NEW RELEASE GIVEAWAY! Growing up in an Italian household meant lots of baking, shopping, gift wrapping, eating, and visiting of relatives the month of December. The week after Christmas was spent returning/exchanging gifts, making up cookie trays, and visiting relatives. And I’m not even talking about visiting different relatives. Sometimes we’d go to my grandparents’ house in South Philadelphia one night and then to my second Uncle’s house down the street the next night. And many of the same people would be there both nights! While the way I celebrate the Christmas season is a bit different from twenty plus years ago, there are still some core traditions I’ve kept and have hopefully instilled in my children. BELIEVE IN MY HEART, the fourth book in my award-winning Tangled Hearts series and newest release, is a holiday novella that takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The hero, Vinnie DiFrancesco, is a traditional guy. He’s a bit of a homebody and is looking for a lifelong partner who will share his dream of raising a family and running his family’s trattoria. Doesn’t sound that hard, right? Wrong. Vinnie’s had a rough time with relationships and all but given up finding the right…

In our home, the holidays are all about family, about coming together to celebrate our blessings and have fun. We’re a global bunch and people travel from all over to gather at our house. There’s lots of laughter and an excess of delicious foods. But the star of the evening is my Mom’s sangria. Ingredients: 1 bottle of your favorite red wine 2 oranges 2 apples 1 lemon 1 tablespoon of sugar 1/2 a liter of Sprite or Seven Up Preparation: Begin with a bottle of wine. I prefer a Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can choose your favorite red. Hint: The wine doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just full-bodied and delicious. Next, slice oranges into thin wheels and cut up a couple of tart apples into small, square pieces. I use a red and a green apple to add variety to the flavors. Set the oranges aside and marinate the apples in a half a cup of wine. You can prepare the fruit early and keep it fresh and cold in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, pour the reminder of the wine into your favorite festive pitcher and add two cups of cold Sprite or…

It’s that time of year again—when families come together for various holiday celebrations and fill houses with laughter, bickering, and generally good times. Our holidays will be really low-key this year, which has me craving that loving chaos in any way I can get it—this year that means fictionally! I’ve put together five of my favorite family-based series that I love reading around this time of year (in no particular order): The SaDiablo family (The Black Jewels series, Anne Bishop). Revisiting Daemon, Lucivar, and Saetan every year in December is one of my favorite things to do. Their story is not an easy one, but it’s so rewarding and I’ve reread the books so many times, it’s like visiting old friends. The books are also great holiday reads because Winsol, their winter celebration, features heavily into many of the books. The Grey Family (Greys of Montana stories, Megan Crane). I first read Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy several years ago, and I was captivated by the Grey family. They’re so full of life and their history in Montanan is nothing short of spectacular. The entire series is a joy. The Sevenwaters family (The Sevenwaters Series, Juliet Marillier). The Sevenwaters is…

As a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, I always found myself wishing my life had a little bit of Stars Hollow in it. When I got the idea for THE SWEETHEART SHAM, my main character Georgie, made me immediately aware that her town had a similar charm to that one – but set in the south. (Which meant more quirk, more community, and more sweet tea.) I did a lot of research on charming small towns. I used to sit with my friend, Jenny, and take notes of her stories about the things that happened in her hometown. I think there’s a certain kind of quirkiness you can find in small towns—and especially in Culler, SC—so here are five reasons you will want to visit this town again and again. You can walk everywhere. With only one stoplight, the whole area of Culler is walkable. Finally, teenagers can have some freedom. You don’t need a car to get anywhere, but you can have one if you want some privacy. Just remember that everyone is watching where you go, so don’t get caught parking at Hickam Bridge or your momma will find out, and then bless your heart. Everything you need…

I use St. Petersburg, Florida, as the setting of the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries. I’ve lived here for more than forty years now and am considered to be ‘nearly native.’ Some readers have mentioned that the setting comes across as a character – exactly what I strive to accomplish. However, just like an individual, the city is undergoing change and growth as our city embraces it’s Florida quirky. For example, about ten years ago, the city exploded in two distinctive areas: craft beer brewing and vibrant outdoor murals. The city has struggled at times with accommodating these emerging cultural changes. At last count, there were more than 30 breweries in the county that create beers suited to the climate and culture. The St. Pete/Clearwater Craft Beer Trail (aka the “Gulp Coast”) runs from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg, which is an hour’s drive, end to end. The area’s signature craft beer is named Florida Weisse, a Berliner Weisse-style beer (tart, low-alcohol, highly carbonated) given a unique spin by local brewers during the fermentation process through the addition of fresh fruits like key lime, raspberry, mango, dragon fruit, pineapple and passion fruit. My favorite local brews are the Beach Blonde Ale…