DO OR DIE Countdown: Day eleven

Welcome to the countdown page for January 16th!

Just twenty days left until the February 4th release of DO OR DIE!

First: we had a chat last night on Day Ten’s blog page, with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators, Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank.  (Check it out — lotta good questions asked and fun answers given, down on the comments section of yesterday blog!)  Also — everyone who posted was entered into a drawing for a coupla cool prizes.  The winner of the ARC of DO OR DIE was Michelle Peterson, and Kim won the audio download of DO OR DIE, generously given by Blackstone Audio and Downpour.com.  I’ve contacted both winners via email! (So check your email Michelle and Kim!)

Today’s countdown feature is a link to an interview piece I did with fellow Random House author Tina Wainscott! Tina’s got a book called WILD ON YOU with a SEAL hero, coming out from Loveswept, and the publicity gang at Random House got the two of us together for a playdate of sorts! 🙂

It was fun talking to Tina! She asked me questions, I asked her questions. My favorite of hers: “If you had to choose one word to describe the appeal of military heroes for you personally, what would it be?”

Find out my answer at the Happy Ever After blog at The USA Today, “A conversation between Suzanne Brockmann and Tina Wainscott,” at http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/01/14/suzanne-brockmann-tina-wainscott-navy-seals/4484369/

P.S. Happy Oscar Announcement Day!

P.P.S.  Be sure to come back tomorrow!  The countdown page will feature the truly awesome cover art for my upcoming Young Adult novel, NIGHT SKY, plus the first blurb about this fun book that I co-wrote with my daughter Melanie!  (Author photos, too!)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T20:58:42+00:00January 16th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|Comments Off on DO OR DIE Countdown: Day eleven

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day ten

Join me here, in the comments section of this blog, tonight, January 15th, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET, as we chat with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank!

(AND! Another chance to win an ARC of DO OR DIE, plus a chance to win a download of the DO OR DIE audiobook! Details about that below!)

TS 1 TUH reissue 2013BREAKING NEWS: Blackstone Audio is going to be re-recording and reissuing the first four books in the Troubleshooters series, starting with THE UNSUNG HERO, using the dual narrator format with Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank as narrators! They tentatively expect to release THE UNSUNG HERO sometime this summer, followed closely by THE DEFIANT HERO, OVER THE EDGE and OUT OF CONTROL! I’ll keep you posted regarding the exact dates! Yay!

Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank have been reading my books for quite a few years, starting with FLASHPOINT, which was the first Troubleshooters book that was read using the dual narrator format.

For those of you who haven’t yet listened to any of my books on audio (and, oh! You should!), they are narrated or read by two people — one male (Patrick) and one female (usually Melanie).

See, I write my books using only one character’s deep point of view per scene. In other words, for example, the prologue for DO OR DIE is from Ian Dunn’s — the hero’s — point of view, and only from Ian’s point of view. That entire scene is written in his voice, with his words. We see the world through his eyes. So it makes sense for Patrick to read that scene, right?

But DO OR DIE’s chapter one, scene one, is from the heroine, Phoebe Kruger’s point of view. Again, we see the world through her eyes and only her eyes. So who reads that scene? Melanie.

The entire book is broken down that way, written in the points of view of a handful of male and female characters, in addition to Ian and Phoebe. So, Patrick reads all of the male characters scenes, while Melanie reads all of those from the point of view of the women. See how that works?

It’s incredibly listenable — is that a word? But it really is a fun format!

And I love the forethought and preparation that both Patrick and Melanie bring to each project. Before each recording, we talk about the book, about the characters — Patrick and Melanie approach the story from an actor’s viewpoint, which I truly appreciate. They’re brilliant. They’re equally at home with comedy and drama. I love them rather madly, and was thrilled to be able to keep working with them at Blackstone, my new audiobook publisher.

Here’s some fun trivia. One of my most popular characters in the Troubleshooters series is Navy SEAL named Izzy Zanella. I created Izzy specifically for Patrick to read. Writing Izzy’s books — he’s been in a number of them, and he’s incredibly irreverent — it was a lot of fun. I could hear Patrick’s voice in my head the entire time I was writing. It was very inspiring! When Patrick reads my books, he “gets” the cadence and the rhythm of the sentences exactly.

