Showing posts with label Susanne Matthews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Susanne Matthews. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

[Book Promo] Sworn to Protect by Susanne Matthews


Book Blurb:

Four years ago, a car accident robbed Nancy Frost of her child and her mother, taking what was left of her marriage with it in the process. A forensic accountant, she agrees to look at a company’s books in a divorce case, trying to find hidden assets, but her meeting with the lawyer goes terribly wrong when the restaurant is attacked.

The moment US Marshal Neil Copeland discovers his wife has been shot in a Baltimore restaurant, he rushes to her side, determined not to let her down again. As the police investigate, evidence suggests the attack was a ploy to hide a specific hit. When a professional assassin tries to kill Nancy a second time, it’s clear that she was the target and whatever’s going on is a lot more complicated than they think.

When Nancy awakes after a month in an induced coma, not only does she not remember the attack on the restaurant, she doesn’t remember marrying Neil.

Faced with the challenge of protecting his wife from a powerful, faceless enemy, Neil must bring her up to date, dredging up all the sorrow that tore them apart in the first place, hoping something will jar her memory.

As he races against time, can he save her from an unknown assassin and convince her to give the love they once had a second chance?

Buy link:

Excerpt:
Mustering all the dignity she could, Nancy led the way back to the small space she’d called her own. In her absence someone had emptied her desk and packed up her photographs and other memorabilia. The partially filled box sat in the center of her blotter.
“If you’ll put your arms out at your side, I’ll search you.”
Gritting her teeth, her cheeks burned.
“Oh no, you won’t. I warned you what will happen if you put your paws on me again. There are no pockets in this skirt or jacket, and I’m not about to let you cop a feel,” she ground out, her chest heaving in her fury.
Glaring at her, he mumbled into the radio he carried. Within seconds, a woman, not an employee she recognized, arrived.
“Put out your arms,” the woman said brusquely.
Grudgingly, her mouth a thin line, Nancy complied, allowing the woman to pat her down, more roughly than necessary.
“She’s clean.”
“Satisfied?” Nancy asked, her fury and humiliation warring for dominance.
“Empty your purse,” he stated baldly, while the woman crossed her arms and stood by the open door.
Clenching her teeth to hold back the scathing remark on the tip of her tongue, Nancy turned over the bag allowing its contents to fall on the desk.
“If you’re checking to see if I’ve stolen company pens, don’t worry about it. I haven’t. I prefer something of higher quality.”
The man rifled through the items, checking inside each small bag and pouch and finally nodded.
“Keys.”
“You could pretend to have manners,” she grumbled. Removing the keys and the electronic fob that opened the garage door from her key ring, she handed them to him. As quickly as she could, she stuffed the items back into her purse. He picked up the box.
“Hang on a second. Let me check to make sure whoever packed this didn’t miss anything.”
She opened her desk drawers, but each one was empty. Turning to her filing cabinet, the suspended files were nothing but frames. Even her trash can was gone.
Stunned by the speed with which they’d erased her presence here, Nancy grabbed her coat and followed the two security people out of her office. She didn’t look back. Walking between the rent-a-cops, she held her head high, looking neither left nor right, hiding the fact she was devastated.


Author bio and links:
Amazon bestselling author Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. She is of French-Canadian descent. She’s always been an avid reader of all types of books, but with a penchant for happily ever after romances. A retired educator, Susanne spends her time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.
Her first novel, Fire Angel, set the tone for an exciting new career. While most of her books are romantic suspense, Susanne writes stories that range from contemporary to sci-fi and everything in between. She is a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America.

When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, or traveling to interesting places she can use as settings in her future books or as interesting entries for her blog, Living the Dream. During the summer she enjoys camping with her grandchildren and attending various outdoor concerts and fairs. In winter, she likes to cuddle by the fire and watch television.

