Sweet Escape Series and Interviews with Mia London and Susan Sheehey
Welcome to Mary's Garden. Today we have two guests, Mia London and Susan Sheehey, they will be telling us about their new series. First our Garden tip.
Today's tip is for watering in the hottest part of the summer from the resident gardener. (My hubby)
The best time to water is around 4 am as opposed to later in the evening. The reason for this is; the air temperature will drop making the possibility of the grass freezing as lower temperatures prevail.
We're going to hear about The Sweet Escape Series by Mia London and Susan Sheehey.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=5ehj5Y5dkHc
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=5ehj5Y5dkHc
I had the opportunity to interview both authors. First up is Susan Sheehey
Mary: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write?
Susan: I
prefer to write romantic suspense and contemporary romance, mainly because
those are 2 of my favorite genres to read. J
Mary: What obstacles did you have to overcome to begin
creating your work?
Susan: I am a full-time mother with two young boys on the autism spectrum.
They require a lot of attention and supervision, so carving out time to write
has been the biggest challenge. Because I’ve learned I can’t write when they’re
in the house with me. My mind is always on my kids (and what trouble they are
getting into). J I have to schedule my writing time when they are
in school or their various therapies. Balancing that with the last-minute
changes and issues that arise in their schedule and care is very challenging.
Mary: What gets your creative juices flowing?Susan: Reading,
and being around my critique partners. Seriously, the writing rhythm is
contagious!
Mary: What will stop your creative muse the quickest?
Susan: My kids. Or being stuck in traffic. Which is often!
Mary: Where do you do most of your writing?
Susan: At
home. But I frequent a local coffee shop by my house, and get a lot of work
done there as well. Change of scenery always gets my creative juices flowing,
too.
Mary: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do
with it?
Susan: Toss-up between plotting out a new series, or reading my TBR pile on my
night stand.
Mary: What are you working on now?
Susan: A three-book contemporary romance series with Mia London, including a
separate epilogue. This is by far the funniest series I’ve ever written. I love
this romantic comedy genre!
Mary: Imagine your fairy godmother were to wave her magic
wand and bestow a million dollars upon your bank account. What would you do with the money and why?
Susan: Cover my children’s medical care. Extremely rational, and equally
boring. I know.
Mary: What books have you had published? And tell us a
little bit about them, please.
Susan: Royals of Solana romantic suspense series
Royal life isn’t
all luxury, glamour, and celebrity status—it’s a target for relentless attacks
from those who lust for power. The Royals of Solana face vicious threats from
both criminals and diplomats, all coveting the exotic prize that is their
island nation. When the king and crown prince are brutally murdered during a
cartel coup, Princess Alanna and exiled Prince Andre are forced on the run,
desperate to save their own lives while trying to take back their country.
Enemies emerge from all corners of the world, scrambling in the power vacuum.
The last things the royal siblings need are limelight camera flashes, or steamy
dalliances with common strangers. Except these strangers are impossible to
ignore, and turn into would-be saviors.
Prince of Solana (Book One)
Jewel of Solana (Book Two)
Crown of Solana (Book Three)
Royal Wedding (novella sequel)
(Books One and Two can be read in either order, Book Three and the
sequel should be read after the first two.)
Knights of Texas contemporary romance series
A luxury male escort agency devoted to their clients’ every need. Super
steamy, heart-warming, and equally gut-wrenching. These men will leave you
sated and simultaneously thirsting for more.
Tell Me What You Want (Book One)
Tell Me What You Crave (Book Two)
Tell Me What You Need (Book Three)
Tell Me What You Feel (Book Four)
(These books can be read in any order.)
Audrey’s Promise contemporary small-town romance standalone
A Thanksgiving story of second-chances and country-life, worthy of a
touching Hallmark movie.
Mary: What is your all-time favorite book?
Susan: So many to choose from, but I constantly re-read Kathleen Woodiwiss’s A
Rose In Winter.
Mary: Your Favorite Author(s):
Susan: I adore Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series, as well as have an
addiction to novels by Cherry Adair, Julie Ann Walker, and Christine Feehan.
