#SueColetta

#BonusGuestDay – Author #SueColetta – #NewRelease – #RestlessMayhem

/ Marcia Meara / 70 Comments

Woohoo! Today is Bonus Guest Day, and today’s surprise visitor is author, Sue Coletta. Sue has a very interesting post to share, as she announces the release of her latest book in her very popular Mayhem series. I know you’re going to find this a lot of fun, so I’m gonna turn things over to Sue without further delay. Sue … take it away, my friend!

Thanks, Marcia
***

Birth Animals & Restless Mayhem

 Native American Spirit Animals and Zodiac are two different things. Spirit Animals refer to animals that you share a connection with, whereas the Native American Zodiac is your birth animal. It may come as no surprise to those who know me that my Spirit Animal is a crow. It’s also my birth animal. Is it any wonder I’m drawn to these magnificent black beauties?

Though I can’t tell you your Spirit Animal—only you can determine that—I thought it’d be fun to share our birth animals in the comments below.

Jan 20-Feb 18: Otter
Otters are proud, offbeat, and original individuals, who use unconventional methods to complete their goals. They may come across as unusual characters but their ability to approach things differently make them ideal problem-solvers. They’re also sensitive, attentive, honest, and reliable—perfect traits for a friend. Otters do require solitude, however. When they’re left alone too long, they can get rebellious and lash out. So, give them space, but not too much space.

Feb 19-March 20: Wolf
The Wolf is a walking contradiction. Loving and emotional, they also need freedom and don’t like taking orders. Folks born under the Wolf sign possess a deep longing to help others. Because of their generous nature, they freely give love. Driven by their need to also receive love, they’re fiercely protective of their independence and don’t like being too tied down in a relationship, often resulting in conflict.

March 21-April 19: Falcon
The falcon is a born leader, always ready to take the initiative. Not impulsive at all. Blessed with a natural judgment, the falcon steps forward when a crisis arises. Their natural ability to lead might make them appear arrogant at first, though their opinions are usually spot-on. Falcons are also deeply passionate, supportive, and excels in maintaining lifelong relationships.

April 20-May 20: Beaver
The beaver has a cunning and sharp mind. Quick thinkers and excellent problem-solvers, the beaver can adapt and overcome any situation. This trait makes them a powerhouse force in business. These individuals can get held back with their “my way or the highway” attitude, but their compassionate and loyal nature balances them out.

May 21-June 20: Deer
Lively and energetic, the deer has a sparkling personality and quick wit. Most are hilarious. Deer shine at any gathering, as they’re quite entertaining. People are drawn to the deer because of their charisma, warmth, and humor. Though they prefer being the center of attention, their friendly nature supersedes any self-involved characteristics. In a crisis, they may not be your first choice. Deer avoids conflict and often run from a fight or tragic situation.

June 21-July 21: Woodpecker
The most nurturing in the zodiac, the woodpecker is super supportive, empathetic, and caring—great listeners who never judge—but also can be extremely jealous and possessive. Though the woodpecker is a reliable partner and friend, they’re a bit frugal and thrifty, with supreme organizational skills. Need help creating a budget? Call a woodpecker friend.

July 22-August 21: Salmon
The salmon has an infectious energy that’s impossible to ignore. Inherently goal-orientated, salmon need to find their purpose in life and believe in chasing their dreams. Salmon are stable, calm, and enthusiastic, resulting in a sensual and passionate partner.

August 22-September 21: Bear
The bear is practical, hard-working, selfless, and has a generous spirit. These individuals are exceptional judges of character and can find the truth behind lies. Their calm and patient temperament is only unmatched by their mediative nature in tense situations. Modest and somewhat shy, bear prefer to work in a supportive role or quietly work in the background. You’ll never hear a bear brag or boast (try saying that three times fast).

September 22-October 22: Crow
The crow is an energetic, natural charmer, attractive, and mysterious. Both idealistic and diplomatic, crow portray balance and can often provoke their friends to think deeper. Crows are easygoing, patient, intuitive, and natural-born romantics. Rarely, if ever, will you see a crow freak out. Instead, they prefer to talk things through in a caring manner.

October 23-November 22: Snake
The snake might be the most spiritual of all the birth animals. Those born under this animal possess a unique tether to the spirit world. Because of this deep connection, they may give off an air of mystery, mystique, and secrecy. At other times, they may appear dark and frightening. In truth, the snake is sensitive, caring, and passionate.

