We Won!

I am back from Las Vegas and the RONE awards and in case you missed the news....

Can you believe it?? I couldn't! Rowan's Lady won the RONE for the Best Historical Medieval Novel of 2013. I'm still stunned and yes I cried! Truth be told, I'm still crying happy tears when I think about it.

I want to extend a special thank you to the InD'Tale Magazine and the staff of beautiful women who run it. Gracious, kind, funny, generous beyond words, these are the nicest women anyone could ever hope to meet.

The InD'Tale Girls

I hit the publish button too soon! I want to also thank you, my readers. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. If I could, I would hug each and every one of you!!

For the Costume Party, I went as a Menopausal Romance Author
Pajamas, a feather boa, a fan and drink completed the outfit. That
beautiful girl next to me is the divine Ms. H.P. Mallory

Me at the Book Signing on Saturday. Sold almost all of my books
and met some great people!!

My new sistahs, Ceci Giltenan and Kathryn LeVeque.
The pretty blonde with the glasses is one of our lovely
readers, Daryn C., who came to see us Saturday! 

Kathryn LeVeque, Amy Jarecki and me

The beautiful H.P. Mallory and me

Kathryn LeVeque, Amy Jarecki and SE Saxon and me

The Lovely and Charming Ceci Giltenan...my partner in crime

Author Paula Knight! A charming and
sweet lady!

Me with Author Lynn Peters - one of the most
giving and sweet women you'll ever meet. 

Author and new friend, HD Smith!

Reader Jerri T. and her husband and me
Jerry brought me homemade fudgy peanutbuttery
rice crispy treats! They were very good!!

Me, accepting my award and getting a big hug from
TJ MacKay - owner, CEO, Editor of InD'Tale Magazine

That Writing Thing You Do...

There’s a blog tour going around that’s helping spread the word about all of the great authors out there. Author Kathryn Le Veque asked me to participate with her and I was happy to say yes! You can visit Kathryn at her website here.  Kathryn Le Veque is one of the sweetest and funniest women that I know and I'm sure you will love her medieval romance novels. She's one heck of an author!


Everyone on the blog tour gets the same questions, so here are my answers to the burning questions that inquiring minds want to know:


1. What am I working on: I'm currently working on my sixth book, Frederick's Queen. This will be the second book in my Clan Graham Series. We first met Frederick in Rowan's Lady and this is his story. Frederick Mackintosh is turning out to be one of my most favorite heroes. While he tends to be a bit impatient and at points is a bit of an ass, he quickly redeems himself. This story has a bit of a darker story line, darker than what I'm used to writing. But I promise it will have an Happily Ever After. My heroine, Aggie McLaren, has had a rough life. Her father is beyond harsh, he's down right brutal. Aggie is as far from perfect as a body can get. Scarred, afraid, mute, and holding on to deep, dark secrets, she is as terrified as she is astonished that Frederick Mackintosh offers for her hand in marriage. This is a love story that starts out a bit rocky but blossoms over time. It shows us that love can conquer many things. Love is the light that shows us the way. We might not always get what we pray for, but we do get what we need.


2. How does my work differ from others of its genre: Yes, I write Scottish Historical Fiction/Romance. Yes, I have big, brawny men who often go around all sexy and sweaty ...sorry, my mind wandered for a moment. Yes, I have big, braw, sexy heroes. I think where my stories differ is that the men aren't broody and you don't start out hating them only to end up loving them. I like to think we fall in love with them immediately. Though its easy to fall in love with my heroes, they are far from perfect. They are perfectly imperfect. My heroines usually need rescuing or help of some sort. But as my stories evolve, we find they rescue our heroes. Either from dark forces, or themselves. :D


I also create bad guys you love to hate. Bad guys my readers tell me they want to reach into the book and kill with their bare hands. Bad guys are fun to write. I tend to take a no-holds-barred approach to writing these despicable characters. I mean, its fiction, right?


My books also tend to have secrets, backdoor deals, missions to accomplish, and all sorts of adventure. They're more about the romance that develops between my hero and heroine. I don't write descriptive sex scenes. I tend to take a more humorous approach to that part of life. I mean, we all know it is insert tab A into slot B, right? And there are only so many ways you can describe what happens between two consenting adults. Yes, there is lots of passion in my books, but you won't find any velvet shafts or quivering sheaths in my stories. I mean you will, but I don't use those kinds of terms. ;o)


3. Why do I write what I do? I absolutely love this genre. I love anything medieval, but prefer medieval Highlanders. Its not just the sexy men with naked knees. Its the fact that Scots love freedom. Most of our founding father's came from Scotland after all. They want freedom to choose their own destinies, to live freely, to not be governed by power hungry men. Its more than the brogue, the scenery, the time. Its all of those things and so much more.


