While I was writing HOW TO WRANGLE A COWBOY, I found myself wishing I could start the story a generation or two early. I write contemporaries, and I love my modern-day cowboys and their spunky modern women. But from the opening pages, where heroine Lindsey Ward’s grandma is mourning her husband in her own inimitable way, I longed to write the story of her grandparents, Bud and Grace Ward. A former stunt rider, Bud encapsulates all the excitement and romance of the Hollywood Western. I based him on Rex Rossi, a trick rider and Hall of Fame stuntman who doubled for various movie stars for over half a century. He performed many of the tricks that made cowboys like Roy Rogers, Hoot Gibson, and Bob Steele famous. Sadly, he died with his boots on after long day on the set. I made Bud’s story a happier one. Arthritis, brought on by his many injuries, forced him to leave stunt riding. He didn’t think that was a happy ending at the time, but then, on his last film, he met Grace. From afar, he’d admired the beautiful ingénue who was playing a pioneer lass, but beat up, bruised, and dirty as…

Since Academy Awards night is one of my favorite evenings, I thought it might be fun to talk movies. Old favorites, new favorites, worst picks of all time. Who doesn’t love ET? Star Wars? Gone with the Wind? Wizard of Oz? They’re classics, never to be forgotten. As I look back, I realize some of the novels I’ve written were probably inspired by films I’ve seen and loved. Old movies like The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn; new ones like Taken, with Liam Neeson; Ocean’s Thirteen; Mission Impossible; the Heist. The plot for my new book, INTO THE FURY, may have developed from the fast action and suspense in those kinds of movies. When Valentine Hart, one of La Belle lingerie’s most beautiful models, receives a death threat, it’s bodyguard Ethan Brodie’s job to protect her. Throw in murder, mayhem, and copycat killers and you have INTO THE FURY, a fast-paced, action-packed, hot-blooded romantic suspense I’m hoping readers will enjoy. Gone with the Wind, a time of elegant hoop skirts and Georgia mansions, led to CAPTAIN’S BRIDE, CREOLE FIRES, and NATCHEZ FLAME. My husband and I actually stayed in a gorgeous old plantation house in Natchez built…

Don’t miss the much-anticipated follow up to USA Today bestselling novel, GETTING LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN. ANATOMY OF A PLAYER by Cindi Madsen This bad boy is about to get played… After getting her heart broken by a player again, Whitney Porter is done with men. She’s focusing on her future career and her first assignment at the college newspaper: Posing as a sports writer for an exposé on the extra perks jocks receive. But Hudson Decker, the bad boy of the hockey team, is about to test her resolve. To keep herself from breaking her no-sex rule with the temptingly tattooed athlete, she decides to use him for a side project: Anatomy of a Player, to help Whitney—and women everywhere—spot a player, learn what makes him tick, and how to avoid falling for one. With his life spiraling out of control, Hudson Decker’s looking for a distraction. When his teammates bet him that he can’t land the gorgeous but prickly new reporter, he accepts the challenge, boasting he’ll have her in bed by the end of the semester. But Whitney is so much more than Hudson expected, and soon enough, he’s in too deep. The last thing he needs is…

Music is powerful. The melodies crash through our bloodstream and make us feel whatever it is that the musician/lyricist wanted us to feel: anger, despair, desire, love, longing, happiness. Every emotion we can imagine is expressed in music. When I got the idea for my new Love You Like A Love Song Series, I was struggling with the question asked today; If this book had a music soundtrack, what would it be and why? And then I thought, the romance should have its own song, a song that tells the story of these two characters. Their love story is unique, and strange, and powerful. And so, my Love You Like A Love Song series was born. CRASH AND BURN, ALONE WITH YOU (Feb 2016), UP ALL NIGHT (March 2016) and MAKE ME FORGET (April 2016) – with more to come So, I sat down with the vague idea for CRASH AND BURN, day one, page one, and I started with song lyrics. It sounds crazy — and I felt a little crazy when I was writing it — but the lyrics came, and with them came the voice of my heroine, Erin Michaelson, as she introduced herself to me. Turned…

Lady Olivia, the matriarch of the Waters Highland clan, has sent her two youngest sons south to London with the task of marrying off their hoydenish sister, Mary Elizabeth Waters. While in England, Alexander (HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOT) and Robert (HOW TO WED A WARRIOR) were under strict instructions not to marry an English girl, a stricture which they both ignored. Mary Elizabeth can out-hunt, out-shoot, and out-ride every man she has ever met, and she has declared openly and directly that she will never wed. Now, let’s sit down to tea with the Waters clan, shall we? Tea with the Waters Family Alexander Waters: I’ve gathered you all here today to consider why Mary Elizabeth isn’t married yet. Mary Elizabeth Waters: Because marriage is for fools! What woman would give up her life to a man? No offense, Catherine. Mrs. Catherine Waters (laughing): You don’t offend me, Mary. Robert Waters: Now, Mary darlin’, don’t be too hasty. Ye might enjoy wedded bliss. Mary Elizabeth: Just because you caught Mrs. Prudence— Robbie: She caught me! Mary Elizabeth (with a glower): Just because you caught my Mrs. Prudence and got her to marry you, does not mean that you are…

