The first time I went to Seoul after all that had gone down with Duri, I wasn’t trying to look for him. But when a person you used to know goes away because you left them on the side of the Pacific Ocean on the night his entire world changed and took an entire music industry with it, sometimes the only solace you can afford is to trace some of his steps. See if we can catch a whiff of what he must’ve seen or smelled when he was just another Kpop trainee from outside the city trying to navigate the South Korean capital for the first time, before he became the kind of Kpop idol who could never again walk the streets of Gangnam or anywhere else for that matter because it’d be a fire hazard at that point—the mobs he’d draw. Day 1: Gangnam Style I landed on an otherwise dull day on the week of June, before the monsoons. “Monsoon season, really?” My friend-turned-frenemy Trish said when she heard about the original dates mid-month I had planned on going, right after my birthday. “I hope you like being wet.” “I do, but not from the weather,” I…

After close to a decade of armed war between pro-slavery and free-state forces, Kansas joined the Union as a Free State on January 29, 1861. This led an enraged South to fire on Ft. Sumter and secede from the Union three months later. My family moved to Lawrence, Kansas in 1951, when I was four. Our first few nights in town were spent at the Eldridge Hotel, which had been the headquarters for the anti-slavery leadership – it was twice burned to the ground by so-called border ruffians. I grew up on the legends of the free state. In 1954, for the centennial of the founding of Lawrence, we acted out the bravery of the  free-state women. They sewed bullets into their crinolines to smuggle ammunition past the slavers, and they held onto homesteads in the face of arson and horrific assaults at the hands of slavers. That history has always haunted me. I’ve continued to read about it, and write about it, through a number of short stories and in three previous novels. Pay Dirt brings VI Warshawski to my hometown, far outside her comfort zone, although the crimes she faces are all too familiar to her. As I…

Book Title: ONE OF US KNOWS Character Name: Bad Day System (Members: Ken, Solomon, Della, Empress, Keke, Mesmer, Lurk)   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Ken: ADHD means I have a Swiss cheese memory and the amnesia from dissociative identity disorder makes it a thousand times worse. I don’t remember much of my childhood beyond getting in fights with classmates and disappointing my parents. Solomon: They weren’t disappointed, just worried. Keke: Don’t be sad, Ken. Mommy and daddy loved us very much. Ken: I’m not sad.   What’s your greatest talent? Solomon: Drawing and design for me, painting and conceptualizing for Ken. Ken: I used to think it was art, but we all know that isn’t true, so I guess the ability to spectacularly f*ck everything up. Empress: My greatest talent is drawing spectacular eff-ing in my NSFW furry art commissions; kinda the same thing, right?   Significant other? Solomon: Yes? Ken: NO. Mesmer: It’s complicated.   Biggest challenge in relationships? Empress: The fact that I’m a teenager, but my body is a 37-year-old woman. Ken: Having a bunch of squatters in my brain judging me for trying to have some fun. Solomon:  communication. Della: Ken…

1–What is the title of your latest release? KATE’S WAR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? With the threat of invasion and bombing by Germany hanging heavily over England at the start of World War II, twenty-year-old Kate is devastated when she’s forced to postpone her dream of a singing career to help out at home. When she finds herself responsible for the well-being of a young Jewish girl, her priorities change in ways she never imagined. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up just South of London and this seemed like the ideal setting for a historical novel about World War II, since the location was nine miles from the center of London and vulnerable to bombing. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, especially as she appears at the end of the book. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Talented and responsible, but insecure at first. Eventually courageous. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I didn’t know much about WW II in England, so I had to inform myself. I read a lot of books! 7–Do you edit as you…

Avenging Angel by Kristen Ashley Life’s A Beach, Book 1, Hawaii Heat Series by Jamie K. Schmidt Unspoken Bonds, Book 2, Long Shot Series by Michelle Grey The Arrangement, Book 1, Arrangement Novels by Kiersten Modglin Trident Security Series, Book 2, Trident Security Series: A Special Collection by Samantha Cole SEAL Protectors (Alpha SEALs Box Set) by Makenna Jameison To Love A Lawman Box Set, To Love A Lawman Series by Peggy McKenzie Within the Castle Gates Books 1-4, Within the Castle Gates Series by Candee Fick The Fairy Tales Collection by Elizabeth Kelly Mahu Books 1-3, Mahu Investigations Series by Neil S. Plakcy Shot Taker, Book 2, King of the Court Series by Piper Lawson Unquenchable Cravings: Last Chance on Love, Book 2, Hard to Catch Series by Natasza Waters Get In My Swamp: An Ogre Love Story, Book 1, Get In My Swamp Series by G.M. Fairy Coffee & Curves: Books 0-2, Book 1, Coffee & Curves Bundles by L. Moone The 5-Time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King, Book 1, Coalescence of the Five by Stina’s Pen Secrets of Ruin, Book 11, The Shadow Realms Series by Brenda K. Davies Not Quite a Marriage by Bliss Bennet…

