Welcome Susannah Sandlin (Giveaway)

LDD Comp-LORESPlease welcome Susannah Sandlin! I’m lucky to see her once a year at Southern Magic’s Romance Readers luncheon every November. It pretty much consists of her waving to me and me waving back. Talk about a busy lady! Wow! That’s what happens when you have two personalities (both nice) as Susannah is also award winning author Suzanne Johnson.

She’s giving away a copy of LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP to a lucky commenter. The winner can choose from print, digital, or audio of the book!!

“Fans of National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code will love this!”
—My Book Addiction

 

From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes a heart-pounding romantic thriller that pits a quick-witted scientist and a scarred ex–combat diver against a ruthless billionaire treasure hunter with ties to the White House.

When biologist Gillian Campbell makes an offhand comment about a family curse during a TV interview, she has no idea what her words will set in motion. Within days, Gillian finds herself at the mercy of a member of the C7, a secretive international group of power brokers with a dangerous game: competing to find the world’s most elusive treasures, no matter the cost, in money or in lives. To save her family, Gillian teams up with Shane Burke, a former elite diver who’s lost his way, navigating the brutal “death coast” of the North Atlantic to find what the collector seeks: the legendary Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar, stolen by Gillian’s ancestor and lost at sea four hundred years ago.

EXCERPT

He wasn’t sure what woke him, but the first thing Shane Burke saw when he cracked open his eyelids was the bottle of Jack Daniel’s, tipped over and resting on its side. He could’ve sworn he finished it off last night but there was at least an inch of rich amber liquid still resting inside.

Good. Now he didn’t have to wonder what he’d have for breakfast.

The second thing he saw was a great pair of legs. Well, technically, a great pair of ankles above a pair of leather sandals, and then the legs.

Obviously, he was starting his Saturday morning with hallucinations.

Only one good solution for that. He dangled an arm off the side of his bed and almost had his fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle when one of the leather sandals kicked his buddy Jack Daniels under the bed, clipping his hand in the process.

“Ow.” Hallucinations didn’t take his booze and kick him in the knuckles.

Ignoring the throbbing in his hand and the stabs of hangover agony behind his eyeballs, Shane rolled onto his back and squinted at the rest of his nonhallucination.

Shoulder-length hair that fell in a sheen of dark chestnut brown, fair skin, fierce brown eyes, red lips compressed in a tight line, black skirt and white blouse, big briefcase-style purse. Had he picked her up at Harley’s last night? If so, he had to cut back on the sauce.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I forgot your name.” Pity, ’cause she was a hot little number, way classier than the regulars at Harley’s. It’s not like he got laid so often that he could afford to forget it when he did.

“We haven’t met.” She propped her hands on her hips and muttered something that sounded like, “And you’re supposed to help me?”

Help her with what? Wait, maybe she was a charter. Had he chartered The Evangeline out to a tour group or fishing party today? Surely he’d remember if there was money coming in.

Color him officially confused. He struggled to a seated position and gave her another look. “What am I supposed to help you with?”

She crossed her arms and raked a ball-shriveling gaze the length of his body. “I came here to offer you a job, but I don’t think you’re up to it.”

He tugged the sheet up in self-defense. “I’m not at my best. Ever consider making an appointment? Not dropping in at the crack of dawn?” He had no idea what time it was but it couldn’t be that late.

“It’s past noon. And I didn’t figure, given your financial situation, that you’d be so picky about what time of day someone offered you money.” She shook her head. “Never mind. This was a mistake.”

She banged her head on the low doorway out of the master cabin, which served her right, the sanctimonious shrew.

Shane eased himself to a standing position and waited to see if last night’s bourbon was going to make a reappearance or if he might topple over. Neither happened. Today would be a good day.

By the time he’d shuffled into the postage-stamp-sized bathroom, taken a leak, and brushed his teeth, he remembered the reason for last night’s bender. Not that he needed a reason, but last night he’d had one. First Bank and Savings, said a guy named Ralph (who bore an uncanny resemblance to a bullfrog), had grown tired of waiting for Mr. Burke to get current on his payments on The Evangeline. First Bank and Savings, so sorry, would need back payments in full within thirty days or the boat would be foreclosed on and put up for sale.

First Bank and Savings, so sorry, could go screw themselves.

Shane splashed water on his face, studied the dark-blond stubble on his chin, and decided not to shave. The bristle looked good with his bloodshot green eyes. Plus, he needed to get used to looking like a beach bum. If the bank took The Evangeline—which wasn’t just his boat but was also his home and his meager livelihood—he’d be doing any future shaving on a park bench or in the community bathroom of a shelter.

Shit. How was he going to put his hands on almost a hundred grand in a month?

He jerked open the bathroom door and almost fell over the brunette. “I thought you left.” He edged around her. “You’re taller than I thought.”

“I reconsidered.” The edge of her mouth quirked. “You’re wearing more chocolate than I thought.”

They both looked down at his boxers, black and covered with images of red foil-wrapped Hershey Kisses. “They were a gift,” he said. A total lie; he’d found them on eBay. “Think you could wait for me on deck?”

“Good idea.” The woman’s cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He doubted whatever job she had to offer would pay enough to satisfy the bullfrog at First Bank and Savings, but on the off chance that she was an heiress in need of a washed-up trawler captain, he’d dust off his manners and put on pants.

