Susan loves to release books in April. It’s her birthday gift to everyone: she gets royalties and you get to keep the book!
She became involved in the self-publishing world in 2008, when ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 1 was released. Originally meant to be a vanity book for her blog’s readers, those same readers demanded she treat the material more seriously. They wanted to talk about it on GoodReads. They wanted to see it listed at Amazon.
They won.
Since that 2008 publication, she has released three more collections of short stories and two novels that comprise the Trevolution. There’s also a standalone short story, Broken. There have also been a few other short stories, some related to the Trevolution and some not, released in various anthologies and a number of stories up at Wattpad.
Maybe the Bird Will Rise (Tales from the Sheep Farm, Book 1)
Tess Cartieri has called Port Kenneth, TN home for her entire life. An architect specializing in urban renewal, she’s long dreamed of renovating an old sports field at her alma mater, Kenilworth University. But without the funding, the field sits, forgotten—until the day she’s hired to take on this project at last.
The money is coming from, of all people, the man Tess set free after college, Emerson Mackenzie. He had shared this dream with Tess but had turned his back on her and Port Kenneth when the family business needed him.
But now Mack is back in Tess’ life, still reeling from the recent loss of his wife and hoping this project will help him heal.
There’s something about Port Kenneth, though, something more than how normal and natural it feels to be with Tess again, that calls to him and he begins investigating what it would take to move his company to the city.
Old family secrets come out of hiding and as Mack and Tess face them together and discover the legacy of the Mackenzie Treasure, they cement their commitment to each other and begin to understand how the past will affect their futures.
Maybe the Bird Will Rise is a story of the search for answers, the hope that adventures brings, and a second chance at love.
Populated (Tales from the Sheep Farm, Book 2)
Delia Ford is Port Kenneth’s newest social media darling, a young woman with a camera and a habit of showcasing what she views as the best of the city’s people in a social media series she calls Populated Portraits.
But Delia Ford is very much alone.
When an art thief breaks into the Woolslayer Art Gallery and steals all of her art—and only her art—and then inexplicably leaves some of it in public places, often with taunting notes attached, Delia fights back the only way she knows how: By engaging her thief in a game of cat and mouse that elevates the entire Port Kenneth art scene, including elementary school artists and knitting bombers.
People flock to Delia’s cause: her parents and brother, her neighbor, city influencer Tess Cartieri, the cop working the case, and one Meter Shaikovsky, her casual man who offers more benefits than friendship—or so it seems.
By the time the art thief is revealed, Delia has become a force for change in Port Kenneth, and her world has become strangely populated.
Safe House (Tales from the Sheep Farm, Book 3)
A deadly virus is bearing down on the world and Emerson Mackenzie, CEO of PharmaScience Technologies—now back in its ancestral home of Port Kenneth, Tennessee—opens up the historic Mackenzie house on the family’s defunct sheep farm to six people: himself, his wife Tess Cartieri, his house manager, two members of his board of directors, and his executive assistant, Taylor Alexander.
Taylor won’t abandon Emerson, but at the same time, they don’t want to be there. Taylor has secrets, a past and memories they cannot face, and they fear that being locked in a house with five others will be entirely too revealing.
Taylor’s passion is to be outside, hiking, in a world that makes sense to them, and Emerson harnesses that, asking Taylor to map the boundaries of the old sheep farm and maybe help discover secrets buried on the land. Taylor is glad to do so, although the secrets they help Emerson and Tess discover are immediately darker and more disturbing than any had expected.
As the virus rages, as tensions across the country simmer, as relationships within the house change, and as the land gives up its secrets, Taylor realizes time has grown short. Their secrets cannot remain hidden any longer.
When they spill, Taylor is exposed for all in the house to see.
And every person inside the house responds in ways Taylor never expected.
Saving Sima (Tales from the Sheep Farm, Book 4)
This fourth installment in the Tales from the Sheep Farm series continues the story of Delia Ford and Meter Shaikovsky. Sort of. You should probably read Populated before this one.
The six Shaikovsky kids made a pact when they were young: If any of them used the code words, the others would come to the rescue, no questions asked.
Vassily, the second eldest, has always felt invisible, the family jerk and foil to his responsible older brother Dimitry, his fiery sister Anna, and the adorable, mischievous triplets. But when Sima calls for a rescue, it’s Vassily who big brother Meter turns to for backup.
