Title: Nipped in the Bud
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Cover blurb: Paige Turner has secured her first landscaping contract, sprucing up the city park for the upcoming Pickle Fest. But after a confrontation with the city manager, she finds him dead in a mound of mulch. With no alibi for the time of death and, according to the police chief, with plenty of motive to carry out the murder, Paige must dig her way out of the mess by finding the real killer. Attorney Adam Hayes aids in her search as he works hard to keep her out jail—and his heart.
1) How did this story come to you?
I love to garden and I love to kill people—on paper that is, LOL—so it was only natural for me to combine both together in Nipped in the Bud. I also wanted to share gardening tips in a humorous format a cozy mystery like Nipped in the Bud is a perfect format to do so.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Wow, that’s a story. I was awarded my contract for Nipped in the Bud at the American Fiction Christian Writer’s conference in September of 2008 for Barbour’s Heartsong Presents Mystery imprint. Then in January, the line folded and my dreams died. Or so I thought. But a year later Barbour decided to publish the contracted mysteries in a new single title line called Hometown Mysteries and they selected Nipped in the Bud to release in the first six mysteries.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Hmm, let’s see. I have lived in nine states, one twice. But that was Texas and it’s such a big state you have to live there twice, LOL. I used to teach computers to kindergartners through eighth graders and that job also included doing hardware repair for the computer lab. One day, in my younger years, my husband went to work and I decided to take down all of the walls in the second story of our house to open up the rooms. He came home and all that was left were wires hanging from the ceiling. FYI, we were planning to this, I just got a head start.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am working on the edits for Behind the Badge, a romantic suspense book releasing in June with Love Inspired Suspense and writing Relentless Pursuit another romantic suspense book releasing in the fall of 2011 also with Love Inspired Suspense
5) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me here, today and I’d like to say a special thank you to all the readers who have bought both High-Stakes Inheritance and Nipped in the Bud this fall. I am so appreciative of all the kind readers out there.
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love to connect with readers and here are a few places I can do that.
http://www.susansleeman.com/ Personal website
http://www.thesuspensezone.com/ Book review website
http://hometownmysteries.com/ Hometown Mystery Website
http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman Twitter
http://www.facebook.com/susan.sleeman Facebook friend’s page
http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks Facebook fan page
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com/ Love Inspired Authors
This sounds like a wonderful mystery. Please enter me in this contest. I live in Texas now so I guess that I have another move to do!
ReplyDeleteCarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
sounsd awesome!
ReplyDeleteaimymichelle[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks for hosting me on your wonderful blog K. Dawn, and thanks to those who have entered to win Nipped in the Bud so far. And yes, Carol, you'll have to move one more time! LOL
ReplyDeleteNipped in the Bud sounds like a very entertaining read. I would love to win a copy of this book. I am already a subscriber. Thank you for having this giveaway.
ReplyDeletecarlyberd[at]yahoo[dot]com
I have a few I would love to kill on paper! LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, would love to read the book.
dancealert at aol dot com
I love to garden, too. We live in a house built in the early 1950's. Over the years I have found some strange odds & ins in the back yard while gardening, but I got really worried the year I put in a big veggie garden & I started to add it all up. In total I have found: frames for glasses (prescription, not sun), part of a flannel shirt, a lether shoe (more than a foot underground), assorted change (money), 3 keys on ring, and such. When we were digging out the lg garden area, I teased my hubby about weather we would find a body to go with the things I had found over the years. I didn't have a full set of cloths, but it was getting close. Luckily, no one has ever gone missing for the area for me to be worried about, but it is still strange/spooky.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds like fun, thanks for the giveaway!
vickykerr[at]sbcglobal.net
I hope this mystery line continues because I have loved cozy mysteries for more years than I care to admit and am thrilled to find them in the Christian market. Thank you for the chance to win Nipped in the Bud.
ReplyDeletecjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Love a good mystery book...so add me on to win a copy! :D I am already a subscriber...Love these contest :D
ReplyDeleteLinda, strgth4yu@hotmail.com
I would love to win this book!!
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic! Please include me in the giveaway. Thanks!
ReplyDeletefreda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
I follow and subscribe.
ReplyDeletefreda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
It's a fun mystery. You'll enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks to all who have just entered to win Nipped in the Bud. Brenda, too funny that you also would like to do away with people on paper!!! Carole, I too hope this line does well and continues. Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres to read and write. Oh, my, Vicky, your gardening adventures sound like the start of a great book and I can tell you like to garden as much as I do.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a great book and I just love to read a good mystery.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks for the giveaway -
ReplyDeletewallest02 at hotmail dot com