4. How does your writing process work? I write the entire book first. I do very few edits as I write, unless some idea comes barreling in out of nowhere, demanding to be heard and put into the story. Once I've written the entire story, then I go back and do my own personal edits. I try to have it as edited as I can get it before sending it to my editor and beta readers. I ask my beta readers to look for flow of story, any gaping holes, any questions that I might have let linger, excitement level, etc. Once I hear back from all of them, I do final edits. With Frederick's Queen, I'm going to do something new and send the fully edited book to a 'final look editor'. Sometimes, you just need another set of fresh eyes.


Now that I’ve answered your burning questions, join my fellow authors Anabelle Bryant and April Holthaus to find out how they do what they do! Click on these links to be taken to their websites.


Anabelle Bryant began reading at age three and never stopped. Her passion for reading soon turned into a passion for writing and an author was born. Happy to grab her suitcase if it ensures a new adventure, Anabelle finds endless inspiration in travel; especially imaginary jaunts into romantic Regency England, a far cry from her home in New Jersey. Instead, her clever characters live out her daydreams because really, who wouldn't want to dance with a handsome duke or kiss a wicked earl?


Though teaching keeps her grounded, photography, running, and writing counterbalance her wanderlust. Often found with her nose in a book, Anabelle has earned her Master's Degree and is pursuing her Doctorate Degree in education. She proudly owns her addiction to French fries and stationery supplies, as well as her frightening ineptitude with technology. A firm believer in romance, Anabelle knows sometimes life doesn't provide a happily ever after, but her novels always do. She enjoys talking with her fans. Visit her website at AnabelleBryant.com.


April Holthaus lives in central Minnesota with her husband and they are expecting their first child, a boy in March 2014. April developed her passion of historical romances through her love of history and genealogy. Over the last several years she has compiled her family tree finding over 350 bloodline grandparents dating back to the 1100s.


She is currently working on the last book Highland Daydreams of her series, The MacKinnon Clan.
When not working or writing, April enjoys spending time with her family, reading and being outdoors. You can follow April here.


Kathryn Le Veque....Welcome to Medieval England - hard-core, battle-scarred, power-driven knights of the highest Norman order and the women that love them. Like High Middle Ages action and romance? Welcome to the Le Veque Medieval Machine - Medieval just got real!

Kathryn Le Veque is one of Amazon's top selling Historical Romance authors, consistently ranked in the top 100 authors of the genre. Kathryn is a dominant presence in the Medieval Romance category with several novels always in Amazon's Top 100 rankings. If there's a Medieval Romance list, chances are that Kathryn is on it!

Kathryn has been featured regularly on Kindle Nation, Coastal Conversations, Confessions of Romaholics, Goodreads, and a host of other blogs and websites highlighting her novels. Kathryn is an award-winning author and has legions of dedicated fans all over the world.

Kathryn's Medieval Historicals have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She believes that total immersion in a time period is essential to creating the perfect story. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Although Kathryn's passion is her Medievals, she is very proficient at writing Contemporary Adventure Romances and one of her novels. "Fires of Autumn", received over 50,000 downloads on Bookbub in a two day period. Additionally, one of her novels, "Lady of Heaven", is currently being adapted into a screenplay.

Kathryn is the author of 45 novels and counting.

See Kathryn's fanpage on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlevequenovels?ref=hl

Join her on Twitter @kathrynleveque

Visit her website at www.kathrynleveque.com

Don't Call Them "Pirates"...

NOTE: When I speak of ‘sharing’ I am referring only to pirate sites, peer-to-peer sharing sites. I am not referring to readers who share books with friends and family. I’m speaking about pirating sites that strip all the digital rights management from ebooks and then upload them to a website or multiple sites.

Gird your loins folks, this is going to be a long post on an ugly topic. And I'm going to be brutally honest and very blunt.

Until I became an author, I had absolutely no clue that 'book pirates' existed. Whenever I wanted to read something, I either purchased a book, borrowed something from my mom or a friend, or went to the library. Needless to say, it was a rude awakening.

