The trauma and destruction of war conceals…but over time, almost all secrets are finally revealed.  So it is with the quartet of alternating-timeline stories highlighting family dramas that we will look at this month. We begin with THE SECRETS OF FLIGHT by Maggie Leffler, featuring one of my favorite protagonists—a female flyer!  As a young woman, Miri risks everything, denying her family and changing her name to fulfill her dream of being a pilot, eventually flying throughout World War II with the WASPs.  Skip to the present, and Miri is now a eighty-seven-year-old widow presiding over a writing group. When fifteen-year-old Elyse Stricker joins the group, her strong resemblance to Miri’s sister Sarah moves Miri to finally want to tell her story.  She hires the aspiring teen writer to type it, and as the two delve deeper into the past, a friendship forms, eventually leading them both to discover the deeper meaning of family, the healing quality of forgiveness and the truth that it is never too late for a second chance. WHAT THE SILENT SAY by Emerson Ford depicts World War II on the homefront and the battlefield—and secrets revealed years later, the novel based on letters the author…

What is the title of your latest release?DECOMPOSITION BOOK What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A lonely college student finds the dead body of a lost hiker in the woods behind her house and decides to befriend the corpse instead of calling the police. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I looked for news stories of hikers getting very lost and took note of where these disappearances happened most often. Then I positioned Savannah’s house at a plausible walking distance through the woods. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Definitely! Savannah is my precious baby. I support her rights and her wrongs. And Ava’s kind of a love letter to my wife, so I’d go one step further and sign a contract to hang out with her forever. What are three words that describe your hero?Funny, Lonely, Survivor What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned how to edit all the way to my limits. I’d written four books before writing this one, but I’d never edited something to the point of being publishable, so with this one I think I learned how far I can currently go. I plan…

Hi, I’m Ann H. Gabhart, and I got the writing bug when I was ten. I’ve been writing stories ever since. The same as most writers, I also love to read. I can hardly imagine how it would be if all words were a mystery of scribbled lines. But when I decided to write a story with history of the Moonlight Schools for adults started in Rowan County, Kentucky, I stepped into my character’s shoes to live her sorrow of being unable to read and her dream of learning. A CHANCE FOR KALLIE MAE, set in the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains in 1911, is her story and the story of others with the same dream. Kallie does have the chance to learn to read but will she also have a chance for love with Quinn, the boy who lives over on the next hill? With their families locked in a bitter feud, following her heart could cost Kallie everything she’s worked to protect.  So read on for more about my story. A – Appalachia – I love going to the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains for stories. The Appalachia area is beautiful, the people unique, and the stories abundant. C – Chance –…

What is the title of your latest release?OUT OF HER LEAGUE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?To make her ex jealous, an ambitious young surgeon recruits a charming star soccer player to be her date to a lavish Parisian wedding – but love might have a game plan of its own. If you love THE PITT or TED LASSO (or even better – both!) then you’ll love it. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?This book is set over a lavish Indian wedding so I wanted a lavish place that I could turn into a theme park of sorts. Paris felt like a good place for that. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I would and I have, by that I mean myself and many of my friends are in the same field and residency has a way of bonding people together for life What are three words that describe your hero?Loyal, ambitious, strong What’s something you learned while writing this book?There is beauty in vulnerability. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I edit when I am done What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Pani Puri…

What is the title of your latest release?SAFARI MURDER PARTY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Fletcher Spence is an overworked, underpaid executive assistant to manages to snag a spot on her company’s corporate retreat to a private island safari only to arrive and discover her boss has been eaten by lions and wills his multibillion-dollar publishing company to whoever can survive the week, so she has no choice but to team-up with his insufferable son (and her personal nemesis) Waylon Cartwright to outlive her bloodthirsty colleagues in this wild battle royale. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The premise of the book required a few key elements: a remote island; an outrageous, zoo-like safari; and the ability to manipulate the terrain to accommodate a variety of species. So, creating my own fictional island was a no-brainer! Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?One thousand percent! Fletcher would be the type of friend who always carries a purse with everything you could possibly need. Plus, I feel like she’d be the type of friend to make sure that the brunch always makes it out of the group chat. What are three…