When I need a heart-sobbing story, I always choose Kristin Hannah.
My introduction into romance was Kathleen Woodiwiss, and I own all her
novels.
Mary: BTW, Kathleen Woodiwiss was my introduction into romance also, and I've read ALL of them so many times. I think my favorite is The Flame and the Flower. Sorry, I got side tracked.
What, if anything, is the one thing that has caused
you the most heartache in accomplishing your dream?
Susan: The amount of scammers and fraudsters in this community has exploded in
the last 5 years. Greed has overtaken so much of what used to be such
incredible opportunity and healthy competition. It’s been overwhelming, and
tends to make an introvert who hates confrontation like myself consider
throwing in the towel. But, I’ve also seen the most incredible support and rallying
in the wake of such vicious tactics. The Indie community is one of the
strongest I’ve ever been a part of.
Mary: In
what direction would you like to see your work take you? (print, movies, audio,
etc.)
Susan: Of course, I’d love to
see my series turned into movies. What author wouldn’t? But I think the next logical
step for me may be audio and foreign translations. However, I still don’t see
myself going down that road anytime soon. Those are massive undertakings I just
don’t have the time for right now. Maybe when my kids get older.
Mary: Do
you have an inspirational picture, photo or saying that you look to when you
are depressed or have a terminal case of 'writer's block'? Will you share it
with us?
Susan: I always recite the
phrase, “Keep writing forward.” I have a mental image in my head of brushing
the ‘dust’ off my shoulder, standing up, and keep moving forward. The number of
times I imagine this with my children is countless, but it helps with writing,
too.
Don’t dwell. Keep writing
forward.
Mary: What
is your philosophy of writing? (dogged determination until the wee hours; take
a break and have a cookie then get back to it; write when the mood hits)
Susan: I tried writing when
the mood hits, and I was sidetracked for years. Other things always seemed to
take priority. I have to make my
writing a priority. So, I’ve now switched to ‘finish the scene, then get a
cookie. Or two. Or ten. Then go finish the next scene.’
Mary: Finally,
name the one thing in life you do not at this moment possess, but wish to have
with all your heart. How would you go about making your wish come true?
Susan:This is a very
important question. Because raising two boys on the autism spectrum has taught
me many lessons, but this one I think is the most important.
It is imperative not
to dwell on what you don’t have. Otherwise, you’ll never be happy with your
life.
There is so much
stress and hardship in life already. Find the joy in what you have, and your
life will always be blessed.
Yes, have goals and
work to achieve them. But never let a missed goal define your happiness. Or
steal it from you.
You have all you need
within, to create a happy life.
Mary: How do you like your fans to contact you?
Susan: Either on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/SusanSheehey, email susan@susansheehey.com, or join my newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p5b0i9.
I would greatly appreciate—with chocolate and
peanut butter topping--also following me on Amazon and BookBub.
And now welcome, Mia London:
Mary: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write?
Mia: Contemporary
and erotic romance. And like Susan, that’s what I also enjoy reading, plus
historical.
Mary: What
prompted you to write in the genre/s you do?
Mia: I finished Principal’s Office by
Jasmine Haynes, and my love of erotic romance was reinvigorated. I absolutely
fell in love with that book and couldn’t wait to read more. That in turn
activated my creative gene, and I let my computer do the rest of the work.
Mary: How long have you been writing?
Mia: On and off for
a few years, but most-seriously in 2013.
Mary: What obstacles did you have to overcome to begin
creating your work?
Mia: Time. Isn’t that what stands in the way for most of us in
achieving our goals? I own another business, have one husband and two kids, and
some days I feel stretched thin. Luckily the kids are getting older and more
self-sufficient, and my husband is a great cook. ;)
Mary: What do you have for breakfast?
Mia: My go-to
breakfast is vanilla Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola. Some days I’ll
go with breakfast tacos from a little place near-by. Delicious!
Mary: What are you working on now?