November 23-December 21: Owl
Not surprisingly, the owl is wide-eyed and eager to experience new things. Difficult to sanction into one box, their views and life goals may change from moment to moment. They’re spontaneous, easy-going, adventurous, and ideal travel companions. A friend to everyone—at least on the surface—they adapt well to any environment.

December 22-January 19: Goose
The goose will achieve anything it sets its mind to, and they’ll often excel at it, too. Competitive but not motivated by the approval of others. They’re innate desire to achieve success makes them determined and a tad obsessive. Because of these traits, the goose is more prone to addiction. The goose is also passionate, humorous, and outgoing.

What’s your birth animal? Does it match your personality? Do you know your Spirit Animal? If so, do they differ?

I’d planned to share an excerpt that dealt with Spirit Animals, but I couldn’t find one that didn’t ruin the ending. Instead, I’ll share the opener. Hope you enjoy it!

Restless Mayhem Opener

As I faded into a peaceful slumber in the back bedroom of Mr. Mayhem’s log cabin in Jackson, New Hampshire, a hair-raising shriek startled me awake. I jolted upright. In the window, burning red eyes peered through a deluge of blackness, the background silenced by an eerie stillness, the stench of death seeping through the screen.

Oh. My. God. An icy tongue licked up my spine. Shicheii’s right. We woke the beast.

I leaped out of bed. Sprinted down the hall, my bare feet slapping the wide-pine floor. Up the stairs, I clamored. Braked at the top. Who should I wake? For days, my grandfather, a Diné Medicine Man with unlimited spiritual power, warned me and Mr. Mayhem that our so-called “mistakes” could reanimate an ancient beast from its dormancy. So, waking Shicheii probably wasn’t the best idea. But the last time I woke Mr. Mayhem, a cunning warrior steeped in mystery and mystique… Well, let’s just say it didn’t go well.

If he and I hadn’t left two dead poachers in the forest surrounding the property, I wouldn’t have to make this decision. But those burning red eyes weren’t going away on their own. I had to do something, tell someone about the creature lurking outside my window. Those eyes didn’t belong to a normal animal.

With no other alternative, I padded into Mr. Mayhem’s dark and quiet bedroom. Even though this felt wrong on so many levels, I crept closer.

Steps away from the bed, Poe—his freakishly human crow companion—cracked open one eye, and I swear that bird chuckled under his breath, no doubt thinking, Good luck, asshole. Spirit Crow slept next to him, her brilliant white plumage glistening in the moonlight, delicate feet tucked under her body on the tribal blanket. Almost scentless, a slight hint of citrus surfed the air.

Moonbeams cascaded over Mr. Mayhem’s face and bare chest. Out cold, a deep sleep like last time. Uh-oh. From several feet away, I cleared my throat.

He didn’t budge.

A little louder—not too loud or I might wake Shicheii in the bedroom next door—I cleared my throat a second time, my insides screaming for me to leave.

Nothing. Not even a twitch of the eyelids.

Shit. I couldn’t call out without alerting my grandfather, but approaching Mr. Mayhem without fair warning could turn deadly fast. If touched, his first reaction was to attack, so nudging him was out of the question. Learned that little tidbit the hard way, and I certainly wasn’t in a hurry to do it again.

 Amidst a rising tide of poachers, three unlikely eco-warriors take a stand
to save endangered Eastern Gray Wolves—even if it means
the slow slaughter of their captors.

It’s release day! Grab your copy of Restless Mayhem for 99c on Amazon before the price rises to full retail.

Author Sue Coletta

 Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”) and Writers Helping Writers.

Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes two psychological thriller series, the Mayhem Series and Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Sue teaches a virtual course about serial killers for EdAdvance in CT and a condensed version for her fellow Sisters In Crime. She’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery (airs: summer, 2023).

Buy Link for All of Sue’s Books

You can reach Sue on Social Media here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
AmazonAuthorPage
Goodreads

Thank you so much for being our guest today, Sue!
Here’s wishing you much success with Restless Mayhem.

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – #Author #SueColetta

/ Marcia Meara / 72 Comments

Today, I’m very happy to announce that our guest author is mystery writer Sue Coletta. Sue is well-known to many, many of us in the writing and blogging community, but I’ll bet there are some things in her post today that will make your jaw drop! 😁  With that in mind, let’s get right to it. Take it away, Sue!

