Cindy's Crusades

Series · 7 books · 2012-2021

By Susan Jean Ricci

Books in series

Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems

2012

Twice divorced, cynical Cindy Layton feels like a relic with prehistoric baggage, and doubts she can muster the courage to establish a new relationship, even if it's on her own terms. Her journey out of the Stone Age hits freaky, hilarious turbulence when she joins an Internet dating service. The scammers and weirdoes she meets in cyberspace make Cindy want to crawl back into her cave, until she receives an accidental email from Jay DeMatteo. Jay has the dating blues, too, but after meeting Cindy, reconsiders his options. Now it's up to him to convince her it's never too late to pursue a meaningful relationship, even when a couple is struggling with midlife adolescence.

The Sugar Ticket

2013

Note: The third edition of this title with the updated cover can be found [here](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36430744-the-sugar-ticket) From the award winning Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, the hilarious and beloved Cindy and Jay DeMatteo return in the sequel The Sugar Ticket, a tale that chronicles their marital journey as they attempt to alleviate a sour past and embrace a sweeter future together. Join these two midlife adolescents as they learn how to gently overcome their marital hurdles, especially with Christmas and a special birthday on the horizon. Cindy and Jay are always stepping out of the box of normalcy. Never a dull moment with these newlyweds as they explore new adventures, both the humdrum and exhilarating. Enjoy their light-hearted humor and occasional rants, while they meet their daily tribulations head on. Cheer them on as they face the most fundamental challenge of all: Staying in love forever.

Don't Bruise the Bananas

2021

A Free Pass For a Lifetime... “Intense emotion, leading to prose or poetry, cannot be described in any other fashion… I embrace Jay’s existence with the honor he deserves, because he always got me, even when I didn’t get myself.” Returning from the award winning Cindy's Crusade's Series, Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems and the sequel The Sugar Ticket, kindly join Cindy and Jay DeMatteo's journey in the third saga Don’t Bruise the Bananas, as these two lovebirds approach the seven year itch. Laugh with this special couple as they re-nest, hope that their treasured memories will inspire their relationship to grow stronger, and pray as they experience hard challenges they never expected to face.

Turning Up The Heat

2017

Mark and Malibu are happily headed towards matrimony, until an old adversary sabotages their plans with a devious scheme in TURNING UP THE HEAT. Targeted next are Mark’s Uncle Clayton and Malibu’s best friend Priscilla. An unfortunate accident forces them to think about postponing their upcoming wedding, and a criminal investigation is underway. Contributing to the chaos is the arrival of Malibu’s estranged mother Ronnie O’Hare and her singing partner Javier, a man who’s no stranger to Mark and his beloved mama. TURNING UP THE HEAT has the perfect recipe for every reader’s taste. With Romance as the main ingredient, add a pinch of Suspense and a dash of Mystery for an Unforgettable Main Course that’s sure to satisfy your reading hunger.

Christmas With Niagara

2017

When a special needs stranger suddenly appears on their doorstep and inserts himself into their lives, Niagara must decide if his presence will doom her and Jace’s relationship, or enrich it. Stay tuned as these beloved characters embark on their way to happiness, in spite of unordinary odds. Share their triumphs, tribulations, and embrace the power of what loving relationships are destined to be.

A Sweet Snafu

2020

There’s never a dull moment with these two... From the award-winning novel Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems comes a little snippet of what marriage and its financial challenges bring to a relationship when Jay the accountant retires and lowers the boom on his wife Cindy’s on-line shopping habits. As the couple struggles to make ends meet, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. “I don’t care. I’m not going to be that wife who goes stingy on her husband’s Valentine’s Day gift,” she maintains. “But I did promise Jay to forgo using my credit card. So, what’s a woman to do on the most romantic day of the year?” Reluctant to keep secrets from Jay, yet determined to make their Valentine’s Day memorable, Cindy devises a plan to keep the spicy romance flowing in their marriage. She can only hope Jay will return the favor. God forbid this snafu remains under what the couple refers to as the Taboo Topic Carpet – the place where they keep their personal baggage.

Passion's Secret Ingredient

2020

Malibu O’Hare has always prided herself on her cool demeanor regarding the opposite sex – until the alluring Mark Bouchard sizzles his way into her heart with twinkling dark eyes and a body fashioned for pleasure. More than the steaks at Scandal bistro are searing as this captivated pair blaze through Mark’s cryptic past, Malibu’s misgivings, and a devious adversary intent on ruining everything.

Author

Susan Jean Ricci

Author · 26 books

It’s all about the love… A USA Today, Award-Winning Author, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy's Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These characters were first introduced in the multi-award-winning novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems and return to entertain you in its sequel The Sugar Ticket. Look for the final saga Don't Bruise the Bananas available now. Cindy and Jay's mischief-making lives on in these shorts: A Sweet Snafu, Christmas With Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion's Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat. Please also consider Ms. Ricci's other standalone works of fiction and short stories in her new series Love's Salvation, and her latest release, the nonfiction best seller Running On All Fours. That is until her new series Love’s Salvation Series hit the charts. A group of romantic relationship-driven stories, some sweet and others steamy, each tale in both her award-winning series can be read as a stand-alone-books. A member of the RWA, The Authors' Billboard, and the Independent Authors' Network, several of Ms. Ricci's titles have been recognized as Outstanding Novella Winners in the IAN 2020, Outstanding Finalist in the IAN 2020, and Finalist in the Outstanding Novellas Categories 2019,2018, 2017, and the Women's Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016.