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 G.R. Macallister! Writes: I grew up reading fantasy, getting hooked on imaginary worlds when my fifth-grade teacher introduced us to Madeleine L’Engle’s A WRINKLE IN TIME, then losing myself in the endless creative possibilities of Dungeons and Dragons. Many years later, I became disenchanted with how so many fantasy worlds failed to reimagine society, clinging to the male-centric power structures familiar to most of us in the Western world. Hungry for an old-school swords-and-sorcery fantasy world that put women front and center, I read every matriarchal fantasy I could get my hands on—then decided it was time to write one myself. The Five Queendoms series imagines a woman-centric society that is neither a utopia nor a dystopia, simply a world that developed differently, led by powerful women—some wonderful, some terrible, most somewhere in between. Women are not only the rulers of the Queendoms but the world’s warriors and magicians, senators and priests, leaders and revolutionaries. The final book in the trilogy, SESTIA, is out…

This week on Jen’s Jewels, I’m thrilled to welcome Catherine Mack, the talented author behind the sharp and witty Eleanor Dash mysteries. In her latest release, NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE AT THIS WEDDING, Mack whisks readers away to the stunning and storm-swept Catalina Island for a high-profile wedding that takes a deadly turn. With a clever nod to Agatha Christie and a cast of unforgettable characters, this cozy mystery blends glitz, secrets, and suspense in all the best ways. Join us as we chat about island intrigue, Hollywood drama, and what makes Eleanor Dash a heroine worth rooting for. Jennifer Vido: Congratulations on the release of your second Eleanor Dash mystery! Catalina Island makes for a breathtaking and secluded setting. What drew you to this specific location, and how did the island’s unique atmosphere influence the tone and pacing of the story?Catherine Mack: Thank you! It’s somewhere I’ve been a bit fascinated with for a while and I wanted to set this book on an island for reasons that are obvious when you read it. It’s a small island with challenging geography and I think that played into the story well. Jen: The stormy weather trapping the wedding…

Here’s a secret that readers may not know: coming up with the perfect title can be more agonizing for an author than writing the entire book. Titles matter. A good title hits the sweet spot between the reliable and the mysterious. On the one hand, it serves as a kind of shorthand, using familiar-sounding phrases to signal that this book will be like other books with similar titles; if I liked them, I’ll like this one too. At the same time, a title needs to offer something new and unknown, enticing the reader to read this book and no other so she can find out more. Each of my book titles has gone through its own journey—from “working title” to “final title,” with stops in-between.  And each time, just when I thought I would never find the right title, there was an AHA moment that came in a way I never would have expected. For my latest novel, Roll the Sun Across the Sky, the saga had an extra twist or two. I loved my original title. But, as often happens, another book came out with the nearly-identical title, and I had to start over.  I mulled over ideas on…

Exclusive Excerpt I tapped the edge of the teacup and reached for the tablet Rosemary held out. Turning the screen around, I scrolled through the information before me. “This is interesting,” I said. Rosemary nodded. “I know. It’s the first time I heard someone mention a second ship. Everyone seems focused on the Hollow Siren, so this came as a surprise.” I looked at the name attached to the article Rosemary found. “Everyone except Henry. You said you found the article on the university’s website?” “Sure did,” Rosemary replied. “The historian was very well liked there. He had a few articles published by the university’s press.” The sound of slurping and sighing made me turn my head toward Mortimer, who was enjoying a hot cup of tea beside me. He eyed the tablet in my hands with an amused expression. “Let me guess,” Mortimer said. “The articles are all about the ship.” “Not all,” Rosemary corrected. “Some are about the family that owned it.” Mortimer raised a brow, and she shrugged, defeated. It appeared that Mortimer had a good point—for all intents and purposes, Henry seemed to be obsessed with the Hollow Siren. I wondered what it was about it…

Play With Fire – Valerie Broussard (Cover) This one is easily the book trailer song, the opening scenes of the train running over the Rim like a black ribbon, an overture of everything to come. This arrangement and Valerie Broussard’s vocals bring a haunting atmosphere that really captures the violence of the Rim and the Revere women’s determination to survive at any cost. Meet Me In the Woods, Lord Huron The first expedition in SAOS went out to the West Rim and came back changed. Something dark crept in and nobody (especially Kane) is the person that they were before. Honestly, the entire series could be set to Lord Huron songs. I listened to them on heavy repeat during writing Solace by Fire. Way Out There – Lord Huron This has always been Adelaide’s song. A wanderer, a seeker, a body bound to the earth without a home, and above all a deeply misunderstood woman. Listen when she’s staring out at the West Rim, the Stranger ticking inside her skin. Listen to the end. She knows she has to go, but doesn’t know what her destination is. Or if she’ll ever be back. Ace Up My Sleeve – Lord Huron…

