Susannah Erwin's Blog

Seven Years of Secrets is an award winner!

Seven Years of Secrets is the winner of the Contemporary Romance Short Stiletto Award from Contemporary Romance Writers

Seven Years of Secrets is my tribute to the fast-talking, sparks flying screwball comedies of the 1930s/1940s, although with more emphasis on romance than the screwball comedy. My inspiration was the classic Howard Hawks film His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant at his suavest best and the incomporable Rosalind Russell. I borrowed the idea of rival journalists and former lovers, although Declan and Mara are very different from Walter and Hildy (and they weren’t married, just a passionate college fling), and I got rid of the current love interest for Hildy after toying with the idea. But I only had 50,000 words to play with, and so the story was focused rather tightly on just Mara and Declan and their second chance.

Seven Years of Secrets was originally meant to be the second book in a four book series, but it ended up being the second and last book in The Heirs of Lochlainn duology and also my last book for Harlequin Desire, which sadly is no more. But I’m very excited to write for Afterglow, a brand new imprint from Harlequin - stay tuned for more news!

As a writer and someone eternally fascinated by stories, I am constantly looking for new methods and avenues to improve my craft and understanding of what makes stories, well, stories. Why do these fictional tales so affect us, change us, help inform our world view?

Two concepts that resonate with me about why certain stories hit so hard and stick with us long after they are concluded stick are 1) Theodora Taylor's "butter" - the delicious universal fantasy ingredient that triggers the reader's salivia glands and leads to us making "grabby hands" as soon as we hear the synopsis - and 2) Dr. Jennifer Barnes's research on fandom psychology and “id lists” - the items in a story that feed your "I want" subconscious that doesn't think, just feels. 

So I decided to take a look at the fictional love stories upon which I imprinted upon as a child, teen and young writer, and the newer ones that continue to fascinate me as a consumer of media. I’m an omnivore devourer of media, so my influences include not only novels and films, but soap operas, comic books, intellectual property universes, games, what have you.

And for my first foundation couple in this series, I am reaching back back forty years, which sounds so incredibly ancient to me, but I remember the epsiodes vividly as it were yesterday when I sat before a squat 27” television set, VCR remote in hand to stop and start recording to avoid commericals. I watched daytime dramas only for a few of my formative years but while short in timespan my love affair with the format was intense. Soaps taught me what tropes were long before the word trope entered my vocabulary, and you see the influence of soapy trials and tribulations on my work for Harlequin Desire.

During this time I fell hard for two love stories on two different soaps. And when I thought about which fictional characters serve as my foundational templates for romance, I realized this couple and how they relate to each other are pretty much my ur romance template.

Barbara Treutelaar as Didi O’Neill and Robert S. Woods as Bo Buchanan from ABC’s One Life to Live, circa 1986. Gotta love 80’s wedding dresses.

Presenting: Bo Buchanan and Didi O'Neill of the ABC-TV daytime drama One Life to Live, circa 1984-1986.

Bo and Didi might not have been the most popular couple on One Life to Live at the time - that was probably Vicki and Clint  - and since actor Robert S. Woods, who portrayed Bo, continued on the soap until its demise in 2012, Didi was far from Bo's only or longest-lived relationship. Spoiler alert: in 1988 Didi was killed off pretty definitively via electrocution - while saving Bo's life - in a scene that still devastates me whenever I recall watching it for the first time.

But before Didi sacrificed herself to save her one true love, they had one of my all-time favorite relationships on television.

The back story for anyone not watching ABC Daytime in the mid-eighties: the Buchanans were a family of Texas oil millionaries who came to the city of Llanview, Pennsylvania in the early eighties (i.e. the Dallas influence) (and the worship of oil barons on eighties American television feels rather icky now). Bo Buchanan was the younger son of Asa Buchanan, the larger than life patriarch who was not above underhanded schemes to get his way. Bo's older brother Clint was married to upper class Victoria Lord, a scion of one of Llanview's most prominent families.

