Diggin' in the Dirt with Susan Sleeman

The Purveyor of Tomatoes?

I'm so happy to be back on the Diamond Mine, folks. It’s great to see you! It’s good to be back with the Diamond Mine. Life hasn’t been kind but then since when is life anything but? I know I can always find solace in the Lord’s fold and that’s exactly what the Diamond Mine was created to be . . . a special place. The Diamond Mine is where Words are more than letters on a page and when God speaks, all are willing to hear.

For right now though, I know an amazing suspense writer I’d like you to meet. She is known for her many crime novels and series which are dead-on for authenticity. Many don’t realize that this author is a graduate of the FBI Citizen's Academy as well as other local law enforcement academies which gives credence to the action-filled plotlines and life-like characters filling her books. If you don’t know Susan Sleeman through her books, then you may know her as host of TheSuspenseZone.com. Either way, I rest assured that you’ll love this Purveyor of Sleuth as much as I do.

GIVEAWAY!!!

When the sunsets, justice wins the day, and Susan hangs her hat in Oregon with her retired church music director of a hubby, two beautiful daughters, an incredibly special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. She snuggles into her big comfy couch as those big doors close and keep the evil world at bay . . . at least for a while.

So— to celebrate my Diamond Mine Homecoming, please welcome Susan Sleeman to the couch! Oh, and as part of all my Gemstone Interviews, don’t forget to check out the “special information” at the end of the chat! That’s geek-speak for GIVEAWAY!!! 😉

ONWARD AND UPWARD! Let’s meet Susan now.

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Interview

RB: Hi, Susan and welcome to the Diamond Mine. I’m excited to be back on board here and even more to have you as my guest! You are quite the suspense and crime author and we have so much to talk about today. How about I stop jabbering so we can get started?

SS: Wow, thanks for the introduction. You’d make a camel blush with all those fancy words. It’s me who is honored, and I’m thrilled to be here as well.

SUSAN SLEEMAN

RB: You are welcome. You deserve it and more. I’d like to start out this interview by getting to know you and I’m sure the readers would like to do the same. So, Susan, if you could say one thing about yourself and your books, what would it be?

SS: First and foremost, I would want readers to know I am a Christian and love God. I hope this shows in my books. I don’t set out to write a Christian book, but my faith is such a part of my life that I can't not include it. In fact, I have written one secular series, and not including my faith and a message of hope and change was the hardest thing I have ever done as a writer.

RB: I would have to agree. I don't think I could omit the very thing in my life that gives me the strength to breathe. I wish I could hike into the mountains and breathe in that cool, clear mountain air. That's what I usually do when I need time alone with the Lord. Do you have a special place for the two of you? Or a place you'd like to visit?

SS:  Mmmm... (A brief silence ensued. Suddenly a sharp sound reverberated through the stillness when Susan snapped her fingers.) England, I've always wanted to travel to England. I'm a big BBC TV fan and I would love to visit some of the small villages I see in the shows. And my hubby's family is from Cornwall so I would like to see that area too.

RB: I love to watch BBC as well! My husband and I got hooked on a show this last year through Prime called Poldark. It was great to watch one of these shows again! My dream is to go to Scotland, my husband's homeland, well, his not so distant ancestors' homeland. ;) I should've known that man was a Scot when I met him! His hobbies gave him away - coaching and officiating USA wrestling, hunting, fishing, debating, apologetics. I liked to read and hang out with my friends at the time!

Speaking of hobbies, what do you like to do when you aren't writing and editing your awesome tales, Susan?

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BOOK GIVEAWAY!

SUSAN SLEEMAN'S

SECONDS TO LIVE

HOMELAND HEROES #1

PRIZE:

One PRINT COPY of SECONDS TO LIVE by SUSAN SLEEMAN

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a personal comment regarding this interview with your email address in the comment section following this post.

RULES: One winner will be selected by Renee Blare seven days from the post date of this blog from eligible entries and notified by entry email. Entrant will be selected from those residing in the United States and its territories, void where prohibited by law.

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SS: Yes, I have a favorite hobby. I love to garden. Both flower and vegetable gardening. I love spending time outside, seeing God's handiwork as the flowers unfurl and the seeds sprout to produce organic fruits and vegetables for my family. To outwit squirrels who love to steal my first tomatoes and strawberries of the year., and the birds who think I have planted raspberries and blueberries just for them. Oh...and I also just plain love digging in the dirt. Maybe I didn't get enough of it as a child. LOL

And I enjoy trying out new varieties of plants. and foods. These purple tomatoes are just like God's jewels in the garden. in the garden.

RB: Diggin' in the dirt... that sounds like so much fun! I can see how that would be a great hobby. Talk about getting back to the basics! LOL

I guess we have to talk books now (winks), so . . . . turning to the writing side of your life now, what is your biggest challenge as an author?

SS: At this point in my career as an author, I have written over forty published books and another five that will never be seen. I write romantic suspense so coming up with unique and exciting plot twists is becoming a challenge. I can easily come up with an overarching plot, but the nitty-gritty details that move the story forward is getting harder for me to develop.