So okay. Come by this blog page tonight, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET, and post your questions and comments for Patrick and Melanie. (I’ll be here, too!)

Feel free to post questions and comments in advance, but because this is a real-time chat, Patrick and Melanie will start by answering those questions that are posted at 9:00 p.m. ET, and will get to the earlier-posted questions if there is time.

Contest Details: As usual, everyone who posts on this page starting . . . NOW and ending tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET, is automatically entered into a drawing where one lucky reader/listener will win an ARC (advance copy) of DO OR DIE, and another lucky reader/listener will win a download of the DO OR DIE audiobook, via Downpour.com, courtesy of the lovely folks at Blackstone Audio! (Fine print: The DO OR DIE audio download won’t be available until the book’s 2/4/14 release date.)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T20:59:17+00:00January 15th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|173 Comments

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day nine

Today’s countdown page features another *starred* review for DO OR DIE, this time from the esteemed Booklist.

The Booklist reviewer says:

“In the first book in a new series, best-selling Brockmann (Born to Darkness, 2012) introduces former Navy SEAL Ian Dunn, who is in jail for a crime he did not commit, but to which he pleaded guilty to protect his younger brother and his family, unbeknownst to them. Ian is offered his freedom if he will snatch two children from the Kazbekistani consulate in Miami. They are the offspring of an American nuclear physicist and her estranged and vicious Kazbekistani husband. Ian refuses because he fears that his release will trigger an attack by the Dellarosa mob, but he’s sent on the mission anyway. Sure enough, he has to fend off the mob and bear his brother’s undeserved scorn. In the midst of a wild plot and an even more convoluted family scenario, Ian falls for Phoebe Kruger, the lawyer almost accidentally representing him. Brockmann leaves the reader breathless, and longing for sequels. The sex is great, the action nonstop; and the dialogue between Ian and Phoebe is some of Rita Award-winning Brockmann’s best. Her fans will cheer, as will all military-romance fans.”

Thanks, Booklist!

As for the “longing for sequels” comment — I’m working on the sequel right now! It’s called ALL OR NOTHING, and it features Martell Griffin (one of DO OR DIE’s major secondary characters) as the hero!

Read more about Martell Griffin here: https://suzannebrockmann.com/die-countdown-day-five/

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And hey, a reminder! Tomorrow’s countdown features a chat, right here in my blog’s comments section, with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank! (That’s January 15, 2014, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET!) Come join the conversation and get another opportunity to win BOTH an ARC of DO OR DIE and (and!) a CD audiobook of FLASHPOINT, which is the first book Patrick and Melanie narrated for me! (More info on our illustrious history in the lead up to tomorrow night’s chat! See you there!)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:00:03+00:00January 14th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|1 Comment

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day eight

Happy Monday and welcome back to my countdown to the February 4th release (in hardcover, ebook and audio) of DO OR DIE!

Today we have another winner of an ARC of DO OR DIE, Shari David! Congrats, Shari, and thanks for posting on my website blog!

Today’s Countdown is about a different kind of virtual signing.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I’ve been hammering you for weeks now with the DoD VS. (And thank you to all who’ve ordered a signed copy of the gimundous hardcover! I’m posting pix — this is the longest book I’ve ever written!)

TS 18 HfT 300 dpi

Yes, that might be Navy SEAL Dan Gillman on the cover. Or perhaps it’s Jay Lopez…

But, see, I didn’t do a virtual signing last year, when HEADED FOR TROUBLE was released. HFT is the anthology of Troubleshooters stories and novellas, and it came out in paperback, back in the Spring. (Remember Spring? Ah, Spring…)

I was deep in revisions for DO OR DIE at the time, and I wasn’t able to handle the logistics for a virtual signing of HEADED FOR TROUBLE.

But if you still want a signed copy of this book, to make your signed collection complete, now’s your chance.

I’m heading up to Massachusetts for part of my DoD book tour, and I’m going to be visiting Merry Cutler, my favorite indie bookseller, at her store, Annie’s Book Stop, in Sharon, MA. (Merry and I go waaaay back. I remember doing signings at her lovely new/used bookstore when the Tall, Dark & Dangerous series first came out. FYI, Merry was named Romantic Times Magazine’s Bookseller of the Year, 2008 — well deserved recognition!)

