Of Ships and Sealing Wax

The voyage continues – read the first two chapters!

N.B. ~ March 2, 2024

Since the final edit and formatting are well underway, I’ve updated the first two chapters (click here) to reflect those changes. There’s not a lot of difference, but it’s nice to have everything “shipshape”!

Another (Interim) Dispatch ~ February 26, 2024

What have I been doing in the months since I began editing Of Ships and Sealing Wax back in August? You might well ask! Editing, editing, and more editing — with time out to recover from surgery for a knee replacement. Not recommended timing, by the way, but it could not be helped!
I was out of commission for about eight weeks, but my excellent editor from Meryton Press kept working, so we did not fall too far behind schedule. I got back to my desk right after Christmas. We’ve finished up the major editing work, so now it’s on to formatting and the final edit.
The next big event will probably be revealing the book’s cover and sometime after that, I will learn the likely publication date. I can’t wait to share this news when it’s available!

Dispatches ~ Big News at Last ~ August 15, 2023

I’m over the moon to say that Of Ships and Sealing Wax will be published by Meryton Press sometime in early 2024. Have a look at my author page at Meryton or go here to read a little more about the book. The cover you see there is temporary. At some point there will be a “cover reveal” and more specific information on the publication date.
As they say, watch this space. Updates on publication, the cover, and getting the book in your hands will be posted here as soon as that news is available. Right now, I am editing!

Dispatches ~ Updated August 6, 2023

News is coming. Good news is coming and it’s coming very soon.

Previous Dispatches ~ February 5, 2023:

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I updated this page. To be fair, about three of those years consisted of pandemic, lockdown, sheltering — whatever you like to call it. Last September, I learned that Of Ships and Sealing Wax was shortlisted for the 2022 Novel London Competition. What a thrill to be among such talented authors and to read an excerpt of my novel at the London Festival on October 1 (via Zoom). Nope, it didn’t win, but I enjoyed every aspect of participating.
At the moment, I no longer have an agent. I so appreciate everything my former agent Gail Fortune has done for me, but it’s a tough market and I decided to set her free.
In 2018, I spent most of April traveling in the UK, primarily Scotland. This was not a research trip, though it certainly whetted my appetite to take one. If you’re interested, I’m posting highlights from London, York, Edinburgh and other Scottish locales over on The Blue Chair Blog (that’s me in real life). Hop on over and take a look!

Previous Dispatches ~ April 3, 2018:

Of Ships and Sealing Wax was a semi-finalist for the Eludia Award from Hidden River Arts. This award is given to an unpublished first novel or story collection by a woman over 40. Congratulations and good luck to all of the finalists!
With Of Ships and Sealing Wax sailing out in search of a home, it is time to begin writing a new tale. Early days yet, but it is exciting to be engaged with a new writing venture.

Previous Dispatches ~ February 6, 2018:

I’m proud to announce that Of Ships and Sealing Wax is represented by Gail Fortune at the Talbot Fortune Agency. I know Gail will be a terrific champion for this book and I could not be happier.

Previous Dispatches ~ November 2017:

Visit this blog post to learn more about my friend Meagan Macvie‘s brilliant debut novel.
The 2017 summer conference season is over. For me, that included Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Conference in Seattle and the Historical Novel Society Conference in Portland.
Of Ships and Sealing Wax was a finalist in the 2017 PNWA Literary Contest, in the historical category.

Of Ships and Sealing Wax recounts the homeward journey of a British Naval Officer at the time of the French Revolutionary Wars. The year is 1795, and Captain Edward Trewin has just set foot on English soil for the first time in a year. The hell of it is, he has fallen out with his wife and can’t quite bring himself to go home.

What was once a work-in-progress became a finished manuscript in 2017. This website allows me to take you along on a voyage of discovery as we see what happens next. I’m happy to have you aboard.

You can now read an excerpt from the manuscript, and as I get more organized, I’ll point you to some music of the period (or music that inspired me) on Spotify, and show you some period images on Pinterest. You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram, or see what I’m reading on Goodreads. Scroll down to find the social media buttons.

You will find updates and posts about Of Ships and Sealing Wax on the blog linked here and at the top of the page.

To read a little more about me, click here or follow the “About” link at the top of the page.

I’ll continue to write from time to time at The Blue Chair Blog and I invite you to visit me there, where my most frequent topics are books, writing, travel, and the Pacific Northwest. The two sites will cross-reference each other from time to time, but for the most part, the content is distinct.

Your comments are welcome. Civility is highly esteemed.

All the best,

Suzanne