Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your go-to destination for the hottest new reads. Today, I’m shining the spotlight on THE CURSED DIAMOND by Anna Rasche, a captivating dual-timeline mystery centered on a spectacular gemstone with a story of its own. Looking for your next great read? Let’s take a closer look. LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp November day?Exploring the park with my daughter & husband, going on whatever side quests NYC presents us with, then pizza + movie night at home, feeling smug because we have earned our indoor time. What’s your go-to Thanksgiving or fall comfort food?At Thanksgiving, it’s a toss-up between the stuffing and the mashed potatoes. I’m all about unphotogenic foods. Are you an early Christmas decorator, or do you wait until after Thanksgiving?Let Thanksgiving have her moment! What’s your favorite cozy writing day essential?Warm socks (my house is old and drafty). THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK November is a time for reflection and thankfulness. What inspired you to write this story, and what message do you hope readers will take away?I was inspired to write this book by my years working in NYC’s diamond district, and the real-life legend of a…

Book Title: THE PEARL FARMERS by Stacey GordonCharacter Name: Penn Lockshire How would you describe your family or your childhood?I grew up in a very small town in Tennessee – a town that my great-great-grandfather had a hand in building, and where my dad was kind of a minor celebrity even in his youth. My early childhood was pretty carefree. My parents were so fixated on their dream that I was allowed to roam the woods and swim in the lake without a lot of rules. I was the baby of the family, and my two older sisters loved and looked out for me when we were kids. Everything kind of changed after I discovered the pearl, though. It was the largest pearl of its kind ever discovered in North America. My dad took it as some kind of a sign, and began to see me as his good-luck charm—even as a kind of mascot for the business. As I got older, he expected more from me, and all I wanted was to get as far away as possible from all of the obligation. What is your greatest talent?I’m a multimedia artist, like my mother. I’ve spent the past fifteen…

What is the title of your latest release?DEVOTED TO LOVE, book 3 in A Minnesota Legacy series by Tracie Peterson What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?In 1916 Minneapolis, Leah Garrison has a great compassion for unwed mothers, especially upper society women who are abandoned by their families and shunned, as her dear friend Susanna was. Having died in childbirth alone and hidden away, Susanna will ever stand as a symbol to Leah of the cruelty of men who use women and then leave them behind. Dr. Erik Sjolander works closely with Leah’s physician grandfather with plans to take over his business when he retires. Erik has no interest in marriage, but Leah gets his attention with her plans. Enter a bite of espionage as America faces the possibility of war, as well as the deception of others, and Leah and Erik find they have to join forces to overcome adversity. Adversity that will help them become devoted to God, to each other and love. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?This is part of a three-book series all set in Minneapolis, so it was necessary to continue to write about this wonderful city….

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 Anna Rasche! Writes:Hey there, you gorgeous reader. I write history mysteries with little touches of magic and dark humor. My next book, THE CURSED DIAMOND, hits shelves November 3rd 2026, and is looking for that special someone to cozy up next to the fire with. In this speculative New York City mystery, two women’s fates, a century apart, are bound by the dark legacy of the Midnight Diamond. The story is inspired by the true, unsolved theft of an exquisite blue gem from the French crown jewels and will whisk you from debaucherous Gilded Age parties to the fabled vaults of NYC’s Diamond District. About:Author + gemologist + jewelry historian. Grew up in Maine, long-time Brooklynite, happy in town or country. I love to explore the city, study old jewels, and dig into the archives. Historical gossip is the best gossip, don’t you think? I was inspired to start writing fiction after years working in museums and for antique jewelry dealers. Giant diamonds, Victorian…

What is the title of your latest release?THE TRIBES What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?THE TRIBES follows a young woman who drops out of college during the 1990s to join a fringe religious commune, then stands accused of killing her child. Years later, her estranged parents hire a lawyer to represent her. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I live in New England and so that’s a natural setting, in the write what you know sense. I also needed a state with fairly relaxed homeschooling rules in order to make the plot work. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Abby (the lawyer) and I would probably be instant friends, but honestly, I am not so sure about Heather! What are three words that describe your hero?Misunderstood, lonely, seeking What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned that absolutely nobody “joins a cult.” High control groups are very good at identifying potential recruits and they all, regardless of their specific mission or dogma, work from the same playbook. They choose their victims carefully and reel them in slowly. High control groups are very similar to domestic abusers in their tactics,…