Merry has let me know that she’s willing to take orders for signed copies of HEADED FOR TROUBLE (or any other signed copies of my backlist titles that are available in paperback), and ship ‘em to you. Merry might also have some paperback originals of my early category romances (hard to find with their original covers!) on hand for those of you who are collectors — drop her an email or give her a call to see exactly what she’s got!

Merry’s very organized, so you can order any or all of your books personalized or signature only, or even a mix. (Signed books make great gifts, and I’m always happy to write a Happy Birthday message!) And, Merry’s shipping and handling rates are really affordable for paperback books. She tells me that, via media mail, in addition to the cover price and tax on the book, she can send one paperback for $3.99 S&H, with 75 cents for each additional title shipped to the same address.

If you’re interested in getting a signed copy of HEADED FOR TROUBLE (or any other book besides DO OR DIE!), contact Merry Cutler by phone (781-784-4306) or fax (781-784-7075) or email, at [email protected]

Merry says, “I’ll take checks, money orders, charges by phone or fax.”

And if you live in Southern New England and want to get your book(s) signed in person, just drop by Merry’s store, Annie Book Stop, 362 South Main St., Sharon, MA 02067, on February 18th. (I’ll be there for much of the late afternoon and early evening, signing books and schmoozing with Merry!)  (Deets on my appearances page!)

P.S. If you do want a signed copy of HEADED FOR TROUBLE, contact Merry sooner rather than later — even just drop her an email so she’ll know to order enough copies of the book! Thank you!

Here’s the link to the Headed for Trouble page:
https://suzannebrockmann.com/books/troubleshooters/headed-for-trouble/

Join me tomorrow for Countdown Day Nine!

And a reminder!  On Wednesday, January 15th, I’m hosting a chat, right here on my blog page, with the amazing audiobook narrators of DO OR DIE:  Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank.  They’ll be here to answer your questions from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m ET.  So pop in with your questions, or just drop by to give them a little love!

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:00:55+00:00January 13th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|Comments Off on DO OR DIE Countdown: Day eight

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day seven

The winner of the ARC of DO OR DIE from last night’s chat is . . .

Cathy Hudson!  Cathy, email me (as soon as possible!) at [email protected] with your snail mail address — and let me know if you want the ARC personalized to you or just simply signed!

Thanks to all who came onto this blog to chat last night!  The chat is archived here! (And remember, we’ll be chatting next week, too, on Wednesday, January 15th, from 9 to 10 p.m. ET with DO OR DIE audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank, and me!)

On to the Countdown!

Today’s countdown feature is a recommended read — and another ARC giveaway — I recently realized that I’ve got a few extras, deets at the bottom of the post!

The book is HUNTED, by debut author Elizabeth Heiter.

HUNTED is a well-written, heart-pounding, serial-killer-thriller that I absolutely loved! (But more about the book in a moment. First a little history.)

Elizabeth Heiter crossed my radar back in August, 2010, when I held a contest for writers. I was giving away a chance to attend the COWF Writers Conference in Columbus, Ohio, to be held in October of that same year. See, I was set to be the conference’s keynote speaker, and I usually request, in the place of a speaking fee or honorarium, to be given a fully paid conference fee that I can then give to a deserving writer. Part of the prize was a chance to sit down and talk to me, during the weekend of the conference.

Well, I happen to love haiku. It was, I believe, the twitter of its time. Concise and yet poetic, it has a pattern of five syllables, then seven, then five. So I asked writers to tell me, in haiku verse, exactly why they wanted to win and attend that conference. I received quite a few entries, and many were really good. But Elizabeth’s caught my eye.

Here, from August 2010, is Elizabeth Heiter’s winning haiku:

Been peeking in doors
Need some sturdier boots now
Want to kick them down

I loved everything about that haiku — the imagery, the determination, and the passion. This was, I believed, a writer who was going to go far.

Elizabeth continued to impressed me when we met during the conference, and we’ve stayed in touch. I wasn’t surprised when she emailed to tell me that she’d sold her first book, a thriller, to Harlequin’s Mira line. Since then, she’s sold four more novels, a sequel to Hunted called Vanished, to be published by Mira; and a trilogy of romances called “The Lawman” series, to be published by Harlequin Intrigue, all in 2015.

