Yes, I love Sherlock Holmes…and dogs! A large percentage of my day, every single day, has gone to the dogs—for most of my life. And now, my upcoming book, DOGGONE BONES, is about a topic close to my heart. Animal rescue. In Sarah Booth’s latest adventure, she and her partner, Tinkie, decide to help a woman in a nearby town whose dog has been stolen. The case should be a simple one. But of course, it isn’t, and before you know it Sarah Booth and Tinkie are involved with wrestlers, potential dog fighters, and corrupt officials. As most readers will remember, both Sarah Booth and Tinkie are huge animal lovers. Sarah Booth has taken on dogs, a cat, horses, and a raven. While I am not Sarah Booth (but would like to be!) I am also an animal rescuer. I founded Good Fortune Farm Refuge, a 501c3 charity that is housed on my small Alabama farm, some 30 ears ago. To date I have 7 dogs, 12, cats and 2 horses living with me. I do all the animal care myself, but I do have friends and board members of the rescue who help me with so much more: fund…

From Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney. Copyright © 2025 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Chapter 2 Moving fast, I ushered Father Patrick into the castle, tempted to bar the door behind us against Hilda and her friend. The Great Hall was empty, but I could hear Dad’s voice booming in the drawing room, which overlooked the knot garden, one of the castle’s best features. “Want a glass of mead?” I asked Father Patrick. “And we’ve got nibbles.” “I won’t say no,” he said, looking pleased at the prospect. We were halfway across the hall when the front door opened and my sister, Tamsyn, slipped inside. “Hold up,” she cried, running to join us, long legs flashing. I braced myself, since she did not approve of me renting “her” castle. “I thought you were on location.” Tamsyn had a lead role in Highland Lass, a period costume drama filmed in Edinburgh. “We were,” she said, bestowing her famous smile on Father Patrick. We both had our late mother’s strawberry blonde waves, green eyes, and pale skin that freckled. But my sister was incredibly photogenic and I was not. “But we’re on break, so…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BUSYBODY BOOK CLUB 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A dysfunctional book club must become amateur detectives when one of their members goes missing and a dead body turns up at his house. But when they can’t even agree on what to read, how are they going to solve the crime? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always wanted to write a book set in Cornwall, a gorgeous coastal county in the South-West of England. The village I set the story in, St. Tredock, is fictional, but it’s based on Port Isaac, a picturesque fishing village built isnto the rugged Cornish coastline. Think pretty whitewashed stone cottages, crashing waves and excellent ice cream! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d love to hang out with the members of the St Tredock community book club. They’d initially drive me mad with their bickering, but there are some really fun, eccentric characters with kind hearts, so life would never be boring. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Nova is quirky, generous and insecure. 6–What’s something you learned while…

In this week’s Jen’s Jewels, I share a beautiful conversation with Anna Mitchael, a superbly talented writer whose new book is one we all need right now. Are you at a crossroads in life? Struggling to get things right in a world that often feels upside down? Take a break from your busy day and meet the Anna I know—someone who shares deeply personal and inspiring vignettes that uncover the quiet beauty woven into our everyday lives. And don’t forget to visit her Substack, where your journey toward meaning continues. Jen: Your book beautifully explores the search for fulfillment in a world full of mixed messages. What was the initial spark or moment that led you to begin writing this collection? Anna: Thank you for those kind words. I love how you phrased that—this is a world full of mixed messages. I started the book because I was at a point where I was exhausted from weeding through those messages and trying to “get things right.” From a young age I’d been taught to be my own person. But then out of the other side of the mouth was a push to learn how to excel within the systems of…

Each of the fifty-two chapters in my latest novel, SONGS OF SUMMER, begins with a song title, so curating a companion playlist for the book felt like an organic extension of the story. Early readers are loving the immersive experience of listening along—which is exactly what I had hoped for. I chose each track for a variety of reasons, ranging from the obvious to the nuanced. Here are six examples: “The House That Built Me” by Miranda LambertOne of the more lost characters in Songs of Summer returns to her childhood home in search of strength and comfort. With lines like, “I thought if I could touch this place or feel it, this brokenness inside of me might start healing” Lambert’s lyrics align perfectly with the chapter they introduce. “Up on the Roof” by Carole KingAn early scene in the novel features a blowout between estranged sisters—one of whom has taken to the roof. This song, an old favorite of mine, was an obvious choice and one of the first I selected. “Float On” by Modest MouseModest Mouse is an artist my oldest daughter introduced me to, and this song felt like the perfect fit for a wedding celebration that takes place on a ferry…

