**Giveaway** Interview with Susan Klaus-Shark Fin Soup

I'm pleased to welcome back to The Reading Frenzy Susan Klaus chatting today about her just released new novel Shark Fin Soup.

Enjoy the interview then stick around because Susan's publisher the fantastic Oceanview is sponsoring a giveaway of the novel US ONLY!

• ISBN-13: 9781608091232
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
• Publication date: 8/19/2014
• Pages: 340

 

Overview

Christian Roberts, a handsome, young Floridian, has retired from horse racing and sets off with his wife, Allie, to cruise the Caribbean on his new sloop. Tragedy strikes, ending the dream vacation, and Christian becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

THE GIVEAWAY IS ONE PRINT COPY
OF SHARK FIN SOUP
SPONSORED BY OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING
US ONLY
USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW TO ENTER
THANKS OCEANVIEW
GOOD LUCK!

I interviewed Susan when her first Christian Roberts novel, Secretariat Reborn was released.

Susan welcome back.

Glad to be back and thanks for the interview.

Tell my readers about your new novel, Shark Fin Soup.

Shark begins with Christian sailing his new sloop into the dark Nassau harbor with his slain wife, Allie, in the forward berth.  The Bahamian police and Miami FBI suspect him of the murder. With his life shattered by Allie’s death, Christian changes from a laid-back Floridian, horse-breeder, and nature lover into a suicidal eco-terrorist with the goal of saving sharks from the fin trade. The question throughout the novel are how far will Christian go to save a species from extinction and will he be imprisoned, killed, or take his own life. Or can he succeed and stop shark finning?     

Susan you visit so many wonderful places in the novel.

Have you personally visited all these sites?

I was born in Sarasota, Florida so I have been to Miami, Key West, and the Bahamas numerous times. And for the novel’s research, I also went to Costa Rica and New York City. Like my protagonist, I’m also a scuba diver, sailor, and love adventure so I didn’t need my imagination to create the scenes where Christian encounters sharks, stays with the drug pushers in the Caribbean, sneaks into the Chinatown basements with the illegal knockoff purses, or questioned Puntarenas fishermen and Chinese grocery store clerks about fins and gets threatening stares. Those things really happened to me and made Christian’s journey easy to write. 

Did you know when writing Secretariat Reborn that you would be bringing Christian back?

No, but since I have my own causes, I figured it was a great way to vent through him and hopefully enlighten people so wrote the second book. I’m also a fan of Tim Dorsey’s Serge and Lindsey’s Dexter, psychopaths that kill bad guys but I wanted my protagonist to be a wildlife avenger who commits crimes to preserve and protect nature. With the alias of Captain Nemo, Christian is controversial, good and evil in one package. Readers will either sympathize and embrace his goals and him or condemn him.  So far, my handsome boy has been labeled as a new superhero.

Susan during our last interview you said you were working on a thriller based on a true Sarasota Florida murder case.

How is this going?

For now, I shelved the stand-alone thriller and went with the Christian Roberts series. Since I also write fantasy and Tor Books released Flight of the Golden Harpy in June, I’m currently working on its sequel that will end up a trilogy. I’ve also visited Mexico last May and did research for Christian’s third novel. One of these days I’ll get back to A Murder in Sarasota.  

Also during our last chat you told my readers about your Authors Connection radio show.

Can you refresh our memories just a bit about this show, when it airs and how fans can find it and finally who’s been on lately?

Authors Connection Show airs on radioearnetwork.com every Tuesday, 11 am to 12 pm and repeats on Thursday, 9 to 10 am. The show consists of author interviews from first time self-published to N.Y. Times best sellers. Some of my most recent and notable guests have been Gilbert King, 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner and best sellers, Ace Atkins, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Laura Lippman.

Susan on your website it says you are part owner and manager of a Thoroughbred Horse and Cattle Ranch in Florida and you’re currently raising rodeo bulls. Wow!

Is this a new enterprise for you?

It’s not really new since my neighbor has rodeo bulls and for years they’ve jumped the fence and bred my cows. But now I’ve been keeping the calves and my young bulls are performing at rodeos and doing well. Actually, I pet and scratch their heads and my bulls are very sweet…just get attitude when someone climbs on their back. Training and handling a yearling Thoroughbred is far more dangerous. 

Susan with such a full life when do you get to write?

Lately it’s been hard finding the time. Two thrillers by Oceanview Publishing and one fantasy by Tor Books all came out within the last 10 months, so I’ve been busy with promotion for two publishers on top of running a radio show, author club, and the farm.

Susan what are you working on now?

Aside from working on the second Flight of the Golden Harpy novel, I’m collecting research on wolves for the third Christian Roberts thriller. Our government stopped protecting wolves, and they are now being slaughtered at an alarming rate.  I plan to have Christian jump in and save them although by the time the novel is written and comes out it might be too late.  Shameful since research shows that top predators balance the environment that allows other species to flourish.

Susan thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to let us get to know you a little better.

Will there be any events for the release of Shark Fin Soup?

Shark Fin Soup is dedicated to Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter and comes out August 19 so I plan to promote the novel on the internet during Discovery’s Shark Week, the first week in August and to do signings at aquariums, animal sanctuaries, and with environmental groups. The first bookstore signing will be at the Sarasota Barnes & Noble, but at this time, I don’t know the Aug. date. I’ll also be signing in Atlanta in Sept. You can follow me on Facebook under Susan C. Klaus and under my book titles pages or at my website; susanklaus.com for where I’ll be.

Connect with Susan - Website - Facebook - Twitter

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Susan Klaus, a native of Sarasota, Florida, has a long and extensive history of working with animals.  She’s managed and co-owned a horse farm, breeding and racing Thoroughbreds for the past thirteen years and is currently raising rodeo bulls. Klaus is the award-winning author of four sci-fi novels and is the host and co-producer of Author’s Connection, a radio show with listeners in 148 countries.  Shark Fin Soup is Klaus’s second thriller in the Christian Roberts series following the highly successful Secretariat Reborn.  She lives in Myakka City, Florida, on her forty acre farm.   

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