Susan Stec's Blog, page 3

I'm very pleased to have the author of one of my fa...

 I'm very pleased to have the author of one of my favorite young adult series, DelSheree Gladden, here to answer some questions about WICKED GLORY in the Someone Wicked this Way Comes series. I've read all three novels and am looking forward for the release of book 4, which I hear, Mrs. Gladden is now working on. You can see all three of my reviews for this series on Goodreads and Amazon. 


Author Interview DelSheree, what was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration for this particular book in the series really grew from Zander’s need for redemption and Van’s struggle to find out who she really is on a personal level. This book, even more than the others in the series, really focuses on the siblings’ personal conflicts and their attempts to correct past mistakes and find their inner strength.

What kept you going throughout the writing process?Ketchup’s fans, LOL! Not every reader loves Ketchup, but he tends to be a fan favorite. I got requests that he become a prize in a giveaway, readers asking to “borrow” him from Van for a while… I love that readers are enjoying him so much and asking for more. The reader support really kept me going even when I struggled to get any writing done on Wicked Glory.

Who is your most meaningful character and why?In Wicked Glory, I felt like Zander really developed from his initial self-centered, somewhat egotistical character into someone who truly begins to understand what it means to love someone so completely it almost hurts, and what true sacrifice not only requires, but demands.

Can we expect to hear more from these characters in the near future?Definitely! There will be at least one more book in the series (which will feature Ketchup on the cover this time, yeah!) and possibly a fifth. I’m not sure yet, and probably won’t be until I write “The End” on book four. I’ll keep everyone updated though!

How has this story touched your life?As I worked on this story, I spent a lot of time considering what it takes sometimes to find your own inner strength. It’s not an easy thing to do, and at times it takes and external force or situation to make a person realize how strong they really are. During this time my husband and I listened to several nonfiction audio books like the Louis Zamperini story, which is an amazing account of personal strength and endurance. So much of his story will shock you, but his determination to survive a Japanese prison camp and the torture they put him through was inspiring. Listening to his history really impacted me and helped me while writing this book and trying to understand the topics I was writing about.
What motivated you to start writing?I loved reading when I younger, and still do, not just for the escape it provides, but for the connections I get to make with characters. That connection and understanding was special to me as a child and I wanted to be able to create that for someone else.


You can get your copy of Wicked Glory and the rest of the series here: 
Wicked Hunger is FREE on most platforms.

Kindle/Amazon: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
B&N: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
Smashwords: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
iTunes: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
Kobo: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory


About the Author DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.
Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist. DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series, including "Invisible" which was part of the USA Today Bestselling box set, "Pandora." The Date Shark Series is her first contemporary romance series.  
Connect with DelSheree Online

Website : 
Blog : 
Pintrest :  Google+ :  Youtube/Vlog :  Radio Show :  Facebook :  Twitter @DelSheree:  

THE WICKED SERIES

THE WICKED SERIESNot familiar with the series? 
Here's the 30 seconds recap...
Wicked Hunger
Born with an insatiable hunger for pain and suffering, Vanessa and Zander Roth struggle to hide the truth of who they really are. Keeping their secrets becomes even harder when Ivy Guerra arrives and stirs their hunger into a frenzy. Will their need to feed on other’s agony turn them into villains, or can they somehow find a way to become the heroes of their own dark story?

Wicked Power
Even after Vanessa and Zander Roth barely survive the Eroi’s attempt to expose them for what they are, they aren’t safe. Sitting balanced on the edge of impending death and unthinkable power, they must turn to the Godlings for help. Their help requires payment, but neither of them knows the true cost. Will David’s training create villains,as they fear, or can they discover their true purpose?

Wicked GloryForced with holding up their end of an impossible bargain, Van and Zander must choose between playing it safe and risking everything. Freedom seems impossible, but can they hold onto who they are long enough to survive?

    Ready to go grab your copies? Wicked Hunger (FREE on many platforms): Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords
Wicked Power: Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords
Wicked Glory: Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords

And yes, there will be a book 4 ;)

NEW RELEASE!!!Wicked Glory is now available for pur...

