Choosing Gratitude in This Season of Life

Susie Singleton — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lately, life has looked a little like this: helping people with houses, writing stories about secrets hidden in houses, answering emails, talking real estate, thinking about book covers, keeping up with characters and plot lines, and occasionally walking into a room and forgetting why I went in there in the first place.

Some days are full. Some are wonderfully ordinary. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I keep finding reasons to be grateful.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to still be learning and creating. Grateful for the people God continues to place in my path. Grateful for work I enjoy, stories I get to tell, readers who take the time to spend a few hours inside those stories, and the little moments that remind me how much goodness can be tucked into an ordinary day.

This season of life looks different than I might have imagined years ago. I’m still working in real estate. I’m also writing books, trying new things, and discovering that there really isn’t an expiration date on beginning something new.

There is something freeing about that.

We can keep growing.

We can keep learning.

We can laugh at ourselves.

We can change direction.

We can start the thing we once thought we had waited too long to start.

And through all of it, we can choose gratitude.

Not because every day is easy or everything goes according to plan, but because there is almost always something worth noticing: a kind word, a new opportunity, a quiet morning, a conversation with someone you love, an unexpected answer to prayer, or simply the gift of another day.

I’m learning that gratitude doesn’t have to be reserved for the big milestones. Sometimes it is found in coffee at the kitchen table, a finished chapter, a client who becomes a friend, a good laugh, a beautiful sunset, or finally remembering why you walked into that room.

For this season of life, I am simply grateful.

Grateful for where I’ve been.

Grateful for where I am.

And trusting God with wherever He leads me next.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

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When a Long Held Dream Becomes a Step of Faith

Susie Singleton — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For as long as I can remember, I have loved stories. Not just the big, dramatic kind, but the quiet ones too. The kind tucked inside small towns, old houses, family memories, faded letters, property records, and the things people carry in their hearts for years.

For thirty years (or more), I dreamed of writing and publishing a book. It was one of those dreams I held close, not always knowing if I would ever truly do anything with it. I would think about stories, jot down ideas, start and stop, and wonder if there would ever be a right time. Around 2015, I began working on my writing more seriously. Even then, I still wasn’t sure where it would go. Life was full. Work was busy. Responsibilities kept coming. And like so many dreams, this one waited quietly in the background.

But God is faithful.

Over time, I began to feel Him prompting me to pick the stories back up. Not just to think about them, but to actually do something with them. I did not know how I would figure out all the pieces. Writing, editing, formatting, covers, publishing, marketing, and everything else that comes with putting a book into the world felt overwhelming. But little by little, God placed the right information, encouragement, guidance, and people in front of me when I needed them. Each next step seemed to appear just when I was ready for it.

And now, I am so humbled and grateful to be writing as Susie Singleton, with several books recently published on Amazon. My stories are faith filled coastal mysteries with heart, family secrets, old houses, hidden property secrets, legal twists, and a little romance. They are shaped by the things I know and love: the southeastern North Carolina coast, small town life, my years as a real estate agent and more than thirty years working in the legal industry as a paralegal.

Old houses have always felt like they hold stories. Property records can reveal more than people expect. Family secrets have a way of rising to the surface. And sometimes, the past has to be brought into the light before healing can begin. That is the kind of story I love to write.

But more than anything, I hope my books carry a deeper message. And that is that God is always faithful, that He loves us deeply, and that when we are willing to follow Him in obedience, He can use even the dreams we have carried quietly for years for His purpose.

This writing journey has been a step of faith for me. A tender one. A joyful one. And honestly, sometimes a scary one. Sharing something creative with the world can feel vulnerable, especially when it has lived in your heart for such a long time. But what started as a dream I carried quietly has become something real. I once hoped to publish just one book. Now, by God’s grace, I have six.

I am especially thankful for my husband, Jerry (our JerJer), who has encouraged me, supported me, read pages, proofed chapters, and cheered me on through this process. I could not have brought these stories across the finish line without him.

My hope is that when readers pick up one of my books, they find a mystery that keeps them turning pages, characters they care about, a coastal setting that feels inviting, and a story that leaves them with a little more hope than when they started.

Thank you for being here and for sharing this journey with me. If you enjoy coastal mysteries with faith, heart, family secrets, old houses, hidden property secrets, and a little romance, I would love for you to take a look at my books on Amazon under Susie Singleton

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Susie Singleton | Updates

Choosing Gratitude in This Season of Life

When a Long Held Dream Becomes a Step of Faith