1–What is the title of your latest release? THE QUEEN’S MAN is out March 15. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After years of longing, a change in power may allow Queen Giabella of Athawick to finally act on her feelings for her longtime secretary, Dashiell Talbot. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The series, Regency Royals, is about a fictional royal family who come to London to match the eldest daughter for political purposes. So the first two books take place in London, the final three in the island country of Athawick. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Giabella is smart and kind and progressive, she’d be awesome to hang out with! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Serious, responsible, smoking hot 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’m not sure I really learned anything. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I’m pretty solid in my writing and with my settings. I did love writing an older couple though (both over 50). 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit after I draft….

1–What is the title of your latest release? COLD CLAY: A Shady Hollow Mystery. It’s book 2 in the series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? We call it “Animal Crossing + Knives Out”. Imagine a charming murder mystery, but all the characters just happen to be animals. And before you ask, no, they’re not for kids. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? We made up the town of Shady Hollow because we thought it would be a fun place for us to explore. It’s sort of the perfect, old-fashioned small town. Plus, there’s no computers or internet in our world! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? We would definitely meet Vera for coffee at Joe’s Mug and hang out in Nevermore Books. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Orville Braun, our police bear, is brave, hard-working, and honest. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? We learned that our detective thinks best when she’s drinking coffee or eating delicious food, which is why a lot of it appears in our books. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?…

Is Ella Shane based on any historical figure? Having the story set in 1900, did you do any research on the time period? Are you a history buff? I like to describe Ella as part Beverly Sills, part Anne of Green Gables and part Errol Flynn. She’s brilliantly talented yet approachable like Sills, an orphan made good like Anne, and a swashbuckler like Flynn. Probably the closest real-life figure to Ella is Lillian Russell, a singer and actress who owned her own theatre company in the late 19th century. BUT — she didn’t play trouser roles, and Miss Russell’s personal life (four marriages and a very public affair with Diamond Jim Brady!) was the exact opposite of respectable Ella’s. I’ve been a history buff since I learned to read, and the Victorian Era is one of my favorite periods. When I started working on the series, it was tremendously fun to research the details – and the outfits! In A FATAL OVERTURE, Ella Shane’s love interest is described as “long-distance love, Gil Saint Aubyn”. Does Ella have support from friends, family, or friendly investigators to be part of her “Scooby gang” as she plays the role of amateur sleuth? Absolutely!…