3/31/2014

New release from Georgie Lee: Rescued from Ruin



  Amazon   Barnes &Noble   Harlequin 





What the ton doesn't know... 

During the years since Randall Cheltenham, Marquess of Falconbridge, last saw Cecelia Thompson, he has turned into a dissolute rake. Catching sight of her now, bittersweet memories threaten to shatter his carefully constructed façade. 

Although in the eyes of the ton Cecelia is a wealthy widow, in reality she has barely a penny to her name. Randall seems to offer a safe haven, but how can she trust a man who has hurt her before and who seems to have only become darker with the passing of time? 

About the Author: A dedicated history and film buff, Georgie Lee loves combining her passion for Hollywood, history and storytelling through romantic fiction. She began writing professionally at a small TV station in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles to work in the interesting but strange world of the entertainment industry.

 Her first novel, Lady’s Wager, and her contemporary novella, Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion are both available from Ellora’s Cave Blush. Labor Relations, a contemporary romance of Hollywood, and Studio Relations, a love story set in 1935 Hollywood, are currently available from Montlake Romance. Hero’s Redemption, a Regency novella, is now available from Carina Press.  


When not writing, Georgie enjoys reading non-fiction history and watching any movie with a costume and an accent. Please visit  www.georgie-lee.com for more information about Georgie and her novels.

Jillian: Georgie, have you always written in the Regency period? 
Georgie: Any other time periods you’d like to share with us? I haven’t always written in the Regency. I’ve written in time periods ranging from modern day and 1935 Hollywood to ancient Rome. However, being a huge Anglophile I keep coming back to the Regency, though some day I may venture as far back as ancient Egypt.

Jillian: Do you know how to tie a fluffy white cravat? 
Georgie: Unfortunately, I don’t. I can’t even tie a modern day tie. However, I’ve seen videos on Youtube and I am pretty sure, given the opportunity, I could successfully untie one.

Jillian: What’s up next for fans and readers? A stand alone, another novel in this series or the start of a new series? 
Georgie: I’m planning another story around the character of Mr. Rathbone, the moneylender from Rescued from Ruin. In the meantime, my third Regency romance with Harlequin Historical, The Courtesan’s Book of Secrets will be available October 2014.

Jillian:   What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book? 
Georgie: I go outside and get out of the house. Sometimes reaching the end means long hours in my office concentrating hard to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Once I hit send and the story is off to my editor, I need the fresh air and the change of scenery. Also, by then the plants outside are starting to wilt and I need to water them.

Jillian: What do you do to unwind and relax? 
Georgie: I love to watch period piece movies or BBC TV shows. Right now I’m making my way through Lark Rise to Candleford and trying not to binge watch so I can enjoy the series for longer. The great thing about streaming TV is all the episodes that are instantly available. The down side to streaming is all the episodes that are instantly available. It’s too easy to watch just one more, even when its late and I have to get up early.

Jillian:  Do you read reviews of your books? 
Georgie: If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing? I had to stop reading reviews because as wonderful as the best were, the worst had a way of ruining my day like nothing else. Now if only I could get over my Amazon sales rank addiction.

Jillian: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? 
Georgie: Working from home while taking care of my little one is one of the best parts about being a writer. It isn’t always easy, especially when illness strikes near a deadline but the flexibility I have as a writer to set my own schedule is priceless.

Jillian: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? 
Georgie: Tea with a single packet of Splenda. I like herbal teas because I can’t handle caffeine the way I used too. Lipton Orange Blossom and Hibiscus is my favorite right now. Once in a while I mix it up and drink Sleepytime Vanilla in the middle of the day. I like to live on the wild side.

Jillian: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why? 
Georgie: I’d make the sky green because it is such a soothing, pretty color. Red is beautiful but can be rather menacing and sharp, but green makes me think of relaxing in the grass.

Jillian:  What would you say is your most interesting quirk? 
Georgie: I know a lot of history, which makes me an excellent partner during Trivial Pursuit.

