NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Friday, July 4, 2014

Independence Day PRIZE DRAW - what's YOUR celebration?




HAPPY 4th JULY to all our readers, and a WONDERFUL PRIZE DRAW for you all!


The authors at NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS have plenty to celebrate this July - new books, new awards, life and job changes, the support and love of family and friends. And we recently passed 150,000 HITS on this blog! Thanks so much to everyone who's visited, supported and promoted us. We really appreciate it, and we really enjoy sharing our posts with you.

So ....What about YOU? We'd love to hear from you as to what YOU can celebrate this year, whether it's something in the world at large or something closer to your home. We can all identify with these. It may be celebration of a new law, a sports win, appreciation of your family and pets, or maintaining your health. It may be as huge as winning the Lottery (we wish!!!) or more personal such as mastering Facebook, getting a promotion, putting on/losing weight, or finally finishing that DIY that's been nagging at you since last year! In other words, we'd love to hear anything and everything, there are no rules (apart from basic decency, of course).

We'd just like to celebrate and share the positive with you all :)

And anyone who comments will be entered in the Prize Draw for TWELVE books from a selection of our fabulous authors. Yes, there's one prize and it's made up of 12 BOOKS and one lucky commenter will win it! That's definitely something to celebrate :D. Just make your celebratory comment on this post, and the winner will be chosen at random on July 14.


So here what's our authors have to share with you this July 04. Please feel free to browse their website, see their books, and enjoy keeping in touch with them.

Cathy Perkins: I’m grateful for friends and family. This year, we’ll celebrated one daughter’s marriage and another’s career change, cheered when my books hit category lists, worked with an architect on house plans, and been blessed by good health. Wishing all of you a wonderful upcoming year full of fun and adventures of your choosing.
Julie Moffett: I'm celebrating a move to a new house, a son who graduated from high school with honors, another son who just finished 1st grade, and a nice day job with a wonderful company!!
Julie Anne Lindsey: I'm celebrating because book three in the Patience Price series arrives in September and book 1 was selected for the Harlequin Book Club and all the mystery club readers will get a copy of book 1 in the mail this November.
Jean Harrington: In 2014 going forward into 2015, I'm celebrating the vibrant life of my wonderful country--despite its flaws and problems.  In that regard, a country can be a lot like the hero of a novel, wonderful though flawed.  And well worth the read!
Rita Henuber: I feel grateful to all those who have given so much to allow me to live the life I do. I hope I do them justice.
Ana Barrons: I've just had my first book released in print version (Son of the Enemy), and I'm so thrilled! I only wish my mother was still alive so I could put it into her hands. She would be so proud of me. 
Anne Marie Becker: I released books 4 and 5 in my Mindhunters series this year, and am writing the final installment. I’m excited to wrap up the mystery that’s run as a thread throughout them. I’ll also be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary with my own, real-life hero, later this year.
Toni Anderson: I've had a lot to celebrate, writing-wise this year. My self-published book, THE KILLING GAME, is a finalist in the Romance Writers of America® RITA® Award, and both it and my Montlake Romance title (DARK WATERS) are finalists in the National Readers' Choice Awards. And to cap it off, my other self-published book, HER LAST CHANCE, finalled in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in Romantic Suspense. Results for all the contests are announced at the RWA national conference at the end of this month. Another milestone is that I published my tenth novel in June. It feels like a good year with plenty of reasons to celebrate. I am so very, very grateful.
Clare London: I've recently left work - amicably! - and am looking forward to a significant change of lifestyle, and hopefully more time for writing. My family are employed, relatively healthy, and all have a great sense of humour! I'm also welcoming what will be the 6th annual UK Meet for GLBTQ authors, where I'm on the organising team; launching my own "accountancy for authors" service; travelling to the US again in Oct for the GayRomLit convention. Oh, and I'm meant to be finding enough time now to clear out my shoe cupboard...:)
Marcelle Dube:As for my causes for celebration, they are too numerous to list, so I'll limit it to a few. First, I'm Canadian, so my day of celebration actually falls on July 1st, Canada Day. So by the time you read this, I will already have celebrated all things Canadian. On the 4th, I will celebrate my good neighbours to the south. I celebrate the fact that I have two healthy, smart and wonderful daughters, a bevy of great friends, and a great job. And finally, I'm thrilled to be finished the first draft of my latest Mendenhall Mysteries, featuring Chief of Police Kate Williams. Yee haw!
Shirley Wells: On a personal note, I'm celebrating moving into my new home which will be lovely when I've cleared a bigger path through the maze of boxes. On a professional note, I'm celebrating the release of my 7th Dylan Scott mystery, Dead End.
Josh Lanyon: I have been so angry and bitter over a number of recent decisions by our Supreme Court that it was actually difficult for me to consider what I had to celebrate this Independence Day. And then I remembered that however biased and unconscionable these latest decisions are, I still live in a country where I am not only allowed to feel anger and frustration, I can express that anger without fear of legal reprisals or state-condoned violence. I can work openly to change what I don't like. And -- as anyone who watches the nightly news can contest -- that is no little thing. So yes, there remains much to be grateful for -- and to celebrate.  


