Remember the fun Dr. Suess tale, Horton Hears a Who? I loved reading that book (and later my son starred in a Suessical version of said book), but my favorite line is when all the Whos, who live on a speck on a dandelion, start to raise their voice as one saying, “We are here! We are here!” Horton cares. Horton listens. Horton saves them.
Sometimes being an author feels a little like being a Who on a speck on a dandelion in a field of dandelions. There are aloooooot of books out there. I try to write books that stand out, that when readers spend time in them they think…yep. That was worth my time. But still…it’s easy to get lost.
Today is launch day for the super secret, something different TIME TRAVEL DETECTIVE NOVEL I wrote with my son, David and my buddy James L. Rubart. And, before we get lost amidst the millions of books in Amazon, I wanted to give out a shout…WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE!
Some of you may have questions. I might have answers. Let’s see:
Q – I clicked on the link you sent in your emails, but it looks like there’s only an ebook version. Can I get a paperback version?
A – Yes, there’s a paperback version! It’s up now on Amazon. Plus we’ll be getting it up on Barnes and Noble and other online stores as well.
Q – What about an audio version?
A – Yes! There’s an audio version. And it’s voiced by the amazing James L. Rubart! Frankly, it’ll knock your sockies off! We’re just waiting for Audible and our other distribution channels to put it through their approval process. (I’ll keep you posted.) BUT … if you can’t wait, you can download the first chapter for free right here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page where it says, “Listen to the first chapter and meet Rembrandt Stone.”
Q – Is the series similar to the rest of your novels?
A- Um. Well, if you like strong heroes and smart heroines, and if you like a good mystery, and you like action and classic music…well, maybe. I admit I’ve never written a time travel before…but I loved it! People are saying it reminds them of Quantum Leap, and I admit a small crush on Dr. Sam Beckett, so that makes me veeery happy! While the world view in the series is definitely Christian, this story is far more nuanced than my other stories. Will Christians still love it? Yes! (At least we hope so.) Will general market audiences love it as well? Again, we’d sure like to think so. AND … by the end of the series you will definitely see a faith element come out in a strong way.
Q – Why the pen name?
A – Two reasons. First, as you can see from the question above, this is a way to distinguish these stories from my usual stories. In other words, it sets a different expectation. Second, because there are three of us (Susie, David, and Jim) it’s looks way better to have one name on a book than three.
Q – Is there foul language? Sex scenes?
A – No and a big no.
Q – If this is series, then do each of the stories end in a cliff hanger or do they stand on their own?
A – Yes and no. We solve the mysteries. BUT, each story leads into the next story. The way to think about this series is more like a TV show where the storyline continues in the next episode. The good news is we’re releasing these stories every other month till the conclusion. So you won’t have to wait long time for the next installment. (Although, feedback from our test readers for Cast the First Stone says a month is still going to be a long time for some folks.)
Q – So if you all have a pen name, do you have a website?
A – We do! Check it out here: Rembrandt Stone.
That’s it. Thanks, Horton, for caring. For reading! And for being so awesome.
XO!
Susie May
P.S. Just because it’s fun, and thematic, and I’m his mom, here’s a pix of David playing the Mayor of Whoville… (now he’s going to kill me. Shh…don’t tell him!)
