NEW RELEASE!

I can hardly believe the summer is over and September has arrived. It's been a busy time for me with a lot of traveling between May and the end of August. But I'm home now, just in time to promote my upcoming book release - Love's Faithful Promise.
 
This is Deirdre O'Leary's story and it is dear to my heart because the hero is Canadian!! I hope you'll get the chance to read this lovely romance filled with many types of healing, both physical, emotional and spiritual!! Though I was sad to leave the O'Learys behind, I know I can always visit them again whenever I wish!
Cheers,
Susan

Two News Items

Well, it's been a while. My only excuse is how busy I've been as a published author.
Thank you to everyone who has read "Irish Meadows" and left reviews or comments for me. I love hearing how my stories touch people. The fact that my books appeal to all ages is the greatest compliment I can receive. My 13-year-old niece told me over the holidays that I'm "her favorite author"! High praise indeed!

 And now Book 2 in the Courage to Dream Series, A Worthy Heart, is ready to release. The paperback comes out on January 5th! I hope you all will fall in love with Adam O'Leary as I did.



In other news, I recently signed a contract with White Rose Publishing of the Pelican Book Group to publish the third book in my Rainbow Falls contemporary series. Redeemed Hearts will release in the Fall of 2016! I was thrilled when they decided to update the covers of all three books to give a more cohesive look! I hope you like them too!

I wish you all the best for 2016! May your dreams come true!
Cheers, Susan

Irish Meadows release day is coming!

I can't believe the day is almost here for the release of my first historical romance with Bethany House! It is exciting and - I'll admit - a little scary.

Although I've had three other books published, this is the first time I've had a whole PR team behind the book, and it's a little overwhelming. But I'm willing to do as much as I can to promote this 'book of my heart'!

There is something special about this story and I don't even know how to describe it. Many authors say they can't choose a favorite book, that they are all special, and to some extent I understand that.
However I can't deny that "Irish Meadows" is extremely special to me! It's like I've lived the story with my characters, felt every thrill, every tear, every disappointment, and every leap of faith. I only hope my readers will feel the same way when they read it and come to love the O'Leary family as much as I do!

So until July, happy reading!

A Vacation gone wrong! With an unexpected outcome!

 Did you ever go on vacation and have it go horribly wrong? This happened to me quite a few years ago. When the kids were young, we used to rent a cottage for our summer holiday at Wasaga Beach, a popular touristy town on Georgian Bay. This particular year, hubby's friend offered us the use of his cottage for free. It was quite a distance away, in what we Ontarians call Muskoka country. But hey, free is free.

The drive there should have been a warning. It gave the term "off the beaten track" a whole new meaning! Although the cottage itself was nice, albeit rustic, the satellite TV didn't work in the summer because too much foliage blocked the reception. And while the water looked nice from the porch, it wasn't exactly user friendly, ie. non-swimable. There was a canoe and hubby paddled the kids (note: not the wife) over to a nearby island. I got a hysterical report back from my daughter about the amount of bugs that attacked her and how there was (gasp) an outhouse on the island that she had to use.
Needless to say, after reading every book available, I was ready to pull my hair out. Never had a week seemed SO long. Finally one day we took a drive into the nearest town. We attended an art display by a local artist and drove down to the water where we found a lovely resort called Windermere House. I was entranced by this beautiful setting, and in fact, we had lunch at the resort's pub-style restaurant. I wanted to stay there for the rest of the week, but reluctantly had to return to the cottage.

What I did gain, however, from this 'vacation-gone-wrong' was the basis of a novel, set in a beautiful resort called "Wyndermere House". This book went on to final in the Golden Heart contest - and to my great joy is now hitting the bookstores under its new title "Healing the Widower's Heart".

I hope you get the chance to read this charming story of Paige McFarlane and her attempt to help widower, Nathan Porter and his son, Zach. I know you'll love these characters as much as I did!

(Available now at bookstores near you and on-line at Harlequin.com!)

The moral of the story: You never know what good thing can come out of a vacation gone wrong!

About Healing the Widower's Heart:

When widower Nathan Porter brings his grieving son, Zach, to Wyndermere House, he is desperate for a lifeline. Nathan hopes the change of scenery to the woods of upstate New York will help mend his son’s heart. But the counselor assigned to his son’s care seems too young—and too pretty—to be qualified. Paige McFarlane has learned what loving someone—and losing them—costs. But soon her efforts with Zach reveal that to help the son she must also help the dad. As Nathan and Paige work together to mend the boy’s broken spirit, they realize the walls around their own hearts could be crumbling, as well. 

My Book News...

What a whirlwind it has been since December when "Wayward Hearts" released!
One thing I've learned is that December is not the best month for a book release. With all the Christmas preparations and being extra busy at work (as a church secretary, the season is very busy!), there's not a lot of time to devote to promoting one's new book! So I fear Maxi and Jason's story did not get the attention it deserved. 


