Eco-horror meets paranormal romance in CALLED TO THE DEEP, the first book in a Maine-based duology that features a flesh-craving mermaid and her offshore fishing captain beau. Releases September 20, 2022 in paperback and digital formats.   When writing my debut novel CALLED TO THE DEEP, I took more of a biological approach to merfolk rather than a mythical one. Although not completely without supernatural features, many of their physiological traits were inspired by a speculative chat I had with Dr. Sean Todd, a marine biologist and professor at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a fun thought experiment, one I’m grateful he graciously humored, because while I took a lot of artistic liberties, that conversation was invaluable for this book and its upcoming sequel. Fact Sheet: Speculative Merfolk Physiology & Behavior In the Gulf of Maine, merfolk compete with sharks for the apex predator title. They have webbed fingers, sharp teeth and claws for gripping, slashing, and holding onto prey. Possessing both mammalian and bony fish features, they are human presenting above the waist with a fish tail below. Their scales are both as smooth and sharp as a shark’s—when touched against the grain,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ONLY BAD OPTIONS is book #1 in my Galactic Bonds science-fiction fantasy romance series.   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Only Bad Options is a mix of science fiction (spaceships, planets, etc.); fantasy (people with magical abilities, weapons, etc.); a touch of historical romance; and a broody, Mr. Darcy-type space assassin. LOL. It also contains: Space opera Soul mates Enemies to lovers Pew! Pew! Pew! action scenes A boiling lava planet of doom.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I had never written a sci-fi book before, and I thought it would be a fun challenge to write my own sci-fi book and put my own spin on the genre.   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Vesper Quill is a lab rat (think engineer/inventor), and she could definitely help me with some home repairs and projects. LOL.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, determined, capable.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I was searching for some names to use in the book, and I decided to look up star…

DEVOURING DARKNESS completely blew me away! And oh man, that epilogue! I’m bursting to ask spoiler type questions but instead will ask if you’ll give us any hints about what the next book will bring us? Thanks so much! Heirs 5, which will be titled COLD CURSES, will bring more trouble, more excitement, more sarcasm. And a lot more (SPOILER!)   One thing I love about your vampires is you have carefully crafted such specific rules and hierarchies, only to have Elisa (and Merit in the original series) break all the rules. How do you keep track of the various rules and ways to bend them? I have a fantastic continuity reader (shout-out to Krista!), and it’s pretty common that I forget things. (I usually have to remind myself what happened in the last book by the time I’m writing the next one). That’s a definite advantage of having printed books – they’re an automatic reference library.   I’ve enjoyed watching Elisa and Connor mature and come into their own as characters in the Heirs of Chicagoland series. In DEVOURING DARKNESS, they are pitted against a foe who makes them pull on their own connections, powers, and friendships without the…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHALE FALL   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Whale Fall is a story of love and revenge by animals of the human and non-human kind. In the heat of a lush Laurentian summer, Marie Russell and Detective Roméo Leduc are finally getting married, but the joyous occasion is overshadowed by the arrival of Magnus Sorenson, Marie’s first love. This celebrity eco-warrior is planning a dramatic protest against a local development project, but his actions have unexpected consequences. Roméo and Marie are forced to abandon their honeymoon and go on the hunt for a killer. Meanwhile, an elderly couple from the local seniors’ residences have gone missing, and Marie and Romeo are in a race to find them before it’s too late.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Whale Fall is the third in my Russell and Leduc mystery series, and they are all set in Quebec. The Birds That Stay, my first book is set in a little town, Ste. Lucie, in the beautiful and ancient Laurentian hills north of Montreal during its most stunning season, the fall. The Dogs of Winter,…

The relationship between the hero and heroine in your new book is different from most relationships I read about in historical romances. Emmeline and William Pershing have been married for eight years, but it was a marriage of convenience. Do you enjoy writing stories in which the hero and heroine have an established past rather than meeting for the first time? What has the dynamic been like between them for eight years? This is the first time I’ve written a story that deals with a marriage already eight years in. Just as a writing preference I love doing the “meet cute”, but for Something in the Heir I wanted to do more of exploration about what love is, exactly, and how you find it after you think it’s passed you by. I think this book is as much a book about love as it is about romance.   Because the birthday celebration necessitates fake children, there is a definite farcical element to SOMETHING IN THE HEIR. Do you enjoy a farce? Is it challenging to write? It’s definitely different tonally than I usually write. I went with the idea that love is insane, hilarious, and larger than life. My prep…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  ‘TIL ALL THESE THINGS BE DONE.  I got the idea from a haunting Irish ballad, The Turtle Dove, filled with longing for lost love and promises to return. It’s a song my protagonist’s missing father sang to her as a child. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When her beloved father vanishes, sixteen-year-old Leola Rideout has little time to question why. With the “great influenza” epidemic in its second year and social turmoil raging across Texas, it’s all she can do to keep her young sisters–and dreams–alive. Only when Papa returns in haunting visions, decades later does Leola finally confront this loss, leading to a remarkable family discovery that might contain the seeds of forgiveness. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book is loosely based on a family mystery that began in rural Texas a century ago.  North and east Texas was then known as “the Blacklands” because the dark, fertile soil made it ideal for growing crops like cotton. The late 1910s and early ‘20s were a pivotal moment for that region (as for the world) and, in doing my research, I…

