In my other life as an accountant, I maintained the accounting software and supervised payroll. Each year prior to year-end close I interviewed candidates sent over from various temporary help agencies for the most likely candidate to fill my shoes while I concentrated on the yearend financial reports.

One year, the best temp to interview for the job turned out to be a show-stopping male. He had the training, skills and willingness to learn I was looking for and could start the next day, auditing weekly time sheets. Word spread among our employees and a line of women soon began parading past his desk to turn in their time sheets in person and see for themselves if what they’d heard about the new temp was true.

The poor guy had a wife at home, but that didn’t deter his admirers, who looked for any excuse to visit accounting and earn a quick smile. Regardless  of their marital status, all the females hung out of their cubicles whenever he walked by.

His hiring inspired my second published novel, Temp to Permanent. I decided to write a novel about the overextended owner of an advertising firm whose secretary calls in sick on the busiest day of the heroine’s career, forcing her to place an urgent call for a temp.

When a man so good-looking Carina Carrington wants to feast on him over dinner shows up, she thinks uh-uh, no way. She needs help, not the distraction this handsome guy is already causing her, and tries to send him away. Greg Lawless convinces her to let him work off the clock until lunch time, certain he can prove himself.

And prove himself he does, in countless ways. His fingers fly over the keyboard of her computer. He uses his head and makes needed decisions without interrupting her. It’s only when he clears his throat in the outer office that her thoughts return to him.

How can she get any work done under these conditions? But she must.

So it is that Carina Carrington’s life gets turned upside down by a black-haired, blue-eyed, extremely masculine temp determined to help her company succeed at all cost.

The suspense part comes later, when the office is running smoothly and it looks as if Carina’s dreams for success will all come true. It’s then things start going downhill. Small things at first, delayed deliveries, time lost she can ill afford. Then the petty cash disappears and Carina begins to she suspects Greg is a plant sent to cause her business to fail and is torn between firing him on the spot and keeping him on in hopes she’s wrong.

Not until the true villain kidnaps Carina at gunpoint does the truth come out, but can Greg find her before it’s too late?

Temp to Permanent is available now.

Temp to Permanent

Blurb:

Financial success or personal satisfaction? That is the choice a business woman must make when drawn to the secretive temporary secretary who triggers her suspicion, but lights her fires – fires that threaten to flicker out thanks to his relentless adherence to workplace ethics, until he saves her life.

Exerpt:

Carina Carrington’s fingers flew across the computer keyboard.

Not fast enough.

She’d never meet her schedule without another pair of hands. Of all possible days, why did Rachael pick today to call in sick?

And what happened to her replacement? The temp agency had promised to send a secretary an hour ago. What was keeping her?

At the scrape of a leather shoe sole, Carina’s concentration cracked. “There’s no one at the desk out front,” a husky male voice rasped.

Startled, Carina hit a wrong key. Unless his face matches that heart-stopping voice, I’ll kill this salesman. She abandoned the keyboard and swiveled around in her chair. Six feet of tanned muscles crossed her carpet. No death warrant for this hunk.

Surrounded by masculine scent, Carina riveted her gaze on his business card, then glanced up. Devilish blue eyes locked with hers. She looked away to conceal her unprofessional, very unladylike reaction.

“I’m Gregory Lawless from Data Services. Pat Kilpatrick said to see Mrs. Carrington. Your receptionist–”

“Has the flu.”This perfect example of centerfold material could not possibly type. With all the work still to turn out, I’ll kill Pat, instead.

Reluctantly Carina pushed back her chair and stood to shake his hand. Good grip, self-confident. “That’s why you’re here, Mr. Lawless. I’m short handed today. And it’s Miss Carrington.”

She indicated a chair and waited for him to sit. “The agency didn’t say they were sending a man.” Oops. Maybe employers weren’t supposed to say things like that anymore.

“Is that a problem?”

She wasn’t about to acknowledge how difficult he made the simple act of speech. “Only if you can’t do the job.”

He folded his lanky frame into the visitor’s chair she’d indicated and placed a folder on her desk. “Ms. Kilpatrick asked me to give you this copy of my resume.”

