RHYS: I’m really excited to be celebrating the publication of this book on March 11. It’s called SILENT AS THE GRAVE and it’s Molly Murphy book number twenty-one. How about that! Little did I imagine when I had an idea for a book about a young immigrant woman on Ellis Island back in 2001 that she would not only survive but thrive, marry, have a family and go on to an exciting life. When other series can get dull and stale, new life was breathed into this one by bringing my amazing daughter Clare on board as my co-writer, and above all as my researcher. CLARE: I had always been a big fan of this series. I knew my mom had put it on hold as she couldn’t write three books a year and was constantly getting emails asking when the next Molly book was going to come out. So I volunteered to join her and write the books with her. RHYS: It was a successful partnership from day one, to the extent that I can’t tell you who has written a particular scene in the book. Clare started out with a great feel for Molly’s voice and some brilliant…

by Misty Simon The luck of the Irish is coming your way this month and have I got some awesome reads for you! I’ve never been to Ireland, so I adore being able to read about locales that I might never have the chance to visit. Don’t get me wrong, if I could swing it, I’d be on the next plane. But because that is currently out of my price and vacation range, let’s dive into some living vicariously through great fiction. First up is a great book by Carlene O’Connor MURDER IN AN IRISH GARDEN (An Irish Village Mystery Book 11). This is pretty far into the series at book 11 but this series is such a great read all the way through. Talk about twisty mysteries and endings to die for. Throw in a deadly garden competition and I’m your girl! Next, we have EXECUTION IN E (A Gethsemane Brown Mystery Book 5) by Alexia Gordon. Long ago I professionally trained to sing opera so I have a particularly soft spot classical music and by extension for this series. It’s a little older but totally worth picking up now. Ghosts, exes, and influencers? Oh my… This is a…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GOLDA’S HUTCH 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Craig Schumacher is not your typical executive. With a gentle spirit and a morning ritual that includes serene meditation alongside his cherished rabbit, Golda, Craig values connection over competition. Yet, beneath his calm, polished exterior lies a secret he’s worked hard to keep hidden—one that could change everything. Enter Byron Dorn—Craig’s employee and chaos incarnate. Crude, impulsive, and driven by envy, Byron is elated when he and his wife stumble upon information that he believes could unravel Craig’s life. But when Byron ropes another couple into his schemes, things become a lot more complicated. Because Craig isn’t the only one with a secret. And as the stakes rise, everyone will have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice to get what they want—and when they’re willing to walk away. Set against the dynamic backdrop of San Francisco, this gripping psychological novel weaves a complex tapestry of deception, envy, desire, politics, and power. It compels readers to confront a haunting question: How well do you really know the people you encounter every day? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to…

Thank you so much for this opportunity. Below are five songs that I listened to on repeat while writing VANISHING DAUGHTERS. Many of them speak to a love that cannot exist in this reality, to the bending and blurring of reality, to memories, and finally to dreams which are featured heavily in the novel. Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi I included this on the soundtrack for Vanishing Daughters because one of the characters is in love with someone they lost, and they’ve lived their entire time on Earth grieving the ‘What if?’ of a life with them. They die never having loved anyone other than that person. Now the day bleedsInto nightfallAnd you’re not hereTo get me through it allI let my guard downAnd then you pulled the rugI was getting kinda used to being someone you loved Pictures of You by The Cure Another sad love song. I included this song because it speaks so much to the memory of someone who is no longer there. Or, to a time that cannot be repeated. All that exists are these pictures and no matter how hard you look at these photographs they are not that person. They can never…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A WEDDING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A WEDDING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY is a friends-to-lovers romance between high school friends who went their separate ways after graduation. They reunite years later and discover that their long-lost friendship is blossoming into love.” 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? That is an interesting question! I lived in Charleston, South Carolina for many years because my husband was stationed there for the military. While living there, I fell in love with the charm of the southern city. I made many friendships in Charleston, and these friendships last even today. When I decided to become a romance writer many years later, Charleston was the first place that came to mind. It is the perfect setting for creating fictional worlds that are full of hope and love. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would definitely hang out with Avila, my protagonist, in real life! We are similar in many ways. Avila is very talented and smart, but she second guesses herself and her abilities. I would encourage her and remind…

