1–What is the title of your latest release? A MAP TO PARADISE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Set in Malibu in 1956, the lives of a blacklisted actress, a Displaced Person from Eastern Europe, and a widow caring for her agoraphobic brother-in-law converge to reveal what makes all of us long for our own bit of Paradise—that one place where we feel safe and at home—and what we’re willing do to get it back when it’s been taken from us. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I knew the book would take place somewhere just outside Los Angeles because of the book’s emphasis on the Hollywood Red Scare and the blacklist. Idyllic Malibu was the perfect place for my devastated blacklisted actress to hide out in, my lonely maid to work in, and the caregiver—who is a widow with nothing— to fall in love with her hermit brother-in-law. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I have three protagonists in this book—Melanie the actress, Eva the war refugee from Eastern Europe, and June who lives with her agoraphobic brother-in-law. And I would enjoy all three of them as…

1–What is the title of your latest release? I AM THE SWARM 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? I AM THE SWARM follows Nell, a girl from a family of magical women, whose emotions start to manifest as insects when she turns fifteen. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I didn’t decide, exactly. The book had to take place in Cape Town. The story always felt inextricable from its setting. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Sensitive. Strong. Vulnerable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That the most productive way for me to plot a book is to listen for which scene comes next, instead of trying to outline in advance. That I’m braver than I thought I was. And that there’s a difference between cement and mortar. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I like to leave the editing for after I have a draft. It allows me to explore, be messy, and make mistakes during the drafting process. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? At the moment I’m really…

1–What is the title of your latest release? COUNTING BACKWARDS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s based on a true story from 2020 about incarcerated immigrants who claimed they were being sterilized without their consent. The book tells the story of one lawyer who tried to help these women and how the fight for women’s rights changed all their lives. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I tend to base most of my books in New York City because it’s where I’m from, and I think there’s nowhere more exciting. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, absolutely, as long as she promised to get back into therapy first. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Trusting, Hopeful, Screwed 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that many US prisons are run by private companies who are hired by the government, rather than being run by the government itself. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I definitely edit as I draft. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Cheeeeeese. The meltier the better. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOPE’S ENDURING ECHO 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? She’s longing for a brighter future; he’s caught up in yesteryear. But God has plans for them in the here and now. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The setting chose me when I took a train ride along the Arkansas River at the bottom of the Royal Gorge. I’ve never set a book in Colorado before, but this one had to be there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! I think Jennie would make a fantastic friend. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Spunky; faithful; introspective 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a great deal about how mental illnesses were treated at the turn of the century. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I’m too OCD to wait until the end. I edit the previous day’s writing before beginning a new chapter. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Dark chocolate with almonds as a pick-me-up; a medium rare T-bone as an indulgence. 9–Describe your writing space/office! My…

Book Title: THE LOVE WE FOUND Character Name: Lucy Bea Carter Maxwell How would you describe your family or your childhood? LUCY: My childhood was pretty great, actually. My family lived in Connecticut, I have an older brother Jay, who I was really close with. My parents always supported my dreams—emotionally and financially. But we’re not as close anymore. And It’s my fault. You know how when you keep a secret from someone, it makes it hard to talk about other things with them? That’s what happened. And now that I’ve put up that wall, it’s hard to figure out how to deconstruct it. What was your greatest talent? LUCY: As a kid? I guess my greatest talent was storytelling. It might still be? I always came up with detailed, extensive backstories for my dolls and stuffed animals, and would spend hours creating situations for them based on those backstories. It’s wild that now I get paid to pretty much do the same things. Significant other? LUCY: Ha. Can we go with no comment on this one? Biggest challenge in relationships? LUCY: Picking the right guy at the right time? Actually, that’s only partially true. I think my biggest challenge…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PLOT TWIST 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When romcom author Allie Edwards crosses paths with bestselling crime novelist – aka publishing dinosaur – Martin Clark at a party, they discover they both have crippling writer’s block, overdue manuscripts and precisely zero words to show to their respective editors. With deadlines looming, Allie and Martin decide to switch plots and tell each other’s stories. In the writing process, Allie not only gains a father-figure in Martin, but also meets gorgeous events caterer Will, the answer to the leading man-shaped hole in her life and her lack of spicy material. Caught between love and her career, what could possibly go wrong? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Although I now live in the US, I’m a Londoner at heart.  I manage my homesickness by setting my books there, because then in my head I can walk the streets with my characters! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes definitely!  I love Allie.  But I also think it would be fun to meet grumpy Martin and tease him a little bit…