Thanks for having me today, Marcia!
~~~

10 Things You May Not Know About Me
by Sue Coletta

  1. I grew up in a house filled with secret passageways and escape routes.

My maternal grandfather was Native American, and he built the house my mother grew up in. After my grandparents passed, my brother and I grew up there. In the back of each walk-in closet was a secret door that led to passageways behind the walls. These passageways led to a side attic with a trapdoor in the floor. Stairs beneath led straight out the back door. At the time, my brother and I had no idea why our house held these secrets. We just thought they made cool forts. It wasn’t till years later that I began to suspect why. Without getting too deep, my grandfather and his parents (my great-grandparents) witnessed the damage done to Indigenous communities across New England, with several tribes decimated by disease, murder, sold into slavery, or imprisoned to steal their land. So, it makes sense that he’d create hideouts and escape routes for his family and friends. Maybe the house doubled as some kind of underground railroad.

  1. Most of my family died on December 3rd (different years).

When I was a teenager, I lost my mom on December 3rd. Before she died, she told me how difficult it was to lose her dad so close to Christmas. So, after she passed, I flipped through the family Bible. Sure enough, not only did my mom and grandfather die on the same day but so did the vast majority of my maternal line. Freaky, right? Now that I work from home, I rarely, if ever, leave the house on December 3rd. LOL

  1. On my 16th birthday, a diagnosis rocked my world.

Most young girls look forward to their sixteenth birthday. One week before mine, my first “lady doctor” diagnosed me with cervical cancer. My mother was so devastated, she wavered on how to tell me for a full week, when I answered the phone on my birthday and one of the nurses broke the news that I had cervical cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good. Happy Sweet Sixteen! Mom was in the middle of setting up a treatment plan when the doctor breezed through my file one last time. Sure enough, some other poor girl’s paperwork was mixed in with mine. But I’m glad it happened. The wisdom, courage, and inner strength of my mom during our mother-daughter talks have lasted a lifetime. She taught me not to let anything stand in my way, even if some incompetent doctor slaps you with a death sentence.

  1. I start every day by watching the sunrise.

This also stems from Mom. It’s important to take the time to appreciate all the wondrous gifts that surround us. Sitting in silence in the predawn, hints of color splashed across the horizon before the sun peeks out—to really be in the moment, grateful for another sunrise—starts the day on a positive note. What’s more beautiful—spiritual—than nature?

  1. Humans wear me out, not animals.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m at my happiest around animals and nature. The two-legged, the four-legged, the furred, the feathered, and the scaled are all welcome in my yard. Everybody gets a name and a quick chat to say hi. Seriously, I’ve even named dragonflies, outside spiders, bees, butterflies…the list goes on and on. My sweet husband memorizes every name. When he thinks I’m not watching, he’ll chat with each one. Adorable! On the flipside, if new humans move to our area, they may never meet me. Unless they’re readers who catch me at a book signing. 😉

  1. Though I love animals, I’ve had a lifelong fear of white horses.

When I was in kindergarten, a lady brought her white horse to school grounds. And, of course, I noticed him immediately and rushed over to say hi. The woman asked if I’d like to pet him. After Mom asked the usual — Is he friendly? Will he bite? Does he like kids? — I tippy toed to pet his nose, and he chomped down on my upper arm. For six weeks afterward, I cowered behind an upholstered chair every time the doctor house-called to deliver another rabies shot. Turns out, I was the seventh person he bit. Once word reached the state, they stepped in and killed the horse. To help me overcome my fear, Mom bought horse riding lessons. Took a while for me to feel comfortable around horses. Even then, I refused to go anywhere near the white ones. Still don’t.

  1. During my life, I’ve befriended all types.

From bank robbers to cops, I never judged anyone by their mistakes, skin color, religion, or achievements. Still don’t. We are the sum of our parts.

  1. When I was 24, my ex hired a hitman to kill me.

I married way too young. My 1st husband and I dated in high school. After I lost my mom (my dad died years before), I longed for a family to call my own. And so, when my ex asked me to marry him, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Big mistake. On some level, I knew it, too. I bawled during the entire limo ride to the church and still couldn’t pull it together before walking down the aisle. I was so hysterical, the minister ushered me into his office—alone—where he told me I didn’t need to go through with the wedding. But I’d sent out invitations, guests were already in their seats, I booked a hall for the reception, I loved my gown, and we had honeymoon plans.

