QUILLER   Mink, RabbitEar, and I fall back with our hands clutched around our weapons. The old witch lifts his torch higher, and every fissure and crack in the cave flutters with shadows. He notes the dead piled against wall, then the women and children who huddle far back in the tunnel. Finally, his gaze focuses on my face. His examination seems to take forever, as though he’s comparing what he sees now to the woman in his spirit dream, making sure we are the same person. “Let us go and sit down,” he says. As he walks toward me, I back up to the center of the cave and adopt a fighting crouch. Mink and RabbitEar silently close in behind Trogon. As though completely unafraid, the elder sits down on the floor, leans his torch on a rock, and politely gestures for me to join him. “Please, sit down, Quiller.” “I’ll stand.” His lips turn up, but no one would call it a smile. He’s a caricature of a man, just the sort of monster you do not want to get too close to. I am much taller than he is, but his thick chest and shoulders leave no…

When most people think of asylums, they think of a horror movie like Gothika or one of the various ghost hunting reality shows. Perhaps they also think of a horror novel like ASYLUM by Madeline Roux or one of the D.C. comic book villains being sent to the ridiculously easy to escape Arkham Asylum. Fear has permeated many of our perceptions about mental health treatment due to the harshness and cruelty of the past. Like many others, I have someone I loved who spent time in an asylum back in the earlier part of the 1900s. She rarely spoke of her repeated trips for “treatment” that included involuntary incarceration, electroshock therapy, and even a forced abortion. Richer families would send their loved ones for a visit to a home for “convalescent care” where they lived with other women and helped with the chores around the home until they were “better”. My curiosity about how mental health treatment has evolved (and thankfully it HAS greatly evolved and improved!) led me to a phenomenal nonfiction book entitled DAMNATION ISLAND by Stacy Horn. DAMNATION ISLAND is a horrifying yet, unfortunately, true chronicle of Blackwell’s Island – a dumping ground for anyone the city…

As our world continues to face global uncertainties, new COVID variants, war, supply disruptions and escalating living costs, we escape the present to delve into turbulent times of the past.   The first several selections illuminate different aspects of one of the most shocking events of 1912—the sinking of the supposedly “unsinkable” luxury cruise liner, the Titanic, lost on her maiden voyage after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic in the middle of the night. LAST PORT OF CALL: THE QUEENSTOWN SERIES Book 1 by Jean Grainger focuses on the people gathered at a newly opened boarding house in the Irish town where the Titanic made her last landfall before setting out on her fatal Atlantic crossing. The story takes place at Cliff House, an estate turned into a boarding house when it was inherited by Harp Delaney Deveraux and her mother, former housekeeper at the estate owned by Henry Deveraux—who, Harp learned after his death, was her father.  Some of their first guests are passengers slated to board the Titanic during her stop in Queenstown; some are friends or relatives come to see them off, and others are people curious to have a first-hand look at the brand-new…

How do Conor Flannigan and Miss Delilah Rollins meet in VANQUISHED? And how would you describe their dynamic? They quite literally run into each other! Delilah’s father is a celebrated horse breeder, and while searching Tattersall’s Auction House for their wayward groom who is supposed to caring for their prized stud, Mr. Flannigan comes striding around the corner at the wrong time, so they don’t get off to a very good start!   What made you decide to write an Irish hero? That was based on the Driven Series by K Bromberg. In her novels, the hero, Colton Donovan, was adopted. He finds out later that he is of Irish descent. I asked if I could write a story based on his ancestor and Kristy loved the idea! This is the first story in the Shared World that has a historical twist.   What makes a good romantic hero? I love a good brood! And definitely some mystery. I’ve always been a sucker for the tall, dark, and handsome trope with a bit of a bad boy rake, who falls hard for the heroine, but does his best to deny his emotions.   Some of my favorite historical romances have…

“What are you working on?” she asked desperately. Smirking, Bull held his knitting out. “I dinnae ken. Another scarf, perhaps? Do ye think I could find some orange yarn before we board the train tomorrow?” He was teasing her. Honoria sighed and unconsciously rubbed at her temple. “Bull, if there’s any orange yarn to be found in this city, I believe you would be the best person to find some. I still cannot believe you managed to find Crowe a suit without measuring him.” Her brother winked as his fingers flew. “And evening wear as well.” She chuckled in defeat, and shook her head. “Thank you for the reminder.” She had to admit; the banter had relaxed her. “You are a remarkable young man when it comes to procuring things. I am delighted to say I have no idea how you do it, nor do I want to know.” “And have I ever told ye how much I appreciate ye no’ butting into my business?” Business. Chuckling, Honoria shook her head once more, enjoying the sensation of the smile after the last stressful week. And of course, it was right then that the universe decided she needed some humbling. The…