(Door — kicked open wide!)

Hunted, out now from Mira (and available in paperback, e-book, and audio) is the story of a courageous and intelligent young female FBI profiler, who catches the attention of a serial killer called the Bakersville Burier. (Yes, he’s as wonderfully creepy as he sounds!)

Hunted is a fast-paced, exciting page-turner, with a memorable cast of characters, that’ll make you check that your windows and doors are locked at night!

I highly recommend this book, which is available now from Mira!

Here’s the cover blurb, and a whole, long, glowing list of recommendations!

Congrats, Elizabeth!

Find out more about Elizabeth at her website, www.elizabethheiter.com
Find Elizabeth on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elizabeth.heiter.author
Follow her on Twitter @ElizabethHeiter

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Win an ARC of DO OR DIE

Post a comment or question below (even a simple “Way to go, Elizabeth!”) and be automatically entered to win an ARC of DO OR DIE.  Open to all readers who live on planet earth!  Winner will be announced at the top of Monday’s countdown page, and must contact me via email within 24 hours with a snailmail address so I can send the book!

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:01:40+00:00January 10th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|23 Comments

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day six

Today’s Countdown to the February 4th release of DO OR DIE is a chat, right here on this blog page, in the comments section below!

I’ll be here to answer questions and say hi from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET.

Everyone who posts a comment (today, Jan. 9th, between now and 9:30 p.m. ET)  is automatically entered to win a signed ARC (advance copy) of DO OR DIE!  (So do pop in, even if just to say hi!)

Now, this website is new, and I’ve never done a chat here before, so we’ll be feeling our way as we go.  But I think it’ll be pretty simple.  You leave a question or comment in the comment section, and I reply!  (If you have more to say, you then reply to my reply!  Yay!) (And the coolest part is that our conversations will be archived.  In the past, I’ve done similar chats on Facebook, but they scroll away into the mists of time!)

Here are instructions for the technologically challenged:

Start by going to the blog page for DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Six.

(And yes, some of you who are reading this are already here!  Good job!)

Scroll down to the comments section (or click on the link to “Comments” at the top of the page.)

If there are a lot of questions already posted, quickly scan through to see if your question has been asked.  If it has, feel free to hit reply to that question and add your thoughts and comments.  If not, post your question as a new comment!

(Just fill in the required info: your name, and your email address.  Your website is optional.  But DO click the button that says “Confirm that you are not a spammer,” or else your post will get pulled into my spam folder and not appear on the page!)

Feel free to post your question (or comment — you’re welcome to just say hi, or let me know which books resonated with you, etc!) throughout the day today if you can’t attend the chat during tonight’s timeframe.  But when I sign in to the site at 8:00 pm. (ET), I’m gonna start by answering any questions posted live first.  (Because that’s what makes a live chat most fun — the ability to interact in real time!)  I’ll get to as many of the previously posted questions as I can!  And everyone who posts is eligible to win the ARC.

But here’s the deal (AKA fine print) about winning the ARC.  I will notify the winner on tomorrow’s Countdown page, and that winner must then email me with snailmail info within 24 hours, so I can sign and sent the prize.  THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO ALL READERS WHO LIVE ON PLANET EARTH.  (Sorry Omicron Beti Fivers.)

Okay, that’s it!  See you tonight!

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:02:36+00:00January 9th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|172 Comments

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day five

Welcome back to the Countdown to the February 4th release of DO OR DIE, the first book in my new “Reluctant Heroes” romantic suspense series (and Troubleshooters spin-off) — available in hardcover and e-book from Ballantine Books and in audio from Blackstone Audio!

Reminder:  Tomorrow’s Countdown feature is a chat, right here on my blog (down in the comments section)! That’s Thursday, January 9, 2014,  from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m., ET.  This will be my very first chat on my website blog, so bring plenty of patience, and perhaps a nice Pinot Noir. 🙂

Force Of NatureToday’s countdown is a blast-from-the-past excerpt, from Martell Griffin’s point of view, from FORCE OF NATURE.

Martell is one of the cross-over characters from the Troubleshooters series.  He plays a major secondary character role in DO OR DIE, and is a point-of-view character in that book, too.

