I recently spoke to a group of fourth graders. I know, a romance author talking to kids about books, how dare she? I spoke about the joys of being an author, making sure to leave out the bits about the crippling self-doubt that keeps us up at night and also failing to mention anything about coffee and sometimes booze being part of our main food group. I promise I was well-behaved and didn’t disclose the subject matter of my books. Instead, I took a different approach. I explained just how many people it actually takes to create a single book. The look on their young faces was priceless. As they passed around a few paperbacks I had brought for them, I heard whispers of how cool this was. After I went into detail about the work it takes to make what they held in their tiny hands, I got to thinking about how lucky I am to be doing what it is that I do and how cool it is to be a part of the fantastic book world. These children listened intently as I spoke passionately about the reasons behind my literary journey. They asked really excellent questions about…

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for inviting me back to talk about THE LILAC BOUQUET. This is my 84th published book but it was the first book that I ever wrote. When my third child was born in 1973 and refused to sleep at night, I picked up a pencil and a spiral back notebook and began to write a novel that my husband and I’d talked about for years and years. I’d written Seth Thomas as a young man and if there was something that could be wrong with a book, I managed to find it. Of course, it didn’t sell but the core story stayed on my mind and through the years I’d drag it out and revise it but it wasn’t until this year that it all came together. I really think it was Emmy Jo who finally brought that story to life and I’d like to introduce you to her today. She’s a young lady from Hickory, Texas who has agreed to answer a few questions for us today. From day one she stole my heart but I shouldn’t tell you everything I know. We’ve got a few questions worked up and she’s willing to…

In my latest release, MEANT FOR YOU, Jenny Castelli is a single mom, raising her son, trying to get a new business started and caring for her aging mother. Jenny is opening a garden center and although parts of her life are chaotic, making living things grow always makes her feel centered. Since spring is finally here, I’m also planning what I’m going to plant this year. I definitely don’t have Jenny’s talent, but I still love choosing flowers and vegetables for the garden and my potted plants. There’s something about the scent of the earth and getting your hands dirty that is inherently satisfying. Going to a garden center and choosing just the right mix of flowers or the perfect tiny tomato stalk is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Working outside is good for your body and your spirit, although not everyone has time for a big garden. I used to be more of a gardener but the past few years I’ve limited myself to a couple of pots of flowers and tomato and basil plants. Even that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. It’s a great excuse to get outside on warm mornings and…

With a show of hands, how many of you felt like an outsider growing up? I suspect most hands are waving in the air right now, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably a bookworm like me, someone who hides in plain sight, escaping into books, written worlds that never judge us. It took me a long time to understand most people feel as if they’re “outside, looking in.” I suspect it’s not so much a human condition, as it is a ‘living’ condition. If you’re alive, you seek to connect with someone, be it pet or partner. Even the lowly amoeba is willing to split in two to find a friend…a place to belong. SEDUCED BY SIN is the third book in my An Unlikely Hero series, and though it’s a standalone book, it completes a series plot arc, as well as continues the theme of being an outsider. In my An Unlikely Hero world, outsiders rule, and they’re convinced being an outsider is why they survive and thrive in a world that has been cruel to them. They’re solitary creatures, hiding who they really are to blend in a world they know they don’t fit in…couldn’t fit in,…

I get the sense I’m in an AA or NA meeting every time someone says: Oh, you’re a writer! What do you write? Hello, I’m USA Today Bestselling author, Christina McKnight, and I write historical romance. Narrow that down a bit, I write Regency Romance. What follows is usually wide-eyed stares that evolve into scrunched brows as people ponder what in the heck I just said. I normally go on to explain my books are set in or around London, England in 1816. Next question is always: Why don’t you write ___ ( fill in a genre here)? I smile and laugh as if their question isn’t utterly perplexing to me. Why Regency? Simply because I have not found a period in history (including modern times) that fills me with such a sense of passion, a drive to explore, and a need to envelop myself completely in the time period. One glimpse of Regency era fashion, decorum, and daily activities had me hooked. There is something about the mannerisms, the speech patterns and the grandness of everyday in London, England during the 1810s that holds my attention. Think about it, in 1813 a woman of the ton would never leave…

