I’m really happy to be showcasing a fellow Canadian today – Susan Lyons, who also writes as Susan Fox. Susan is one of those extraordinary women you often find in the romance world, a multi-talented, multi-tasking person who had at least one successful career before becoming a writer. In Susan’s case, she was a project manager, a computer consultant, a legal editor, and a lawyer (she says becoming a lawyer was way easier than becoming a published writer). She eventually found her way to writing, and has been penning fiction for 15 years. In additional to her novels, she’s had stories published in Canadian literary journals, England’s Women’s Weekly, and Australia’s Woman’s Day.
In 2005, Susan finaled in the Golden Heart, the prestigious contest for unpublished authors sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. A year later her first book, Champagne Rules, was released, and she has subsequently published over 16 novels and novellas for a number of publishing houses. Susan has also won a whole slew of awards, including the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Book Buyers Best, The Booksellers Best, and the Laurel Wreath. Her book, Sex Drive, was a Cosmopolitan Magazine Red-Hot Read.
As if you couldn’t tell by that last bit, Susan writes really sexy books, with great titles like Touch Me, and She’s On Top. Readers and reviewers alike love her books, and rightly so. Her stories are steamy and passionate, but they also have a lot of heart and truly wonderful characters. For instance, RT Book Reviews gave She’s On Top a 4-1/2 stars, Top Pick review:
“Full of internal conflict, good friends and delicious sensuality, this book is hard to put down.”
By the way, this book also won the Aspen Gold Readers’ Choice Award for Best Erotic Romance, the Golden Quill for Best Erotic Romance, and finaled in the Maggies, the Laurel Wreath, the…well, you get the idea! If I listed all the awards and accolades Susan has received we’d be here all day! You should definitely check out her website, which has tons of info about her books, novellas, and short stories, and some really cool features like recipes for each of her books.
Susan’s latest book is Heat Waves, which is two-story, interwoven anthology that is part of her Destination Wedding Series.
As usual, Susan has garnered wonderful reviews. According to Romance Reviews Today, Susan has “created a perfect blend of interesting characters, romance, intrigue and, of course, hot sex.”
Sounds like my kind of book! Here’s the blurb for Heat Waves:
Get ready to sizzle…
Liz and Peter can’t think of a more fun, sexy place to get married than the Greek Islands. And they’re not the only ones looking for a steamy holiday, cruising in the sun…
“Rock the Boat”
For widowed wedding planner Gwen Austin, the charismatic Santos Michaelides is the perfect man to help her rediscover herself as a sexy single woman. At least until she finds out there’s more to the cruise director than meets the eye—in more ways than she believed possible. In fact, he’s an insurance investigator, working undercover to get the goods on one of the passengers. How is control-freak Gwen going to cope when she discovers Santos has the potential to mess up the wedding—and mess with her heart?
“Making Waves”
When prosecutor Kendra Kirk meets up again with Flynn Kavanagh, the sexy IT consultant she’d unsuccessfully prosecuted for white collar crime, sparks of all kinds fly. When he professes his innocence, she believes him and soon they’re lovers—secret ones, because if her boss ever found out, she’d be seen as sleeping with the enemy. Kendra’s job is the most important thing in her life, so what will she do when she learns the truth about the crime and must choose between work and love?
Heat Waves is available on Amazon and at all the usual booksellers. Check out Susan’s site for the buy links and to read an excerpt.
For my readers, Susan has graciously donated a copy of Heat Waves to the blog. Since Susan is a sexy writer, let’s talk about sex! When reading romance novels, how hot do you like to go? Full-on and steamy passionate encounters, or do you prefer sex in novels behind closed doors? Enquiring minds want to know! One person who comments will win a copy of Heat Waves.
Vanessa, thanks so much for this lovely write-up. You have me blushing! I’d love to hear people’s comments on the question you posed.
All true, Susan! Thanks for coming on the blog!
OOooooohh!! you guys are bad for my TBR pile, this looks amazing!
To answer your comment it depends on my mood, though I do normally prefer it quite hot but coupled with a serviceable if not equally as engaging plot. Right now I’m on a BDSM theme binge so the hands tied with the pearls definitely grabbed my attention!
That cover really caught my attention too, Camille!
Thanks, Camille. In my books, you do get plot – but mostly (as well as sex), you get romance and character development. I really believe in challenging my characters, making them confront some of their vulnerabilities and fears, and come out stronger in the end.
BTW, I should tell you, there isn’t actually any BDSM in this book. The pearls are in the story, but they aren’t used in bondage – more just as a tease when Santos “takes Gwen prisoner” with her pearls and tugs her along with him for a little sex on a Mykonos rooftop.
Okay, pearls and sex on a Mykonos rooftop – this book is obviously a MUST READ!
LOL. Thanks!
oh yes totally agree, I love great characterization as well- if there’s great sex AND the story makes me cry- EVEN BETTER (I’m a sucker for angst but not in the YA kind of angst lol)
No problem, bdsm or not I’m still reading it ;P
Oh yes, I love a little angst too, in the good way. I always hope that readers both laugh and cry when they read my books, and always go away with a good feeling about the happy ending.
Wow another great author with fabulous books. I have to agree with Camille, this is so bad for my TBR pile, it’s getting bigger and bigger.
I have to say I like both…sometimes I want the sex “behind close door”, but mostly I want to full-on and very steamy passionate encounter…the more the betterh…LOL…
I’m definitely going to check out the other books by Susan Lyons.
Mwahaha! Natasja, this is our evil plan – to get you to buy more books!
Thanks, Natasja. Yes, I like steamy too (obviously!!). I like really knowing what’s going on with the characters – their hearts, minds, and bodies. Sex is such an intimate act that when the door’s closed, I feel as if I’m missing something important. It would be like having the heroine and hero go out for dinner and, rather than being able to read the whole conversation, the author just wrote “and then they chatted and had a great time.” Sorry, that falls flat for me! (Hmm, was that a double entendre?)
Hi Vanessa and Susan!
Sex and romance is an important part of a healthy relationship and I do embrace them in books. I have no qualms about sex so long as it comes across natural, suited to the couple and the story. I prefer meaningful intimacy, more passionate and sensual than crude and blatant. It goes a long way in protraying the intimacy between a couple and one of the many ways they express love.
Hi there, Na. Yes, I’m totally with you. Sometimes it can be soft and gentle, sometimes urgent and intense, but always, passionate, sensual, intimate.
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