I really wish they would quit calling these people Pirates. The term pirate oft evokes an image of a misunderstood and handsome swashbuckler. (Think Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean.) I'm here to tell you that these people are not Johnny Depp-like characters. They're dishonest, disingenuous thieving bastards. There. I said it and I'm not ashamed.

Several times a week I either see a post on someone's blog or on Facebook on this very topic. I even receive private messages or emails with the same vein running through them: OMG! I just found out my books are being pirated and your's are too! Yeah, I know.

I know my books are being stolen. Countless numbers every day across the world. I know I'm not alone. I know it happens.

In the beginning, I used to spend hours contacting these pirating sites, demanding they remove my books, informing them they don't have permission to 'share' my books, and warning them to immediately halt what they're doing.

I'm here to tell you that this does absolutely no good. Its as smart as trying to scoop water out of a leaky boat with a teaspoon. A sane person would try to plug the hole.

As soon as you get one site to remove your books, another one pops up to take its place. No amount of haranguing, screaming, or 'sign the petition to stop book pirates' is going to get these people to stop. It doesn't matter how many times  you talk about it on your blogs or how diligently you work to warn people not to buy your books from anyone other than Amazon, B&N, Kobo, or other reputable book sellers. You can scream the message from the top of your lungs day after day after day until the end of time. These thieves breed like cockroaches and are just as disgusting.

By now, I'm sure many of you are floored by my apparent pessimistic attitude on this subject. A few of you might even believe I have a fatalist attitude and believe there is nothing we can do to stop them. Not true. There is a solution. Is it an easy one? No, but it is the only answer to stopping these people.

Does anyone remember Napster? Napster was a 'peer-to-peer' file sharing internet service. The operated under the guise of 'freedom of speech' or 'I should be able to share my music with my friends.' Hundreds of thousands of music files were downloaded for free. This went on for years. Artists and musicians lost lots of money. Napster swore they were simply sharing. I argue they were stealing.

Don't get me wrong, if my readers want to buy a paperback and hand it out to all their friends, I'm good with that. I'm even okay with them sharing the digital versions. I’m not talking about honest readers who get their books from bookstores, Amazon, Kobo, or other legitimate businesses.

I love readers, you all know that. But what makes the 'sharing a paperback' different than a peer-to-peer file sharing service is this: Someone originally bought the book. (Or I personally gave them a copy.) The original reader bought the book for his own personal enjoyment and if he or she likes the book, they’ll want to spread the word or even share their copy with friends and family. I do this all the time. The book might make its way to a dozen or so people. Again, I'm fine with that. But with peer-to-peer sharing, thousands upon thousands of people are getting to either listen to the music or read the books because someone (the thieving pirate) stripped the DRM (Digital Rights Management) from the original copy and made it available ‘to the world’. The thief didn’t purchase the book or piece of music with having it for his own personal use in mind. He took it with the intent of sharing it with thousands of people.

"But Suzan, what about the library? Libraries all over the country have thousands of copies of all sorts of books. People go in and borrow them for free all the time. Isn't that the same thing?" No, it isn't. Because the library bought the original copy or copies of the books or the audio books or the albums. While some pirates might buy one copy, many are able to steal them. But buying it with the intent to distribute it widely at no cost is still different than sharing with your immediate circle of friends and family

"But Suzan, musicians like the Beatles or Aerosmith or Toby Keith are all rich gazillionaires. Certainly they don't miss a few songs here and there." That's like your boss telling you "Listen, you worked 60 hours this week, but I need to buy my kid a new car, so I'm taking $15.00 out of everyone's paychecks for the next four years to pay for it. You won't miss it, its just a few bucks here and there." You'd be mad as hell.

Stealing is stealing, plain and simple. People can try to justify it all they want to.

Napster tried to justify what they were doing by saying this: A recent study of more than 2,200 online music fans by Jupiter Communications suggests that users of Napster and other music-sharing programs are 45 percent more likely to increase their music purchasing than fans who aren’t trading digital bootlegs online. (from ABC News.)

Excuse me? Your argument is that if I let people steal my music or my books, then they're more apt to actually by my music or my books in the future? That is BS and I'm calling BS. Why on earth would you purchase music or books if you know you can get them for free?

These sites act as both thief and fence. They steal the work -- be it from musicians or authors -- and give it away to potentially hundreds of thousands of people. All under the guise of 'sharing'. I don't know why they do it and frankly, I don't care. I simply want it to stop.

