FREE copy of Tetterbaum's Truth!

Prior to the release of the seventh book in the Just Call Me Angel suspense series, we are releasing several hundred free copies of the first book (Tetterbaum's Truth) and asking those who receive free copies if they would please leave an honest review of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

So, be one of the first 200 people to use the coupon code below and receive a FREE book of Tetterbaum's Truth!  Can you handle the truth?

HOW TO RETRIEVE YOUR FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD

1. Go to www.Smashwords.com

2. In the Search bar, type: TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH by S.R.Claridge

3. Select the book from the list

4. Click on BUY

5. Enter VF83E in the Coupon Code box

6. Click on CHECKOUT

7. At this point the price will drop to $0.00 and you will be able to select in which format you would like to receive your download.

Thank you...thank you...thank you to all of my readers and new readers and for all of fans of the Just Call Me Angel series.  I am excited about the upcoming release of book seven and will share details with you in the next few months.

#TetterbaumsTruth #JustCallMeAngel #GPG #SRClaridge

If it Scares You...

There are times when I am tempted to play it safe, take the path most traveled and lean toward the conservative side when writing; and then, I stand up at my desk, jump up and down three or four times and shake it off.  When I feel this stagnation coming on in life, I jump from a plane, skinny dip or do something else exhilarating to liven things up.

I try to make a conscious effort to live on the edge on paper and in life.  That doesn't mean live dangerously, but purposefully.  It doesn't mean to live carelessly, but care-freely.  I think it means to embrace every chance you're given and whenever you can, choose the path less traveled and leave a piece of yourself on the trail.  That is to say, pour a little bit of yourself onto the pages even if it's scary. 

Writing my novels has taken me into some dark places.  For the Just Call Me Angel series I studied the Mafia and for House of Lies I studied cult groups, past and current.  Writing The Candy Shop took me to a new precipice, as I studied the psychological profiles of serial killers.  It was uncomfortable and, at times, downright creepy.  I dove in nonetheless and I'm thankful I did.  The newly found knowledge I embraced added a depth to each story that otherwise would not exist.  It scared me, but the positive reviews have made those fearful moments worthwhile.  :) 

Trying something new or looking at something from a new perspective can cause trepidation.  Those feelings are normal.  If it scares you a little... you're on the right path.  ~

Playing Dead

DEATH TRAP _{by S.R.Claridge}

Fourth book in the Just Call Me Angel series

 

When Giovanni’s private jet explodes with Angel presumably on board, the family is thrust into a state of crisis and mourning.  When they learn the explosion was not due to a malfunction but a well-planned attack, Angel’s men set out on a course for revenge; while Giovanni must face the hard reality of assigning a new Boss to the family.  Unknown to anyone Angel is alive, but is forced into hiding from the terrorist group enacting revenge on her grandfather, Salvatore.  She watches in horror as her men are lured one-by-one into a trap of death, with their only chance for survival falling on the shoulders of a stranger with an unstable past.  Tempers flare and bullets fly as the lines of family loyalty blur into a melting pot of Mafia destruction, thickening when Angel’s men discover that the stranger behind the attack isn’t a stranger at all.  Emotions run high as Angel must face the suffocating reality that her only hope for staying alive is to play dead.

The Just Call Me Angel series has received rave reviews...

 

So, don't delay...start reading the series today!

Unsuspected Uprising

RUSSIAN UPRISING _{by S.R.Claridge}

Third book in the Just Call Me Angel series

 After a brutal attack on Tetterbaum’s Pub, Angel discovers the five Chicago families have been infiltrated by the Russian Bratva. When the Cappo Di Tutti Capi orders a hit on her most trusted men, she is forced to walk a fine line between compassion and rage; taking drastic measures to flush out the infiltrators before more people die.  Traitors are friends and friends become enemies in this deceptive Mafia world, where Angel’s only hope of stopping the Russian uprising is to turn against her own blood. 

You can watch the video trailer HERE.

Purchase Russian Uprising today in either Ebook or print format.

The Thrill-Ride Continues

Traitors Among Us is the second book in the Just Call Me Angel series and has been hailed by reviewers as one of the most exciting books in the series, being called a "thrill-ride" and "an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller." 

Traitors Among Us _{by S.R.Claridge}

With Tetterbaum’s Truth revealed and her identity exposed, Angel Martin tries to adjust to her radically new role as head of the Chicago Maratinzano family.  Unfortunately, Mafia life offers little down time.