Book Title: BRUTAL CAPO Character Name: Salvatore   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My family has been part of the Cosa Nostra since its inception. I guess you would say we are your typical Italian-American family. Except, not all of our businesses are strictly legal. And our way of dealing with problems might be considered a little extreme by some.   I was raised to be a Capo. Every game I played in my childhood was part of my training. Patty Cake is a way of training reflexes. Hide and Seek is away to learn stealth. Do I really need to explain squirt guns, paintball, and foam pellet gun fights? Every friend I made came from our mafia the Genovese Family.   What is your greatest talent? I run the clubs and launder money for our mafia, and I do it well. Is that a talent or necessity? I don’t know, but it’s my duty and that’s all that matters.   Significant other? Bianca sure as hell is significant and she’s mine.   Biggest challenge in relationships? I don’t do relationships…until I meet the gorgeous smart mouth who says no better than any woman I’ve met….

Whenever I start drafting a new project, I need to move. I have to walk around the city, ride my bike through the park, get on a bus or a train, or just start driving to nowhere, as long as I’m in transit. I don’t really know why, but that’s how I get my inspiration flowing. The whole time, I’m not completely present in any of the places I am, but rather in a meditative state. Part of that process is listening to music while I go — I imagine set pieces and characters, dialog and plot points, huge battles and tender moments. Maybe it has something to do with my career as a video editor in the games industry, as I see my stories unfold cinematically and envelop the reader/viewer/player into an undeniable vibe. Maybe it has something to do with my love for music—I’ve been involved in the local punk scene all my life. Whatever the reason, here are five of the songs I was listening to while I drafted The Last Phi Hunter at the tail end of 2020.     Beat the Devils Tattoo – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – “Beat The…

1–What is the title of your latest release? AN ENCHANTING CASE OF SPIRITS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a fortieth birthday celebration leads to ghostly visitors, three friends find themselves navigating surprising mysteries and spiritual hijinks. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m obsessed with the east coast. I wanted to create a fictional town, close to where Salem is located, playing up the whole witchy town vibes. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Of course! She’s basically my spirit animal. A woman who’s battled with insecurities throughout her life, hitting the big 4-0 and realizing that age comes with its own set of superpowers. We’ve got the wisdom and know-how that we didn’t have in our younger years, capable of tackling any challenge thrown our way. Alyssa discovers this about herself and undergoes some serious growth. It’s a journey—one that I can wholeheartedly relate to. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Over-thinker, loyal, determined 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I dove deep into tarot, getting a better understanding of its origins and how to read the cards. I’ve found that…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE STRANGE CASE OF THE PHAROAH’S HEART   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Sherlock Holmes takes on the curse of Tutankhamun.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Luxor and London were pretty much de rigeur for a story about Sherlock Holmes and the pharaoh’s curse. Monte Carlo was just for fun, and the Reichenbach Falls seemed like a good place to kill off Holmes. Wait! Did I say that? Did I do that?   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Well, I’d love to live in London, but I’m not crazy about coal fires or cholera.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? There are three protagonists, so I would have to say: mystical, skeptical, logical.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? There was an immense amount of skullduggery going on with the exploration of Tutankhamun’s tomb.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? For me, it’s like a balloon. Once I have the balloon, I stretch it out, then blow it up. So I’m applying pressure at every…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE WIDOW SPY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Kate Warner is many things: the country’s first female detective, a Pinkerton agent, and a Union spy. It’s August 1861, and her latest assignment could finally end the bloody Civil War and bring the fractured United States together again. All she has to do is win the trust of her captive: Confederate spy and socialite Rose Greenhow. But with Rose well aware of Kate’s working-class background and belief in abolitionism, it seems an impossible task. Worse, Kate has secrets that make her vulnerable, such as her forbidden love affair with a colleague. With time running out, Kate faces not only the moral and political divides between herself and Rose, but also the ones she made in her own heart and life. She must decide which divides are worth crossing and how far she’s willing to go to defeat the Confederacy in this spellbinding and moving new novel from Megan Campisi. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? History decided for me! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? She’s a bit prickly, but…