 NEW RELEASE!!!
Wicked Glory is now available for purchase on Kindle, iBooks, Smashwords, and most other major ebook platforms.



Not familiar with the series? 
Here's the 30 seconds recap...
Wicked Hunger
Born with an insatiable hunger for pain and suffering, Vanessa and Zander Roth struggle to hide the truth of who they really are. Keeping their secrets becomes even harder when Ivy Guerra arrives and stirs their hunger into a frenzy. Will their need to feed on other’s agony turn them into villains, or can they somehow find a way to become the heroes of their own dark story?

Wicked Power
Even after Vanessa and Zander Roth barely survive the Eroi’s attempt to expose them for what they are, they aren’t safe. Sitting balanced on the edge of impending death and unthinkable power, they must turn to the Godlings for help. Their help requires payment, but neither of them knows the true cost. Will David’s training create villains,as they fear, or can they discover their true purpose?

Wicked GloryForced with holding up their end of an impossible bargain, Van and Zander must choose between playing it safe and risking everything. Freedom seems impossible, but can they hold onto who they are long enough to survive?

    Ready to go grab your copies? Wicked Hunger (FREE on many platforms): Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords
Wicked Power: Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords
Wicked Glory: Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords

And yes, there will be a book 4 ;)

As she slowly walks toward me I can smell desire. Not hu...

As she slowly walks toward me I can smell desire. Not human desire, a musky, animalistic desire—essential, dark, and demanding. Her blouse comes off first and she tosses it at my feet, steps out of her cutoffs, and stands before me in a triangle of black lace.Our eyes lock. I feel hair on my neck prickle as my spine shifts and mouth salivates; heart hammering, jaw tightening, I bend and pick up her clothes. She's a breath away, waiting, feet parted, lace riding fingers as she runs them over her hips. I grit my teeth and place the clothes in between pink breasts framed in rich tanned skin; when my knuckles connect with soft creamy flesh my body tightens, prickles another warning, and it's all I can do to keep from taking her right there.


I can hear his heartbeat; I feel the heat of his gaze, the strength behind his touch. Crap! My head is spinning—my head, not the human's I'm wearing. I never do this. I amuse myself and let them do the dreaming, the what-if's, and get off on that. I don't contemplate commitment, relationships, love! I just get my high on. I trade them their lives for a quick fix.Damn it, sex with this guy is not going to be a quick fix. I want...I realize I'm grabbing for my clothes before they fall to the floor, and he's stepping back, shaking his head. What the hell?


Sexy laugh, body to die for, and eyes to get lost in, Gaire intrigues me, attracts me, and churns up feelings I've never felt before.
But he turns out to be the ultimate  bad boy.  I run, and swear never to look back. Only problem is, I can't forget him.






Check out my addictions:http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/
Connect with Susan Stec on:FacebookGoodreads Google Amazon  
Follow @Suesan0814 Tweet








What happens to love, when trust is betrayed?
 What’s a girl to do when she falls in love with the man whose mission it is to bring her down?

With the murder of her only sister, Sara, just a few months past, Lily Valier—a woman of beauty and substance—tops the sheriff’s list of suspects in small town Maine, and for a very good reason. Dear old Dad had willed his fortune to Sara and only Sara, leaving Lily to fend for herself. However, with no murder weapon or witnesses, the evidence against Lily is only circumstantial.

Enter P.I. Aiden O’Rourke, black-haired and blue-eyed, charged with gaining Lily’s trust and learning her secrets, all to finally get the goods on her. Things move fast and feelings run deep, yet when Lily discovers the truth about Aiden, everything begins to come apart.

Aiden’s torn. Despite his feelings for her, Lily is the most logical suspect, with a great big fat motive. Except something’s not quite right. Aiden trusts his instincts and they’re screaming at him to have a look at a former suspect with far more to hide than first appeared. With little left to lose, Lily decides to stand her ground, and staying put has its consequences when the murder weapon finally turns up—and it’s Lily’s gun.



Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for almost 20 years. Currently, she works as a writer and freelance editor. Her first novel, Invisible, published by Solstice Publishing, has been optioned for film. She is currently working on Incarnate, a paranormal romance.