Bo had one of those only on a soap opera fights with his father Asa that involved being told his love at the time, Delila, was his cousin so Delila married Asa while Bo impregnated country singer Becky Lee only to learn Asa was lying about Delila so Bo and Delila got married while Asa married Becky Lee so Bo's son would stay a Buchanan - head-spinning in the best 1980s daytime drama fashion.  But then Bo learned Delila lied about something - about being pregnant, I think? I don't recall - and asked for a divorce. 

After all that Bo needed a break from his family drama, and who could blame him?

Meanwhile, One Life to Live was created by Agnes Nixon in 1968 in part as a commentary on class in American communities and originally blue collar characters were as prominent as the wealthy characters, but some of that social consciousness had faded by the eighties. Enter the working class O'Neill family for a return to the show's roots: father Harry and his three daughters Didi, Connie and Joy. Harry worked at Lord Manning, a factory that made...something...along with Didi and Connie, while Joy was still in school. 

Shenanigans were afoot at Lord Manning, so Bo decided to go undercover as "Bill Brady,"  an ordinary Joe blue collar guy, where he fell in love with the entire close-knit O'Neill clan. The feeling was mutual and Harry thought nothing of having "Bill" live with him and his three very attractive daughters, which for a morally conservative Irish Catholic father seems a bit incredulous but hey, Bo was a gentleman. And besides, after a flirtation with Connie that went nowhere, he and Didi were obviously meant for each other - if only she weren't engaged to the incredibly shady Mark Pemberton, who was only one of the many roadblocks to their relationship. However, the real obstacle to Bo and Didi's happiness was their difference in class status. Didi was certain she couldn't fit into the Buchanan world of money and scandal and one life-threatening crisis after another. Bo wanted nothing more than to marry Didi, but he also wasn't about to turn his back on helping his family or buddies when they are in trouble - and since this is a soap, there was a LOT of trouble. The couple would fall in love, become engaged, break up, and finally marry after eighteen months of soapy twists and turns.

Bo and Didi slot neatly into the Cinderella trope. The Cinderella butter is all over their love story, the kind and virtuous blue collar worker courted by the handsome wealthy prince, who wasn't going to let ill-meaning stepsisters (in Bo's case, his father and his ex-wife) interfere with true love. The fairy tale allusions were both implicit and explicit, from Bo whisking Didi off to a magical weekend in New York City early in their courtship to a fairy tale wedding (marred by a hitman apparently killing Bo right after the vows, but hey, worse things have happened on soap weddings) to Didi telling Bo as she died he always treated her as a fairy tale princess and made her life a story book.  

But aside from Cinderella, here's why the relationship hit my id so hard: Bo always, always believed in Didi. Believed in her more than she believed in herself at times. Didi was courageous and optimistic and served as her family's glue. She had ambition. She could put on a brave stiff upper lip better than anyone. But she also lacked self-confidence in her own capabilities. 

Bo never doubted. Even when they were broken up - because of Didi's insecurities, which Bo did nothing to alleviate by always dropping whatever he was involved in to help others, including their first attempt at a wedding - Bo believed in her. When Didi finally called off their first engagement for what she thought was for good, she began a friends to lovers relationship with Rafe Buchanan, Bo's police detective cousin.  Rafe appeared to be everything Bo was not: a committed family man, a man with the proper respect for personal safety despite working in law enforcement, a man who would come home to her every night without fail. Meawhile, Bo was scampering to Arizona and Venice and into innumerable dangerous situations, and communication was not his strong suit when performing feats of derring do (ah, the days before cell phones and texting!). But the real contrast between the two men could not be more apparent when Rafe demanded Didi stop running for president of Lord Manning so she could concentrate on their relationship, while Bo campaigned on her behalf as a former Lord Manning worker and threw her a surprise campaign party because he knew she could make a difference.