Yes, I make a very good living as a full time author. Yes, I give away lots of paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks every year. It is my work. My blood, sweat and tears that went into creating the book. It is my right to give it away to whomever I please whenever I please because it is mine. And again, let me reiterate that I am fine with people who have purchased my books or people who were given my books as gifts, to share them with their friends and family. I'm not talking about my devoted readers sharing books. I'm talking about the pirating sites.

It doesn't matter who they're stealing from. Whether its the famous Hugh Howey's of the writing industry or the new guy just starting out, it is still stealing. This isn't about the haves and the have nots. This is about a group of people who steal from one group of people to give it to another group of people.

If someone wants to read my books buy them or go to your local library and borrow a copy. If your library doesn't have a copy, ask and they'll get a copy for you. I have lots of contests throughout the year so a person could even win a free copy. Just don’t steal it.

Just because I gave away copies to people doesn't mean someone has the right to come in and steal copies from me and then give them away. And that is what these sites do - they steal.

So what is the solution? Three words:

Class Action Lawsuit.

We need every author -- traditional or indie -- to come together and file a class action lawsuit against these thieves. Yes, it might take years of court battles and buckets of frustrating tears before we see a final conclusion. But I say it would be worth it in the end. It isn't about suing them to win a ton of money, its about getting these people to stop. What we want is to get these websites to quit stealing our work and giving it away. Personally, I’d rather see the bastards do hard jail time than for me to win a dime. Either way, I’d be happy with seeing these people punished.

We can't get these thieves to stop by sending emails saying "Take my book off your site." I would wager they get dozens of such emails every day. I imagine some idiot in a grease-stained muscle shirt, oily skin, and long dirty hair, sitting behind a desk littered with empty Doritos bags, a family sized box of Twinkies on his lap, and diet soda cans spilling out of the trash can, smirking every time he opens one of those cease and desist emails. I can hear him say, "Yeah, right. We'll take it down for now, baby cakes, but come next week? Your little book will be on fifty other sites! Take that honey pie!" After he promptly moves my cease and desist email into his trash folder, he switches over to the 24-hour porn sites. I wonder if he pays for the porn or steals that too?

And the DMCA? The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is supposed to protect authors, artists and musicians against these thieves. Ha! Its as effective as trying to use a peacock feather against a horde of pissed off Alaskan Brown Bears. What are you going to do, tickle the bears to death? All it does is give us a fancy schmancy letter to send to these sites. I bet greasy twinkie guy has wallpapered is third-floor walk up studio apartment in copies of the DMCA. He might even use them as toilet paper. Yeah, that’s how I picture these slimeballs.

Until we band together against these thieving idiots, we'll never stop them. I say we unite ourselves against these fools. Instead of waving our feather made out of DMCA notices, I say we become the horde of pissed off authors who stand united and letting them know we're not going to allow this any more. Who is with me?

Reader Voting Schedule for RONE's

Hello everyone! I'm so excited! The last week has been amazing. A whirlwind of activity here. But we'll keep this post focused on the RONE's.

Because of the number of books nominated and the various categories, InD'Tale had to break the voting down by genre and sub genre. Each week you'll have the opportunity to vote on specific categories. Voting has already started and you can find the schedule here.

As you know, Wee William's Woman, McKenna's Honor and Rowan's Lady have all been nominated.  Reader voting is extremely important. I can't move on to the next round without readers voting.

Wee William's Woman and Rowan's Lady are in the Historical Medieval category. Voting for them begins March 24 at InDTale Magazine. McKenna's Honor is in the Historical Novella category and that voting begins April 7. It is one vote per person.

It is an honor to be nominated! To see my books listed among the likes of Courtney Milan, Kathryn Loch, Willa Blair, Hildie McQueen, and Kate Robbins (just to name a few) is mind-boggling! I'm just so tickled about this!

As always, you can find updates on books, contests, etc. at my Facebook Page or my new website.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart! I would not be where I am if it weren't for all of you!

Hugs,
Suzan

Special Announcement

Hello everyone!

I have so many exciting things going on right now and I can't wait to share them with you. Some are far more top secret than others. :D

I hope you can join us Tuesday night for a special event at Facebook where I will be make a formal announcement. I think my readers are going to be very excited to learn what we've been working on for the past two weeks!

Yes, I realize it is New Year's Eve, but I do believe it is appropriate considering what we've got going on! :D

Love you all!
Suzan

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Where has this past year gone? It seems to have flown by!

