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The Grateful Undead Series



In book one,THEY'RE SO VEIN, the women in the Stech family went from dentures to fangs, Depends to thongs, Dr. Scholl's® to stilettos, and bumbled their way into an undead lifetime of Critter Control when one of them inadvertently turned a raccoon into a vampoon.









GATOR BAITIN' (book 2) begins as the team is dispatched to destroy a vamp-gator wreaking havoc at Gatorland in Orlando, only to get sidetracked by a serial killer investigation, a vamp-bull at a rodeo in Kissimmee, and a colorful demon named Rafael. Between bronco busting, dragon riding, Jesus-freak chasing, gator hunting, demon summoning and dead bodies popping up everywhere, Susan's finding it hard to fit in a little romp time. 




In BLOOD, SWEAT, AND DEMON TEARS (book 3) Susan's sister is in one hell of a mess (literally); confined to servitude with the demon, Rafael.When Rafael gifts JoAnn with an Earth-to-Abyss cellphone so she can communicate with her sister, Susan soon finds out that JoAnn has gone from servitude to concubine, and no longer wishes to come home. Only problem is that JoAnn really loves her new cell phone and the frequent calls--time really moves like Hell in the Abyss--are driving Marcus and Susan batty! In their attempt to retrieve JoAnn, THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD team ultimately finds themselves knee-deep in vamp critters, demons, rogues, and a host of new and colorful characters, when the mission takes them from their home in Florida to the streets of New Orleans.



All Hell is breaking loose in book 4 of the Grateful Undead series.
The women in the Stech family are aging. Jeni and Paul are dating.
Christopher is getting a free Travel-to-Hell-and-Back card from Satan.
JoAnn is using and abusing drugs, and she's sexting Raphael at bedtime.
Raphael wants to come to earth and live with JoAnn and Lily.
Chick kills a senior citizen at bingo.
Dorius' head is on the block with the Italian council—a fanged critter turned up in Italy. 



From the author -
One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde



What was your inspiration for "The Grateful Undead? I started to have this crazy dream every night: Sexy vamp guy waltzes through the French doors of my bedroom balcony, and after an erotically charged interlude (see chapter twenty-eight in book one, They're so Vein), he fangs me, which just happens to clock me back about 30 years. That's when the crazy-as-hell, non-estrogen producing women in my family burst into my dream asking for a piece of the action. I laughed myself awake and then got out a pad and a pen. After I cut the girls loose in my world there was no dragging them back out again! My dreams became filled with fanged fiascoes and they mentally pushed me toward the computer every morning, fighting for top billing.

Can you describe your main character, Susan, and how her personality leads her into trouble? Susan has curly red hair, green eyes, and dresses in grubby jeans or cargo shorts, t-shirts and her Doc Martins, which drives her bible thumping vampire-ish sister, nuts. But then again, JoAnn irons her underwear. Am I ashamed of Susan? Nah, I'm very proud of her crude, sarcastic wit. I take full credit for each and every one of her unseemly qualities—taught her everything she knows.

The Stechs have an interesting family dynamic. Can you tell us a little about how they interact? They interact like the women in my real family. The characters in my book are spontaneous, edgy, and verbally animated; nothing is sacred, no holds are barred.

Your book is filled with comedy. Do you plan for funny moments, or do they come naturally? I can never plan anything that spews from my character's mouths, or their actions and reactions to different situations. I stick them in a situation and they write the outcome. I just type and laugh along with them until we get there.

Can you tell us a little about the differences between the main Vampire men in this book?  
Marcus is patient, sexy, loveable, wise, and brainlessly in love with Susan. Although she is attracted to him, Susan fights that attraction with every forward step they take. Marcus is the head of the council and the founder of BAMVC. He starts out a little proper in book one, a bit more down to earth in book two, and amusingly part of Susan's life by book three.

Dorius—the bastard—is in charge of the rogue hunters at BAMVC and is everything the women hate in a man; controlling, arrogant, borderline narcissistic. It's always about appearances and maintaining the stature expected of immortal beings that are highest on the food chain.