Didi was later blinded in an accident, and when it looked like her blindness was permanent she fell into a depressed, pessimistic state. Bo never let her give up on herself and on them as a couple, even when she did her very best to push him away...and away...and away. This storyline could have gone badly off the rails as it could’ve been interpreted as Bo not listening to Didi, not taking no for an answer, and forcing his will on her. However, the story (and the actors, whose chemistry was perfection and their performances sold the scripts) made it clear Bo respected Didi's boundaries - but because he knew her so well, he knew how to help her push past her self-doubts. He never made fun of or belittled her fears, but acknowledged her feelings as valid while also pointing out where she was letting those fears and doubts hold her back.

As for Didi, she wasn't going to be a pushover just because Bo was a Buchanan. She gave as good as she took in their interactions. She wouldn't stand for being babied or condescended to by anyone. Despite the difference in Bo's and Didi's class status and wealth, they treated each other as equals when it came to the relationship, with Didi fiercely maintaining her independence. 

The Bo and Didi story modeled respecting one's partner for who they are, and Didi's overarcing story was to learn to accept Bo in all his Buchanan glory - which came in handy for most of 1986. Robert S. Woods left the series in January but Barbara Treutelaar, who played Didi, was still under contract for another year. So, in the world of the show Bo and Didi interrupted their honeymoon so Bo could join an elite search party for a missing former military comrade. Didi returned to Llanview alone and popped up occasionally to give updates on Bo's infuriating inability to communicate and her need to keep the faith until finally, Didi was written out by joining Bo off screen after his mission was accomplished to restart their honeymoon. (Then Robert S. Woods rejoined the series in 1988 and Barbara Treutelaar was brought back for nine weeks for the tearjerking close to Didi's story, and I'm still not over it nearly forty years later.  I stopped watching soaps shortly thereafter, mostly due to time constraints, but that did give me a good jumping off place.)

Looking back, the id components of this formative love story from my youth are:

Cinderella butter, complete with balls and gowns and fairy tale touches.

Fiesty, spirited, independent main female character

Determined, confident, so in love he can't think straight main male character

Banter and fun (the dialogue is not the most scintillating - it's soaps, so it can be exposition heavy - but the actors sparkle together.)

Respect for one's partner and knowing how to best support them

Believing in one's partner even when they can't believe in themselves. 

It's difficult to watch forty year old soaps today for all the obvious reasons; I doubt the episodes will ever be made available for streaming due to rights and clearance issues. And One Life to Live was the middle child of ABC Daytime, the often skipped filling between the more popular All My Children and General Hospital, making it even more difficult to find vertiges of those years today. There are some clips and a handful of episodes on the internet (but also, y'know, in violation of copyright law); even photos from this era can be hard to find. But if you ever stumble across a collection of old One Life to Live VHS tapes from about May 1984-January 1986, assuming the tapes are still watchable and there's a functional machine to play them, it might be worth your time. Also, let me know, because I would love to see certain episodes again! 

Hi!

Long time, no news - well, there’s been plenty of news, but I’ve been remiss in announcing it here. Life has been hectic, as I’m sure it’s been for everyone the last two years (it’s sincerely coincidence my last post was almost two years to the day. I try not to use too many cliches as a writer but WOW, time really does fly). Hope this finds you healthy, happy, and having a terrific start to your summer.

And speaking of summer…I have not one, but two novels perfect for the beach or the hammock or to throw in your bag for when you need an escape while you’re on the go. Whether your choice of summer activity is an art museum or a theme park - I’ve got you covered!

The Heirs of Lochlainn is a two-book duology published in one convenient paperback or ebook - or you can purchase the ebooks separately! Little did Anna Stratford and Declan Treharne know that they are the biological grandchildren of multimedia tycoon Keith Lochlainn. And the wily billionaire has decided to put his two newly-found progeny against each other in a competition to see which one has what it takes to inherit his empire after he’s gone.