RB: I can see that being a challenge. And your characters?

SS: I always write in a series. So before I begin the series, I create the traits of all the main characters. I make sure they are all different in what drives them, and then I begin to ask them questions like what's your greatest fear or what do you want most in life?

RB: And in your books, they achieve these things?

SS: Sometimes, and in others, no. I do my best to create situations where their characteristics are displayed and show how they must change and grow. I put them with the lead character who is their opposite to provide instant conflict and a chance to show how they must change and grow to be their best self. Much like how we - in the real world - are challenged with dilemmas and must make similar decisions when faced with the same adversity. In many ways, I believe that makes the characters not only interesting but, for the most part, just as real.

RB: And I believe you do an amazing job at it, Susan. An amazing job! I have one last question for you and I'll let you go back to your digging in the dirt. If for some unforeseen reason you could not write anymore, what would you do? Would you continue in the "writing world" professionally?

SS: If I could not write novels, I would not have a writing career. Period. I am not at all interested in writing for other publications or short stories, etc. It's just not my thing.

So if I could no longer write, I would either retire or go into graphic design. I have basic design skills, but would have to get a degree to do it well, and that in itself would be fun and interesting for me.

RB: You sound like a determined, interesting lady and I wish you the best. Thanks for being here on the Diamond Mine with us!

SS: Thank you for allowing me to share my writing and life on your wonderful blog, Renee. I am happy to offer your readers a print copy of Seconds to Live. This is Book One in my HOMELAND HEROES series and it was just recently named a finalist in the FHL Reader's Choice Award in their Romantic Suspense Category. To enter to win the copy, just comment on this blog with your email address!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over forty novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clear with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.

To learn more about Susan's books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies.

http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/

Or stop by any of these locations on the web.

Website - http://www.susansleeman.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/susansleeman/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4053429.Susan_Sleeman

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-sleeman

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Sleeman/e/B003ANF6Z8

Review Site - http://www.TheSuspenseZone.com

ABOUT THE MINER

RENEE BLARE

RENEE BLARE loves to read and write. She spends her time now judging writing contests for ACFW, scribbling her thoughts in her journal, and editing for beloved friends any chance she can get.

A multi-published, bestselling author through Pelican Book Group and a pharmacist by trade, she wrote and served the down-home folks of Wyoming until afflicted in 2017 with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 2 or Causalgia, the most painful nerve disease in the world. At this time, she struggles to write, blog, think . . . and has found a new love in the arts, but fights on.

Before her new life with severe pain arrived, she wrote any time she could spare and now prays to do so again someday. A romantic suspense author who writes with a flair of mystery, Renee is known to keep her readers guessing while constantly turning the pages. "Never a dull moment," as they like to say.

You can discover more about this creative and fascinating writer at her website:

https://reneeblarebooks.com/

Search her out on social media too! She's everywhere. 

Step into Suspense with Susan Sleeman

I am so excited to introduce you all to our guest this week. I "met" Susan Sleeman on Facebook a couple years ago and have been enjoyed getting to know her better over that time. In addition, I've become addicted to her stories. Here's a little more information about her.

Susan Sleeman is a bestselling author of inspirational and clean read romantic suspense and mystery books. Awards include Thread of Suspicion - Romantic Times Best Book, No Way Out and The Christmas Witness - Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalists, and Web of Deceit - Swoony award winner and EPIC Award finalist.

Susan grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing novels and hosting the popular Internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.

Susan currently lives in Oregon, but she and her husband have had the pleasure of living in nine states. They have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.



Suzie: Welcome to The Diamond Mine, Susan. Thank you for spending some time with us today. Let's dive right into the questions. The first one I have for you is an easy one. Name three things you like to have on hand while writing.

Susan: The most important thing I need to write is my computer, but that’s a given so I’ll say, earplugs to mask any neighborhood noises that distract me. Water, because I am a big water drinker. And chocolate. Well, that needs no explanation, right?



Suzie: You never need an excuse for chocolate. One of your resolutions for 2016 was to find time to have more fun. What have you found that you enjoy the most thus far?

Susan: I love, love, love to garden and we’ve had an early spring/summer here. 87 degrees in April—crazy, but I got to spend time outside and that is such a joy to me.



Suzie: The past year has been a busy one for you with a move, three book releases, and writing/editing a few more. So far you’ve had even more of a challenge this year (six book releases slated, a continuing remodel of your new home, and some health issues). What’s your favorite way to decompress when you’ve got a lot going on?

Susan: Wow, it has been a busy year so far, hasn’t it? Really the best way for me to decompress is with how I start my day so I don’t get out of balance in the first place. I start with listening to a Christian message on TV or radio, then do my devotions and pray. If I start the day this way, no matter what is thrown my way, I can handle it. I started adding the message to my morning this calendar year, and I can say that it has done wonders for my state of mind and keeping me in balance.



