Susan Sands: Cover Reveal

Dear Friends,

I'm so excited to share the new cover and blurb for my upcoming novel, Forever, Alabama! This

Forever, Alabama

book has been a tough one, I have to say. I've written it through busy and emotional times, so it's a victory just seeing it come to fruition.

I believe the story reflects some of the angst I've lived while writing it, so if it's slightly different, that might be the reason. Personal struggle shows up in an author's work, no matter how we try to maintain continuity. There's a little more independent character development, both with the hero and heroine. They've both got some stuff going on separate from the other. But they come together to help one another with the other's struggles and find something special together. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Be there for each other? I hope you'll give Forever, Alabama a try. 

Oh, and isn't the cover fantastic? Lee Hyat, my cover designer did a fantastic job, as did the rest of the Tule team. I can't thank them enough for the time and effort they put into helping my work out into the world.

Blurb:

Everybody loves local attorney and favorite son, Ben Laroux.  Well, at least everybody of the female persuasion–until he meets Sabine O'Connor. She loathes him and makes no secret of her feelings, even when he pours on his famous charm hoping to thank her for helping his family. Ben has never been told no, and if there's one thing he's never walked away from, it's a challenge.    Sabine hopes she’s finally found peace and safety in the small town of Ministry. She’s changed her name to escape her painful past and her shameful family secrets. Ben Laroux is a gorgeous and sexy complication she can’t afford, but also can't resist. However, when her past threatens to derail her present and future, Ben might be the only man she can trust.

I would love to connect!!

Susan

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SusanNoelSands
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/susannsandsauthor/
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/susansands/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorsusansands/

Susan Sands: So Long 2016!

I'm not one to bemoan a year its insults to my life, but the same as many of my friends, this one's been a challenge. It's not because talented celebrities passed, several far too young. No, it's because of the changes the year has wrought on my life and those I care about. Nothing is ever all bad, though it can certainly seem to lean that way sometimes.

My dad has a very aggressive form of dementia that has become the major focus of mine and my mother's lives. I have no siblings to help, so I'm the one who helps with decisions and heavy lifting, both physical and emotional. Most of you have some experience with Alzheimer's or dementia--it's just a fact of our culture today. It touches everyone. I helped moved my parents from my childhood home in Louisiana to an independent living senior apartment near my home in Georgia. It's worked well for me because now I don't have to travel or worry nearly as much, but it's not without its learning curve for us all. I can't imagine being ripped away from everything and everyone I've known for over forty years, in addition to spending every waking moment caring for someone who was, until very recently, partner, support, and strong shoulder to lean on. My mother is grieving for all she's lost in the past year, as am I.

The writing has been

hard this year. The third book in my Alabama series took on a deeper tone, as books do when authors are in emotional turmoil. It manifests in the story. That's not a bad thing, unless you're trying to keep it light. Hopefully, by the time I finished the book, I managed to strike a balance between the newfound gravitas and what my readers enjoy about my humorous, hopeful, and Southern family fiction. Oh, and there's romance, of course. It's all still there.

So, while I'm sorry to hear about the uber-talented famous folks leaving the earth, I tend to look inward and grieve the loss of my own, and those whose losses are closer and more personal. My sweet friend lost her brand new husband and soulmate, and a writer friend has battled fires, floods, and mudslides. No, I don't blame the year, but I'm certainly looking on the bright side for the upcoming one for so many reasons.

My wish this year is that we all achieve our secret wishes and goals. The ones we are afraid to say out loud. The ones that might sound selfish because of all the bad things happening in the world. I wish for positive changes in our attitudes toward the future and one another. Have hope--about everything. Find a way to make someone's day better--every day. Treat the invisible as if they are the most important person you've met all day. Good things happen to good people. We are all we have, folks.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Susan Sands: Beautiful Book Covers

I'm working on my third book in the Alabama series for the Tule Publishing Group. Tule took a big chance on me by publishing my debut novel, and I'm forever grateful! I have to say that of all the things there are to obsess about when releasing one's first novel, one of my most anxiety-producing moments was laying eyes on the mock-ups of my very first cover. I was so worried I would hate every single one. I'd been sent a cover art fact sheet by the publisher to fill out, of course. There were questions about the hero and heroins' hair color, eye color, skin tone, and body type, etc. Also, they asked for specifics about the setting and tone of the story.

