1–What is the title of your latest release? ONCE UPON A DECEMBER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Astra visits the Milwaukee Christmas Market every year with her closest friends. This time, she meets Jack, a familiar and attractive baker. What she doesn’t remember is that she has met him many times over the past 15 years but has forgotten because Jack’s bakery is in a magical place where time works differently, and visitors have no memories of it. But this year, she starts to remember… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Once the idea for a magical Christmas market popped into my head, I knew I had to put it in downtown Milwaukee. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Astra is a librarian, so we could talk books for days! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Sweet, strong, unforgettable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That kringles (a danish pastry) were originally in a pretzel shape but evolved into an oval when Danish bakers realized everyone’s favorite parts were the sections with the most filling. An oval design allows every bite to…

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 Ginny Myers Sain! Writes: Ginny Myers Sain writes dark and twisty thrillers with a hint of magic. The stories she loves to tell most are about imperfect young people navigating the pitfalls of grief and loss and the weight of secrets as they come of age in remote, atmospheric places like sweltering bayous and foggy seaside theaters. About: Award-winning author, Ginny Myers Sain loves plot twists, tough but damaged heroines, and dark, brooding love interests. Although she comes from a long line of writers, her first love has always been the theater. Her hobbies include listening to true crime podcasts, taking pictures of alligators, eating tacos, traveling to spooky places, and planning trips to Walt Disney World. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal reader match for my latest book, SECRETS SO DEEP, must love… Fog-shrouded coastlines The slipperiness of memory Brave girls who’ve already drowned once Mysterious boys dripping with seawater and secrets Theater kids! Swoony love connections brimming…

AMISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES It would never do for anyone to go away from the table at an Amish house without being filled to the bursting point. As the old Amish saying goes, “May a child never run out of your pantry with a tear in his eye.” And this is never so true as it is around the holidays. Although the Amish are justly famous for their cakes and pies, no Amish housewife would want to be considered lax in the area of baking Christmas cookies. In fact, there’s an unspoken sense that a woman’s culinary skills can be judged by the quantity and variety of her Christmas cookies! My mother was a true Pennsylvania Dutch cook when it came to her Christmas cookies, the baking of which usually started early in December. The problem was to keep my brother and sister and me from eating them before the holiday season had properly started! Here, for your enjoyment, are a couple of favorite recipes: Snickerdoodles This is a traditional Pennsylvania German cookie, perhaps the best-known one with its light brown, crinkled top. A great favorite with children! ½ cup softened butter or margarine ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 ¾…

Lately, I’ve been traveling the world. Tasting the different cuisines and being mesmerized by the different sites, sounds, and cultures—all from my cozy little corner at home. Books do that for me. They allow me to feel the pulse of a foreign nation while not being bogged down in the political turmoil of today’s world. And it’s not as costly as the price of a holiday abroad. In my search for something different and intriguing, I stumbled across Susanna Shore, a multifaceted talent who has mastered the art of writing a spectacular mystery in English—not her native language. To say that I adore her new series, The Reed Files, isn’t doing my attachment justice. I am one hundred percent hooked—and I know you will be too! Kym Roberts: Hi Susanna, welcome to the Cozy Corner! Susanna Shore: Thank you. I’m excited to be here.   Kym: You are a Finnish author who chose to write/publish in English. Do you publish in other languages as well? Susanna: Not currently, no. Back when I chose to self-publish, a decade ago, Amazon only allowed English and Spanish books. I haven’t checked if Finnish is supported by now, or if it’s available on other…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The title is STRIP: A Bargain with the Boss Romance. I changed it a few months before publication. The original title I had chosen was Savoring Sage. I liked that title, but it didn’t have the edge I was looking for.  I LOVE the new title! 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? STRIP is a contemporary romance (with a hint of suspense) about how a rich young woman who’s lost everything fights to save her ailing sister. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Years ago, I used to go dancing with my friends at clubs on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia, and we’d pass various strip clubs during the cab ride. My writer’s mind always wondered about the women that worked there. I think that stuck with me and came out in this book. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I would love to. Sage is strong, bold, adventurous, and sassy. She’s not intimidated by anyone. I’m not the most coordinated dancer, so I’d like her to teach me some dance moves. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Wow….

