“My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing.”                                                             —Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr’s 2008 Atlantic article about the Internet’s effects on cognition, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” might by now seem quaint; written prior to the era when infinite-scroll apps became a norm of daily existence, it covers how attention spans were affected by suddenly having all the world’s information at our fingertips via “the crazy quilt of Internet media” and the ability to jump between sites on “the Net” — blogs, news, information. Google. And yet, while the article pre-dates the heyday of social media, it was certainly prescient. “As we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world,” Carr writes, “it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence.” Seventeen years later, with chatbots, deepfakes, and AI scams and scandals, it arguably has. Among the most nod-inducing of what Carr writes about is his own and others’ experiences of being voracious readers who could no longer pay attention to anything longer than a several-paragraph blog post. I couldn’t help but notice that while re-reading “Is Google Making Us Stupid” for the writing of this short…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE QUEEN OF FIVES 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Queen of Fives, a Victorian con, tells the story of Quinn Le Blanc, London’s most talented conwoman, on an audacious mission to lift the fortune of a wealthy nobleman – until she realizes she may not be the only person playing a game of grand deception… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? There are two key settings in this book. The first is a crumbling old silk-weaver’s house in Spitalfields, East London – the headquarters for the Queen of Fives. The second is a sumptuous mansion in the heart of Mayfair – home of her unsuspecting mark, the Duke of Kendal and his wealthy, tricky family… 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, but if Quinn had adopted a particularly ingenious disguise, I really might not know it was her! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Loyal, honorable conwoman! 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’d absorbed so many historical details about London in the Victorian period, but researching this book took me deeper into…

Hi there! I’m Jennifer Deibel—though most people call me Jen. I write clean, sweet historical romance set in Ireland. My latest release, HEART OF THE GLEN, is the heart-wrenching story of love, hope, and healing found in the midst of unthinkable tragedy. Hidden in the shadows, sorrow divides,Echoes of a past she cannot escape,Alluring threads of fate entwine their lives,Resilience blooms where hope begins to wake.The glen whispers secrets, a promise unspoken. Owen, heart weary, discovers strange comfort in her presenceFinding solace in patterns, growing closer with each knot fastened Together they weave a tapestry of trust,Hands reaching out, bridging the divide.Every challenge faced, a bond formed anew Glimmers of healing in the warmth of their fight,Love unanticipated, stitched in the night.Each moment they share, a spark ignites,Nurtured by hope, will they embrace the light? HEART OF THE GLEN by Jennifer Deibel Can the lonely thread of her life be woven into a new and finer pattern? When Saoirse Fagan arrives at Drumboe Castle to start her new job as housemaid, she is dismayed to learn that the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her family members, Saoirse wanders…

1–What is the title of your latest release? RUNNING OUT OF AIR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two estranged sisters, Evelyn and Sophie, attempt to summit one of the world’s tallest mountains and are forced to trust each other in order to survive. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? When thinking about the world’s tallest mountains, Nepal comes to mind immediately (although, of course, China, Pakistan, and India also have 8000-meter peaks within their borders). Based on my research, Nepal seemed like the best setting for Yama Parvat. And Colorado was an obvious choice as a home for two mountaineering-obsessed sisters. The book has two other prominent settings, New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. Evelyn set her sights on Columbia Law School, but slowly discovers that her ambition outweighs her actual passion for practicing law. And Sophie goes to Switzerland to visit an old friend but finds more than she was looking for when she meets Levi, her future partner. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d probably hang out with Sophie, since we’re a similar age and we both like the outdoors (I couldn’t keep up…

Music speaks to writers in a way that few other mediums can, creating a vibe and an emotional state that perfectly captures what they’re trying to accomplish within a scene. These five songs really tell the shape and trajectory of the journey that Kate goes through during my debut murder-mystery/rom-com mash-up, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE. By turns funny, zany, sexy, and serious, these songs are the perfect backdrop for your CLUE read-a-thon. Mother, Mother – Tracy Bonham When we first meet our intrepid amateur sleuth, Kate Valentine, she’s trying her absolute hardest to be fine. Her fiancé has left her, she’s six months overdue on her next bestselling mystery novel, and now she’s got to attend her ex’s lavish weekend wedding at his new bride’s private island (yes, the whole damn island). And what has she got? An apartment of increasingly questionable leftover take out, a brand new dress that she’s hoping will hold in a whole lot more than just her cleavage for the weekend, and the personal mantra that “everything is FINE.” I can well imagine the chorus of this song literally screaming through Kate’s head as she hops on the yacht to Hempstead Island. Stick Season…

