Wednesday, February 26, 2020
SUSANNE LEIST - WOMAN IN HORROR
https://susanneleist.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/susanne.leist.98
https://twitter.com/SusanneLeist
Susanne Leist is my woman In Horror today! I run into Susanne and her marvelous books in many places. She is a tireless worker and a wonderful supporter of other authors.
Susanne has a different approach to writing Vampire tales. I will present some highlights to that in the posts about her books below.
About Susanne Leist
"I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn't reading late into the night, the TV shows--Murder She Wrote and Columbo--entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
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 the surreal 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, my main character, 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 the swamps of southern Florida.
A career in writing has been a big 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."
Susanne's fantastic novels.
Linda Bennett moves from New York to Florida to live a quieter life. Life is peaceful until the dead body washes up onshore. Linda learns that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are typical for the coastal town.
Linda and her friends receive an invitation to a party at End House, a deserted house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The group arrives, but no one is there to greet them. The house has a sinister life of its own where horror follows their every step. Traps, illusions, and revolving rooms add to their growing fear. Wild animals escape their cages in the basement, a bloody skeleton sleeps in an upstairs' bedroom, and body parts fall from the chimney into the living room's fireplace. The young residents flee for their lives.
They embark on a difficult journey, not knowing whom to trust, to uncover the one controlling the evil game.
Who are The Dead?
Are they humans or vampires?
Will Linda lose her heart to Todd, who knows more than he admits?
Will her best friend, Shana, fall in love with Sheriff Sam?
The Dead Game has begun.
Follow the adventure in Book Two, Prey for The Dead. Now Available.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Do not turn off the lights.
Ted Top 1000 Reviewer
The author has crafted herself a town that is bipolar in its nature. By day it pretends to be a bright seaside destination where youth collects to begin their adult lives; make friends, start businesses and parties. By night, the town closes ranks to all newbies and becomes a creepy destination for elites to ply their generational customs that include preying on the innocent. Linda and her friends will experience horror, shock, and disbelief as they attempt to get to the bottom of the macabre events in one of the historical mansions. The mansion was my favorite part as all senses of reality disappeared upon entering.
The Dead Game by Susanne Leist is a mysterious supernatural thriller with plenty of twists and turns that is well-written and keeps you turning the page. From the first page you start a wild ride and just when you think all is well, she throws in another twist.
Rhonda Cratty, Parenting & Education Examiner
I was absolutely surprised by this book! I knew it had some enigmatic mystery and some dark action, but the author set up the story so well I was happily amazed. It starts with a very engaging character, a young woman who is very well portrayed in a community, Oasis, Florida. The town's mysteries are maze-like and become deeper and more sinister as the book progresses. This is a very original approach to the concept of vampires and their existence.
Ray Miller "Relevant Reviewer"
The Dead Game by Susanne Leist is a top-notch haunted house horror thriller. The author excels at spooky descriptions, terrifying scenarios like opening a door and stepping into a black abyss or forever trapped in a dark maze with endless rooms stretching into infinity. Her characters are perfect and the reader can easily connect with them.
Simon Okill, Simon's Phantom Blog
A beachfront town, a haunted mansion, people disappearing or turning up dead--these are the elements of gothic horror, but this unique novel has a more than a few twists. The writing is first-rate, and the pace is fast. The characters are well-defined, and the plot is imaginative and unpredictable...
Howard Lipman, pen name PanOrpheus, author
Susanne's take on vampires is fresh and new but you'll have to read to know. She takes the age-old vampire legend and turns it into something I've never read before...
Elle Klass, Author of As Snow Falls
From the Author
Nothing can be as fine
as the dear book of mine.
It might not be sold in a big bookstore,
but you will not find one to offer more.
It was created with much love and hope,
even though it wasn't blessed by a Pope.
It has my blood, sweat, and tears.
Might raise many of your fears.
It has action, murder, and romance.
It can even do a little dance.
Please try it, and you'll see
it has the best of me.
Linda Bennett's dreams of happiness have always eluded her. Five years ago, she moved to Florida from New York to escape heartache. The Dead, an evil group of vampires, had ruined any hope of peace for her and her friends. Surrounded by vampires and human vampires, Linda finds solace in her bookstore, learning to live among vamps and hybrids. Then one morning, Oasis goes dark, and an explosion rocks her shop and any future dreams for a happy ending.
Linda and her friends race to where lightning converges on a sinkhole in an isolated spot behind the town. As vampires and hybrids try to save the vampire hunter and vamp trapped beneath Oasis, a witch's spell throws the residents back in time.
When evidence emerges of The Dead's return to Oasis, Linda and her best friend, Shana, join vamps and hybrids on their search for The Dead. At an exclusive club in Disney World, they pose as the trophy wives of the hybrids, Todd and Sheriff Sam. Death and mayhem follow their every step. A romp through the tunnels beneath Oasis leads to a showdown in the swamps of Florida.
Can Oasis survive the battle between good and evil?
Will Linda find her happy ending?
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Set five years after the events in Leist's (The Dead Game, 2013) previous novel, this sequel aims to expand on the threat of Wolf and explore romance among the vamps. Readers will also enjoy a touch of mystery when they discover that Wolf's spirit has migrated into a new body... The Florida coast is beautifully evoked by water that "shimmered in alternating shades of azure and cerulean blue" and "the scent of zinnias and lavender" that "permeated the gentle wind." Most of the violence isn't the traditional vampire neck biting but more in tune with battlefield carnage ("A body hung from the chandelier--a headless form--still wearing his shirt and pants, now saturated with blood")." -- Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Set five years after the events in Leist's (The Dead Game, 2013) previous novel, this sequel aims to expand on the threat of Wolf and explore romance among the vamps. Readers will also enjoy a touch of mystery when they discover that Wolf's spirit has migrated into a new body... The Florida coast is beautifully evoked by water that "shimmered in alternating shades of azure and cerulean blue" and "the scent of zinnias and lavender" that "permeated the gentle wind." Most of the violence isn't the traditional vampire neck biting but more in tune with battlefield carnage ("A body hung from the chandelier--a headless form--still wearing his shirt and pants, now saturated with blood")." -- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn't reading late into the night, the TV shows--Murder She Wrote and Columbo--entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn't reading late into the night, the TV shows--Murder She Wrote and Columbo--entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.
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 the surreal 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, my main character, 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 the swamps of southern Florida.
A career in writing has been a big 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.
I'm certain that Susanne has more great tales to come. Susanne Leist is indeed a Woman In Horror!
Blaze McRob
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