Christopher plays a key role in all three books and adds a lot of humor to the pages, especially in book two and three where he becomes a permeate fixture in the Stech household. He is a one-hundred-and-five year old immortal in the body of a six year old with curly blond hair, blue eyes and a cherub face. He's intelligent, complex, a prankster, and vindictive when it comes to Dorius. Christopher's character surprises me constantly as I write, always challenging, always amusing. However, most of the time Susan's character would like to hold Christopher's head in the toilet until the bubbles stop.

Do you have any interesting rituals or habits when you write? I have to listen to 70's-80's rock while writing, the louder the better, and I have to start each chapter with a line from a song. I do remove them before publishing, though. 

Can you tell us about the next book in this series? COFFIN FIT is vanity reaching around and biting the Stech women in the ass. JoAnn's demon ex puts a spell on the girls. They start aging and reverting to the cloak and dagger vamps of old times. Holy water, crosses and sunlight fry their rapidly sagging asses, and the biggest travesty is they can't see their images! Oh, and one of JoAnn's little vamp critters finds its way to Italy. Is Dorius pissed? You bet. The ending takes place in Purgatory, Down Under with characters from another one of my books.  


THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD SERIES


They're so Vein .99 - pre order Coffin Fit .99 - on Amazon Kindle
All of my books are FREE with Kindle Unlimited
~~~~ 
Other Paranormal Romances by Susan Stec



Purgatory, A Place Down Under - Witchy, scheduled to release spring2016    

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Susan Stec


Nothing will complicate the holidays faster than an unplanned pregnancy, the derelict father showing up uninvited with questionable motives, a budding relationship on the rocks, and a little girl largely forgotten by her parents but desperate for friend. 
 Welcome to Sabine Saint Laurent's life. 

The fourth installment of the Date Shark Series features Sabine, Guy's supermodel sister, as the newest addition to the date shark crew. Get a sneak peek at the upheaval Sabine is trying to navigate in "Shark In Troubled Waters." 

***
Christmas Eve - Sabine's Penthouse

Boisterous noise near the front door drew everyone’s attention, which had undoubtedly been André’s intention. Sabine felt tired as she looked at him. Michael, who had opened the door, seemed infinitely more displeased to see André. She did not think he could have looked more put out until three more people followed in after him. 

Excusing herself, Sabine hurried to the door. By the time she reached them André had just finished introducing Cliff and Margaret, forgetting about Lucy once again. She cringed when he made a point of mentioning these were the friends Sabine had recently met. André was never outwardly combative to Michael in public, but he knew competition when he saw it and hated to lose, even if the prize was nothing he wanted. 

Michael turned to Sabine as she approached, his jaw tight. “Sabine, your friends have arrived. I didn’t know you had invited them.” 

“Oui, I did. I am sorry I forgot to mention it.” 

André brushed Michael off. “Why are you apologizing? It is your home after all, yes? You may invite whomever you want!” He turned to his friends and said, “Come, let us meet the others and try my lovely Sabine’s delicious cookies. She is quite the wonderful chef.” 

The three breezed past them and Michael’s gaze narrowed in on Sabine. “I thought you said it didn’t go well at their place, that you were upset about André’s motives or something. Why would you
invite them here? And why is he suddenly referring to you as his Sabine?” 

A small presence next to her stoked Sabine’s temper. “I thought you said you were done putting your nose where it does not belong.” 

Michael opened his mouth to say something that she knew would not be pleasant, but a look that promised fierce reprisal shut him up quite neatly. It took all her unraveling composure to gesture politely at Lucy. The girl had unsurprisingly been forgotten by her parents and was waiting patiently next to the only person she probably thought would even realize she was there. 

“Michael, this is Lucy. She is Cliff and Margaret’s daughter. It is also her birthday today. I invited her
because I promised her a gift. Her parents were invited out of necessity.” 

Sabine kept her expression fixed
on his as she reached out for Lucy’s hand. The girl took it promptly and
squeezed tightly as if she feared she might be lost or left behind. A momentary realization that it was probably a very real fear for her caused her anger at Michael to falter. She was not sure if Michael understood what was going on inside her head, but he saw her change in emotion and responded immediately. 