This scene is from Chapter Twelve, when Martell, a former Sarasota Police Detective turned lawyer, picks up Annie at police HQ, after their mutual friend Ric, a former police detective turned priviate-eye, has a run-in with another detective on the force.

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From FORCE OF NATURE, Chapter Twelve:

Annie looked hot, in that I’ve just survived a plane crash and an attack from a tribe of zombies bedraggled evening-gown kind of way, killer shoes dangling from one finger, as one of the newbies to the police department brought her out from the women’s holding cell.

“Where’s Ric?” Annie asked Martell.

First things first. “Sign this,” he told her, finishing up the paperwork and holding out a pen for her.

She balked. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not going to sign anything that–”

“This just gets you home,” he explained. “We’ll handle right and wrong tomorrow.”

She read through the papers quickly – apparently she had trust issues – but she finally signed her name. “So is Ric in a lot of trouble?”

“Some.” Martell pocketed the pen and pushed the papers toward the officer. “But you pretty much stopped him before the little t became a capital one. Plus he’s still got plenty of friends here. And it’s not like he’s ever gotten this drunk before, which is also a point in his favor.”

Annie had been following him toward the door, but now she stopped short. “Drunk? He wasn’t drunk.”

“Yeah, he was.” He took her arm, trying to pull her outside, but she planted herself. “He smells like a distillery, which is why I won’t be able to get him out until the morning. He’s an overnight guest in the city drunk tank.”

“I was with him all night,” Annie insisted. “He ordered a beer at the Bistro, but he didn’t drink any of it.”

“That you saw.”

She was clearly going to argue this one until her face turned blue. She opened her mouth, so Martell spoke over her.

“I’m doing my boy a favor here.” He let a whole lot of whine into his tone. “Again. I got court in the morning, early, and you’re standing here quarreling with me about scientific evidence? Shut your piehole, beeyotch, and get your badonkadonk into my car.”

His name-calling obviously stunned her. She’d been wading hip-deep up shit’s creek for quite a few days now on too few hours of sleep, but enough of her brain was working for her to realize that beeyotch was not the most important part of the message he’d just delivered.

She snapped her mouth closed and went out the door.

She managed to stay silent until they got into his car, until he ran Ricky’s bug sweeper over them both.

It was part of their new daily regimen. Every time they left the house or office, every time someone new came over, and especially every time they came into contact with Burns or one of his friends, including those here at the local police, they were going to check and recheck to make sure they weren’t being listened in on.

They were both clear, so Martell said, “Sorry about that. I had to get you to zip it. Beeyotch.”

“Badonkadonk was nice, too.” Annie laughed, but her amusement didn’t last. “Ric wasn’t drunk.”

“I believe you.” He just hadn’t wanted her shouting that news flash in the police station. “But he definitely wanted someone to think he was.”

She stared at him. “You’re telling me he purposely—”

“When Ric texted me,” Martell reported. “Must’ve been while you were still over at the hospital. He told me two things. I need you to stay with Annie tonight, so clearly he anticipated not making it home.”

She thought about that as he started the car. “What was the second thing?” she asked.

“Took me a while to figure that one out.” Martell laughed as he pulled out of the police-station parking lot. “You’ll probably get it right away – WWGBJD, with a question mark at the end.”

Annie looked at him, her pretty face angelic in the dashboard light. “What would… Gordie Burns Junior do?”

Martell nodded. “That’s what I got, too.” He had no idea what Ric was up to, but it was clear he was up to something.

Of course maybe he just couldn’t bear the temptation of sleeping down the hall from sweet Annie Dugan, so he’d gone and gotten himself locked up.

With Ric, you never knew.

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:04:02+00:00January 8th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|3 Comments

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Four

TPW Writer-producers Jason T. Gaffney (also actor) and Ed Gaffney photo by Suzanne Brockmann familyToday’s Countdown post is about an Event!

My husband, Ed Gaffney, is speaking tonight at the Sarasota Fiction Writers’ monthly meeting, and I’m inviting you all to come!  (Well, okay, those of you who live on the west coast of Florida, within driving range of Sarasota.)