The wrought-iron door handle was cold against Hartley’s fingers. Quite why he was gripping it so tightly he didn’t know; it had to be fear or excitement. Or both, coiled so inextricably within him that he couldn’t tell which one was which. It was different in candlelight. Last time there had been barely any light; it had been easy to forget himself, to get lost in the rush of desire that had taken hold. Now, with enough light to see both the cramped tightness of the room and a glimpse of his own white face in the mirror above the basin, it was almost impossible to imagine feeling enough pleasure to overcome the terror filling him. He held his breath as Mr. Balfour moved closer. Close enough to press against him, chest to chest, thigh to thigh. Hartley sighed, a deep shiver running through him as he looked into the man’s warm brown eyes. He couldn’t even think of him as Mr. Balfour anymore. Not in this naked, vulnerable light. Master, servant, Mr. Hartley, Mr. Balfour; no rank, no polite form of address, quite held up to scrutiny. Not here. Not now. The man in front of him was Josiah….

The two main characters in your book TAKEN seem like opposites. Is that the case? And, if so, do you enjoy writing about characters who are very different from each other more so than ones who are very similar? Well, yes. I do enjoy writing about opposites, as long as they have a similar moral compass. The characters must be steadfast, good partners, good friends, honest and hard working. Those are the basic traits of a good person. But beyond that, in a couple’s partnership, I find it fun when each party brings different things to the table. In my case, my women are often arty, or nerdy. Very focused on aesthetic or intellectual issues. The guys tend to be masters of the physical world. I just like the thought of each being really good in a particular realm and the other partner appreciating it. Because together they form a whole.   The heroes in your books are dark and dangerous. What’s your inspiration?  Well, these are romances, mostly romantic suspense novels. The hero must be dangerous, in many ways. But above all, very dangerous if the woman they love is threatened. A romance novel is heightened emotion, a call…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE EMMA PROJECT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? She believes love is a lie. He believes love is the only truth there is. They both believe they can save the world (or a little piece of it), but only if they can find a way to work together despite the fierce sexual chemistry that can ruin everything. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book is set in a family that’s descended from Indian royalty where the oldest son is running for California governor. I wanted to explore privilege in the immigrant South Asian American community and the San Francisco Bay Area gave me a lot of layers to explore. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Naina is a badass who suffers no fools and sees the world with incisive clarity. Exactly my favorite kind of person. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Generous. Funny. Superhot. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That childhood trauma strikes deep roots and that every character however dark is redeemable with love and has light inside. 7–Do you…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LAST QUEEN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? This is a novel about the adventures of an amazingly valiant woman largely forgotten by history, Rani Jind Kaur, a queen in India who battled the British with ingenuity and courage. They thought they had defeated her, but they were wrong! It is a book about resistance and resilience under challenging circumstances. I was greatly inspired by Jindan’s never-give-up attitude and believe that readers will feel the same way. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? History decided that for me! Jindan lived in Punjab, in the magnificent city of Lahore, for much of her life. She was imprisoned in the horrific and heavily guarded Fortress of Chunar. She escaped and lived as a refugee in the mountains of Nepal. She spent her last days, still resisting the British, in their own stronghold: London. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Apart from being a great fighter, Jindan was a wonderful and dedicated mother. Her husband, Maharajah Ranjit Singh, died when her son less than a year old. She dedicated her life…

CHAPTER ONE   Marleigh looped the tail of the letter y on her note card to complete the word autophagy, transforming the letter into a pointed trident. Multitasking was a survival skill; still on the clock at the gym, she learned her biology terms while practicing her art. Outlining and shading. She should have forked the tail, instead, into a mouth that turned on the open arms of the letter. She liked when form and meaning matched. Couldn’t a letter self-devour as much as a cell? She slid the card to the bottom of the stack. She only had a few more minutes to review the terms before she had to close Box-n-Go and leave for class. The fake prizefighters bell dinged as the gym door opened. Marleigh looked up as two new guys entered. The first one, bigger and better looking than his friend, flinched at the smell and the heat. Box-n-Go regulars stopped noticing the stink—sweat and blood and yeast and leather all wiped down with Clorox. Hot new guy spoke first. “We want to box.” He had no accent. His hair was buzzed. He had a lopsided dimple bigger than Marleigh’s pencil eraser on one side of…