Someone has finally gotten around to writing a book about little old me. I must say I’m surprised it has taken this long. Doesn’t my life have all the ingredients for a juicy tale? Soirees, fashions, drama, and honey…the beautiful boys. I was…how do they say it in 2026? I was that girl. Then, of course, there’s Papa W.E.B. Du Bois, who was the leader of the Black people, especially the ones in Harlem. Or at least it seemed that way. Anyway, the title of the book, A HARLEM WEDDING, worried me right from the start. Everyone had something to say about my wedding to Countee Cullen. The church biddies, my Papa’s movement friends, Miss Jessie Redmon Fauset…and every newspaper that followed society. I mean, that Geraldyn Dismond wouldn’t let me get any rest. Her columns printed so many things…not all true things. It was true that I had sixteen bridesmaids and 3,000 people (or more) attended. Did you know the poet Langston Hughes and Harold Jackman (the handsomest man in Harlem) were groomsmen? Everyone who was anyone came to see me walk down that aisle to my certain doom. But I was pleasantly surprised that this story is NOT…

I can’t work at all while music is playing. If it’s something I like, I want to listen or sing along, and if it’s not… either way it’s distracting. But I have a large mental library of songs, lyrics, and melodies which I incorporate into my writing. The following Playlist is from my new book The Fragile Breath and the music serves to augment key plot developments. Queen of the Night aria; from Mozart’s The Magic Flute/ America – Paul SimonFiona leaves New York with her caregiver and travels 600 miles to Johnson’s River, TN seeking a lung transplant. As Mason drives, Fiona faces her fears of the next few months, and that she may never come back. She talks through her memories of the city, represented by the Metropolitan Opera. However, once through the Lincoln Tunnel, her mood lifts, and she counts the cars on the NJ Turnpike looking forward to finding America. All You Need is Love – The BeatlesFiona and Mason have been invited to a pizza party at the apartment of another of Fiona’s transplant cohort, Terry. Terry’s brother Lyle is bringing his college a cappella group to sing for the guests. Fiona spends an enjoyable…

LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite writing season: hopeful spring, beachy summer, reflective fall, or cozy winter, and why?I love summer and Christmas—for different reasons. Summer is such an easy season to be lighthearted and free, and Christmas is full of love and family. What’s one snack or treat that always appears when you’re deep in writing mode?Coffee. I’m obsessed. I actually write best when I make myself a cup of coffee, shut everything out, and type. If your main character had a motto, what would it be?Life is full of surprises. What’s one small thing that instantly puts you in a creative mood?Silence. Ha. (It’s rare.) THE SPRING SPARK May often signifies the start of something new. In what ways did this story represent a new chapter for you as a writer?I noticed that in my last few books, I don’t have to wrestle with the story hardly at all. The mechanics of writing are so ingrained that it flows so easily. I’m in my season of flow. What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?I think I came up with the title first. THE BROKEN HEARTS BEACH CLUB just came to me, and then…

What is the title of your latest release?DOLL BABY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Think: girlhood, heartbreak, hedonism, and self-inflicted chaos. Doll Baby follows Jolie from fifteen to twenty-five as she navigates relationships, friendships, ambition, and the complicated process of becoming herself. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?A lot of it was based off my own experiences growing up in Los Angeles. Would you hang out with Jolie in real life?Definitely! We’d be at Chateau Marmont drinking dirty gin martinis. What are three words that describe Jolie?Perceptive, messy, magnetic. What’s something you learned while writing this book?The importance of trusting your own voice, regardless of outcome. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?Edit (constantly) as I draft…terrible. I know. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Really good, freshly baked, steaming hot bread and butter. Describe your writing space/office!Either a coffee shop or my couch with a candle lit and music blasting. Who is an author you admire?Emma Cline. So much. I love her style. I love her brain. I think she’s so unique. Is there a book that changed your life?Oh. So many, but THE UNTETHERED SOUL is…

What is the title of your latest release?LABYRINTHINE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A cursed princess. A deadly magical labyrinth. A dangerously devoted commander and a charming prince who might be too golden to be true. Labyrinthine is a dark romantasy about power, sacrifice, feminine rage, impossible choices, and the kind of love that can either save a kingdom or destroy it. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I wanted the setting to feel beautiful, ancient, and claustrophobic. Starsfall is a kingdom of gilded cages, blood-soaked rituals, old magic, and divine bargains, so the palace, the city, and the labyrinth all grew out of that tension. I loved the idea of a world where everything looks ceremonial and sacred on the surface, but underneath it is rotten, hungry, and full of secrets. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely, although I’d probably be a little scared of her. Azhara is sharp, guarded, furious, and far more dangerous than people realize, but she’s also deeply loyal and desperate to make her own choices. I think she’d be hard work at first, but worth it. What are three words that describe your…