Here are the deets about the event, from Ed’s Facebook post:

I’ll be speaking tonight at this month’s meeting of the Sarasota Fiction Writers at Selby Library, 1331 1st Street, Sarasota. The meeting starts at 6pm and runs to 7:30pm (ET). I’ll be talking about making the transition from writing novels to writing screenplays and television scripts. It’s open to the public, there will be a raffle, and I’ll be bringing fleece blankets and thinking about how happy I am that I’m not in North Dakota.

Suz & Ed 8M1K5816I’ll be in the audience, so come and sit next to me!

I’ll also take pictures with my phone and — if I’m inspired, I might even live-tweet the event!  Follow me on twitter @SuzBrockmann

And don’t forget, this Thursday evening, January 9th, I’ll be hosting a chat, right here on the comments section of this, my blog page!  (For those of you who can’t make tonight’s trip to Sarasota!)

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2014-01-07T15:51:46+00:00January 7th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|3 Comments

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Three

Suz BrockmannToday’s Countdown!  An issue of News from Suz!

News from Suz: January 6, 2014
www.SuzanneBrockmann.com
www.facebook.com/SuzanneBrockmannBooks
www.twitter.com/SuzBrockmann
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Happy New Year!

Headlines:

  1. I’m counting down to DO OR DIE, my next romantic suspense’s February 4th release!
  2. *Starred* reviews for DO OR DIE!
  3. Virtual Signing reminder (and Richmond, VA added to my in-person book tour!)
  4. Countdown special feature: Chat with me (Suz) on January 9th
  5. Countdown special feature: Chat with audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank (and me!) on January 15th
  6. THE UNSUNG HERO is currently on sale for 99 cents in all US e-book formats!

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Deets:

1) The Countdown to the February 4th release of my next book, DO OR DIE, has started! In fact, it’s already Countdown Day Three!

If you are a new reader/follower/Facebook friend and you’re muttering “What’s a Countdown? Day wha…?” or even “Wait, what? DO OR DIE? You have a new book coming out…?” Hang on, I’ll answer your questions in a moment.

If you’re a longtime reader/follower/friend and you’re muttering, “It’s already Day Three, and you’ve neglected to tell us…!?” Feel free to immediately pop over to my website blog page (where I’ll be posting the mostly-daily countdown at https://suzannebrockmann.com/blog/) or to my Facebook reader page (where I’ll cross-post the countdown for FB users convenience, at http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneBrockmannBooks).

But back to that earlier mutter question: “Wait, what, you have a new book coming out…?”

Yes!

DO OR DIE is the first book in my new “Reluctant Heroes” series of romantic suspense novels. It’s a spin-off of the Troubleshooters series, with the books are set in my familiar Troubleshooters world.

In fact, DO OR DIE takes place in Sarasota, where TS Inc. has a Florida office. And there are several cross-over characters, including Martell Griffin, the police-officer-turned-lawyer who appeared in FORCE OF NATURE (Ric and Annie’s story and the book where FBI Agent Jules Cassidy comes face-to-face with movie star Robin Chadwick at the Sarasota Film Festival).

But in DO OR DIE, all of our familiar TS Florida operatives are out of town (or recovering from a gunshot wound). And it’s Martell who’s tasked by everyone’s favorite FBI agent, Jules Cassidy, to approach former Navy SEAL and rogue badass, Ian Dunn, to get his assistance on a mission-impossible operation to rescue some very important kidnapped children.

Even though Jules only plays an off-page role in DO OR DIE, he sends his capable and talented teammates, Deb Erlanger and Joe “Yashi” Hirabayashi to Florida to assist in the rescue op.

(FYI: Deb and Yashi first appear in the TS series in BREAKING POINT, Max and Gina’s book. They also played secondary roles in FORCE OF NATURE — so they’ve worked with Martell Griffin before.)

(You also might remember Yashi from ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, where Yashi’s dad might have hooked up with Cosmo’s musical-theatre-loving mom.)

But here’s the deal: All three of these cross-over characters (Martell, Deb, and Yashi) come to DO OR DIE without any complicated story-arc baggage. That makes them the perfect characters for the start of a trilogy that could, indeed, stand alone. See, some readers are daunted at the idea of jumping into the middle of a sixteen book series like the Troubleshooters. So DO OR DIE will be a great place for them to start! And yet, it’s also my hope that those of you who love the earlier books will feel right at home in the Reluctant Heroes branch of the TS world!

