Chapter Twenty-One (Pages 134 – 137)   The three siblings walked across the driveway together, the sun long since dropped behind the ridge in front of their property. Daylight Savings had been weeks earlier, and they all hunkered down for the long, often sunless winter. Halsey had been texting almost frantically for the past three days, determined to present Chris with his favorite foods and drinks, and Penny remembered how much she liked this side of her cousin. The connector, the bon vivant. The one who had convinced them to go midnight sledding as kids and the one who had figured out how to sneak out to the Rusty Nail as teenagers. “Hey, you guys!” Halsey yelled out from the front door. She was standing with a tray of what looked to be Dark ’N’ Stormies. “Cocktail time!” Halsey seemed overly excited for the occasion. She wore an olive-colored sweater over dark jeans and little booties. Her hair was blown out, showing off just how blonde and just how full her hair really was. Even the diamond studs were out. Penny half expected to see her sporting her family sapphire and old wedding bands. “Thanks, Hals,” Chris said easily, taking…

Alicia Hunter Pace Exclusive Except: SHINE LIKE SILVER (Good Southern Women, book 3.)   Tonight is the night. After dating since their teens, Skip Landry is finally going to propose to Ava Grace Fairchild at the annual Christmas Gala, as Landry men have done for the last three generations. He was on one knee, in front of three hundred people. All was going according to plan—until he closed the ring box and said, “I can’t do this.”     The room exploded into chaos. Ava Grace bowed her head and closed her eyes, but only for a second. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t check out. When she looked up again, her brother was staring at her with one part compassion and two parts fury. It was the fury that concerned her. She’d seen that look before and what followed never came to anything good. “Emerson,” she called, but it was too late. He had already jumped off the stage and was hot on Skip’s heels. “Skip!” Emerson exploded. “Stop right there! We are going to have a conversation! Emma Frances looked from Ava Grace to Emerson, wild-eyed, and then turned to her husband. “Buck! Do something. This…

1–What is the title of your latest release? RELUCTANT IMMORTALS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Reluctant Immortals is about the forgotten women of gothic literature—Lucy Westenra from Dracula and Bertha Antoinetta Mason from Jane Eyre—who are living as undead immortals during the Summer of Love in 1967 California when Dracula and Edward Rochester make a sudden and shocking return to their lives. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always been so fascinated by the 1960s in America. It seemed like the perfect period to set a story featuring Victorian-era characters, mainly because of the stark contrast between who these characters were and how different this era was from the period when they originally lived. That opened up a world of possibility and tension right from the start. Add in how tumultuous the 1960s were, and that seemed like an exciting era to explore in a gothic horror novel. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Oh, absolutely! I would love to meet both Lucy Westenra and Bertha Antoinetta Mason! That would be so much fun. Now, of course, I’d have to be careful around Lucy since she…

Hi! I’m Sangu, the author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. This is a romantic contemporary fantasy about Mika, a lonely British witch, who becomes a magical tutor to three witch children and, in doing so, falls in love with a grumpy librarian, discovers a place she can finally call home, and finds a family. My title challenge was definitely a challenge (it’s a long title!) but I hope it gives you an idea of what you can expect from the book.   T is for tea, a very important part of Mika’s magical life (and everyday British life!) H is for home, the thing Mika’s been searching for all her life E is for enemies to lovers (sort of!)   V is for vexing, because that’s exactly what Jamie thinks Mika is E is for the electricity that crackles between Mika and Jamie R is for Ian’s rainbow scarf Y is for the yellow sunflowers growing in the garden   S is for sunshine witch E is for elderly gays C is for cozy, which is how I hope readers will feel as they read this book R is for Rosetta, the oldest of the three witch…

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 Heather McCorkle!   Writes: Hi potential readers! Thanks for checking me out. I write urban fantasy about Viking-descended werewolves with booty-kicking female main characters and the alpha males who love them. My Children of Fenrir (1 novella and three books out) and Shifters Seeker (1 novella out and the first novel in the series coming August 30th, 2022!) series are based around a small town in Montana where the entire population is werewolves, but there are all kinds of shifters and other supernatural beings in my novels. As you might imagine with the Viking theme, my books are steeped in Norse mythology, but they include Native American lore as well. My characters are quirky, tormented, funny, and charming. The novels are spicy and include themes of found family and overcoming both internal and external obstacles.   About: As a native Oregonian, I enjoy the outdoors as much as the worlds I create on the page. I love reading, writing, making silly Tiktok videos and…

