Hello, Fresh Fiction! It’s been so long since I’ve been here. And I cannot tell you how great it feels to be back! Some of you may know me as the author of several sweet rom-coms, all contemporary settings. So then, how in the world did I end up writing an Amish romance novel? Did I go all “inspie” on my readers? (Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, of course!) Nope. The real story behind why I chose this path isn’t what most people expect. . . It all goes back to my sister. She moved from Tennessee to Hershey, PA about ten years ago. I was dying to go there, of course, because that is where all the chocolate lives! I mean, talk about my mecca. 😉 The first time I went out there for a visit, we did the whole Hershey thing–which was dang awesome. (PS: I have a whole series that takes place in and around Hershey, called “Sugar City.”) Anyway…what I didn’t realize then, was Hershey practically butts up to Lancaster County, one of the largest Amish settlements in the country. My sister had only been out there once, so we searched the internet and made…

Hi, Susan! Welcome to Fresh Fiction! Please tell us about yourself and your new book, THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP. First of all, thank you for making this a fun conversation. You’re the first real person I’ve talked to all day, since I’m deep into my book-in progress. This is my favorite moment in the life cycle of a book–the moment it finds its way into readers’ hands. Suddenly it’s not my baby anymore. It belongs to the readers, the reviewers, the book groups, the librarians, and I can’t wait for them to read it. I wrote this book during a momentous year in my life. It reflects one of my sweetest fantasies–owning an independent bookshop. Even when I was a little girl, I used to imagine what it would be like to live in the garret of a creaky old building, above a bookstore that is a vibrant community center. The fantasy comes to life on Perdita Street in San Francisco’s historic district. Natalie Harper is a wine exec in Archangel, California (shout out to readers of The Apple Orchard and The Beekeeper’s Ball). She never planned on taking over her mother’s beloved but struggling bookshop. She never planned…

Or  . . . falling in love while in imminent danger. See what I did there? I’ve been reading romantic suspense since I was in my early teens. Romance, really, but I found myself drawn to stories with suspense and mystery elements. Romance and suspense can show up in not only contemporary stories, but mystery, historical, fantasy and science fiction novels too. I love when danger and tension drives the two main characters together. The protective hero. The strong, determined heroine. Both of them together facing off with a worthy villain. Now decades later I have the most amazing job in the world because I get to write romantic suspense for a living. Admittedly, writing in this genre comes with challenges. For one, there’s the ticking time bomb issue. How does one fall in love when in imminent danger? Have you ever read a romance and felt uncomfortable with the pace? You felt that the romance moved much too quickly. Or you were stunned that the couple could possibly profess their love so soon or even get engaged or married after knowing each other for a short time? In real life, how much time is needed for couples to fall…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  An Appalachian Summer. 2–What is it about?  In 1933, debutante Piper Danson, craving more from life than simply an advantageous marriage, jumps at the opportunity to volunteer with the Frontier Nursing Service in the Appalachian Mountains. Romance and adventure are in the Kentucky mountain air in this story of a woman caught between two worlds—each promising something different. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Spunky. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  How much he loves my heroine and that gorgeous smile. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  My heroine, Piper, could always depend on her aunt Truda to be on her side and understand her desire to do something different. My hero, Jamie, also had a champion in his uncle Wyatt who was a steadying influence when everything was going wrong for Jamie and his family.  6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love going to the mountains for a story. Even when times are hard as they were in the 1930’s flowers still bloom. Creeks still sparkle in the sun. People still have babies. So I enjoyed the mountain scenery, the mountain…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Rebel Wears Plaid 2–What is it about? The Rebel Wears Plaid is the first book in my Prince Charlie’s Angels series. I thought it would be a lot of fun to take some of the strong women of history who were immeasurable in their part during the Jacobite uprising and pair them with men who are equally patriotic to their cause. In Rebel, my heroine Jenny is a highborn lady, her brother is a powerful chief of his clan—but has sided with the Royal Government against the Jacboites, going against their people and everything their father and grandfather fought and died for. Jenny decides that she’s going to go against her brother—in secret—to fulful her family’s legacy, and it starts at a young age where she makes an oath with her childhood friends to see it through. By day she pretends to be the lady her brother expects, but by night she’s raising an army, gathering weapons and coin and support for the prince who will eventually land on Scottish soil from exile. She’s grown quite infamous as the Mistress J. While out on one of her missions she runs into a…