Kneeling down to her height, Michael smiled at the girl. “Your birthday, huh? On Christmas Eve?” He frowned, curling one lip in an overdramatic sneer. “That’s gotta suck, right?” 

Lucy giggled. “Most people don’t think that. They think you must get twice the presents.” Her smile faltered. “But you don’t.” 

“Well,” Michael said quite seriously, “you have my permission to have twice the normal amount of cookies. How’s that?” 

Grinning, Lucy nodded. 

“They’re right over there,” Michael said with a wink. He pointed toward the table filled to overflowing with desserts. 

Lucy looked up to Sabine for approval, and after gaining it, darted away happily. Michael stood from his crouch, but his focus was no longer on Lucy. “Sabine, I’m…” 

She turned and walked away without a single word to him. She knew he was following her, but she did not stop until she reached her study, and only then so she could open the door. It occurred to her that she could simply slam the door in his face, but she left it open and allowed him to follow her into the room. Her lips remained pressed tightly together as she removed the lids from three large Christmas boxes. 

At a loss, Michael stared at the contents helplessly. “I don’t understand,” he finally said.
“Of course you do not,” Sabine snapped. “You jumped onto your high horse, again, and judged the situation before you knew even a portion of the facts.” 

Michael picked up one of the books and held it up to Sabine in question. He seemed quite stumped as to why Sabine had a collection of third and fourth grade level textbooks in a Christmas box. “What is this all for?” His eyes darted down to her belly, but he seemed to toss the idea away quickly. It would made little sense to be collecting such books for her own child already. 

“They are for Lucy,” Sabine explained. 

“But why?” 

Leaning against the table the boxes were sitting on, Sabine sighed. She was so tired of playing games and having arguments. “André invited me to meet Cliff and Margaret because they are apparently the only people he knows with a child. He thought he could use them as an example, but it only showed how little he knows about parenting that he would ever consider such people as someone I would choose to emulate.” 

Michael’s eyes widened. “Have they been mistreating her?” 

“No. Not physically. However, they drag her around the world, and because they believe they have taught her to be independent, they allow her to care for herself. She is supposedly homeschooled, but neither of them help her and her materials are inappropriate for her age and skills. They barely seem to remember she exists half the time. I spent most of the night helping Lucy with her schoolwork and reading to her after putting her in bed. She has no books outside her school books because her parents forget how much she likes to read.” Sabine shook her head as she was struck again how uncaring Cliff and Margaret were. Lucy could have been a housecat for all the attention and care they afforded her. 

“Sabine, I had no idea,” Michael said. 

“No, you did not,” she snapped, “yet you attacked me for it all the same.” He reached toward her, but she turned her head away and his hand fell. “I’m sorry.” 

“I cannot keep doing this,” Sabine said. Her voice bled exhaustion. 

“Doing what?” Michael asked uncertainly. There was fear in his voice and part of Sabine was glad to hear it. 

“I cannot deal with André, our families, being pregnant, or you attacking me every time I turn around.” 

“I’m not…I just…Sabine, I’m sorry. I really am.” 

She nodded. “I know you are, but this must stop.” She finally turned to look at him. “I know it is difficult for you to stand to the side while I figure things out with André. I understand why you walked away earlier when we were in the bedroom together. As much as I wanted you to stay, it was the right thing to do. It would be unfair to start a relationship when everything is in turmoil.” 

“Sabine, I…” 

She held up a hand to stop him. “You were right to tell me no. Telling me no draws a line, Michael. We are not together. We are friends, and I need you very much as my friend, but friends does not give you the right to tell me the right choice or become angry at me for my decisions.” 
Pained by her words, his head dropped. “I wish I hadn’t.” 

Unsure of what he meant, Sabine
risked asking, “Had not gotten angry?” 

“Told you no.” 

Sabine’s heart squeezed in anguish. She stood and forced herself not to react. Everything within her was begging to her to tell him she wished the same, but what she had told him was as true as her shameless desire to have him. Not trusting herself to speak right away, Sabine gestured at the boxes. “Would you please carry these for me? They are quite heavy.” 

