The Magic Touch Giveaway Hop–We have a Winner!

And we have a winner: Mary Roya. Congratulations!

This hop was fun.  Thanks to all of you for stopping by my site.  I’m pleased to say that ICE blue is getting some great reviews!  Click HERE to see what critics are saying about my latest sizzling suspense!

Happy Reading!  Susan

This Hop is hosted by author Kallysten and book blog Riverina Romantics. Read more…

ICE blue’s Release Day. Yes! And with that, One More Word (okay, more than one) on Insistent Characters.

It’s ICE blue’s release day.  Before I get down to business, I just want to say, in celebration, I’m giving away another ICE blue coffee mug!  Leave a comment at the end of this post and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.  If you’re a writer, please tell us about your most insistent character, the one that wouldn’t let go of you until you wrote their story.  If you’re a wanna be author, tell us about the character that keeps nagging you to get to it.  Or readers, please tell us about your favorite character from your favorite author.  You have until Friday, April 5th to enter.  Good Luck!  For more info on ICE Blue, including the first chapter please click here.

Perfect for curling up with your coffee and your e-reader!

BUY LINKS:    MUSA Publishing      Amazon.com

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Now, about those insistent characters…  I think it’s safe to say all of us authors have them.  It’s the red haired girl with the freckles who crosses the street and suddenly we’re developing a whole story around her in our head, or the pregnant checker at the grocery store who looks definitely frazzled, or, for romantic suspense writers, the guy in the airport who looks sophisticated and sexy all at the same time, and looks like he’s on a mission.  Or it can be the character who starts to take form when we read a newspaper article and it sparks a story idea and we try to think of the character or characters who will bring the story to life.

Yes, the author can have many characters inhabiting her head at one time.  In most circles, we would be considered not quite right if we told people about them.  But in writer’s circles…  Let me just say, I did a program at the local library recently for young adults and I asked them if they were authors.  Most weren’t sure, but I explained that indeed they were all authors because they had already written a book for the young authors program that all students from their school participated in.  One girl in particular took it even further, though, telling me she had a couple of ideas for some other stories, that the characters were in her head and she just needed to figure out where she was going with them and get them down on paper.  I looked at her and smiled.  Yes, that is an author. I welcomed her into the fold and told her that as an author, I totally understood. Read more…

The ICE Man is Coming–or What Happens When Characters Insist On Having Their Stories Told

I am thrilled to announce the March 29^th release of my new novel, DeLuca Family 2– ICE blue. Only fourteen days away, it is now available for preorder direct from my e-publisher, Musa Publishing. In honor of the occasion, I am giving away an ICE blue coffee mug.  Leave a comment at the end of this post and you will be automatically entered into the drawing!  You have until ICE blue’s release date to enter.       MUSA BUY LINK

So, what’s the story behind ICE blue you ask?   Before the TV series Blue Bloods, there was my novel, heartbeats, a romantic suspense tale involving The DeLucas, a Chicago Cop Family. Before Chicago Fire, there were one-hundred and fifty pages of heartbeats’ sequel, ICE blue (working title, The Fire Within.) I had the idea for ICE blue when heartbeats came out originally in paperback.  So why so long before its release?  All I can say is that sometimes when life (and death) happens, the writing doesn’t come so easily.

Before heartbeats’ release and barely seven months after my father passed away from cancer, my mother was diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer.  Through multiple surgeries, including a triple heart bypass, chemo and radiation treatments, I was her primary caregiver and support person. During that time I would try to work on the manuscript, but eventually, as she became sicker, it grew more difficult to concentrate on the writing.  Having already lost one parent, I knew that spending time with her was more important than sitting at my computer writing, especially when it became apparent that she would eventually succumb to the disease. Read more…

It’s February, Really? Or, If the Cover Fits, Flaunt It!

I can’t believe it’s February already. It seems like we just celebrated Christmas!

My time shrink probably has a lot to do with spending so much time in my office getting ICE blue all pretty and ready for release.  The last few months have been very hectic in the writing cave.  Okay, I admit, it wasn’t all work and no play.  There was Christmas, and the birth of our new family member, and that vacation to Disney World.  And now, all this February snow to clear away!  Granted, it’s only been a few inches at a time, but every day?

What more apt time, though, to introduce the cover of my new novel. Here it is!

All set for a March 29th Release.  You met the DeLuca Family in heartbeats.  Now get to know them even better in ICE blue.

The action starts quick in this spicy suspense story.  Here’s a taste to get you started.  Preorders will be available in March. Until then, while the ice falls outside, stay cozy indoors!

EXCERPT

A rush of adrenalin shot through Angela as she approached the accordioned car where a cop stood, adamantly motioning her over.

“What’ve we got?” she asked the officer. Another man, not a cop or rescue personnel, she presumed, as he wore no uniform jacket—hell, he wasn’t wearing a jacket at all—stood beside the officer, his back to her. His head and arms disappeared into the opening where the driver’s window should be. Blood, bright red and vibrant against the white snow, trickled from beneath the door at the man’s feet…

She touched the shoulder of the man leaning through the window.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’ll take it from here.”

The guy didn’t seem to hear her. More rescue vehicles were arriving on scene, sirens blaring.

She called more loudly. “Hey, I said we’ve got it!”

Finally he turned and gave her a quick assessment. She could swear she saw a touch of amusement in those blue-green eyes he flashed at her.

“Listen, lady, if I ease up on this,” he said smoothly, “this guy’ll bleed out.” Turning his back to her, he said to the driver, “Hang in there, buddy. I’ve got you covered…

Angela squeezed her arm in beside the man-in-the-window’s shoulder and pressed her fingers against the driver’s throat. He was tachy. His skin cold and clammy. Read more…

“‘Happy Christmas to all…and to all a good night!’”

On this Christmas Eve, 2012, I think back over the year and what an exciting and busy time it has been.  heartbeats was released by Musa Publishing in e-book in April, and freefall in June.  What a crazy time of learning about promotion and blogging and how to keep writing while also doing the promotion and spending time with family and friends.  It has been a while since I posted on this blog (okay, three months ), but I have been very busy.  We had a new baby born into the family in October, little Elyse Ann–naturally, she is  adorable ( I’m her Grandma, but she really is very cute!); a family Orlando vacation in November  complete with visits to Disney World and Sea World; and somehow, I managed to sit myself down in the chair and finish writing ICEblue.  Whew!

And that is what is so difficult about writing. I truly enjoy thinking up the stories and getting to know my characters, but family time is so precious that it is sometimes hard to force myself to sit my butt in the chair and get the work done when I Read more…