It is my great pleasure to welcome the #RRBC Spotlight Author for September to my blog! Susanne Leist is the author of The Dead Game Series, and today we’re featuring her third and newest book, “The Dead At Heart!”
Over to you, Susanne!
Thank you for having me at your blog stop today, Jan.
I want to share a poem that I composed as I watched the rain through my bedroom window.
WASH AWAY MY SORROW
Please wash away my sorrow and pain.
Let it flow down the streets with the rain.
Dissolved in torrents of despair and sadness,
Joining others on its way past the madness.
The ocean may take it far away
To places, we cannot even say.
Where no one recognizes its sting
Or knows the infliction it can bring.
Let the rain grow harder with its might,
Becoming hail on this fateful night.
I want to be free of all traces
Of unwanted feelings and faces.
My body grows cold from the rain.
It stands clean and free from the pain.
Shivers create a path along my spine
As I wait in the darkened woods of pine.
I hold my head high to the wet spray.
It becomes a mist of blue and grey.
The faucet has turned off for the night,
Leaving me feeling clean and so right.
Author Bio:
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows such as Murder She Wrote and Columbo, entertained me with murder and suspense tales.
Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries, but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote one.
The Dead Game, Book One of The Dead Game series, brings fantasy and surrealism to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice the motley mix.
The story continues in Book Two, Prey for The Dead, as The Dead vampires use an exclusive club in Disney World to infiltrate the rich and famous. As The Dead grow in power, not even the bright sunshine of Florida can weaken them. Linda and her friends join forces with human vampires–known as hybrids–to defeat the evil threatening to control Oasis. A masquerade ball and a romp through the tunnels beneath the town lead to a showdown in southern Florida’s swamps.
The Dead At Heart is Shana’s love story. Will her love for William strengthen, or will Sam lead her on a different path? At Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Shana and her fearless friends fight for Oasis and their lives.
A career in writing has been a giant leap for me. Accustomed to the number-crunching field of budgeting and the hectic commodity markets, I left my first career and M.B.A. in Finance behind to pursue my dream. I do not regret my foray into literature for one moment. Fellow authors helped me make my way through the competitive field. I write every day and even tried my hand at poetry. If someone tells you it’s too late in life to try something different, they are wrong. It is never too late to follow your heart.
William’s bite bonded Shana to him, but he didn’t ask her to mate with him for life. She isn’t ready for a lifetime commitment. Now, William excludes her from his vampire meetings. Shana understands he’s an original vampire with immense powers. For them to be a couple, he has to treat as an equal partner. If William doesn’t respect her, then what are their chances of finding happiness?
Shana speaks to Linda, her best friend, of her fears.
“Paradise is an illusion.” Shana’s face grows heated as her frustration mounts. “Oasis is a haven for vampires. I’m tired of their battles. The Watchers get rid of an evil group of vamps, and another group arrives and attacks. It’s a vicious cycle. Vampires are trouble.”
“We will have a happy ending.” Linda lifts her head. “Don’t lose faith. The Watchers will protect us, and Gregg has an elite force of original vampires.” She touches Shana’s arm. “William loves you; he won’t let something happen to you.”
“The vampires keep secrets from us.” Shana swallows the lump in her throat. “I don’t want to live with vamps anymore, and I need time to decide on my relationship with William. One minute, I’m suffocating, and then the next, I’m lost without him.”
As a new enemy descends on Oasis, Florida, Shana turns to Sheriff Sam, who broke her heart. Can she trust the human-vampire?
This begins Shana’s journey to fight vampires and werewolves with Sam at her side.
An explosion at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec doesn’t stop Shana and her friends from saving their town, and maybe even the world.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter handle: @SusanneLeist
Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/susanne.leist.98
Website address: https://www.susanneleist.com/
Thank you for supporting RRBC’s “SPOTLIGHT” Author! If you’d like to follow along with each stop of this tour, please check out our “SPOTLIGHT” Author forum on the RRBC site.
Writing and Music 
We have some of the same reading tastes, Susanne. Thanks for sharing your poem. I especially love this line– My body grows cold from the rain. Congratulations on a successful spotlight tour. It goes like a whirlwind, doesn’t it? Thanks so much for hosting, Jan.,
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Hi, Flossie! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment for Susanne. You are right! The tour goes like a whirlwind! I appreciate your support!
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I love you refreshing and touching poem, Susanne. Congratulations on your new book. Jan, thank you for featuring Susanne!
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Thank you for stopping by, Miriam!
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My pleasure, Jan!
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Congratulations, Susanne! Wishing you a fabulous month in the Spotlight. Many thanks for sharing your beautiful poetry. 🙂
Much gratitude for hosting, Jan, as always. Cheers to you both! 🙂
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Thank you, Natalie! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!
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Beautifully written, “Wash Away my Sorrows” effectively describes the magic of a storm. Jan, I always enjoy your blog. Thank you for hosting.
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Beautifully written, “Wash Away my Sorrow” is a poem I can relate to. Jan, I always enjoy your blog. Thank you for hosting.
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Karen! I’m happy you stopped by to support Susanne and her new book!
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Hi Susanne. I see that you have 3 books in the series. Are they stand alones’?
CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you Jan for being such a supportive host.
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Hi, Shirley. Thanks for stopping by. I hope Susanne will circle back around and answer your question.
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Thank you so much, Jan, for hosting my blog tour today. I’m sorry I couldn’t visit earlier because of my Sabbath. I appreciate my visitors and their kind words.
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It was my pleasure to host you today, Susanne! I hope you’ve enjoyed your Spotlight Tour!
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I must say, I do love a wild storm (my dogs, not so much!).
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Lol, Wendy! I’m sure the dogs don’t appreciate the wild beauty of a storm. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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The sound of the rain can be soothing. My dog doesn’t mind rainstorms or even thunder. He sleeps through it all.
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Great feature, Jan. Susanne, your poem is beautiful and so refreshing. I could use some of that cleansing rain. And great snippet! Congrats on the new book!
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I felt the same way when I read the poem, Diana. The world needs a good cleansing rain! Thank you for stopping by!
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Thank you, Diana. Poetry lets me express my feelings. Poetry began on a whim, and now I can’t live without it.
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It is addictive, isn’t it? I think it’s a natural compliment to our fiction writing. 🙂
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Congrats to Susanne on being our Spotlight Author this month! I hope you enjoy your time in the spotlight and enjoy your writing journey – even in the rain! Thanks for hosting, Jan.
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Hi, John! Thanks for stopping by and supporting Susanne today!
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Thank you, John. I don’t usually enjoy being in the spotlight, but I’m honored to be chosen and able to share my books and poetry with fellow authors.
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I enjoyed this series:) I love the companion poetry and hope to see it in a book someday.
Thanks for hosting, Jan 🙂
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Great suggestion, Denise! I agree that Susanne has a knack for writing poetry! Thank you for stopping by.
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I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my series. I began writing my next book. It will take place in Maine like Murder She Wrote. A mystery with accents of the paranormal.
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I love watching the rain fall. In fact, one of my favorite smells is that of the first fallen rain. I enjoyed your poem, Susanne. 🙂
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I agree, Yvette. There is something magical about the earth being washed by rain. Thank you for stopping by and supporting Susanne!
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Congratulations to Susanne. Great hosting job, Jan 😁
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Thank you, John!
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Thank you, John, for visiting. I’ll see you on Twitter!
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Good deal. 😊
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