While I run when someone asks me what my favorite book is, I happily stand and talk if they ask what my favorite reads of the present calendar year are. Of course, even narrowing the books in a time span of 365 days is rough, but I love reflecting back on my year as a reader and remembering what books I enjoyed. 2015 has been a dynamite of a year for great reads, so this week’s column and next week’s will be devoted to highlighting some of my favorite YA books of 2015. From surprising unreliable narrators to small towns that won’t let go to humor and action at their best, here is part one of my most beloved 2015 books that I will likely reread many, many times in the years to come. BONE GAP by Laura Ruby About BONE GAP “Bone Gap marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction’s most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical.” —E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars BONE GAP is the story of Roza, a…

I won’t lie: When my husband and I decided to open our marriage, I thought, “This is going to be interesting … I better take notes!” And the events of that first two years, getting to date again, having new lovers, shaping our sexual identities—did not disappoint, gifting me with the kind of rich, dramatic material that make books compelling. “Taking notes” spiraled into “processing,” which evolved into blogs, and then into a memoir. Writing WIDE OPEN often felt like slipping between two worlds and landing in a miracle zone. I was writing about possibly the most magical time in my life. Revisiting the discovery that I could have both my husband of twenty years and my new love, Oz, was a delicious treat. And another lovely morsel: writing candidly about open marriage grew an unprecedented loyal readership of people eager to share information and insight on the taboo subject of open marriage; having this supportive audience was a boon, especially since there were times when I felt put in the line of fire. Before publishing the book, I was threatened with a lawsuit and was forced to take a pseudonym. Some family and friends confessed to me that the…

Some of my all time favorite films are holiday romances. I’m not even sure why this is, but I suspect it started in childhood. Maybe it was from watching White Christmas on TV for the first time. I still remember being mesmerized by that final scene when they’re all dressed up in the beautiful Santa inspired costumes and the little sugarplum ballerinas, and suddenly the wall behind them opens up to show the snow falling in the night—and it’s all in living color! For a little girl, it was magical. But even as an adult, I still love Christmas. And since it’s also my husband’s birthday, well, it just seems like a perfect time for some sweet romance. And, really, what’s more romantic than a crackling fire, snow falling outside, and cup of something warm to drink with your significant other next to you. But when some or all of those elements are missing, what about watching Miracle on 34th Street or While You were Sleeping? Count me in—I’ll be there with popcorn and cocoa. As much as I like some of the new flicks like The Holiday or even the latest Hallmark movie, I really do enjoy the oldies….

I was inspired to write my 7th novel THE WITCH’S MARKET based on two incidents. About three years ago I read an article by my favorite Chinese author Echo about her trip to the Witches’ Market in Bolivia. Though the article was short, somehow the title capered my imagination and I decided to write a whole novel about the witches’ market – when I had no idea what this novel would be about. However, instead of setting my novel in Bolivia, I decided to make it happen on the Canary Islands. These seven islands are guarded by goddesses who are also safe keepers for the hidden golden apples of Aphrodite. Sailors seeking the legendary golden apples were lured to their doom by beautiful goddesses. THE WITCH’S MARKET, besides Echo’s article, was also inspired by an incident I experienced many years ago. Once at a concert I was so annoyed by the performer’s pretentious style that I stared at her instrument’s strings and willed them to break. Surprisingly, a few seconds later one of the strings broke, forcing her to stop in the middle of her performance. Rather than being happy, I was frightened that I might possess some strange power….

There are many things in life that intimidate me – modern car engines, tax forms, computer viruses. But not wine. Yes, I’m from California. Yes, I worked at a winery (and yes, I feature them in many books). Yes, I’ve earned a certificate from the prestigious UC Davis wine appreciation program. But learning all the complexities is like learning a foreign language – if you don’t use it, you lose it. I admit: I’ve forgotten more about wine than I’ve retained. However, because people turn to me for advice about what wine to order, I developed a bit of shorthand. Do you ever drink wine or spirits? If spirits, is it mixed drinks or straight? Do you drink black coffee or lattes? Do you drink full-sugar soda or diet? Orange juice, cranberry juice, or grapefruit juice? Prefer chocolate for dessert or fresh fruit? Season your steak with salt/pepper, a combination of dry seasonings, or a creamy sauce? You don’t need answers to all the questions, just a starting point, a hint, a clue. And you don’t need to follow the “wine rules” (red with red meat, white with fish/poultry). That’s old school. My cheat sheet is below. My caveat: this…