Come visit her blog at http://beyondwordsblog.blogspot.com/


 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

What happens to love, when trust is betrayed? What’s...

What happens to love, when trust is betrayed?
 What’s a girl to do when she falls in love with the man whose mission it is to bring her down?

With the murder of her only sister, Sara, just a few months past, Lily Valier—a woman of beauty and substance—tops the sheriff’s list of suspects in small town Maine, and for a very good reason. Dear old Dad had willed his fortune to Sara and only Sara, leaving Lily to fend for herself. However, with no murder weapon or witnesses, the evidence against Lily is only circumstantial.

Enter P.I. Aiden O’Rourke, black-haired and blue-eyed, charged with gaining Lily’s trust and learning her secrets, all to finally get the goods on her. Things move fast and feelings run deep, yet when Lily discovers the truth about Aiden, everything begins to come apart.

Aiden’s torn. Despite his feelings for her, Lily is the most logical suspect, with a great big fat motive. Except something’s not quite right. Aiden trusts his instincts and they’re screaming at him to have a look at a former suspect with far more to hide than first appeared. With little left to lose, Lily decides to stand her ground, and staying put has its consequences when the murder weapon finally turns up—and it’s Lily’s gun.



Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for almost 20 years. Currently, she works as a writer and freelance editor. Her first novel, Invisible, published by Solstice Publishing, has been optioned for film. She is currently working on Incarnate, a paranormal romance.

Come visit her blog at http://beyondwordsblog.blogspot.com/


 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Blog Tours

GUESS THE TRUE STATEMENT & WIN JESSICA BELL'S THRILLER, WHITE LADY! (Statement #16)
To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell's latest novel, WHITE LADY, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below. To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true:

Sonia ...
a. has a tattoo of a bloody knife on the inside of her left arm.
b. owns a tea towel printed with the periodic table.
c. sells illegal weapons to support her family because the income of a teacher isn’t enough to pay off all her husband’s debts.

What do you think? Which one is true? Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does.

Want more chances to win? You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting.

If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book.

Click HERE to see the list of blogs.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.

Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she's rehabilitating herself as a "normal" mother and mathematics teacher, it's time to stop dreaming about slicing people's throats.

While being the wife of Melbourne's leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she's determined to make it work.

It does work. Until Mia, her lover's daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia's back. It isn't long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them.

But is protecting the kids really Sonia's motive?

Click HERE to view the book trailer.
Click HERE for purchase links.

Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Connect with Jessica online: Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter

Toni's grandmother is a psychopath. Her sister is a ghost...

Toni's grandmother is a psychopath.
Her sister is a ghost.
Her boyfriend is possessed.
And she has no idea who she is.

Summer vacation is ruined when Toni's twin sister, Sara, dies. Instead of walking into the light, Sara stomps directly away from it, totally pissed she didn't die in her skinny jeans. That's when Sara finds out their grandmother has a gift for talking to dead people, and two spritely spirits and a nasty soothsayer named Bartholomew are all working their angle with Toni's future caught in between.

Dear old Granny's determined not to be the last necromancer in the family, but with the death of her promiscuous granddaughter, her only option is Toni, who must remain a virgin until her eighteenth birthday without any ghostly interference from Sara.

Sara's not having any of it; especially since the guy Granny's conspiring with is the same guy that assisted in Sara's demise. Toni needs help! But protecting her sister is complicating all the ghostly fun on the other side!

Can death stop a twin? Maybe not, but Granny knows Dead Girls Never Shut Up.




Let the evil cackling commence! 

Today Antoinette Maestro (Granny), the villain of SusanStec’s novel, is my guest.



