I haven't been around as long as Nicholas Sparks or Nora Roberts, but this isn't my first rodeo either. This is my (hang on while I take off my shoes to count) 21st novel (plus I've written four novellas).

But yeah, just like being pregnant, it doesn't matter. That baby has to come out! And no matter how much preparation I've put into its arrival, no matter how many times I've done it before, when the day comes, I'm scared to death.

If "Publishing a book is like being pregnant," which I truly think it is--after all, I've delivered two real babies and twenty-five books, so I know the pain of both--I swear I'm in postpartum depression. Really, and it's not because I have a lack of books to write. In fact, it's just the opposite. 

I have several half-written novels. I've specked out a six-book follow-up series to the Midnight Sons series, which will tell the stories of our leading ladies BEFORE they arrived in Alaska. I've started book six in the Creatus series. I have several chapters and tons of notes on book six in the Southern Collection. I have a half-written follow-up novel to The Library, which I'd set aside to finish the Midnight Sons series.

AND... I have a FINISHED supernatural suspense that has been sitting in my computer for years! 

So, as I sat around last night, wallowing in my depressed mood--which is actually rare for me; I'm not usually a wallower (is wallower even a word)--I actually started another book. Yes, you heard me correctly. I have no less than ten things on my plate, and before I knew it, I had a thousand words typed out in a new series that has been chomping at the back of my brain.

So, after all this, I think I've resolved my question of why I have PPD. I crave the story... I crave that feeling when I finish a book and send it off to my beta readers, whom I hear from almost immediately, which satisfies my thirst for a while. So, I'm anxious to get back to work and pen another book, so I'll get my fix. Or--and this would be awesome--if you've already finished reading Daire's Resolution and enjoyed it, please write a review on Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads, and/or wherever you buy books. I promise you I'll read it. Unlike some authors, I read every review--good and bad. Though I definitely prefer reading comments from happy folks. :')

​When aspiring journalist Maura moves to Chicago with her eight-year-old son, she teams up with fellow employee Rick to fulfill the Christmas wishes of children across the city. Will the spirit of the season bring their hearts together, or will secrets tear them apart? READ MORE

Kindle ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo ● Audible

First of all, I hope your summer was great and that you came through the last year happy and healthy. Me, I'm excited for fall! I mean, really, I know there are three other great seasons, but fall... It beckons me, saying, "Hey, a crazy busy time is coming up, so take a moment to sip a pumpkin-spiced latte and read a book...or ten!"

Now that the weather has cooled off in my neck of the woods, I've been flying through books like crazy. And oddly enough, they're not the type of books I've been reading for the last few years. My guess is that I've been wanting to get back to my roots of writing whodunnits, so I've been binge-reading mystery books. Yeah, there's a little romance in them, too, as I love a little sexual tension.

Other than the books I've been reading, I have great news. . . The final book in The Midnight Sons collection is on the way! I know y'all have been waiting since Sam's Folly for Daire's story, so I'm happy to report it's up for pre-order. And, as always, to reward my faithful friends, I've set the pre-order price at $0.99! So grab Daire's Resolution as soon as you have an extra buck, please! 

Secrets… Daire Belgarde knows that Alaska is the hiding place of the nation. Nearly everyone who moves to The Last Frontier is running from someone or hiding something. And now, Daire is keeping a secret—he’s in love with his boss. Over the last few weeks, keeping his feelings hidden has gotten harder because it’s clear the woman he loves has come to Alaska to hide, too. . . READ MORE

Kindle ● Series ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo ● Audible

Available at all major book retailers!
Stand-Alone Story - No Cliffhanger!

Women's Fiction, Romantic Suspense

​​While searching for answers about his past, Erik witnesses a runaway horse and runs head-on into Kimi Bennett — literally. Although they constantly butt heads, he can’t help but admire how she loves horses and his beautiful home state of Alaska. When authorities start asking questions about the new horse whisperer in town, though, and Kimi disappears, Erik realizes their future together is what matters most and calls on his Midnight Sons brothers to find Kimi before her past catches up to her… READ MORE

Kindle ● Series ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo

When I sit down to write a novel, I generally have no idea where I’m going. My typical start of a story is usually the main character—whether it’s the male protagonist or the female protagonist—and whatever issue they are facing.
 
From there, I just ask myself questions:

• Why are they having this problem?
• Who or what is directly influencing this issue?
• How will they solve this affliction, ailment, or get rid of the antagonist?
• And lastly, who will help them through it?

 
The great thing is, just like the reader, I never know exactly what my characters will do. Sure, I know I want a happily ever after, but I also know that not every character will get a happily ever after. And the detours they make along the way sometimes even surprise me. Why? Because I allow my story to progress naturally.

I typically write two thousand words a day, and then every night I read the last few chapters to make sure the story flows, marking any areas that need addressing, and then go to sleep, allowing the characters to come alive in my dreams. And ohhh how they do. It’s not unusual for hubby to see me typing on my iPhone’s notepad in the middle of the night. Often it’ll just be a great line or a missing link I was in search of.
 