Mia: As Susan
mentioned, the Sweet Escape series. So let me tell you how it all started. J
Susan and I were traveling to a book signing 3 hours away. I was
driving, and she’d just closed the lid to her laptop and said, “What a
satisfying sound. Who would ever own a tablet when you couldn’t slam the lid
shut?”
I agreed, and asked, “But is she slamming the lid because she’d mad or
she’s happy? Like she just did something great and her boss was going to be proud.”
And there was the catalyst for the entire series.
As with any writer’s mind, once the creativity flows it’s hard to turn
off. We talked, plotted, came up with characters, and plotted some more on the
return trip. We’ll meet, text, and call to chat and brainstorm. One person
would write and the other would in turn edit that. We each had areas of
expertise that definitely complimented each other, and created a well-rounded
series—steamy, entertaining, funny. It was such a fun and rewarding experience!
Mary: What books have you had published? And tell us a
little bit about them, please.
Mia: My first book is called Life to the Max. It took me a year
to write, and it’s a fan favorite. I wrote and published the Perfect Series
when I was asked to join Chickswagger for an anthology, the Hard Men of the
Rockies Series. I loved collaborating so much that in 2017 I brought 5 other authors
together to do the Blame It On Fate anthology. That was the springboard for the
Undeniable Series. I fell in love with Brandon & Lily—one book was not
enough. As an aside, Undeniable Fate is a finalist in the Readers’ Choice Award
sponsored by the OKRWA. After the Sweet Escape series is released, I have a
stand-alone called Accidental Tryst that will release in November.
Mary: Where do you find your inspiration?
Mia: Almost anything
can give me an idea. For instance, Susan and I were texting, and at one point
she mentioned something about finishing a trip the glass shop. I immediately
picked up the phone to ask her when our characters go to a glass shop. She was
confused. Clearly, predictive text had taken control, but instantly I could
visualize it. Beautiful pieces of art made from glass that our heroine could
ooh and aah over. The next day, I wrote that scene.
Mary: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Mia: Write and read
and write some more. Don’t expect it to be perfect right off the bat (that’s
what editing’s for).
Mary: What is your all-time favorite book?
Mia: Since I’ve
mentioned it, I love Principal’s Office. I’ve reread it four times. It could be
a favorite. I have a few. At the very least, it’s a Top Ten.
Mary: Your Favorite Author(s):
Mia: Jasmine Haynes, and I’ve told her I
have a girl-crush on her. J
Mary: Do
you have an inspirational picture, photo or saying that you look to
when
you are depressed or have a terminal case of 'writer's block'? Will you share
it with us?
Mia: Two words- David
Gandy.
Mary: If
you were to wake one morning unable to write ever again, describe how you think
you would react.
Mia: Wow! Sad. I’d be depressed
for a while, but thankful that at least I could still read. I like to write
because I know people enjoy the stories, my stories. Women mostly read my books,
but I write them for couples. I’ll leave it at that.
Mary: If
you could be anything other than a writer, what would your second choice be?
Mia: I could see owning an upscale nightclub. I might have to sleep on
that—maybe that should be my next book.
Mary: What
is your philosophy of writing? (dogged determination until the wee hours; take
a break and have a cookie then get back to it; write when the mood hits)
Mia: I try and give my
rewards for completing my writing goal. It could be a daily goal, and I’ll
reward myself for a movie or a fave show on TV. Maybe it’s a bigger goal, like
completing a series, and that could mean a massage or a trip to the Coach
store. J
Mary: Finally,
name the one thing in life you do not at this moment possess, but wish to have
with all your heart. How would you go about making your wish come true?
Mia: I refuse to
answer this because it would never be as good as Susan’s, and really the only
thing that pops in my head right now is chocolate.
Mary: How do you like your fans to contact you?
Mia: I’m on social media,
and I love it.
Instagram: @MiaLondonAuthor
Sweet Escape Series:
Dry Spell
|
August 1
|
Hot Spell
|
September 5
|
Cold Spell
|
October 3
|
They are all on pre-order now:
Dry Spell:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KQ8xoG
Hot Spell:
Cold Spell:
Thank you both for visiting, this series sounds awesome!
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