2) DO OR DIE has received a starred review from Kirkus, a starred review from Booklist, and a glowing review from Publishers Weekly!

Here’s the Kirkus review, which also gives you a nicely concise and clearly written overview of the plot and main romance:

“Attorney Phoebe Kruger is tasked with negotiating client Ian Dunn’s prison release, against his will, so he can rescue two kidnapped children, not realizing that doing so will set events in motion that will threaten dozens of lives—and a few hearts.

Considering his reputation as a former Navy SEAL and a suspected international jewel thief, Phoebe finds it a little odd that Ian is in jail for getting drunk and losing control of his car. But when an accident incapacitates Ian’s usual attorney, Phoebe is sent in his place. As a recent hire at the respected firm that represents Ian, she isn’t surprised when he’s hesitant to work with her. She is shocked, however, that he’s unwilling to accept a sweetheart deal designed by the government to get him out of jail scot-free in exchange for rescuing two kidnapped kids without causing an international incident.
What neither Phoebe nor Martell—the attorney working on behalf of the government—know is that Ian has his own agenda for being in prison, and if he leaves, for whatever reason, it will threaten the people closest to him. So once they spring him, Ian takes Phoebe hostage, then must rescue his brother and his family from the mob, assemble a team, connect with the FBI, work out a rescue plan with limited resources, deal with the devil in the form of an international assassin and work through long-standing family issues while navigating a sizzling-yet-unwelcome attraction to his new, unasked-for attorney. As outlandish as the plot sounds on paper, Brockmann effortlessly and expertly tosses hundreds of details into the air and juggles them with brilliance.

The first in her Reluctant Heroes series, the novel will captivate readers with its intense, action-filled plot, alpha-and-a-half hero, and his smart, perfect-for-him heroine, as well as secondary characters who contribute pathos and humor.

Enthralling and breathtaking.”

Thanks, Kirkus!

DO OR DIE (Reluctant Heroes #1) comes out on Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

It’s available in hardcover and all e-book formats from Ballantine Books, and in audio from Blackstone Audio. (I’ve got a new audiobook publisher, but we’re continuing to use my favorite extremely talented dual-narrators for the recording! Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank bring their comic chops to this fast-paced action/adventure.)

Here’s the link to the website page for DO OR DIE, where you can see the terrific cover art, read the book’s blurb, and find links to pre-order the book: https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

3) And here’s the link to my virtual signing, in case you’d like a personalized, signed hardcover of this book: https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

(A quick note about my virtual signing! I’m also offering readers a chance to get a signed DVD of my movie, THE PERFECT WEDDING, via the DO OR DIE signing. And, the virtual signing is open to readers internationally.)

I’ll also be doing a number of brick-and-mortar store booksignings to celebrate DO OR DIE’s release, complete with Q&A sessions (ask me anything!) and door prizes.

Starting February 4th, I’ll be driving up the east coast, from Florida to Boston and back, and stopping at bookstores along the way. Cities include Sarasota and Jacksonville, FL; Florence, SC; Raleigh, NC; Wilmington, DE; East Brunswick, NJ; Framingham, MA; Tewksbury, MA; Sharon, MA; and Newton, MA.

And! I’ve just added a Richmond, VA date to my schedule.

Also! Newsflash! I’ll be joined by one of my own favorite authors, Virginia Kantra, at the Raleigh bookstore event! Virginia’s next book, CAROLINA MAN, won’t be out quite yet, but she promises that she’ll have bookmarks! And we’ll have the first two books in her wonderful Carolina series available for her to sign!

You can find the complete list of signing events with dates, times and locations on my appearances page at https://suzannebrockmann.com/about/appearances/

(And I will be talking a bit more about some of the book signing events later on in the countdown, especially since one of the signings is in Florence, SC, where there is a beautiful Veteran’s Park, well worth visiting! Road trip!!!)

I hope you’ll join me on the DO OR DIE Countdown, throughout chilly January and right up until the book’s post-Groundhog Day release on February 4th! (Don’t let him see his shadow, don’t let him see his shadow…)

I’ll be posting on my website blog page (and on my Facebook reader page) on a close-to-daily basis. I’ve got a bunch of fun things planned, including a bunch of real-time chats, a “meet the characters” cast list, contests for early copies of the book and other fun collectibles (a Japanese Manga edition of LADIES’ MAN!), recommended reads and viewings, and a bunch of blog-like musings on topics from heroines who wear glasses, to my new YA series co-written with my daughter Melanie.