HAPPY JULY 04!

***************

All prizes are in ebook (your choice of format, where available) unless otherwise stated.
Julie Moffett - No Place Like Rome
Shirley Wells - Dead End
Ana Barrons - choice of backlist
Jean Harrington - Designed for Death
Clare London - Freeman
Anne Marie Becker - choice of backlist
Julie Anne Lindsey - Murder by the Seashore AND Murder Comes Ashore
Toni Anderson - A Cold Dark Place
Rita Henuber - boxed set Fatal Obsession OR choice of backlist
Marcelle Dube - choice of backlist
Cathy Perkins - The Professor OR an ARC of Cypher, releasing in August
Josh Lanyon - choice of AUDIO books

26 comments:

Debby said...

I am celebrating surviving one wedding and one college graduation and one retirement. Busy two months.
debby236 at gmail dot com

H. Wimmer said...

Celebrating the 4th with four kids under 8 in Az. Swimming, BBQ, car show and hopefully fireworks if everyone can stay awake.

Sula said...

I am celebration my father receiving the all clear and is in remission from cancer.

Tracy George said...

I'm celebrating by reading some new books I have bought today...
geetracy1170 (at) gmail (dot) com

aventura mama said...

Celebrating by reading and spending time with my family . Thanks for the giveaway-- some are new authors to me and I would love to read these books. Happy 4th!!!

powerse said...

Celebrating with my family...my 4 yr old and 2 yr old nieces are here... we colored patriotic pages and taped them all over the house to decorate

Maureen said...

Happy 4th!!!!

ardent.ereader said...

I am celebrating the love of family, that we can be there for each other even though we are spread out across the globe.

Jan VanEngen said...

Happy 4th from Australia. Celebrating - my family and my nephew weren't badly hurt from a motorbike accident the other day and going to my first RWAus and meeting many of my fb writers face to face for the first time and celebrating life.

jean harrington said...

Celebrated the holiday at a cookout with friends, including one who became 89 on the Fourth of July. What a sparkler, both she and the day. Looking forward to hearing who wins the 12 books!

Gloria Getman said...

I'm celebrating my good health because without good health, nothing else matters.

Anonymous said...

I am thankful for surviving Andrew and for my wonderfully talented sister Marcelle Dubé!

Unknown said...

I am celebrating a healthy family and my oldest son's safe trip to Europe and back.

Unknown said...

I'm celebrating loosing 50 pounds in 10 months, that was my goal for the year and I still have 2 months to go. I feel great!

Robin Driscoll said...

My big celebration is finally getting a start on cleaning the clutter in my home!!

wwagner said...

I celebrate the fact that I have such a wonderful family and terrific friends!

Terri said...

DH and I are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year.

Jo said...

Celebrating the summer holidays. No more school. Hurrah. More time to lie around and read.

Unknown said...

Celebrating the summer holidays. No more school. More time to lie around and read.

Nicole H said...

We're celebrating no more preschool - all kids in public school! It's like getting a raise! :)

Clamo88 said...

I'm celebrating my birthday, starting my second year in this house rental that is near the beach and so much healthier for several reasons, and some time off to work on novel #2. I know it's unusual to be grateful for being laid off, but I actually am enjoying some time away from the grind and what better time than summer!

Lora Bailey said...

This year we celebrated by hosting our first annual family picnic at the new house. Only 40 were able to make it, we expect more next year! Fun times!

Unknown said...

I am celebrating another year of my small business still being in business!

Unknown said...

I am celebrating life as a mother of a terrific young lady, and as a wife of a wonderful husband. I am thankful for everything that we own. Life is full of bumps, but there is always something good that happen to us every day. I am celebrating every little thing (such as the air we breathe) that makes me happy and full of positive energy.

Thank you for the chance :-) 12 books from 12 talented authors are such a great prize!

anitautami (at) gmail (dot) com

Marissa Garner said...

I'm celebrating the awesomeness of our National Parks. Having just returned from a trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier, I can say firsthand what an incredible part of America these places are.

Di Eats the Elephant said...

I'm celebrating a new job that gives me a safety net that I've been flying around without for quite some time.

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