt like it and I wasn’t getting any younger, so why not? I was lucky enough to end up in what I call Paradise, about 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, in the friendliest little town in the world. The weather is always perfect, even when it isn’t, and the marine layer keeps the air cool all summer. A heavy sweater works for most of the winter, which is when it sometimes rains and our flowers bloom in profusion. My only regret is that my (adult) son likes the cold and snow of Buffalo and refuses to come live here with me. Imagine any man wanting to live with Mom! But he helps me with my website (from long distance), designs my book covers and is my biggest fan, so I’ve forgiven him. He’s a computer genius who’s starting his own computer company (don’t ask me what he does, I do not understand any of it!) and dabbles in cinematography when he’s got time. I expect we’ll be hearing a lot from, and about, him in the future. (www.aaronkondziela.com)

I truly hope you enjoy my site. I’ve had so much fun putting it together, and a blast working on my blog. We all have so much to share with each other. How blessed we are to live at at time when technology makes that sharing so much easier! Happy reading. And writing!