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 Jeannée Sacken!   Writes about: Fast-paced and heart-stopping with a rift in the romance between Annie Hawkins and Finn Cerelli, DOUBLE EXPOSURE continues the story began in the award-winning BEHIND THE LENS.  War photographer and PTSD survivor Annie breaks up with U.S. Navy SEAL Captain Cerelli to return to Afghanistan to help rebuild the Wad Qol School for Girls.   About the author: A seasoned photojournalist who travels the world seeks readers who love complex and cinematic, suspenseful novels of love, loss, and redemption. Enjoys journeys to the ends of the earth, photography, and cats of all sizes. And cookies. Lots of cookies, preferably with tea while listening to Etta James croon “At Last” or Joan Baez sing “How Long Since I Spent a Whole Night in a Twin Bed with a Stranger.” Looking for readers who like traveling with me to exciting places, slow-burn romance, and a bad-ass heroine who can look after herself – until things get really dicey.   I’m looking…

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 Kilby Blades!   Writes: Kilby Blades writes 21st-century romance with fresh, witty characters grappling with modern problems. Cheesy dating apps? Check. Glass ceilings and drama at work? Check. A zero-tolerance policy for anything less than the real thing? Double-check.   About: Kilby Blades is a USA Today bestselling author who probably should have gone to film school. Instead, she decided to become a diplomat. After getting a plum job offer in the music industry, she abandoned that plan, but at least she got to spend her college years gallivanting through Europe and dating great kissers with fabulous accents. When she’s not writing, Kilby goes to movie matinees alone, where she eats Chocolate Pocky and Skinny Pop and smuggles in not-a-little-bit of red wine. Her perfect match is someone who is smart, loves to laugh, and prefers the finer things in life. She is a cinephile, an oenophile, a social justice fighter, and – most of all – a glutton for a good story.  …

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 Erin Jade Lange! Writes: Erin Jade Lange is the author of Mere Mortals as well as award-winning contemporary young adult novels: Butter, Dead Ends, Rebel Bully Geek Pariah, and The Chaos of Now. Her books have been published around the world, and her debut novel, Butter is now a feature film. Paranormal and contemporary worlds collide in her new release that puts a modern spin on the classic vampire tale. Two teenage vampires break an immortal law and, as punishment, are turned back into humans and forced to survive high school as MERE MORTALS. About: Erin is a recovering journalist with a passion for pop culture, travel, coffee and books. She is also an obsessive-compulsive list maker who can often be found adding tasks she has already completed to a list, solely for the satisfaction of crossing them off. As a mother of clones (identical twins), she has a growing interest in DNA science and science fiction. Erin grew up in the cornfields of northern Illinois, along the Mississippi River in one of the…

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 Sophie Kim! Writes: I write primarily in the genre of Fantasy, both YA and Adult. My works are heavily inspired by mythology, as well as Korean culture and representation. Sharp-tongued women with swords and sly love interests with wicked smiles are my muses. LAST OF THE TALONS, my debut YA novel, follows a teenage assassin as she’s roped into a game of life and death with a cunning Dokkaebi emperor. Darkly delicious enemies-to-lovers plots, clandestine rebellion meetings, forced proximity tropes, and angst-heavy ballroom scenes abound.   About: I spend my days both studying at my university and writing my novels, which are strongly influenced by my firm belief that diversity and non-stereotypical representation in literature are vastly important. Blessed (or cursed) with a voracious appetite for all things bookish, I can often be found wandering the aisles of a library or curled up with a precariously balancing stack of stories.   Readers who are my ideal match have a soft spot for: Fairy tale…

T: Trouble – Caiden is in trouble when a blood curse is activated that could mean his death unless he keeps his new, accidental bride close at all times H: Human – Bryn is a human who stumbles into the world of the Dark Fae, a race she never knew existed E: Exclusive – Bryn, a Wisconsin girl who just lost her job, gets an offer in the mail for an all-expenses paid trip to a VERY exclusive hotel and casino…sounds totally legit, what could go wrong?   D: Dominant – the role Caiden has in multiple areas of his life, but none more exciting than in the bedroom A: Assassination – several attempts are made on Bryn’s life, but the question is why and who’s behind it R: Rhiannon – the Celtic Moon Goddess who the Dark Fae worship as their main deity K: Kidnapped – Bryn flew to Vegas for a quick weekend trip until she accidentally married a powerful, sexy billionaire who ends up kidnapping her and says she won’t be leaving anytime soon   K: King – Caiden is considered a “king” of Vegas, but he’s also the king of the Dark Fae of the Night…