The idea for LEFT AT THE ALTAR came to me in a rather unexpected way. Several of our antique clocks needed servicing and so we called a clock repairman to the house. The horologist was a writer’s dream. He was full of fascinating stories about clock collectors. But the story that really made an impression was the one about a client who owned so many clocks, the quarter-hour racket was deafening. The horologist’s job was to turn the clocks off before each holiday so that guests didn’t have to compete with the cacophony of bongs and chimes during dinner. The horologist went on to explain that prior to 1883, the town jeweler usually determined the time. Trouble arose when a town had more than one jeweler and no one could agree on the time. One town in Kansas reportedly had seven jewelers and therefore seven time zones. Just think, a person traveling from the East coast to the West would have contended with more than a hundred times zones. That wasn’t a problem when traveling by covered wagon, but it became a huge problem when traveling by train. Ah, sweet inspiration. Before I knew it, the town of Two-Time, Texas…

Oh, Christmas! As an adult, the holiday is my favorite because of the natural good cheer and festive nature around every corner. I find myself a little more patient when waiting for a car to back out of a parking spot. I tend to move through life at a slower pace and enjoy the decorations in stores and around town. I adore attending Christmas parties and parades. However great all this is, it does not capture the essence of why I fell in love with Christmas as a child. I come from an extremely large Italian family—we LIVE for holidays and family gatherings full of fun, laughter, games, and great home cooked food. Christmas was always the holiday that everyone came to, no matter how far away you lived or if you had other family to visit. It was a tradition—and no one thought to displease my Noni and Papa. And so, we gathered at what felt like 10am and spent the entire day and late into the night at my grandparents’ house enjoying ham, turkey, raviolis, fresh rolls, and all the fixings. My mom would later correct my childhood memories by saying we arrived at about 3pm on Christmas…

Blackstone Dynasty was inspired by a trip I made to Boston back in early 2013. While sightseeing in the city, I stumbled upon a monument statue in Boston Common honoring a man named William Blackstone. Mr. Blackstone happened to be the very first European to settle in Boston, living alone on what would later become Boston Common and Beacon Hill. He arrived in America in 1623, coming from Lincolnshire, England. In that single moment, a spark of an idea ignited for me that this bit of historical information could be the basis of a whole new story world. I was just finishing up my very successful Blackstone Affair series set in London about security expert, Ethan Blackstone, and his love for his American girl, Brynne Bennett. I decided right then and there that Ethan Blackstone should have some relatives living their lives in America (descended from the honored Mr. William Blackstone from the statue I found in Boston Common) who were worthy of their own stories and books. I even posted a picture on Facebook and made a comment at the time, I was so excited. My “Boston Blackstone” universe continued to develop slowly in my head over the next…

“So? What do you think?” Tommy asked his friend, Beckett “Coach” Ralston, as they stood inside the small office at the Waco Skydiving Club looking out at the group of civilians who would be skydiving in a few hours. Coach shrugged. “Looks about like the group we had yesterday.” Jumping out of a perfectly functioning plane wasn’t exactly Coach’s idea of a good time, but he’d taken two weeks of leave after the kidnapping of his teammate’s girlfriend and daughter. Emily and Annie were fine, but Jacks, the vindictive ex-soldier who had orchestrated the entire incident, hadn’t been so lucky. He’d spent a few days in the hospital recuperating, and was now currently a guest of the State of Texas. Jacks would be going on trial in a few weeks, and Coach hoped he’d spend a good chunk of time behind bars. Coach and the rest of his Delta Force team were taking some time off and Tommy had been in a bind. One of his regular jumpmasters had broken his leg. He had a replacement coming, but the other man couldn’t get there for another month. Since Coach had the time, and nothing else planned, he’d agreed to come…

First of all, I’m so happy to be here today! PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING is the third book in my Magnolia Brides series, and it’s one I’m super excited about. I love Tansy and Beck and have been rooting for them, hoping they’d get their second chance at love. Describe PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING in 6 words. One mistake doesn’t have to change everything. (I know. That’s seven words. I have never, ever claimed that math is my strong suit!) What is your favorite thing to munch on while you write? Oh, that’s easy. Cheetos and Peppermint Patties—but not at the same time! Okay, hardly ever at the same time. J What actor do you picture as the MC in PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING? Kiefer Sutherland. That voice! Don’t you just love it? And, of course, now he’s our President. Y’all have seen Designated Survivor, right? The top 5 things that will make a picture perfect wedding are… First and foremost, the right bride and groom. If you get this right, the rest almost doesn’t matter. Friends and family—yes, even the eccentric aunt! The flowers. Gardenias, roses, orchids, peonies, and wildflowers—I love them all! Bouquets and boutonnieres, centerpieces, aisle markers, hanging from the…