Georgie has a question for readers: I can’t get enough of period piece films. I will watch any movie with a costume and an accent, including some not so great movies. Some of these mediocre films are my favorite and I even own them on DVD. I call these my guilty pleasure movies because in truth, they aren’t great but I still love them. Two of them are King Arthur with Clive Owen and Dangerous Beauty. What are your guilty pleasure period piece movies?

Social Media Links:  Facebook  •  Twitter: @GeorgieLeeBooks •  Goodreads •  Georgie Lee Blog  Website:  www.georgie-lee.com

3/28/2014

Get Lost in the chilling new romantic thriller from Morgan Hannah MacDonald


Buy link: Amazon   








No one will hear you scream...

A serial killer terrorizing a small mountain town sets his sights on those hunting him.              

Cody Thomas is an FBI agent working the Violent Crimes Unit in Los Angeles, California when he takes a week off to decompress in his hometown of Big Bear. 

He's watching.

Jilly Reid has left the Central Homicide Unit of San Bernardino and moved up the mountain to her hometown of Big Bear to get away from death and her cheating ex-husband. 

He's waiting

No sooner does Cody arrive in town when he runs into Jilly, a girl he knew in high school. But there's no time to reminisce, she's in a hurry. An incoherent call came into dispatch. A fisherman down in Hunters Cove is carrying on about finding dead women.  

A lot of them.

Cody blackmails Jilly into letting him ride along. What they find is an underwater grave. A serial killer is using the lake to dump his victims. Seven women, brutally tortured, are chained to cinderblocks, their long tresses waving back and forth with the current. 

Their faces set in a silent scream for all eternity.

At first they think the killer is long gone, but soon they learn he's watching Cody and Jilly. Taunting them. Then women start disappearing at an alarming rate.

He's pissed.

Meagan McInnis and J. J. Thomas go to meet his brother Cody at the family cabin for spring break. But relaxing is the last thing they get when her sister, Bridget, goes missing.

You're dead.

Now the clock is ticking. Can the killer be stopped before time runs out?


A glimpse of the next spine tingling thriller from Morgan Hannah MacDonald...


Big Bear Lake, California

  The sun had yet to show its face over the surrounding mountain peaks. The deep purple sky streaked with fuchsia, then a lighter pink scattered throughout cotton candy clouds. The lake was smooth as glass. Not another living soul in sight. 
Just the way he liked it. Just him and the fish.
Dale Tucker climbed into his skiff with his poles, tackle box, a blanket and large thermos of coffee. After depositing the items on the floor of the boat, he leaned over and snatched the ice chest from the dock. Then he freed the rope securing the small craft to the piling. 
    Before he sat, he placed the folded blanket on top of the metal seat. Dale pulled up the collar of his insulated windbreaker before yanking the cord on the outboard motor. It was forty degrees when he'd left the cabin, but once the boat got going, the chill factor would ratchet up a few knots. 
Dale motored the boat across the lake to a new spot he'd heard about the day before over breakfast at the Teddy Bear restaurant. Overheard would be more apt. He'd listened as some old coot bragged about all the bass he'd caught there. Dale cut the engine and let the boat drift. First things first, he baited his hook and threw it in the water. Letting the current pull it along. Then poured himself a cup of steaming coffee.
All at once, rays of sunlight broke through the trees on the snow covered peaks above, skipping across the water, making it glisten. He took a deep breath, the aroma of pine filled his senses. Spring was in the air, Blue Jays squawked and a couple of squirrels chattered away as they chased each other along a tree branch. A splash sounded in the distance as a fish jumped out of the water. Before he'd finished his first cup of coffee, he felt a tug on his line. 
A few hours later, with four healthy bass in his cooler, Dale was ready to head home. He glanced around and noticed he'd floated some distance from his original spot. He searched the shoreline and realized he was just off of Hunters Cove. He'd be back. After packing everything up, he stood and pulled the ripcord on the motor. It started right up, but the boat didn't move. 
The water churned with bubbles, but the blade seemed to be stuck. The smell of the motor burning reached him and he shut the engine down immediately. From where he stood, he couldn't see the problem. He tried to pull the motor up, but it wouldn't budge. It was caught on something.
He grabbed his knife and jumped into the lake. He gasped at the frigid temperature and made a mental note to act quickly. He gulped a lung full of air and dove. He'd expected to find a tree limb snagging the boat, instead something had wrapped itself around the actual blade itself. 
His eyes scanned down its length where he noticed a strange phenomenon. It looked like some sort of sea grass waving back and forth with the current. The colors changed from black, red, and brown. It was kind of cool. Dale didn't have a clue what it could be, he'd never seen anything like it. He kicked to the surface and took another deep breath before investigating further. 
Dale swam past the grass. It took a few seconds for his brain to comprehend exactly what he was seeing. His eyes widened. The air escaped his lungs in a rush. He scissor kicked and pulled himself up as fast as possible. When he breached the surface, he greedily sucked for air. A scream was not far behind.
It was not a new exotic plant.
It was hair. 
Long, beautiful manes of hair still attached to the heads of what had once been women. He'd found himself a watery grave. The image would be ingrained in his memory forever. Chained by their ankles to large cinderblocks were several naked bloated bodies.
Their faces set in silent screams for all eternity. 

