Meet Susan Vaughn

It's my pleasure to introduce another author, Susan Vaughn.   

Romance Author, Susan Vaughn understood the meaning of sarcasm before she could walk.  Her childhood in the suburbs of Detroit was spent mainly trying to outwit her six creative siblings.  When she wasn’t working on the next soul crushing jab, she sharpened her imagination on romantic literature and day dreamed about her knight in shining armor.

It didn’t take long for this hairdresser by trade to turn her passion for reading romances into writing her own unique love stories.  Susan lives her life finding laughter in all situations, and delights in marrying sarcasm with romance to create realistic falling-in-love stories in the unlikeliest of scenarios.  

Susan lives on the shores of Lake Huron with her real life knight in shining armor and enjoys watching their three children learn the art of sarcasm and wit. 

You can now order her new book "Knockout Love".  

She just might be the woman of his dreams….

Maggie Heugan has her life all planned out, from her engagement to a handsome doctor, to her perfect nursing career. Then why does a chance meeting with a captivating stranger, have her questioning everything she has ever known?

Pro wrestler, Sean Miller is on a fast track to his destiny, until an unexpected injury derails his course. Now he can’t refrain from chasing the enticingly beautiful Nurse Maggie, when she just might hold the key to healing him in more ways than one.

For these two conflicted lovers, life spirals out of control, when Love collides with destiny.

Sounds interesting.  Here's a quick excerpt.

Maggie shielded her eyes, hiccupping loudly. “It’s so bright!”

“The moon is too bright?” Sean laughed, pulling her into his chest to shield her eyes.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a tipsy smile. “It’s not too bright for you?”

“No, I’m Superman.”

“Superman?” Maggie giggled again drunkenly, ending in another hiccup. “Superman would have been able to drink his own drink and not require me to do it for him. It’s your fault I’m this drunk.”

“Is that so?” Sean responded with another smile. “It had nothing to do with the fact you ordered another two drinks on top of that, and had nothing in your stomach.”

She looked up at him again and smiled. “Oops.”

“No kidding, oops.” He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Lucky for you, you’re a pretty cute drunk.”

“Thank you,” she responded, the world spinning around her. For a moment she felt as though she was dreaming. The air felt thick and heavy. Sean’s hands were like magic on her face. His sexy lips inched closer to hers. Then suddenly he was kissing her softly, sending spirals of electricity racing down her spine.

Maggie sighed, standing on her tiptoes, pressing her body closer. She felt his white bandage scratch at her nose.

“Ouch!” Sean jumped back and readjusted the bandage on his face. “Easy, girl.”

And just like that, the spell was broken. Suddenly Maggie realized she had just kissed a man she barely knew, with a broken face, and some parts more broken than others.

“Sorry.” She pressed a hand to her swollen lips—still tingling from Sean’s touch.

“Don’t be sorry.” He made up the distance between them—smiling—his eyes hooded, predatory. “Just take it slow, let my face adjust.”

 

Connect with Susan

www.susanvvaughn.com

Twitter handle: @susanvaughn1124

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.vereeckevaughn

 
 

BUY LINK: Amazon: http://amzn.com/B01AGRSZ3U

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/knockout-love

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1073506852

Good Ol' What's-His-Name

Recently I was leading a discussion with the local writer’s group and the topic was on character names. I’m a firm believer in having distinctive names for the main characters in my stories.  Sometimes I’ll even go so far as to have the name be a subtle hint about how that person may behave.  Names are critical. Good ones can really carry the story. And it’s a great opportunity to make each character distinctive, so the reader can create their own image of them.

That’s always been my style. I’ve always thought it was the best way to do it. Now I’m not so sure.

Last week I read Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher novel “Make Me” which was thoroughly enjoyable. Child knows how to draw you into the story and never let you go until the last page.  It was during this book that I noticed something. Many of the characters, particularly the antagonist and his crew, are never named. Never.

Child used occupations to convey the information.  One guy was the counterman at a diner. Another was a one-eyed motel owner. Another was a hog farmer. He did name two guys who were related, that had an unfortunate run in with Reacher during the story, and then referred to them either as ‘the one kicked in the nuts’ or ‘the one who got his bell rung’. So their real names were unimportant.

Child may have used this technique before, but it was the first time I noticed it. That probably stems from the recent conversation with the group.  So it just goes to show, you need to find the method that works best for you.  Tell the story your own way.

Check out these older posts!

http://marklove024.blogspot.com/2015/07/sharing-stories.html


http://marklove024.blogspot.com/2015/06/authors-warning.html

 

The Return of the Girls!

My girls are back.

Now, don’t take this the wrong way.  These girls are special. And you could say they were never really gone, because they are in fact always with me. But now they’re back and waiting for you.

The girls I’m referring to are Jamie Richmond, my star from the mystery romance series and her best friend, Linda Davis.  Linda makes her first appearance in “Vanishing Act” and her relationship with Jamie is a major factor in the story.

Last September, the publisher who originally had the three books in the series went out of business. That led to some intense scrambling by a number of authors who were now diligently trying to find a new home for their creations.  Not every publisher is interesting in picking up another house’s catalog.  Think of the television series “Longmire” that ran for three years on A & E. When they cancelled it, Netflix swooped in and kept it running. But how many other networks passed on it? It’s the same idea with publishers.

