It’s hard to believe that I started writing fiction almost eight years
ago. It started with a dream. I woke one morning believing God was telling me
to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It was October and I was
stunned. Me? Write a book? I’d had a story I tried to write years before but
now I had three kids and life was crazy. Then I reasoned it would cost me
nothing, wasn’t illegal, and if I didn’t win, who cared? I knew people who had done it and with nothing to lose, I signed up.
That was 2009. November 1st hit and I started writing. 21
days later I had 110,000 words written for a novel titled The Virtuous Viscount. Now I seriously thought I had a best-seller
on my hands. Ah, the delusions of a novice novelist! Only later did I realize
there were several problems with my book. Head-hopping was running rampant. Too
many points of view and too long. I ripped out one character and his plot line
and rewrote the book from scratch. The next year I wrote another book using a
character from Viscount. That one was
Lord Phillip’s Folly. Subsequent
years produced more in the series, all written during November: Sir Michael’s Mayhem, Lord Harrow’s Heart
and finally, The Captain’s Conquest.
Two years ago, I was asked to write a novella for a collection. It also
serves as a prequel to this series and thus, The Baron’s Blunder was born that December. I wrote a full
length—around 85,000 word—novel that November, and a novella a week later.
You don’t have to tell me I’m insane. My kids have already diagnosed me
as such.
Eight years. At the end of this November 2017, after Thanksgiving, the
first novel I ever wrote will be available for sale. The Baron’s Blunder has been revised and will be offered for free
and not only with The Virtuous Viscount
release, but also Lord Phillip’s Folly—All
on the same day! They are available for preorder now. I’m also going to try
to write another novel during NaNoWriMo, just because I can and I’m mentoring
some young writers on their journey as well.
Now I must caution the reader. These are not Jane Austen Regencies, nor
Georgette Heyer. They are a bit darker in their tone and filled with suspense
and evil that must be defeated. For that reason, they have been categorized as
The Black Diamond Christian Gothic Regencies. Cue the music of doom and
suspense.
I’d been writing Gothic Regencies all along and never even knew it. I
guess I sometimes even surprise myself. The fact is, I only ever intended to
write one book but since then I’ve published a series of contemporary novels as
well. By the end of this year I’ll have 12 books published. Five more books are
slated for release next year (two contemporary and the other three finish out The
Black Diamond series).
I have a new publisher who inherited these books which is why the
series was delayed in being released, but that’s cool, because she really liked
my Regencies so much that this December I have another Regency novella
releasing, a sweet Christmas story. Gabriel’s
Gift will be part of Pelican Book Group’s Christmas Extravaganza. It is in
no way related to the Black Diamond series.
A dream morphed into a calling and a passion was birthed. Dream on,
friends!
The Baron’s Blunder (novella, prequel)
Fighting evil is a hobby, fending off marriage-minded women—a chore.When Lord Charles Percy seizes a highwayman robbing a carriage in broad daylight, he conceals his identity to the debutante he rescues. It wouldn't do for her to know a member of the peerage is secretly in pursuit of the infamous Black Diamond. Instead, he claims to be a mere mister who happened along perchance at an opportune moment.
Despite the fact she's a woman, the Honorable Henrietta Allendale doesn't need a man to fight her battles, especially one whom she suspects is hiding things of import. So why can she not stop thinking about the gallant Mister Percy and his selfless act of heroism on her behalf?
Meeting again in London, Charles begins to enjoy verbally sparring with the intrepid young woman, and his heart is soon captivated as well. But he’s playing a deep game, and Henrietta's presence in his life puts hers at risk.
When a successful rescue results in possible scandal, the baron’s biggest challenge will be to convince the marriage-adverse young woman that his love is true.
The Virtuous Viscount (Book 1)
Lord Marcus Remington has decided it is time to
find a wife. He didn't expect her to be in the wreckage of a carriage in the
middle of a spring storm, but rescuing Miss Josephine Storm challenges his
heart and very character of the man known as the Virtuous Viscount. But when
the injured young woman weighs heavy on the viscount's mind, convention goes
out the window.As Miss Josephine Storm recovers her physical health, her heart
is in even more danger. When The Black Diamond's plot to take over Britain puts
Marcus and his friends in the criminal's cross-hairs, Josie's life is
threatened. Marcus must chance losing her good favor and risk his virtuous
reputation in order to save her life. Can Josie believe in the man she thought
she knew when the facts say otherwise?
Lord Phillip’s Folly (Book 2)
No good deed goes unpunished. Lord Phillip Westcombe is a younger son
and sufficiently independent. He has no need upset his tidy life with the
messiness of love, but when he comes to the rescue of the lovely Lady Elizabeth
Follett, and the two are found in a compromising position, his life takes an
unexpected turn. Barely knowing each other, they are forced to wed. Embarking
on a new life they must learn to trust God as they face an evil which threatens
their lives and the security of the British Empire. Will the minions of the
Black Diamond—the bounder who owns the soul of Elizabeth's father—succeed in
their evil plans? Will Phillip and Elizabeth's new love and faith survive the
test that awaits them? Or will they all fall to the Black Diamond?
Gabriel’s Gift
When Gabriel moves into the parsonage on his first assignment, the last
person he expected to find would be his childhood friend, Mattie. He had fully
intended to marry Matilda, but when he returned from university she had
disappeared. Now he not only found her along with an abandoned infant.
Matilda lived her life under a cloud of shame after her father’s
suicide. Running into Gabriel only heightened the reality of how far she’d
fallen. As much as she’d always loved him, she could never marry a man of the
cloth.
Gabriel seeks to minister to the hurting in his congregation,
especially the woman of his dreams. Can a Christmas miracle give them all the
greatest gift of love?
About Susan:
Susan M. Baganz chases after three Hobbits and is a native of
Wisconsin. She is an Editor with Pelican Book Group’s imprint: Prism Book
Group, specializing in bringing great romance novels and novellas to
publication. Susan writes adventurous historical and contemporary romances with
a biblical world-view.
Susan speaks, teaches and encourages others to follow God in being all
He has created them to be. With her seminary degree in counseling psychology, a
background in the field of mental health, and years serving in church ministry,
she understands the complexities and pain of life as well as its craziness. She
serves behind-the-scenes in various capacities at her church. Her favorite
pastimes are lazy ones—snuggling with her dog while reading a good book, or
sitting with a friend chatting over a cup of spiced chai latte.
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