Guest Blogger ~ Susan Sleeman

We are very fortunate to have Susan Sleeman guest blogging with us today. Susan is a best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her first romantic suspense title, High-Stakes Inheritance earned a spot on the ECPA bestseller list and her Garden Gate Mystery series, which features Nipped in the Bud, and Read Between the Tines has enjoyed time on Amazon bestseller lists as well. And The Christmas Witness was named a finalist in the 2011 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. In addition to writing, Susan hosts the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com. She currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. 

Inspiration – It’s All Around You by Susan Sleeman

 If you’re a writer you know it’s sometimes hard to come up with fresh plot ideas. After all, there are only so many plots out there and to stand out we need to put a fresh spin on things that have been done before.

So where do I go for story ideas? I’m constantly asking what if about everything around me. I look at everything I do hoping to find a story idea with a twist. I mean everything. I look at news stories, magazine and television ads, other people, the Bible, science and technology magazines or articles, real crimes, interesting photographs, and on and on.

Let me share a couple of examples in my own writing where I’ve taken something I’ve seen and twisted it.

People around me -

I recently sold a new five book series to Love Inspired. If you read romantic suspense you know there are many series where former law enforcement professionals work in a private investigations agency. Though these series abound, I love writing law enforcement professionals and wanted to do something different. So I started by asking myself what if all the investigators were members of the same family? Different right? But it still didn’t have the unique twist I was looking for. So I kept pondering and one day when I was talking to my daughter about the process she was going through to adopt a child, a bell went off in my head. I could suddenly see the interesting family dynamics that could come from five children who’d experienced unique and wildly different difficulties in childhood coming together to form a strong family unit. It intrigued me so much, I created The Justice Agency.

In the news –

I was reading Yahoo news one day and an article sparked my creativity. The story talked about people (mostly women) who keep cell phone accounts active for loved ones who had died so they can call the loved one’s voicemail to hear their voice. As usual, my mind took a weird twist and I asked the question, what if when the grieving loved one called the phone number someone answered the phone? In Dead Wrong, Kat Justice’s friend does just that. Mourning the loss of her brother who committed suicide, she calls the voice mail and a man answers. She knows it’s not her brother on the end of the line, but she’s long thought her brother wouldn’t end his own life, and she’s now certain that the man who answered the phone is her brother’s killer. She hires the Justice Agency to find the man who possesses her brother’s phone.

Now your turn. Where do you find your story ideas and can you share an example?

More on Dead Wrong by Susan Sleeman

A KILLER’S CLOSING IN…

When her client and old college friend is murdered, P.I. Kat Justice knows the killer will come for her next. Her survival depends on finding her unknown enemy first…and working with homicide detective Mitch Elliot, her onetime crush. 

It’ll take all her professional skills to ignore the sparks between them, but Kat can’t allow the handsome cop to get close. She’s seen too many people she loves die, so she vows just to do her job without getting emotionally involved. Yet keeping her distance may not be the best way to protect her heart—or their lives.

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Amish Romance Review: A Marriage of the Heart

About the Book

"Three Stories That Share the Adventures of First Love and Second Chances.

A Perfect Secret—Rose Bender’s betrothed, Luke Lantz, is safe and dependable, maybe a little too much so. Or so she thinks until she sees him in the woods one night and discovers a secret he’s been keeping. Now his secret haunts her. She wasn’t sure about marrying a man she knew too well. But should she marry a man she doesn’t understand at all?

Christmas Cradles—When Anna Stolis takes over for her aunt, the local midwife, Christmas night heats up with multiple deliveries, three strangers’ quilts, and unexpected help from the handsome and brooding Asa Lapp.

A Marriage of the Heart—Since her mother’s death, Abigail Kauffman has lived alone with her father. She longs to escape the emptiness of the farmhouse that has never felt like home. Joseph Lambert is a newcomer in their close-knit community. Only after suddenly marrying do they begin to understand the tender truths of life-long love."

Amber's Review

Three novellas by Kelly Long from separate collections (An Amish Wedding, An Amish Christmas, and An Amish Love) are brought together in one book - with an absolutely lovely cover, perfect for the upcoming winter season, might I add! For those who love Amish stories with an extra dose of romance, Long is the author to know.