These past few months have been so busy! I haven't had time to do my newsletter let alone blog. I apologize for that.

The remodel is coming along nicely (that may be a wee generous, but considering everything we've gone through I reckon it fits!) We have subfloors!! Who knew something as simple as subfloors could be so exciting?

The grandkids are growing like weeds and getting smarter and smarter by the day. They're perfect, as always, and I'm looking forward to spending time with them today and tomorrow.

I started making chili at 8:30 this morning. Yes, chili. That is our Christmas Eve tradition: Chili, potato soup, home made bread, and LOTS of cookies, fudge and deserts! What are some of your traditions? I still have fudge and pies to make but I should have those whipped up in no time.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping to make 2013 one of the most amazing years of my life! I couldn't have done it without you! Below is a link to a little video I put together to express more fully just what you all mean to me!

Over the next few weeks I'm going to have some AMAZING announcements! When I heard about one of these things, I was so excited I nearly peed my pants! ;o) Yes...it is B.I.G. news!!!

Again, I thank you all so much! You're simply wonderful and I appreciate, as always, your continued support and love!

So have a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful and joyous new year!!

Gra`dh agus Beannachd

(Love & blessings)

Suzan

Author Spotlight at Create Space!

Good morning my beautiful readers! It has been such an exciting month here! Lots of wonderful things are happening and its getting to the point that I can barely keep up with it all. I think that is a good thing!

I left for Las Vegas on the 5th. It was a phenomenal experience! I'll post more on that later. We arrived home late Sunday night. Exhausted, excited, but glad to be home.

My husband and I at the costume party. Yes, he is wearing his kilt!

Yesterday was spent recuperating!
You can see the pictures at my Facebook page. 

As most of you already know, I am an independent author. Create Space is where I have my paperback books made. Currently, I am their featured author! This is a tremendous honor. You can learn a little more about me and my journey at their site. This was a fun interview! :D

I can't thank each of you enough for all of your support and kindness! If there was ever a contest on who had the best readers, I'd win. Hands down. Every time. :D

Hugs,
Suzan

Chat with me LIVE tonight!

It has been such an exciting week and gee whiz, it is only Wednesday! :D

I've been invited to chat live tonight, over at the Romance Reviews Today website. How cool is that? I've participated in online events such as these before, but always as a reader, never as the featured author. I am so excited!

I hope you can join us! You can ask me just about anything. So pop on over at 9:00 EASTERN, 8:00 Central and say hi! I'd love to talk with all of my lovely readers! You are all just the best! :o)

http://www.romrevtoday.com

Hope to see you there! :D

Hugs,

Suzan

McKenna's Honor, in Paperback...special announcement!

I am very tickled to tell you, my lovely readers, that you can now pre-order a paperback copy of McKenna's Honor!

McKenna's Honor is a novella, approximately 125 to 130 pages long (we're still in editing stages!) and about 24 chapters long. :D

Amazon contacted me a few days ago, to get permission to have their Create Space team contact me. Create Space is owned by Amazon and it is the company I use to print my paperbacks. This is a big deal because this isn't something that indie authors typically get.

So you can pre-order the ebook or the paperback! Yes, I did a happy dance of joy!

Love you all! Thank you so much for helping make my dreams come true. It is because of your continued support that I am able to live this life. Each of you is a blessing and I thank God for you every day! :D

Hugs,
Suzan

And the Winners of The Sizzling Summer Blog Hop Are...

We've picked our winners! You can find them here:

I'm also giving away one of my books from those of you who stopped by my blog! 

And the winner is.....

JESSIE L!!!

I'll be sending you an email shortly to get your contact information.

I want to thank each and every one of you for making this such a fun and successful event! 

You all ROCK!

What Is A Street Team?

  

A street team is a group of readers who work to help spread the word about a particular author’s book(s). This can be done by sharing posts and links at Facebook, Tweeting, and emailing friends about the author’s books. They share book links, blog posts, and their own reviews.

Suzan's Highland Lassies

Another important aspect is to help get the author’s books into real book and mortar bookstores and libraries. These are what I refer to as 'boots on the ground' members. Kind of like Special Forces, but with books and bookmarks and pretty things! ;o) We’re a lot nicer too!

I happen to think I have the most beautiful, sweetest, funniest, and most awesome street team. My team call themselves Suzan's Highland Lassies, and they take being a street team member very seriously. I love their excitement and passion and determination. These are fun women to hang out with, to work with, and to know. I love them all dearly.

