Monday, October 25, 2010

Interview with Susan Sleeman and 2 Book Giveaway!!


Hey guys,
Today I have Susan Sleeman with me. She had two books release this month and she is going to giveaway one copy of each book to 2 readers. So the first winner chosen will get their pick of which book they would like and then the second winner will get the other book. These look like good books and mystery too:) I love mysteries! And these look like they have great plots and characters!!



Thank you for being with us today, Susan!!!
How long have you known you wanted to be an author?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I guess I really felt like one when I started submitting work to agents and publishers for publication. Then when I finaled in a few contests and an agent accepted me as a client, my writing was validated enough for me to say I am a writer. And in my mind, when my first book was published, that’s the day I became and author.


Can you tell me a little bit about your newest book?
Since I had two books release in the last two months I’ll tell you about both of them.

High-Stakes Inheritance is a romantic suspense book published by Love Inspired Suspense. In High-Stakes Inheritance, family counselor Mia Blackburn’s Uncle Wally dies and leaves behind a will that requires her to return to Logan Lake, Oregon to live at the rustic Pinetree Resort for one full year in order to inherit the valuable property. If she fails to stay at Pinetree for the full year, the property reverts to her brother.

But on her first day in town she receives a threatening message: Leave Logan Lake or you will pay. Despite the warning, Mia won't let anyone scare her from the rustic resort. But when a fire traps her in a burning barn, she fears that she won't get out alive. Just in time her ex-boyfriend volunteer firefighter Ryan Morgan rescues her from the deadly blaze. He had once broken her heart, yet she still has feelings for him. With Ryan insisting on keeping a close eye on her, Mia feels safer-and closer to Ryan than ever before. Yet the threats haven't stopped, and soon Mia's high-stakes inheritance includes a murder-and Mia could be the next victim.


Nipped in the Bud, my cozy mystery, is published by Barbour Publishing in their new Hometown Mysteries line. Nipped in the Bud takes place in Oregon in a fictional town named Serendipity and features Paige Turner, a landscape designer and host of a local radio show with more whacky callers than legitimate gardeners. Paige, more at home with plants than people, has a quirky habit of thinking of people by the plants they resemble and treating them accordingly. She has a knack for finding trouble and there is no trouble bigger than discovering a dead body. Which she does after she bickers with a town official---and that day he's discovered dead in a mound of mulch---she finds herself in . . . well, a pickle! With no alibi, she struggles to prove her innocence, but she soon enlists the help of lawyer Adam Hayes. The question is will his knowledge of the law keep her out of jail and will he win her love?



When a reader gets done with your book, what do you want them to come away with?
As in all of my books, the main reason I write is to convey a spiritual message in an entertaining format. So I hope after finishing either Nipped in the Bud or High-Stakes Inheritance, readers remember that you can never go wrong by trusting in God. Wow, that’s so easy to say, yet so hard to do when faced with life-altering challenges like Paige faces in Nipped in the Bud or Ryan and Mia face in High-Stakes Inheritance. I’ve been there more times than I care to count. When worry and the urge to take control overpower my trust in God. And that’s why I chose to write these books. To share through the characters that no matter the problem, when we trust in the Lord and don’t try to take things into our own hands, He has a far richer and more rewarding life planned for us than we could ever dream on our own.


Is there a place you have always wanted to visit? A vacation spot, historical monument, overseas, etc?
I’m a little odd in that way, as I don’t have any specific place that I want to visit. Maybe it’s because I live cross-country from both of my children and all my free time and travel dollars go to visit them so I don’t even think of other places to visit. That said, I’m open to any and all free trips to anywhere. LOL

If you could have dinner with 2 people, who would they be?
Wow, that’s a hard question as there are so many people I’d like to dine with. But going back to the prior question, since I don’t get to see my daughters enough, I would want to have dinner with them. Family is very important to me and I look forward to a day when I can live closer to them.


What one event would you love to be at? Historical or future?
I’ve thought about this question for days and cannot come up with one event. But, since both of my parents passed away recently, I would like to go back to any point in time when they were still alive and healthy and spend quality time with them.