The sudden kidnapping of her mother and Aunt Olga leads Angel on a path to a past she’s never known and an adversary she is unable to find.  When an FBI mob bust against her family is fueled by administration level information, Angel turns to the other Chicago Bosses for answers; but every trail dead ends and every person is not who they seem.

Racing to save the people she loves most, Angel must learn to trust her instincts, even when she comes face-to-face with the scariest truth yet… there are Traitors Among Us.

You can watch a video trailer HERE.

 

Start Your Summer With a BANG!

With the release of the fifth book in the Just Call Me Angel series, I wanted to take this opportunity to give a brief overview of each novel and encourage readers to start their summer off with as BaNG!  Book one:  Tetterbaum’s Truth

 

Tetterbaum’s Truth _{by S.R.Claridge}

Angel Martin plans to marry Tony and live happily ever after… until Tony disappears.  Nursing a broken heart, she takes a job at Tetterbaum’s Pub, unaware it is the most prestigious Mafia hangout in Chicago. Through an unlikely turn of events, Angel finds herself in the middle of a revengeful scheme from a past she’s never known and a Mafia blackmail scandal that’s already left several dead. 

Racing to find answers, she discovers her entire life has been one carefully orchestrated lie.  No one is who they say they are and everyone has an agenda of their own. 

The closer she gets to uncovering hidden evidence the more the crime families want her out of the way. 

With her true identity now exposed, learning who she can trust becomes a matter of life and death and unraveling the past becomes her only hope for staying alive.

 

You can also watch the video trailer by clicking HERE

 

USA Today Recommends LOOSE ENDS

I am excited to announce that my latest release, Loose Ends, the fifth novel in the Just Call Me Angel series is NOW AVAILABLE and has been included in the USA Today HEA listing of books.  You can view the full USA Today listing HERE.

If you have yet had the opportunity to read the Just Call Me Angel series, I will be offering a small sampling of each novel this week on my blog, so please check back daily. 

 

Loose Ends _{by S.R.Claridge}

Fifth book in the Just Call Me Angel series

It's been a year since Angel discovered her true identity in the Mafia world and being the first female boss has had its challenges. She's been kidnapped, shot at, Tasered, blown up and thrown out of a plane. Not many women can say that. Through it all she's learned that family loyalty means everything, traitors aren't tolerated and love can be deadly. Unraveling the truth means tying up loose ends so they cannot ensnare the family again. The only problem is some loose ends aren't fit to be tied.

 

Like all of the Just Call Me Angel novels, Loose Ends can be purchased in Ebook or print at any of these online retailers:
Smashwords
Amazon
AllRomanceEbooks
 Barnes & Noble

You can also visit my website for a free read of the first thirty pages of Loose Ends (or any of my other novels, as well):
www.AuthorSRClaridge.com
At the top, click on the tab:  FREE READ

 

 

If I Could Be Angel...

I was speaking at a book club meeting and one of the ladies said, “Sometimes I wish I was Michelangela Maratinzano from the Just Call MeAngel series.”

Another woman gasped, “Why would you want to be in the mafia?”

“I don’t want to be IN the mafia,” the woman explained, “I want to RUN a mob family.”  Needless to say, the room grew quiet as she continued.  “Just once I’d like to be in complete control, have all the hot Italian men I want, whenever I want, eat authentic Italian food, never worry about money, and have a ton of big men with big guns protecting me.”  She raised her eyebrows and made what I call a ‘yummy’ face.

There were varied reactions throughout the group… most quite comical.  But the topic got me thinking, and made me realize that there’s a part of me that’s living out a fantasy on the pages of the Angel books too.

Let’s face it, Angel is young, attractive and thrust into a position of power unlike any woman in the mafia world has ever held.  She’s strong, daring and conflicted, to which I think we can all relate on some level. 

Now, I adore my husband and children and wouldn’t want to go back to that single lifestyle; however, I think I probably live out a sexual fantasy every time Angel engages in romantic encounters with Tony and Andrew.  I’ve certainly modeled those characters after men I would find interesting and alluring; and in my single days, wouldn’t have turned down a romp in the hay with either of them.  J

Power.  Money.  Romance.  Great food.  There are definitely advantages to being Angel, but the downside is that she lives in a violent world, where life has less value than loyalty.  Can Angel change the way the mafia has always been run?  I don’t know, but she’s hell-bent on trying, and if I’m honest I have to admire her courage.