He watched her climb the steps and disappear through the hatch. Nice ass, but kinda wobbly on those sandals, which had silly narrow heels. Either she wasn’t used to wearing them or the almost-sighting of his man-candy had upset her sense of balance. Stranger things had happened. Probably.

Author Bio

Susannah Sandlin is the author of the best-selling Penton Legacy paranormal romance suzanne-johnson-author-photoseries, as well as The Collectors romantic suspense series. She’ll start a new romantic suspense series for Montlake Romance in 2016, beginning with WILD MAN’S BLUFF. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she is the author of the award-winning Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series from TOR Books. Susannah was a finalist for the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Awards in both 2014 and 2015, and is the 2013 winner of the Holt Medallion for paranormal romance. A displaced New Orleanian, she currently lives in Auburn, Alabama, but is plotting an eventual return to the Gulf Coast.

Author website: www.suzannejohnsonauthor.com

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSuzanneJohnson

SPECIAL SALE

The Kindle versions of both Collectors books are on sale May 8-24, $1.99 each.

Here Let Me Help You

mad womanI can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a review (not mine) and become frustrated when an angry reviewer gives a novella one star because “It was too short.” You’re reading and that’s important. Obviously, you want to learn. So be sure to watch for certain words before you click on that FREE, $0.99 or $1.99 specials.

Short Story: That means exactly what it says. It’s a story that’s short. Probably around 50 pages or less.

Novella:  Dictionary.com tells us, “A fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel.” I would say anything 51 pages to around 200 pages.

Part 1 (or 2 or 3, etc.):  That book will be short. Can’t guess at the size as it varies and is up to the author (or publisher) of how many pages they want to make each part. But it’s like watching a 30 minute TV series that continues next week. You will only get PART of the story.

Okay, this is what you need to look at closely if you’re not sure.

For example, on Amazon they now tell you how many pages under Product Details. No guessing.

At Barnes and Noble, they don’t give you the number but if you see a File Size of around 126 KB under Product Details, chances are it’s short. If you’re still unsure, look at the reviews. Yes. People will complain about the length. Thus why I’m writing this post.

happy woman

I checked Kobo and they don’t show pages or file size, but let’s use some common sense. Chances are if it is $0.99 and has the word(s) Novella, Short Story or Part 1, it will not be a full novel.

Now I’m not saying all $1.99 or lower price books are short stories.  My books have been $1.99 and $0.99 before and they are full pledged novels, and I’ve grabbed up some great books for those prices myself. You just need to stop and read a little bit if this sort of thing pisses you off.

Authors love happy readers.

Lots Of Fun Stuff, Will You Be There?

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Look at all of that stuff! That’s my stash of swag I will be giving away or raffling off. Wouldn’t you like to know what’s in the boxes and bags? You need to be at the Southern Magic Romance Readers Luncheon on November 2. Want to find out where and how? Click here. Jeaniene Frost will be there!  She’s the keynote speaker.  Plus we will have 35 more authors for you to meet. Probably a few you know. One I’m looking forward to meeting is Shiloh Walker. She’s a favorite of mine.

Anyway, I hope to see you there.  Be sure to say hi!

P.S.  Did you see the poster against the wall? Oh, yes, that will be raffled off too.  He’s beautiful in that size.  *snicker*

I’ll be there – June 8, 2013

Heart of Dixie Romance Writers
16th Annual Romance Readers’ Luncheon

J. T. Ellison, the bestseller of nine critically acclaimed novels, has come a long way from her days working in The White House and for the Department of Commerce. Her hidden passion for crime and forensics pulled her away from the world of politics and has resulted in a blossoming career as an author writing thrillers with a splash of romance. She has mastered the art of creating dark and thrilling worlds full of bloodthirsty killers and well-trained cops replete with those eerie noises in the night that compel readers to return time and time again.

Ellison will be the featured speaker at the 16th Annual Romance Readers’ Luncheon hosted by Heart of Dixie, the north Alabama chapter of Romance Writers of America. This annual event celebrates romance and literacy in the north Alabama community. Registration is now open for the event, held at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, AL, on June, 8, 2013, from 11am until 3pm.

Special guest author J. T. Ellison will share tales from her prolific world of writing during the keynote speech. She, along with over twenty other favorite romance authors, will host a table for lucky romance readers and sign books at this year’s event. Other attending authors include Linda Howard, Linda Winstead Jones, Rhonda Nelson, Lynn Raye Harris, Kimberly Lang, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Kira Sinclair, and Melanie Dickerson.

J.T. Ellison’s novel THE COLD ROOM won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original of 2010 and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE was a RITA® Nominee for Best Romantic Suspense of 2012. She is also the author of multiple short stories, and her novels have been published in more than twenty countries. Ellison recently teamed up with #1 New York Times Bestselling author Catherine Coulter to co-write a new FBI series. The first book will release in 2013.

HOD’s Annual Luncheon includes lunch with guest authors, door prizes, raffles, and much more. A book fair and autograph session with the attending authors following the luncheon is open and free to the public at 2pm. Profits from this year’s book fair will be donated to the Cullman County Library to further encourage literacy and the love of reading.

Join us as we celebrate romance in all its various forms! Registration is $25 and must be received by May 25th. Seating is limited, so register today. More information and registration can be found at www.heartofdixie.org.