Saving Samantha
Update: The official launch party for Saving Samantha will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Vector Brewing. Causey will be signing her books and drawing names for a goodie basket.
If the secret to success as a popular author is the ability to deliver a variety of settings, plots and characters to loyal readers, Cindy Causey has hit the jackpot with her latest book, Saving Samantha. The Lake Highlands High School graduate and former neighborhood business owner just launched her fifth book, and she says the journey to this one — her first “romantic suspense” novel — has been a “long and fairly winding one.”
Her last book, Sensible Shoes, was released in January and told the story of a plain-Jane, divorced mom and ladies’ newspaper columnist who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after a disappointing 50th birthday party. The ensuing family chaos includes a surprise pregnancy, rushed wedding and unexpected houseguests.
Saving Samantha represents a shift, with a fiercely independent female protagonist and a former Navy pilot working together to catch a killer.
“I first wrote it in the late 90s after the release of my nonfiction book, Cherish the Gift: A Congregational Guide to Earth Stewardship,” Causey says. “I was new to fiction writing, but the book won a few awards, and I sent the full manuscript to several publishers. It was rejected over and over because the subject matter was ‘not suitable for romance.’”
The novel incorporates elements of environmentalism and concludes with a shocking and suspenseful ending.
“That was unprecedented in romance,” she explains.
Causey shelved the story and went on to write more traditional romances. Then last year, her publisher, The Wild Rose Press, put out a call for romance manuscripts that include an element of suspense and feature a hero or heroine who is former military. They wanted to create a six-book series called Men and Women of Valor. Causey recognized her opportunity and jumped on it.
“I dusted off my old manuscript, updated it, renamed it Saving Samantha, and they accepted it immediately,” she says. Because her book was ready to go, The Wild Rose Press made it the first in their series. The story highlights Samantha Morgan, who’s tired of men who lie to gain access to her father’s money and power. She’s struggling to keep her distance from roguish new co-worker, Jack Stone, until he’s hired by her father to discover who’s sending threatening notes to Samantha’s boss, Joanna. When Joanna is found murdered in Key West, Samantha and Jack are thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse and an attraction neither can deny.
“I am especially excited about this book, as it is my first published romantic suspense,” Causey says. “I want to introduce my readers to a new genre (for me). I hope they will find it a thrilling, fast-paced and satisfying story, with engaging characters they want to spend time with. I have had a few readers tell me they couldn’t put it down, and they read into the night to finish. That is the best thing any author can hear.”
Series fiction is enjoying a heyday in the world of publishing, and Causey has jumped into the genre with both feet. She’s creating her own series, called The Widow Women Mysteries, and she’s planning to write every book involved. The first, called Windshadow, is already finished and expected to hit bookstores next year. The series will feature four widows on adventures in different exotic locations facing danger and finding romance along the way.
“The idea sprang from my blog, The Widow Woman, which chronicles my own adventures traveling since my husband passed away in 2019,” says Causey, who takes advantage of the opportunity to head off to fascinating locales and research potential settings and situations. “Starting a new career as an author at 73 is both challenging and exhilarating. I am embracing my new life and eager to see what happens next. I am proof that it’s never too late to start something or blow the dust off something old and write a new chapter.”
You may purchase Saving Samantha on Amazon here.
LH Women’s League Book Club discusses “Sensible Shoes” with Cindy Causey