If you would be interested in joining my street team, just send me an email. Our goal is to have members in all 50 states and around the world. I have members in the US, Canada, Scotland, and the Netherlands. 

I would love to have more team members!

Hugs,

Suzan

Cover Reveal for McKenna's Honor!

Hello lovely readers!

I decided to reveal the cover to McKenna's Honor today, along with the new prologue.

Our target release date is July 26, 2013. Pre-order link should be live at Amazon around June 20th. ;o)

Hugs,
Suzan

Prologue

An old adage declares that there is no honor among thieves. The same can be said of traitors. Traitors often hide in the open, in our full plane of vision. The truth is there, if we choose to see it, if we are determined to see things for what they are and not what we wish them to be.

In reality, traitors are nothing more than pretenders. Actors in a play in which only they know who is who and what is what. Master manipulators.

 And people tend to see only what they wish to see.

When a traitor performs, openly defending the weak, speaking only in the highest regard toward his king and country, and displaying an unequaled façade of honor, well, who among us would question his fealty? The traitor shows us only what he wishes us to see and only what we wish to believe.

All the while the traitor silently laughs at the folly he has created, taking great care in the absurdity of the entire situation.

And if he is extremely careful the world will never know who or what he truly is. 

However, as is often the case with thieves, traitors, and ne’er do wells, sometimes fate steps in at the most unexpected of times. It rips away the heavy curtain of subterfuge and duplicity, to openly display to the world not what it wishes to see, but what it in fact must see.

Such inaugurations to the truth are often painful and traumatic, leaving the newly inaugurated feeling stunned, stupefied, and bitter. For some, the only means of survival is outright denial. They shun the truth. Curse it. Preferring instead, to live in denial. Mayhap because they love the traitor so much, it is easy to justify the aforementioned traitor’s behavior. Or, they may not wish to believe they could have been so easily duped.

But as in all good plays, there are subtle twists and turns. Some are quite obvious, others, not so much. Mayhap the truth isn’t always what it seems. Mayhap there is far more to it than anyone realizes.

What then, motivates a man? A man like Angus McKenna?

Angus McKenna has spent his life defending the defenseless, offering hope to the hopeless, lifting up the weak. This is how the world see’s him: Honorable. Honest. Steadfast. A leader of men. A man loyal, to king and country. A man above reproach. That is the man his people see, the man other leaders see, the man the world sees.

Since the day he took his oath as chief of the Clan MacDougall and made the promise to uphold and protect his clan above all other things, Angus McKenna has always put his family and his clan first. Each decision he has made since that fateful day in 1331 has been made with only one thought in mind: how will this decision affect my family and my clan?

Nothing else mattered but the safety and well being of his people. Not his own comfort, his own desires, or his own needs could be taken into consideration when making decisions that would directly affect his people.

What then, could have made Angus McKenna don a red and black plaid and turn against his king? His country? How could a man like Angus McKenna do such a thing? What could be of such a value that he would plot to murder his king and to forge a pact with the English? A pact that would cause the fall of his country and put it squarely into the hands of the very people he has spent his entire life fighting against.

Gold?

Silver?

Power?

Something more?

Through time and experience, we learn that things are not always as they appear.

Angus McKenna Hangs At Dawn....

It is often quite odd or even hilarious when and how my book ideas come to me. Sometimes, I'll be riding along in the car, or watching TV, or writing another story, or in the shower....we  just never know when that idea is going to pop into our heads.

So the other night, I was trying to sleep and an idea for Rowan's Lady kept popping into my brain. I couldn't fight it, so I decided to just let my mind wander and see where it ended up. That can be quite dangerous sometimes!!

Eventually, I fell asleep, knowing full well that the 'idea' my brain wanted to incorporate into Rowan's Lady was going to be difficult. But again, the voices in my head were quite insistent. Sometimes, I have to fight them until one of us wins. Usually, the voices win.

I woke up, with that same idea running around. The idea, while fun and intriguing, was going to be a stretch if I forced it into the book. A big stretch. Like trying to jump over a chasm with a skateboard and a bed sheet. I just didn't see how it would work.

Then, as I was tending to my morning ablutions, WHAM! There it was...one simple little sentence that took me by surprise and I almost forgot where I was and what I was doing! (Try to explain to the EMT how you broke your leg whilst sitting on the porcelain throne and voices screaming at you!)

Angus hangs at dawn.