The Witch’s Market Eileen Chen, who inherited her shamanistic abilities from her grandmother, Laolao, has taken a leave from her teaching job to study witchcraft in the Canary Islands. She has heard that there is a Daoist temple on Tenerife inhabited by a Chinese master famous for his psychic ability. She hopes she can help a bereaved Spanish friend whose daughter has drowned in a supposedly haunted lake. Having expected a pleasant time pursuing her research in this exotic island, Eileen instead finds herself entangled in a series of supernatural happenings. As a shamaness, she thinks she can comfort her friend, and clear up some of the mysteries. In the temple she meets the nonagenarian ‘Uncle’ Wang who conducts “underworld tours” by inviting the spirits of the dead to descend to his altar. However, instead of the spirit of the tragic young girl, Eileen’s underworld visitor radiates evil, terrifying her.   Excerpt from The Witch’s Market Next Uncle Wang gently wrapped the red blindfold around my eyes so I would not be distracted by anything in this world. After that he said, his tone very serious and respectful, “Now invite silently the loved one, god, goddess, immortal, or whomever you…

What was your favorite part about writing IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES? Why? In the first two books of the SWAT Series (HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF and WOLF TROUBLE) the stories revolve around the two most senior members of the Dallas Police Department SWAT team (SWAT Commander Sergeant Gage Dixon and squad leader Senior Corporal Xander). IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES is SWAT Officer Eric Becker’s story. Becker is one of the younger guys in the Pack of alpha werewolves and he’s only been a werewolf for about two years compared to Gage who’s been a werewolf for fourteen years and Xander who went through his change eight years ago. The idea of being able to approach the story from a completely different direction really appealed to me. Now if the fact that he’s simply a “newer” werewolf was the only aspect of Becker’s personality I was dealing with during the story, the book probably wouldn’t have turned out the way it did. But if you’ve been paying attention to Becker in the first two books in the series, you might have noticed that he has a somewhat casual outlook on things like rules and pack authority. Plus, he’s in…

One of the more difficult challenges for readers and authors alike when it comes to a series is how do you keep it fresh? How do you return to the same well over and over again? And what point does a series become…eek…boring? I’ve read a lot of series over the years, the ones I enjoy the most are the ones which give me a reason to come back, but aren’t repetitive. They may possess an ongoing set of story arcs, but each book propels us forward and focuses on the couple at hand, on their journey. Keeping Willow Bend New Every book in the Wolves of Willow Bend series is a “first” book because for the couple I’m focusing on, it’s their first book, it’s their story. I keep the focus on them, and reintroduce only those key elements from the series that are vital to understanding the current couple’s tale. It sounds easy, and sometimes it is. Other times, it’s hard. Readers who follow the series will obviously get more because they know the history, and have met earlier characters, followed the twists and turns of their stories and seen more of the world fleshed out. Each book…

The Internet has made it difficult to be a writer. In the olden days (ie, before the Internet), a person might come up with ideas for stories and then sit in her garret and write, while making a list of things to look up, *later*, in the library. And then, no matter how grand the research institution, the available information on any particular topic was limited due to shelf space and the librarian’s astute eye. Not anymore. One of the easiest ways to procrastinate, as a writer, is to tumble into the abyss of the Internet. And I’m not talking about those known time-wasters like social media sites or cute films about cats. In this instance, I’m talking about legitimate research. Case in point: in GIVE UP THE GHOST (#6 in the Haunted Home Renovation series), San Francisco contractor extraordinaire, Mel Turner, stumbles onto secret passages in the Pacific Heights mansion she’s renovating. Do you have any idea how much time a person can spend on the subject “secret passages in old homes”? Try putting the topic into your search engine – but if you’re anything like me, only do so if you have a few days to spend reading…

from Elizabeth Moss Rebel Bride is Book II in my sexy Lust in the Tudor Court series, following on from Wolf Bride. Each book is a standalone Tudor romance, but they do feature linked characters and, unusually in a series, the first half of REBEL BRIDE runs concurrently with events in WOLF BRIDE. So it might be useful to read them in the correct order. This story follows the adventures of Susannah, younger sister of Eloise, the heroine of WOLF BRIDE, through the wilds of Yorkshire and at the Tudor court of Henry VIII. Young, feisty and beautiful, she soon catches the eye of Hugh Beaufort, one of the king’s most trusted clerks. Susannah describes Hugh as: ‘A god. Thick fair hair, green eyes, shoulders that could ram doors … with that elegant southern drawl that made her shiver.’ But her father insists she must marry one of his friends instead, a wealthy old man. Horrified, Susannah’s only option is to run away. Hugh Beaufort volunteers to find her, and when he finally runs his prey to ground in a dark northern forest, the two are soon tangling in a most delicious way. It would be the simplest thing in…