Thank you so much for hosting me today to talk about my latest release in The Men of At-Ease Ranch Series. My original contract with Entangled was only for three books, but thanks to the fans that wrote to my publisher, I was contracted to write books for the remaining two Rangers. My new release: THE ARMY RANGER’S SURPRISE is the fifth book, and I’m so honored and excited to finally give my readers the story they’ve been waiting for, as well as my hero his well-deserved HEA. Why is it well-deserved? Because Leo is the reason At-Ease ranch was created. He represents the real-life service members who have a hard time adjusting to civilian life when they come home. Leo’s struggle has unfolded throughout the series, and thanks to his book, I got to dig in and help him find some happiness. But don’t worry. His story is not too dark. Like the rest of the books in this series, this one is a romantic comedy, too. And yes, everyone’s favorite character—Lula Belle the lovesick cow—makes an unforgettable appearance. A super big thank you to the fans for their overwhelming support of The Men of At-Ease Ranch! ♥ This…

In the past five years, I’ve published books in three distinct series: The Profiler (a psychological suspense series featuring FBI profiler Evelyn Baine, whose job is to get into the heads of killers), The Lawmen (a romantic suspense series about three friends who make a pact to join the FBI after violence tears apart their lives, and what happens ten years later when that violence returns) and The Lawmen: Bullets and Brawn (a romantic suspense series about three foster brothers ripped apart as children, who are determined to unravel the secret of their past). What is it about series that keeps me coming back? As a writer, it’s many of the same reasons that I can’t stay away from series as a reader: I can’t wait to revisit the characters: My Profiler series features one primary character, who returns book after book with new cases to profile for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. While the plot of each story revolves around her work as a profiler, part of what I love about her series is the character growth. In the first book in the series, HUNTED, Evelyn was socially inept and purposely isolated. By the time book four, STALKED, rolls…

I have something to confess. I. Love. Mysteries. Not only do I write them, but I read them. Um, a lot of them. Not only do I nibble at their pages, but I consume them nightly on television. Why? There’s just something about the familiar characters, the sleuth and his sidekick or the detective sergeant and her trusty partner, that draws me in. I laugh at their silly jokes, bite my nails when they blunder into danger, and breathe a sigh of relief when they make it back safely to their apartment, cottage, or vicarage. The piece de la resistance is solving the mystery before my favorite detectives figure it out. Like chocolate cake, it melts in my mouth and makes my heart sing. What about you? Do you require your mysteries to be all sewn up by the end of the hour, chapter, season, or even—gulp–the end of the series? Regardless of your palate, this week’s cozy mystery new releases will help to satiate your love of solving mysteries, fighting crime, and sending those criminals where they belong, behind bars. BEACHES IN PARADISE by Kathi Daley Tj Jensen Mystery #9 Tj Jensen’s life is thrown into turmoil when a…

Characters make or break a story, no matter the genre or theme. Readers have to be able to take the journey with each character that is written into the pages. They need to be able to place themselves in the characters’ shoes so they can experience the story as if it were a part of their own. When you accomplish this, you create a reading experience that is unforgettable. When creating a suspenseful setting and mysterious plotline, the characters have to be as dynamic and dimensional as possible. And not just your lead, but also the other major character roles that I believe every good suspense novel needs. First—The Protagonist: This one is obvious. Your hero, or lead, has to be relatable and honest. This is their story mainly, so all the elements of the story are in place to pull them forward to the end discovery. People need to like them, of course, but they also need to have weaknesses and struggles. They need to make mistakes, take the wrong path at times; they need to be afraid, and then filled with strength when the time comes. They need to reflect us so that the reader can relate to…