But I had ideas for my cover. Lots of fantastic ideas that would convey my story perfectly in a snapshot. It was my first book, and the beginning of my brand. A brand that would define me in a very specific way to readers. Was I a commercial romance author? Was I Southern lit? Was I women's fiction? Well, I was all three. I hoped and prayed my covers would set that tone. It was a tall order, I assure you. And I wanted to be welcomed in all the circles. To literary festivals in my area, to romance panels at conferences, and taken seriously as I move at times toward women's fiction issues. Book covers define your work to everyone.

I love and own all my genres, even though they are inside one book. I know we can't be all things to all people, and I was asking a lot of a cover designer: No faces, no embracing couples, nothing too contemporary, nothing too country. But Tule listened to me, and they had a secret weapon. They had Lee Hyatt.

She pulled it off, not once, but twice!! And let me tell you--it was perfection. I've had readers and other authors go on and on about how they love my covers. Have a look!

Again, Alabama

Love, Alabama

Small town, Southern, romantic women's fiction never had a prettier and more appropriate cover!! Thanks so much Lee for finding the right balance and setting the tone for my brand. I'm in your debt.

Susan Sands

Susan Sands:  Book Clubs

I've been meeting with book clubs and groups of women who love books over the past year since releasing my first two novels. The last one was called Wednesday Wine and Wisdom. I was to supply the wisdom.  I laughed about that and did my best. After visiting a couple dozen groups, I've discovered several common threads that I find interesting and amusing. 

Most members of the groups drink somewhat heavily day or night. I don't really drink much alcohol because I get instant migraines from it, so it's interesting to observe the deterioration of questions and discussion as the day/evening progresses. Questions regarding sex and money become more prevalent as the wine flows. I've never been overtly offended by either topic, only amused.

Reader groups often have at least two or more would-be writers in their midst. I love sniffing them out. They are intensely interested in how I started writing and all the nuts and bolts of the process.

There are most often two distinct types of readers represented within most book clubs:  Literary fiction readers and commercial fiction readers. The literary fiction readers tend to be "wordies" who immerse themselves in the passages, or the lovely words. They roll around in the beauty of them and tend to hi-light the parts they'd like to revisit later. They also adore memoirs and meandering books that may or may not have a satisfying ending. These readers often love the classics as well.  

The commercial fiction reader is thrilled by a killer plot and characters. They adore a fast-paced, plot-driven read. They are "story" lovers as opposed to "word" readers. Authors of commercial fiction write for the reader to look beyond the words as if watching a movie unfold. 

It's not as if one can't love both kinds of books. And hopefully, a skilled author strike a balance between effective words and a fantastic, gripping story. But, the truth is, most authors write to a specific type. 

I'm a commercial writer. I write Southern romantic women's fiction that always includes a romance. There's a satisfying ending. You can count on it. I've come across mostly lovely women who have been kind and welcoming. But I've noticed an edge from a few of the readers who enjoy a deeper, more serious type of literature. The bottom line is that I write my books to please my readers. They won't please everyone. I can't fight that or change it. I've established my identity as an author. I might write something different someday, but for now, I'm satisfied with my genre. And I charge everyone to read whatever they choose. There are enough authors and books out there to satisfy everyone. 

I read a variety of genres, mostly determined by my mood. I often read outside my genre when I'm in the middle of writing a new book.

Check out my two Alabama books from The Tule Publishing Group!

       

    

Again, Alabama                               Love, Alabama

"Full of Southern charm, warmth and humor, Love, Alabama is as sweet and satisfying as homemade pie." --Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author 

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of a lovely summer!!

Susan Sands