Her first book,
The Dead Game, is a paranormal thriller with humans, vampires, and vampire
derivatives. Her goal has been to write a book different than the usual vampire
story or murder mystery. She wanted a murder mystery with victims, clues, and
suspects. She created that and much more. The book has revolving rooms, traps,
falling cages, and anything her active imagination could create. The Dead Game
is a fun ride into the realms of the supernatural.
Book Excerpt
Chapter 22
Their car neared the house. A stunning sight unfolded before
their eyes. Encased in a tight circle of trees, shimmering from the lights
strung through their heavy branches, the glass house sparkled against the dark night
sky: a huge glass ball shooting green sparks of light from within its rounded
walls. Its great dome twinkled as radiantly as the multitude of stars shining
down from above.
Todd left the
car with the valet and led the way up the marble stairs to the rounded front
door. Two armed men, dressed in tuxedos, guarded the door, their holstered guns
only slightly marring the fantasy image running through Linda’s vivid
imagination: for as soon as she turned away to admire the scenery, she was once
again in fantasyland.
The panorama
facing her was doused in white. Gleaming white snow caps covered the tops of
the tall trees and the great dome of the house. Snow was falling on them from
somewhere. She could feel snowflakes melting on her lips. They felt wet, like
real snowflakes. She touched her face and hair. Her hand came away wet. She had
snow on her fingertips. She searched the grounds for a snow machine, but
couldn't locate anything—not on the glass domed roof or in any of the trees.
She couldn't have, genuine snow was falling on them from the dark sky.
The landscape resembled a winter wonderland despite it being fall in Florida.
Todd placed his
hand against her back to escort her into the house. The others followed them
into the glowing green ball that was alive with dazzling lights, music, and
laughter.
Once inside,
Linda was mesmerized by the glittering glass walls that mirrored the dancing
images of the guests twirling around the marble dance floor. These images were
cast in bright halos of light reflected from the myriad of crystal chandeliers
hanging throughout the room.
Soft candlelight
from mounted crystal sconces flickered across the intricate patterns carved
into the green walls. It was the most beautiful and fascinating house that she
had ever seen. She glanced back and watched Shana’s mouth drop open. She was
certain that Shana would agree that the house appeared simply magical.
Couples were swirling around
the immense dance floor. They were dancing in a large studio between Diane’s
life-sized statues. Each sculpture was carved from clear glass: each one
revealing a full-sized person. Linda found them to be too lifelike. She stood
next to one and stared into it frozen face. She was startled by a fleeting
expression of horror that seemed to cross over its features; as if a real
person was trapped inside, staring out at her from within his glass tomb. Then
the look was gone and the statue appeared lifeless once again.
Author Interview
Please introduce yourself and tell us
something about your books.
My name is Susanne Leist and I’m a new
author. My book, The Dead Game is a paranormal mystery. It takes place in a
small town, called Oasis, on the coast of Florida. During the day, this town is
a paradise for its residents and abundant tourists with its picturesque
streets, white-sand beaches, and warm waters. However, at night, the town turns
dark and deadly. Dark shadows roam the streets. Tourists begin to disappear and
bodies turn up dead on the beach. The evil in this town revolves around a
deserted house. The younger residents are invited to a mysterious party at End
House, and that is when the fun and games begin.
How did you come to write your first book
and how long ago was it?
I have been reading murder mysteries and thrillers since I was a
teenager. I’ve read all types of mysteries, from Agatha Christie to Sherlock
Holmes. In recent years, I’ve begun to read paranormal mysteries. These books
bring fantasy and the surreal to the simple murder mystery.
It is hard to find books that combine paranormal with mystery. That is
why I have decided to write a paranormal, murder mystery of my own. It is the
type of book that I search for and love to read.
My book, The Dead Game, has dead bodies and suspects like a traditional
murder mystery. However, it also has humans, vampires, and vampire derivatives.
And don’t forget the haunted house—we must have one of these.
When you sit down to write a new story, do
you know what the ending will be before you start or does it evolve as you
write?
This is the first book that I’ve written. I
began with a basic idea in mind. I wanted a murder to take place in a small
town. This murder would involve a house that was rigged with supernatural or
mechanical traps and moving rooms. But I had no idea how the story would evolve
or end. The end turned out to be a surprise to even me.
What do you do when you are not writing or
reading?
When I’m not writing, I enjoy being with my
family. My daughters and I love fashion and we love to shop. My husband gets
dragged along. I swim twice a week and read every day.
If you could holiday anywhere in the world,
where would you choose and why?
I would love to travel everywhere in the
world. The only countries I’ve visited so far are Canada, England, and Israel.
There are so many places I would love to see. At least I could visit them in
books.
I guess, like most authors, you are an avid
reader – who are your favourite authors?
Do you read many books by indie authors?
My favourite author is Brad Meltzer. It is
fun and easy to read his books. His words flow smoothly and keep me engrossed
in the stories. I like his characters. He weaves his extensive knowledge of
Washington into the story lines.
I buy a book by the description on the back
cover and not by the author’s name. This has led me to explore books written by
a wide variety of indie authors. I found Brad Meltzer by his book’s description
before I heard about him as an author.
Where do you normally source your reading
material – from your local library, a bookshop, Amazon or somewhere else?
I buy books anywhere I can find them. If a
book catches my eye, then I buy it. I buy online and in book stores.
Are you working on a new book at the
moment?
The Dead Game is the first book in a series. The first book resolves the
murder mystery, but at the same time, opens a Pandora box of new mysteries. Its
surprise ending will lead to more surprises.
Once my book is further established in the marketplace, I will begin
work on the second book. I have an outline and notes all ready to be used to
write the next book. My writing often leads me in unknown directions, so I
won’t know how the book will end until it does.
Character Questions
Who is your main character?
My main
character is Linda Bennett. She moves to a small town to open a bookstore with
an attached coffee shop. She wants to lead a quiet and peaceful life. But she
is in for a surprise, since Oasis is anything but peaceful.
What should we know about
her?
Linda is a
good person who wants to be liked by everyone. She is sweet and kind. She
develops a crush on Todd, but at first, she is too shy to speak to him. Her
friendship with Shana brings her out of her shell and at times, gets her into
trouble. She develops the nerve to speak with him and to voice her own
opinions.
What is the main conflict?
What messes up her life?
Her crush on Todd brings
complications to her life. She finds him to be aloof. At first, she is drawn to
his mysterious nature. But as she gets to know him better, this mystery soon
becomes off-putting to her. She believes he’s hiding secrets from her; secrets
that have to do with the elusive residents, and the murders and disappearances
in town.
What is her personal goal?
Her personal goal is to help save
the town from the evil threatening to kill them. She doesn’t know if the evil controlling
the town is human or a supernatural creature, but she is determined to find and
destroy him or her with the help of her friends.
She has a secondary goal of
getting to know Todd better, and she has better luck with this than her first
goal.
Author Links and buy links
Kindle
The Dead Game
Nook
Links
- Amazon
My review:
Linda moves to a seaside town to live a quiet life. She opens a bookstore and makes new friends. Life is simple--that is until the dead body washes up on shore. Linda is horrified to find that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are common for this small town. As soon as the sun sets, the residents and tourists are stalked by dark shadows. But this is only the beginning.
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Amazon U.S.