We (Tracie and Kimberley) can’t wait for you to read book three in the Jewels of Kalispell series. It’s our hope that Parker and Johanna’s story of second-chance love warms your heart. We also pray it encourages your faith and introduces you to a part of our beautiful country you might not have known about. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit Kalispell or Glacier National Park, we heartily encourage you to do so. You will not be sorry you made the trip. For now, enjoy Johanna, Parker, Marvella, and others as they band together to see love long buried come to life again. (Be forewarned: it takes a hearty dose of meddling, intrigue and God’s amazing grace!) A is for All sorts of intrigue. N is for naughty… as in an adorably naughty 3-year-old! U is for Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This play, based on the book by Harriet Beecher Stowe grew in popularity in the late 1800s into the early 1900s. A fun fact about Uncle Tom’s Cabin: when it premiered at the McIntosh Opera House, more than 1,100 people were in attendance. In fact it was reported that people were standing in the windowsills to be able…

As May arrives with early summer sun to gild the emerging roses, we’ll look this month at novels highlighting the Gilded Age, where fabulous, as-yet-uncontrolled wealth coexists with the dire poverty of immigrants, subsistence farmers and factory workers. We begin with a duo of linked novels by Donna Russo Morin.  The first, GILDED SUMMERS: A NOVEL (NEWPORT’S GILDED AGE BOOK 1) focuses on the friendship between two girls, Pearl, daughter of wealth, and Ginevra, an immigrant from Italy who becomes a maid and seamstress in Pearl’s luxurious Newport, R.I. mansion. Though the two quickly bond over their dreams—Pearl, to be an artist, Ginevra, to become a clothing designer–they must keep their friendship hidden from Pearl’s autocratic mother, whose goal is for her daughter to make a suitable marriage to a rich man of their class.  As they grow older, they continue to support each other, even as their friendship is tested by their attraction to the same young men.  Filled with gossipy details of life among the upper classes, the fictional character’s lives enriched by the inclusion of actual Newport residents like Tessie Oehlrich, Mamie Fish, and Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt as well as highlighting historical events of the time,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE MEMORY COLLECTORS      2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? What would you do if you could spend an hour in your past? Four strangers in the beach town of Ventura, California, step back into their pasts only to find themselves trapped in time. As their paths intertwine unexpectedly, they unearth shocking secrets hidden in the shadows of their shared history. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’d been visiting my friend Kes Trester, whose beach home in Ventura, California, inspired the setting of this story. Its sundrenched beaches and serene waves contrast beautifully with the winding highways that vanish into pitch-black nights, making it the perfect backdrop for this story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? There are four protagonists in THE MEMORY COLLECTORS, and I feel like I know them so well that they’re real. I would definitely want to experience an ordinary day in their lives with them. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? There are four protagonists, so I’ll share something for each: Elizabeth: Heartbroken Logan: Craving former freedom Andy: Seeking vanished love Brooke: Haunted…

1–What is the title of your latest release? EVERY HOUR UNTIL THEN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? As a time-crosser, Kathryn Voland lives in 1888 England and pre-World War II Washington, DC. In the 1930s, when she curates a museum exhibit about Jack the Ripper, she discovers that her sister will become his last victim in 1888. Kathryn must race against time to save her, knowing it will cost her everything–including the only man she’s ever loved. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Every Hour Until Then is the 5th book in my Timeless Series. Each book is set in a unique historical time and place, and when I had the idea for the Jack the Ripper plot, I knew it would be set in London in 1888. My heroine lives in both 1888 and 1938, and I knew I needed her to have access to the Jack the Ripper files, so I decided that she would be a visiting curator who would put together an exhibit about the notorious killer. It was fun to set the story in the same city, fifty years apart, and see how much, and how…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHISTLE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Whistle is a horror/supernatural chiller that will do for toy trains what Chucky did for dolls. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Given the main character’s profession, New York City made sense as a starting place, and the other locations needed to be within driving distance. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? For sure. Annie is a very talented artist and writer. A very interesting person. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Creative, resilient, protective. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Sometimes the story you’re writing is actually two novels in one. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Answer: Both. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Popcorn. 9–Describe your writing space/office! There’s a big window beyond my desk, so I know FedEx is here before they ring the bell. Book posters and a framed photo of Alfred Hitchcock on the wall, toys based on TV shows from the 60s, an old Royal manual typewriter that’s just for show, and lots and lots of…