Buy link: Amazon   





Morgan Hannah MacDonald writes Romantic Thrillers that are NOT for the faint of heart. She has held many positions , including  bank teller where her hands and feet were bound while armed robbers took over the bank.  Then a few years later she learned she'd dated a serial killer. That's when she began writing, because strange things do happen to real people. She belongs to Romance Writers of America, the San Diego Chapter, as well as the Kiss of Death Chapter. She resides in San Diego, California where she is busy working on her next novel.  She can be found at www.morganhannahmacdonald.com. She loves to hear from readers. Write her at morganwrites@yahoo.com. LIKE her on Facebook to receive all upcoming announcements. MorganHannahMacDonald.Author.

Morgan has a question for readers: Do you read romantic suspense? And if so, who are some of your favorite suspense/thriller writers?




3/26/2014

MINE TO CRAVE with Cynthia Eden

MINE TO CRAVE
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden continues her dark and sexy “Mine” romantic suspense series with…MINE TO CRAVE.
 
HE TAKES WHAT HE WANTS.
From the moment that billionaire casino owner Drake Archer sees Jasmine Bennett, he’s obsessed. Consumed by desire for the mysterious redhead, Drake will do anything necessary to claim her. Yet as desire rages between them, danger is stalking ever closer. Drake’s past isn’t dead, and the ex-Special Forces agent will soon have to face the ghosts he left behind.

SHE’S HIDING SECRETS.
Jasmine isn’t who she pretends to be. She’s a woman on a mission—and she’s supposed to be stealing secrets from the mysterious Drake. Falling for him isn’t on her agenda, but when lust and love tangle together, all the rules get broken.

AN ENEMY IS CLOSING IN…
When Drake learns of Jasmine’s betrayal…all hell breaks loose. He knows that he should turn his back on her, but it’s too late for him. He can’t let her go, but he can teach her a lesson. No one betrays him…not without paying a heavy price. Drake will destroy all of the enemies on his trail, he’ll bury his past, and he’ll teach Jasmine to want only him…just as much as he craves her.

Read a Little, Buy the Book

“Thank you,” Jasmine told him.

“For what?”

“Saving me. That doesn’t happen a lot for me.”

He cranked the car. The engine immediately purred to life.

“Please.” The word seemed to be a bit hard for her to say. Interesting. “Don’t…don’t take me to a hospital. I’m staying in a motel just outside of town. Just drop me off there, and I’ll vanish from your life. I promise.”

He pulled into traffic. He was far too aware of her next to him.

“If you turn right at the next intersection, you’ll be able to get back to my motel.”

Drake stared at the road ahead of him.

“The turn is here,” Jasmine said, her voice breaking a bit. From pain? From fear? “You should go right—”

He didn’t go right.

“Drake?”

“You’ve got a lot of secrets.”