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 Sabrina Blackburry!   Writes: I write adventurous escapes, treading the lines of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Stories containing love with a touch of magic. To craft characters looking for their place in the world and finding it sometimes in unexpected ways. My debut novel DIRTY LYING FAERIES is a taste of fantasy right under our unassuming human noses, filled with female friendships, fated mates, and a quieter sort of heroine that figures things out in her own way.   About: A writer from Missouri, everything I create is rooted in my love of fantasy and nature. A longtime fan of staying home in my pjs and parties that end by 9 p.m., my main characters tend to be introverts. When I’m not in my garden, I’m being harassed by my two cats or spending time with my husband and son, likely playing games in some form or another.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Has an attraction to inhuman…

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 ! Writes: Hi, I’m USA Today bestselling author Dylann Crush, and I write steamy, small-town contemporary and cowboy romance with sizzle, sass, heart, and humor. A true romantic, I love strong-willed heroines who don’t need a man, but want one, and super sexy heroes who will do anything for the woman they love.   About: When I’m not dreaming up steamy storylines, you might find me sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in the Upper Midwest. I co-host Romance Happy Hour (https://www.romancehappyhour.com/) with live episodes every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, and I’m a founding member of the Romance Chicks Facebook group where authors and romance readers can connect. Although I grew up in Texas, I currently live in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with my unflappable husband, three energetic kids, and four fur babies: a clumsy Great Dane, a lovable rescue mutt, a very chill cat, and a skittish kitty. I absolutely love to connect with readers,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? TEMPTING THE SENSIBLE LADY VIOLET 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s a new twist on Shakespeare’s Taming the Shrew, where the so-called shrew is the one to do the taming, and the rake who sets out to change her, falls under her spell and discovers she is perfect just as she is. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love English stately homes, so that’s where most of this book is set, with its elegant drawing rooms, a river for the rowing scene, acres of woodlands and gardens for the couple to get lost in, plus a quaint nearby village where Violet and Jake first meet, and their love-hate battle begins. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Violet is my feistiest heroine so far and I loved writing her. She’s also loyal to her skittish little sister, kind to her absent-minded father, and her sensible, somewhat serious exterior has been developed to hide a vulnerable core. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Sexy, fun-loving and good-hearted – I know that technically that’s five words but I’m…

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 Heather McCollum! Writes: Heather McCollum is a USA Today bestselling author of 16th and 17th-century Scottish romances full of adventure and intrigue, sprinkled with humor, history, and spice. Brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines are her favorite characters! Wrap yourself in fun adventures that take you from sea to misty forests to castles and across moors covered in Scottish thistle. Live the romance that flares between her mighty warriors and their heroines, knowing you will always be given the happily-ever-after you deserve. About: Hello Romance Lover! On top of writing romantic adventures set in 16th century Britain, I’m also a mom of three kids (ages 15, 21, and 23), dog-mom of one rescued geriatric golden retriever, and wife of one 6-foot 4-inch Highlander. When I’m not trying to help my kids make it through the day, baking things I see on The Great British Baking Show, or writing, I’m usually educating women on ovarian cancer (I’m an 11-year survivor). I love kilted heroes, dragonflies, watching birds, chai tea lattes,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? KIT MCBRIDE GETS A WIFE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Without telling him, Junebug McBride decides to order up a mail order wife for her backwoodsman of an older brother. But she’s not going to sell some poor woman a false bill of goods – in her ad, she’s going to tell the TRUTH (poor Kit!) 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? KIT MCBRIDE is set in the Elkhorn Mountains of Montana in 1886. I knew I wanted somewhere remote and somewhere starkly beautiful. Bucks Creek is a town consisting entirely of McBrides. It’s a small and extremely isolated place. When the heroine, Maddy, arrives, she’s the only woman for miles around. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I wouldn’t just hang out with her; I’d drag her off to have some fun! She’s been a housemaid since she was twelve and hasn’t had enough fun in her life! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Big. Brawny. Sweet. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot of new words – not least of…