Susan Rae, Romantic Suspense Author

Romance and Suspense…The Best of Both Worlds!

13 Apr 2013

The ICE blue Virtual Tour Has Begun!

Guest blog posts and interviews with Susan Rae, excerpts and reviews of ICE blue, and Giveaways!  Click on one of the links below to follow along and see what the reviewers are saying about ICE blue.

ICE blue Virtual Book Tour April 12 – May 24
April 12 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
April 13 – Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews – Interview/PROMO
April 18 – Read Your Writes – Guest Post/PROMO
April 22 – Book Reviews By Dee – Guest Post/PROMO
April 23 – Gimme the Scoop Reviews – PROMO
April 25 My Cozie Corner – Review  
April 26 – Beth Art From the Heart –  Review
April 30 – Books and Needlepoint – Interview
May 1 – My Reading Addiction – Review
May 2 – Enchanting Reads – Guest Post/PROMO
May 6 – Books and Needlepoint – Review
May 6 – My Devotional Thoughts – Guest Post/PROMO
May 8 – Total Book Geek – Review/Interview
May 9 – Author Ever Leigh – Review
May 10 – My Pathway to Books – Review
May 13 – Book Referees – Guest Post/PROMO
May 15 – The Canon – Review
May 16 – Texas Book Nook – Review
May 17 – Andi’s Book Reviews – Interview/PROMO
May 20 – Busy Mom Book Reviews – Review
May 21 – Wormy Hole – Review/Interview
May 22 – The Must Unleashed – Review
May 23 – The World as I See It – Review
May 24 – RABT Reviews – Review

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31 Mar 2013
2 Comments

ICE blue–Passion as well as suspense–Here’s a tease.

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I hope you all had a great Easter.  Now, after all that family time, you might want to indulge in a little pleasure reading.  Here’s a tease from my new release.  Enjoy!  And, if you leave a comment at the end of this post, you’ll be automatically entered into my contest running through Friday, April 5th to win an ICE blue mug AND a free e-B00k of heartbeats or freefall.  Your choice!  Both received excellent reviews.

Buy Links:     Musa Publishing    Amazon.com   Barnes&Noble Nook

EXCERPT:  ICE blue  by Susan Rae

“More wine?”

She’d finished her glass and set it down on the table.

“No, thank you. It’s getting late and I have to be up early. I’m taking on an extra shift tomorrow.” She slid her chair back. He stood and came around the table to help her.

“I’ll drive you home. Then I’ll grab a cab and come back and retrieve my own car.”

“Really, that’s not necessary.”

“But, given the wine we drank…as a matter of fact, maybe we both should take a cab.”

She tested her bearings as she rose. She knew her limits and she was definitely not drunk. If she was, she wouldn’t think twice about calling a cab. She’d seen far too often the results of drinking and driving.

“Trust me, I’m fine.” She met his gaze straight on.

“All right,” he said at last, “but I’m taking a rain check.”

Her pulse throbbed in her neck at the look in his eyes. It was a challenge. Where did they go from here? Read more…

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29 Mar 2013
4 Comments

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

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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!

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…

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15 Mar 2013
9 Comments

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

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I am thrilled to announce the March 29th 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

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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…

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05 Feb 2013

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!Cover_ICEblue-200

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…

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24 Dec 2012

“‘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!IMG_4282

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…

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30 Sep 2012
17 Comments

Susan Rae—Sizzling Suspense: Returning to the Scene of the Crime, or Promotion 101

The Musa Publishing 1st Anniversary Blog Hop is ON!  Read on, leave a comment, and you will automatically be entered into my drawing for a free download of Freefall! Then continue with the Hop and enter for the opportunity to win Musa’s Grande Prize Giveaway of a KINDLE FIRE!

First, some business: the Blog Hop Rules!