Suzie: As a writer of romantic suspense, do you find it difficult to balance the suspense with the romance. Do you have a tendency to lean more one way or the other when you write your first draft?

Susan: I started out as a straight suspense writer, but publishers weren’t contracting suspense books back then so I learned to write romantic suspense. At first, the romance part was very hard for me to incorporate, but over time both elements started to feel natural, and they are not out of balance as I write the first draft. When I finish the rough draft, I do go back in the story and highlight all of the romance sections to make sure it follows the arc that the characters need, and if it’s out of balance I add, change, or delete.



Suzie: You attended the Citizens Academy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. What aspect of that did you enjoy the most and what surprised you?

Susan: I loved every minute of the academy, but what was most helpful for me as a writer was to see the mindset and the heart of professional law enforcement officers. To get into their heads so to speak and see why they do the things they do. What surprised me the most was learning about the explorer program. This program takes youths (ages 14- 21) and trains them how to perform search and rescue missions. After they complete the training, the explorers go out to find missing people. And, because they are so good at finding things, they are also used to do evidence search in remote areas. So for example, if the detectives think a criminal has thrown a gun out of a car window, the explorers are called in to search the roadside to find the weapon.



Suzie: Your First Responders Series is about a group of law enforcement employees who not only work together as a team but also live together as a family in an old firehouse that has been remodeled with a common room and individual condominiums for members of the team. Do you know of a setup like this somewhere or was this pure product of your imagination?

Susan: I think it would be cool if such a team existed, but the team is a pure product of my imagination. I love series where the main characters are included in all books, and I can stay up to date on the characters and see their interaction so I continue to try to come up with ways to make that happen. Though each individual job that the team members do exists within a county structure, I don’t know of any county that has a team that works together this way.



Suzie: I just finished reading book four of your First Responders series, Emergency Response, and wow, what a ride! I finished it the same day I started because I couldn’t put it down. This is Darcie’s story, the one member of the team who doesn’t work in law enforcement. How did you approach this differently than the other books?


Susan: Darcie has a different mindset than the other characters in the series. She was a nurse before becoming an EMT and she thinks like a nurse, which to me means she has a helping heart and isn’t as concerned with keeping other people safe and putting away bad guys as much as keeping people healthy. Plus the fact that Darcie lost a child, and she, in addition to learning to love again, has to learn how to accept a child in her heart again. I had a late term miscarriage so I can understand to some extent how Darcie feels, and I tried to put that experience into Darcie’s character and make this book about loss and recovery, too.



Suzie: In each book in this series, you have an interweaving theme of finding peace. Emergency Response also includes the theme of finding joy. Do you find that these two often go hand in hand?


Susan: Yes, I sure do. I don’t think you can have true joy without peace. Sure, you can be happy over events, situations, and things, but truly being joyful means you have to be content or at peace in all situations, good or bad. If you have peace, the true peace that a relationship with God provides, you will have joy. It’s a given in my eyes.



Suzie: The final two books in this series are slated to release later this year (book 5 in August and the final one at the end of the year). Can you give readers a hint of what’s on the horizon?


Susan: The last two books in the First Responders series are Archer and Jake’s stories. In Silent Sabotage, Archer meets and helps Emily Long when her life it threatened as she tries to help her Aunt Birdie keep her bed and breakfast afloat. I really loved writing this story because I love the relationship between Emily and Birdie. It really touched my heart. In Christmas Conspiracy, the last book, Jake comes to the rescue of childcare director, Rachael Long when a child is abducted from her center. I had such fun writing this book because for many years I worked as a district manager for a national childcare company and the story brought back such fond memories of caring for children. And since this is the end of the series, I loved, loved, loved leaving it with a very happy ending that brought both tears and a smile to my face. I hope the readers love the ending as much as I do!


It's been a pleasure having you join us this week. Readers can connect with Susan at any of the following:

Her Website -   http://www.susansleeman.com
Facebook -      http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks
Twitter -       http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman   
Review Site -   http://www.TheSuspenseZone.com



Here is more information about Susan's First Responders series and the latest release.

DESIGNATED TARGET 

On her way to visit a little girl she recently helped save, paramedic Darcie Stephens is attacked by a stranger dead-set on killing her. She escapes unscathed when detective Noah Lockhart comes to her rescue, but an officer finds a hit list dropped by the assailant—and Darcie's name is next. Now with an assassin constantly on their heels, Darcie and Noah must uncover why somebody wants her dead. Noah fights hard to protect Darcie, but she's determined to keep the cop at arm's length. After all she's lost, she's afraid to love again, especially a handsome lawman with a guarded heart. And a murderer doesn't plan to let Darcie live long enough for any second chances. 

First Responders: Brave men and women alert and ready for danger and love.

Susan Sleeman is giving away five copies of Emergency Response to our blog readers. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below (be sure and leave your email so we can contact you if you win) and tell a friend about the giveaway. Ends June 3, 2016.