At this time of year, thoughts turn naturally to holiday celebrations. In addition to office parties and family gatherings, many of us book enthusiasts celebrate with our book groups. For those of you who don’t know the Readaholics, they are a book group of five women–Amy-Faye, Lola, Kerry, Brooke and Maud– who read classic mysteries in Heaven, Colorado. Lately, it seems that they’ve been solving mysteries almost as often as reading them. Their second outing is THE READAHOLICS AND THE POIROT PUZZLE and they find that Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS helps them get on the right track when they investigate a murder at a brew pub’s grand opening (which event organizer Amy-Faye put together). So, in honor of the holidays, I’m passing along some of the Readaholics’ best ideas for celebrating the holidays with your treasured book club friends. If you read historicals, have everyone bring a cocktail from the time periods of the books you read this year (Sidecars for books set in the 1930s, Mai Tais for the 1940s, Sloe Gin Fizzes for the 1950s–you get the idea). If you read books from pre-cocktail days, mulled wine might be just the ticket. If you read…

Christmas is over, you say? BAH! I say. Now that the shopping-and-mailing crunch is over, this is a time we relish at my house. It’s a time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the season. The house is decorated, the deadlines are over, and there are still Christmas movies and music to enjoy, all at a more leisurely pace! And, confession time: The first chance I had to bake was the day before Christmas. My daughter and I whipped up a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies, perfect for running over to the neighbors on Christmas Day. Another favorite recipe I plan on getting to this week: Fred and Lindsay’s fudge. When I was writing No Christmas Like the Present a few years ago, my heroine, Lindsay, had a beloved fudge recipe. But I didn’t. I’d never made fudge before! So, to make the cooking process more authentic, I did a little (somewhat fattening) research. I experimented with several different recipes, and when I was done, I consolidated my findings into my own favorite recipe. In the book, mysteriously, my hero’s batch of fudge turned out to be even better than Lindsay’s – despite the fact that Fred followed her instructions…

The third book in my Profiler series, SEIZED, finds my normally dedicated, workaholic FBI profiler Evelyn Baine a little lost. She recently solved the case that drove her into the FBI – the disappearance of her best friend Cassie when they were twelve years old – and now she wonders if she still has the drive to be a profiler. To make things worse, her boss is pissed at her for some of the decisions she made on her last case, so he’s punishing her with BS assignments. The most recent is the interview of an incarcerated bomb-maker in a Montana prison. So, when fellow agent Jen Martinez stops her outside the prison and asks for an unofficial profile, Evelyn sees it as a chance to determine if she still has the passion for her job. When an FBI agent you don’t know asks you to help out on an unsanctioned case: Don’t get into the car with her. But Evelyn does, and instead of handing over a case file, Jen Martinez drives her into the Montana wilderness, to see the cult she wants profiled in person. The closer they get, the more remote it becomes. Don’t head out into…

From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Kristan Higgins Before you get down on bended knee you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor O’Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, she’s got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyard—it’s the perfect time to get married. When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, who’s now living with her full-time, and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), she’s positive married life isn’t for her. But this time, Connor says it’s all or nothing. If she doesn’t want to marry him, he’ll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that he’s never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isn’t quite as sure as she thinks “A heroine who believes she can only count on herself, a persistent, protective…