A deep cleft creased his chin. How could she work with that distraction? With her weakness for cleft chins she couldn’t hope to actually work around this distraction. His devastating smile belonged in a bedroom. In a bar. Anywhere but in her office ruining her concentration.

Carina sank into her own chair and opened his file to study the brief list of qualifications while steadying her heart beat. San Diego Data Services normally provided exceptional help, but Pat had explained this flu epidemic had also left her short handed. Gregory must be the last healthy soul available.

Healthy? He was that, all right. From what she could see, far healthier than a man had any need to look.

He’d indicated a willingness to work. Any warm body could man the phones in her secretary’s absence. Surely she could control her body’s response for the next few hours.

What about this unexpected heat? Maybe Mom was right and she was sex-deprived.

Perhaps tomorrow Pat would have a real secretary available, or not such an attractive man. Her mind pictured a prim woman. Someone wearing a skirt whose very presence wouldn’t launch her pulse into orbit.

She glanced up from the resume to study Gregory. Information in the agency’s file was scant, little more than name, address and social security number. He looked about her age. Why would a man approaching thirty-five resign himself to temporary work?

Carina drew a steadying breath. “Have you been with Data Services long?”

He tilted his head as if mulling over a reply. “This is my first assignment.”

Great. Disgruntled by his admission, she looked away. Few skills and even less experience. Carina stole a glance. The smile hovering about his mouth prevented objective reasoning. “With a busy week ahead of me, there won’t be much time for training.”

He peered at the scribbled notes on her calendar and lifted one cocky eyebrow, giving him a rakish appearance that almost brought her out of her chair. “Tell you what. Let’s not waste any more time. Give me a chance to help and if I don’t meet your requirements, you don’t owe me a cent.”

Desperation evident in his voice caused her to give him a sharp look. “So you’re a gambler, too.”

He straightened his back against the chair, then leaned forward and gazed at her. “I’ve nothing to lose,” he admitted with admirable honesty.

Carina thought about everything she would gain if Gregory could fill Rachael’s shoes. She wouldn’t need to postpone tomorrow’s meeting and might still land that contract. Provided she somehow kept her mind on her business and off this man. Could she do it?

Quick decisions were her trademark. “I’ll only expect you to answer the phone. On Mondays it rings constantly.”

He grinned, nodding. “How shall I answer?”

Criminey. Would she need to hold his hand and walk him through the office as well? “Carrington Graphics will do.”

“I’ll manage. What is the nature of your business? Ms. Kilpatrick said you needed someone in a hurry and didn’t take time to fill me in.”

“Advertising.” From the bookcase behind her desk Carina selected two brochures and unfolded them for Gregory to examine. “This is a terrible time to come up short handed. I’ve two important presentations scheduled, one tomorrow, and another on Friday. Rachael always handles my prepress. Without her, I’ll never be ready.”

After a moment, Gregory leaned across her desk to return the brochures. Fragrance, spicy-clean and fresh, teased her nostrils. Aftershave and a recent shower, a masculine scent she adored.

“I’ve had some experience with–”

“It’s likely the phones will occupy all your time.” She couldn’t picture his neatly trimmed fingertips flying over a keyboard.

Imagining his hands in her hair though…

Easy, far too easy.

Cut that out. “Why don’t I get you settled at the front desk, Gregory.”

He followed her into the outer office. “Call me Greg.”

She ignored the thump of her heart his seductive tone induced. His voice ranked among her all time favorites, too. “Greg it is.”

 

 

Decisive Moments, a dark romance, will be released October 15 by Desert Breeze, and Law Breakers and Love Makers, another romantic suspense, is available for download from Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc., Barnes and Noble.com, Amazon.com, and AllRomanceebooks.com

 

Here’s a link: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/Toni%20Noel/Page.bok

And visit my website and blog: http://www.toninoelauthor.com/

When I tell people that I’m a professional photographer who writes illustrated romance, I’ve become accustomed to a confused response. It’s a new concept. Some people just assume that it’s erotic material; others simply have no clue.

