Susan Behon…Fall For You!

I’m so pleased to welcome pub sister Susan Behon today, with her debut romance Fall For You!

Thoughts From A Newly Published Writer

 

I’m often asked what the best part about being a writer is and I jokingly reply that it’s the fame and glory! That part of my writing career hasn’t happened yet so in all honesty, my favorite part of being a writer is the reader feedback. I love it when a reader tells me they laughed out loud or couldn’t put my book down. To have written something that is truly enjoyed makes the process completely worth it.

I’m also asked where I get my story ideas. Some people have even asked me if I’m writing my secret fantasies I have of my husband and myself. Not exactly. Parts of my stories are based on real life. The beginning scene in Fall For You is based on a real life dodge behind a bakery table to avoid my future husband seeing me. After all, truth is stranger than fiction. After the initial inspiration though, the characters completely took on a life of their own.

As for the characters, some are loosely or not so loosely based on people I know. Some are completely made up. Some characters show up out of nowhere and demand to be included in a story. I’ve learned to listen to these characters because they tend to be the most interesting. They’ve been hiding in some portion of my brain waiting for a turn to come to life on the written page.

A cute fun fact is that my fictional town of Madison Falls got its name from my daughter, Madison, tripping in front of me. Instant inspiration!

If I’ve learned anything as a writer, fact and fiction do collide but in the best of ways. With contemporary romance, I’ve found that it’s important for a reader to be able to relate to the people and the story.

It is my sincere hope that readers take a break from their own real lives, even for a little while, and enjoy the goings on in Madison Falls. It’s a fun, funny, and surprisingly sexy place to live.

Thanks,

Susan Behon

 

Blurb

Sophie Brandon is in a bind.

After eight years, Reed Sutton is back in town and back on Sophie’s radar. Her high school crush is home to stay and hotter than ever. How can she avoid the gorgeous construction manager when she needs work done in her bakery?            `

Reed knows he’s overqualified for the simple renovation, but when it comes to sweet Sophie, he’s the man for the job. Her kitchen heats up when one kiss leads to more and a storeroom mishap throws her right into Reed’s arms. Once he catches her, he can’t seem to keep his hands off of her…cookies.

Small town gossip mixed with threats against Sophie are a recipe for disaster. Will history repeat itself or will love conquer all?

 

Fall For You Excerpt

At the sound of Reed’s deep voice, Sophie yelped and lost her balance. The seal gave way and powdered sugar came down with her in a cloud of white dust. When the heel on her left shoe snapped off with an audible crack, Reed lunged to catch her. Instead of kissing the floor, a pair of strong arms grabbed her and pulled her into a wall of hard muscle.

Instead of her life flashing before her eyes, all Sophie could think about was how often Reed worked out. He was definitely solid and she was pretty sure her breasts were pushed up against the top of a six pack.

Holy hell, if I died now, I could go a happy woman.

Reality intruded when Sophie realized she was covered in powdered sugar, the heel of her shoe was jammed under a shelf, and Reed hadn’t let go of her yet. The bad news was that her chance at wowing him with her frilly green sundress had bit the dust. The good news, obviously, was that Reed hadn’t let go of her yet.

She looked up to see that he was covered in powdered sugar too. Nothing to do now but brazen it out.

“Hi, Reed.”

“Hello, Sophie.”

Reed stared down at her with such a serious intensity that she began to stammer an apology. “I…” was all she managed to get out before he pulled her tighter, dipped his head, and pressed his lips to hers.

Okaaaay. This works too.

His lips were soft and hot and moved against hers with such precision that she wanted to climb him like a tree for greater contact. He pulled away, licked his lips, and murmured, “You taste so sweet.”

She gasped out, “I’m pretty sure that’s the sugar.”

Against her lips, he breathed, “No, it’s you. It’s all you, Sophie.”

Reed closed the distance and kissed her again, this time using his tongue to sweep inside and taste her more thoroughly. Sophie touched her tongue to his in a tentative swipe and he seemed to lose all restraint.

His hands moved from her back down to her butt, to first squeeze gently and then to pull her flush against his hard lower body. When they made contact, she got hotter knowing just how much he wanted her. Reed’s strength surrounded her. Sophie got lost in the wet glide of his tongue and the sensual pressure of his lips against hers.

Goosebumps raced up her arms when he changed direction and kissed along her neck and shoulder. She angled her head back to give him better access. Nothing ever felt this good. Sophie was preparing to throw Reed down and rip his clothes off when she heard a throat clear in a very loud “AHEM.”

She tried to spring away from him but Reed hadn’t gotten with the program yet. He leaned in to kiss her again. Noticing her stiff posture, he raised his head to look at her.

“A-hem once again.”

