Guest Post with Author Susannah Sandlin and Giveaway

Meet Susannah Sandlin, author of Allegiance. 

Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night.

A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?)

The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.

Places to find Susannah:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Alpha Males, Beta Males, and Vampires

We love bad boys. Romance books, from contemporary to paranormal, are full of alpha males being brought to their knees by finding the one woman who turns those knees (and hopefully nothing north of there) to jelly.

Now, in real life, most of these dudes would either be some woman’s worst nightmare or a semi-permanent resident of a prison or anger-management class, but that’s another post for another day.

In creating the vampires for my Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, I wanted a mixture of alpha and beta heroes. I’d consider the leader of Penton, Irish-born vampire Aidan Murphy (the hero of REDEMPTION), to be a strong beta. He isn’t afraid to kick some fangs around and do the hard job of leading, but he also is fair and patient and thinks before he acts. Well, sometimes he overthinks. Sometimes he broods. He grows night-blooming flowers and carries a Smith and a kukri curved blade.

In many ways, his second-in-command, Scottish-born Mirren Kincaid (the hero of ABSOLUTION), is his polst opposite. A fierce 16th-century gallowglass warrior, Mirren takes heads with his battle sword, Faolain, and then asks questions. He’s gruff, foul-mouthed, rude—and it just takes the right woman to bring him to his knees (just don’t tell him; he thinks he’s in charge). Mirren is pure alpha male. His nickname is The Slayer, and he earned it.

The hero of OMEGA, Will Ludlam, is a pretty boy who seems to have it all—smarts, looks, money. He’s more an artist than a fighter, but this vampire has dark, dark secrets, and it’s hard for us to gauge whether he’s alpha or beta because he covers everything with a slick coat of Teflon. I suspect Will is alpha, or he wouldn’t have been able to survive all he has. Or a beta with a backbone of steel.

Which brings us to Cage Reynolds, the hero of ALLEGIANCE, the new Penton book. When I began writing the book, I envisioned Cage as pure alpha. He’s got a self-confident swagger about him, he’s a good leader, a good fighter, and is smart. But as often happens in the writing process, I learned new things about Cage and in the end, I think he’s a lot more like Aidan than the others—in other words, a very complex mix of alpha and beta.

He’s a nomadic adrenaline junkie, our Cage, and yet he longs for a place he can call home. He’s trying to quit smoking (for probably the hundredth time in a hundred years) for aesthetic reasons because he doesn’t want to be offensive, but he’s one of the best fighters in Penton. He’s been a psychiatrist in his human life, and a mercenary soldier-for-hire as a vampire. He likes to go fast—but he’s kind of afraid to try and drive a modern car. He loves women in theory; in practice, he needs some work. Robin, the new shapeshifter in town, scares the heck out of him at the same time she intrigues him. Simultaneous fear and lust make for a very uncomfortable Cage.

It ain’t easy being an alpha with strong beta tendencies, as Cage is about to learn.

Do you like your heroes alphas ready to be taught a thing or two, or a beta “nice guy”—or a blend of the two. Who’s one of your favorite heroes that has just the right mix for you? We’ll choose one commenter to win their choice of an Allegiance audiobook, a signed print copy of one of the first three Penton books (an unsigned book and signed bookplate for international readers outside US/Canada), or an author goodie bag.

British vampire psychiatrist and former mercenary Cage Reynolds returns to Penton, Alabama, looking for a permanent home. The town has been ravaged by the ongoing vampire war and the shortage of untainted human blood, and now the vampires and humans that make up the Omega Force are trying to rebuild. Cage hopes to help the cause, put down roots in Penton, and resolve his relationship with Melissa Calvert. The last thing he expects is to find himself drawn to Robin Ashton, a trash-talking eagle shape-shifter and new Omega recruit.

Meanwhile, as a dangerous saboteur wreaks havoc in Penton, the ruthless Vampire Tribunal leader Matthias Ludlam has been freed on the eve of his scheduled execution. But by whom? And to what end? As war and chaos rage on, love isn’t something Cage is looking for, but will his attraction to Robin distract him from the danger living among them?

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

Check out the Penton Legacy series:

  

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 Choice of Allegiance audiobook, a signed print copy of one of the first three Penton books (an unsigned book and signed bookplate for international readers outside US/Canada), or an author goodie bag.

To Enter: 

• Please answer Susannah's question: Do you like your heroes alphas ready to be taught a thing or two, or a beta “nice guy”—or a blend of the two. Who’s one of your favorite heroes that has just the right mix for you? 
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Susannah Sandlin for sponsoring this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway