S.R.Claridge writes Mystery and Romantic Suspense novels. Her work has been said to have the energy of Dan Brown, the mystery of Mary Higgins Clark and the humor of Janet Evanovich. Claridge novels will take you to the edge of your seat, keep you guessing until the very end and ultimately warm your heart. It is on the pages of every S.R.Claridge novel that Mystery and Sensual Suspense collide.

For more information on bookings, interviews and upcoming releases, please visit the author website and Facebook fan page.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Rave Reviews

The Just Call Me Angel series is receiving rave reviews!

"Murder, suspense, and thrills—all enmeshed in wild, intelligent plotting."  AllBooksReviews

"A non-stop ride of action and adventure."  APEXReviews

"A perfect mix of excitement, action, mystery and romance."  EuroReviews


Don't miss out!  Get your copies today in paperback or ebook at Amazon, Barnes&Noble and Smashwords.  Or visit my website for a free look at the first chapter of each book:

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Petals of Blood by S.R.Claridge

I am happy to announce that my latest book, a short story entitled Petals of Blood, is now available for download in any format for just $.99 usd. 


She’d heard the stories about the brutal murder of his wife and the tragic death of his former girlfriend.  She knew of the rumors that oozed behind his back, despite the fact he had never been more than a fleeting suspect in both cases.  She also knew spending her life with him would thrust her into a public eye of scrutiny; but it was too late to turn back.  She loved him. 


You can download your copy today from:

Smashwords

Amazon Kindle
AllRomance Ebooks

Directly from Vanilla Heart Publishing

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day Gift

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and hope that your day is filled with love, laughter, relaxation and adventure.  As a thank you for reading my blogs, reading my books and being my fans and friends, I'd like to give you a FREE download of a Valentine's Day book.  It contains unique short stories, (some romance, some suspense) and much more.  You can download it by clicking on the picture below:




In case the above link doesn't work, you can copy and paste this one into your browser:   http://www.payloadz.com/d1/freeproducts.asp?id=1562915

No matter how you spend your Valentine's Day, I hope there will be love in your heart, friendship in life and a smile in your soul. 

Monday, January 30, 2012

Novel Topics

Miriam asked, “how do you choose a topic for your novels?”

As I think many writers do, I choose topics that are of interest to me personally, or in which I feel I have some experience or base of knowledge to incorporate into the characters or the plot.  This is why I am a mystery/romantic suspense writer as opposed to an erotica or paranormal writer.   J   I’ve actually attempted to write erotica once and quickly realized I lack the creative vocabulary necessary to describe certain bodily images and encounters.

I have always been intrigued by Mafia families and particularly the loyalty with which they operate; thus, my Just Call Me Angel series is mob based.  The fourth book in the series will be released soon.

My first novel, No Easy Way, is a murder mystery with an underlying theme of the power of faith and forgiveness, and the challenges in marriage.  My faith in God has always been a predominant part of my life and it is due in part to that faith and the God-given power of forgiveness that my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year.

I am currently writing a suspense thriller about a cult group with underlying political interests.  This book has been three years in the making and I have researched several religious cult groups throughout the United States.  It has been by far the most taxing book I’ve written because the story itself is fiction, but it is derived from a great amount of non-fiction data and stories of real-life individuals.  In essence, it’s a fiction book that holds a great deal of underlying truth.  It is my hope to have it released this year. 

Thank you for your question Miriam. I’ve emailed you a download code for a free copy of Tetterbaum’s Truth.  I hope I’ve answered your question adequately.  J




Friday, January 20, 2012

The Magic in Marital Sex

The question from Patti is:  "In your Bio you state that you believe marriage requires a lot of sex, what do you mean by this and why do you think it's so important?"

Years ago my husband and I conducted our own little marital experiment.  We had read about a couple that committed themselves to having sex every day for one year. They claimed it radically changed their marriage for the better.  So, we decided to commit ourselves to having sex every day for one month.  The experiment was so successful, we did it for another month and another and another and another.  Before we knew it we had indeed gone one full year. 

With my husband's travel schedule we were unable to have sex every day, but we managed to have it every day that he was in town for one full year.  It transformed our relationship and we are still reaping the benefits.  So, when I say sex is important in marriage, I'm speaking from our personal experience.