Yes, our beloved chief of the Clan MacDougall, Angus McKenna hangs at dawn. I broke out in a cold sweat, unsure if it was the idea or another hot flash. How? Why did the voices insist on hanging Angus? What in the hell could he have done to deserve to be hanged by his neck until dead????

I sat still, waiting for the voices to explain themselves. Angus is a traitor...ordered put to death for crimes of treason, for plotting against the king.

WHAT??? NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

The voices raced on, so fast in fact, that I wondered if I hadn't finally had that break down my mother used to warn me about. I ran downstairs and sat in front of my lap top and started writing. Writing, writing, writing....

I realized, as I wrote, that this story was going to do a few things. One, it will tie in the idea that the voices are insistent must go into Rowan's Lady. Two, it will help tell a little more of Nial & Bree's relationship. Three, it will help with the eight year gap between Wee William's Woman and Rowan's Lady.

So I'm going to run with it. I must write this story. No ifs ands or buts about it. I must. I have to. The voices would never forgive me if I didn't.

At this point, I think it is a little novella or a short story. I won't know for certain for another couple of weeks.

In any event, I think my readers, those who have read the first three stories, are really going to like it! It will be more exciting and faster paced than the first three. It will be filled with intrigue, spies, plots, rescues, and yes, a wee bit of romance! ;o) But it won't be like the first three books in that we take one character and focus on him and write his romance. This one is going to be just a little different.

No worries in regard to Rowan's Lady! I'm still looking at a September/October release date. ;o) But trust me, when you read the as yet untitled book, and then Rowan's Lady, why I'm doing what I'm doing will make perfectly good sense.

This will be a stand alone book, one that won't require reading all the other books in order to make sense. But, when you put them all together, it will answer some questions left behind by Wee William's Woman and will set the stage a bit better for Rowan's Lady.

I love you all!!! Thank you for your support and kind words, and for sending the new subscribers my way! ;o)

Have a great day, enjoy a peaceful Sunday, and remember, I appreciate each and every one of you!

Hugs,
Suzan

Newsletter Updates

Hello Everyone!

I'm so excited about the newsletter. Our target release date is May 1, 2013. My goal is to create something a little different.

I will have a few nifty features that I think you will enjoy.

Each month, I'm going to spotlight a new, never before published or very newly published author. It could be in any genre, not just historical fiction/historical romance. Everything from contemporary romance to science fiction. I really do believe in paying it forward and this, I believe, is the perfect opportunity to shine a little spotlight on those authors who have worked so very hard to write and publish that very first novel. 

As I've been in those 'newbie' shoes before and didn't have a clue what I was doing, I hope to help these new authors along the road to success. Now, chances are I haven't read their novel, so this will be a journey we can all enjoy together.

There will also be section for short stories and poetry. This is open to all authors, published or not, professional or amateur.  Nothing is off limits (save for erotica). I love a short story every now and again and I think you will too. So if you have a short story or a poem that you'd like to submit for possible publication to my monthly newsletter, send me an email.

I would also love to have a recipe section, preferably something you have made yourself before. Submit your recipes to me via email. Pictures would be nice to accompany the recipe. ;o)

I'm also going to spotlight a Hunky Guy In a Kilt each month. So submit your pictures and a little bio on how you know your handsome hunk! Husbands, sons, nephews, grandsons, friends...as long as he isn't a celebrity or a cover model, we'd love to have you show him off. You can submit the photos and bio via email.

We hope to have fun contests each month too, so make sure you sign up for the newsletter. You can forward the link to your friends too.

Thank you all for your help, your support, and your kindness. Have a great week!

Hugs,
Suzan

Did You Know This?

Prefacing the following with this: "I'm a challenged individual and blonde."

Did you know about 'highlights' for books at Amazon? Apparently, you can highlight any sentence or section of a book. I knew I could do that, but didn't know why you'd need to unless it was for a text book for school.

I just discovered that people actually highlighted several different parts of each of my books! That is sooooo cool! Many of those highlighted were some of my favorite parts too.

I also just discovered that if you click on 'view more highlights' you can see what people are saying that might not be in the review section. WOW!

Not sure if I should hang my head in shame for not knowing or just be glad that I discovered it! ;o)

Now, if my daughter Debbi reads this, she is going to knock her head on the table. She knows me, lol. She constantly tells me I'm too old for my smart phone. Ha! I am not! This just goes to show you that I am learning! ;o)

I'm also quite certain that my friend, Laura Howard, will do the same head banging as my daughter. ;o)

You are never too old to learn something new!