by Beth Cornelison It was a dark and stormy night… Ah, yes. The trite opening line that even Snoopy, in his Great Writer persona, used to set the stage for his novel. Why? Because setting, when used to the fullest advantage, is an important element of a writer’s toolbox. What would Rebecca be without the mysterious and austere Manderley? Would Star Wars be the same in a galaxy just around the corner from Earth? The setting of a story, used to full advantage, affects the plot and the mood and can reflect a theme in a novel. In TO LOVE, HONOR AND DEFEND, one of the first books I published with Harlequin Romantic Suspense, the stark cold weather, gray skies and bare trees mirrored the feelings of isolation, fear and betrayal my heroine felt. Setting can also be used for contrast, thereby highlighting some aspect of plot or character. In Healing Luke, my grumpy and bitter hero glares irritably at the bright Florida sunshine early in the story, showing the reader the truly dark place his life had reach. Knowing the importance of setting, when I set out to write ROCK-A-BYE RESCUE with Karen Whiddon, I knew we needed to…

Our reviewer Sandra Wurman, wrote FIND HER “first and foremost I have to say I’ve never been more emotionally invested in a story. FIND HER crept into my heart and consciousness and refused to leave. This book is so well written with obvious attention to details and sequences that the author, Lisa Gardner, deserves plaudits for a job very well done. I’ve read lots of crime novels, but FIND HER is gritty and scarily plausible, and that’s what makes it attention-grabbing.” So now it’s time to talk to the author and find out more about FIND HER (February 2016). I can’t help but wonder – just what or who was your model or inspiration for the character of Flora Dane? Flora had to be one of the most resourceful characters ever written – human to be sure – but so mentally secure in her own way. The mantra she developed was awe inspiring. I developed Flora’s character after interviewing two victim specialists from the FBI’s Office of Victim Assistance. These specialists focus on working with a victim’s family during a crisis as well as developing a post-captivity plan upon recovery. One of the specialists emphasized over and over again that…

Fresh Pick for Monday, February 8th, 2016 is LIE IN WAIT by Eric Rickstad #SuspenseMonday About LIE IN WAIT From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE SILENT GIRLS comes another unforgettable thriller set in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, featuring Detective Sonja Test Even in a quiet Vermont town, unspeakable acts of the past can destroy the peace of the present In the remote, pastoral hamlet of Canaan, Vermont, a high-profile legal case shatters the town’s sense of peace and community. Anger simmers. Fear and prejudice awaken. Old friends turn on each other. Violence threatens. So when a young teenage girl is savagely murdered while babysitting at the house of the lead attorney in the case, Detective Sonja Test believes the girl’s murder and the divisive case must be linked. However, as the young detective digs deeper into her first murder case, she discovers sordid acts hidden for decades, and learns that behind the town’s idyllic façade of pristine snow lurks a capacity in some for great darkness and the betrayal of innocents. And Sonja Test, a mother of two, will do anything to protect the innocent. Buy LIE IN WAIT: Amazon.com | Kindle| BN.com| iTunes/iBooks |…

In the next Vegas Vixens novel, TATTOOED AS TROUBLE, from Entangled Publishing, Raegan Storm enters the Witness Protection Program after witnessing a murder only to lose her heart to the U.S. Marshal sworn to protect her. This isn’t just any U.S. Marshal, but the ruggedly handsome Quinn Bronson. He takes his job as a marshal seriously and by the book, that is until he has to guard the lovely Rae Storm. And boy, does she turn his world upside down. Like the other vixens in the series, she is TROUBLE. But Bronson would rather face hit men than deal with his intense attraction for Rae, a woman that is strictly off limits. Now creating the character of Bronson took some research. As I uncovered what made the man tick, I discovered some interesting facts about the U.S. Marshals. The Witness Security Program has successfully protected an estimated 18,400 participants since the program began in 1971. The marshals arrest 400 fugitives every day on average. The U.S. Marshals operate the federal Witness Security Program, sometimes referred to as the “Witness Protection Program.” The marshals claim a perfect success rate, with no witnesses being harmed while under protection as long as all…

For the Sandy Harbor Lure newspaper: HOLIDAY TRADITIONS By Trixie Matkowski In this busy world, there are some traditions during the holidays that comfort us and bring back lovely memories. For instance, on Christmas Eve, we kids would wait to hear Santa’s footsteps and the reindeer hooves on the roof. No matter how hard we tried to stay up, we’d never hear them. But, without fail, the next morning when we looked, there would be some packed snow on the roof. It was years before we figured out that my father was the one walking on the roof! Holiday baking is another tradition. Certain families have special fruitcake recipes (and you know who you are), or an ethnic specialty like babka or kugel or those Italian cookies made at Christmas (sure would love some of those hard chocolate ones!). Juanita Holgado, one of my cooks at the Silver Bullet Diner, makes a caramel flan which is to die for. Making these specialties once a year makes them….well, special. My long-time friend, Mary Ann, uses lovely dishes brought over from Poland by her great-grandmother. I can’t wait to set out my Lenox Holiday set. I have another set just for tea….