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 Letizia Lorini! Writes: Funny and emotional romcoms full of unexpected turns and twists. You can always expect my books to surprise you, and my characters to have layers you’ll peel through the chapters. My first series, Love & Other Recipes, features foodie themes and characters: chefs, bakers, and even candy-makers! About: A passionate storyteller, I love happily ever afters and worlds in which I can get lost. My writing explores human emotions, imperfect characters and a winded path to growth. My inspiration comes from 90s romcoms, music, and endless daydreaming. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me lost in a good book, chugging “just one more” coffee, or planning my next trip. Born and raised in Italy, I now live in Sweden with my partner and a fluffy white pup (and seventeen plants at the time of writing, though there’s no telling how quickly my collection will grow.) What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: What to expect if we’re compatible: THE…

Every book I write, I create a playlist for each chapter. Like a good soundtrack for a movie or TV show, a playlist enriches my writing and, I hope, for readers who enjoy them, it enriches the reading experience, too. While I have a dedicated song for each chapter in ONCE SMITTEN, TWICE SHY that you can listen to here, here are five songs that I particularly love and whose connection to their chapters I’m excited to talk about! “mona lisa,” mxmtoon In Chapter 1, Juliet is wrestling with restlessness, a sense that she wants her life’s path to shift, after having spent over half a year focusing on healing from a rough breakup and an emotionally toxic relationship. She’s a romance reader, a lover of happy endings, but she’s put that part of her life on the back burner for fear of getting hurt again. The song’s sweet yet also melancholic tenor fits perfectly with her longing for change that’s at war with her fear of embracing it, and the lyrics couldn’t fit her situation better: I’m so tired of being a book on the shelf / Tired of stories for somebody else / Think that I’m ready to…

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 Jillian Meadows! Writes: Hello, romance readers! I’m Jillian Meadows, and I write contemporary romance that will make you swoon, smile, and kick your feet squealing! I love writing cozy happily-ever-afters that give readers a front row seat to all the big and small moments that make two people fall in love! My newest release, GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES, is a workplace romance that takes place in a museum, so it’s full of all the nerdy goodness your heart can handle. Our heroine, Millie, is an entomology curator, and she’s fighting against her imposter syndrome and anxiety to apply for her dream job— the head of the entomology department. But after a few less-than-ideal run-ins with Finn, the head of the astronomy department, she discovers he is on her interview panel, and as much as she would like to avoid him, the universe keeps pulling them together. About: I’m a mom of four who currently lives in west Texas, where the heat is unavoidable, but the sunsets…

I love coming up with playlists for my books—it’s such a great way to set the scene and get into my characters’ heads! So without further ado, here are the songs I hear when I think about DEAD BELOW DECK. Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean What better anthem for a yacht full of (seemingly) privileged prep school friends setting sail on a cruise to the Caribbean? No parents. No supervision. Cases of hard-to-pronounce wine and champagne. Of course, it’s not all fun and laughs for these “super rich kids with nothing but loose ends… super rich kids with nothing but fake friends.” Because when it all comes down to it, Ocean’s song is about yearning for real love—not money. Giselle can definitely relate. Busyhead by Noah Kahan With Maggie’s roots in small-town Vermont, there’s no doubt she keeps Noah Kahan on regular rotation and connects with his songs. But it’s Busyhead that really speaks to the inner turmoil Maggie feels about her family, what she’s doing at Prep—and why she befriends Giselle and joins her on this fateful yacht trip. She understands deeply what it means to keep her secrets and weaknesses hidden, and the consequences of burning bridges…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SERIAL BURN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Fire marshal, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the arsonist responsible for the blaze that killed her family 20 years ago. As the anniversary approaches, a string of new fires, including one at her church, reignites old wounds and reveals new evidence. FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to investigate. As they work together, the case intensifies—and so does their chemistry. But when the terrifying truth comes out, she’ll need Nathan and her community to help her survive a nightmare she thought was long behind her. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It’s book 3 in the series so the location was already in place before I started writing. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh yes, absolutely. I really like Jesslyn’s character. She’s serious thanks to past tragedy, and very focused on finding who killed her family, but she does have a sense of humor and enjoys hanging out with her friends. So, yeah, we’d be friends in real life. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Driven,…