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 Katy James! Writes: I write sweet and sexy romance stories that get to the heart of falling in love and finding one’s place in today’s world, and where the happily-ever-afters are satisfying, empowering, and available to everyone. In my debut romance, TOO MUCH MAN, Gavin is a retired hockey star about to leave Philly to work for his hometown team. Piper’s a bisexual cafe owner who doesn’t want a relationship with a cis man. They agree to a no-strings-attached sex deal, because what could possibly go wrong? TOO MUCH MAN is the first in the Firebirds series, with book two following in Summer 2022. About: Hometown: I grew up in the Boston area, but over twenty years ago moved “for just a couple years” to Philadelphia—and never left the area. Currently: I live in an adorable historic town close to the city. When I’m not writing, I’m a single mom and work as an archivist and rare book librarian. Hobbies: wrangling…

Reid felt his phone buzz and expected to see his brother’s name flash across the screen. But he was pleasantly surprised when it was an unknown number, suggesting they meet up in a few days at the Rookery in the Loop so they could start scouting locations. This is Cassie, by the way. Reid felt himself smile, which he tried to tamp down into a smirk, but he knew he was grinning at his phone like some kind of giddy loser. Reid: Does this mean you’re going to do the campaign? Cassie: I suppose you’ll get to see me in caution tape lingerie after all. He wondered what changed her mind. From what little he knew, Dana could be convincing, but he also suspected that Cassie knew an opportunity when she saw one, even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted. And he’d be damned if he didn’t take the opportunity to work with Cassie, wearing next to nothing. Knowing that James would tell him to keep his money if he tried to pay for the beer, Reid quickly finished his beer and left enough cash to cover the drink, a normal tip, and then some, and headed down the…

Thank you for having me here today! CROOKED SHADOWS picks up right where RARE VIGILANCE leaves off, with our human bodyguard Atlas protecting his vampire charge Cristian as they flee to Romania to escape the strigoi hunting them. In this scene, the pair are visiting the safe house of Cristian’s missing friend Radu, hoping to clues to his whereabouts. *** The alley must have provided access for city workers, because it was small and cramped and functional, rather than charming. It did run alongside the back fences of several yards though, which was exactly what they needed. They relied on the ambient light from the buildings, the lightning’s flashes, and their own strong night vision to work their way closer and closer to Radu’s house. “Well,” Atlas said when they finally stopped on the other side of a tall fence, “we found it.” Cristian gawked up at the security measures at the top of the fence. The wooden slats were cut in decorative patterns, all stake shaped, and two parallel sets of razor wire were set above those. “This seems like overkill.” The low, amused huff of laughter from Atlas blended in with the thunder. “I’ve seen worse.” “You’re kidding.”…

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 Kate McMurray! Writes: WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN is a contemporary romance, second in a series set at a cat café in Brooklyn, New York. In this book, the cat café’s events manager, Paige takes center stage. Paige is an event planner by training, a classic type A who never met a spreadsheet she didn’t like. One night, she volunteers for a cat rescue organization and meets Josh, a cute lawyer with a biting sense of humor. They get along so well, neither wants the night to end, so it… doesn’t. But in the light of the next morning, Paige puts together that Josh is her best friend’s brother. Whoops! About: I live in a studio apartment in New York City with a bossy cat and so many books that I secretly think they’re mating like Tribbles. I like museums and baseball and show tunes and indie bookstores and karaoke—I am stoked that Broadway is back and hope to go to…

Bree’s gaze snapped around the room and fell on some framed snapshots on a side table. Most of the photos focused on a little blonde girl. Bree’s heart kicked against her ribs. She’d known homicide would be challenging. Instead of the occasional dead body, death would be her focus on a daily basis. She’d come to terms with her new reality, but kids . . . For most cops, it was the child victims who broke them. “Lena is your daughter?” Romano asked. “Yeah.” Kelly jumped to her feet, her eyes wild. “You gotta find her.” Bree studied the photos.“How old is she?” “Five.” Kelly covered her mouth with one hand. She wrapped the other around her own waist. “Is there anyone James could have left Lena with?” Romano’s voice remained calm, but the tone had shifted. There was a layer of urgency under the quiet words. “Maybe his father. That’s who he lives with.” Kelly shoved a hand through her limp hair. She pulled out a phone and jabbed the screen. She turned on the speakerphone and held the cell in front of her mouth. A man answered in an angry voice. “Why are you calling me?” Kelly ignored…