CHAPTER NINE Charlotte We’re out on the street and in an abandoned alley before I even fully recognize what I’m doing. I’m alone at night with my boss, the Prince of Darkness himself, a man who’s known for his wicked deeds, and we’re about to enter one of NYC’s most erotic sex clubs, one that happens to be owned by his famous playboy of a brother, who Imani says murdered a man in cold blood, only to leave his body like a present for the beast beside me. My poor life choices are catching up to me quickly. I still don’t know what Lucifer’s true involvement was in Paris Starr’s murder or what exactly that means for me as his employee, but all things considered, I should be afraid, terrified even, and yet, I can’t bring myself to feel even an ounce of fear. My heart flutters like a traitorous butterfly, the nervous adrenaline thrilling me. If ever my father feared my fall from grace, this is it. Somehow, I know that explicitly. At first glimpse, the Body Shoppe looks nothing like a sex club. Instead, it looks like an abandoned auto repair place, the air rent with the smell…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LADY SPARKS A FLAME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? An icy villainess is thrown together with a gravitationally challenged younger man and romance ensues. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Because of the fashion, the politics, and the zeitgeist of the time, I enjoy setting my historical romances in the early Victorian era. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. We would be close friends. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Strong, fierce, and irritable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a great deal about NSSI – Non-Suicidal Self Injury. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I write. Then edit again. Then edit again. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? These days I am obsessed with using my new tagine, so I indulge in saffron. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I write on the couch while my dog naps next to me. 10–Who is an author you admire? I am a huge fan of Joanna Lowell’s gorgeous prose. 11–Is there a book that changed…

Hi, I’m Jamie Adams, and if you’ve been tagging along, you know I’m a mystery junkie. I live for the thrill of untangling clues and that pulse-racing moment when the puzzle snaps together. Right now, I’m obsessed with small towns hiding big secrets—those cozy corners where everyone’s connected, and family history can be the key to unlocking the darkest truths. Why Family Ties Make Mysteries Juicier Small-town mysteries hit differently when family’s involved. It’s not just about a crime; it’s about how the past ripples through generations, tying people together in ways they can’t escape. In these stories, history isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing force that haunts the present. A long-buried scandal, a sibling’s betrayal, or a parent’s hidden shame can turn a quiet town into a pressure cooker of secrets. I love how family loyalty gets tested, and how the ones closest to you might be the ones hiding the most. This month I’ve enjoyed two Family-Fueled Mysteries by Susan May Warren. Susan May Warren’s got a knack for blending heart-pounding suspense with family drama, and her latest small-town tales are no exception. Here are two newer books where history—and family—come back to haunt in the best…

Book Title: ROCK-A-BYE COWBOY (Rocky Road Ranch, Book 3) Character Name: Danielle “Dani” Hubbard I’m sitting in the “Fillies” bunkhouse of the Rocky Road Ranch newly opened Dude Ranch operations. The Dunns have invited guest to stay for two weeks free in return for their opinions on the new venture. It’s been about a week now and I sit down with Danielle “Dani” Hubbard on the of the single female guests. She’s wearing a pair of blue jeans, cowboy boots, a rose v-neck light sweater, and her very wavy dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes appear gray in the log structure as she sits on a love seat across from me, next to the propane fed wood stove. “How would you describe your family or your childhood?” “Oh, I thought we were just talking about the Rocky Roady Dude Ranch experience. I guess you need a bit of background though. I had a great childhood until I turned 10. My dad dies in an oil rig accident and left me, my two sisters, and mom to manage on our own. The finances weren’t so much the issue as the settlement was generous, but living without…