Stay safe! Stay inside! Limit trips to the grocery store! We’re all hearing advice like this as we wonder how long the coronavirus is going to be with us. Food writers suggest inventorying our pantries for overlooked supplies and creating meals out of what we have on hand–though my trips to the grocery store have revealed that many people are limiting their trips by buying a few months’ worth of food at once, including the woman I saw with two filled-to-capacity carts, pushing one and pulling the other. But I like the idea of discovering and putting to use supplies I had forgotten I had. With this in mind, I explored the contents of my freezer yesterday and found . . . half a package of brownie mix! It was hidden way in the back, between the box of raisins and the bag of walnut halves (I freeze almost everything I don’t use often). The brownie mix dated from last year when I was experimenting with a way to make easy cookies for my Knit & Nibble mystery #6, Knit of the Living Dead, coming out this August. As you can guess from the title, it has a Halloween theme,…

I love a magical first meeting between a hero and heroine in romance, but there’s a lot to be said for a story with two main characters with a shared history together. I’m always intrigued by these kinds of stories but I’m very particular. Some readers love an abundance of drama and angst. I usually prefer lighter fare with a minimum of angst. Of course, there are always exceptions that prove the rule. One of my favorite authors is Lorraine Heath and her stories are often littered with characters who have tangled and passion-filled histories together and a few bad decisions under their belts. However, Heath masterfully and almost inexplicably wraps things up and any angst is deliciously painful rather than tedious. If I can’t root for a couple to iron out their issues and get together, I give up on the story. In this article, I discuss some books with characters who have a past, but who don’t let their past determine their future. In SHE LOVES ME by Melissa Foster, Piper Dalton and Harley Dutch are BFFs who are thrown together when Harley is injured and Piper comes to look after him. Melissa Foster dispenses with typical gender…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Anne Harper! Writes: Romantic comedy with relatable romance and shenanigans galore! Fake It Till You Make It is Book #1 in the Accidentally Viral series and is the first look into small-town Arbor Bay, Alabama, and at all of its hilarious, intrusive, and wild residents. About: Anne believes in coffee, chocolate, and the power of being awkward. When she isn’t binge-watching Netflix and Hulu, she’s hanging out with her sassy husband, yelling at her neighbor (who is also her Dad), and posting videos about her life that will undoubtedly embarrass her future children. Her special skills include being able to sing all the words to R.E.M.’s It’s the End of the World while running on the treadmill and the ability to quote almost every episode of Parks and Recreation by heart. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must have felt or done something awkward in your life and are willing to use that experience to relate to others Must love characters with quirks, flaws, and relatable…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Elizabeth Heiter! Writes: I write suspense with strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists, and a little bit (or a lot!) of romance. My new release, SECRET INVESTIGATION, is a romantic suspense about an undercover agent searching for justice for his murdered friend. In the process, he falls for the CEO of the company to blame. But if he wants the truth, she may pay the ultimate price. About: Caffeine and chocolate-fueled author who often writes with a parrot on my shoulder. I have a penchant for going down the rabbit hole with research (luckily, I’ve had enough security clearances for my various law enforcement research visits that when my bizarre internet history is inevitably discovered, it will be clear that it’s all for fictional crimes!). When I have time in between writing books, I love to read them, spend time with family and friends, and downhill ski. One of these days, I’ll get back to playing my violin. What I’m looking for…