Meet Izzy Santillo. She’s a charming-but-lonely thirty-four year old woman who loves poker and harbors a secret crush on the reigning king of Hold ‘em.

Meet Nick Nolan, the reigning king of Hold ‘em. On the tables, he’s fast and loose and almost always wins. But when it comes to women, playboy Nick holds his cards too close and always loses.

When Izzy and Nick meet in embarrassing fashion at a Las Vegas poker tournament, Izzy’s secret dreams turn into a public nightmare. But despite her humiliation, she may have finally sparked Nick’s interest in something other than cards. Before long, Nick takes a gamble on Izzy and raises the stakes when he offers to help her sharpen her game. But Izzy’s convinced that Nick is bluffing and will fold his hand after he’s had her on the flop. But a string of outrageous proposition bets and steamy trips on the poker tour, from Los Angeles to Miami, make these two fierce competitors realize that it may be time to put all their chips on the table. Will Izzy and Nick pair up? Or will they lose it all if they go all-in for each other? Sit down, ante up, and hang on, as Nick and Izzy get ready to Shuffle Up and Deal.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Susan.  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Meet Izzy Santillo. She’s a charming-but-lonely thirty-four year old woman who loves poker and harbors a secret crush on the reigning king of Hold ‘em.

Meet Nick Nolan, the reigning king of Hold ‘em. On the tables, he’s fast and loose and almost always wins. But when it comes to women, playboy Nick holds his cards too close and always loses.

When Izzy and Nick meet in embarrassing fashion at a Las Vegas poker tournament, Izzy’s secret dreams turn into a public nightmare. But despite her humiliation, she may have finally sparked Nick’s interest in something other than cards. Before long, Nick takes a gamble on Izzy and raises the stakes when he offers to help her sharpen her game. But Izzy’s convinced that Nick is bluffing and will fold his hand after he’s had her on the flop. But a string of outrageous proposition bets and steamy trips on the poker tour, from Los Angeles to Miami, make these two fierce competitors realize that it may be time to put all their chips on the table. Will Izzy and Nick pair up? Or will they lose it all if they go all-in for each other? Sit down, ante up, and hang on, as Nick and Izzy get ready to Shuffle Up and Deal.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

I don’t really remember what the very first thing was.  I recall making press kits and sending out review copies and setting up a blog and website.  This was all before social media of facebook and twitter, so blogs were the primary web presence then.  But I can’t recall the exact first thing.

After that, what happened?

I was lucky enough to get some very good reviews, but it wasn’t the blitz of attention that writers would hope for.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

They encouraged me to hold contests and take out ads at reading sites.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

I used to blog heavily because I loved doing it.  I rarely blogged specifically about my books, though.  I tended to prattle on about television and movies, and I don’t think I ever noticed many sales from that.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

I wish I could say.  My problem is that I’m terribly shy, so social media isn’t really up my alley.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

I have previously purchased some ads on book sites and in a couple of magazines, but overall I’ve been rather lost when it comes to promotion, so I recently hired someone to help me with that.  Her name is Dorothy Thompson and so far she’s been tremendous!

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

I couldn’t yet say, because I’m just starting to implement serious promotional efforts.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

Because I’m shy, booksignings and/or readings are definitely not for me.  So I thank you very much for having me here!

Thank you for this interview, Susan!  We wish you much success!