Follow Susanne on her:  Website     Facebook page    Twitter @jandsmatt
Amazon author page    and    Goodreads author page

Thursday, April 23, 2015

[Book Spotlight] The White Carnation by Susanne Matthews

The last person disgraced reporter Faye Lewis wants back in her life is Detective Rob Halliday, the man she blames for ruining her career and breaking her heart. But when she finds an old friend murdered, he’s the one she calls.
 For the past year, Rob and his team have been hunting the Harvester, a serial killer who ritualistically murders new mothers and vanishes with their infants. What Rob doesn’t need is another case, especially one involving his ex-fiancée.

 Then Faye is assaulted, and Rob realizes the cases are connected. She may hold the answers he needs to find the elusive killer. But the more they investigate, the more complex the situation becomes. Can they set the past aside and work together, or will the Harvester and his followers reap another prize?

The White Carnation will be available April 20, 2015. For buy links, please visit http://www.mhsusannematthews.ca/





Excerpt:
Twenty minutes later, the unmarked police sedan pulled up behind the black and white outside the brownstone. The paramedics were parked farther along the street, just ahead of the police car, reducing traffic to a single lane. The coroner’s van pulled up behind them. Rob got out and approached the coroner.
“Amos, I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. I called for a bus, not the meat wagon.”
“Paramedics were nearby so Logan got here quickly. He radioed in—exsanguination due to a lacerated throat. He’s still up there. Nothing he can do for the victim, but your fiancée is taking it hard.”
“The victim was like a second mother to her.”
Your fiancée—Amos’s words were true once, but never again. There was no way Rob would hitch his wagon to a woman who could believe he’d betray her like that, a woman who’d put her job so far ahead of him, he’d barely been on her radar at times. The sex had been great, but love was supposed to be more than that. Still, she’d reached out to him. He took the stairs to the brownstone two at a time, his lean, muscular body having no problem with the climb. He flashed his badge at the officer who stood guarding the door. “Anyone showing any interest?”
“No, Detective. According to the concierge, the people in number five are in Europe, and I don’t think the rest of the residents are home from work yet. Looks like a robbery—the place has been tossed pretty good—and there’s no damage to the door, so she must have let them in. Logan says her throat’s been slit from behind.”
“Where’s Ms. Lewis?”
“In the living room with Logan. He wanted to take her to the ER—claims she’s in shock. I told him she had to stay put until you arrived. He’s pissed at me. Says I’m interfering with his job. He seems pretty friendly with her. I heard she’s some big shot investigative reporter.” He chuckled. “Some crime reporter—she’s puked a couple of times already.” He continued to laugh. Rob’s face must have reflected the anger moving to the surface because the guard choked it off.
“Rick Logan is one of the best paramedics we have. For the record, McMillan,” Rob read the nameplate on the policeman’s uniform, “the next time he says someone has to go the ER, you’d better damn well listen to him. And as for Ms. Lewis, the victim was a personal friend. It’s different when the victim’s someone you know.” His voice was clipped, his displeasure obvious.
Rob turned and entered the apartment. He’d learned the need to remain objective in order to do the job properly, but as he’d told the young officer, it was different when it was personal. Not only had the victim been an acquaintance, Faye was in there. He swallowed and tried to find the emotional distance he needed.
The place was a mess, just as the officer had said. He looked around quickly, his trained eye taking in everything in an instant—the wallet on the table, money on the floor mixed with the victim’s blood, the take-out bag, Faye’s purse and its scattered contents. Whatever this had been, it hadn’t been a routine robbery. Someone had been looking for something other than the usual snatch and grab items, so what were they after? What could Mrs. Green have that was worth dying for?
He found Faye sitting on the living-room sofa with Logan. Her face was red and blotchy, her blue-green eyes mascara-rimmed from her tears, and her clothing disheveled and covered in blood. She stood and moved forward, stopping before she reached him. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked young and vulnerable, not a bit like the bitter, angry woman she’d been the last time he’d seen her.