Today I’m going to provide information about my first book of illustrated romance, THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, in the form of a blurb and a short excerpt. However, I’m also going to provide one of the “illustrations” in this illustrated romance so you can understand exactly why I feel very fortunate to be able to both take pictures of hot heroes and to be able to write about them. Also, be sure to read to the very end, as I’m happy to give away one e-book of THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE to a lucky commenter!

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.

***

Prologue

April, 1880

Madeleine ran as if the devil himself were on her. She looked back when she heard the hounds and tripped on some underbrush, scraping her hands as her head whipped forward, striking a tree root. She groaned, feeling the trail of blood marching slowly down her forehead, the coinciding beats in her skull growing with the advance. She scrambled forward, slowly at first, dirt caking the scrapes on her palms as she gathered up her skirts and got to her feet. He will never catch me, she thought. I will never go back, I will never be his, I will die first. The thought steeled her to her goal.

She tried desperately to catch her breath as she stumbled wildly. Tears spilled cutting pale streaks in her dirt-stained cheeks as she fought the barrage of low-hung branches and high-reaching roots. Her hand shook as she leaned against a tree trunk to steady herself and yanked at her corset, trying to loosen it.

She heard the dogs spread to her right and concentrated on her bearing. This was her only chance. The earl was becoming more daring and devious with every sunset and she didn’t believe her fiancé intended to wait to pledge his troth before going further. She shifted direction to compensate for the chase and saw the bright sunlight of a break in the tangled woods. She knew it wasn’t far to the manor, but had no idea how she was to survive the run across open meadow with his hounds on her. Surely Lord Hepplewort will call them off before the Duke discovers his trespass, she thought, surely I will make it to safety.

She heard the rumble of a carriage and drove herself to it through the trees as one of the hounds tore at her skirts. The horns blew recalling them as she launched herself out of the protective cover— directly into the path of a team of startled horses.

“Ah— mon Dieu!” she screamed, feeling the words rip through her throat like a jagged knife as the large black horses reared with frightened neighs.

As she fell she saw the man at the rein stand and attempt to pull the horses away while endeavoring to stabilize the small black curricle, but it was too late on both counts. The horses came down, stomping about her, one hoof dispatching the hound at her feet as the curricle lost its ground and the driver leapt to safety. Madeleine attempted to shield her head with her arms as she gasped desperately for air.

 To read more of THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, visit Illustrated Romance. 

I’m giving away one e-book copy of THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE (open to US and international!). As you can see from the blurb above the excerpt, THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE is a time-travel romance (a thoroughly delicious time-travel romance, if I may say so myself). What other time-travel romances have you read and loved? Simply comment below and you’ll be entered into the giveaway (deadline 5:00pm US MST on Saturday, 6/18).

Something new is happening for me this month….the re-issue of an old western romance, one of earliest novels, TIN ANGEL.  What makes it different is that this is the only book my husband (a western author of more than 25 books) and I ever wrote together.   

In the story, when her father dies, beautiful and strong-willed Jessica Taggart, born and raised in Boston, travels all the way to San Francisco to help manage the Tin Angel, the business willed to her by her late father.  There she meets the ruggedly handsome, arrogant and domineering Jake Weston, her father’s partner and now Jessie’s, a man hell-bent on proving she can’t handle the job and determined to force her to sell him her share of the Tin Angel. 

Not the restaurant Jessie believes when she leaves Boston, but the most notorious whore house on the Barbary Coast.

I had such fun writing this book, a story they called at the time, A Moonlighting set in the West, after the Bruce Willis, Cybil Shepard TV show.  Having never collaborated on a book, we decided that Larry would write Jake’s point of view, and I would write Jessie’s.  Jake starts by writing a series of letters to Jessie, telling her not to come West, that he will buy her out and send her the money.  Jessie writs back, telling him in no uncertain terms that she is leaving Boston on the next train toCalifornia.

Neither of us knew how the other would respond to the pages we were handed.  We just rolled with the punches and had a heckuva lot of fun as we worked. The story ended up being very different from what I usually write and since it’s a sexy romance, way, way different from what my husband usually writes. 

It’s only available in print from Amazon, but it has a fabulous new cover, and it’s available in all e-book formats.