Do you have a favorite hobby?
Other than reading (grin) I love to garden though I have to admit since we moved to Florida I don’t do much of it. I really don’t do well in heat and as you may guess, it can get hot here. This is probably evident to anyone who reads Nipped in the Bud as it is a gardening mystery. The beginning of each chapter starts with gardening hints brought to the reader in humorous snippets from previous airings of Paige’s radio show. In these situations, the caller to the radio show has misunderstood Paige’s advice and finds themselves in a mess. I hope that reader’s who are avid gardeners will find the snippets funny and those who want to garden will learn something about the subject in a fun way.

Is there something about you most people wouldn't know?
Most people don’t know that I have lived in nine states. Due to job transfers for both my husband and me, we have had the privilege of living in Wisconsin, Texas (twice actually, which I say is appropriate since it’s such a big state), Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Florida. This has provided me with great experience for writing books as in addition to the geography and nuances of each area, I’ve also experienced the subtleties in people based on the area of the country they are from.

Do you have any suggestions for the aspiring writer?
Be teachable. Be ready to hear constructive criticism and grow from that criticism no matter how much it might hurt to hear. Seek it out even. Don’t stop learning no matter where you are in the process. Find books to help you learn the craft. Read other peoples work. Continue to go to conferences.


Any last thoughts for your readers?
I am so blessed and honored to be able to write and share books with readers. I love hearing from readers and encourage you to contact me by going to my website and filling in the contact form. While there be sure to sign up for my newsletter. And I want to say a special thank you to all who have purchased my books.

And how can they connect with you?

Readers can connect with me at any of the following places.

http://www.thesuspensezone.com Book review website

http://hometownmysteries.com Hometown Mystery Website



Woohoo!! There are definitely enough places to find Susan at!! Thank you again Susan for doing this. It was a blessing.

READERS-Susan is offering two of her books to 2 winners. Again, first winner chosen will get their pick of book and the second winner will get the other book. Both of them look good so I would have a tough choice there:) Anyways, to enter, the MANDATORY ENTRY is to leave me a comment stating what plot you would like an author to try next? I know there are a lot of neat plots out there but what would you like to read about?

EXTRA ENTRIES-Please leave a separate comment for each entry and only do the extra entries after the mandatory entry has been completed.
1.Go to Susan's website and sign up for her newsletter, follow her on Twitter, friend on Facebook, etc. Get 2 entries for each one you do.
2.Follow my blog via GFC.
3.Follow me on Twitter.
4.Tweet about this giveaway. Can be done 2 times a day.
5.Enter any of my other giveaways.

UPDATE-Blogger will not allow me to put pictures up right now. Will try again tomorrow. Been struggling with it all day.
This giveaway will end 11/1. Winners will be chosen through Random.org. They have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Thanks for entering!!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Both of Susan's books sound very good. I love that they are both located story wise in Oregon. I'll be able to visualize in my mind the scenery and places. Thanks for the giveaway and for the chance to win one of these books. I hope I do!

Blessings,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot co

Kathy Habel said...

These sounds like great books!
bkhabel at gmail dot com

April Yedinak said...

I would like to see someone write about a an interracial romance.
ape2016(at)aol(dot)com

Edna said...

I follow Susan on face book


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I follow Susan on twitter@mrsred49


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I follow you on twitter@mrsred49


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I signed up for Susan's newsletter


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I follow your blog




mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Edna said...

I entered your perfume give away


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Pink Panther said...

Hm.. I'd love a plot which is about a modern girl being thrown back to the Victorian times. It'd be a fun read! :)
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

Pink Panther said...

Follower here! (waves~)
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

Atta Girl said...

A plot? Let's see... How 'bout a plot setting in the Regency period about a girl pretending to be a boy in order to earn for her poor family and there comes the hero.... Something like that.
atta.girl@rocketmail.com

Atta Girl said...

I am an old GFC follower. Thanks!
atta.girl@rocketmail.com

MomBlogger said...

I'm a newbie follower, and I love to read! I'll enter a giveaway! I'd love to read either of those books!
count me in. :)

lovez2read@comcast.net

Kristie said...

I would love a series about a librarian. *LOL* kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com

Kristie said...

I follow on GFC. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com

Sophie said...

Oh, plots for me are hard, but I do enjoy those where someone is totally immersed/devoted in their job and then gets pulled into some shady thing having to do with it. Make sense?

chitownchicas at gmail dot com

I would love to win the mystery!

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