1–What is the title of your latest release? SERENDIPITY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A group of friends decide to rent a share house in Ocean Beach, Fire Island for three weekends over the course of one summer. Drama ensues! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? After setting my debut novel in the titular community of Kismet, Fire Island, I knew that I wanted my second book to be a return to the beach. Fire Island is actually comprised of seventeen different, distinct towns, and while I spend the majority of my summertime in Kismet with my husband’s family, I had a very memorable experience in Ocean Beach in 2018, when my friends and I rented a share house in that buzzy, renter-friendly community a few towns down, for three weekends over one summer. When it came time to write Serendipity, I immediately had the idea to use those three weekends as a three-act structure for a friend group novel. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! My protagonist Maggie and I have a lot of similarities: we both hate showing up anywhere empty handed, can find…

Scott Fitzgerald is quoted as saying to Ernest Hemingway, “You know the rich are different from you and me.”  Novels, movies, and streaming series are often focused on the rich and powerful.  As a reader I almost always enjoy them. Their characters lead lives we dream of.  They often face “first world” problems: “Darling, the maid quit without giving notice!” or “I can’t possibly wear that old Dior gown to the party.  Everybody saw it at the Metropolitan Ball.”  We folks may fantasize about those challenges, maybe even envy them, but then return to figuring out how to pay for the new furnace. Often the problems faced by the wealthy can and are solved with money.  Hire a new maid.  Buy a new dress at Neiman-Marcus.  But in the best stories they inevitably face problems that wealth alone cannot solve: betrayal, infidelity, scandal, and reputational ruin.  They’re often ill prepared to deal with their own “real world” problems.  Simply writing a check doesn’t work! Wealth, power, betrayal and romance are powerful themes that intrigue and satisfy readers.  Those elements combined with the story of a rich family in turmoil can make the narrative all but irresistible. That prompted me to begin writing the five-book Feldman Family saga well before the launch of the hit series Succession, which…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DEAR DOTTY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In DEAR DOTTY, Rosie Benson is giving adulthood her best shot – with mixed results. She tries to please her (controlling) mother, keep up with her (over-achieving) brother and (workaholic) best friend, and pretend that she doesn’t hate selling software at a trendy start-up. When her life unravels, Rosie turns to her great aunt Dotty, a globetrotting, martini-swilling, pug-toting octogenarian for support. But then Dotty dies, and Rosie is left to pick up the pieces all on her own. As she learns more about how Dotty lived through a series of emails from her many friends, Rosie starts to think that maybe there’s more than one right way to be an adult. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I spent the majority of my twenties in San Francisco – it’s where I figured out how to be an adult (well, mostly) so it only felt natural to share that experience with my protagonist, Rosie. Rosie is twenty-four and has a lot to figure out. If you’re feeling a little lost, San Francisco is a great place…

1–What is the title of your latest release? IN A DARK MIRROR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Lana and Maddie form a friendship with Sage, a new girl in their neighborhood, but Sage has no idea that they intend to lure her into the woods as a sacrifice to Him. Ten years later, after being released from a psychiatric institution, Maddie tries to piece her life back together but finds herself at risk of falling back into delusion when she joins an online community for fans of her crime. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The plot of the book was inspired by a real-life crime, so I knew I wanted to change the setting as a clear signal to readers that this is a work of fiction. I decided to set it in the Maryland suburbs where I grew up because I felt I could write about that setting in an authentic way that drew from my own experiences. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Probably not. In real life, I think I would be scared of Maddie. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?…

Ormonde came to a stop before her, and the breath in Tessa’s lungs became stuck. Was he here to gloat? For that was certainly triumph singing in his summer-blue eyes. Was he… oh… was he here to claim his one night? As the Duchess of Acaster began to make introductions, Tessa interrupted. “The marquess and I are acquainted.” The duchess’s eyebrows looked as if they would lift off her forehead as her gaze flicked back and forth between Tessa and Ormonde. She was adding one and one together and clearly arriving at two. And the subtle smile curved about Ormonde’s mouth… It held more than triumph. Arrogance. One would expect as much from a victor. But his smile held something else, too—something solely for her. Determination. If she’d harbored the slender hope that he would forgive her debt without claiming it, like a gentleman should, all such hope was immediately dashed. Then he bowed, pivoted, and strode away. Was that a swagger she detected in his step? Who was this Marquess of Ormonde? “You’re acquainted with the marquess?” Tessa realized she was staring at the back of the man. Or, more accurately, the backside of the man. My, but he…