It you’re ready to read something just for fun, I hope you’ll give TIN ANGEL a try.  And we both hope you enjoy it. 

Also, please go to my new website and enter my KINDLE SWEEPSTAKES. The winner will receive a 3rd Generation KINDLE and two of my books. Click here to enter. 

Very best wishes, Kat and L.J. Martin   

(more…)

 

I don’t know if you guys are Ghost Hunters fans, but I am. Huge! I don’t know why this stuff fascinates me so much, but every Wednesday night, I’m glued to the SYFY channel watching Grant and Jason explore the world of the paranormal. 

   What does it have to do with my new release, Memories of Murder? Well, it goes back to an episode in Season 6 about Norwich State Hospital in Connecticut. This state mental hospital opened its doors in 1904 and actually stayed in operation until 1996. It housed not only the mentally insane, but the criminally insane as well.

             

I already had the idea to have an insane asylum in my novel, but watching this episode gave me a more solid visual basis and led to several other interesting historical tidbits. I love to have these bits of trivia to throw out in my manuscripts in case anyone is watching closely and decides to track down more information.           

 For instance, in the picture above of Norwich State, you’ll notice the remarkable architecture. Reminds you of a castle or some other type of imposing historical building. This led me to research the insane asylums of the nineteenth century and I discovered the history of the Kirkbride Buildings.             

These unique castle-like structures were built throughout the United States and in a few other countries. Most were built between 1848 and 1890, although there were a few instances where Kirkbride buildings were built after 1900. Each building followed the same basic floor plan and general arrangement of facilities promoted by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, but many different architects designed the individual buildings and gave them their own unique character. Do a Google search and take a look at these amazing buildings.  Kirkbride buildings are most recognizably characterized by their somewhat unique “bat wing” floorplan and their often lavish Victorian-era architecture.            

Although I couldn’t find that Norwich State was one of the Kirkbride buildings, when you take a look at the pictures, it certainly is in the same style. And what an amazing episode of GH that was! The TAPS team had wanted to visit this abandoned mental hospital for years- rumors of moving shadows, haunting faces, screams and moans and apparitions of children among the stories they came to investigate.  It took all of two minutes before they saw a moving shadow followed by a strange noise and faint light in the stairway. Then the moaning started- like a man in a horror film- and it turns into a whimpering noise like a puppy.           

The whole episode was full of unexplained events and I knew this was exactly the kind of place I envisioned for my story. Full of past horrors and covered up crimes that had to produce restless spirits with unfulfilled destinies. When you see something like that it really makes you believe in the paranormal.

            So, when you read Memories of Murder, and I hope you do, you’ll know the story behind the story of the old insane asylum. Here’s a blurb to give you an idea of the plot:

 

 

BLURB:

When Maeve McKenna renounces her witch powers and accepts a low-key nurse
practitioner position at a Virginia retirement community, the last thing
she expects is a suicide her first day on the job. As the town’s sexy
sheriff, Paul Sutton, starts looking into the tragic death of his father’s
friend, Maeve can’t help but get involved–with both the case and him.Their informal investigation unveils an old journal that connects the
ruins of a nearby asylum and long-forgotten cemetery with the shiny new
retirement community’s memory unit–and Maeve’s Alzheimer’s patients.
Maeve senses a sinister presence in the old asylum, calling to the
patients, but in order to stop it from killing again, she must first
conquer some demons of her own and reclaim the magic she’s denied herself. Memories of Murder is out now in both print and electronic versions! Check it out on Amazon and Barnes and Noble web sites as well as at www.CrescentMoonPress.com   Thanks,  Lara Nancewww.laranance.com

Why A Family of Psychics?

            And the answer is – why not?  I’ve been fascinated with psychic gifts for a very long time.  Several times I have put the touch of a psychic gift in one of my characters in a story.  The Murray clan in my Highland novels have a lot of them.  Mostly a healing gift or the ability to see ghosts.  A little twist in the character.

            Then I got to thinking on how it would be nice to have that little twist have more of a part in the story.  I wanted to do a story where that gift was right up front, became a much bigger part of the plot.  Yet, I also didn’t want to go whole hog paranormal.  I just wanted to have real, but psychically gifted, people and I wanted to stay with historicals.