"A Perfect Secret," while certainly an intriguing story to begin with, is probably my least favorite of the three. It comes across as rather far-fetched with a strange premise. Luke's character is mysterious and charming, in a way, but I think if I were in Rose's position I'd be a bit put-off that my best friend and fiance wasn't who I thought he was - and, in fact, had a very different personality that he was only now displaying. But the subtle suspense and the ultimate emphasis on openness and trust in community serve as redeeming qualities.

"Christmas Cradles" is the shortest of the three stories, and it's the "quickness" factor that made me a bit skeptical (the whole "falling in love in one day" sort of thing). Otherwise, this is just plain cute! The romance is sweet, the characters are endearing, and the whole story comes together in a symbolic, satisfying way. Very heart-warming!

"A Marriage of the Heart" is probably my favorite of the three, romantically speaking. Abigail starts out as one of those characters that easily frustrates and annoys, but I loved reading about her growth in love for her new husband, as well as her father. This is a type of "marriage of convenience" story - although how it's seen as "convenient" for the different characters is certainly different! Joseph is a great hero, and this is a great, short love story! (Add some glasses to the man on the cover, and I personally pictured him and the woman next to him as Joseph and Abigail - although the setting on the cover is more reminiscent of "Christmas Cradles.")

All in all, this collection is sweet, and these three stories added to my regard for Long's engaging writing style. If you're looking for some romantic, winter-afternoon reads, A Marriage of the Heart delivers.

*With thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing through the Booksneeze program for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

[This review was originally posted on Seasons of Humility.]

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6 Things I learned (about writing) from watching my dachshunds…

Okay, so I admit it…I’m a freak about my dachshunds. I absolutely love to watch them play. So imagine my enjoyment when the two I had, multiplied to six! That’s right…puppies.

I learned quite quickly that each one is vastly different from the others, and not just in temperament. They have distinct personalities, which of course, tied in nicely with my other passion—writing. It was an easy enough thing coming up with an idea for an article. I decided I would simply share the six things that I learned just by watching my dogs!

And so, here it goes…

1. Max (aka – the hero). Max is the original. The first of our many dachshunds. When my husband brought him home, he was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Now, he’s the absolute leader of our little pack. The alpha. The one who sets the tone for the entire rest of the house. He’s incredibly smart, inquisitive by nature, and positively loyal. Recently, when our little female got bitten by a water moccasin (a very large, very poisonous snake), Max attached himself to her side and refused to be coaxed away until she felt better. It was the sweetest thing—and the exact quality that I try to incorporate in my heroes. A mix of strength and tenderness, leadership and compassion.

2. Lainey (aka – the heroine). Despite her size, Lainey is every bit as tenacious as Max. In fact, this little spitfire has a tendency to intimidate the much larger hero of our lesson. Where Max relies on muscle, Lainey tends to rely on brains…and a little bit of coquettish persuasion. It’s so funny to watch the two of them together. They work as a pair, especially when it comes to rounding up our neighbor’s cows, which occasionally wind their way into our yard. At that point, all I have to do is give one quiet order—get ‘em. The two of them shoot off across the yard, but the moment one of those animals turns to lower their horns, Lainey goes into evasive maneuvers. She darts in and out through the cows’ legs and somehow manages to return to the house unscathed. Isn’t that how we want our heroines? Daring and quick, and with a nice mix of beauty and brains.

3. Reggie (aka – the villain). I know what you’re thinking…poor Reggie, labeled a villain at only eight months of age! Still, I have to tell you, this little stinker gets into more messes than the other five dogs combined. Just last week, we were getting ready to sell our house, and I came home to find the wallpaper shredded from the walls. It was pretty easy to locate the culprit…he had wallpaper hanging from his mouth. And yesterday, I came home to find one of my favorite shoes chewed in two. Just one, mind you. The other one was fine. I think Reggie did it on purpose, just to taunt me. And when I let the dogs out to go potty, who disappears into the trees the moment my back is turned? You guessed it. Despite all of that, there is something irresistible about the little scamp. Every time I scold him, he looks at me with those large soulful eyes, and I can’t help picking him up and cuddling him. And that, folks, is exactly the quality I try to give each of my villains. They may be treacherous, and they may thwart the efforts of my hero and heroine at every turn, but they have an irresistible quality—something about them that stirs compassion and makes the reader believe they have a reason for their actions.