When I finally finish the novel, I take an entire day and read from beginning to end, making sure the story flows and that there are no holes or contradictions.
 
Easy, right?   
 
I’ve read this story almost thirty times at this juncture. How can it surprise me, how can it make me cry? And yet, here I am, sitting on the sofa, my afghan curled around me, and I’m bawling over something that happened.

Hubby, who has been sitting quietly by his computer—because he knows it’s read-through day—whips his chair around to face me and asks, “Are you okay?”

I swipe away my tears and answer, “Yes, I just can’t believe that happened.”

“Wait. I thought you were reading your book?” he asks.

“I am,” I answer. “But it still makes me cry.”

He shakes his head and goes back to typing his nonfiction.

One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Frost: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
 
Well, I’m always surprised, and I always cry when something happens to my characters, so I hope when you read my books you will, too!
 
If you enjoy stories that blend happy and sad, romantic and suspenseful, click the link for your favorite retailer below and grab one of my free books. If you’ve read all my books, make sure you grab my new release, Erik’s Revelation, so you’ll know why I was crying!
 
Until next time, happy reading!
 
Carmen DeSousa

Visit one of my author pages to grab my free bestsellers or my new release, Erik's Revelation!
 
Kindle ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo

You already know Erik!
​Today, meet Kimi!

Erik's Revelation is a stand-alone story, as are all the books in the Midnight Sons series. However, if you want to start from the beginning, start with Sam's Folly!

Read an excerpt right here; no download required!

Want to catch up? Click on any of the covers to learn more!
​

A professor once told me that all first-time authors write their autobiography, even if tagged fiction. While I don’t believe that’s completely true, after all, some first-time authors write about vampires and shape shifters, I do think there’s a modicum of truth to that statement. In other words, even if an author writes a work of fiction, there are usually many elements of the story that are factual, and I’d venture to guess that, at minimum, authors probably pattern characters after people whom they know.

When my college professor suggested: “Write what you know.” — a quote often attributed to Mark Twain, but some say it is much older — I wasn’t certain if I really wanted to do that. After all, who would believe me?

Here are a few scary subjects I know about:
Child abuse, Sexual abuse, Drug abuse, Alcohol abuse, Abandonment, Rape, Suicide, Depression, Stalkers, Crime, Tragedies, Death...

But, thankfully, I also know about a lot of good subjects, too:
A new family, Hiking, Kayaking, Love at first sight, Happily ever after, Police & Detective Procedures, Belief in God, The power to overcome adversity…, 

Hey, I moved out on my own at the age of seventeen, and I'm married to a retired police detective, so I've seen a lot. The problem is ... will anyone believe or want to read about "what you know?" Well, I guess that depends. If you put it into a story, add a little, as Hollywood refers to it: Based on a true story, but dramatic elements have been added for the sake of artistic expression, then, yeah, some people will believe and/or want to read because more than likely they can identify with a character and/or a situation. And while they can enjoy an escape into a fictional story, they may take something from it.

The funny thing is most of the stories throughout history are based on a couple of those "unbelievable" elements I listed above. Although they may not all be in the same story, "love at first sight," "family tragedy," and/or "an unbelievable or vicious crime" are often the basis of a work of literary fiction. Fairy tales did it. Suspense-thrillers do it. It’s a great start!

So if you don’t believe one or more of the elements of a story, does that make it "unbelievable" or a "bad" story? One of the most popular themes is "love at first sight," which often gets a bad rap by reviewers. You may not believe in "love at first sight," but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and many readers love it. In fact, even movies that aren’t tagged as "love at first site," usually have a hero and heroine thrust into an incredibly unbelievable situation, and are all of a sudden willing to die for each other. Of course, there are many classics like that, too: Romeo and Juliet, all the fairy tales, even The Godfather ... ooh, I bet you forgot about that one. Remember when Michael Corleone is walking through the picturesque countryside in Sicily and he spots the beautiful Apollonia… See, even graphic thrillers do it!

Well, as I mentioned in the above list, these are all the things I write about. Why? Because it’s what I know. So, let me share a tidbit of information with the unbelievers of the world who don't think "love at first sight" exists...

I’ve experienced a lot of tragedy in my life, but I got lucky in love! After my first date with my husband, I called my grandmother and told her I'd just met the man I was going to marry. Thirteen days later, he asked me to marry him. Thirty days later, we got married, and we’ve been married for thirty-one years.

Yes, I believe in "love at first sight," yes, I write tales filled with tragedy, mystery, suspense, hope and, above all, romance, because I’m living one. I’ll leave the rest of "what I know" situations that I write about in my books up to your imagination, and let you try to figure out what's real or made up. :)

Until next time, happy reading and imagining!

Carmen

If you would like to read a little more about what I write, follow the links below to learn more about my bestsellers. My stories are available in print, eBook, and audio formats at your favorite retailer. I even have a few freebies, so you can dive in risk-free!