It was as if she had torn something from him. Michael nodded slowly. “Of course.” 

When he turned away, Sabine blinked her eyes furiously to hold back the tears burning for release. She did not appreciate his anger or interference, but she hated making him feel this way. She did not look back at him as he secured the lids back on the boxes. The sound of two slipping back into place filled the silence. She waited for the third, but when it did not happen, she looked over her shoulder to see what Michael was doing and found him holding a copy of Peter Pan. 

He noticed her watching him and smiled. “Why am I not surprised to find this in here?” 

“She needs Neverland,” Sabine said quietly. 

Michael nodded and set the book back in the box. He replaced the lids and stacked all three boxes.
“Perhaps you should not carry them all at once,” she said. “There are quite a lot of books in them.”
Scoffing at her concern, Michael flexed one of his arms. “Are you seriously doubting me? Look at these guns. They moved half your furniture in here.” 

“With the help of five movers,” Sabine teased. 

Michael only shook his head at her and hefted all three boxes into his arms. His silliness made her smile, and her smile lightened his expression. “I really am sorry,” he said. 

“I know.” She smiled and gestured for him to take the lead. 

***
You can find the first 3 books in the Date Shark Series exclusively on Kindle where you can purchase or read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or buy in paperback from your favorite retailer. 

Date Shark #1:
http://www.amazon.com/Date-Shark-Book-ebook/dp/B00K8APK8E/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1446663425&sr=8-13&keywords=delsheree+gladden
Shark Out Of Water #2: 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O3Q1TGQ/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
 The Only Shark In The Sea #3: 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015GSMKDA/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Shark In Troubled Waters #4: 
Releasing December 29th, 2015
Connect with DelSheree Gladden Online at:

Libraries and book stores were two of DelSheree’s favorite places as a child. Her love of books hasn’t diminished but her library has migrated to her Kindle app and about a billion boxes of books currently sitting in her basement waiting for some shelves to be built. Two of her most prized possessions are signed novels from Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher. 

Love of books is a family affair in her home. Her husband’s interests have lately turned from fiction to nonfiction, and both their children still love to be
read to every night even though they are now nine and twelve years old. Books open the world, open the mind, and let you experience a hundred lives and
stories. There will always be reading and writing in their home.


https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDelShereeGladden
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http://www.pinterest.com/delsheree/
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(podcast)


GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
DelSheree Gladden

Hi everyone!

A big thank you to Apryl for organising another great event. For those of you who don't know me, I'm the #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Seasons of Change series, the Ultimate Betrayal series (out Dec 1st), the Chequered Flag series (out Feb 2nd), False Finder, and Not Enough.

Because my new release, Not Enough, features a few Christmas scenes, I thought I'd interview my leading male, Blake, about his Christmas plans. Please give him a warm welcome!



Mia: Hi Blake. Thanks for agreeing to an interview, especially at this time of year. It’s a shame Neve couldn’t be here, but at least I get you all to myself.

Blake: [Chuckles] Hey everyone! Yeah, Neve isn’t really a fan of interviews so you’re stuck with me.

Mia: I understand where she’s coming from completely. Anyway, what I really want to know is have you got any plans for Christmas yet?

Blake: I think we’re going to spend the day with my parents. It should be a laugh and they haven’t seen Neve since we became a couple so that should be interesting.

Mia: You haven’t got any special gifts planned?

Blake: What do you mean by special?

Mia: The jewellery kind, maybe.

Blake: [Glances around nervously] What have you been told?

Mia: I saw you looking round a cute little jewellery shop not far from here yesterday. Anything you fancy telling me and the readers about your plans?

Blake: Not really.

Mia: Come on, Blake. Please?