Would I want to be Angel for a day?  Well…. maybe for a couple of hours…just long enough to spend some quality time with Tony and Andrew, to eat some of Olga’s homemade Cannoli and to have a late night conversation with Giovanni.  Oh, and shooting the handheld Uzi one time wouldn’t be so bad either…. but only at a target, not a person.  

The truth is.... each time I write an Angel book I lose myself in her world and I enjoy every minute of it.  ~

 

 

Kindle WINNER

Congratulations to Kindle winner:   MELISSA SOPRI

Melissa's name was randomly selected from my list of blog members and subscribers.  In addition to the kindle, Melissa will receive a free download of any one of my novels.

As a thank you to my readers I will periodically draw names for more gifts, so make sure your name is on my list; and tell your friends too! 

Either join as a member or as a subscriber today!

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Tasers, Lasers and Phasers

When I grow old, I want to be like Aunt Olga from the Just Call Me Angel series.  I want to appreciate each day, have a positive outlook and a spunky demeanor.  I want to make people smile with my silliness or whimsical wit.  Sure, Olga can be an eavesdropping, mis-match-making, Taser toting nuisance at times; but she’s always there for Angel.  That’s the solid sort of woman I want to become, especially for my children.

 

I might be over-zealous, explosive and downright difficult to handle, but my loyalty and devotion will never be in question.  I want my loved ones to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m “in”… that I’m down with it, hip to it, up for it, in the mix, got a grip, rockin’, rollin’, willing and ready to participate in whatever life brings.

Whether armed with Tasers, lasers or phasers, I want my family to know I’ve got their back; that there’s nothing in this world we can’t work through and walk through together.

I don’t want years or fears to slow me down because the way I see it, we get one life and, like Olga, I want to live in the moment…every moment of every hour of every day. ~

 

"You Will Not Budge Me"

When a person says, “You’ll never budge me,” what they are really saying is that your opinion, what matters to you, and how you feel are of unimportance to them.  Can there be anything more painful than knowing your heart doesn’t matter?

I look back at many of the situations in my life, when I made poor choices and hurt people with wreck-less behavior or selfish actions.  If I could go back in time I’d certainly do things differently.  Despite my many flaws, and there are many, I can honestly say I have never ignored someone who came to me out of concern for my well-being.  I never arrogantly said, “You will not budge me.”  I never egotistically turned a blind-eye and uttered, “We’ll just agree to disagree.”  I think that’s because, deep down in my heart, I always respected the people who cared about me.  Even if I was angry at them, I still held a certain respect for the fact that they loved me and that they wanted only the best for me.  In my most rebellious moments, their words were not ignored; but sank deep into my heart and tenderized the places I had become hardened.

Years ago, when I moved to Los Angeles and became involved in a New Age cult-type movement, my mother and my husband confronted me with their concerns.  In fact, it was the fact that they took the time to study the movement and continued to talk with me about it, that eventually led to me opening my eyes and realizing how dangerously false it was.  Even when I thought I was right and they were wrong, I listened and I never said, “You will not budge me.”  Deep down, I knew their words came from love and I respected them enough to know that they wouldn’t come to me with lies; but only with the truth.

In looking back, I realize that God strategically placed people in my life to help steer me away from danger.  Had I arrogantly blown them off, I shudder to think where I would be today…or if I would even be alive today.  Egotism often blocks our ability to see the truth, even when it lies right in front of us.

 

In the Just Call Me Angel series, Angel often struggles with a desire to rebel against the rules of the Mafia world. But she realizes that the people around her, her family, want the best for her and help provide balance in what can often be a violent, dangerous place. She learns quickly that arrogance can get a person killed and she must trust those who love her with her life; knowing they care enough to protect her. Even when Giovanni’s words are not what she wants to hear, she respects the fact that he will not mis-lead her; and despite their many disagreements, she never says, “You will not budge me.” Deep down she knows that her God-given family will never let her down.

 

Most of us don't live in the Mafia world, but I think it is important to realize the danger of arrogance in the real world.  I think it is crucial to understand that the human ego can be used as a weapon and can hurt the people that love you.  It might not get you killed like in the Just Call Me Angel series, but arrogance can certainly kill relationships.