“Why didn’t you turn? I told you, I’d vanish. I won’t bother you again.”

She was already bothering him plenty. He should drop her off at the nearest hospital. Get on a plane and head down to New Orleans. Find another woman and forget about her. But he heard himself say, “You’re not vanishing.”

Award-winning author CYNTHIA EDEN writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.  Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

AN UNEXPECTED INTERVIEW
Here with us today are Drake Archer and Jasmine Bennett, the stars of MINE TO CRAVE. Drake and Jasmine, are, of course, thrilled to be here. They’re taking  a breather from the danger that is their lives and enjoying some quiet chat time. ;)

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading? 
Jasmine:  Sleeping Beauty—I wanted her to wake up—fast!
Drake: Huckleberry Finn.

ANGI: What’s your favorite “love” word?
Jasmine: Darling, of course. Isn’t that what you are, Drake? My special darling?
Drake: Am I supposed to have one of those?  I call Jasmine “beautiful” because that is exactly what she is to me—what she’ll always be.

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Drake:  Uh, what?  How about Little Red Riding Hood? Mostly because I’ve been called a big, bad wolf a few times or twenty.

ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
Jasmine:  Bugs Bunny.  Smart rabbit—he could get out of every dangerous situation. Kind of like…me.

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Jasmine:  The Princess Bride. And, um, Drake, would it kill you to try saying, “As you wish…” to me a few times? I mean, really.
Drake: Casino. What can I say? Vegas is my life.

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?
Jasmine: Chocolate.
Drake: I own several casinos, so I prefer to enjoy other people’s vices.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What is your favorite thing about Drake and Jessica? Why does their chemistry only work for them?

CYNTHIA'S GOTTA ANSWER:  I love Drake and Jasmine because they are both characters with dark, troubled pasts. They have every reason in the world not to trust each other, but, somehow, they connect.  They feel safe together, and they create a fragile bond that can see them through the dangers that they face. 

FIND CYNTHIA 
Twitter @CynthiaEden  Goodreads   Magical Musings    Blog
and at the Intrigue Blog and  Facebook page
Previous GLIAS interviews 

UP NEXT for CYNTHIA:
My next release is a paranormal romance—ONCE BITTEN, TWICE BURNED. It features a very hot vampire and the women he will do anything to protect.  This book is the second one in my Phoenix Shifters series with Kensington Brava.

 
PREVIOUS RELEASES by CYNTHIA
There are several other books currently available in the “Mine” series. Check out all the details on Cynthia's website. Like MINE TO CRAVE, these are dark stories of love and obsession.
MINE TO TAKE, MINE TO KEEP & MINE TO HOLD

CYNTHIA is giving away a$15 Amazon.com gift certificate.

International Giveaway. 
Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address. 

ANGI'S back next Wednesday with the debut of Janie Crouch.
UP NEXT ON GLIAS:  MORGAN HANNAH MacDONALD
Get Lost on Goodreads, Facebook
or @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

CYNTHIA WANTS TO KNOW: What do you crave most?

3/25/2014

E.E. Burke's Best of the West

Each month this year, I'll be hosting a series of interviews with Western historical romance writers. In addition to well-known authors, I'll be featuring authors who are just starting out. That way, you'll get to meet new talent and discover new favorites.

Today, our guest is Lori Connelly, whose debut series, The Men of Fir Mountain, is published by Harper Impulse.

Here's a blurb from her latest release

Amazon  Kobo  Barnes & Noble All Romance ebooks   Itunes       
The Lawman of Silver Creek
by Lori Connelly

 As sheriff of Silver Creek County, Matthew Marston’s job is to look after his town. But when he fails to protect the most important person in his life, Claire, from an attack, Matt feels as though he will never be able to forgive himself.

Her husband-to-be’s newly found overprotectiveness drives the headstrong Claire from his arms. She can’t see a future with a man who won’t allow her to follow her dreams.

In a small town where everybody knows your name and your business, it’s impossible for the pair to stay apart, especially as Claire finds that she can’t completely turn her back on the lawman that she loves.