1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: October 1, at Midnight (pst)
    THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, October 7, at Midnight (pst)
    Winners will be drawn and posted October 9th! ***
Come Join the Party on October 7th at The Romance Review Forum to enter to win more prizes. http://www.theromancereviews.com/forum/ (Exact address will be posted as soon as I get it)
4) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP and COMMENT ON, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!
5)Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire is for Us and Canada mailing addresses only. International winners will receive a $50.00 Musa Gift Card. Winner will be announce on October 7th  2012 at 11 est at The romance review forum.
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? ***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***
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And now for my blog:Returning to the Scene of the Crime, or Promotion 101

 Recently, my husband and I returned to the Scene of the Crime of my current release, Freefall,for a vacation, and I had fun using the opportunity for what I call a little Promotion 101.

Click here for info and buy links!

In Freefall, my hero and heroine travel to Door county to track down a lead in the attempted murder plot, and they find much more than they bargained for.  I set the novel in Door county, because it is one of my favorite places to vacation—great big blue skies, cliffs of  the Niagra Escarpment overlooking the sparkling waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan, wonderful lighthouses, and, yes, golf courses.  I thought the idylic setting a perfect place for murder.

Going back on vacation, I knew I needed to use some of the time to promote Freefall, but, since it is an ebook, it was a bit challenging.  You can’t exactly schedule book signings when you don’t have the physical book to sign.  So I went back to the basic principle of promotion, or what I call, Promotion 101—talk the book up, not necessarily myself.  Tell just two people, then two more people, then two more people, and if you get them excited about it, perhaps they will tell two more people and so on and so on. Read more…

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26 Sep 2012

We Have A Winner!

The Ndulgent Blog Hop is over,  and we have a winner–Yvette!

Thanks to all of you for participating.  For those who didn’t win a free copy of Freefall or Heartbeats, both are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and all other major e-book retailers!
To read more about Freefall and Heartbeats, and to get the links, please check out My Books page.

I hope you enjoyed the Hop!

Happy reading,

Susan Rae

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16 Sep 2012
27 Comments

Top 10 Guilty Indulgences For Writers–or The Catch 22 of Writing!

Hello all!   I’m on the Ndulgent Bloggers Blog Hop this week and this is going to be fun.  Read on and in the end, leave a comment and you will automatically be entered into my giveaway for a free e-copy each of Heartbeats and Freefall.  But don’t stop there!  Ndulgent Bloggers are hosting a GRAND PRIZE of $100 Gift Card from the WINNER’S CHOICE of Barnes & Noble or Amazon, so click the button after the post to enter the Grand Prize giveaway and continue on with the Hop for some more great giveaway opportunities!

Now let’s get on with it.  What are my Top 10 Guilty Indulgences?

Right now, as I work toward the deadline of my new romantic suspense novel, ICE Blue, everything I do feels like an indulgence!  Writers write because some masochistic thing inside us tells us we just love to create characters and stories, then sit for untold hours at a computer (thank God for computers, it makes it easier to do all those rewrites!) and hash out the words.  Sometimes the words come easy, sometimes it’s like pulling a stubborn elephant out of a pool of quicksand…not that I’ve ever done that…but I can imagine…the thick, oozing, sucking sand…the gray, wrinkled elephant bleating in protest…oops, sorry, going astray.  Ah, yes, that is one of the indulgences, letting the mind stray from the task at hand.  So what are my top ten ways to indulge myself as trudge toward that deadline?

#10.  This is the easy one.  Ice Cream.  I try not to have it every night!

#9.   Chocolate.  It’s a great reward after I complete a scene.  Not only does it taste good, but the combination of sugar and caffeine gives the mind a boost to help it create that next scene, especially when it’s a love scene!

#8.  Did I say love scene? Read more…

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15 Jul 2012

Announcing the Freefall Virtual Book Tour!

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Come along and join me on my virtual tour celebrating the release of freefall.  You’ll get to know a little more about me, my writing, and the inspiration for the story.   You also might win something along the way.  Enjoy!

