Author Archives: Susan Jean Ricci

This past year I’ve craved the company of my family and friends more than ever – a testament to our needs as a social, loving society.

Although I have a strong connection with my family, during the era we used to term as normal, our lives seemed to meander in and out of each other’s due to job responsibility,  driving distances, and just being busy, except when we were traveling together.

All of us love visiting other states and countries, and my oldest daughter became so smitten with traveling, she became a travel agent and now owns her own business. Since covid, she’d lost a lot of ground like every other business owner, but she’s getting back on her feet and doing the legwork of checking out old haunts and new ones for the future. I promise the travel industry is only taking a nap –

My recent travels have taken me to NY to meet my newest grandson. I have five grandkids now, and two are adults. Thankfully, since I’ve behaved, my son and daughter-in-law welcome me with open arms so I can see the new baby.

I deeply appreciate how my cherished friends checked in on me (and vice versa), and couldn’t have coped as well without them during this evil pandemic. Then, there is my sisterhood of writers who’ve kept me busy with the passionate craft of writing, and their supportive friendship has meant the world to me.

Speaking of joy, here are a few of our recent sets:

Unforgettable Joy: Unforgettable Pleasure (The Unforgettables Book 16) Pets can make us happy – Yes! – but romance lifts us even higher still! As many of our favorite love stories promise, there’s a perfect partner somewhere in the world for each of us. When that soul mate is found, Unforgettable Joy is found.

Cute But Crazy: Ditzy Dudes: Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Authors, CUTE BUT CRAZY 2 – DITZY DUDES is the follow-up boxset to the Bestselling Cute But Crazy – Wacky, Wonderful Women.Get ready for another Romantic Comedy box set from the fabulous Authors’ Billboard gang. Come get acquainted with these charming and sexy Ditzy Dudes and the ladies they bring Happy (and tickle-bone funny) Ever After’s too.

Invincible Destiny: Whether you’re just starting out or starting over, losing your love or finding a new one, a first chance, or a second…maybe even a third, destiny is in your hands. It’s in your grasp. You find a way, you work hard, and you believe enough to make it happen. (Available for Preorder, just 99 Cents!

Speaking of family, please check out my latest release about the special, little guy in my life: Running on All Fours: Being raised in a dysfunctional family with a special needs sibling and an abusive dad either makes or breaks the human spirit – especially decades ago, when there was no social intervention on behalf of minors, or active support for the parents.

Thank you for reading and I hope you find all the joy life has to offer you!

Have you entered the Authors’ Billboard February Contest? 

Susan Jean Ricci

A USA Today, Award-Winning Author, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy’s Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These characters were first introduced in the multi-award winning novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in its sequel The Sugar Ticket. Look for the soon to be published, and final saga Don’t Bruise the Bananas 2020. Cindy and Jay’s mischief making lives on in these shorts: A Sweet Snafu, Christmas With Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion’s Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat. Please also consider the other stand alone works of fiction and short stories in Ms. Ricci’s collection, with more to come later this year.

A member of the RWA, The Authors’ Billboard, and the Independent Authors’ Network, several of Ms. Ricci’s titles have been recognized as the Women’s Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016 and as IAN finalists in 2017, 2018, 2019.

www.susanjeanricci.com/

Happy Almost 2021. Between you and me, there won’t be a dry eye in the house as we kiss 2020’s not so sweet patootie goodbye, excepting some sweet sets we published this year that kept our minds occupied, and hopefully yours as well. Here’s one of my favorites which was so fun to be a part of:SIX BRAND NEW Side-splitting Romantic Comedies plus two read-tested surprise titles by Eight New York Times and USA Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Authors, CUTE BUT CRAZY 2 – DITZY DUDES is the follow-up boxset to the Bestselling Cute But Crazy – Wacky, Wonderful Women.

Being shared and said, I hope you were able to celebrate the holiday your favor the best you could during this pandemic. My gathering was small compared to other years, but I did find ‘a sign’ from Heaven on Christmas night.

         A forgotten key to my heart.

         My daughter and young grandson had left for the evening and as I was cleaning up, found Joe’s house key laying on the floor near my Christmas tree. Realistically speaking, I don’t quite know how it got there, but the sentimental, believer-in-signs me knows it was my dearly departed husband’s way of wishing me a Merry Christmas.  

         I miss Joe so much the inspiration for another story about his alter ego Jay has been in order – so I’m nearly finished penning it, and proud to announce its inclusion in an exciting new set this coming March INVINCIBLE DESTINY. My tale is called Don’t Bruise the Bananas and is probably the final installment of the Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems saga.

         Here’s a taste of my female character’s opening dialogue: “A Note From Cindy DeMatteo: Intense emotion, leading to prose or poetry cannot be described in any other fashion. I embrace Jay’s existence with the honor he deserves, because he always got me, even when I didn’t get myself.”

         We at the Authors’ Billboard already put our creative minds together earlier this year and have scheduled many new collections for you in 2021. Our newest set is already out and available for your reading pleasure.

New Year’s Eve Shorts (The Shorts Series Book 3)NEW YEAR’S EVE SHORTS includes nine NEW romances guaranteed to lift your spirits with tales of second-chances, adventure, overcoming obstacles, celebrating the holidays, and finding love in unimaginable places. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJNP9KK or Read for FREE with your Kindle Unlimited subscription. ALL of our collections are sold exclusively on Amazon and are available on #KU.

         I could go on for pages about our fascinating plans to entertain you in 2021, so please stay on track with us and keep your eye on the Authors’ Billboard’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theauthorsbillboard And please do sign up for our weekly/monthly newsletters. We feature contests each month with outstanding giveaways, and I’m sure you’ll be as pleased with our new offerings this coming year as you have been in the past. Here’s the link to our monthly newsletter: http://authorsbillboard.com/

Happy New Year’s Blessings to you and yours. Here’s hoping the key to YOUR heart is right around the next corner. Let it be a safe and joyous one filled with new memories in the making.

Susan Jean Ricci

A USA Today, Award-Winning Author, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy’s Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These characters were first introduced in the multi-award winning novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in its sequel The Sugar Ticket. Look for the soon to be published, and final saga Don’t Bruise the Bananas 2020. Cindy and Jay’s mischief making lives on in these shorts: A Sweet Snafu, Christmas With Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion’s Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat. Please also consider the other stand alone works of fiction and short stories in Ms. Ricci’s collection, with more to come later this year.

A member of the RWA, The Authors’ Billboard, and the Independent Authors’ Network, several of Ms. Ricci’s titles have been recognized as the Women’s Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016 and as IAN finalists in 2017, 2018, 2019.

www.susanjeanricci.com/

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving found a joyful, if not traditional way to enjoy the holiday, in view of the problems we’re facing during this pandemic. My son and his lovely wife invited me to visit their home and stay for a few days, because I haven’t misbehaved during the pandemic – their trust in me was completely heartening, because they have a new baby, Jaxson Shea, who became just three weeks old on Thanksgiving Day.

Anyhow, my job as a prose composer has been offering readers my version of earthy predicaments revolving around a character’s lifestyle, struggles and subsequent victories. Most of all, I strive to entertain with lessons, tears, but most of all, chuckles.

Being said, I recently veered off track and finished writing about what it was like to grow up with a special needs sibling in the sixties with an abusive, alcoholic father. I began the narrative some time ago (about fourteen years now, I think), but since I favor authoring humorous romance that entertains, this nonfiction tale was left to simmer on the back burner.

My late husband and editor Joe Ricci urged me to complete the manuscript during our marriage, so I finally did. Running On All Fours is now available for pre-order and will be released on Dec. 3rd. All I can say is recreating the events of a lifetime has not only been a labor of love, it’s exorcised some demons that have haunted me, and on behalf of my brother, during our lifetime.

Here’s a short blurb: “Being raised in a dysfunctional family with a special needs sibling and an abusive dad either makes or breaks the human spirit – especially decades ago, when there was no social intervention on behalf of minors, or active support for the parents.
It was written with the hope that some of the content will prove helpful to others in similar situations, or aid someone you, the reader, may know.”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NJDT4XW

With Christmas only twenty eight days away, we at the Author’s Billboard have the BEST lineup of Christmas Collections and other Bestselling Sets for your enjoyment all year round:

Please click here for The Ultimate Slideshow brought to you by all the authors at the Billboard: https://authorsbillboard.com/book-bites

I guarantee there’s something for everyone on your Holiday Gift List!

Thanks for taking time from your Holiday prep to read this and don’t forget to check out our monthly contest – Win Gift Cards, eBooks and more! Enter here: https://authorsbillboard.com/

Susan Jean Ricci

A USA Today, Award-Winning Author, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy’s Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These characters were first introduced in the multi-award winning novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in its sequel The Sugar Ticket. Look for the soon to be published, and final saga Don’t Bruise the Bananas 2020. Cindy and Jay’s mischief making lives on in these shorts: A Sweet Snafu, Christmas With Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion’s Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat. Please also consider the other stand alone works of fiction and short stories in Ms. Ricci’s collection, with more to come later this year.

A member of the RWA, The Authors’ Billboard, and the Independent Authors’ Network, several of Ms. Ricci’s titles have been recognized as the Women’s Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016 and as IAN finalists in 2017, 2018, 2019.

www.susanjeanricci.com/