Excerpt from THUNDER GAME by Christine Feehan Leila became aware of sound first. Insects droning. She registered that was a good thing but she was disoriented and at first couldn’t figure out why. Her head pounded and her abdomen felt on fire. She was afraid to move. Breathing hurt. She reached for the weapons Diego had promised would be close, just to reassure herself that she wouldn’t be taken a second time. She’d never felt so vulnerable. It took another few minutes, or at least it felt that way, to pry her eyes open. Despite finding herself hooked up to a needle with what appeared to be an empty bag of fluids, her entire body felt dry, and her eyes and mouth were desperate for fluids. She turned her head, and for one moment, her heart accelerated. She slowed the beat immediately and took in the man who had most likely saved her life. He hadn’t left her or given up. He’d treated her with respect, telling her step-by-step what he had to do. He’d left supplies and weapons for her, giving her every chance for survival. Light filtered through the branches and brush covering the small den where they…

Population: 8,584 Living                    2,163 Undead and/or Undead Adjacent Welcome to Fates Haven, Colorado, a small magical community nestled at the base of the Rock Mountains. When I say magical, I don’t mean awe-inspiring—although it is that, too. I mean the town actually possess magical abilities—as do its supernatural citizens—and boy does it have a mind of its own and quite the wicked sense of humor. Known for generations for having the highest FMP—Fated Mates Population—Fates Haven is home to witches, shifters, vampires, and more—including underwear-stealing garden gnomes. And it’s the birthplace of the once-annual Fates Festival, a weeklong event that drew people from all over the world. At the Fates Festival, not only could you gorge yourself on strawberry topped funnel cakes and erections eclairs, but be entertained by a full schedule of immersive, competitive events before taking part in its closing ceremony, The Finding Ceremony, where the resident Fate Witch and the Blue Willow Wisps would guide you to your Fated Match—if they’re in attendance. There’s only one problem. The last Fates Festival—and Finding Ceremony—was botched thirteen years ago and there’s hasn’t been a match made since. I should know. I suffered the fallout when that damn blue…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MANZAKAR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Brown queer people overthrow a fascist ruler and stop a genocide. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m a huge history nerd who has a BA in Middle Eastern archaeology. I’m also Syrian American. The Medieval Middle East has always fascinated me; so much was happening between the 5th and 15th centuries in that region, from the Crusades to the Golden Age of Islam, to the Mongol conquests. I wanted the Manzakar world to mimic Medieval Central Asia in both culture and history. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? 100%. I’d make Tikran teach me how to shoot a bow and ride a horse. He’d absolutely hate it. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Honest. Serious. Kind. A bit compulsive, but in a good way. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I can function on 5 hours of sleep for approximately a week before my brain starts melting. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I definitely edit as I draft. Sometimes ideas…

There’s something joyful about blooming flowers which always lifts my heart. May, here in the US, brings an abundance of color as flowers bloom and people begin decorating their homes and places of business. It’s my favorite thing about May. We’ve stayed at many RV parks in the US. Most have a unique look and personality. I always notice if they’ve planted flowers, and Jim and Mary’s RV Park in Missoula, MN is one which stands out in my mind when the topic is flowers. We had stayed for three nights from July 11th to the 14th, 2021 on our big 109-day trip west, which included a trip to Glacier National Park nearby. As we drove into the RV park, I couldn’t help but smile and once the motorhome was parked, I wanted to drive down every street and see every flowerbed. It was worth the drive, and we took that drive each time as we were coming and going. I had never seen so many flowers in an RV Park before. They even have their own greenhouse and take their flowerbeds seriously. When we moved on down the road, I wished I could’ve had more time to enjoy all…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DARK TIDE 20 – URBAN LEGENDS: THREE NEW TALES OF TERROR by Nick Roberts, Leigh Kenny, and Dan Franklin 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? NR: My novella, POLTERGEIST PASSWORD, is JUMANJI meets THE EVIL DEAD. LK: My story, KNOCK ON WOOD, is SINISTER meets THE BOOGEYMAN. DF: NESTING is a bit of ROSEMARY’S BABY rubbing up against THE MIMIC. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? NR: This story is presented as a transcript of a “cursed” episode of a podcast, so the setting is the inside of one of the hosts’ home recording studio. LK: I knew I wanted my story to take place primarily in a home setting. It’s where we’re supposed to feel safest which, to me, makes it the most terrifying place to be besieged by monsters – both the human and supernatural kind. DF: Have spent a bunch of time in postpartum wings of hospitals and they’re inherently creepy! The story migrates from there, but that’s the heart of it—the weird way hospitals seem so isolated from time and space and outside life. 4–Would you hang out with your…