1. What is your ultimate goal? I'm a necromancer andmy ultimate goal has always had the best interest of my granddaughters--frontand center--to carry on the family gift of talking to the dead. Unfortunately,my younger grandchild was a casualty early on, so my only option was Toni, mydaughter's oldest twin.
2. What makes you so driven to accomplish this goal? Well, that's a simplequestion. When I die it will the end the family's legacy if Toni does not acceptthe gift of necromancy.
3. If you could choose anyone from the literary world asyour partner in crime, who would you choose and why? Why, Edgar Allen Poe,of course. The man knew the underworld, the value of my gift, and with hisknowledge and assistance I could have stayed at my condo in Florida, and sipped sherry andwatching the sun set on the Atlantic. Then again, with my ability to conjureghosts, we would have made quite a team; Poe and I.
4. Describe yourself in three words or less. Focused. Capable.Determined. (I really should add OLD) 


From USA Today Bestselling Author Susan Stec,
I love laughing with my daughters, class B scary movies, fine cuisine and hamburgers from Wendy's. I'm addicted to electronics, dark chocolate, vintage eyeglass frames, warm socks, and would kill for a really good cup of cappuccino. I'm a wannabee gamer--Zelda is my fave, but I'll play Nintendo with my grandson for hours.
My favorite all-time television series are Twin Peaks and Dark Shadows. Best movies ever, 1943 A Christmas Carol and Soylent Green.
There isn't just one thing I'm passionate about. I'm married to a wonderful man, have two adult daughters, three grandsons, and three dogs. I live on fifty acres and hunt and fish. I will get up in the middle of the night to listen to the coyote sing, sit under a tin roof in the middle of a rain storm, stare at barren trees and revel in the white show surrounding them. I sew, do stained glass, paint watercolors, make jewelry, but most of all, I write. I write because I have to, and because it amuses me to live vicariously through my characters.

One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde

Meet the characters--view the trailers:
http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/

Connect with Susan Stec on:
Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Google and @Suesan0814 on Twitter

Find all of Susan's books on Amazon.

Toni's grandmother is a psychopath. Her sister is a ghos...

Toni's grandmother is a psychopath.
Her sister is a ghost.
Her boyfriend is possessed.
And she has no idea who she is.

Summer vacation is ruined when Toni's twin sister, Sara, dies. Instead of walking into the light, Sara stomps directly away from it, totally pissed she didn't die in her skinny jeans. That's when Sara finds out their grandmother has a gift for talking to dead people, and two spritely spirits and a nasty soothsayer named Bartholomew are all working their angle with Toni's future caught in between.

Dear old Granny's determined not to be the last necromancer in the family, but with the death of her promiscuous granddaughter, her only option is Toni, who must remain a virgin until her eighteenth birthday without any ghostly interference from Sara.

Sara's not having any of it; especially since the guy Granny's conspiring with is the same guy that assisted in Sara's demise. Toni needs help! But protecting her sister is complicating all the ghostly fun on the other side!

Can death stop a twin? Maybe not, but Granny knows Dead Girls Never Shut Up.




Let the evil cackling commence! 

Today Antoinette Maestro (Granny), the villain of Susan Stec’s novel, is my guest.



1. What is your ultimate goal? I'm a necromancer and my ultimate goal has always had the best interest of my granddaughters--front and center--to carry on the family gift of talking to the dead. Unfortunately, my younger grandchild was a casualty early on, so my only option was Toni, my daughter's oldest twin.
2. What makes you so driven to accomplish this goal? Well, that's a simple question. When I die it will the end the family's legacy if Toni does not accept the gift of necromancy.
3. If you could choose anyone from the literary world as your partner in crime, who would you choose and why? Why, Edgar Allen Poe, of course. The man knew the underworld, the value of my gift, and with his knowledge and assistance I could have stayed at my condo in Florida, and sipped sherry and watching the sun set on the Atlantic. Then again, with my ability to conjure ghosts, we would have made quite a team; Poe and I.
4. Describe yourself in three words or less. Focused. Capable. Determined. (I really should add OLD) 


From USA Today Bestselling Author Susan Stec,
I love laughing with my daughters, class B scary movies, fine cuisine and hamburgers from Wendy's. I'm addicted to electronics, dark chocolate, vintage eyeglass frames, warm socks, and would kill for a really good cup of cappuccino. I'm a wannabee gamer--Zelda is my fave, but I'll play Nintendo with my grandson for hours.
My favorite all-time television series are Twin Peaks and Dark Shadows. Best movies ever, 1943 A Christmas Carol and Soylent Green.
There isn't just one thing I'm passionate about. I'm married to a wonderful man, have two adult daughters, three grandsons, and three dogs. I live on fifty acres and hunt and fish. I will get up in the middle of the night to listen to the coyote sing, sit under a tin roof in the middle of a rain storm, stare at barren trees and revel in the white show surrounding them. I sew, do stained glass, paint watercolors, make jewelry, but most of all, I write. I write because I have to, and because it amuses me to live vicariously through my characters.

