Susanne Leist's Blog, page 32
August 24, 2020
(via DARK PETALS) Woven from black sheets of rain,fear covers in...

(via DARK PETALS)
Woven from black sheets of rain,
fear covers in disarray.
Anguished and frozen with pain,
dark petals fall in dismay.
Hell has come to Oasis,
The Dead & gone at its side.
Now hidden behind faces
that are well-known far & wide.
PREY FOR THE DEAD
(via FROM THE DEEP) I come from the deep sea.I come only for...

(via FROM THE DEEP)
I come from the deep sea.
I come only for thee.
There is nowhere I’d rather be
but with you
by the dark blue sea.
PREY FOR THE DEAD
August 23, 2020
(via THE DARK HOUSE) Dare to peek inside.You may be...

(via THE DARK HOUSE)
Dare to peek inside.
You may be surprised
about what we hide.
We will convene
in the main hall.
You will find out
what scares us all.
THE DEAD GAME
August 21, 2020
(via SNOW IS FALLING) Snow is falling on the trees,hanging tight...

(via SNOW IS FALLING)
Snow is falling on the trees,
hanging tight to the cold leaves.
A winter wonderland in the south.
I gaze ahead and open my mouth.
A bitter taste fills my heart & soul
as I plunge into the rabbit hole.
THE DEAD GAME
August 18, 2020
I stroll through the fallen leaves,a translucent green beneath...

I stroll through the fallen leaves,
a translucent green beneath my feet.
Red branches bring me shade,
protecting me from the harsh sun.
I walk alone through the silent forest,
no one to bring me pain or sorrow.
Alone is what I desire most
as I follow my path so narrow.
The earth weeps tearsto fill an ocean.As oceans fill with...

The earth weeps tears
to fill an ocean.
As oceans fill with waste,
no one takes notice.
As icebergs melt and crumble,
no one stops to listen.
But once a deadly virus appears,
the world wakes in an uproar.
The danger has hit home.
021c:Caroline Tompkins
Red reflects on the waterwhat we feel in...

021c:
Red reflects on the water
what we feel in our hearts.
As the day comes to an end,
we must face the night.
Turn not your face away.
Dare not take a step back.
Bear the brunt of the red moon
as it burns through your empty soul.
August 14, 2020
(via Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore - New Author on the Shelves...

Delighted to welcome Susanne Leist with her books to the shelves of the Cafe and Bookstore. Her featured book today is her latest book released on July 29th.
Dead at Heart: Book Three of The Dead Game Series
About the book
William’s bite bonded Shana to him, but he didn’t ask her to mate with him for life. She isn’t ready for a lifetime commitment. Now, William excludes her from his vampire meetings. Shana understands he’s an original vampire with immense powers. For them to be a couple, he has to treat as an equal partner. If William doesn’t respect her, then what are their chances of finding happiness?
Shana speaks to Linda, her best friend, of her fears.
“Paradise is an illusion.” Shana’s face grows heated as her frustration mounts. “Oasis is a haven for vampires. I’m tired of their battles. The Watchers get rid of an evil group of vamps, and another group arrives and attacks. It’s a vicious cycle. Vampires are trouble.”
“We will have a happy ending.” Linda lifts her head. “Don’t lose faith. The Watchers will protect us, and Gregg has an elite force of original vampires.” She touches Shana’s arm. “William loves you; he won’t let something happen to you.”
“The vampires keep secrets from us.” Shana swallows the lump in her throat. “I don’t want to live with vamps anymore, and I need time to decide on my relationship with William. One minute, I’m suffocating, and then the next, I’m lost without him.”
As a new enemy descends on Oasis, Florida, Shana turns to Sheriff Sam, who broke her heart. Can she trust the human-vampire?
This begins Shana’s journey to fight vampires and werewolves with Sam at her side.
An explosion at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec doesn’t stop Shana and her friends from saving their town, and maybe even the world.
One of the early reviews for the book
MikiHope
This novel starts out fast and furious and remains so to the very end.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
Shana broke up with the hybrid Sheriff and is now with William who she believes to be a full vampire. She remains conflicted throughout the novel. Who is the good guy and who isn’t. They are both in love with her thus she is safe with either of them.
This novel starts out fast and furious and remains so to the very end. Vampires are at war with each other–then there are the werewolves and even the Archangels get involved! And let’s not forget the humans!
To finally find out what is really going on and who Shana ends up with is why you will have to read this 3rd in the Dead Game series. Lots of twists and turns and even more action!
Head over to buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
Also by Susanne Leist
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Susanne: Goodreads – Nook: Susanne Leist
About Susanne Leist
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows–Murder She Wrote and Columbo–entertained me with murder and suspense tales.
Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries, but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote one.
The Dead Game, Book One of The Dead Game series, brings fantasy and surrealism to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice the motley mix.
The story continues in Book Two, Prey for The Dead, as The Dead vampires use an exclusive club in Disney World to infiltrate the rich and famous. As The Dead grow in power, not even the bright sunshine of Florida can weaken them. Linda and her friends join forces with human vampires–known as hybrids–to defeat the evil threatening to control Oasis. A masquerade ball and a romp through the tunnels beneath the town lead to a showdown in southern Florida’s swamps.
The Dead At Heart is Shana’s love story. Will her love for William strengthen, or will Sam lead her on a different path? At Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Shana and her fearless friends fight for Oasis and their lives.
A career in writing has been a big leap for me. Accustomed to the number-crunching field of budgeting and the hectic commodity markets, I left my first career and M.B.A. in Finance behind to pursue my dream. I do not regret my foray into literature for one moment. Fellow authors helped me make my way through the competitive field. I write every day and even tried my hand at poetry. If someone tells you it’s too late in life to try something different, they are wrong. It is never too late to follow your heart.
August 3, 2020
(via Guest Author: Susanne Leist ~ Why am I an author? (and news...