When you’re young and alone and shattered by grief, those reasons were enough to get married. The marriage ended five years later. In truth, I barely escaped with my life (story for another time). Fast forward six months, and I’m sitting in a local biker bar with my new boyfriend (notorious biker club member) when this guy slides into our booth. Turns out, my ex-husband hired him to kill me. It’s pure luck that I was with my then-boyfriend. Because he and this guy were friends, the hitman came clean. Otherwise, I might not be here. Years later, when my ex got sober and reached out to make amends, I asked why he wanted me dead. He said, “All I kept thinking was, if I can’t have you, no one will.” Did I forgive him? Yes. For me, not for him.

  1. I speak fluent French…in my sleep.

When I was about twelve or thirteen, I fell asleep on the couch while Mom read on the loveseat. The next thing she knows, I’m carrying on a full conversation in French. Which she knew because she’d taken several courses in French. I, on the other hand, never took one. This continued for years. Freaky, right?

  1. My intuition freaks out my family & friends.

Let me preface this by saying, I don’t consider myself a psychic or possess any psychic abilities. I just have a healthy dose of accurate intuition. Or guardian angels. Maybe both. The first time I became aware of it was in the second grade. A girl named Marla sat in front of me in homeroom. We weren’t what I’d call friends. One night, I woke in the middle of the night, crying that Marla’s father was dead. Mom, of course, told me it was only a bad dream. When I went to school the next day, the homeroom teacher told us Marla wouldn’t be there for a while. Her father died the night before. The newly deceased continued to come to me in dreams, and I delivered quite a few messages to loved ones over the years. The “death dreams” ended after I lost Mom. That’s when my intuition kicked into overdrive.

For example, about five years ago, I was in the shower when a flash rocketed through my mind—FedEx driver strolling down the walkway with a package, my eldest Rottweiler growling, barking, the cable on his run snapping in half—and I leaped out the shower, threw on my robe, and bolted outside to bring my dog in. Within five minutes, the FedEx truck pulled into the driveway. About an hour later, I clipped my dog to his run. I had my hand on the doorknob when the cable snapped.

Another more recent example: Three weeks ago, I couldn’t get an online friend off my mind. Nothing I could pinpoint, but I felt something was wrong. It wasn’t till I was writing to her that I felt an overpowering sensation that one of her fur babies died. So, I reached out. “Are you okay? I have a feeling something awful happened to your eldest cat, and I’m hoping I’m wrong.” Within seconds, she wrote back. “Oh. My. God, Sue! How’d you know?” Her husband found their cat dead when he woke for work that morning. *shrugs*

Latest in Sue’s Mayhem Series
Now Available on Amazon HERE

Author Sue Coletta

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5). Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog. 

Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes two psychological thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and true crime (Rowman & Littlefield Group). And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show. Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com

 

Buy Link for All of Sue’s Books

You can reach Sue on Social Media here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
AmazonAuthorPage
Goodreads

Hope you enjoyed Sue’s amazing #TenThings List as much as I did!
Thank you for being our guest today, Sue! Looking forward
to having you visit more often.

 

 

 

 

#ReblogAlert – #Twofer – #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire and #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 10 Comments

 

A bit late this morning, but here you go! Another week, another recap of the fantastic posts on #StoryEmpire and Sally Cronin’s #Smorgasbord WeeklyRoundUp. Trust me … lots of stuff you won’t want to miss this week, so happy browsing!

As usual, #StoryEmpire has three most excellent posts on writing-related topics, and here are the direct links:

MONDAY: To start the week, D. Wallace Peach presents a wonderfully helpful post on one of my favorite topics–character development, and I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Check out Crafting Rich Characters Part 1 HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Mid-week, we have Jan Sikes sharing a super post entitled #MKTG – Part 10 – More on Amazon Ads. If you struggle with marketing like I do, you’ll definitely want to check out this post, and the entire series! You can find this post HERE.

FRIDAY: And wrapping up the week, we have Craig Boyack’s super-interesting post Expansion Pack: Story Engineering, featuring some wonderful tips from author Sue Coletta. Check it out HERE.

And of course, you know I wouldn’t miss sharing Sally Cronin’s weekly roundup on her fabulous Smorgasbord blog. SO much going on over there, you’ll want to check it out to be sure you didn’t miss anything.

Check out this week’s #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp HERE.