1–What is the title of your latest release? PATHWAY TO LAVENDER VALLEY, Book 2 in the Sisters of the Heart Series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? One letter has the power to change the lives of five women forever. Harriet “Harry” is retiring from her career in law enforcement when she receives a letter naming her the executor of her foster mother’s estate. Along with handling Jewel’s farm and a lavender festival, she has to find four other women she’s never met who Jewel calls her sisters of the heart. Will Harry be able to fulfill Jewel’s last wish and take a new path in her life? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love lavender fields and came up with the setting for this series first. I wanted to craft a story set on a lavender farm. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! Harry is someone I’d love to have as a friend. She’s no-nonsense and very capable, intelligent, and a natural problem solver. She’s got a great sense of humor and while she’s put her career first and doesn’t have a huge circle of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MAFIA SINNER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Serafina disliked Carmine when they were twelve. She loathed him at eighteen. But now he’s not the man she thinks he is, and now he intends to make her his. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The entire world, The Syndicate Wars, takes place in New York City. That’s the hub of where people think of organized crime and the Mafia. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I think I would hang out with both Serafina and Carmine. The man he is now in this redemption story is different from the way he was throughout The Ivankov Brotherhood. He’s humbler, and you realize he’s really a wounded hero. Serafina’s smart with a wicked sense of humor, and I do love a good pastry (she owns a bakery). 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Carmine: suave, charming, protective Serafina: intelligent, resourceful, independent 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned the Mafia in Venice is the Mala de Brenta. It’s also called Mafia veneta or Mafia del Piovese. It…

1–What is the title of your latest release? PLAYING FOR KEEPS   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  A former attorney decides to quit the rat race and ends up in a small town where she falls for a cute security guard, who’s trying to save up enough money to escape said small town.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  It’s loosely based on my own personal favorite small town – Galena, Illinois.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  I would. She’s smart and funny, and I respect her decision to start living her life on her own terms—which means mostly wearing pajamas.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Loyal, patient, empathetic   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  A lot of new legal terms and basketball jargon!   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I usually do a few step-backs as I go along. I’ll write the first quarter of the novel, then go back and revise. Then write the next quarter, and go back to the beginning. I keep doing this over…

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 Stephenia H. McGee!   Writes: Hi y’all! I write wholesome historical romance set in charming Southern towns featuring feisty heroines and valiant heroes. My latest novel, THE SWINDLER’S DAUGHTER, is a 1912 romance about a woman who discovers her mother isn’t actually a widow, her estranged father just died in jail, and she’s become one rather unusual heiress. When she lands in a backwoods Georgia town to sort out the mess, she immediately collides with a stalwart cowboy who seems dead set on foiling her plans.   About: I’m a Southern gal from Mississippi, where I spend my days researching history, scribbling away at stories, and sipping sweet tea. I love all things books, am a sucker for a happily-ever-after and can usually be found posting pictures about my dog on Instagram.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: I’m looking to match up with readers who: Enjoy wholesome hometown Southern charm Love feisty heroines who aren’t afraid to face challenges…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BOOK THAT WOULDN’T BURN This is not a challenge, but if you do manage to burn a copy then the prize is buying yourself a replacement. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? My earliest memories are of towering bookshelves and a vast library. I was two and my mother was a librarian. This book tries to capture that magic. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It always had to be a library. Quite how vast and how old and how strange that library was had yet to be decided. I decided to max it out on all fronts. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? There are two point-of-view characters in the book. One is a young girl with a brilliant mind and an excess of personality, the other is a dangerous young man who his family describe as “cursed with kindness”. The girl, Livira, has a studious and rather repressed friend who she variously shocks, outrages, drives mad, and inspires. I’m like that friend, and like him I’d probably end up following her into trouble. 5–What are three words…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SCARLET 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The French Revolution with the Scarlet Pimpernel – and vampires. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The theme of the book decided where it would take place – a story about the Scarlet Pimpernel and the French Revolution really needs to be set in France and England, unless there was a strong narrative reason for it to extend beyond there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d hang out with her, but I’m not sure she’d hang out with me – I suspect she’d consider me lazy, self-indulgent, somewhat spoilt by my personal privileges, and not putting enough effort into my hobbies (knitting, quilting) to get really good at them. I mean, she wouldn’t be rude, but we just don’t have that much in common. (Though she might borrow any Gothic novels I have.) 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determination. Ignorance. Growth. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned how difficult it is to keep modern similes and metaphors out of my language. I was writing from…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After eradicating two restless spirits in her fixer-upper Creole Cottage in New Orleans, Nola is ready to restart her new life despite the annoying presence of unavailable Beau Ryan and the unexpected arrival of an old flame.  Except things don’t go as planned as it becomes clear that one ghost remains; an evil spirit with a big secret to hide who will stop at nothing to keep it hidden—even violence. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I lived in New Orleans for four years during college and fell in love with the haunted and mysterious atmosphere of the city.  It was perfect for a series about old houses, the spirits that haunt them, and a young woman with a difficult past who loves architectural relics and isn’t afraid to battle a ghost or two. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes!  She’s smart, funny, and caring—the perfect friend. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? In addition to the above (smart, funny, and caring), I’ll add resilient, brave and…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LOCAL GONE MISSING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a local man disappears from a small seaside town, detective Elise King is unwillingly dragged from her sick bed to investigate. She soon finds out that the town is full of secrets and hidden connections that run deeper and darker than she could have imagined. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love plunging in and discovering a whole new world. And this time I was helped by the fact that my husband and I moved back to the UK from France and found ourselves living by the sea for the first time. Coastal towns and villages look so idyllic – the sea sparkling, the beach busy with surfers and swimmers, ice creams and little cafes with queues of holidaymakers outside. But take a look at the online neighborhood forums for the reality. They are often a masterclass in barely contained fury. In amongst the ads for pre-loved sofas and window replacement are people festering about the things they see every day – fly tipping, dog mess, blocked views, bad parking. And weekenders, of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? NOT TODAY, CUPID   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Tech billionaire Nick Hart has sworn off love and romance, so when his brothers challenge him to plan a Valentine’s social with the sweet, quirky assistant who’s been secretly stuffing the corporate suggestion box, Cupid’s arrows won’t be the only thing flying! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  The series follows a trio of brothers who are self-made tech billionaires, so Austin, Texas (aka Silicon Hills) was a natural fit as it’s one of the fastest growing cities for tech.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Abso-freaking-lutely. Scarlett is such a fun character and I love that like so many twenty-somethings, she’s trying to spread her wings and find her place in the world while navigating work, school, familial obligations, and romance.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Guarded. Determined. Protective.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Frenchies aren’t great running partners. (LOL. I am a hardcore researcher and I always pick up a ton of random facts when writing a new book.)…

Hi, I’m Ann H. Gabhart. I love talking about my showboat story, IN THE SHADOW OF THE RIVER and had a great time sharing about my characters and more in this fun Title Challenge Post.   I – Illusion – Illusion is an obvious theme on the showboat as dramas and other acts are presented to the patrons who stream down to the showboat to be entertained. But illusion is also an underlying theme when Jacci Reed realizes that much of what she has believed about her life may be nothing but shifting shadows. N – Night – Each night after the showboat ties up at a landing it is show time for the actors and actresses aboard, but sometimes the night can hold dangers or reveal secrets from the past.   T – Talents – A showboat cast had an array of talents. My characters showcased their acrobatic, singing, dancing, ventriloquism talents, and more. Jacci started doing song and dance numbers with her grandfather when she was five. H – Heart – Gabe has been in love with Jacci forever, but she thinks of him as a brother. He needs to find a way to reveal the true feelings…