Excerpt from The Lawman of Silver Creek

 Fall 1891 Fir Mountain, Oregon

Energy crackled in the air. Wind howled, and thunder roared, loud and intense. Clouds obscured the sky, darkening the midday hour, as rain streamed from the heavens.

“You shouldn't be here.”

Claire McConkey smiled in response to his gruff, inhospitable greeting and moved closer. “Why?”

Lightening streaked across the dull greyness above, illuminating her finely boned, heart shaped face. Dark brown hair blackened by water clung in tangles. The sight tugged at his deep need to protect her, but he fought it off with cold, hard reason. Another man might think the petite woman who stood only chest high before him, slender to the point that a stiff wind might blow her away, needed coddling. Her delicate appearance misled many. Sheriff Matthew Marston knew better.

Matt stepped out on the covered porch of his family’s log cabin. She didn’t yield ground. Their bodies brushed, and awareness flared. He closed the door behind him to keep her out of his refuge, sidestepping to put some space between them.

“Go home,” he ordered bluntly, his tone firm.

As always, eyes the same rich color as her hair mesmerized him. Claire never veiled emotion. When laughter sparkled in the depths of her eyes, her delight was infectious. If angered, one look would scorch whoever had earned her ill humor. He’d never had to guess what she was feeling, until now. His weight shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. Her gaze shone with an intensity that unsettled him.

“But I’m soaked, chilled through. Won’t you ask me in?”

“No,” He was certain she was up to something, playing with him. Her soft request only hardened his resolve.

An eyebrow arched at his swift denial. “You’d let me catch my death walking in the storm?”

His eyes narrowed. Matt studied Claire for a long moment, jaw clenched, suspicion high. Mere weeks had passed since the woman who’d held his heart from the time she’d worn ponytails and he'd chased frogs had rejected him. She’d inflicted a wound that festered, refusing to heal. The memory haunted his quiet moments. He couldn’t understand how she could kiss him with soul searing passion one minute and then with her next breath calmly tell him that their wedding was off.


Meet Lori

I was born and still live in Oregon. Despite being a good student, my teachers complained about my tendency to daydream. The tales dancing through my imagination were frequently far more entertaining than real life. As far back as I can remember I made up stories, to calm my sister after a nightmare, entertain myself in boring classes and write in countless notebooks, many never again to see the light of day. I earned a BS from Eastern Oregon State College and married my best friend almost twenty years ago. I’ve three brilliant, handsome sons, one amazing daughter-in-law, a beautiful granddaughter and two spoiled dogs. When not writing I love to read, hike, camp, rock hound, and take long walks with my husband just after it rains.

 E.E.: So you daydreamed a lot, eh? I believe there's a club for Daydreamers and I'm a charter member, as well. So what’s your favorite fairy tale?  
Lori: Would The Princess Bride count?
E.E.: Favorite cartoon character? 
Lori: Eeyore. Every time I see him, I want to hug him
E.E.: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?  

Lori: Writing. I love being able to edit, layer stuff in, and make the story as strong as possible.  I also love storytellers but I’m actually quite shy.  The thought of standing before a group of people and speaking makes me break out in a cold sweat. 

E.E.: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans? 
 

Lori: Thank you.  Thank you so much.  It still floors me when a person says that they enjoyed reading my books.

E.E.: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?  

Lori: Yes I do.  I don’t go as far as making a playlist for each work but I find that there are certain songs I’m drawn to as the story progresses.   For the first two books of the Men of Fir Mountain, I listened to a lot of songs by Pink.  Sober, Just Give Me a Reason, Perfect and Try Try Try especially. 

E.E. What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book? 

Lori: Stretch, I write with my laptop on my lap, and then I find a good book to read. 

E.E.: What do you do to unwind and relax? 
 

Lori: I read, walk in the woods, rock hound, and hang out with my family.

E.E.: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? 

Lori: Coffee, with a lot of hot chocolate. 

E.E.: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why? 

