Book Title: REBELLIOUS (Portrait of a Woman book 3) Character Name: Harmony Jones How would you describe your family or your childhood? Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but they can be a bit much. My father is a big, strapping lumberjack while my mother is a dainty homemaker, and they have the perfect marriage even at the ripe age of seventy. I grew up the baby and only daughter with seven older brothers. Needless to say, my mother didn’t get the girly girl she had hoped for. I am a tomboy through and through. What was your greatest talent? My greatest talent is making people laugh. I love to have fun and not take life too seriously. Significant other? I don’t have one and that’s the problem. I don’t need marriage. I just want a partner to share life with. The men in my small town are intimidated by me, especially since someone is going around spreading rumors that I’m a witch casting spells to make them love me. Biggest challenge in relationships? What can I say, I like to lead. It takes a lot for me to let my guard down and be vulnerable. I’d rather…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE MUSE OF MAIDEN LANE (Belles of London, Book 4) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A silver-haired Victorian equestrienne and a charismatic pre-Impressionist artist turn a scandalous bargain into a vibrant portrait of love. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Muse is the fourth book in my Belles of London series, set primarily in London. The additional locations were determined early in the series. Stella’s family is from Derbyshire, and Teddy is obsessed with the paintings of J. M. W. Turner. When Teddy has a chance to let a house in Maiden Lane—the place of Turner’s birth—he doesn’t let the opportunity pass him by. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Stella is an equestrienne like me, and we could have lots of fun talking horses. I’m also a huge fan of Impressionism, so would get along great with Teddy Hayes. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Skillful, daring, loyal. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I got to do a deep dive into early Impressionism, with particular emphasis on the painting studio of artist…

King City lights swarmed my vision as we drove in. Around us, the bustle of the city filled the streets, crowds pushing their way to their destination. Even this late in the evening, there were people everywhere. Joe rolled up the windows, but we could still hear the clamor come in from outside. As the wheels of the truck glided across the frozen pavement, my mind traveled back home. I surely hoped Mom was all right running the cafe on her own. I had asked fellow witch and my good friend Cilia to help but it still worried me to leave her unattended. That woman could burn the place down in seconds. I shuddered, trying not to worry myself into a shaking mess in the front seat. Joe brought the car to a stop in front of a boarded up convenience store and unbuckled his seat belt. “The lounge is not too far from here,” he announced. “Brian said there’s no parking, so I hope you don’t mind the walk.” As we made our way to the exclusive lounge Brian’s friend reserved, I couldn’t help but gape. The city was a far cry from Orchard Hollow. No one smiled or…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BEAUTIFUL BROKEN LOVE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A grieving widow who isn’t looking for love meets a charming NBA player who will do anything to have her. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m from Charlotte, and it is a growing city. I know the area pretty well, so I figured why not? 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. In this case, I have two protagonists, and they are both cool people I could hang with. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Davina: Smart. Kind. Strong. Deke: Charming. Goofy. Passionate. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned there are different ways in which people heal from a loss. What one person does to get by may not look the same as what another person does. Seeing that happen with two different characters was beautiful. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I used to edit as I drafted and it 100% slowed me down. Now, I just bang it all out until it reaches the messy…

All You Had to do Was Stay – Taylor Swift Our heroine Maddie is used to getting abandoned by people in her life. She’s built walls around her heart, protecting herself with sarcasm and snark. Our hero Dom struggles to find a way to be what she needs, and the task is even harder because she loved him once. But he left her, and that’s where this T Swift song meshes so perfectly with the story. All Dom had to do was stay, and Maddie would have given him every piece of her. So now the question is, can she ever trust him again? Still Into You – Paramore This song is mentioned in the book! One of my favorite scenes has our stoic hero Dom coming out of his shell to sing some songs in memory of his best friend. And for a guy who spent his teen years crushing on Hayley Williams, what better to sing than some Paramore? This song in particular hits hard with this being a second chance romance. After all this time, Maddie and Dom are still into each other. Long Haul – Ian Munsick I love Ian Munsick’s western music so much, and…