In this week’s Jen’s Jewels, I’m thrilled to welcome bestselling author Melody Carlson to discuss her heartfelt new novel, WELCOME TO THE HONEY B&B. With a deeply personal connection to the story, Melody weaves themes of caregiving, second chances, and the power of community into a touching tale that balances both heartache and hope. Inspired by her own experience caring for her late husband, she brings authenticity and warmth to this moving family drama. Join us as we dive into the inspiration behind the novel, the fascinating role of beekeeping, and what’s next on her writing journey. Jen: The theme of caregiving – particularly for a parent with early-onset dementia – is both timely and touching. What inspired you to explore this challenging family dynamic in your new release, Welcome to the Honey B&B? Melody: My husband Chris was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD) in 2022. Like my character CT in this novel, Chris was an outdoorsy, Mr. Fixit, guy’s guy… and early onset dementia was tough to take—for both of us. I was his caregiver until he passed at home, shortly before Christmas 2024. I wrote WELCOME TO THE HONEY B&B partly to inform others about this form…

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 Gourav Mohanty Writes: Epic mythological fantasies that take you through the dark and delightful nooks of Ancient India where the stakes are high, the betrayals personal, and the heists so bold they’d make a career saint consider the charms of crime. About: A connoisseur of momos and mythologies, Gourav Mohanty daylights as a lawyer, moonlights as a comic and gaslights as a storyteller. Best dumb charades player to have on your team. Books, whisky and visas will probably be the reasons he goes bankrupt in the future. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: What to expect if we’re compatible: DANCE OF SHADOWS by Gourav Mohanty A season of peace is the finest time to plant the seeds of war. A pirate-queen discovers the only gold around is in the bars of her cage. A temple-courtesan’s heart dances for the archer she was tasked to destroy. A librarian learns how to steal to save the world from an ancient plague. As the Conclave of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DAYS OF SHATTERED FAITH 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? How long can you stay a good person if you’re working for the bad guys. A diplomat for a colonial regime falls in love with the nation she’s supposed to be softening up. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Most of the details grew out of previous writing in the setting – I do a lot of world-building work, especially in this series, and so the previous two books kind of created a space where I knew something interesting must be happening. Add to that some historical inspiration centered around particularly villainous British 1700s and 1800s overseas dealing and the book came together very well. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Unusually, yes, though I don’t think she’d hang out with me. I’m too downmarket and not dashing enough. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Conflicted, sardonic, romantic. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That the greatest love in all the world is of a man for his truly wedded centipede. 7–Do you edit as you…

1–What is the title of your latest release? COLD IRON TASK 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A government-sanctioned witch must go on a very unsanctioned heist into the Elsewhere, a magical otherworld. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? As witches are a major feature of my books, Salem, and by extension Boston, seemed to be the natural choice for a big city to set the story in. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Sure! He seems like a good kid that means well. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Idealist. Underdog. Intractable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Not to bite off more than you can chew. The original version of this book was twenty-five-thousand words longer than the final version, and cutting words is much harder than adding them. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I tend to edit in stages. On the completion of a suitable batch of chapters, sometimes an arc or sometimes a whole act, I’ll pause writing new scenes and go back to organize things. Sort of like shuffling up a…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BOY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Sander Coke, Shakespeare’s beautiful and celebrated “boy player,” is famous for portraying female roles, but he’s about to age out of his apprenticeship, and feels unready to face the future “as a man.” Meanwhile, his closest friend from childhood is Joan, who wants to study natural philosophy but has no access to education. Sander disguises Joan as a boy and gets her apprenticed to Francis Bacon, the father of the Scientific Method. As Sander and Joan begin to realize their own relationship is changing, their shared connection to Bacon embroils them in some of the most dangerous political intrigue of Queen Elizabeth’s final years. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It wasn’t really a decision; a story about Shakespeare’s actors has to take place in Shakespeare’s London, aka Elizabethan London – which is my fictional happy place. I love all excuses to while away the time there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I should hope so! I hang out with them enough in my head and we all get along fabulously. One…