Lori: Green, because it's my second favorite color (blue is my other) and it would be like having the forest, everywhere.  I love being in the midst of the forest.  It's peaceful.

E.E.: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?
 

Lori: A picture of my granddaughter, no matter what is going on, she brings joy.

E.E. What are the next five books on your ‘to be read’ pile? 
 

Lori: Sinfully Summer, The Golden Key Chronicles, The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, The Roman, and Beyond Grace’s Rainbow and the list goes on.  I'd like to read through the works of fellow Harper Impulse authors who've been beyond kind to me.

Gotta Ask: Why do you write Western historical romance?
Gotta Answer: One, my home, Oregon, provides a lot of fodder for my way too active imagination.  It inspires the settings for all my stories.  I’ve walked the old Barlow Road (part of the Oregon Trail) where wagon ruts from pioneers remained, wandered through the forest, finding an old rotting cabin more than once, and camped by a small, unnamed lake, listening to a chorus of frogs as night fell. 

Two, my paternal grandmother interested me in genealogy.  I’ve been researching my family history since my teens and have amassed a wealth of information including copies of letters written by a couple of ancestors.  One was standard communication between a husband and wife but it set my imagination off.  I wondered what their love story was and since there is no way to find out for real, I started creating possibilities. 

Genealogy also plays a role in naming my characters.  Until recently, many of my relatives had large families.  In fact, my mother was the seventh of nine children and my father the eldest of nine as well, although only seven survived childhood.  Most of the characters in The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge, The Lawman of Silver Creek and the other books I’m writing and/or have planned to write in the Men of Fir Mountain series are named after my ancestors.  I open my family history program and scroll through all the names of those who lived in the period my story is set and choose one that feels right.

Books by Lori Connelly 

Men of Fir Mountain (Harper Impulse)
Lawman of Silver Creek 
Outlaw of Cedar Ridge

Also…
Co-author of
Loving Winter Nights, Love Romance (free ebook published by Harper Impulse)
A Witch by Chance (free pdf book, downloadable from my website or blog)



Where you can find Lori:
Today's Giveaway!

For readers who haven’t yet met the Men of Fir Mountain, I'll be giving away one set of the seriesThe Lawman of Silver Creek and The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge. Plus two single copies of The Lawman of Silver Creek.

Question for our readers: What kind of heroines do you like best? What makes a hero irresistible? 
Comment and enter the raffle for your chance to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

3/24/2014

Meet S.M. (Suzan) Butler!

Title: Killing Honor
Publisher: Soaring Phoenix Press

What's the book about?

Only she ignites the passion within him…
Navy SEAL Brody Battles’ last mission ended with him shot twice. He’s made enemies he’d like to forget ever existed all over the world. He’s more than ready to go home to the family he left behind, but when he returns, he faces sleepless nights, a possible security breach and the fear that his family has moved on without him.
Only he fills the void left in her heart…
Marrying her childhood sweetheart sounds like a fairy tale dream come true, but not for Devyn. Thanks to his job, her husband has been off on a secret mission for so long, he’s never even seen his daughters in person. But now he’s back, and the fairy tale life is in sight, but Devyn’s not sure the man that returned is the same man who left.
…and only death quenches their enemy’s thirst for revenge.
Stitching their broken family back together proves difficult when nightmares and secrets build a wall between them. And while they’re adjusting to being a family again, an enemy waits in the shadows, salivating for the sweet taste of revenge.
This New Adult title includes adult situations and may not be suitable for readers under 18 years. 
Check out an excerpt!  The first ten chapters are up on Wattpad
Meet S.M.!
S.M. Butler is an internationally bestselling author of new adult romantic suspense and military romance with a penchant for Dr. Pepper, ice hockey, and world domination, but not necessarily in that order. She lives in Texas under a not-so-secret identity (Suzan Butler, who writes adult romance) with two monsters, writing books and planning the next step in her evil plans into the twilight hours of the night because that's when it's quiet in the house. She loves to hear from readers. S.M. also has a monthly newsletter in which you can find out about new releases, updates on future books, contests, giveaways, get first peek at new covers, and find out where she'll be visiting through books signings and conventions throughout the year. It's easy to sign up. Just copy and paste the URL: http://bit.ly/SButlerNews

Let's get to know S.M.!