So imagine my delight when Inkspell Publishing came to Jamie’s rescue. Each book went through a very thorough editing process, which led to some revisions.  When I looked at their comments and suggestions, I could see a definite improvement to the individual stories. 

“Devious” and “Vanishing Act” are now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the usual suspects.  “Fleeing Beauty” the third book can be pre-ordered on Amazon.  This one even has a brand new cover that really snapped my eyes open when I saw it.

 Special thanks to Viari Rose for her talent at bringing my vision of Jamie to life. 

So the girls are back.  And they are ready to meet you.

http://www.amazon.com/Fleeing-Beauty-Jamie-Richmond-Mystery-ebook/dp/B019WPCIBM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452442602&sr=8-1&keywords=Fleeing+Beauty 

http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Act-Jamie-Richmond-Mystery/dp/1939590671/ref=la_B009P7HVZQ_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452442674&sr=1-4 

Visiting with M S Spencer

This past weekend I was part of a group of authors who gathered at the local library to meet readers and talk about our various books. I've always found such excursions to be entertaining and a great chance to shoot the breeze with other creative people.  A couple of them wrote children's stories, a few wrote poetry and several of us focused on fiction. I hit it off with a guy who has been inspired by the efforts of Stephen King (me too!) and a geology professor who penned a thriller.  We traded stories of our struggles with writing, editing and promotion.  We shared experiences about promotion. But through it all, one thing came to mind. We're not competitors. We're comrades.

Writers often support each other.  There is some kind of bond that occurs between people who take up this mostly solitary challenge of trying to write a story, to entertain or to educate. Whatever it may be, it brings us together.

Today is a perfect example of that. My good friend M.S. Spencer has offered to host me on her blog to talk about the re-release of the new and improved "Devious" the first book in the Jamie Richmond series.  She even persuaded me to offer up a free e-book copy to a lucky winner.  So use the link below to swing by her site and see what's new.


http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com/2015/12/devious-by-nature-my-guests-mark-love.html

Inconceivable!

About once a day I check in on Facebook and see what my various contacts are up to. I'm not one to post a lot, not sharing what I had for dinner or where I'm headed. But every once in a while, something will catch my eye that triggers a response.  Yesterday was one of those days.

A friend posted a blurb and a photo from "The Princess Bride" a great movie that immediate brings to mind such lines as "He's only mostly dead!" and "Hallo, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die!"



 

But the line that always sticks is from the character Vizzini. 






Inconceivable!

Yesterday it was my turn to use it.

I was holding a copy the soon to be released "Devious" in my hands.  Now I can't say it's the same for every author, but there is something surreal when you're standing there, holding a novel that you created.  These are characters from my imagination. It was me who brought them forward, who put them into jeopardy and figured a way to get them out. It was me who told the story, with all the little twists and turns that will hopefully hold your interest and make you anxious to see what comes next.  To stand there with that finished product in my hands is confirmation of a dream, of a long time goal. So in some respects, to have that happen is indeed inconceivable.

Which just encourages me to keep at it. There's another story percolating in the gray matter, just waiting for its turn to be let loose on the page.  I just need a little time and patience to coax it to life. And if for some reason, I slow down, I'll just pick up this copy from its place of honor on the shelf for a little reassurance.

If you'd like to check it out, here's a link.  "Devious" will be released on December 7th.  To miss it would be...inconceivable!

http://www.amazon.com/Devious-Jamie-Richmond-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B017Y9XMHC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Gotta Have Music

During a meeting with the writer's workshop recently, someone mentioned the only way they can write is in a quiet room. No distractions, nothing to break their concentration. They assumed that everyone was the same way. Several around the table nodded in agreement. All eyes came to me. I could only shake my head and laugh.

"No way," I said with a grin. "There must be music. I can't work in silence. It drives me crazy." 

I went on to explain that certain music can set the mood and have an impact on what I'm writing. If I'm working on narration, setting the stage with a lot of background information, it's very possible that I'll have some instrumental music in the background. If there's dialogue at play, particularly if it's between a man and a woman and there is some sexual tension, I may dial up something like Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall or some old Motown classics, with the sultry undertones that help carry the message.  If it's fast paced, like a chase scene, a shootout or the final confrontation, it can be rock and roll. We're talking anything from Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen to ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more. Thank goodness for Pandora, where you can spin the dial with a click of the mouse and set the mood accordingly.

But variety is a part of life. Lately I've been doing a lot of editing, rereading manuscripts, getting them ready for publication.  I've landed a new contract with Inkspell Publishing for the Jamie Richmond mysteries.  In December,  "Devious" the first book in the series will be released.  I'm ready for my favorite redhead to return to the scene.   Meanwhile, in editing mode, I've been listening to a lot of the Gipsy Kings and great guitar work of Jesse Cook. 

So if you're looking for a change of pace check these guys out.

You can preorder "Devious" on Amazon now.
http://www.amazon.com/Devious-Jamie-Richmond-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B017Y9XMHC/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

By the way, I don't normally watch the numerous talent shows on the air. But when looking for a clip recently that could be used as an example for the business class I teach, I stumbled upon this one.  It gave me chills and I haven't been able to get it out of my system yet.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNfevm-_Q_0