Book: The Cupid DilemmaCharacter Name: Addie Whitlock How would you describe your family or your childhood?As the oldest daughter of a basically-single dad, I learned quickly how to get things done. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d do anything for my family. We’re close a close, supportive family just living our drama-free lives in a quaint Queens neighborhood. I even run a successful (except for this moment) wedding planning agency with my little sis and cousin. And then there’s the other side of the family. My mother’s. Drama is all they do, and while I love them all (most of them) dearly, I have to be bribed and/or handcuffed and blindfolded to go to a family reunion. Portal sickness is no joke, and there’s no portal worse than the one to Olympus. Did I not mention that I’m the daughter of Aphrodite? No? Good, forget you heard it. Significant other?Hahaha. Oh, you were serious? Uh…big no. Relationships and I do not mix. Biggest challenge in relationships?Normally, convincing my friends and family (especially my mother), that I’m perfectly content with my life without one. But lately…with this damn fauxmance agreement with my rockstar next-door neighbor the challenge comes…

What is the title of your latest release?THE FRANCHISE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A film studio, after producing a fantasy film series for many decades, decides to create a “living set” of the franchise’s fantasy world and populate it with people whose memories have been changed so that they think they are really part of that world. The studio thinks it will be a great way to create more content. Surely, there won’t be any negative repercussions. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The fantasy world itself is a pretty generic, European medieval setting, so the film studio had to build their set somewhere that visually could stand-in for that while also keeping the characters isolated from the real world. In early drafts I had this simply be up in the Adirondacks, but ultimately it had to be on an island to keep everyone contained. But it couldn’t be a tropical one and couldn’t be too isolated itself. The island of Madeira met most of these plot requirements and also offered additional story opportunities. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Glenn is an actor who has been hired by…

On June 23, 2021, we made the scenic drive from Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort to the charming town of Keystone, South Dakota, our gateway to one of America’s most recognizable landmarks: Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The road into the Black Hills winds through pine-scented air and storybook curves, each mile building anticipation. We followed that road toward Keystone, the small town that serves as the gateway to Mount Rushmore. As we rolled through Keystone, we knew we were close. We skipped stopping for a selfie photo at the entrance sign as I snapped a shot of the sign instead, determined to beat the crowds we’d heard so much about. But as it turned out, we didn’t need to rush. An early start was unnecessary. Crowds and First Impressions Contrary to expectations and travel advice, Mount Rushmore in the summer of 2021 was surprisingly uncrowded. There were no lines and there were no crowds. Instead, there was plenty of room to walk around outside in the sunshine and fresh air. The open-air setting, combined with sunshine and fresh mountain air, made for a relaxed and enjoyable experience. One of the highlights? You don’t need to hike extensively to get great views….

What is the title of your latest release?THE FOURSOME What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Inspired by my own family history: the strange-but-true story of two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina (my distant cousins) who married Chang and Eng Bunker, the world-famous conjoined twins. Together, the two couples had twenty-one children. The twins’ lives are well documented; their wives’ are not. The Foursome imagines the inner life of Sarah Yates, a woman navigating loyalty and identity in a rigidly defined world – and asks how we reckon with a fraught and complicated time in American history. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The setting chose me. My mother’s entire family is from North Carolina, not far from the Bunker plantation, and I grew up hearing fragments of the story. Once I learned that Sarah Yates Bunker had been buried in an unmarked grave – not in the family plot, but beside formerly enslaved people and the four daughters she lost – I knew the book had to live in that landscape. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Sarah is the quieter sister, the one slowly waking up to what she’s been…

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 Cindy Brown! Writes:Mysteries for every mood. My new serious mystery, ECHOES OF THE LOST, is the story of a tired, shut-off man who must open himself up to life, of the mystery that compels him to re-engage with the world, and of the little boy who shows him that kindness is found in the most unexpected places. In the mood for something light? My Agatha-nominated Ivy Meadows series features a goofily endearing actress/PI-in-training, her pun-loving PI uncle, and a slightly silly look at the off, off, off Broadway world of theater. About:I am an optimist, always looking for the good in every situation. It may sound strange that a sunny soul like me loves mysteries, but they all do end with hope and justice (at least mine do). I live in my favorite city in the world, Portland, Oregon, with my husband and bigger-than-life terrier, among giant fir trees hundreds of years old. I love the rain, the quirky vibe of Portland, and my…