Sex opens the lines of communication, which is why I think it's so important in marriage.  It is a physical form of intimacy that strengthens the depth of the marital bond.  When you commit to consistently pleasuring one another on a physical level, you suddenly become closer on all levels and you find that your emotional needs are being met as well.  It ignites passion, blossoms friendship and deepens love. 


When couples stop making-love, their relationship can grow stagnant and stagnancy often leads to disaster.  

For more information on this topic, please visit my other blog at: www.DesireTheFire.wordpress.com

Thank you for your question, Patti.  I hope I've answered adequately.  :)

The Imperfect Process Toward Perfection

Jill wrote:  “I am interested in your process – the down and dirty discipline that you practice every day (e.g., schedule, duration, process) in order to ensure you feel like you’ve accomplished something with your writing on a daily basis.  Is there a certain time of day that you write? Do you shoot for a certain word count? What do you do to eliminate writer’s block? Do you formulate an outline before writing, and is it specific? Or do you create a more general framework of the plot and sequence of events, and let the writing fill in the details?  Where do you get your inspiration when you just don’t feel like doing it any longer on any particular day/week/month?”

Wow!  This is the longest question I’ve ever been asked.  I’m going to do my best to tackle each of these issues… so bear with me.

My “down and dirty discipline” on a daily basis varies because I’m not only a writer, but a mom and a wife as well.  My evenings and weekends are a crap shoot for writing…sometimes I’m productive and sometimes there’s just too much going on.  I accomplish the most during the weekdays between the hours of 8:00am and 2:30pm, which is when my kids are at school.  It is also not unusual to find me up between the hours of 2:00am and 4:00am rapidly typing away.


I don’t officially shoot for a particular word count, however, I am satisfied if I can knock out a minimum of 3,000 words during the day.  Sometimes it’s less and sometimes it’s more.

With regards to writer’s block…it’s never been an issue for me. (knock on wood)  That may sound crazy, but there are enough hours during the week when I am unable to write because of everything else going on; so by the time I am able to sit down and write again, I am chomping at the bit to get my thoughts on paper. 

I never make an outline before writing, nor do I frame up the plot or organize the events.  I usually start with a cup of coffee and one simple idea… either a place or a person and the story builds from there.  When I’m working on a novel I am thinking about it constantly.  In the shower, lying in bed, driving, cooking, switching loads of laundry…it is prevalent in my thoughts and I am always mulling through what I think might happen next.

Where does my inspiration come from?  Everywhere and everyone.  A name can inspire me, or a newspaper or magazine article.  Something I hear on the radio can prompt revelation and birth a new story.  Mostly, though, I give credit to God because, after all, He created the creativity that enables me to write in the first place.

I hope I’ve adequately answered your question.  If I haven’t, shoot me another email and I’ll try again.

Thanks Jill!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Clinging to Faith

The question is:  When you are at your lowest points in life, how do you pull yourself back up?

As someone who has suffered from depression in the past, I understand the black hole effect… that feeling of slipping into darkness and being utterly unable to see any way out. I understand the irrational onset of a depressive episode and the intense irritation that follows.  I understand the depths of undefinable sorrow and a sense of mourning for the unknown.  I know the horrible feeling of opening your eyes in the morning and realizing yet another day has been bestowed upon you.  I know the irony of fearing that you’ll be all alone and at the same time, wanting to be left all alone. I know the sadness that grips your heart until you think you can’t take one more moment of pain.

If you’ve never suffered from depression then you probably have no idea what I’m talking about.

When you find yourself in the black hole, how do you get out?  I wish I had a magic answer.  What I can share with you are three promises that I cling to with a white-knuckled grip. 

  • The first one is in the Bible in Philippians 4:13 and it says:  “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”

  • The second one is in the Bible in Romans 8:28 and it says:  “And we know that God makes all things work together for good for those that love Him.”

In both of these verses I focus on the word ALL, because to me that covers anything and everything I may be confronted with or involved in.  If I surrender it to God, He promises to strengthen me and somehow work it all out for good.  I don’t have to understand how… I only have to believe….and I do.

  • The third one is in the Bible in Hebrew 13:5 and it says:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Even in my darkest hours, God is there and promises to always be with me.

The most powerful instrument that pulls me up when I am at my lowest is my faith...because I know God will never let me down.

Thanks for the question Elaine.  I hope I answered it adequately.  J