Virtual Book Tour July 15 – September 2

Tour Schedule:

My first review and it’s a good one!  July 15 – Forget the Housework, I’m Reading – Review/Excerpt
And two more 4 Star Reviews! July 17 – Rea’s Reading and Reviews – Review/Interview/Giveaway;July 18 – Beth Art From the Heart – Review/Excerpt
July 31 –Paulette’s Papers – Review/Giveaway
And the good reviews just keep coming!  Plus more giveaways!  And some more interviews where you can find out a little more about my inspiration and the writing life!
August 2 –Taking it One Page at a Time – Review/Giveaway
August 2 – Book Review’s and More – Review/Giveaway
August 6 – My Cozie Corner – Review/Interview/Giveaway
August 13 – A Date with a Book – Review/Giveaway
August 14 – The Story of a Girl… – Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
August 15 – The Adventure’s Within – Review/Excerpt —4.5 stars here!!
August 16 – Good Family Reads – Review/Excerpt
August 20 – Nastasja’s Book Blog – Review/Excerpt
August 21 – Booklovin Mama’s – Review/Interview/Giveaway
August 22 – Sweeping the USA- Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
August 29 – Reader Girls – Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
August 29 – Bunny’s Reviews – Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
To read some review excerpts and get more info on freefall and heartbeats, click here.
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01 Jul 2012
14 Comments

Independence Day Super Simple Door County Cherry Recipes

Hi, the independence day Day Blog Hop is over.  And the winner is….Mac! I hope you all enjoyed the hop.  I’ll keep these recipes on for anyone who wants them. 

The 4th of July Holiday is upon us, and let’s face it–this summer is hot and steamy—much too hot and steamy to spend time slaving away in the kitchen over some crazy convoluted recipe.  I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer spending time by the pool, or at the beach, reading a sizzling hot summer romance!

But it’s also time for family gatherings and parties.  So, I’ve put together some of my super simple recipes that will wow your guests and still leave you plenty of time and energy to enjoy your company or get through your summer reading list.  Suzi’s Super Simple Wow Recipes are inspired by my trips to Door County, Wisconsin and feature Door County Cherries, but you can substitute any cherry pie filling in them if you like—they just won’t taste quite as tartly sweet and delicious!

Ahh…Door County…very beautiful and inspiring—so much so that I feature the setting in my own new sizzling hot romantic suspense novel, freefall.  (You can click HERE to find out more about freefall and read an excerpt.  I highly suggest it for that poolside or beach read! Buy Link: Amazon.com).

Door County Tranquility

A Tasty Sampler of Some of Door County’s Best!

From the panoramic vistas of Green Bay looking out from the bluffs on the western side of the peninsula, to the quaint little towns and shops hugging the inlets and bays, Door County forms an idyllic yet dramatic backdrop for the intrigue in freefall—as well as a great place to spend a vacation.  My husband and I make it a point to spend at least a few days up there each year, and on our way home, we always stop at one of the roadside farm markets and stock up on pie filling, dried cherries, and many of the other cherry goodies offered.  If you can’t get to Door County, don’t despair!  The good news is, they are available on-line.  The bad news is, this year’s crop is expected to be just 5% of normal, due to the extreme heat in early March, then the following freeze which killed the early blossoms.  So, if you want some of these delicious cherries, you may want to order them now while some of last year’s crop is still available.  I’ve included two of the links at the end of the blog.

Now, onto the recipes—and remember, I said they were super easy! Read more…

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25 Jun 2012

Freefall Has Arrived!

I  am very excited to announce that freefall, my second novel with Musa Publishing, has just been released.  As I write this, I am gazing at the two dozen red roses my husband gave me—not for the release, but for our anniversary. It would seem after all these years, he still likes me!

Yes, I am a romantic at heart, and that’s why I love writing romance novels; but not just any romance novels, novels with gripping stories that give you lots of suspense and intrigue with a good deal of spice mixed in—novels that explore our relationships with family, friends, and lovers.

