Welcome to the debut of my revamped Jen’s Jewels interview format! I’m thrilled to kick off 2026 with New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz, who’s here to talk about her latest release, THE SHOP ON HIDDEN LANE.
For this year’s interviews, I’m letting authors choose the questions that speak to them most – making each conversation as unique as the books themselves. Jayne selected some fantastic prompts that give us insight into her psychic romantic mystery and her creative process. Let’s dive in!
LIGHTNING ROUND
In three words, describe the vibe of your book.
Psychic romantic mystery.
What’s your ideal writing fuel: coffee, tea, wine, or chaos?
Coffee. Straight up.
Plotter, pantser, or organized mess?
Organized mess.
THE DEEP DIVE
Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”?
Discovering just how much money the U.S. Government and major research institutions spent on paranormal research in an attempt to create psychic spies and weapons. Heck, for all we know, they’re still in the business. (And thereby hangs yet another tale…)
Tell me about a scene you rewrote multiple times. What made it so tricky, and how did you finally crack it?
The prologue took a few rewrites. But in fairness, I would like to point out that it’s hard to set up a romantic date scene that takes place at midnight in a dark alley where a murder has recently occurred.
Setting can be a character unto itself. How did your location shape the story’s mood, and what personal connection (if any) do you have to that place?
Much of the story takes place in the Red Rock country of Arizona. Vortex territory! Terrific location for a weird art colony and a great hiding place for a psychic assassin.
What theme or question haunted you while writing this book? Did you find an answer, or are you still sitting with the mystery of it?
I have come to understand that, regardless of the plot or the characters or in this case the dog, if you look under the hood, I lean Gothic and I always end up exploring two themes: the risk of trust and the need for personal reinvention.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
I love hearing about authors’ reading lives. What’s at the top of your TBR pile right now, and what made you add it?
I was lucky enough to get my hands on Megan Chance’s THE VERMILION SEA. This is a terrific horror-lite set in the 1920s. Think: female scientist on an opulent yacht. She’s there to collect specimens, but someone brings the wrong sea creature on board.
Share a behind-the-scenes detail that readers would never guess about this book – maybe a weird research rabbit hole, a strange inspiration, or a scene that came from real life.
I was amazed, yet again, to discover how easily the physics of light and mirrors fit into a paranormal mystery. No, I don’t understand it either, but I’m here to tell you it’s fascinating stuff. (The librarian in me is easily sidetracked by research rabbit holes).
We’re kicking off a new year! Do you set any creative intentions or rituals for January? How do you approach fresh starts as a writer?
Each book requires a fresh start because no two books get written the same way. I have no idea why that is but for me it’s a fact of the writing life. It’s probably why I’m compelled to keep doing it.
LOOKING AHEAD
Without spoiling anything, can you give us a tiny peek at what you’re working on next? Even just the vibe or the question you’re exploring?
Next up is ENTER THE NIGHTMARE. This is futuristic psychic suspense written under my Jayne Castle name. And, yes, the rumors are true – the dust bunnies have taken control of my Jayne Castle world. Resistance is futile.
What’s the best way for readers to stay in touch and follow your literary adventures?
My website, Facebook, IG
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share 3-5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that you listened to while writing.
Sadly, I can’t have music on when I write. I’m too easily distracted. I start singing or humming and lose track of my own story. Can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Thank you so much, Jayne, for joining me for this fun chat and for being the perfect author to launch my new interview format! Wishing you and all our readers a fabulous New Year filled with great books.
Thank you so much for inviting me to do this fun chat. Sending warm wishes for a fabulous New Year!
THE SHOP ON HIDDEN LANE by Jayne Ann Krentz
New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz dives into an enthralling new romantic suspense novel filled with deeply entrenched grudges, psychic dangers, and a conspiracy that threatens not only two families but also the entire paranormal community.
The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street and getting away with it. But despite the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two together. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret.
Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and that they are now both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. It becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret the Harper and Wells families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke’s hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored.
Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail that leads to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is at it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them together as surely as the pact between the families.
Romance Paranormal | Romance Suspense [ Berkley, On Sale: January 6, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9798217187348 / eISBN: 9798217187355 ]
Buy THE SHOP ON HIDDEN LANE: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of fifty New York Times bestsellers and has over forty million books in print. Jayne writes fast-paced suspense with a sexy edge under three pen names. If you like contemporary settings, try one of her new releases written under her Krentz name. Readers looking for a similar thrill in a historical setting go for the books she writes as Amanda Quick. And those adventurous types who prefer their suspense with a futuristic/paranormal twist read the novels she writes as Jayne Castle.
Arcane Society | Lost Night Files | Cutler, Sutter & Salinas | Fogg Lake | Dark Legacy | Looking Glass Trilogy | Dreamlight Trilogy | Harmony | Whispering Springs
WEBSITE | BOOKBUB | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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