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 Alexandra Vasti! Writes:My new release, SWIPE BITE, is literally about a dating app – a vampire-human dating app called Stokr. (Named for Bram Stoker, the author of DRACULA!) When Stokr is sabotaged and humans start dying, corporate vampire Sophronia Vega and human software engineer Casey Amato must team up to hunt down the killer—and try to resist their sizzling chemistry along the way. About:I’m a British literature professor by day and USA Today bestselling romance author by night. I live in New Orleans and teach DRACULA every autumn, so you could say that vampires are in my blood! I can usually be found haunting my favorite New Orleans coffeeshops, inhaling French pastries, and remembering to exercise 2-4 times per calendar year. My ideal reader for SWIPE BITE must love:• Twisty romantic suspense with villains you love to hate• Hungry, hungry vampires• Forbidden romance and lethal levels of yearning• Spicy elevator scenes• Black-cat heroines and hot, gentle heroes What to expect if we’re compatible:If Stokr…

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 Melissa R. Collings! Writes:Smart, funny, emotionally messy romance and women’s fiction about ambitious women who are good at their jobs and considerably less qualified to manage their personal lives. THE LOVE OPERATION follows Dr. Cordelia Wren, a brilliant spine surgeon who joins an experimental memory study and unexpectedly gains the ability to vividly re-enter moments from her past. Which would be complicated enough if her first love didn’t suddenly reappear while she was already secretly involved with someone else. Come for the memory intrigue. Stay to question every single life choice. About:Former spine-surgery PA turned full-time author seeks reader who can appreciate the messiness of life and doesn’t mind getting emotionally involved with people who don’t technically exist. My type? Complicated humans. Overthinkers. People standing at emotional crossroads with absolutely no idea which direction to take. I like putting ordinary-ish people in extraordinary situations, then rooting for them while they make mistakes, fall in love, get things spectacularly wrong, and hopefully find their way…

Excerpt from THE BATTLE FOR HEAVEN AND EARTH: A BIBLICAL NOVEL OF LUCIFER’S FALL AND THE GARDEN OF EDEN by Mark M. Yarbrough and Jerry B. Jenkins: Holy, holy, holy is the One Who was and is and is to come. Glory, glory to the highest King. All of Heaven lifts its song and sings. Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord, Forever worthy, ever adored. As the song continued, Lucifer stewed. He yielded to a jealous anger and let it boil. The countless choruses of devotion lathered him in bitterness. The choir, now bowing before God, sang their final refrain: From the throne till the end of time, Your love resounds unbroken, true. We cry aloud with endless joy, All praise, all life, all things to You. Finally!Lucifer thought as the throne room grew quiet. Finally, that song is over. He conjured venom from deep inside and voiced aloud his grand plan, knowing it would forever change everything. “I am no longer a mere servant of the Most High!” he roared. “Rather, I am His equal—a ruler in my own right, commanding legions I have called upon who desire to serve me!” Alarmed looks flashed between Michael and Gabriel and…

What is the title of your latest release?THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?My novel originally took place in Kansas, but after realizing how much the southern setting and themes impacted the plot, I decided to center the story around what I believe is a robust locale for southern culture: Mississippi. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I would, but probably not as regularly as some of my girlfriends. Samuel is a thirty-year-old police officer with extensive scars even I don’t know the entire depths of. If we were to meet in real life, I know it’d be difficult to break through the shell he likes to put on. Ultimately, though, I know we’d understand each other. What are three words that describe your hero?Rugged, resilient, and enough. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned how quickly I can write. Before THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE, I spent years working on…

Book Title: LOVING ANNABELLECharacter Name: Annabelle Hayes (main female character) How would you describe your family or your childhood?My childhood was fairly normal. I was the smart kid, the overachiever, and the one who always had a plan. My parents have always been loving and supportive. But after my life was turned upside down at seventeen, they started to treat me like I was too fragile for my own body. I get it, I’d be terrified if I were them. But I miss the days when we were just parent and child. Now it feels more like caretakers and patient. What was your greatest talent?I’ll say coding and anything computational. I had a streak of being the undisputed top of my class… until a certain basketball captain with annoyingly neat handwriting decided to steal my spot on the Dean’s list. Significant other?The basketball captain who stole my spot on the Dean’s list – Ethan Witford. And just before you judge me, our relationship is still fresh, and it was really hard fighting my feelings for him. He’s so kind and he pays attention to the little details. I could do without the terrible dad jokes though. Biggest challenge in relationships?Letting…