As a lifelong reader of fiction, the concept of writing a story about books and the magic that takes place inside a publishing house was more than a little intriguing. The multifaceted process of how a seedling of an idea goes from an author’s imagination to a drafted manuscript to a final product worthy of a mass print never ceases to amaze me—and I’ve been a published author for over a decade now! Truth is, I learned so much in the months I spent researching and revising my newest release, THE WORDS WE LOST.   When the initial spark behind The Words We Lost caught fire in my imagination, I knew I needed my protagonist, Ingrid Erikson, to be an experienced acquisitions editor as it was imperative for her to have both a professional and personal attachment to the editorial community. From there, I also knew I needed to create a fictional publishing house which I located in San Francisco, California, and named Fog Harbor Books. (The reason behind why my new three-book series is titled the Fog Harbor Romance series). Throughout the writing process, I was able to ask my editors at Bethany House Publishers for their input regarding…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FIVE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF ANDY AFRICA 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The novel is about Andy Aziza, a smart and funny fifteen-year-old boy, coming of age in present-day Nigeria. He’s obsessed with blondes, whiteness, life abroad in the West, who his true father is, and these obsessions are intensified when his life is suddenly destabilized by communal violence. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The decision was made unconsciously, for I’d always wanted to write about Kontagora, where I grew up, and Northern Nigeria, because this region has received glaringly insufficient literary treatment. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, definitely! It would be so fun! We’ve got so much shared interests – Afrofuturism, math, pop culture, religion, poetry. We’d laugh a lot. Most importantly, he’d help me understand myself even more. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, funny, honest. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learnt that my writing was more multifaceted than I’d assumed, for example, that I’ve got a “raw”, satirical range that I should explore more. 7–Do you…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THROUGH THE VENEER OF TIME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A haunted painter’s past life visions are not the creative inspiration they seemed. They’re a harbinger of her ancient revenge vow, and her FBI husband won’t find the serial killer until she fulfills it. But it may already be too late.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I hope this isn’t too weird. It was my first experience with Past Life Regression (PLR). I’ve always had this inexplicable (slightly weird) fascination with Ireland. As long as I remember, I’ve longed for Ireland, even before I knew what that misty emerald place in my dreams was called or why Celtic art and music touched something deep within my soul. Still, as an adult, I approached PLR with an entirely open mind and a sincere intent to meet and experience whatever it would bring. The outcome was startling—a vivid encounter with colors, sounds, smells, textures, even temperature, and my visceral knowledge and feelings that went beyond the immediate. It was a highly charged situation, happening to someone who didn’t look like me, yet was…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE RECALL PARADOX 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The story picks up right where The Memory Index left off—our quartet of heroes return to Foxtail Academy, where they’re trialing super-technology that will supposedly end memory loss. But now, they’re thrust inexorably into the middle of a secret war, where everything they thought to be true about memory loss proves false. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I placed a lot of emphasis on atmosphere in The Memory Index series. While most of the story takes place at a boarding school, I was able to transport my heroes to other places via artificial recall. Creating a grounded sense of setting, of felt atmosphere, was critical to telling an engaging action/adventure story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh heck yes. Freya kicks some serious butt in these books, but she’s also deeply flawed and human. Aren’t we all? Like most writers, I imbued Freya with elements of myself, so she and I would have a lot to talk about—like our shared interest in film/video cameras. 5–What are three words that…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE CLEAVING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Men have told King Arthur’s story for centuries. Now the women have their say. 3—Does your book take place in Camelot? Partly, but this story starts in Winchester and soon moves to Tintagel. Later on, the reader sees other places besides Camelot. Arthur isn’t the center of the world for these women. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely. Nimue would be a fascinating person to talk to, though it’s hard to imagine her kicking off her shoes and unwinding over a glass of wine. Meeting for coffee and a chat seems more her style. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Observant, quick-witted, determined. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? When I went back to the earliest versions of the stories about King Arthur, I discovered so many enchanted swords and otherworldly encounters. Recent retellings, especially in film and TV, have aimed for ‘realism’ (whatever that means), taking them far away from the mystery and magic. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I start each writing day…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE OTHER SIDE OF LOVE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A woman is given a second chance at love in her forties, challenging everything she thought she knew about happy-ever-afters, trust and relationships. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The Other Side of Love is partly based on a true story so it was easy for me to choose the location. The character Victoria relies on the strict routine of her London life to give her a sense of security. She’d be a different person without London. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? No! I don’t think we’d get on. I’m a huge believer in true love and fairy tales but Victoria is the total opposite. However, I do love her sarcasm and penchant for cupcakes and Friends so for those reasons she would be fun to be around. Also, as the story progresses her bravery is something that would hugely inspire me in real life. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Blunt, strong but vulnerable (deep down) 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? In…

THE GIFT OF FAITH, while a romance, is also very much a story about sisters and the bond between them. Faith is a twin, and she has always been the quiet sister, the responsible sister, the good Amish girl. Meanwhile, her sister Mercy is on a different path, needing to go out into the world to figure out that home was where she needed to be all along. But Mercy and Faith’s paths are entwined in such a way that Mercy’s decisions impact Faith’s life in very big ways. But Faith’s love for Mercy is so great, that she will do anything she can to help her sister.   Sisters are one of my favorite character dynamics to write. Not the contentious and often cliché “mean sister” or “mean step-sister” relationships, but relationships that are close, and kind, even when personalities or choices are so very different. It’s a dynamic that is a treat to write, and I think to read or see on screen.   For fun, I’ve come up with my own top 10 list of my favorite sister relationships in books & movies.   White Christmas – Betty & Judy If you haven’t seen this Hollywood classic,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? TO SWOON AND TO SPAR – it’s the fourth book in my Regency Vows series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A woman saddled with an unwanted husband decides to stage an elaborate haunting at their country house in Cornwall, to scare him away to London so that she might enjoy some peace and quiet. Unsurprisingly, not all goes according to plan. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Cornwall has always been one of my favorite parts of the UK, and I’ve been wanting to write a book set there for a while; given the (allegedly) haunted house that plays such a key role in this book, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to make the setting a remote seaside cliff in Cornwall, to really make the vibes atmospheric. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I’d love to hang out with my heroine, Jane, because she’s incredibly smart and determined, but she’s very shy, and her shyness comes off as grumpiness and standoffishness to newcomers, so I’d have to slowly wear her down and convince her to open up…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ROMANCING THE MONSTROUS EARL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Bridgerton meets monsters. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It was part of the world building that it would take place at the Monsters Ball. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I would love to hang out with Yvaine in real life. She’s an archer, a swordsman, a person with a can-do attitude and who cares about others. She’d be a great friend to have. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Dandy. Self-aware. Adaptable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that I can still find joy in writing. I mean, I knew that, but this book proved it to me. I haven’t completed a manuscript in almost two years because my life has been more than a little unsettled, to say the least. But I was able to get lost in my characters again and believe in their story, and it made me remember why I write romance. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I do both….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE NANNY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Nanny is a forced proximity, single dad/nanny story that puts a spin on second chance romance and offers a ton of spice and open-door scenes. Cassie is the grad student with a now-closed OnlyFans account. Aiden was one of her top subscribers. Neither of them realizes this when he hires her. Mutual pining and heaps of sexual tension ensue. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was researching OT programs that offered hybrid programs. San Diego had one close by that had the sort of schedule I needed for Cassie so that she could also have a nannying job. Sometimes I get a little too hung up on minor details, and sometimes I just make something up and move on. There’s really no in between with me. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Honestly, I worry that I would be nervous to approach Cassie in real life! (I tend to shy away from noticeably confident and capable people) But if I could ever work up the courage, or if Cassie was…