4. Nellie (aka – the accomplice). While Reggie is without a doubt the ringleader, following close behind is Nellie. Who do you think tossed the shoes down from the chair where I had put them so Reggie could chew one to bits? Intelligent, athletic Nellie, of course! Of all the puppies, Nellie is the most daring. When I’m lying in my bed, Nellie is the one who jumps up into the armchair next to it and leaps across the gap to land on the pillow next to me. When the others are huddled on the porch staring out at the rain, Nellie is the one who ventures out and then stares back at the others as if to say, “What’s wrong with you?” Now, to look at her, you wouldn’t think she’d be the daredevil. She has a sweet little face and long, floppy ears that give her the appearance of total innocence, which of course makes her the perfect accomplice. That is exactly the type of character I try to create when giving my villain a partner. I try to make them daring and smart, but with an air of innocence that catches the reader completely by surprise when their true intentions are revealed.

5. Lexi (aka – the compassionate supporting character). Out of all of the dogs, Lexi is largest, but she is also definitely the most loving. The moment I sit down, she climbs onto the back of the couch and lays her head on my shoulder. When I get up to leave the room, she follows close at my heels and waits patiently by the door until I return. While the others are playing or chasing each other around the room, Lexi is content to lay in my lap and let me stroke her fur. This is the kind of supporting character that I always try to give my hero and heroine—someone large and strong, who offers solid reinforcement in the midst of chaos, and who stands at the ready with just the right amount of comfort and compassion.

6. Bentley (aka – the emotional draw) Bentley is the runt of the litter. He was born last, and was delivered the hardest. He’s just a little smaller than all of the others, but day to day, despite his size, he somehow manages to keep up. Remember Little Women? Bentley is like Beth—the character everyone loves and ultimately, the one who breaks your heart with her passing. Bentley reminds me that supporting characters are important. They need depth in order to make the reader to care about them, but when they do, they can make my stories so much richer.

Well, that’s it for now…everything I’ve learned about writing from watching my dachshunds. I guess if I wanted to do another installment, I’d have to have more dogs. Right. Just let my husband hear me say that…

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Journey, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Janelle Mowery, earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year honors. This book was followed in 2009 by “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” part of a Christmas anthology collection called Christmas Homecoming, also from Barbour Publishing.

In 2010, her first full-length historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned Four Stars from the Romantic Times. Books two and three of Elizabeth’s mystery series, Died in the Wool (Barbour Publishing) and Inn Plain Sight (Spyglass Lane), respectively, released in 2011.

Coming in 2012 is Elizabeth’s newest historical series from Bethany House Publishers. No Safe Harbor, the first book in the Edge of Freedom Series, will release in October, with two more books following in 2013 and 2014.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, and often attends conferences and seminars, where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoyed a wide readership in its first full year, with more than 17,000 visitors in 2011. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more about her work, visit her at www.elizabethludwig.com.

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Did You know?~Smallpox, Part One—Pre-Vaccination

Before the advent of a smallpox vaccine, the mortality of smallpox was high, like 20-30%. The appearance of the disease was horrific, and survivors were left with disfiguring scars they carried the rest of their lives.

Smallpox

Many forms of inoculation (also called variolation) were used in the centuries before an official vaccine was developed. 

In China during the Ming Dynasty, powdered smallpox scabs were blown up the noses of the healthy. Patients would generally develop a mild case of the disease and from then on were immune to it. The technique had a 0.5% mortality rate.

In the latter half of the 17^th century, variolation was practiced by physicians in Turkey, Persia, and Africa. The Turkish method of smallpox inoculation consisted of ripping four or five veins with a large needle, applying pus from the sores of a smallpox victim, then covering the site with a ‘hollow bit of shell’ and binding them up.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, wife of the British Ambassador to Ottoman Constantinople, introduced the Turkish method of inoculation to Great Britain, which the royal family used in the epidemic of 1721. 

The practice of variolation had been known in Boston since 1706, when Cotton Mather (of Salem witch trial fame) discovered that his slave Onesimus had been inoculated in Africa and that many slaves imported to Boston had also received inoculations. But the method wasn’t employed in North America until the epidemic of 1721.