1–What is the title of your latest release? IN THE HOUR OF CROWS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A woman in Appalachia can talk the death out of the dying and she uses her gift to solve the murder of her cousin. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My stories usually have a Southern setting. It comes natural to me since I was born and raised in Tennessee. When I started researching Appalachian folklore, I knew the mountains was where I wanted to set my story. But the Appalachian Mountains sprawl up the east coast, hitting twelve states. Narrowing down to just one was a little harder. Even as a native Tennessean, Georgia felt more right for the story. The towns I write about are always fictitious, loosely based on a certain area I’ve focused on. The same goes for this book: “Black Fern, Georgia. Where death shrouds with a heavy hand.” 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? If I were in my twenties, I think I would. I didn’t smoke weed or drink whiskey at twenty-three like my main character, but I had friends who were…

Top 10 Secret Fears of a New Bride For many years, I owned a bridal boutique where I designed custom-made dresses in a quaint studio. The serene atmosphere often prompted soul-searching and, consequently, many tears were shed. I’ve been told I have that effect on people. Designing, cutting, sewing, and fittings all occurred in a tranquil environment where I spent most of my time listening. Choosing a dress was an important decision, but there were also many other concerns that sometimes surprised me. I spent so much tie listening, that I learned a great deal about the human spirit, even during what was supposed to be the happiest moment of someone’s life. I learned more than I ever expected and eventually figured out the best advice to allay those fears. Here, I’ll start with the most common and count down to the most surprising.   Mother-In-Laws There was no greater bone of contention than the worry of satisfying a future mom-in-law in choosing the right dress. The stress of wanting to be accepted is universal. The dress is the primary representation of where styles will clash. Many times, I’ve seen both mother and mothers-in-law attend the design and fitting discussion….

1–What is the title of your latest release? STUART WOODS’ SMOLDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Stone Barrington faces a new threat to a legacy dear to him, from an old vindictive enemy. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? To me, it’s important to use locations that feel organic to whatever story I’m writing, and such was the case with Smolder. Given the rich history of the Stone Barrington series, I had many excellent choices that not only seamlessly serve the story, but also are familiar to series fans. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Who wouldn’t? Stone Barrington is a multi-millionaire, with homes in New York City, Maine, Los Angeles, and Europe. He is friends with interesting people, and if I were ever to get into trouble, he would be an excellent person to have my back. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, confident, and compassionate. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? How humbled and honored I feel to have been given the task of continuing Stuart Woods’ legacy. It’s hard not to think about that when I’m working with his…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FOLLOW HER DOWN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Decades of doubt, fear, and suspicion won’t let a woman overcome her past when she returns to the hometown where her teenage sister was killed. A killer finally confessed, but the truth isn’t done with her yet. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I needed to isolate my character (this is always good, mean fun) but I also needed her near Silicon Valley for the plot. In the past few years, I’ve taken a few trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains, and I love the drive to Lake Tahoe, so I created a fictional highway and plopped the story right in the middle of the forest. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Elise might intimidate me a bit, but I love her scrappy, damaged heart. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Bold, independent, and vulnerable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I read a few research books about conspiracy theories, because a conspiracy is at the heart of this story. I learned that certain conspiracies always…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ANNA BRIGHT IS HIDING SOMETHING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Dropout meets Inventing Anna in this cinematic and page-turning summer read! A ripped-from-the-headlines story set in the glossy offices of Silicon Valley startups and NYC new media, Anna Bright Is Hiding Something explores our fascination with female founders breaking barriers—and sometimes behaving badly in the process. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted it to be about a Silicon Valley startup so that decided that. And then I wanted to create tension with my second character having to travel outside her comfort zone, so I had her based in NYC. That allowed me also to explore where Jamie works in the world of NYC digital media. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely Jamie. Definitely not Anna! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? JAMIE: earnest, ambitious, disciplined ANNA: enigmatic, arrogant, bold 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? All the stages of an IPO – taking a company public. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I try not to edit too much…