 

Proudly uttering the words, "You will not budge me," might come back to haunt you, because one day, you might want to budge and you will have pushed everyone who truly loves you, out of your life. ~

 

 

 

For more information on the Just Call Me Angel series, please visit www.AuthorSRClaridge.com

 

 

FREE Read

Please enjoy a FREE sample of several of my novels, and if you like what you read, please leave a review and share this with your friends.  There is nothing more fulfilling or rewarding for a writer than to hear that people are enjoying their books.    :)

Nail Gnawing Submissions

Whenever I submit a new manuscript to my Publisher, it is with both trepidation and excitement.  My hand hovers over the SEND button for several minutes, as I read and re-read what I have written; and then ask myself the same nagging questions over and over.  Is the manuscript ready to send?  Did I edit it enough?  Did I format it correctly?  Did I tie in all of the loose ends?  Did I define the characters well enough?  Is the story clean of redundancy?  Is it the best work I could give? 

At this point, I usually save my email as a draft and go back through the manuscript one more time.  Then, I retrieve the email and, once again, hover over the SEND button; conflicted by my own emotions.  I'm excited that it's done and scared that it will not be accepted.

I recently submitted my seventh manuscript (six full-length novels and one short story), wherein I went through the aforementioned process.  Once the SEND button was depressed, the agonizing nail gnawing began.

Thankfully, she didn't make me suffer long.  Yesterday, I received an email that my manuscript has been accepted.  In fact, she not only accepted it, she loved it.  This brought a huge sigh of relief and a smile that hasn't left my face.  

Now... it's time to grow my nails back and begin working on the sequel.  :)


 

Grinning Ear-To-Ear

I spent some time yesterday reading reviews of my books that are posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  I just want to share some of my favorites, particularly those pertaining to the Just Call Me Angel  suspense series.

BookWatchMagazine called the series, “a non-stop ride of action and adventure.”

APEX Reviews called it, “a bona fide suspense thriller.”

RipeReviews said it was “suspense at its best.”

“A non-stop, action-packed thrill ride” said CanadaReviewers.

All Book Reviews says the series is “murder, suspense, and thrills-all enmeshed in wild, intelligent plotting.”

 

If you haven't read the Just Call Me Angel series yet, and you like suspense novels, I hope you'll order your books today.  If you have read the series, please take the time to write a review and post it on either Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.  Nothing makes a writer grin from ear-to-ear like hearing from their devoted readers.  ~

 

Review Reverie

Waking up to find new reviews posted can be both exciting and deflating, depending upon the nature of the review.  As a novelist, I want to write a story that people will enjoy...a story that will take the reader to the edge of their seat...a story that will tug at their heart, render them unable to step away and leave them forever thinking about what happened on the pages.  I want my books to pull the reader away from reality and completely absorb them into the story. 

 

Today, I am smiling big as I woke up and read this review: 

 

NYC Reviewers call the Just Call Me Angel Series "the best suspense series to come along in years," saying it is "a perfect blend of mystery and humor."

 



 

Needless to say, I am gleefully basking in a review reverie...for nothing pleases an author more than to hear that readers are indeed enjoying what has been written.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

My books are available in ebook and print from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords and many other online outlets.

 

 

 

Mafia Queen

I have had the opportunity to be featured in an interview, entitled "S.R.Claridge Mafia Queen" with Smoky Zeidel.  It was a fun interview and I hope you will follow the link (in red) below and check it out.  Also, come back here and leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of one of the novels in the Just Call Me Angel series.


 

S.R.Claridge Mafia Queen by Smoky Zeidel

 

 

Gun Talk

There is much conspiracy now about the Second Amendment, and I find it rather ludicrous.  We have the right to bear arms.  Period.  It’s part of our American heritage.  It’s who we are.  It’s one of our many freedoms and it should not be revoked.  That being said, should anyone be allowed to purchase an AK47 combat rifle?  I would ask this…. Why would anyone, outside of our military, who are fighting for and defending our freedoms, need an AK47 machine gun?  [ I mean, with the exception of the traditional Mafia families like those found in my Just Call Me Angel series, who fight the Russian Mob and need big guns for more action-packed pages!]  

Should there be restrictions on the type of gun an average American is allowed to purchase?  Maybe.  I don’t know.  It seems to me that laws, rules and restrictions only affect the morally upright person who will obey them, and those aren’t the people who are going to use a gun (of any make and model) to go on a killing spree.  Your morally bankrupt killers will find a way around the restriction and get whatever gun they want anyway…. so, to me, the argument seems rather moot.

I’m an American.  I have freedom of speech.  I have freedom of religion.  I have the right to bear arms and I own the responsibility that comes with this freedom.

Allow me to share an article featuring advice from several Concealed Carry Instructors:

The Rules of a Gunfight

A: Guns have only two enemies - rust and politicians.

B: It's always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

C: Cops carry guns to protect themselves, not you.