            The first decision I made was that I would have to come forward in time.  Past the time where people like that would be declared witches and be tortured and killed.  That brought me to the late-Georgian times.  Since I also like the clothes they wore then I was happy with that choice of time period.  Decided England would be the setting as I was already doing a lot of stories with Scotland as the setting.  Another nice little change of pace.

            Next I set up a family, one that always had psychic gifts and had become secretive and reclusive.  Had to be in the old times just to stay alive and it isn’t all that safe in the more modern times of late-Georgian England either.  When research showed me how very many psychic gifts there are, I made it a large family.

            First I researched, and researched some more.  There are a lot of books and articles on psychic gifts.  Some better than others.  I also happen to have two very good friends who are psychics.  They are my go to people when I write myself into a corner.  I need that backup to make sure that I don’t break any rules when I write myself out of it.

            And thus were born the Wherlockes and their cousins the Vaughns.  Matching gifted, somewhat eccentric people with someone who can truly appreciate them is actually more fun than I thought it would be.  In IF HE’S DANGEROUS Sir Argus Wherlocke gets to meet his lady.

            Sir Argus bugged me a lot.  He kept turning up in the other Wherlocke tales so I knew he was demanding his own story.  But he can mesmerize people, make them say and do whatever he wants.  A tough guy to match.  So I give him one independent, intelligent, and a little eccentric lady called Lady Lorelei Sundun, seventh child of the Duke of Sundun.  I also give Lorelei one very important character trait that makes her perfect for Sir Argus with his mesmerizing voice and night sky eyes.  Resistance.

 

            I hope you’ll give the tale of Sir Argus and Lady Lorelei a try.

            The first chapter of IF HE’S DANGEROUS can be read on my website:  www.hannahhowell.com

Been organizing my files and came across an idea that was sparked by something I saw.

Sometime last year I was on my way home when I passed this woman who was sporting a slamming Afro hairstyle. The woman’s fro was big, high and poufy. I think it was a wig but it was so good I couldn’t tell. She was also sporting the clothing to go with the fro. She looked fierce. People were turning and looking at her. Me included. People were complimenting her on her look. Like any good diva she said thank you graciously and kept strutting. As I watched the woman stepping looking cool and fierce my mind was racing.

Yep another idea was taking shape. That day as I walked home I thought of the Fro. The idea took shape for a book with a woman in a fierce fro and clothes to match. Since reading it recently I know exactly where I will be using the fro idea. In Singleton – my upcoming series with Summerhouse Publishing there is a supper club where the main characters go to. The owner of the super club will be getting her own. I will be writing in a sixties theme night using my afro idea spark.

A fro brought so much more than viewing pleasure. It brought an inspiration. I’ve mentioned before that there are inspirations for ideas all around you. Taking something that happens in the everyday life then using it create a concept and make it yours. The unexpected can lead to so much more.

Any little thing can give you an idea spark.

Taige Crenshaw
http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/
…increasing the sizzle factor

Blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crenshawcafe
Newsletter: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/newsletterandgroups.shtml
Free Reads Site: http://www.satinnotes.com/

Power of Instinct – A woman does whatever is necessary to protect the man who is hers but once he finds out he goes with his instincts and makes her his.

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m here today to make an argument for the imperfect hero. 

Now I wasn’t always so hip on flawed men in my books.  My first book, MONEY HONEY, featured one of those Cary Grant types–suave, mannerly, well-groomed.   Maybe there was a whiff of danger, too, but it was hidden under an extremely well-tailored tux.  Think James Bond, but the Pierce Brosnan version, not the Sean Connery version. 

MONEY SHOT’s hero, on the other hand, is Rush Guthrie, Navy SEAL turned Park Ranger.  His face is forbidding and his manner isn’t any better.  He lost his sense of humor somewhere in the military and if he ever had a taste for polite conversation, it’s gone the way of his sense of humor.   And when he does talk, it’s pretty much without a filter.  It’s all honesty, all the time for Rush.  Which is great in theory and darn uncomfortable in person.  So why the heck did I fall in love with him?