About the author:
Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. She’s always been an avid reader of all types of books, but always with a penchant for happily ever after romances. In her imagination, she travelled to foreign lands, past and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator, Susanne spends her time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.
Follow Susanne on her:  Website    Blog    Facebook page    Twitter @jandsmatt

Amazon author page    and    Goodreads author page 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Captain's Promise by Susanne Matthews


Blurb:

Etienne Blouin left Danielle de Cherbourg in tears, promising to return; he didn’t. Ten years later, Etienne learns she’s been widowed and left almost penniless. Now a wealthy ship’s captain, he offers to help her, but the only reply he gets is from her aunt telling him to leave Danielle alone. Convinced she’s in trouble, he determines to rescue her whether she likes it or not, even if it means losing her love.

Danielle is shocked to learn that her companion is going to the colonies, while she is to marry a cruel and powerful man as repayment of her husband’s gambling debts.  Despondent, she sees no way out of the horrendous situation. When her carriage is waylaid and she’s kidnapped, she fears the worse.
 Etienne has enemies who don’t want La Belle Rose to make port. Can he outfox them to save his ship and the woman he loves?


The Captain’s Promise is available in Kindle format  through Amazon.  

About the author:

Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.  She’s always been an avid reader of all types of books, but always with a penchant for happily ever after romances. In her imagination, she travelled to foreign lands, past and present, and soared into the future. Today, gets to spend her time writing, so she can share her adventures with her readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.

Follow Susanne on her:  Website    Blog    Facebook page    Twitter @jandsmatt

Amazon author page    and    Goodreads author page

Excerpt:

Etienne stood beside the Count de Cherbourg and watched Danielle as she finished the movements of the dance. She was stunning! Gone was his child-shadow, the redheaded hoyden who’d followed him around, climbed trees, and had gone fishing with him. An angel stood in her place. Her deep blue gown shimmered in the candlelight and gave her an ethereal look—the goddess Venus come to life couldn’t have matched her beauty. She took his breath away. He was dismayed by what he was about to do. The excitement he’d felt when he’d donned his new uniform had vanished, replaced by a longing he hadn’t anticipated. 

“My daughter’s become a beautiful woman, hasn’t she?” The count smiled proudly.

“She most certainly has.” Etienne stared at the girl approaching him. “I wasn’t prepared to see my young friend changed this much.”

“You know, Etienne, I think she’s expecting different news from you tonight. She’ll be most distressed by your decision, but I understand your need to prove yourself. I’d ask a favor of you.” His voice was solemn, far more severe than the situation implied. 

Etienne tore his eyes away from Elle and wondered briefly what news she’d been expecting, probably that he was back to stay. He looked up at the man who’d been like a second father to him. “Whatever you want sir, if it’s in my power to give it, consider it yours.”

The count looked at him, smiled sadly, and sighed. “Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hope it will. Promise me you’ll look out for her, that you’ll be there when she needs you.”

Sobered by the request, Etienne nodded and answered as honestly as he could. “It’d be an honor to watch out for your daughter, sir, but you know my commission will take me far from here. I’d never allow harm to come to Danielle, not if I could help it. In as much as I’m able to do as you ask, you’ve got my word. ”
The count nodded. “I can’t ask for more than that.”
Etienne turned away to look at Danielle once more. As she approached, she smiled weakly and held out her hands. He saw uncertainty on her face, an emotion he’d never have attributed to her. She was the feisty, intrepid explorer who’d followed him around like a faithful pup. Never had she shown fear. 

“Etienne!” she exclaimed. “I was afraid you might not make it. Look at you. Not a military uniform—don’t tell me you’ve joined the King’s army!” She sounded horrified at the prospect. Etienne smiled and took her hand, placing a small gift box in it. 

“Me? Miss your sixteenth birthday? Never! Happy birthday, Elle.” He moved closer to give her the traditional peck on each cheek. The brief contact of his lips on her tender skin filled him with unexpected desire. He stepped back and addressed her father, his voice low.