With that being said, I’d love to introduce you to freefall, the book I always wanted to write. The inspiration came from my Read more…

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22 Jun 2012

Interview with Kate and Everett from Freefall

Freefall is now available from MusaPublishing.com and on Amazon.com!   On the eve of it’s release, Kate and Everett were interviewed on the Musa Blog.  I’m reposting here for my fans to enjoy!

 Buy Links: Musa Publishing.com:  Freefall

Amazon.com:  freefall

Thank you both for coming to chat with us today. Why do you think Susan Rae chose you to represent her?
Everett: Honestly? She had a golf date. She said something about a league she was in. She’ll probably drop by later, though; I believe she’s off the course by noon. Then I’m heading out there!
Kate: She also said she’d already done her job and now it was up to us to tell our story.
Well, that makes sense. Why don’t we start by you telling us a little about yourselves?
Kate: Not much to tell, really. I’m a computer geek, I guess. I own my own software design company in San Francisco. I’m

Read more…

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14 Jun 2012
1 Comment

Tasty Tuesday–Easter Bread (calzone) with Susan Rae and the DeLuca Family

Tasty Tuesday— I recently had the chance to share this recipe on the Musa Publishing blog.  I thought I would repost it here for my followers to enjoy!

The DeLuca’s are the strong Italian cop family in my novel, heartbeats. Like most Italian matriarchs, Mama DeLuca is an excellent cook.  Easter Bread is just one of her specialties.  Easter bread is actually a special family size calzone that is called Easter Bread because it is baked and served mainly at Easter.  This takes a bit of time to put together, but it is well worth it.  The aroma alone while it is baking will make your mouth water. Enjoy!    Want to know more about the DeLucas?  Please check it out at Amazon.com.

(I have seen a couple of different versions of Easter Bread recipes, but this is the old family recipe that my husband’s Read more…

Posted in Recipes
14 May 2012
3 Comments

Character Interview with Elizabeth and Drake from Heartbeats

Recently I had the chance to interview Elizabeth and Drake from heartbeats for the Musa Publishing Blog.  I donned my BahBahwahwah hat and this is what happened.   Lot’s of tension between these two, to be sure!  Enjoy!

Interview with Elizabeth Iverson and Drake McGuire from heartbeats, by Susan Rae  

 Elizabeth and Drake, thank you for coming to chat with us today. We don’t often get both the hero and heroine together for these chats.  This should be fun.  Can either one of you tell me why you think Susan Rae chose the two of you to represent her today?

 Elizabeth:  I think she just felt that since it’s our story, we would be the best ones to present it.  She chose both of us, I’m sure, because we come at it from different angles.  You see, when the novel begins, it’s been six years since we have seen each other.  We met once in college, and then briefly a few years later, but since then, we have both gone our separate ways. 

 Drake:  Briefly, Elizabeth?  That’s how you’re describing it now?

 Elizabeth:  Well…

 Do I detect some sarcasm there, Drake? 

 Drake:  Let’s just get on with it.

 Okay.  Elizabeth, can you tell us a little about yourself?  You’re a doctor, right?

 Elizabeth:  Yes, I am.

 Did you always want to be a doctor?

 Elizabeth:  Honestly?  As long as I can remember.  You see, I grew up on a farm about forty-five miles from here, in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Thinking back, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t dream about becoming a doctor. When I was little, my Barbie dolls didn’t wear clothes; they wore bandages and tourniquets.  I was always pretending to try out the latest medical procedure on some poor, unsuspecting farm animal—with some very interesting results, as you can imagine.  My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but I made it to the university on a scholarship.  When my dad died of a heart attack while I was in med school, I decided to specialize in cardiology.  That’s my passion, cardiology—both intervention and prevention.  That, and of course, my daughter, Allison—the light of my life.

 I understand you’re a single mother. Read more…

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