On the eve of her latest release, WHEN THE MARQUESS FALLS, Lorraine Heath chatted with reviewer Miranda Owen about writing historical romances, her favorite characters, and who she reads to escape. Occasionally, in one of my online book groups, the question comes up asking which books make you teary-eyed. My first instinct is to say that I usually avoid reading romances that do just that – but then I remember that your books frequently tear me up and I adore them. Since so many of your books – THE VISCOUNT AND THE VIXEN included – have such a strong emotional pull, do you intend for readers to have a visceral reaction to them as they’re reading along? Do you enjoy reading books like that as well? Lorraine Heath: I do hope that readers “feel” something when they are reading my books. When I first started writing romance, I had a goal—I wanted to make the reader smile at least once…and to tear up. So many of the books I love to read always make me experience some sort of emotion—joy, sorrow, happiness—while I’m reading them. My very favorites make me smile, laugh, cry, sigh. When I read I want to…

Marriage. Commitment. Forever. These words go hand in hand when you think about weddings and they conjure up images of white dresses, tuxedos, friends, family, beautiful locations, nit-picked details and, of course, heightened emotions. And I’m not just talking about the wedding party. Having been to my fair share of weddings as part of the party and as a guest I can say that without a doubt that there is all kinds of crazy that happens at these events. My own wasn’t without it’s hiccups. Our attempt at a low key, drama free celebration turned into anything but. Besides tripping as I walked (or should I say stumbled) down the aisle and bursting into nervous giggles as I tried to say my vows, my new brothers in law who don’t see eye to eye at the best of times couldn’t keep it together and got into an argument at the reception which then turned into a fight which of course ended up involving the food. If that wasn’t enough, our escape from the family drama turned into one of a different kind when we came home to find that our house had been covered with toilet paper and graffiti by…

Here’s the quirky mix of inspiration behind my new release, BOTTOM OF THE SKY: THE GOLD COAST, by Nelson DeMille When I finished writing my last book, Rush, I took about a month off to binge read. A friend of mine recommended this book. It tells the story of Long Island attorney John Sutter, who lives a posh life with his beautiful and extremely rich wife, Susan, until a mafia crime boss moves into the mansion next door. Reading this book made me realize how much fun I could have writing about a family engaged in organized crime and my brain started plotting. The documentary COUNTERFEIT CULTURE I wanted my crime family to be involved in something different. This documentary opened my eyes to the dangerous business of fake goods and I started to develop my plot around this theme. We’ve all seen the street vendors selling knock off sunglasses and designer purses, but the world of counterfeiting is much darker and deadlier than think the average person realizes. The Port of Seattle One of the many factors that add to the huge personality of Seattle is the shipping docks at the Port of Seattle. I’ve always wondered “what’s in…

It’s almost here! Can you feel it? Can you smell it in the air? Well, you can definitely see it in all the fresh new cozies popping up everywhere! Take a moment in your day to stop and savor the mysteries—they’re bright, they’re charming, and they’ll lead you on an exciting chase for a killer. AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS by Kylie Logan League of Literary Ladies #4 The national bestselling author of The Legend of Sleepy Harlow returns to South Bass Island, where the League of Literary Ladies has to find out who’s killing off nuns. B and B owner Bea Cartwright has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to ten visiting nuns, who are on retreat at the Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on picturesque South Bass Island on Lake Erie. But the peace of the retreat is shattered when one of the nuns is found at the water’s edge—murdered. And when a second nun is killed, Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies—Chandra, Kate, and Luella—start to wonder about eerie parallels with the Agatha Christie mystery classic, And Then There Were None.   Since Bea has the trust of the…

There are three things I really love: baseball season, a good book, and a swoon-worthy love story. So, writing the Suttonville Sentinels series has been a dream come true in a way. The second book SWINGING AT LOVE, features a couple I fell in love with right away. Alyssa is practical, because she has to be, but dreams of a little magic in her life. Tristan is driven, but gets lost and needs an anchor to keep him from drifting. Putting a sassy ballerina together with a “lost his swagger” ball player turned out to be its own kind of magic. These two need each other, even though they don’t know it. Anyone who participates in an activity that requires high skill—whether that’s sports, or dance, music, or art—knows that losing your swing/step/sense of rhythm is one of the most difficult things you’ll face. Finding a muse to bring your skills back online? Priceless. When you think of some of the best sports romances, the muse tends to be regular trope. Take one of my favorites: TIN CUP. If you haven’t seen it, it’s hilarious. Kevin Costner is a washed up golf pro with the skills to make the tour,…