“Your grace, with your permission, I’d like to take Elle out into the garden. It’s quite warm in here, and I’d like to speak to her privately.” 

“Of course, I wish I could escape for a few moments myself… Here comes your mother, Elle. Go, before she decides it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to be with Etienne without a chaperone.” 

The air was cooler outside, but Etienne continued to perspire. His months of training to become one of the King’s soldiers had sculpted his body and removed every inch of unnecessary fat. He’d been so eager to boast to Danielle about his new commission, and how he’d travel the world, and make something of himself. Suddenly, he felt as if his dreams were coming to an end. How proud he’d been of his new uniform, his gold lieutenant’s epaulettes decorating his deep blue coat. 

He’d taken great pains with his appearance tonight, wanting to impress Elle with his new responsibilities; he wanted her to be proud of him. Like the other young officers in his regiment, he’d left his hair unpowdered, pulled into a queue, secured with a white, silk ribbon, and had grown a beard that followed the edge of his face, but exposed his mouth. The regiment required he keep his neck shaved, and the moustache on his upper lip neatly trimmed. He raised his finger to the tiny crescent scar below his left eye, the result of a swordsmanship training accident, which he felt gave him a dash of mystery. Now, instead of feeling proud of his appearance, he felt as if the white lace jabot at his neck were a noose, threatening to choke him.
Where had his sweet Danielle gone? When he’d last seen her, she’d been awkward, her arms and legs too long for her young body. They’d been constant companions for eight years; how could his tomboy friend have changed this much in so short a time? 


Monday, April 14, 2014

[Release Day] Just for the Weekend by Susanne Matthews



Kindergarten teacher, Cleo James, needs a break. For the past three years, she’s put her life on hold to help her father deal with grief, but now she’s ready to move on. A weekend in Vegas at a sci-fi convention may be just the place to start. She’ll be costumed as an alien and no one will recognize her. What could go wrong? Things get complicated when she’s attracted to a conventioneer whom she believes is a gorgeous Chippendale dancer.  Can Cleo set her strict moral code aside and enjoy what promises to be a once upon a time weekend?

Multimillionaire real estate developer, Sam Mason has sworn off serious relationships. In Vegas to visit family and friends, he’s talked into attending a sci-fi convention for the night. Dressed as an alien, he’s confident he can elude the usual gold diggers looking to star in the role of Mrs. Sam Mason. When he spots a beautiful woman dressed as a green-skinned slave girl, he’s captivated by her and changes his plans to leave Vegas in the morning. The more time he spends with her, the more he realizes she’s unlike any woman he’s known. Fantastic sex and too much alcohol find him married to his alien siren, but before he can tell her the truth about himself and see if they can make their marriage work, the bride vanishes.  Finding her is going to be a challenge.


Cleo let her gaze roam over to the bar where the man who’d kissed her sat. She was almost positive it was the guy from the lounge—those brown eyes were familiar and the gesture with the glass he’d made minutes ago mimicked last night’s salute. She didn’t see the women he’d been with. There were several men in the room dressed as Cardassians, but he stood out from the others. He’d taken a lot for granted with that kiss, but she wasn’t as upset about it as she should be. She suspected he was a player, but what a kisser! It had been an incredible experience. If anyone else had tried it, she’d have busted his balls. She’d noted the way he’d rarely taken his eyes off her. While some of the men made her uncomfortable with the way they stared at her, he didn’t. Go figure. Normally she abhorred macho men, but there’d been times in the last two hours when she’d wished he’d been closer to the booth to glower at some of the more unsavory men she’d dealt with, especially the touchy-grabby jerks, like the one approaching her now. Mitch owed her big-time for this, and she’d collect. She started out trying to be polite—after all, some of these guys were fans—but she was fed up with their lewd innuendos. She’d resorted to sarcasm, but they were either too drunk or too thick-skinned to appreciate it. Why did some men think they could objectify women the way they did based on the clothes they wore? This was a costume. It wasn’t who she was.

