Susan Rae

Title: DeLuca Family (includes heartbeats, ICE blue and TRUE blue )

Author: Susan Rae

Description: Love makes your heart race, but passion can kill.

Three strong, captivating women.

Three intense, driven men.

One family devoted to justice.

Come journey with the DeLuca Family from the tumultuous streets of Chicago to the majestic peak of Glacier National Park in these three intriguing full-length novels loaded with passion, suspense…and danger.

…She recognized him instantly. There was no mistaking the identity of the man who stood in
the entrance to the ballroom, nametag in hand, as if he had just arrived. She stood, motionless, 
staring, unaware of the murmurs of uneasiness arising from the gathering. She watched, 
mesmerized, as his lips curved into that slow, Mona-Lisa smile of his and his chin lifted in 
acknowledgment of her awareness of him. Although quite a distance away, Elizabeth could 
easily make out the slight cleft in his chin, the sexy, firm line of his jaw—and those deep set 
eyes which she knew were the most amazing shade of midnight blue…
  Later that night
Elizabeth pushed the door open and stepped inside. The glow from the streetlights spilled in 
through the lace curtains…It caught her eye as it danced eerily with the tree shadows upon the 
ceiling. Turning her gaze to the right, down the dark hallway, she spotted a sliver of light coming 
from the bathroom.
“Julie?”
…She flicked on the light, aware of the click of the apartment door as it closed behind her…a 
quick scan of the living room revealed Julie’s evening gown draped across the sofa, the plastic 
dry-cleaning bag still covering it.
She glanced to the left where Allison’s door stood ajar. Sensing nothing there, she turned 
toward the hallway, debating whether to continue on or call the police. Now she was really being 
paranoid… Julie probably just changed her mind about attending the banquet, or—her husband 
had shown up.
She set her briefcase down, took her cell phone out of her evening bag, just in case, then 
started down the hallway. At the bathroom, she paused. Glancing around the partially opened 
door, she discovered Julie’s makeup scattered on the counter along with her own toiletries. A 
damp towel lay on the floor. She pushed the door open further, but the bathroom was clearly 
unoccupied.
She took another step toward the bedroom, then stopped as a dark spot on the beige carpet 
caught her eye. Bending down, she stretched her fingers out to touch it. The familiar texture of 
the moisture that wicked against her fingertips left her feeling somewhat dazed. She turned her 
fingers to the light, although her mind already knew what her eyes would tell her. The sticky 
substance was blood—spent blood—already drying with time.
<i>Outside the apartment—</i>
…as the officers started up the staircase, two steps at a time with Drake at their heels, Sal 
shouted over his shoulder, “Thirty-two-year-old woman—multiple stab wounds.”
Drake’s steps faltered. A cold sweat iced his back and he was sure his heart stopped, if only for 
a second…A muffled shout sounded from inside.
“In Here! Hurry!”
Elizabeth’s voice? Drake couldn’t tell… Leading with his weapon, he shoved through the door…
“In here!” the woman cried from around the next doorway. This time he was sure it was 
Elizabeth.
He paused to peer around the corner and scan the room. He nodded to the cop who raced 
passed him and checked out the closet. Finally, he allowed himself to look down toward her 
voice.
His stomach turned at the ghastly sight that met his eyes.
“Elizabeth…” he breathed.

Genres: Detective, Romance, Suspense , Thriller, Sensual, Contemporary Romance

Romantic Elements: Yes

Sexual Elements: Yes

Heat Level: 3

What the critics are saying about Susan Rae’s books:

Heartbeats: “A terrific tale of romantic intrigue, with characters who are intelligent, skilled professionals and to whom we can easily relate.”— Marilyn Weigel, RTM

ICE blue: “With her well-developed characters, Susan keeps you glued to the pages.” —Susan Peck, My Cozie Corner

“…this romance, thriller was something that took hold of your heart as you read.” —Beth Cutwright, Beth Art From The Heart

TRUE blue 

“The writing was terrific and the plot was intriguing and suspenseful. Rae masterfully deceives the reader intothinking that she knows who-dunnit but the reader will be deliciously surprised at the end.” —Cindi, Mammasez

Susan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from 
Columbia College, Missouri with an emphasis in creative writing.She penned her first 
melodrama in fifth grade for a Girl Scout Drama badge. Complete with hero, heroine, and 
dastardly villain, it wasn’t so very different, really, than the romantic suspense she writes now.
“I love writing romantic suspense because it allows me to combine a sexy, passionate love story 
with a gritty suspense tale—in my opinion, the best of both worlds.It also allows me to express 
my appreciation for the outdoors in the setting that I recreate on the page.”
When she is not sketching characters, you might find Susan on the golf course working on her 
handicap, or traveling around the country seeking out new settings for her novels with her 
husband and empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute. To read more about Susan’s novels and 
the writing life, please visit her website/blog at www.susanrae.com