Chapter 1. The Demonic Locomotive   1: The story of the death of Sir Martin Malprelate acquired, from its earliest telling, a phantasmagorical quality, shrouding the violence of the assault in an embellishment of diabolic spectres and uncanny mystery. Strip it down to the bare facts and what did we have? One old man, beaten to death, on a night of freezing fogs, in November. A tale deplorable in itself, and deplorably common in this age of ours  – concerning which, pressed between iron and stone, I do not need to elaborate. The story of this killing became tangled up with the story of the railway the man himself was building: or say rather, the railway he was forcing through the material tissue of London, into its very heart. Nor was Sir Martin possessed of friends to decry his posthumous fabulation. An unbenevolent man, grasping, assertive, an individual who put his enormous wealth into the service of only that wealth’s further augmentation. A miser, a skinflint, wealthy but sour, selfish and solitary. No-one could gainsay his energy, of course, even in his eighth decade alive. He was often to be seen, stalking along the London streets (for he rarely travelled…

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1–What is the title of your latest release? THE ROARING DAYS OF ZORA LILY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The discovery of a hidden label on a famous gown unearths the story of a talented young seamstress in this glittering novel of family, love, ambition, and self-discovery. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The name Zora Lily was actually the name of my great-great-grandmother. Because we have roots in Seattle from the time period the book is set in, there was no question in my mind where the story would take place. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. I adore who Zora is. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, loyal, and visionary. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Ooh… so many facts about Seattle. One of my favorites was about Elise Olmstead, the wife of a Seattle policeman, and one of the city’s most successful bootleggers. She did an evening radio show for children, telling bedtime stories. It was rumored she slipped in information for bootleggers, letting them know where police officers were so they wouldn’t get caught. 7–Do you edit…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE is an edgy romantic drama about a singer-songwriter, Maggie Vine, who at two different points in her life, asks two separate men to show up and marry her when she turns 35. And they both show up. Filled with the romance and angst that defines the years you come to know yourself, and told over the span of two decades, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a novel of second chances and finding your own way. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted to accurately dive into the life of a struggling singer-songwriter, from her early-twenties to her mid-thirties, and the live music scene in New York was easily the perfect setting. New York is polarizing. It’s a place where all your dreams are just within reach, yet it’s the hardest place to make it as a musician. The intimate and iconic live music venues—where indie sleaze once thrived, and popstars were discovered—capture some of the highs and lows of Maggie’s career. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE DEVIL’S PROMISE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Erasmo Cruz is a paranormal investigator in San Antonio, TX. He takes on a client, Bradly Erickson, who is convinced that he made a deal with the devil. When Bradley’s child is stolen, Erasmo must uncover the secrets behind a cult and the blood demon they worship. But if he’s not careful, Erasmo might be tempted to make his own deal with the devil. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was born and raised in San Antonio, and still live here now. I’ve always felt that San Antonio has been underrepresented in books and movies as a setting, so it was important to me that The Devil’s Promise takes place here. My first book, The Ghost Tracks, also takes place in San Antonio. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Erasmo Cruz is an expert in the paranormal, so it would be fun to chat with him about ghosts and urban legends and the cases he’s worked on. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Lonely, earnest, and determined….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SPRING MAIDEN, Book One of The Cartographer’s War 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Instead of wiling away on Mount Olympus, our favorite Greek gods play residents of Faerie and powerful mages strutting about the higher echelons of proper society. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I really wanted to put these characters somewhere they haven’t had a chance to be in before. I’m mutually obsessed with fairies and Greek mythology, so why not put them together? 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Probably. A lot of Penny’s personality traits are different than mine and I’ve found the phrase “opposites attract” to not only be applicable to romance but friendship as well. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, loyal, and adventurous. Penny is a girl that’s not afraid to kick butt and take names. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? How to write a book? Ha ha! This book is the second novel I’ve ever finished, and I learned that sometimes you have to take risks and force yourself to take leaps of faith…

Miranda Owen: The description for THE WITCHES OF BONE HILL says that it’s a “romantic novel”. Without giving too much away, could you explain that? Do you try to balance all your elements – like suspense, the paranormal, character building – or does one element dominate this story? Ava Morgyn: There is definitely a romantic interest for the main character of the novel, Cordelia Bone, which runs throughout the book. Romance doesn’t dominate the story—this novel is many things—but it plays an important role in Cordelia’s character arc and growth. I do try to balance elements in my work. This book, in particular, has a lot for readers to chew on. But I tend to lean into the supernatural and paranormal elements the hardest, I think.   How would you describe your setting? Rural, isolated even. Beautiful but eerie. I want my settings, and this one in particular, to be enchanting and almost fantastical but with a dark edge, so the characters and the readers never feel entirely at ease there. This gives the setting an unpredictability and animism that adds another layer to the story.   What appeals to you about writing about magic? Some authors write about magic…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE OTHER PRINCESS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an Egbado Princess, who was “gifted” to Queen Victoria when she was rescued from enslavement by a British Naval Officer 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? As a work of Historical Biographical fiction, the locations, time periods, names, and other historical benchmarks were already in place. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, my. A tough question for parts of her life were unimaginably difficult, still, her tremendous zeal for life is inspirational. I would have enjoyed spending time with her in two places: Brighton and The Lagos Colony in the 1860s. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Brilliant, strong-willed, optimistic 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? So much about West Africa and England during the Victoria Era. Mary Seacole was loved and admired by British soldiers for her work during the Crimean War. They sponsored a huge fundraiser for her in London after the war ended. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are…

Book Title: A COLD HIGHLAND WIND Character Name: Lady Emily Hargreaves   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My older twin brothers died of influenza when they were thirteen, leaving me alone with my parents. My father, Earl Bromley, is descended from Vikings and indulged my love of reading. My mother indulged me not in the slightest; I agreed to marry my first husband primarily to escape her household. One can only tolerate having one’s waist measured and criticized so many times. In my case, that was once.   What was your greatest talent? I have an affinity for translating ancient Greek texts.   Significant other? I married Colin Hargreaves more than a decade ago. The beginning of our relationship was somewhat dodgy. First, he was my late first husband’s best friend, a fact that still gives me pangs of guilt. Second, I thought he’d murdered said late first husband. Fortunately, I was wrong. Colin is as classically handsome as a Praxiteles sculpture, believes women to be as capable as their male counterparts, and does discreet, confidential work for the Crown.  The latter occasionally proves problematic.   Where do you live? When in London, I can be…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GLORY BE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? “Murder She Wrote,” but with an African American lead.  Make it Louisiana instead of Cabot Cove. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Originally, I was going to set the book in New Orleans, which has such a mystique and strangeness to it. But ultimately, I set it in Lafayette because I’m familiar with it. I spent nearly every childhood summer in Lafayette, and return a few times a year.  Setting it in Lafayette gave me the opportunity to show more of the “real” Louisiana, like the endless amounts of strip malls, chaotic zoning, and the countryside. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? She would probably want to be BFFs with the actress Jennifer Lewis, who I imagine to be around Glory’s age. I could see the two of them gossiping and complaining about the world around them, as well as reminiscing about how things used to be. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Determined, overlooked, and proud. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned about the importance…