(via Guest Author: Susanne Leist ~ Why am I an author? (and news of a new release!))
Guest Author: Susanne Leist ~ Why am I an author? (and news of a new release!)Posted on
by
Why am I an author?
The answer lies with my brother, Neil Leist.
Neil was a person who lit up a room when he entered. He was 6 feet 2 inches, but it wasn’t his height that drew peoples’ eyes. It was his dynamic personality. Those grey eyes mirrored his brilliant intellect and capacity for greatness. Neil took care of my blind mother until I was old enough to help. He helped raise me when my father wasn’t home but working interminable days and nights driving a taxi.
Flourishing in the business world, Neil traded on the Commodity Exchange until he earned enough money to own a majority stake in a Fortune 500 company. He became the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Bakeries. Neil took me along on his ride to stardom as I worked for him on the Commodities Exchange and in his offices on Madison Avenue, New York. I majored in Finance at New York University, preparing to join him. For the first time, life was good.
In the middle of the night, a phone call turned my world dark. Dark as the one in which my mother lived. My brother had been in a car accident in the Hamptons. His red Porsche had hydroplaned on the wet roads. Neil was a skilled driver with quick reflexes; he drove the car off the highway and onto the grass. Luck wasn’t with him that night. The Porsche crashed beneath a truck parked in its path. His brain injury left him in a coma, and he died two years later.
I continued my education and received an M.B.A. in Finance, but high finance lost its appeal. I worked at various investment companies, but I didn’t want to trade or analyze stocks and commodities. My brother and my parents had passed. My daughters were beginning their own lives. Without a focus in my life, I began to write. As an avid reader, I had many stories racing through my mind.
In my first book, The Dead Game, I combine mystery and paranormal. Two guests disappear from a party at a deserted house, leaving the others to fend for their lives from wild animals and traps. Since I end the book with a cliffhanger, I had to write the second book in the series, Prey for The Dead. The residents of the coastal town of Oasis in northern Florida face vampires and hybrids once again. This time, the action takes them to Disney World, where vampires hide at an exclusive club. Yes, I based my story on an actual club at Disney created by Walt Disney. Next week, I will release the third book in the series, The Dead At Heart. Is the series finished? I don’t know yet. I now live my life as a big question mark: no periods or final thoughts, only possibilities.
My life has taken unexpected twists and turns. Memories of my brother follow me across every speed bump. I don’t have him any longer, but I have Neil stored in a special place in my heart. He’s given me the strength and the drive to pursue my dreams. After what he’s accomplished in his brief life, I yearn to create a fraction of the positive memories he’s left for me and those whose lives he has touched.
About the Author
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows–Murder She Wrote and Columbo–entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote, bringing fantasy and the surreal to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice the motley mix.
Find and Follow Susanne
Website Blog Amazon Author page Goodreads Twitter Facebook
Books by Susanne Leist
THE DEAD GAME
Linda Bennett moves from New York to Florida to live a quieter life. Life is peaceful until the dead body washes up onshore. Linda learns that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are typical for the coastal town.
Linda and her friends receive an invitation to a party at End House, a deserted house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The group arrives, but no one is there to greet them. The house has a sinister life of its own where horror follows their every step. Traps, illusions, and revolving rooms add to their growing fear. Wild animals escape their cages in the basement, a bloody skeleton sleeps in an upstairs’ bedroom, and body parts fall from the chimney into the living room’s fireplace. The young residents flee for their lives.
They embark on a difficult journey, not knowing whom to trust, to uncover the one controlling the evil game. Who are The Dead? Are they humans or vampires? Will Linda lose her heart to Todd, who knows more than he admits? Will her best friend, Shana, fall in love with Sheriff Sam? The Dead Game has begun.
Purchase links: Amazon Nook Rakuten
PREY FOR THE DEAD
Linda Bennett’s dreams of happiness have always eluded her. Five years ago, she moved to Florida from New York to escape heartache. The Dead, an evil group of vampires, had ruined any hope of peace for her and her friends. Surrounded by vampires and human vampires, Linda finds solace in her bookstore, learning to live among vamps and hybrids. Then one morning, Oasis goes dark, and an explosion rocks her shop and any future dreams for a happy ending.
Linda and her friends race to where lightning converges on a sinkhole in an isolated spot behind the town. As vampires and hybrids try to save the vampire hunter and vamp trapped beneath Oasis, a witch’s spell throws the residents back in time.
When evidence emerges of The Dead’s return to Oasis, Linda and her best friend, Shana, join vamps and hybrids on their search for The Dead. At an exclusive club in Disney World, they pose as the trophy wives of the hybrids, Todd and Sheriff Sam. Death and mayhem follow their every step. A romp through the tunnels beneath Oasis leads to a showdown in the swamps of Florida.
Can Oasis survive the battle between good and evil? Will Linda find her happy ending?