I’ll explain.  But first, here’s a chunk of Goose and Rush’s first meeting to help illustrate my point.  In this scene, Goose (short for her last name, di Guzman) has just informed Rush that he’s the target of a federal investigation and is taken aback to learn he’s pretty okay with that.

“I’m not coming on to you, Goose.”

She snapped her mouth shut.  “Then what was all that about seeing the upside of being investigated?”

“Just being honest.  You’re attractive, sharp and clearly good at what you do.  You’re messed up as all hell, but I seem to like that.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.”  He leaned in, put his palms flat on the table.  The crazy urge to lean in to meet him seized her and suddenly she wanted.  Wanted to touch the hard plane of that cheek, the unforgiving slice of that mouth.  Wanted to put her lips on the long line of his throat and pull the scent and the vital warmth of him into her lungs.  Absorb the sharp sting of his honesty and the hot slap of his interest.

She reared back from it, from the punishing heat of her own want.  Oh God.  Not this.  Not now.

“The sad fact is,” Rush went on relentlessly, “I like you.  You want to investigate me, fine.  I’ve got nothing better to do.  My aunt will be thrilled to see me interacting with somebody my own age.  Go ahead.  Follow me around, ask me question, interview my neighbors.  My life’s an open book.  Start reading.  But don’t expect me to pretend I don’t see what you are.”

“And what am I?”

His hand opened on the table between them.  “You’re a lot of things,” he said softly.  “Complicated.  Beautiful.  Harsh.”  He closed his fingers into a fist–a somehow regretful gesture–and disappointment came down on her, crushing and shameful.  “But mostly?  Mostly, you’re just sad.”

“Sad?”  She summoned up a light laugh.  “How positively gothic of me.”

“There you go again,” he said.  “Laughing when nothing’s funny.  That can’t be good for you.”

With Rush, what you see is what you get.  He’s not perfect but he’s not trying to convince anybody he is.  He’s a normal guy with faults and flaws and a history he’s not entirely proud of, but he’s not running from anything.  He’s okay with himself exactly as he is, and I think this is what I fell in love with.  I mean, how much energy do most of us spend trying to make ourselves better, prettier, smarter, more successful?  Or at least create a convincing illusion?

I think it’s probably a lot.  But we’re all doing it, so when we see behind the curtain, we tend to give each other a pass.  It’s not polite to point out the chinks in another person’s armor, right?

Either nobody told Rush about this little rule, or he decided to ignore it.  (I’m in favor of option B on this question.)  He senses a whole lot of untold story behind Goose’s polish, and it’s a story he wants to hear.  So he asks for it.  Seems simple enough, and yet how often do we encounter that kind of honesty from a man who’s deeply attracted to a woman he’s just met?      

That kind of brutal honesty takes courage, and it’s a combination that works for Rush somehow.  Or maybe it works for me especially well because I’m so prone to polite social fictions.  (“Why, no, the fat-free zucchini loaf was delicious!”)  Being around somebody who simply refuses to play that game is uncomfortable, sure.  But it’s also exhilarating and liberating and deeply challenging.  Just writing Rush made me distinctly–and not so happily–aware of my little daily dishonesties.  But he also made me want to grow up a little and experience some of that freedom for myself. 

Is that weird?  That I sort of fell in love with a fictional guy, and it was good for me?  Have you ever met a character in a book who made you a better person?  Who was it?  Leave us a comment and you could win a copy of MONEY SHOT for your very own! (Continental US only, please.)

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Sey lives and writes in

St. Paul, MN, where she has two charming children, a lovely husband and an accidental prairie in her front yard.  She’s dreamed of seeing her name on the cover of a book even longer than her neighbors have dreamed of seeing her mow the lawn. 

 Her Golden Heart winner MONEY, HONEY was published by Berkley Sensation July 2010.  Her follow up novel, MONEY SHOT, will be released June 2011, thus proving that when it comes to dreams, unlikely isn’t the same as impossible.  Though you may not want to share that with her neighbors, who still cherish hopes regarding her lawn.    A three-time Golden Heart finalist, Susan loves her family, ice cream and happy endings, in that order.  She also loves to hear from readers, who can contact her at susan@susansey.com.