Everyone loves the beach. Though I live in Montana, I’m fortune to spend my winters at the beach in sunny California. My writing space looks out on a boat channel that leads to the harbor so I watch the tide go up and down several times a day. A bicycle-ride away, a sandy beach slopes down to the water where a frothy tide rolls in and out, the perfect place to talk a stroll at the end of a long day or just dig your toes into the warm gritty sand. For me, there is no better way to spend an afternoon than lying in the sun on a bright-colored beach towel, straw hat shading your face while you read a delicious, page-turning novel. The rhythmic curl and tug of the waves is the perfect backdrop, lulling me into the story, shutting out the day-to-day troubles of the world, if only for a little while. As a writer, lying half-asleep in the sun, listening to the soft rush of the wind and the cry of seagulls, is a great way to get story ideas. Too often I get stuck when writing a novel (I refuse to call it writer’s block,…

Harvard Summer Workshop. Advanced Novel Writing Class. Professor Haviaras raises his bushy eyebrows and surveys his classroom of future authors with a withering stare. He says in his Greek accent, “The most important thing to do before beginning your first novel? To find your voice.” That advice helped me polish my first manuscript, the one I had brought to the workshop. A few months later, MADEMOISELLE VICTORINE was acquired by Random House. It was even translated into many foreign languages I can’t speak. I began writing my latest novel YOU LUCKY DOG, pub date June 6th, by recalling the dictum, “Find your voice.” I felt the voice should be in the first person. I mean, first dog. I got the idea for this book a few years ago when a good friend lamented that she wished she could find a man who loves her as much her dog does. “He’s always happy to see me. When I come home from work, he rushes to greet me at the door. And he senses when I have the blues. He lays his head on my lap and looks up at me with those soulful eyes. It’s unconditional love. Why can’t I find…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Jennifer Probst. Writes: Sexy and erotic contemporary romance. My books are chock full of humor, banter, family drama, kick-ass heroines who always challenge my alpha hero, and of course, rescue dogs. Sometimes, even a rescue chicken…My newest release is THE START OF SOMETHING GOOD, the first in the brand new STAY series which releases this month. About: I wrote my first book at twelve years old. I bound it in a folder, read it to my classmates, and haven’t stopped since. I hold a masters in English Literature and live in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I have two sons and a rescue dog who keep me active, stressed, joyous, and sad my house will never be truly clean. I’m passionate about horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: A reader who likes to laugh out loud at the antics of the hero,…