Two countdown chat dates to put on your calendar:

4) Chat with me! This Thursday, January 9th, 2014, from 8 – 9:30 pm eastern time, on my website blog’s comment section at https://suzannebrockmann.com/blog/ ! We’re gonna beta-test having a conversation/chat on my website blog page’s comments section! (If you’ve read an advance copy of DO OR DIE, no spoiler questions, please! Thank you!)

5) Chat with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank (and me!) on Wednesday, January 15th, 2014, from 9 – 10 pm eastern time. Right now we’re planning to chat over at my website blog page, at https://suzannebrockmann.com/blog/ Hopefully we’ll be able to announce some great news about a really fun audiobook project, too!

6) THE UNSUNG HERO, the first book in my Troubleshooters series, is currently on sale for 99 cents in all US e-book formats! Find links to all e-formats on my website page at https://suzannebrockmann.com/books/troubleshooters/the-unsung-hero/

**************

Okay, gang. That’s it for now.

Drop by my new website and say hello!

As always, thank you for your support!

To sign up for my email newsletter, visit my website at https://suzannebrockmann.com/about/news-from-suz/

Love,
Suz

By |2014-01-06T21:16:43+00:00January 6th, 2014|blog, news from Suz, Uncategorized|Comments Off on DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Three

DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Two

Countdown to DO OR DIE, Day Two!

Navy SEALs.

I love writing about ’em, and many readers love reading about ’em. But one of the most fun things to do is to write characters (like former-police-detective-turned-lawyer Martell Griffin) who are forced to work with SEALs and former SEALs, and don’t necessarily like doing so. (For a lot of reasons.)

As a writer, I’m always looking for ways to make sure my readers know exactly who and what Navy SEALs are — believe it or not, not everyone knows!

So in DO OR DIE, I let Martell vent and rant a bit about his being forced to work with former SEAL Ian Dunn. Ian has just successfully evaded Martell, leaving him in the dust, extremely pissed, but not all that surprised. Because SEAL.

Here, from Martell’s POV, is a short excerpt from DO OR DIE — on sale 2/4/14 in hardcover and ebook from Ballantine Books, and in audio (read by Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank) from Blackstone Audio.

Martell had met plenty of SEALs and former SEALs while doing the occasional odd job for Ric, and they were holy-mother-of-*what-the-fuck* crazy—every single one of ’em.

Start with the fact that the training they went through to become a Navy freaking SEAL was just shy of torture—carrying telephone polls up and down the beach and into the freezing surf; running, running, always running, in full combat gear on soft sand; jumping out of airplanes and waiting until they nearly hit the ground before opening their chutes; swimming, miles and miles when they weren’t fricking running; exiting submarines via torpedo tubes—yeah, that shit was full-frontal insane. And that’s what they did in the morning, before they had lunch.

The training didn’t end when they became honest-to-bejesus SEALs and won their freaky little eagle-shaped pin to which they gave the extremely irreverent name of “Budweiser” despite the fact that it meant the world to them. Yeah, that’s when it all got even harder. And that’s also when they went out into what they called the *real world* and saved people from pirates, and ended the terror-reigns of dickheads like Osama bin Laden.

And *that* was what they called just another Monday.

Part of the job, nothing to see, move it along . . .

Yeah, they did it all without trumpet fanfare, as a matter of course, risking life and limb, working cheerfully together in close-knit teams even if they hated one another’s guts, saying shit like *The only easy day was yesterday.*

Which made it impossible, when around them, to complain about things like the meatball sub that was barely lukewarm when it had been delivered for lunch, or that boring legal brief he had to stay up into the wee hours to write because he’d procrastinated as long as he could and it was due in the morning.

Wah, wah, wah. And here he was, again, about to run crying to his evil government overlord, as Dunn had labeled Martell’s contact, because another Navy SEAL had figuratively kicked his ass.

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P.S. The name of Martell’s “evil government overlord?”
Jules Cassidy. 

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

By |2017-05-23T21:04:53+00:00January 5th, 2014|blog, Uncategorized|4 Comments
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