1–What is the title of your latest release? STREETLIGHT PEOPLE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? STREETLIGHT PEOPLE is the story of an eerie little town named Streetlight that has a firm socioeconomic divide. But when Kady—part of Streetlight’s working class—attends the annual Halloween carnival and walks away with a prize that enables her to change time, she’s convinced she can finally make things look the way she’s always wanted them to—starting with convincing her wealthy boyfriend Nik to finally take her to the coveted and highly secretive ball that’s hosted every year by his exclusive social club, The IV Boys. The only problem is that the more Kady changes the clock, the more dizzying reality becomes, until the moment that she discovers that Streetlight is filled with monsters, and maybe she’s always been one, too. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love settings that act as characters, so I knew I wanted to create a town for this story that felt like it had a personality all its own. I always intended for this book to feel a little bit magical and a little bit eerie, so I set out…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE JEWEL OF THE ISLE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I knew I wanted the story to take place somewhere incredibly remote. I also thought it would be fun to write a book that takes place in a national park. So I researched all the U.S. national parks, and Isle Royale was the perfect fit. It’s so remote that you can only get there by ferry or seaplane, and its home to wolves and moose and everything that would make an indoorsy person feel totally out of their element. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d love to hang out with Emily because she knows her way around HomeGoods like nobody’s business, and we could bond over our love of off-price furnishings and romance books. Plus, she’s an ER physician, so she’d be great to have around in the event of an emergency. And I’d love to hang out with Ryder…

My mom was a big mystery fan. Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark were her go to authors. To my junior high self, it was uncool to read my mom’s books. To outwit or intrigue me, she suggested MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS was too complicated for her to understand. A dead body on a snow stranded train with most of the suspects women. She didn’t get it. As a service to her, I read the book. No spoilers, simply a mystery writing master class. Since then, I’ve been hooked on whodunits. Not only for the stories, but life lessons. First impressions are usually right, trust those Spidey senses. Be quiet and listen to what is said and unsaid. Observing adornments and body language add to the full picture of each person. So much free information is offered up. Everything is small stuff, details matter. Beauty and pain can hide in the shadows. Everyone has secrets, for good and for bad. All add to their story and its up to you to accept or reject them where they stand. Most importantly, life is full of problems and challenges. Be able to step back, push aside the emotions of the moment,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BODY BROKERS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Attorney Jason Feldman’s world is shattered when his girlfriend dies of a fentanyl overdose. His journey to the truth will take him into the belly of the beast, where life is cheap and the reality, catastrophic. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up in Pittsburgh, and being intimately familiar with its beauty, quirks, and nuance, the primary setting was never in doubt. I chose Kensington (Philadelphia) because I am very familiar with the community struggles around fentanyl. With its proximity to Pittsburgh, it was the perfect choice. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes. As a lawyer in addiction recovery like Jason, I understand the chaos and uncertainty that can accompany it. That creates shared experiences. He is also a Pittsburgh guy to the core, so we’d have lots to talk about and similar local interests like Pittsburgh Pirates games and great local food. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Defiant, methodical, pragmatic 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? The most interesting/compelling characters can be…

From Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney. Copyright © 2024 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Chapter 2 Daisy and I crowded through the doorway to see a young man wearing jeans and a sweater sprawled on an orange vinyl sofa, his eyes at half-mast. Empty plastic drink bottles lay scattered on the floor and a bakery box sat on the coffee table. Party for one? The young man groaned, clutching his stomach, and a whiff of vomit drifted to my nose. Ugh. I bumped into Daisy, who was also backing away. “Who is he?” I asked. “Is he drunk?” I couldn’t think why else he would be so sick. “Maybe.” Watching where she stepped, Charlotte made her way to the sofa. “Barnaby.” She pushed at his shoulder. “Barnaby. You need to leave.” “Is he your boyfriend?” Daisy asked. “No. My grandfather’s step-grandson.” Charlotte peered closely at Barnaby’s face. “He doesn’t look right. His face is green.” With a sigh, Daisy edged past me and went over to the sofa. “It could be alcohol poisoning. We’d better call an ambulance.” “If so, where is the alcohol?” Charlotte pointed out. “I only see energy drinks.”…