A Kingdom of Deceit and Desire by Leslie O’Sullivan Chapter 1 The King’s Riddle My curtsy before Finnbheara, the King of the Connacht Fae, sets my eyes inches from well-formed thighs which his fitted silver and white metallic tunic does nothing to hide. I immediately lower my head to avoid the appearance of ogling the Faerie king. Impropriety is not a great start when I’m on the verge of bargaining with a mythical figure for the destiny I need to control. My raging nerves are a bold contrast to the gentle strains of a violin and the barest hint of bells permeating the light mist surrounding us. It’s only been moments, but time flaunts its gift of endlessness as I wait for his response to my proposal. What have I done? I’ve asked this man, a Fae King, possibly the most powerful ruler of the Tuath Dé Dannan, the Irish Fae, to bargain with me. The Eala Duir I thought I was would never dream of being so bold. Dream. I wish I were dreaming. My current predicament mocks even the most outrageous of my dreams. This place, this reality, the Tír na nÓg where I stand, is the fodder…

I don’t write while listening to music (unless it’s instrumental music) because I have a tendency to start typing the lyrics by accident! I do, however, have a playlist for some of my books. The playlist for SERVANT OF EARTH, my dark, sexy Fae romantasy novel, is full of atmospheric music about haunted woods, forbidden desire, and dangerous heroines. Here are five standout tracks from that playlist: 1. “In the Woods Somewhere” by Hozier. This was the first song I put on my playlist for SERVANT OF EARTH, back when I was still plotting it out. Hozier appears more than once on my playlist, but this eerie, atmospheric track about running from an unknown creature in the woods sets the mood I wanted for the story. In the first few chapters, the heroine, Kenna, finds herself fleeing for her life across a mist-shrouded bog, escaping one monster only to realize she’s fallen into the claws of far worse ones (the beautiful, mercurial, and brutal Fae). “I found something in the woods somewhere…” 2. “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” by MISSIO. This song is equally sexy and menacing, which is why it’s the perfect song to pair with the Fae…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MISTLETOE, MUTTS AND MURDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Christmas is coming to Wings Falls, New York, but Santa is found “run over by a reindeer”. Who would want to harm the jolly old guy? Was someone on his naughty list and wanted to silence his Ho, Ho, Ho? When Samantha Davies’s father and his best friend are accused of his murder, she and her beloved dachshund, Porkchop, set out to prove them innocent, much to her boyfriend, Detective Hank Johnson’s chagrin. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love small town settings for cozy mysteries. I’m fortunate that I live in an area surrounded by these sweet little towns, so I can draw on them for inspiration. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. She’s loyal to her family and friends. The kind of person you can tell your deepest secrets to. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Brave, compassionate, and loyal 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That it’s okay not to be tied to the computer. That I can take days off…

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…