Right on the heels of  New Year's, I found my Love Inspired romance, "Healing the Widower's Heart" already in our local bookstore! It was not supposed to come out until February. I guess some stores get their inventory earlier than others, as Wal-Mart and Target did not have the February books out yet. 
Most thrilling of all was the 4 1/2 star review I received from RT Book Review Magazine! This magazine contains nothing but book reviews-on all types of fiction, not just romance-and 4 1/2 stars is pretty much the highest rating they give out!! Very excited about this!

So I hope if readers like "Healing the Widower's Heart", they'll go and try "Betrayed Hearts" and "Wayward Hearts", too! Please visit my new and improved website for more info on each book (www.susanannemason.com) 

Now off to continue my edits on book 2 of my historical series, tentatively called "A Worthy Heritage"!
Stay warm and Happy reading!

COVER FOR IRISH MEADOWS & A NEW RELEASE

I have two items to share today (once again I'm dreadfully behind times on this blog, so please bear with me)!

First of all, my historical romance "Irish Meadows" now has a beautiful cover and a revised release date. Instead of releasing in August, the marketing team at Bethany House has bumped it to early July 2015! A good summer read! Here is the lovely cover, featuring Miss Brianna O'Leary.

And secondly, my next contemporary romance, "Wayward Hearts" released this past Friday, Dec. 5th with White Rose Publishing (Pelican Book Group), Amazon, Christian Books, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers! I hope you'll check out Maxi North's story-full of angst and romance with firefighter Jason Hanley!

Dream Come True!

Well, I haven't posted much lately, but I have to record this for posterity! Today I received my first published book in my hands. What a thrilling moment! An experience that will stay with me for a long time!

One of my first inspirational stories, formerly called Threads of a Tapestry, this book was contracted by White Rose Publishing and is being published as Betrayed Hearts - release day this Friday, August 8th! 

Today I received my copies in the mail! To actually hold the book in my hand is beyond description!

And it's just the beginning....

Book Review for an Amazing Story

I am not a crier.

In fact, I rarely cry — which is strange since most of my female friends cry at the drop of a hat.  Some movies have brought me to tears, but they are few and far between. 

So to tell you that Katie Ganshert’s newest release “A Broken Kind of Beautiful” made me cry should tell you a lot about the skill of this particular author. I’m not talking about my eyes simply welling up — I’m talking about tears dripping down my face. 

Ivy Clark is an unusual heroine in that she is not immediately likeable. An ultra-beautiful, high fashion model is not an easy character to relate to — especially since I’ve always been short, plain and on the plump side. But Katie gives the reader glimpses into the private pain eating away at Ivy’s soul — all stemming from the fact that she has never felt loved. She is unlovable. Her only worth, in both her eyes and in the eyes of the fashion industry, is her outer beauty. How Katie takes this ‘broken kind of beautiful’ and transforms Ivy into a child of God is, to put it mildly, a work of art. And strangely enough, it is not the love of the hero, Davis Knight, that changes her and brings her back to God. In the scene that moved me to tears, Ivy finds a love she has overlooked her whole life. I’ll leave it up to you to read the book and find out how the author accomplishes this!

“A Broken Kind of Beautiful” is an amazing story of two broken souls finding their way through the pain to redemption. Masterfully written! Go get your copy now!

 

More Good News!

Wow! A full month of 2014 has already flown by. It's been one heck of a winter with the ice storms, the extreme cold temperatures, and too much snow. Top that with my son's migraines flaring up again, forcing me to become a go between for the school, doctor and teachers, and it has been interesting.


So I really needed some good news! Wait for it.... I got FIRST PLACE in a writing contest "Fiction from the Heartland" and the editor from a major publisher, Bethany House, requested to see my full manuscript! Happy dancing all over the snow banks! :)

This will have to tide me over until spring!!

Thanks for everyone's good wishes on Facebook. Here's a glimpse of hope for spring!

A Year in Review - Last but not Least!

[Note: Top 10 reads broken down into 5 posts. Please scroll down after this one!]

One lovely surprise came from a free Kindle download. I never expected to fall in love with the characters and the setting of this debut novel!



Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano was a delicious surprise. I downloaded this for free on Kindle and, after reading several glowing reports, I dove in. And didn’t surface again for many hours. The breathtaking scenery, the glorious characters, the beautiful romance all drew me into a world I didn’t want to leave. I look forward to more books from this author!

A Year in Review - Part 4

Two ebooks by Ruth Logan Herne well worth reading! Try, Try Again and Running on Empty go beyond Ruth’s sweet Love Inspired novels. The writing is gripping, the stories heart-wrenchingly beautiful. In Try, Try Again, Conor & Alicia Bradstreet’s marriage fell apart 10 years ago over the death of their son. Now Conor decides to win his ex-wife’s forgiveness and woo her all over again. Running on Empty deals with a woman’s coming to terms with sexual abuse as a teen. Powerful emotion and wonderful characters!

Catch a Falling Star by Beth Vogt. At 36, single doctor Kendall thinks love has passed her by. Griffin has become a guardian to his much younger adopted brother after his parents’ deaths, but his shut down heart can’t handle the job. When his brother needs medical attention, Kendall and Griffin’s world collide. Wonderful story!

Hope you'll get a chance to read some of these incredible books! 

 Happy reading in 2014!