Author Spotlight: Brittney Sahin, Romantic Suspense Goddess
When I was just a wee-baby romance reader, still testing the waters of what I liked, and scared to step out of the pool I was already in, I read and reread the same 6 books over and over for 3 months. They were paranormal romances- cyborgs and shifters- and I felt comfortable there because I was still getting used to romance novels and they were at least in the wheelhouse of the sci-fi and fantasy novels I read before venturing into Romancelandia.
One morning, I opened my Kindle and there was an ad for The Real Deal by Brittney Sahin. I’m not sure what drew me to it, to look it up on Amazon and read the blurb, but when I noticed it was book 3 in a series I dug a little deeper. Dropping into the reviews of On the Edge (Book 1 in the Dublin Nights series), I started to notice the same phrases showing up in a ton of reviews: “my new favorite series”, “one of my favorite authors,” “can’t wait for the next one,” “I couldn’t put it down.” … well, you get the idea. And as I read the blurbs and reviews for the other books in the series, I became more and more convinced this was as series I absolutely needed to read. I binged the books that were already out (books 1-4), then reread them. And I think I reread The Real Deal a third time. Because, Sebastian.
But my binge wasn’t over, because then I discovered the rest of Brittney’s backlist, and whoa! Talk about your deep dive into amazingness… there I went. I binged Stealth Ops next, then the Hidden Truths series, then the Becoming Us duet. I think I read each series in reverse order of when Brittney actually wrote them. Ooops. But, yeah, I devoured her backlist. I was obsessed and impressed. I have read every book she’s written at least twice, and each time I find something new. Her characters are really well developed, and the series element provides multiple opportunities to relive what I love most about each character. There’s a definite feeling of continuity and carrythrough that gives the reader a chance to know and love each character more each time they appear in a new book. And when she started building in cross-overs between Dublin Nights and Stealth Ops, I about lost my mind. So seamless, and so beautifully woven together, it’s like they were meant to interconnect all along; there’s nothing contrived about it.
When I found out Brittney had a Facebook group, I jumped in. It was the first reader group I joined on Facebook. Finding a group of people as excited about Brittney’s books as I was- pretty damn awesome. I was still getting my feet wet in the romance novel community, so I did a lot of lurking. Taking it all in. Learning the terminology, and learning that I wasn’t alone in my appreciation of the books, characters, and author. We all love the intricate plot twists, the emotional connections to the characters, the fast-paced action, and the way each book in the series built on the one before. And her books have just the right amount of steam to enhance the storyline, elevate your heartrate, and paint a picture of the depth of love the characters found in each other.
Brittney’s books were my gateway to Romantic Suspense (RS)- probably my favorite romantic genre to read. Because of her books, I searched out other RS authors and found Samantha Cole, Jemma Westbrook (Janice Whiteaker), April Wilson, and Nicole Snow.
The most amazing thing about this bookish journey has been the connections I’ve made with the authors I love. Brittney has always been active in her groups, responsive to questions, and interactive with conversations in the comments. Her Q&As after her books release are always fun and give a ton of insight into Brittney’s writing style, methods, habits, and even her life outside the writing cave. Seeing an author I love as “a person, just like me” brought another level of clarity as well. It’s a delicate balance for authors with an on-line presence. Brittney takes the connections with her readers seriously and it translates to an accessible author who really appreciates her readers.
I recently got a look behind the scenes at Brittney’s writing process, and yeah, it pretty well blew my mind. It also caused a pretty intense fangirl moment for me. Brittney uses a team editing approach, employing a Chief Editor for developmental and content editing, 2 additional editors for line and copy editing, and a proofreader. Her books are intense and intricate, and the series element creates continuity layers that require keen eyes and brains. For her most recent book (The Guarded One- releases on/around June 26), I got to be part of that team. Squeeee!!! I know, right??? And what an amazing experience it was. Working with the team elevated my editor game. Seeing how other editors work, and working alongside them, was like a little masterclass. Working with one of my favorite authors, yeah, pretty incredible. I was telling The Hubster about it and he said I was acting like I’d just been called up to the big leagues. Lol. Kinda did feel that way. Knowing an author I have admired and fangirled for two years values my input and professional skills is a pretty incredible feeling. It also put a huge stamp of reality on that Editor title for me. So, yeah… Wow! And now I can take the skills I’ve gained and put them to work for all of the authors I work with, elevating their editing experience as well. Pretty cool, huh?
So, there you go. My first author spotlight. If you’re already a fan of Brittney’s, I’m so excited to have that connection with you. If Brittney is a new author to you, I hope this little snippet encourages you to check out her books. Her next book, The Guarded One (Book 3 in the Falcon Fall Security series) is due out June 26th.
Just the facts:
First book I read by Brittney: On the Edge, Dublin Nights Book 1
What I love most about her books: Intricate suspenseful plots, swoony heroes, badass heroines
Fave book by Brittney: The Broken One
Fave character: Sebastian Renaud
Fave cover: The Inside Man
You can get all of her books on Kindle Unlimited: Brittney's Amazon Author page
Check out her recommended reading order here: https://brittneysahin.com/reading-guide/
If you are not ready for a full back-list binge, I recommend reading the Stealth Ops, Dublin Nights, and Falcon Falls series in publication order because of cross-overs later in Stealth Ops/ Dublin Nights. Falcon Falls starts after the last Stealth Ops novel and is interconnected with the Stealth Ops series.
You can find Brittney on social media here:
Facebook author page
Main reader group on Facebook (Brittney’s Book Babes)
Dublin Nights Spoiler Room on Facebook
Stealth Ops Spoiler Room on Facebook