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 you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Kari Lee Townsend! Writes: National Bestselling Author Kari Lee Townsend writes fun paranormal cozy mysteries. She also writes romantic comedies, emotional women’s fiction, and dark women’s fiction as Kari Lee Harmon. Her newest book MURDER IN THE MEDITATION is book 8 in Sunny Meadows Mystery series and comes out December 28th! Her books always have a bit of humor, a bit of romance, and depending on the genre, a bit of mystery or emotion. WWW.KARILEETOWNSEND.COM About: If you’re looking for an author who will lead you through a maze of clues with twists and turns you won’t see coming and a satisfying ending that will leave you wanting more, then I’m the author for you. I love to go on adventures, play with my two big fluffy Samoyeds, drink a great glass of wine, pretend I’m a professional photographer, and curl up with a good book. I used to love a hot bubble bath, but now I’m all about a hot tub. I love spending time with my…

I wrote a romance starring a quirky bookseller named Claire who adores historical romance. Namely, Regency romances featuring dukes. In the story, you’ll see that she is even a member of a club called the Triple Ds, which stands for the Dashing Duke Diehards. They meet the third Thursday of every month to see their chairwoman read a spicy scene with a real-life male romance cover model. It’s a hoot and everyone has a great time. Anyway, I digress. That was just one of the many cute and funny moments in my debut romance, HOW TO SURVIVE A MODERN-DAY FAIRY TALE, which came out on November 30th. Claire’s love of historical romance is one of the few things she and I have in common. I began my life-long love affair with romance after picking up a medieval romance by Elizabeth Lowell when I was thirteen years-old. Since then, I’ve read hundreds, but I’ve been particularly smitten with stories about dukes. So in keeping with this Duke-ish theme, here are Claire’s top 5 favorite historical romances starring Dukes: THE BEAST OF BESWICK by Amalie Howard Blurb: Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his…

Jennifer Vido: What is the premise behind the Goddess of Greene St. Mystery series? Kate Collins: After a tough divorce, Chicago investigative reporter Athena Spencer returns to her roots in the tourist town of Sequoia, Michigan, to live with her big, noisy Greek family in the rambling family home. Named after the fabled goddess of war and wisdom, Athena takes a job at the family’s garden center on Greene Street, where she encounters a mysterious stranger who entangles her in a murder mystery. Her love of investigating catapults her into danger, and her success at capturing a killer earns her the title of Goddess of Greene Street. The stories have mystery, mayhem, romance, and lots of fun thanks to Athena’s crazy Greek family. Let’s talk about your latest installment, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE GREEKTOWN. Please share with us the inspiration behind this new caper. The murder mystery in this book centers around a photographer who shows up at the town’s art festival on Lake Michigan to take photos for the local newspaper and is found dead on the dunes with his camera missing. My inspiration for this plot came after I attended a fund-raising art fair crowded with shoppers. I…

Everyone is home for the holidays, clamoring for all the Christmas cheer only their mother can whip up. They can already smell the chestnuts roasting—or is that Mom’s hair on fire? From New York Times bestselling author Chandler Baker comes the hilarious short story, Oh. What. Fun.  *** Gift wrapping is a disappearing art, like cursive. At one point, Mom tried to teach us how to cut the paper just so, to make sharp corners and tie ribbons that didn’t resemble dead things, but we can admit that it’s not where our particular talents lie, and when Mom had to give up on us, we accepted her decision with grace and dignity. There’s an ongoing debate between Channing and Doug about whether Santa presents for the twins should be wrapped. Doug contends that Santa doesn’t wrap gifts and instead pulls them from his bag naked and just sticks them by the fireplace like a goddamn heathen. Obviously the Clausters know better. Santa doesn’t need to wrap presents. That’s what the elves are for. Santa gifts come with a unique wrapping paper not sold locally, which is how everyone knows they truly do originate in the North Pole. This year, Mom…

From Suzanne Redfearn, the bestselling author of In an Instant, comes a heartfelt short story about one couple’s journey to discover if there really is a secret ingredient to happily ever after before their upcoming holiday wedding in The Marriage Test. — I hurry toward him, my hair damp from my shower and the taste of seawater still on my lips. “Sorry,” I say as I throw my arms around his neck and lift up on my toes to kiss him, his lips always surprisingly soft for a man so tall and strong. “Mmmm,” he mumbles. “Salty.” “And spicy and sweet,” I say, dropping down to cradle his face in my hands and look him over, a habit inherited from my grandmother, who likes to check that those she hasn’t seen for a while are well. For Justin and me, it’s been two weeks since I returned from his home in New York City. He is freshly shaved, his bronze eyes bright, his black hair recently cut. I catch the scent of his aftershave and notice his shirt is new and freshly pressed. Thick emotion wells in my throat, as it does every time I see him after we’ve been…