D: Never let someone or something that threatens you get inside arms length.

E: Never say "I've got a gun." If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off.

F: The average response time of a 911 call is 13 minutes, the response time of a .357 is 1400 feet per second.

G: The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win - cheat if necessary.

H: Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he'll have to beat you to death with it, ‘cause it'll be empty.

J: In a life and death situation, do something . . . It may be wrong, but do something!

K: If you carry a gun, people call you paranoid. Nonsense! If you have a gun, what do you have to be paranoid about?

L: You can say 'stop' or any other word, but a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much a universal language.

M: Owning a gun doesn’t make you aggressive… it give you the opportunity to save yourself and your family if, God forbid, that need arises.

If you're in a gun fight:

1. If you're not shooting, you should be loading.
2. If you're not loading, you should be moving.
3. If you're not moving, you're dead.

 

Believe in the 2^nd Amendment.  Believe in your freedom.  Believe in America.

 

 

Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Scam

Have you ever been taken for a ride?  I mean, totally scammed?  I have and it makes me wonder how people get away with it, both internally and externally.  If you lie, cheat and steal for a living, how do you sleep at night?  Aren’t you always looking over your shoulder, wondering if you’re about to be busted?  I would be… I would be in a constant state of fear…and what kind of life is that?!? 

When you’re the one that falls for the scam it makes you feel stupid, like a big doofus.  Hindsight is always twenty/twenty and how easily you look back and see all the red signs piled up.  They were there the whole time, but you couldn’t see them.  You weren’t looking.  You were trusting. 

It reminds me of some of the shady characters in my mafia series, Just Call Me Angel.  They live moment-to-moment, always looking over their shoulder, never at peace.

I've decided that scammers are the equivalent of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am.  What seems exciting at first becomes crushingly empty afterwards. ~

New Ad for the Just Call Me Angel series

Boasting About Books Interview by Janet Leibert

BOASTING ABOUT BOOKS   by Janet Leibert

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with S.R.Claridge

POSTING DATE of May 22, 2012

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I’ve read some of your other interviews and will try not to ask you the same questions.  Let’s start easy and random.  Do you dream and if so, do you dream in color?

Wow, that is random.  Yes, I dream almost every night; and I usually wake up remembering at least a portion of my dream.  I always dream in color.

Do you have any reoccurring dreams?

I do, though I haven’t dreamt it in a long time.  When I was younger I used to have a reoccurring dream that I was being chased through the woods by cannibals.  Up ahead was a tree root that stretched across my path.  I tripped over the root every time….every time…despite the fact that I saw it coming and would tell myself not to trip this time.  It is quite frustrating.  I also have a reoccurring theme in my dreams.  Whenever I shoot a gun in my dreams, my bullets always travel in slow motion.  I can’t hit anyone because my shots are easily dodged.  It’s exasperating!

Do you have many dreams where you’re trying to shoot people?

LOL!  Now you’re do a psychoanalysis of me, aren’t you?   Yes, actually I do, but I’m always trying to shoot a bad guy and always out of self-defense.

Maybe this is why so many people are shot in the Just Call Me Angel series?

Oh, so you think I’m overcompensating for the inadequacy I feel in dream.  Hmmmm, I’ll have to think about that one.

If you could have lunch with one person, who would it be and why?

God.  Because I have lots of questions.

Okay, if you could have lunch with one human being, who would it be and why?

That’s hard because there are too many to choose from.  For example, if I want to pick a highly motivated, excellent business mind in the entertainment world, I might choose Madonna.  But, if I want a brilliant brain from the political realm, I might ask Bill Clinton to lunch.  On the other hand, if I want to laugh through lunch I might ask Tim Allen or Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler.  If I want to lust my way through the meal, I’d ask George Clooney, Cary Grant, Patrick Dempsey or The Rock.  If I want some older, female wisdom I might seek out Betty White, Judi Dench or Julie Andrews.   And if I just want a lunch with some fun girlfriends, I might ask Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz.  If I get the urge to kiss a girl, I’d ask Angelina Jolie to join me.  So…. it’s impossible for me to choose one person… there are too many things that factor into my decision.

Holy Cow!  No one has ever answered that question that way.

It seems like a pretty straight forward answer to me.  J

Onto your personal life…

I have to interrupt your sentence…sorry…but it bugs me when people differentiate between “personal” life and some other sort of  life.  The very word “life” is personal, right?  I mean, everything about your life is personal to you… so whether it’s something going on in your business or in your family or in your neighborhood, school, church, etc…. it’s “personal” to you because it’s about your life. I hate when people say, “it’s not personal” or “don’t take it so personally.”   If life should be anything, it should always be personal.  I think if more people lived that way, we’d all hurt each other a lot less.

