Hi Tobi, thanks for hosting me and Sugar today. You and I have waltzed through the whole series together and I know you love Sugar and Van as much as I do. I’m quite blessed to have you as a Sugar fan! Recently I found out people weren’t reading the series because they thought it was dark and depressing. That doesn’t surprise me when you look at the covers, they do lead a person to believe the series is going to be a dark saga. I can’t say that’s completely untrue. There are some dark times in the books that Sugar and Van go through, but I think we have all experienced dark times in our lives. That said, the tagline for this series is 'waltzing through the darkness believing in the light.' The keyword there is ‘waltzing’ because even though she felt like she was in darkness, she was still dancing. She was still looking towards the light and knowing that one day she wouldn’t feel sad all the time. One day she would feel love and experience happiness. So she kept dancing, and in her darkest time is when the light showed up, in the form of an Irish Texan with green eyes that could see her soul. When she met him is when the darkness that cloaked her began to lift and by the time you get to the second half of Sugar’s Dance you start to see a change in Sugar. That’s not to say that she and Van don’t experience the same things any new couple does. To put it in Sugar’s words;
"To risk sounding like a romance novel, Donovan Walsh is my dream come true, my knight in shining armor, and my soul mate. He came into my life just a few months ago at a time when I couldn’t seem to see the rest of my life slipping away. During those tumultuous weeks he showed me why life is still worth living, and love is worth taking a chance on. He tore down the walls I had put up around myself and said, “I love you for who you are, all that you are, because of what you are.”
I’ve written so many books since I finished Sugar’s Dance, but after a recent line edit of all four books I leaned back in my chair and smiled. I am still incredibly proud of the Sugar Series as a whole. It’s an amazing saga of perseverance and determination of one woman to change the world in which she lives. It’s a saga about the family that kept loving her even when they didn’t have to, and because of their love she was able to do the things she was doing to change her little part of the world and ‘grow the vine.’ I recently found out Amazon has a ‘family saga’ category and I immediately put the series into that category because it couldn’t be more perfect. So, today I turn 40, and I look back on the time when I wrote the first words of Sugar’s Dance. I was a 35 year old new amputee. I felt I had that book in me everyone always tells you about. It was a heady idea to write a romance series of over 500,000 words and stay true to one character when the majority of those words were from her POV. After a lot of hours, tears, determination and perseverance, I finished it, and thought I was done writing. Now, 13 books later, I’ve realized I’m just getting started. But for me, the Sugar series will always be my favorite, because of how much Sugar has changed my life.
The one thing that wasn’t my favorite was the covers. I knew I wanted them to better reflect what the series really is, so after that line edit, and falling in love with Sugar and Van all over again, I decided to make the covers feel a little more true to their journey. The series is about a girl who has exceptional challenges, an exceptional attitude, and an exceptional love for a boy who loves her because of all the struggles she has gone through. Some might say that’s just another way to say the series is about faith, hope and love, and I’m okay with that.
Thank you for stopping by today and letting me reflect on the series and the woman who has waltzed her way into so many peoples’ hearts. I truly hope you enjoy the new covers to a series that is a true journey through the human spirit. So, until we meet again...
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At the tender age of seventeen Tula “Sugar” DuBois had it all; an up and coming ballroom dance career, and a family she loved deeply. In the blink of an eye she
lost it all on a cold, snowy Minnesota bridge. Now, ten years later, Sugar has rebuilt her life, but still hides her heart behind the log walls of her lodge on Lake Superior.
Drug Task Force Agent Donovan Walsh follows his most sought after drug lord to Duluth, Minnesota. His plan is simple; protect the key witness to McElevain’s destruction and track down the proof he needs to put him away for life. What he wasn’t planning on was his witness being the most beautiful, and most difficult, woman in all of Duluth.
Sugar finds herself drawn to her new bodyguard, but can’t risk her heart for a romance destined to break it. When an attempt is made on her life she trusts Van to lead her through a dangerous rumba of deceit, kidnapping, and murder. When the last notes fade away Sugar has one decision left to make. Will Van heal her heart or break it?
First thoughts after…….
Thank goodness there is more to the Sugar’s world because this was just a little taste and I’m dying for more!!!!
How Distracted Did I Get?
Sugar is a strong character with wit and humor that I enjoyed thoroughly! She is addicted to coffee maybe even more than I am if that’s possible. With fascinating recipes and a handsome Irishman this story can’t go wrong. Sugar has some rocks to climb to help her through a tough time and Van is the man to do that. (Did I mention the handsome Irishman?) Sugar’s Dance is wonderfully woven story that is difficult to put down. My husband asked if I had a new appendage the book was so attached to the now well-loved book!
I give Sugar's Dance...