The two brothers make an all-night drive to rescue Sima and bring her home, but their problems are only beginning. Sima is a physical and emotional wreck and, inexplicably, chooses Vass, not Meter, as her safe person. And when Vassily loses his home, he and Sima move into Meter and Delia’s small condo as he tries to regroup and figure out what his next move is.
As the four of them navigate the tight quarters and the demands of their close-knit family, and as the housing situation begins to resolve itself, Vassily comes to realize that maybe there’s a better role for him in the family after all.
Sima’s traumas may be triggering to those who’ve been in situations of physical abuse. While most remains off the page, the emotional and mental wounds and scars remain. Readers, take care of yourself if this will be upsetting to you.
Broken but Undaunted: Collected Stories
A short collection of short stories that were all previously published and now gathered together in one spot.
Showing off a versatility with subject matter, this collection contains a nice number of rock fiction stories, including more than one from the Trevolution series, a fantasy, and the story of a young widow who is broken, but undaunted by what life is throwing at her.
Permission to Enter
Women feature in this collection of short stories and one novella. Women regaining their power, moving forward through life, learning to face and deal with their pasts. These women have lived, loved, and lost. They have optimism for the future and darkness in their pasts. They have been granted permission to enter, they have seized it, or else they stand ready to do so.
Really, they're just like us.
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 1 (The Trevolution, Book 1)
A band’s demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter.
From the day Trevor and Mitchell meet to the pinnacle of success, these loosely linked stories will let you hang with a rock band. Vive la Trevolution!
Trevor’s Song (The Trevolution, Book 2)
Fame and Fortune have destroyed many a rock star, but Trevor Wolff has a bigger problem when his best friend Mitchell Voss commits an act of monogamy with sexy artist Kerri Broadhurst. ShapeShifter band dynamics will never be the same with this new woman on the scene, and the distractions of two girlfriends and a world tour aren’t enough to keep Trevor from feeling like his carefully constructed world is crumbling around him. The pesky little illness he’s been hiding from his band mates isn’t helping, either. Trevor is determined to drive Kerri away so life can run properly. He’ll do whatever it takes, or die trying, and not just because if he doesn’t get well soon, time might be up for old Trevor. The last person he expects help or sympathy from is Kerri herself, but he may have to make common cause with his enemy if he’s to survive the fallout from the secrets he’s been hiding.
King Trevor (The Trevolution, Book 3)
The aftermath of his onstage collapse has taken its toll on Trevor Wolff. He's become a virtual shut-in, dependent on the people around him to help in his healing. To make matters worse, he might have hung up his bass for good.
This is not the Trevor Wolff way.
When Mitchell hatches a plan to turn Trevor into the official King of ShapeShifter, it sounds like bunk. However, when Mitchell finds the perfect building to repurpose, the Big Idiot hires the best architect around- the brother-in-law he's never met. Trevor can't help but smell secrets that awaken the person he used to be.
After all, there's nothing Trevor Wolff likes more than intrigue- except maybe a chance to square off against his arch-nemesis: Mitchell's wife, Kerri.
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 2 (The Trevolution, Book 4)
The Demo Tapes: Year 1 introduced the reading public to ShapeShifter and the two men behind this fictional band: Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss.The Demo Tapes: Year 2 brings you more of the short fiction that brings these people to vivid life.
Year 2 delves more deeply into love, friendships, and the inside workings of ShapeShifter. Vive la Trevolution!
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 3 (The Trevolution, Book 5)
The popular Demo Tapes series continues with The Demo Tapes: Year 3. It’s the same format you’ve come to know and love: short fiction previously posted on The Meet and Greet at West of Mars, and intros to each that let you, the reader, look into the mind of the author and creator of the indomitable Trevor Wolff.
Trevor and his best friend Mitchell Voss are in fine form in these stories, first published online between March 2008 and April 2009. From Thanksgiving to Halloween and a few new characters who help round out The Musical Hanukkah Celebration, we once again get to watch the guys go from kids into the men who ride the wave of being rock’s biggest band: ShapeShifter.
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 4 (The Trevolution, Book 6)
ShapeShifter fans, rejoice! Everyone’s favorite bad boy bass player, Trevor Wolff, is back in fine form in this fourth collection of short fiction.
There’s more Trevor, more Mitchell, more Kerri … and some new faces, as well.
Dive in and join the Trevolution with this new entry into the beloved Demo Tapes series.
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 5)
The Complete Demo Tapes
All books are also available from your favorite independent retailer, along with certain chains.