What is the title of your latest release?RANI DESHPANDE TAKES THE WHEEL What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?After a challenging freshman year of college, Rani is determined to get her life back on track – but her packed summer checklist is disrupted by a detour right into love. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Honest answer, I’d been watching way too much Grey’s Anatomy and Gilmore Girls. I felt called to write about a cozy Seattle suburb called Gilmore as a result. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! Rani and Simran’s sleepovers are my dream hang out. What are three words that describe your hero?Patient, attentive, discerning. What’s something you learned while writing this book?Rani’s journey makes clear that it’s always better to have the conversation, and avoiding conflict only causes hurt feelings to fester. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?Try as I might to resist the urge, I always end up editing a bit as I draft. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Like Rani, I can’t resist a sweet treat. Brownies and cheesecake always scratch the itch. Describe your writing space/office!Depending on…

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 Laura Piper Lee! Writes:I write romantic comedy, real deal comedy, with swoons and steamy scenes and people getting over the obstacles in their lives to find true love. Everything else is up for grabs—my first two books are set in Georgia, where I’m from; my latest Pot Shot is set in New Jersey, where I live (approximately) now; and my next is Doomsdate, my zombie apocalypse rom-com that takes place on a road trip up the eastern seaboard of the Z.U.S.A. About:I’m that friend who always wants to see you, wants to hear everything about your life, who enjoys discussing topics traditionally labeled as “TMI.” I love to laugh, and I love making other people laugh, especially women. Bringing that kind of joy to someone feels like the best superpower ever. I also enjoy making literally anything, I am a sl-t for crafts, decorating my house to be fun and whimsical, and taking long walks with my dog, Mr. Peanut Butter. I really hate…

What is the title of your latest release?RACHEL WEST AND THE FALLEN STARLET What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?AND THE FALLEN STARLET is a murder mystery set in 2008 Hollywood that follows tabloid copyeditor Rachel West, who befriends a former child star named Molly Byrne in a club bathroom one night. When Molly later turns up dead, Rachel is convinced foul play is involved and sets out to uncover the truth. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I knew right from the start that I wanted the story to be set in Hollywood! Rachel West explores celebrity and fame, so it was a very natural backdrop for the events of the book. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?I would! Rachel definitely has some walls up, but I think she’d be fun to hit the clubs with! What are three words that describe your protagonist?Quick-witted, determined, guarded. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I got very well acquainted with 2008 pop culture! Of course, I lived through it too, but in setting the book in 2008, I feel like I’ve developed a whole bank of knowledge on the trends…

What is the title of your latest release?THE DROWNED SIREN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A dark academia thriller on obsession, love, and violence. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?It’s set in St Andrews, a small town in Scotland where I go to university! As soon as I arrived to start my degree, I knew the mix of small-town intrigue and gothic setting (have you seen our castle?) would be perfect for a novel. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Not in a million years – as the only survivor of a mysterious accident, Eleanor isn’t someone you’d want to hang around. What are three words that describe your hero?Obsessive, delusional, and ambitious (do you see why I don’t want to hang out with her?) What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learnt a lot about pacing – THE DROWNED SIREN is structured through a series of jumps forwards and backwards in time, and keeping them all straight while keeping the tension building was a fun challenge that helped me work on keeping things structured. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I…

What is the title of your latest release?THE LAST LADY B What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Bridgerton meets The White Lotus. My heroine goes to a haunted Scottish abbey where her elderly husband’s first three wives died. Not to worry: this isn’t a gruesome or terrifying gothic, and my hero is delicious—but I did have fun with a ghost! How did you decide where your book was going to take place?A spooky Scottish abbey is perfect for a Gothic-esque novel Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! Evie is plucky, funny, and sweet—though I’d never play her at cards! What are three words that describe your hero?Brilliant, protective, ethical. Must add: gorgeous! What’s something you learned while writing this book?My heroine rescues a piglet, Peony, from being sent to the butcher. I had to do a load of research on baby pigs, even though very little of it shows up on the page! Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I edit as I go. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Chocolate-covered marshmallows Describe your writing space/office!I’m answering these questions from Florence, where I don’t have a desk! I’m sitting on a…