Lara: How often to you get lost in a story?
S.M.: Writing or reading? Because it happens all the time for me.

I’m what I call a binge writer. So, when I’m first drafting a book, it’s coming so fast and so clear that I pretty much stop my life to get this book done before it leaves me. For 2-3 weeks, it’s just me and these characters, and me yanking at their puppet strings to do what I want them to do. It’s intense and overwhelming, but I wouldn’t trade that process for the world.

When I’m reading, I’ve learned that for certain authors (Jim Butcher, J.R. Ward, I’m looking at you!), I have to block off several hours because there is no pausing the book for me. I get so into those books and there’s no surfacing until I close the back cover.

Lara: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?
S.M.: I don’t have a specific playlist, actually. I listen to what I’m in the mood for at the moment. I know that I listened to a lot of Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, P!nk, Katy Perry, and Elton John for this book.

Lara: What sound or noise do you love?
S.M.: Thunderstorms. I love the sound of the rain, and the crash of thunder. Texas thunderstorms are some of the best storms I’ve ever seen. They’re gorgeous, and loud and they make their presence known. [Lara: It's getting to be storm season here in Texas!]
 
Lara: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
S.M.: Armageddon. 1) Bruce Willis. 2) Romance. 3) In space. WINNER.

Enough said. ;) [Lara: I haven't seen that movie in years!  I'll have to add it to my queue!]

Lara: What do you do to unwind and relax?
S.M.: Relax… what is this word of which you speak?

Seriously, though, I’m a workaholic, and I don’t feel like I really relax all that much. I’m always thinking, always working. I work out, so I suppose that’s as close to not working as I’m going to get. I do like to get my Netflix on every once in a while between books.

Lara: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?
S.M.: You know, they really make it easy for me. They’re always taking their clothes off. And you know, I get to browse Pinterest for “research” purposes. [Lara: Yeah, 'research' :)]

Lara: Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?
S.M.: I would totally invite Ethan Kearney from No Strings Attached. 1) because he’s a trust fund baby so he’s rich and can afford to pay for it, and 2) Because he does sexy things with a brownie sundae.

Lara: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
S.M.: Not really. That’s not how I see the book, if that makes sense. For me, I’m very visual, so I build up this world in my head based on what the author has written, and it plays like a movie, so it’s more that I’m following the heroine around than it is that I’m in her shoes.

Lara: Who's your celebrity crush and why?
S.M.: Hmm… This changes a lot. Right now, I’d say it’s Sam Heughan, the guy who will be playing Jamie in the new STARZ Outlander TV series. I saw a picture of him, and that was it. He is the best looking redhead I’ve ever seen and he has a voice that makes me melt. [Lara: I'm so excited to see the TV show!  I hope they do the book justice!]

Lara’s GOTTA ASK: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
S.M.’s GOTTA ANSWER:   Fans? I have fans? SWEET. Seriously, though, I’d like to give them all a great big hug and a thank you. I do a little chair dance every time I get an email or a comment on my Facebook page, or an awesome review for one of my books. Those little things? They’re big to me, and I appreciate every single thing they do.

Where can you find S.M.?
Contact her here
Her website
Find her on Facebook
Tweet with her
Check out her two blogs!

What's next for S.M.?

After Killing Honor comes the next two books in the Lucky Thirteen series.

 
Wounded Courage, Lucky Thirteen #2, June 2014
Dying Commitment, Lucky Thirteen #3, August 2014





What about previous releases?

No Strings Attached, published in August 2013

And S.M. has a question for you!

Could you recommend a New Adult or romantic suspense author that deserves more attention on his/her books than s/he’s currently getting? I’m always looking for a good read.

One lucky commenter will receive an epub/mobi copy of No Strings Attached, my NA military romance.  Open to US or international readers.

Note: Please leave an email address for notification. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.