 

 

Fall For You Buy Links

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fall-for-you/id966283072?mt=11&uo=4

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TDAID0C/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_awdl_PMk2ub0JNZQTZ

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121198766?ean=9781622101955

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Fall/Susan-Behon/Q791295333?id=6235154836106

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/fall-for-you-4

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Behon_Fall_for_You?id=inmWBgAAQBAJ

http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fallforyou-1756620-149.html

http://www.romanceandsmut.com/books/54f3fcba5b270e0a4cbd0aaf/fall-for-you-madison-falls-book-1-susan-behon/

Author Social Media Links

 

Social Media Links

 

www.susanbehon.com

www.twitter.com/suebeehny

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Behon-Author/748016435281472

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13485524.Susan_Behon

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00TE65434

 

 

 

 

 

My journey with epilepsy

Hello all.  This is a post I originally wrote back in Sept. 2014. In celebration of epilepsy awareness, I’d like to share it with you once again.

*****

I’ve chosen to deviate from my normal chat about romance today to discuss an issue dear to my heart. As some of you may know, I live with epilepsy. Since I was 10, I’ve had seizures and have taken various medications for it.

We’ve all made seizure jokes, right? I might even have done so myself, it’s become so acceptable. However, whenever I hear one, I do feel a slight sting. Epilepsy has been my cross to bear for over thirty years now, the majority of my life. I do acknowledge in this life there are those with more ponderous crosses. I can honestly say my life is a good one, and my condition is under control.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t had a few interesting moments here and there. A couple were life-threatening.

My first seizure hit when I was 10. I was standing in a crowded movie theater with my mom and younger brother. The lineups were long, we all carried big winter coats and popcorn. Suddenly, I dropped all the things I was carrying and then promptly dropped as well. I soon began having seizures at school, which generally gave my friends and teachers a start.

I don’t suffer from grand mal seizures, the kinds they show you in movies. My condition is known as temporal lobe or complex partial epilepsy and my seizures look different. My eyes glaze over. I lose focus. I may stand or sit or wave my arms around. I may speak gibberish or out-of-context. They last about 30 seconds and then I snap out of it. I know I’ve seized because a chunk of time is missing. To me, it’s as if I’ve had a brief nap, and I have no recollection of what I’ve done during that period. I can assure you it’s a scary sensation to “wake up” and not know what you’ve done.

I’ve had seizures while giving presentations, while watching movies, while riding a bike and in numerous other situations. I once almost wandered out of a bowling alley on my own, my friends in pursuit. During my teen years, the worst period, it wasn’t unusual for me to seize 4 times/day. Those were the days I stayed home from school.

The most frightening moment occurred when I was about 20. I had gone shopping at a local mall and went home on the subway. I seized while standing on the subway platform, waiting for the train. Just as the train approached, I seized and began to walk toward the edge of the platform. If it hadn’t been for a Good Samaritan, I am sure I would have died that day.

Because of epilepsy, I couldn’t drive when all my friends did. Only after many years (in my 30’s) did I finally get my license. I waited until I’d found the best medication possible and until I was seizure-free. For many years, no doctor would actually diagnose my condition. And once they did, I began taking every medication under the sun: barbiturates that made me drowsy, herbal medicines that did nothing and I even tried acupuncture. I now take a drug called Tegretol and it has allowed me to remain seizure-free. I am often tempted to stop taking it, to see if the seizures have gone away, but I can’t ever take that chance. I know I will be on drugs for the rest of my life.

In my new book Vice, coming Sept. 22 from Samhain Publishing, the heroine has epilepsy. It’s the first book in which I’ve explored the topic and it means a great deal to me. Why have I shared all this today? To shine a light on this mysterious condition. So many suffer from it, many of whom can’t rid themselves of the seizures as I have with medication. And yet a lot of people still find it humorous to joke about it. I would never censor anyone, but I would like to share my experience. Hopefully in doing so, it’ll become a little less mysterious and a lot less funny.

Thank you.

Rosanna

Elle Rush…Leading Man!

I’m honored to have pub sister Elle Rush visit with me today. She’s written a powerful post on romance as escape, in particular for readers who are going through a tough time. She has a hot new release, Leading Man, and I think we can all escape quite easily into her romantic stories.

Glad to have you, Elle!

***********

THE GREAT ESCAPE

 

I’m just back from a training session on how to hook my mother up to a ventilator. She has a degenerative medical condition and we’re at the ventilator stage so I’m learning how to assist my father in her care. I’ve spent the last two hours learning about exactly how weak my mother’s lungs are and how vital this machine is to her continued survival.

My brain is full. My heart is sore. And I need a romance. STAT.

There is no worse feeling in the world than being helpless while somebody you love is hurting. Yelling at the medical staff to do more doesn’t help when you know you’ve got the best people possible working for you. Sometimes there’s nobody you can be mad at. There’s nothing you can do to make your spouse/parent/child/sibling/friend better or to take away the pain. All you can do is be there. And, sometimes, even simply being present is absolutely physically, mentally, and spiritually draining.

If you are taking care of somebody else, it’s important to take care of yourself as well. Make sure you eat real food (not just vending machine and fast food crap). Sleep. Get some exercise and fresh air. A walk around the block can work wonders.

Equally important to all the bodily concerns, is recharging your non-physical batteries. It is so easy to get overwhelmed in situations like these. You need to find a way to get a few minutes to yourself to do something for yourself and get your head together. Some people bake or play Frisbee with their dogs or garden. I read.