“Back again?” She forced a fake smile on her face for the blue-skinned Andorian who’d been plaguing her the last hour. His battery-operated antennae wiggled more slowly now than they had earlier. “I can’t imagine I have anything left to give you.” His hand shot out, but she quickly stepped back out of reach.

“I can think of a couple of things I wouldn’t mind holding.” He smiled lecherously at her, showing a mouthful of poorly maintained teeth that weren’t part of the costume. “What can I say? You’ve entranced me. How about you and I get together later tonight? I’ve got a room upstairs and a bed just waiting to be broken in.”

You can break it in alone, you slime ball.

“Sorry, that’s a tempting offer, I’m sure, but I’m busy later.”

“Thought so; I saw you with the Cardassian earlier. What about tomorrow night? The convention lasts three days.”

“Sorry, busy all weekend.”

“Sure you are.” He winked. “If you change your mind, I’m in room nineteen eleven. We’ll have a party—it’s come as you are.” He leaned over. “I’d like to lick every inch of that green paint off you. You can return the favor.” He blew in her ear and she shuddered, the stench of his beer and stale cigarette breath making her want to barf. What a loser.

“If the soap doesn’t work, I’ll keep it in mind.” She breathed a sigh of relief when he took the bookmark she’d been holding, but almost gagged when he turned her hand over and licked her palm.

Gross! She rubbed her hand on the tablecloth.

Pre-order/buy link for JUST FOR THE WEEKEND:

About Susanne Matthews:
Susanne Matthews lives in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She is a retired educator who enjoys writing romance novels and reading them too. In the summer, she gardens and goes camping—in a tent. In the winter, she hibernates in front of her computer or watches her favorite television shows while sipping a glass of red wine.

You can follow Susanne or buy her other books by checking out her website:
Like and follow Susanne at:
Twitter: @jandsmatt
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/SLMauthor?fref=ts


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

[Book Spotlight] Fire Angel by Susanne Matthews


Book Title: Fire Angel
Author: Susanne Matthews
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Released: April 29, 2013

BLURB:
A malicious serial killer is out for revenge, and he doesn’t care how many people have to die before he gets it. Using fire as a weapon, he strikes at random, and the bodies are piling up, leaving the citizens of Paradise wondering who is next.
Betrayed by the one closest to him, criminal profiler Jake McKenzie has returned from Afghanistan minus a leg and afraid to trust his instincts. When the police chief asks for his expertise in identifying the killer, he agrees knowing this is his chance to prove he can still do the job.
INTERVIEW:
Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?
My name is Susanne Matthews. I live in Cornwall, Ontario, a city on the Canada U.S. border. I’ve been married almost 42 years to the same man. I have three adult children and five grandchildren. I love to sit outside on warm summer days and read. I like to go camping in a tent without electricity, really get away from it all, as much as I enjoy staying in five star hotels.  I spent over 30 years as an educator, most of that time as a high school English teacher. I love literature and always dreamed of becoming a writer. When I finally retired in the fall of 2012, I decided to dedicate myself to writing full-time and try to make that dream come true. I’ve succeeded. I have sold three books so far in 2013. The first one, FIRE ANGEL was released April 29, a second one IN PLAIN SIGHT will be released August 12, and the third, the first book in a series called HOLIDAY MAGIC will be released in November.
Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?
As an English teacher, I spent years teaching the writing process—planning your work, making an outline, writing character sketches, graphing the plot, and then when I started writing, I discovered that I don’t do any of those things.  I get an idea and I just start writing. I’ll write a chapter and then I’ll go back and, using a screen reader, I’ll revise the chapter, add to it, and flesh it out. The characters grow from those revisions, and they carry the novel to the next level. Each time I start to write, I go back to the previous chapter and then, after I’ve reread it, made any corrections I feel are necessary, add detail or take some out, I’ll go on to the next chapter. I might go back to the first few chapters half a dozen times until the characters have become the people I want them to be, and I’m satisfied. Some of my friends use visuals to find their characters, but I don’t find that works for me. I create mine with my imagination, and then they take on a life and appearance all their own.