The official description for More Than Rivals…:

Caught between a family feud…and the white-hot fireworks between them!

Theme park mogul Ian Blackburn doesn’t believe in love at first sight. One glimpse of his new business adversary, however, is enough to make him fall in lust. Their searing night together is almost perfect…except that Anna Stratford has no idea she’s sleeping with the enemy.

Anna’s only just discovered she’s the heiress to the Lochlainn empire. Now she’s been thrown into a world filled with wealth, decadence and corporate espionage. Not to mention fireworks with a certain too-tempting billionaire. But is Ian falling for Anna…or manipulating her?

And the official description for Seven Years of Secrets:

Her job is to find the truth. His is to keep it from her…

Seven years ago, budding journalists Declan Treharne and Mara Schuyler had a sizzling fling…one that was abruptly extinguished when he stole her scoop. Now Mara’s just lost her job and Declan is offering her the opportunity of a lifetime—if she can trust him.

But the attraction they once shared is as fiery as ever, and Mara and Declan give in to it. Only, Mara doesn’t know that Declan is one of the Lochlainn billionaire heirs. And their rekindled passion is about to face the ultimate test of ambition and greed…

Purchase both in one volume or as separate ebooks! Find your preferred retailer here.

Who’s the Boss Now? is coming your way!

Marguerite Delacroix wants the inheritance she was promised: her family’s ancestral vineyards. She worked hard to earn the property. Instead, the vineyard and its winery were sold to tech titan Evan Fletcher.

Evan has his own reasons for buying the winery. And when he catches Marguerite breaking into his property, he realizes the alluring thief may solve at least one of his problems. He hires her to be his winemaker…

…but he may find out when hearts - and inheritances - are involved, it’s difficult to determine Who’s the Boss Now?

Available everywhere in paperback and ebook on July 27 or you can preorder from your favorite retailer now!

And in other news:

Cinderella Unmasked is a Stiletto contest finalist! Many thanks to the judges and members of the RWA Contemporary Romance chapter for the honor!

Who’s the Boss Now? is coming your way!

Marguerite Delacroix wants the inheritance she was promised: her family’s ancestral vineyards. She worked hard to earn the property. Instead, the vineyard and its winery were sold to tech titan Evan Fletcher.

Evan has his own reasons for buying the winery. And when he catches Marguerite breaking into his property, he realizes the alluring theif may solve at least one of his problems. He hires her to be his winemaker…

…but he may find out when hearts - and inheritances - are involved, it’s difficult to determine Who’s the Boss Now?

Available everywhere on July 27 or you can preorder now: books2read.com/Whosthebossnow

and in other news:

Cinderella Unmasked is a Stiletto contest finalist! Many thanks to the judges and members of the RWA Contemporary Romance chapter for the honor!

Cinderella Unmasked is now available now in ebook and paperback!

Cinderella Unmasked shares a few characters with my first novel, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife but both novels stand alone.

When I was writing Cinderella Unmasked, I had no idea it would be published in the middle of a pandemic. It’s very strange to promote a book with “unmasked” in the title, but I promise you the only masks are the masquerade kind! However, the novel does include my take on the Cinderella story, with a spoonful of Romeo and Juliet/enemies-to-lovers, and there’s even a dollop of “there’s only one bed.”

Reviewers call Cinderella Unmasked "enjoyable" and saying they "couldn't put it down," with my favorite Goodreads review exclaiming, “Wow it’s simply sweet and sassy and full of charm.” (Don’t be fooled by the sweet - it’s a Harlequin Desire, after all 😉)

Here’s a tiny sneak peek:

“I don’t do this.” The deep rumble of his voice sent a cascade of tiny earthquakes through her.

“Do what?” she asked. It came out as a breathy croak.

“Kiss women I’m not in a relationship with.”

“Are you kissing someone?”

“If she says I can. May I?”

She answered by leaning closer to him on the bench and pressing her lips against his.