(You’re right, I’ve never really thought about it that way.)

You have a husband and children, correct?

Yes.  My husband and I are celebrating twenty years together this year, and we have two incredible kids.

How do you make your marriage work?  Like, how has it lasted twenty years when so many marriages fall apart within the first few years?

Sex. 

(LOL!  Once again, I didn’t expect that to be your answer)

Can you elaborate on that?

Obviously, you have to love each other, respect each other and like each other.  But even with all of that in place, marriages….especially in today’s world….are difficult.  Couples have less time together because both work or one or both travel for work and it’s easy to grow apart.  That’s why I emphasize the importance of having a lot of sex.  See, it’s virtually impossible to be intimate with someone and not feel close to them.  It’s hard to make-love and stay angry at them.  Sex between a couple, who already shares a solid foundation of love and respect, becomes a conduit that opens communication and keeps their connection strong.

So, do you believe in divorce?

Of course.  Even Jesus, Himself, said there is just cause for a couple to divorce.  I wish couples would try to stay together because I think when you make it through the hard stuff, you come out stronger on the other side.  But I also realize there are circumstances where divorce is the best choice.  I don’t judge anyone based on whether they stay together or not.

This is a great lead in to your first novel, No Easy Way, where Tom and Kate are separated and both engage in some questionable behavior with other people.   Do you think a real marriage can survive what Tom and Kate’s marriage survives in your novel?

Absolutely.  In every marriage there are a hundred justifiable reasons why each spouse has a right to walk away; but just because you have the right to do something doesn’t make it the right thing to do.  Sometimes you have to dig down deep and find the one reason to stay.

If you could describe your husband in just a couple words, what would they be?

Logical. Strong.  Intelligent.  Devoted.

How do you think your husband would describe you?

Creative. Emotional. Passionate.

Is it safe to assume you are opposites?

Yes, extreme.  We are a testament to the statement that “opposites attract.”

Let’s talk about you, the writer.  You have a background in entertainment, commercials, films, stage, songwriting, do you think all of that helps you be a better writer?

Definitely.  I think anything creative in your life enhances your creative productivity.  With every new experience you acquire new tools that help to equip you for the next experience.

What is your favorite outlet for entertainment?

Right now, it’s writing novels.  In the past, it was performing on-stage, which I still love to do, but don’t have the time. 

Will you perform again sometime?

I think so, maybe.  I don’t have a great desire to do it right now…. I think because my life is just so busy and I don’t want my schedule to be a strain on my family.

Is your writing ever a strain on your family?

Yes and no.  I can write anytime, anywhere so I can easily work it around everyone else’s schedule.   That’s one of the wonderful things about being a writer.

You’ve written five novels and one short story, all published since October 2010.  That’s a lot of writing!  When do you write?

Usually during the day while the kids are at school and sometimes late at night after I put them to bed and my husband is traveling.  Summer is harder to write because there is constant interruption, but I manage to sneak away every now and then and drop a few thousand words from my head to the page.

Do you ever feel like you’re coming apart at the seams, and if so, what holds you together?

No, I’m always calm and completely stable.  LOL!!  NOT!!  I’m usually one thread from coming apart at the seams, but it’s my faith in God that holds me together.  That, and He has blessed me with an incredible family and friends that love me and are supportive and there to strengthen me whenever I need it. 

Do you believe things happen for a reason in life and can you look back and see how you got to where you are today with your writing?

Definitely.  Everything happens for a reason and I love the verse in the Bible that says, “God makes all things come together for good for those that love him.”  Sometimes things look and feel devastating, but if we hold on and we walk through them, I believe we’ll come out in a better, stronger more peaceful place.  There were many ups and downs with my writing.  I received a lot of rejection letters and critiques that were less than encouraging.  You just have to keep putting yourself out there and keep getting back up every time someone or something knocks you down.  It’s hard sometimes… but it’s worth it.

Tell our readers where they can find your books:

All of my books are available in ebook and paperback from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, OmniLit and AllRomanceEbooks.  You can order them into any local bookstore by calling and requesting the books.  For detailed information on each one, including a free read of the first several chapters, visit my website at:  www.AuthorSRClaridge.com     You can also join me on my blog site:  www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com    

Thank you so much for allowing me to chat with you today.  J