Categories: Screen TimeWatch Look Listen

Hi, My Name is Susan Stoker and I’m Obsessed with the ID Channel

[Note From Frolic: We have a thing for novellas. A BIG thing. In the next installment of an ongoing series, we bring you a post from author Susan Stoker, whose novella ‘Rescuing Macie‘ with our friends at 1001 Dark Nights is out now!]

As I write books that include some sort of bad guy and a crime against the Hero or the heroine, it’s no surprise that I watch a lot of Crime TV. But at the moment I’m obsessed with the ID Channel. It’s amazing and horrifying how horrible humans can be to other humans. I can’t think up as many mean things as someone, somewhere, has already done to someone else.

The other thing that is crazy is how little money it takes for someone to do something awful to someone else. Five hundred dollars to beat the crap out of someone? No problem. A thousand bucks to actually kill them? Name the time and place. It’s insane!

After over fifty books, it can be tough to come up with new ways to kidnap or otherwise terrorize my poor characters, but the ID Channel gives me more than enough material to jump start my imagination. One thing about my stories is that I really make my characters work for their happily ever after. Part of that is because it’s an easy way to show how strong my heroine is. She can be kidnapped, shot, stabbed, scared to death…but still not be crying in a corner. She can actively be trying to save herself, which I love.

But I also insist on the Hero being there to save the day, or at least be involved in the process of saving the day. That might not be “politically correct,” but it’s what I love. Strong women who can absolutely rock working full time jobs, having kids, doing laundry, and generally living a wonderful life as a single and unattached woman, but at the same time who need just a little bit of help now and then…and that’s where the Hero comes in.

I do my best to have my characters be “real.” Meaning they aren’t super rich, they aren’t models, they have disabilities, they mess up, and they have insecurities…just like every single person out there who reads books (myself included).

In Rescuing Macie, my heroine suffers from anxiety, as do millions of people in today’s world. But having anxiety doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve to be loved and when push comes to shove, that she can’t be strong and kick butt against the villain.

The ID Channel is what’s most likely on in my house if you come to visit. It helps me feel just a little bit more normal, and as a bonus, helps me figure out new and crazy situations to put my characters in!

About the Author:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Texas where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, and Indiana. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.

She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in. Find her here: http://www.stokeraces.com

Rescuing Macie by Susan Stoker

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susan Stoker comes a new story in her Delta Force Heroes series…

After years of estrangement, Mercedes Laughlin has finally reconciled with her older brother. It should be the happiest time of her life, getting to know Truck and his new wife…and it would be, if an ex wasn’t causing her trouble. Add in Truck’s boss, Colonel Colton Robinson, an amazingly distracting man whom she met under embarrassing circumstances, and Macie’s got a bit more on her plate than she can handle.

From the moment they met, Colt was fascinated by Macie, and helping her through an anxiety attack at her brother’s wedding didn’t diminish the appeal. He’d do his best to sweep her off her feet, if not for a little voice telling him to tread lightly—until a frantic phone call changes the plan. Macie’s being targeted, and Colt’s determined to keep her safe while he and her brother eliminate the threat.