This was unwise, the tiny part of her brain not occupied by kissing and being thoroughly kissed in return tried to warn her. They both still wore their masks. She didn’t know his name. She didn’t know anything about him, except that he was a guest at the gala. He could be married. He could be a serial killer. He could be—

But then his strong hands reached out and pulled her to him and that tiny warning voice shut up.

You can find your favorite retailer here.

Cinderella Unmasked is now available now in ebook and paperback!

Cinderella Unmasked shares a few characters with my first novel, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife but both novels stand alone.

When I was writing Cinderella Unmasked, I had no idea it would be published in the middle of a pandemic. It’s very strange to promote a book with “unmasked” in the title, but I promise you the only masks are the masquerade kind! However, the novel does include my take on the Cinderella story, with a spoonful of Romeo and Juliet/enemies-to-lovers, and there’s even a dollop of “there’s only one bed.”

Reviewers call Cinderella Unmasked "enjoyable" and saying they "couldn't put it down," with my favorite Goodreads review exclaiming, “Wow it’s simply sweet and sassy and full of charm.” (Don’t be fooled by the sweet - it’s a Harlequin Desire, after all 😉)

Here’s a tiny sneak peek:

“I don’t do this.” The deep rumble of his voice sent a cascade of tiny earthquakes through her.

“Do what?” she asked. It came out as a breathy croak.

“Kiss women I’m not in a relationship with.”

“Are you kissing someone?”

“If she says I can. May I?”

She answered by leaning closer to him on the bench and pressing her lips against his.

This was unwise, the tiny part of her brain not occupied by kissing and being thoroughly kissed in return tried to warn her. They both still wore their masks. She didn’t know his name. She didn’t know anything about him, except that he was a guest at the gala. He could be married. He could be a serial killer. He could be—

But then his strong hands reached out and pulled her to him and that tiny warning voice shut up.

You can find your favorite retailer here: books2read.com/CinderellaUnmasked

Cinderella Unmasked is now available now in ebook and paperback!

Cinderella Unmasked shares a few characters with my first novel, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife but both novels stand alone.

When I was writing Cinderella Unmasked, I had no idea it would be published in the middle of a pandemic. It’s very strange to promote a book with “unmasked” in the title, but I promise you the only masks are the masquerade kind! However, the novel does include my take on the Cinderella story, with a spoonful of Romeo and Juliet/enemies-to-lovers, and there’s even a dollop of “there’s only one bed.”

Reviewers call Cinderella Unmasked "enjoyable" and saying they "couldn't put it down," with my favorite Goodreads review exclaiming, “Wow it’s simply sweet and sassy and full of charm.” (Don’t be fooled by the sweet - it’s a Harlequin Desire, after all

Cinderella Unmasked will be available August 1!

I hope you will like Nelle’s and Grayson’s story. Grayson made a brief appearance in Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife, but I was surprised at how much I grew to love him over the course of writing his story! And Nelle - let’s just say the cover represents her well. They both have to face family loyalties and social expectations before they can think of reaching their happily ever after, and I can’t wait for people to meet them.

 

And speaking of Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife, it’s been recognized as a finalist for several awards!

Stiletto Contest

Finalist, Best Short Contemporary Romance

National Readers Choice Awards

Finalist, Best First Book

New England Readers Choice Contest

Finalist, Short Contemporary Romance

Cinderella Unmasked will be available August 1!

I hope you will like Nelle’s and Grayson’s story. Grayson made a brief appearance in Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife, but I was surprised at how much I grew to love him over the course of writing his story! And Nelle - let’s just say the cover represents her well. They both have to face family loyalties and social expectations before they can think of reaching their happily ever after, and I can’t wait for people to meet them.

 

And speaking of Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife, it’s been recognized as a finalist for several awards!

Finalist for Contemporary Romance: Short

Finalist for Best First Book

Finalist for Best Short Contemporary Romance