Blake: [Shakes his head with a teasing smile] I think you’ve already revealed enough really. I’m not going to risk Neve seeing this and ruining my surprise.

Mia: So there is a surprise? And it involves jewellery?

Blake: My lips are sealed. You’ll have to read our story if you want to know what I have planned.

Mia: Okay, fine. How about some Christmas themed quick fire questions instead? You just have to answer with the first thought that comes into your head.

Blake: [Shrugs] Sounds easy enough.

Mia: Favourite Christmas memory?

Blake: Sneaking downstairs on Christmas Eve with Neve and hoping to catch Santa coming down the chimney. My parents found us the next morning curled up under the tree asleep, and Neve spent forever picking pine needles from her hair.

Mia: Favourite Christmas food?

Blake: My mum’s mince pies. Seriously, if you haven’t tried them you haven’t lived.

Mia: Best present you’ve ever received?

Blake: A mini remote controlled helicopter. It was only a few quid, but I had more fun with that toy than anything else when I was a kid. Shame I crashed it.

Mia: Favourite Christmas movie?

Blake: Any as long as Neve’s there. I spend more time watching her than the film.

Mia: Favourite Christmas song?

Blake: The Power of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Mia: What have you bought Neve?

Blake: [Laughs] Nice try, but I’m not falling for it.

Mia: It was worth a shot. I guess people will have to read your book to find out since that’s all I have time for. Thanks again Blake. I hope Neve loves her gift and have a Merry Christmas.

Blake: Thanks, Mia. I hope you and your readers have a great Christmas too.

About The Book

Not Enough
By Mia Hoddell

Genre: Upper YA/NA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 16th 2015
Pages: 324

Blurb

Neve Colvin isn’t good enough. As an introvert, her life is a never-ending list of labels and criticism. Pressures to change come from everyone—including the one person she thought would love her unconditionally … her mother. All Neve wants is acceptance, but surrounded by extroverts it’s a wish that’s nearly impossible to fulfil.

For Neve there’s only one solution: anyone disapproving must go. Even if it means only one person will remain.

That person is her lifelong friend Blake Reynolds. He’s seen the fights with her mum, the breakdowns caused by attacks on her personality, and the battles for acceptance. Each time she is left shattered and questioning who she is, he’s the one to collect the pieces of her broken heart. Shielding her from the cruelty is his only concern. But how can he protect her when Neve is concealing a secret so dark?

Blake thinks he knows everything about her, and with their relationship developing, he assumes Neve trusts him fully. However, there is one memory Neve is too ashamed of to share. Revealing it will test Blake’s loyalty beyond what she could ever ask, and Blake is the only friend she can’t afford to lose. He’s the one person capable of dragging her from the darkness plaguing her, but with pressures to conform increasing, even Blake may not be enough to pull her back this time.

Buy Links:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Add to Goodreads

What reviewers are saying:

"From the dedication at the beginning up to the end this was both a thought provoking and an emotional read for me and I loved it!" - Sandra @ JeanzBookReadNReview

"This story tugged at my heartstrings, played on my every emotion. It was a beautifully written story of how an introverted young girl blossoms into a beautiful young woman." - Keren Hughes, Author of Nothing Like The First Time

"A heartbreaking read that sometimes had me close to tears." - Susan @ Ladies Living in Bookland

"Heartbreaking. Powerful. Real ... I literally lived the pages, not read them ... It's so well and beautifully written, it is more than just another YA novel." - Cristina @ Crazy Beautiful 


About the Author

#1 Amazon bestselling author Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything romantic, and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of the morning.

Mia has written over ten titles including her Seasons of Change series, the Chequered Flag series, the Elemental Killers series, and her standalone novels False Finder and Not Enough.

Her favourite genres are contemporary romance or romantic suspense, and with an ever growing list of ideas she is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination generates them. She also designs book covers on her website M Designs.

You can follow Mia on:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Google+ | Amazon

Or sign up to her newsletter for the chance to receive ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content first.

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