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?
I do extensive research for all of my books and have gotten amazingly quick at finding stuff on line. I doubt I’d ever have been able to do any of these things forty years ago when computers in the home were things you saw on television sci-fi shows. For FIRE ANGEL, I did a lot of research on fire and its properties, and I learned how to make gummy bears dance. I also discovered that gasoline doesn’t explode, so when you see cars exploding on television, unless it’s a race car propelled by something other than gasoline, it’s all Hollywood flash and bang. It does burn though and makes an excellent accelerant. I also explored Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and prosthetics for amputees. For other novels, I’ve learned all about sailing ships in the seventeenth century, how to use a sextant to guide a ship, and that Humpback whales rarely deviate more than a few degrees from their migratory routes. I know how to calculate the speed and distance a sailing ship could travel in a day. I also discovered dueling in France in the 1600 was illegal and anyone involved, even a bystander could be arrested and found guilty. French prisons weren’t nice places, so there were fewer duels fought in Paris than in other towns and countries.  I learned that Martinique is the home of a deadly viper, fer de lance, that isn’t found anywhere else in the world. For IN PLAIN SIGHT, I researched conversion disorder, the new term for psychosomatic illnesses and night terrors. Each book I write has to be researched for accuracy in the locations, climate, even the time of day when it gets dark in winter. HOLIDAY MAGIC was set in Philadelphia and New York, so it was necessary to research local landmarks too. Unless you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi set in another time and place, you’re bound by the laws of nature, life, and society as we know it. If someone living in Philadelphia picks up my book, and I talk about the Swann Fountain, then there has to be a Swann Fountain in the city, so that the reader can say, “Hey, I know that place! I’ve been there.”
What main genre do you write in?
I am and always will be a romance writer. Happily Ever After is essential. There is too much ugliness in the real world, and I want my books to provide a realistic escape. Since I write romantic suspense, there are bad guys and gals in those books, but they always get caught in the end, so the hero and heroine can get on with their lives together. In my contemporary romances, I like to dwell on internal and external conflicts that tear soul mates apart, and I especially like getting them back together. In my historicals, I enjoy having the hero and heroine face down a challenge together, whether it’s man-made or a force of nature, to get to their happy ending.
If you had to choose one person to have dinner with, who would it be? And why?
I think I’d like to sit down with Nora Roberts and pick her brain. She is the writer who probably has inspired me more than any other. She writes romance in many different subgenres, mixes past and present and even does some head hopping here and there. When she writes as J.D. Robb, she uses the same characters in her books, doesn’t incorporate new romance but just works with the one she’s established. I’d love to be able to do that with the characters I created for FIRE ANGEL.

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven't yet?
I’ve always wanted to write a time-travel story that would have my characters relive past lives. I have a few ideas in mind for such a story; it just needs a bit more percolating time before I can actually sit down to write it.

How can readers find out more about you and your books?
They can check out my website http://mhsusannematthews.ca

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 Susanne Matthews grew up as an avid reader of all types of books, but always with a penchant for happily ever after romances. In her imagination, she travelled to foreign lands, past and present, and soared into the future. Today, she has made her dreams come true. A retired educator, she now gets to spend her time writing, so she can share her adventures with her readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.
Susanne lives in Cornwall, Ontario with her husband. She has three adult children and five grandchildren. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, chatting on the Internet with her writer friends, and hearing from her readers. You can learn more about Susanne at www.mhsusannematthews.ca

BUY LINKS CAN BE FOUND ON GOODREADS AT http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17660502-fire-angel 



GIVEAWAY!
Susanne has kindly offered one lucky commentor a free copy of the book. Make sure you leave your email address! Winner will be chosen on May 31.