Sandra: the woman, the writer and the reader on Susan Elizabeth Phillips

I’m emotionally exhausted. I wish I could say it’s from me putting my all into my book, but it isn’t. I just finished reading Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s book, “Honey Moon.” As with most of her books, but especially the ones from the early nineties, she puts me through the emotional wringer. There are so many ups, downs, twists turns and in this last one, even a spiral, that I’m left reeling when I finally close the back cover. There isn’t a book of hers so far that I haven’t been snookered into reading in one day. And believe me, to go through all those emotions in a day is a harrowing experience. When I finally finish that last page and look at her picture on the inside of the back flap, I don’t know whether to curse or praise Phillips. As a woman, I curse her because she brings too many of my own emotions to the surface, as an author I admire her and am fiercely jealous. As a reader I’m in awe of her talent and her insight into the human mind. I saw her speak at the Romance Writers of America conference last year in Atlanta, GA. I wonder if her insight into the human psyche is from her past as an actress? Either way, she puts so much into these books that I’m amazed she has anything left of herself. I suppose I shouldn’t be too amazed, seeing as her and Honey just took a small part of me with them. Hats off to you Susan Elizabeth Phillips!