In 1757, an 8-year-old boy named Edward Jenner was inoculated with smallpox in Gloucester. He developed a mild case of smallpox and was subsequently immune to the disease. Edward Jenner then grew up to be the man who developed the first Smallpox vaccine. I'll discuss how that came about next week.

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Killer Cozies for .99!

Mayhem in Maryland Mysteries – Candice Speare Prentice

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Murder in the Milk Case (The Mayhem in Maryland Series – Book 1) By Candice Speare Prentice Will Trish Cunningham’s discovery sour her on milk forever?When mommy and wife Trish Cunningham finds the body of pharmacist Jim Bob Jenkins behind the two-percent milk, she know she’s having a bad day. Worse, she’s a suspect in the murder. Sleuthing to exonerate herself from criminal charges, she shakes up a murderer who has nothing to lose by killing anyone in the way—including Trish.

 

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Band Room Bash (The Mayhem in Maryland Series– Book 2) By Candice Speare Prentice This murderer is playing for keeps. When Trish Cunningham and her oldest stepson, Tommy, find Georgia Winters, the English teacher at Four Oaks High School, dead in the band room, the suspect list is lengthy. The teacher had a number of enemies—including Tommy Cunningham.Once again Trish pulls out her notebook to collect clues. Detective Eric Scott, suffering from unrequited love for Trish’s best friend, Abbie, pointedly asks Trish to butt out. But despite the detective’s warnings, she jumps in as usual and finds herself embroiled in a mystery that has its roots in thwarted love and revenge. The finale could be Trish’s swan song.

 

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Kitty Litter Killer (The Mayhem in Maryland Series – Book 3) By Candice Speare Prentice Trish Cunningham is pussyfooting with a murderer. Amateur sleuth Trish has retired from her short-lived crime-solving foray. No more walking deliberately into danger. Now her short-term goal is to see her best friend, Abbie, marry fiancé, Eric Scott, in three weeks.But the brutal murder of Abbie’s ex-husband could ruin the nuptials, especially since Abbie was the last one seen with him—when they had a hostile argument at the local convenience store.With evidence pointing at Abbie and the possibility of jail looming in her best friend’s future, Trish comes out of her self-imposed sleuth retirement. And as the clock ticks down to the wedding date, Trish once again puts herself in reach of a murderer’s claws—this time to protect her best friend.

 

Latisha Barnhart Mysteries – S. Dionne Moore Buy for Kindle Buy for other devices Murder on the ‘ol Bunions (A Latisha Barnhart Mystery – Book 1) By S. Dionne Moore LaTisha Barnhart’s bunions tell her something’s afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employer, Marion Peters. She’s burping Mark Hamm’s bad cooking to investigate his beef with Marion. . .getting her hair styled at a high falutin’ beauty parlor to see what has Regina Rogane in a snarl. . .playing self-appointed matchmaker between the local chief and a prime suspect. . .and thinking Payton O’Mahney’s music store lease might be the reason he’s singing a sour note when discussion of Marion’s murder arises. LaTisha’s just might use the reward money to get her bunions surgically removed, but she’s got to catch the crook first.   Buy for Kindle Buy for other devices Polly Dent Loses Grip (A Latisha Barnhart Mystery – Book 2) By S. Dionne Moore While LaTisha Barnhart is helping her mother-in-law move into Bridgeton Towers Assisted Living and Nursing, Polly Dent loses grip on a facility treadmill and takes a fatal spill that’s ruled an accident. The residents’ gossip is revealing all kinds of motives for murder and LaTisha’s nose smells trouble simmering. Can she stay on her achin’ feet, and one step ahead of the villain, long enough to solve yet another crime?   Buy for Kindle Buy for other devices Your Goose is Cooked (A Latisha Barnhart Mystery – Book 3) By S. Dionne Moore When LaTisha Barnhart’s chief cook overhears a hitman being hired to take out the mayor, he tells the amateur sleuth right away. And when said hitman turns up dead, the plot thickens like pan of stale gravy. Lord knows there’s no shortage of suspicious activity around town—just keeping track is making LaTisha’s head spin. But when she is nearly run down in broad daylight, she realizes her goose might be cooked. Your Goose Is Cooked is a feast for mystery fans! Massachusetts Mayhem Mysteries – Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery

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Where the Truth Lies (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series – Book 1) By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery Casey Alexander refuses to believe her aunt committed suicide. Convinced a murderer is hiding out in her aunt’s sleepy hometown, she’ll do anything to uncover the truth. But as her personal investigation produces mounting evidence, the danger to Casey grows. Now she’ll be forced to trust certain residents of Pine Mills for help, including local nursery owner, Luke Kerrigain…the man with whom she’s falling in love with…and who may be stalking her. Prompted by strange clues and a mysterious stranger, Casey does a little more digging. The secrets she unearths will turn lives upside down and threaten the peace in Pine Mills’ small community—especially when she discovers that the truth can sometimes be hidden in a lie.

 

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Died in the Wool (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series – Book 2) By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery Hone your investigative skills with Died in the Wool, a mystery filled with humor, suspense, and romance. Monah Trenary is battling for city funds for her beloved library. When a rival for the much-needed monies winds up dead, Monah is considered one of the prime suspects. When a second corpse weighs in, police detective Mike Brockman discovers that, according to the evidence, Monah and monkshood are a lethal combination. Can Monah and proven sleuth Casey Alexander find the real killer before this librarian is booked for murder?

 

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Inn Plain Sight (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series – Book 3)By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle MoweryCome along as bride-to-be Casey Alexander works to solve the murder that hijacked her shower. She’ll find that the victim’s propensity for blackmail, gossip, and downright meanness has created a long list of suspects. Unfortunately, Casey’s fiancé is at the top of the list. Armed with her ever present Post-It Notes and the help of her best friend, Casey follows the clues to a killer hiding in plain sight.

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Historical Romance Book Review: A Merry Little Christmas

November is upon us, and Christmas is right around the corner! You can get in the holiday mood or pick up an early Christmas present for a friend or loved one with this lovely book. =)

About the Book

"Fall in love with this cozy story about two people from different worlds.

Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who's preparing to spend the holidays alone...again. Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny's farm. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited, and she's more than happy to sell the farm and move to the city.

As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart-that sometimes love comes when you're least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?"

Amber's Review

The synopsis of A Merry Little Christmas suggests that this is a simple falling-in-love story. And it certainly is a sweet romance! But what the synopsis doesn't convey are the twists and turns this story takes and the emphasis it places on the era in which it is set (the early 1960s). While the story started out as I suppose I expected it to, it quickly brought in some elements that surprised and intrigued me, including difficult family dynamics, the death and birth of dreams, the horror of racism, the clash of the social classes, and the shifting perspective on women.

Tucked between the historical and contemporary genres, this book shows how much society has changed in a relatively short time, while also showing some of the roots of modern American society - both the positive and the drastic. I appreciate its uniqueness and its occasional bold and confident tackling of big issues while still maintaining a "simple" charm.

There's a lot going on in this story, and one transition near the beginning caught me off-guard with its suddenness and didn't seem to flow very well, although it served as my wake-up call that more was going to happen than the synopsis suggested. Also, some of the confessions toward the end felt somewhat forced and inauthentic to me. But if you like a Christmas story that has problems resolved and tied up in a big red bow, this book pulls it off nicely.

A Merry Little Christmas begins with two people who are instantly drawn to each other and are given the opportunity to explore their new feelings...but it continues on with challenges and hardships and little surprises (both painful and precious) that draw Franny and Charlie out - out of the past and outward in their thinking and experiences. It begins with lots of clever lines and humor, and continues on ever deeper into more serious issues. But it also begins with a sweet love story and continues on with a sweet love story. An interesting and intriguing Christmas romance!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

Cover Note: I was so wonderfully surprised when I received this book in the mail and discovered that it is a gorgeous little hardcover book! It's simple but rather elegant, and the size combined with the feel of the pages give it a "gift book" look. A pretty present idea!

[This review was originally posted on Seasons of Humility as part of the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.]

About the Author

"Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

Find out more about Anita at http://www.anitahigman.com."

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Winners!!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming! This week's winner is:

Birdie - Colonial Courtships by Amber Stockton!

Congratulations, Birdie! Please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your address. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive. Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

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