Specifically, I read romance because I need to know somebody’s life is working out, even if that somebody is fictional. Even more specifically, I read light, fun, happy romances, not “dark” romances where there is a lot of suffering by the hero and heroine before they get to their own happy endings. I know the world can be unfair. I know it can be painful. I already live with that.

I want minimal angst, sexy, witty flirting, and a world where the perfect date outfit is only a quick shopping spree away. I want to remember there are people whose entire lives don’t revolve around trips to the doctor or sleepless nights listening to machines beep or wondering how they’re going to pay the next medical bill that comes in. I want to pretend for just a little while.

That’s why I read romances. They are escapism in the truest sense of the word. A one hundred page novella or a five hundred page epic transports me to a temporary safe haven. They occupy my mind while all my problems get shoved to the backburner for a little while. Romances give me time to catch my breath, find my balance, and restore my faith. That kind of escape can never be a bad thing.

 

Mini-blurb for LEADING MAN

Nick needs a dance instructor to help him with his new role and Ashleigh seems perfect. Their relationship quickly heats up … on the dance floor and between the sheets. But when Nick learns about Ashleigh’s connection with his ex-girlfriend, he wonders if their relationship is real or staged.

Excerpt:

“Naked is better.” Nick Thurston was deadly serious in his declaration. “I would rather have a scene with full-frontal nudity on an outdoor stage in January in Alaska than go to one more dance class with that—” Damn his parents for teaching him not to curse when referring to a lady, although the lady in question didn’t meet the moral definition of one.

“Woman,” his salt-and-pepper haired lawyer suggested.

“She is not a woman. She’s some kind of handsy, tap-dancing nightmare. The world may know I have two left feet but I swear she has at least four arms because one of them is pinching my ass while the other is picking my pocket.” He glanced over at the man who had shepherded both him and his parents from their first-roles to superstardom and was not impressed to find him laughing. “Brian, I mean it. This isn’t a little mutually fun flirting. It’s sexual harassment and regular harassment and I am done with it.”

“Nick, I believe you.”

“Then fix it. I’m one of the producers for ‘The Last Bachelor.’ I should have the ability to fire her for harassment, shouldn’t I? At this point I’d be willing to buy out her contract in order to be rid of her and take the financial hit to replace her. Find me a loophole, please. Or some Kevlar slacks if you can’t—my backside is one big bruise.” Nick ran his hands through his lightly gelled hair, which reminded him he needed to refresh the sun-streaked blond highlights he added for the summer. He leaned against the bookshelf along the wall. He winced and stood up straight again. He wasn’t kidding about the bruise.

As much as he griped, Nick wasn’t certain there was much the man could do. Brian had done his best to talk Nick out of hiring his then-girlfriend Sandrine Gold as their choreographer, insisting Nick had enough on his plate with his role and financial contribution in the production. Nick brushed aside Brian’s concerns, insisting he wanted to be involved in all aspects of the play, including hiring the stage hands and specialists. He wasn’t going to miss any part of the next phase of his career.

Nick loved playing Ares on Olympus and was thrilled the hit drama was heading into its fourth season. The Spartactus/Game of Thrones/Hercules mash-up was a lot of work and a lot of fun and he wouldn’t trade it for the world but the simple truth was he wanted a change from togas. The hiatus after the show’s thirteen-episode third season offered him the perfect opportunity to try something new. In this case, Colby Sinclair, one of his former co-stars from his Paradise Point days, had moved into directing and had called Nick with the offer of a lifetime—the title role in a revival of a Richie Washington play. Actors were fans too, and Nick was a huge admirer of the unfortunately short-lived playwright.

“You realize this wouldn’t even be an issue if you hadn’t signed up for a role which required dancing. You know I love you, Nick, but…”

Nick sighed. “But I’m lucky I don’t trip over my own feet. I know. Everybody knows.” It was a joke at this point. He could do many things. He could put on a passable Australian accent, and had for “The Year It Rained.” He could decorate a cake with bakery precision after “Sugar on Top.” He was an admirable tenor. But absolutely, in no way, shape, or form, could he dance. His brain and his feet had a feud which began at birth. They’d eventually hit a détente. His feet conceded on walking and running, but refused to cooperate beyond that. Nick had driven Russ Vukovich, Olympus’s former fight coordinator, to tears when it came to sword fighting footwork.

 

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Man-Hollywood-Olympus-Book-ebook/dp/B00U1WAXUE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425046159&sr=8-3&keywords=elle+rush

Liquid Silver Books

http://www.lsbooks.com/leading-man-p1001.php

Kobo

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/leading-man-3

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/leading-man/id975770845?mt=11

B&N

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121379793?ean=9781622101979

ARe

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-leadingman-1764436-149.html

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rush_Elle_Leading_Man?id=WMoRBwAAQBAJ&hl=en

 

Bio

Elle Rush is a romance author from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When she’s not travelling, she’s hard at work writing her contemporary romances which are set all over the world. Elle has studied half a dozen languages and has flunked poetry in every single one of them. She also has mild addictions to tea, cookbooks and the sci-fi channel. Follow her at www.ellerush.com or on Pinterest , Facebook and Twitter, and keep up with her free newsletter.