The ground was still damp from recent rains when I recognized the ridge where Gitlam and I had rescued the sand kittens. It had been over fifty years since I fled Egypt with my family, leaving me and Gitlam among the very few who remembered crossing the Sea of Reeds. At first, I thought we’d come to the wrong place. The lake was as I remembered, but there were only a few tents on the low hills around it. Instead, there were various permanent residences up on the hillside terraces, many sharing adjacent walls. Those located closer to the lake had olive trees on their terrace level to facilitate moving the harvest to the oil presses, while those higher up the hill had vineyards. Some structures were made of stone, others from mud and straw bricks like our ancestors had slaved to make in Egypt. Gitlam and I stood still in confusion. Some of these must house our adult children and grandchildren who’d remained in Kadesh Barnea while their fathers battled the Canaanites, but I didn’t recognize anyone. Suddenly we were surrounded by children yelling, “Grandfather, Grandmother.” Two of the younger girls grabbed my hands and began pulling me up…

How would you describe your family or your childhood? I never had a childhood. When you’re an orphan, abandoned on the hardscrabble streets of the worst slum in Regency London, you grow up fast—or you don’t survive. I learned to be tough as nails and very good as picking the pockets of rich gentleman . . . a skill which led to an encounter that changed my life, and put my toughness to a more honorable purpose. Where do you live? I tend to move around a lot, but my home—when I’m there—is Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies, though I have to admit, the name makes me and my fellow students laugh. I mean, we are extraordinary, but we’re certainly not ladies! We’re highly trained spies . . . and assassins, if need be. (You really don’t want to mess with us.) What do you do for a living? In a nutshell, I’m called upon to undertake very dangerous and difficult missions to keep King and Country safe from its enemies. While the aristocratic young ladies of London are dancing at Almack’s or flirting in the drawing rooms of Mayfair, I’m matching wits with diabolically clever villains. That…

I love a book filled with mystery, thrills, or suspense. I also love romance. Having a writing career that lets me write all of it? Priceless! I’ve written romantic suspense with undercover operatives and dark secrets as HelenKay Dimon for years. I started writing darker thrillers (no romance!) under the name Darby Kane and have published five of them so far. But for the last few years, I’ve also branched out into what I’d call the romantic caper.  These are lighter mysteries with some humor and romance and lots of family messiness. My newest, THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM, is about a woman who approaches her grandmother and her grandmother’s “best friend” with a proposition about their dessert business not knowing Grandma has a secret side venture—making poison pies to get rid of bad men. Oops! Kasey, who hasn’t figured out what she wants to do with her life, and her long-time, totally secret, opposites-attract crush, Jackson, join together to figure out what’s going on and then try to avoid disaster.  Books where the couple tries to solve a mystery while pretending the attraction for each other isn’t about to knock them over are great fun. Good luck running from your…

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…