One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde

Meet the characters--view the trailers:
http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/

Connect with Susan Stec on:
Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Google and @Suesan0814 on Twitter

Find all of Susan's books on Amazon.

ABOUT THE AUTHORI love laughing with my daughters...

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I love laughing with my daughters, class B scary movies, fine cuisine and hamburgers from Wendy's. I'm addicted to electronics, dark chocolate, vintage eyeglass frames, warm socks, and would kill for a really good cup of cappuccino. I'm a wannabe gamer--Zelda is my fave, but I'll play Nintendo with my grandson for hours.
 My favorite all-time television series are Twin Peaks and Dark Shadows. Best movies ever, 1943 A Christmas Carol and Soylent Green.
There isn't just one thing I'm passionate about. I'm married to a wonderful man, have two adult daughters, three grandsons, and three dogs. I live on fifty acres and hunt and fish. I will get up in the middle of the night to listen to the coyote sing, sit under a tin roof in the middle of a rain storm, stare at barren trees and revel in the white show surrounding them. I sew, do stained glass, paint watercolors, make jewelry, but most of all, I write. I write because I have to, and because it amuses me to live vicariously through my characters.



One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde
 

The Grateful Undead: They're so Vein:Susan is 58-years-old and bored with life. Middle age is a daily drudge of sagging body parts and aches and pains. Her fervent prayer that she could somehow recapture her youth comes true one night during a chance encounter with a child-like vampire. As soon as the other women in her family see the transformation they waste no time in sticking their necks out, hoping Susan will share this new-found fountain of youth.
Suddenly, this newly born group of hot-bodied vamps find themselves thrust into a world controlled by an ancient order of vampires. A world with rules, all of which the ladies pretty much break within hours of becoming immortals. And the little matter of the accidental epidemic of vamped out wildlife isn't exactly endearing them to the powers that be, either.They're So Vein is a hilarious and irreverent new twist on the paranormal/vampire romance genre.
Gator Baitin' (volume 2)Susan's budding romance is taking a back seat in book 2 of THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD series, and her sexy immortal lover, Marcus, is having none of it.
In book one, THEY'RE SO VEIN, the women in the Stech family went from dentures to fangs, Depends to thongs, Dr. Scholl's to stilettos, and bumbled their way into an undead lifetime of Critter Control when one of them inadvertently turned a raccoon into a vampoon.
GATOR BAITIN' (book 2) begins as the team is dispatched to destroy a vamp-gator wreaking havoc at Gatorland in Orlando, only to get sidetracked by a serial killer investigation, a vamp-bull at a rodeo in Kissimmee, and a colorful demon named Rafael. Between bronco busting, dragon riding, Jesus-freak chasing, gator hunting, demon summoning and dead bodies popping up everywhere, Susan's finding it hard to fit in a little romp time.
Blood, Sweat, and Demon Tears (volume 3)Susan's sister is in one hell of a mess (literally); confined to servitude with the demon, Rafael.
When Rafael gifts JoAnn with an Earth-to-Abyss cellphone so she can communicate with her sister, Susan soon finds out that JoAnn has gone from servitude to concubine, and no longer wishes to come home.
Only problem is that JoAnn really loves her new cell phone and the frequent calls--time really moves like Hell in the Abyss--are driving Marcus and Susan batty!
In their attempt to retrieve JoAnn, THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD team ultimately finds themselves knee-deep in vamp critters, demons, rogues, and a host of new and colorful characters, when the mission takes them from their home in Florida to the streets of New Orleans.
 
Meet the characters--view the trailers:http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/
Connect with Susan Stec on:Facebook Goodreads Google Amazon  Follow @Suesan0814 Tweet

The Other F Word

ARC giveaway and cover reveal

Come and meet me, find out what my new YA is about, and enter to win an advanced copy.

http://worldsoftheimagination.wordpre...