Have a great day everyone!

Hugs,

Suzan

Steam or Not?

One of my Facebook followers posed the following question to me this afternoon:

Suzan, do you think a story can be too "Steamy"...inquiring minds want to know.

I LOVE that question! There simply wasn’t enough room to answer it completely or honestly at FB so I am answering it here.

Steamy scenes are like the old adage about art: I don't know what art is, but I know what I like. The same can be said for steamy scenes. Now, I do, on occasion, like to read a steamy scene or two. However, I don't want to feel like I'm a voyeur or that I'm watching porn. Steam, in certain degrees, can often times make a really good book even better. 

We're all big girls here. (By big, I mean grown up). We know what sex is. We know how to insert tab A into slot B. I don’t need to be beaten around the head with every conceivable way of doing it. Or even ways I hadn’t thought of before! However, there have been a few books where I did learn a thing or two, lol. 

 In my most humble and honest opinion, really good books can have a bit of steam, even a little debauchery.  What separates the very good books, at least in my mind, is this: If you can remove all the steamy scenes and still have a great book, then it is still a great book! Again, it is just my humble opinion that the entire book shouldn’t just be about sex. There has to be something else, otherwise, it is just sex.

When I read a romance I want the romance. I don’t like books where the main characters have just met and were so hopelessly drawn to one another that they’re having sex by the second page. I want the romance and the love to build up first. I want to see what obstacles, what trials and tribulations they might have to go through first. Otherwise, I find it an unbelievable story and again, its just sex. Call me old fashioned if you want. But I believe true romance should stand the test of time. 

For example, I present to you my in-laws. Two of the sweetest, funniest, most down to earth people you will ever meet. They've been married for over 50 years now. They've been through a thing or two. To this day, my father-in-law still gives my mother-in-law a sweet kisses! That is what I think true romance is: together for half a century, seeing each other at your worst, yet, when she steps into the room, he smiles at her like she's been gone for a month and he is so glad to see she's returned, when in fact, she simply stepped down the hall to the ladies room! Loving each other through thick and thin, good times and bad. And at the end of the day, he still makes your stomach do a little flutter and brings a smile to your face. 

That, my friends, is real. That is the type of love I try to put into each of my books. I want my readers to know that if I jumped ahead 50 years, my characters are still hopelessly, passionately in love with each other. But I think I digress....

Yes, I know in the real world people have one night stands on a regular basis. So what? That, in my opinion, is boring. Anyone can have a one-night-stand if they want to. It doesn’t take anything to pull that off except a pitcher of margaritas and a key to a Motel 6. Big deal. That isn’t romance.

Now, I’m no prude. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I like long, lingering, passionate, knee-buckling kisses. (My husband excels at this and it is one of the many, many reasons why I married him!) I like to read about those kinds of kisses in books. Its all part of what makes a good romance a good romance.

I am not the supreme omnipotent despotic ruler of the universe.  I do believe to each his own and what goes on behind closed doors is no one’s business and it especially isn’t mine.  Lots of people like really steamy, detailed, and highly descriptive books and that is quite all right! ;o) I have actually read one or two of those ;o)

I tried once, a year ago, to write a really steamy scene for Findley’s Lass. When I realized that my face had turned beet red and that I wasn’t even looking at the screen…I was just tapping away at the keyboard, had turned my head away in embarrassment, I realized then that that particular type of writing wasn’t for me. If I was too embarrassed to write it, then chances were, my readers were going to be too embarrassed to read it. There are other authors out there, far more talented than I, at writing steamy scenes, lol. I'll leave those to the experts. ;o)

I tend take a different approach to writing love scenes. I try to introduce as much humor to it as possible without being too over the top. Read Wee William's Woman for an example of what I mean by funny, yet romantic and passionate.

I mean honestly, when you really think about what we’re actually doing when we’re actually doing ‘it’, don’t you sometimes get the urge to giggle? I know that I do! And no, that isn’t a bad mark aimed at my husband, so please don’t think of it that way.  I won’t go into personal detail here, but suffice it to say that my husband is delightfully very talented at more than just those knee knocking kisses I mentioned earlier! ;o)

So, to answer the question, is there such a thing as too steamy? It is really up to each person. IF it is written well and IF the characters are believable and likable then steam is fine and dandy. But you have to start with a really good story first. ;o) 

So there you have it. My long answer to your question.

Hugs,

Suzan