Most likely to seek adventure? ANSWER: Michael – Michael is the hero of FOOLISH BRIDE. He’s a war hero who takes one last mission before getting married. Only the mission goes wrong. He’s fiercely loyal to his friends and can strategize a plan in moments. He’s also very good at not being seen when that’s his desire. Most likely to not settle or sell herself short? ANSWER: Dory – Dory or Dorothea is the heroine of DESPERATE BRIDE. The title may suggest that she lacks self-esteem, but that’s not the case. She’s a brilliant musician in search of a way to keep playing after a required marriage. She’s really quite wonderful.   Most likely to be underestimated? ANSWER: Elinor – Elinor is the heroine of FOOLISH BRIDE. Finding it easier to seem simple and unaware, she’s played the fool all her life. When her father ends her engagement just before the wedding and Michael makes no attempt to fight for her, we see the real Elinor. She’s magnificent! Most likely to play go after what she/he wants? ANSWER: Daniel – Daniel is an earl and the hero of TAINTED BRIDE. He’s been putting off marriage for years. When he meets Sophia, he tries to…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE WITCH AND THE TSAR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? THE WITCH AND THE TSAR is the retelling of the maligned and immortal witch of legend known as Baba Yaga as she risks all to save her country and her people from Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 16th century Russia. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I decided on medieval Russia because it was the closest to the wild and mysterious and magical land that I had read about in the Russian fairy tales as a little girl. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Yaga is clever and knowledgeable and incredibly fascinating—she’s a goddess who is hundreds of years old, after all! I’d love to ask her about what she’s seen, who she’s known, and the secret to life itself. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Brave, wise, feisty. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Patience, and that I still had much to learn. I had written a few books before this one, and I thought I knew everything there was to know about…

Readers often ask me what inspires the romances I write. Sometimes, I draw from a certain historical event for my historical romances. Other times, I take things that motivate my characters, weaving in their goals, and that anchors a story’s plot and conflict. For my current Maple Cove small-town contemporary series, I drew inspiration from my trip to the Oregon coast last summer. I stayed in Seaside, where practically everyone in town goes down to the beach each night to watch the spectacular sunsets. We did day trips to nearby coastal towns such as Cannon Beach, where we saw the famous Haystack Rock, and Ecola Beach State Park, where we hiked near the Cape Meares lighthouse. A huge hit was our tour of Tillamook Creamery, where we saw various cheeses being produced and ate grilled cheese sandwiches & ice cream at the end.     I enjoyed the laidback feel and the rugged beauty of the Oregon coast and decided to create my own town there. In my research, I discovered five trees grow well along the coast and surrounding towns, one of them being the Oregon (or bigleaf) maple. I’d also seen several coves as we walked along various…

Tell me about Vanessa’s “Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club” in VANESSA JARED’S GOT A MAN. Vanessa Jared’s Got A Man is about a forty-something divorcee, Vanessa Jared, who’s trying to figure out what’s next in life after she’s put the trauma of an abusive and toxic relationship behind her.  She’s spent so long being defined as someone’s wife that her sole focus is figuring out who she is now and what she wants to do next.   From the book’s description, Vanessa seems like a strong woman who goes after what she wants. What attributes do you like adding to your female protagonists? And what makes a good male counterpart? I like writing about women who understand their value and move through the world with confidence. Vanessa is relearning her value as she heals from the emotional abuse her ex heaped on her. When we meet her, she’s figured out her worth, but just doesn’t know what the next step is in creating a meaningful life for herself.   How would you describe the dynamic between Vanessa and the sheriff hottie? Fiyah! Vanessa and Michael are instantly attracted to one another, even if neither of them wants to admit it. Beside…