Kindle
Tula “Sugar” DuBois has never known love like the one she has found in the arms of her new fiancé. As the New Year breaks over the shores of Lake
Superior, Sugar has a picture perfect life. What she can't predict is how that life will be shattered when the mysterious Lillie enters the frame.
Van’s sister, Lillie, is on the run from a man determined to cleanse her of her sins. Taking refuge at the lodge she’s convinced she’s safe, until the letters start arriving.
Sugar and Van must call upon their family to dance a dangerous samba to save the young girl before she is delivered to the Father by evil...
When Lillie comes face-to-face with her past will she let revenge steal her future?
First thoughts after......
November 2013??? Really????? Subtle hints to the next book and I'm hooked!!
How Distracted did I get???
Sugar's song will wrap you up in a giant bear hug and not let you go until the end. Learning more about minor characters from the last book was an up and down adventure I'd enjoy doing again! I laughed, I cried and cringed. There aren't many more emotions left that can make you feel in a story. Katie has outdone herself and I'm even more attached to the characters than ever before. Sugar's Song is a must for every tbr list.
I give Sugar's Song...
As the fall colors swirl around Lake Superior, Tula “Sugar” Walsh’s lodge is bright with new love, and new life. She’s happy being a wife, aunt, and sister
until Van unknowingly begins a dance that will lead her back through the darkness of her past.
Filled with doubt, Sugar struggles to trust her heart, and Van. On the outside she goes through the motions of daily life, but inside the darkness traps her, and she questions her priorities, doubts her convictions, and struggles with ‘why’. Sinking further into despair, Sugar sets out to ink a deal that will change her life, but unexpectedly runs into an old friend. All of her doubts and fears disappear when she looks into the eyes of his newborn son. It is in his baby that she sees the angels among us, and the path she must follow.
Determined to show the world her light, Sugar, Van, and her angels step on the floor for the dance of a lifetime. When the music fades, and the lights come up, Sugar finds the answer to ‘why,’ in the promise of faith.
First thoughts after....
I'm definitely wanting more but y'all know I like my stories all wrapped up in a final bow! LOL
How distracted did I get?
Sugar's Night is a fun romantic suspenseful sequel to the awesome Sugar series! I love watching Sugar grow throughout the series. And Van, well, my gosh the Hottie McTottie never fails. Also, you get to know Max and Jesse a bit more as well. Love a hottie filled book! I also enjoyed learning more about Julie and her POV for a chapter or two. Oh and the surprise at the end?? Woohoo! Just sayin'...
I give Sugar's Night....
When Donovan Walsh comforts his wife with the words, NÃl aon suáilce gan a
duáilce féin, there are no unmixed blessings in life, he had no way of knowing
how quickly he would live those words. While visiting Ireland, Sugar and Van stay in a familiar place. A place filled with the ghosts and lies of his past. Stumbling through the deception of his early life Van waltzes dangerously close to losing his future. Will a voice from the past be the one to give him the answers, or will he find them in the blue eyes of his forever love?
As the ice melts on Lake Superior, Sugar and Van dance together to find hope and love through Faith…
First thoughts after…
A perfect ending to a wonderful series.
How distracted did I get?
Sugar's Faith is an amazing conclusion to an awesome series. Faith, who doesn't struggle with it at some point? This story is about a husband/father to be struggling to keep his faith and deal with the mysteries from his past. Van has been one of my favorite characters for a while now. I felt for him as the story flew by though at times I wanted to say what the heck is wrong with you???? Once again Katie Mettner brings it home with a story that's not all rainbows and butterflies but deals with struggles and doubts many of us have in life, our relationships with loved ones and our relationship with God. Doubt happens, faith waivers but LOVE prevails.
I give Sugar's Faith....
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Katie Mettner writes inspirational romance from a little house in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. She's the author of the four part epic family saga, The Sugar
Series, Sugar's Song being runner up for sweet romance in the eFestival of Words contest. Her other romance series, The Northern Lights Series and the Snowberry Holiday Series, are both set in Minnesota and are a mix of new adult and romantic suspense. Katie lives with her soulmate, whom she met online at Thanksgiving and married in April. Together they share their lives with their three children and two leopard geckos. After suffering an especially bad spill on the bunny hill in 1989, Katie became an amputee in 2011, giving her the much needed time to pen her first novel, Sugar's Dance. With the release of Sugar's story, Katie discovered the unfilled need for disabled heroes and heroines! Her stories are about empowering people with special circumstances to find the one person who will love them because of their abilities, not their inabilities. Katie has a slight addiction to Twitter and blogging, with a lessening aversion to Pinterest now that she quit trying to make the things she pinned.
Find all of Katie’s books on Amazon
Follow Katie on Twitter
Come chat with Katie on Facebook
Katie would love to see you on TSU
Are you a Pinner? Pin with Katie at Sugarsballroom
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