Writes: Contemporary romantic suspense merges my love of both the romance and the suspense/thriller genre. RS enables me to present protagonists pursuing justice amid life’s scarily dark side while daring to embrace their own happily ever after. My latest romantic suspense, THE DOLLMAKER, is out 11/15/16 from Montlake. About: Writer and wrangler of three miniature dachshunds seeks readers who share her love of page-turning romantic suspense, are ready to tackle a medical examiner heroine full of hope and determined to win back a hardened homicide cop hero, and to follow the pair as they pursue a very scary villain with a passion for ink. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Not afraid to stay up past bedtime Likes fast-paced page-turning suspense Likes a hero with a few rough edges Prepared to pull out the tissues when emotional heartstrings are pulled Loves to match wits with the detective and killer to see whodunit Enjoys a HEA with a touch of justice What to expect if we’re compatible: More books to come in The Forgotten Files series A backlist to suit any binge reader Giveaways on Facebook and a newsletter with news, promotions and Killer Recipes About Mary Burton…

I belong to several online readers groups, and that question has been coming up frequently, lately. I’m glad to see it being discussed. For me – no. I DON’T read crime fiction for entertainment. When I pick up a crime novel as a reader, I want to see intelligent treatment of societal evils that focuses on bringing awareness to problems and proposing activist solutions. That’s my goal as an author, too. My Huntress Moon series is intense, page-turning psychological and procedural suspense. I worked as a Hollywood screenwriter for ten years before I wrote my first novel, and I’m well aware that I need to deliver a satisfying genre experience to my readers. If they’re not biting their nails and staying up way past their bedtimes, I’m not doing my job. But within the context of a ripping thriller, I am writing about issues I care passionately about and want to eradicate for good – meaning the good of everyone on the planet. Violence against women. Child sexual abuse. Human trafficking. After this stunning, horrific election, more than ever these are evils I am committed to fighting against. The last thing I want to do is show these scenes in…

Hi Fresh Fiction readers! If we haven’t met before, I’m Stefanie London. Lovely to meet you! As I’m writing this message I’m already in the throes of planning Christmas—where we’re going to put the tree this year (in our never-ending quest to find the perfect spot to fit a 6ft tree in our Toronto apartment), what date I need to send gifts back home to Australia, what I’m going to buy my husband (anyone else find that a constant struggle?) I love Christmas and all the associated traditions. Every year we marathon the Die Hard movies, we make a big fuss over Christmas lunch and we always over cater. Naturally, being such a lover of the holidays, I adore Christmas stories too. My November release, Millionaire Under the Mistletoe, has all the things I love about holiday stories—a little snow-bound (or in this case storm-bound) action for the hero and heroine, a decorating the tree scene and, of course, the healing power of Christmas magic. “With the beauty of a white Christmas, some funny encounters, and a little holiday magic, MILLIONAIRE UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a charming romance that will warm you up this Winter.” – Books of All Kinds….

When I first started writing the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, our current feline companions happened to be orange tabby brothers. Not that the hubby and I hadn’t been caretakers to black cats before; we just seemed to have settled on tiger cats for the duration. But after spending so much time with my fictional black cat, Hamlet, I couldn’t help but feel that something was amiss in Cat Land. One thing I love about our orange tabby boys is that they’re mellow guys without the “bite” of the ornery Hammy. That said, I wondered if maybe I needed a junior Hamlet of my own to help jumpstart my writing when I hit a tough spot. Sweet purring cats do not equal compelling plot points! And so, after much consideration, we adopted a brother and sister pair of sleek black felines whom we named Brandon Bobtail (he has but half a tail) and Ophelia. But after barely a month of living with the new kitty duo, I was amused to remember something I’d forgotten over the years—that having a black cat in the house is like living with a shadow. Or, in our case, a pair…

A cold case. Just that term makes my spine tingle and the hair prickles on the back of my neck. A mystery that remains unsolved for years due to lack of evidence or witnesses or an obvious motive always grabs me by my curiosity and just won’t let go. When plotting BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, I knew I wanted to challenge my amateur sleuth Lindsey Norris with a cold case. Why? Well, in a small New England town like Briar Creek, a cold case would resonate for years in such a close-knit community. People would have their suspicions, families would be torn apart, and as the mystery remained unsolved so the lives of those impacted by the murder would also remain disrupted and out of order. Lindsey being a librarian with a librarian’s rage for order would definitely feel compelled to find the truth. For me personally, the motivation to write a cold case was much like my reasoning for writing in the mystery genre to begin with — to have good triumph over evil. You don’t really get happy-ever-afters in mysteries, but in a world that is full of anger and violence, writing mysteries helps ease my outrage when…