What is the title of your latest release? TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A forty-year-old wife and mom wakes up from a freak pickleball accident with the chance to relive her twenties – single this time, out of order, and on her own terms. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love setting books in Southern California, where I live, but I also wanted Sutton to travel the world and chase big adventures. I chose a mix of places I’ve loved in real life, along with experiences still lingering on my own bucket list. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Much of Sutton was inspired by one of my best friends, so I loved her immediately. She’s also an amalgamation of so many millennial women I know and adore. What are three words that describe your hero? Loyal, honest, self-deprecating. What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that we all have alternate lives we could have lived—based on one tiny decision or several major ones. But ultimately, the life we choose is unrivaled, the best, the home we’d always return…

What is the title of your latest release? TENTACLES & TRIATHLONS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In this spicy sweet monster romance, a grumpy park ranger trains for a triathlon with the help of a sunshiney kraken – who happens to be his fated mate. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted to create a picturesque small town where monsters and humans live together in a way that feels normal.  Would you hang out with your hero in real life? Yes, I would hang out with my human main character Reece in real life. While he might seem abrasive, he has the best intentions deep down. What are three words that describe your hero? The kraken in my story, Cyrus, is sassy, hilarious, and sometimes depressed. What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that the grumpy/sunshine dynamic is probably one of my favorites to write. In that dynamic the characters balance each other so well, leading to a deep emotional connection and fantastic banter. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I draft! It’s easier for me to…

What is the title of your latest release? THE REIMAGINING OF THORNWOOD HOUSE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When land witch Evie Sharpe and her adopted daughter Ruby move to Iskendra to be caretakers of Thornwood house, they discover a grumpy, grieving, damaged structure that won’t let them in. They’ll need all their love and magic to re-imagine Thornwood house into the home they’ve always longed for. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? For a long time, whenever the world felt too heavy, I nursed a fantasy of becoming a witch and running off to live in a cottage in the woods. I quickly realized this would be impractical for me, but there was no reason my characters couldn’t live out that fantasy, with all the complications and challenges that go along with it.  Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Evie is much cooler than I am. In fact, she’s the least like me of any character I’ve ever written. She could also give me advice on how to manage my garden. I love the idea of a garden, but in practice I’m extremely mediocre at…

What is the title of your latest release? BRIGHTER THAN BEFORE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Part self-discovery journey, part sweet romance, Brighter than Before is a heartwarming reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your story, chase a dream, and find joy in your life once you finally start choosing yourself. Think You’ve Got Mail meets a spectacular mid-life glow up. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My son had surgery last year, which meant multiple trips to parts of Chicago I’d never seen. After every visit, we tried to do something a little fun so it wasn’t pure drudgery, and I realized what an absolutely beautiful place it is. I kind of fell in love with the different neighborhoods, and I thought maybe Claire loved it too. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Though . . . I’d have to keep my willpower firmly intact because she’s always baking something amazing!  What are three words that describe your hero? Charming, Good-hearted, Thoughtful (but also handsome)  What’s something you learned while writing this book? It’s never too late to begin again. Or to try…

What is the title of your latest release?FEAST, and it is my debut novel. What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?On the backstreets of late 19th century London, spirited Minha is born with a remarkable gift – an extraordinary sense of taste. But this gift and her mixed-race heritage provoke mistrust and rejection, even within her own family. She escapes to France, but rather than finding the sanctuary she craves, she is forced to confront new dangers in the form of a beguiling stranger. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Much of the novel is set in France, and in particular a grand château in the middle of the countryside. I have spent lots of time in France, with family homes there for most of my life, and the fictional Château de Bellefalaise is a composite of real places that I know and love. France, in close proximity to both delicious ingredients and a gourmet chef, was by far the best place for me to set my food-filled story. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?I would love to! At certain points I would like to give her a hug. I…

What is the title of your latest release?THE STARGAZER OF NANTUCKET What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?THE STARGAZER OF NANTUCKET is an epic coming-of-age tale and a seafaring adventure. Set in 1851, the book takes you on a clipper ship journey with Winifred Starbuck, a stowaway from Nantucket, who joins her captain father and merchant mother on a once-in-a-lifetime trip around Cape Horn, to San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush and on to China, where calamity ensues. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I had to cut the character of Nell Starbuck from my first novel, so I decided to write my entire second novel about her and her family at sea, making her 18-year-old daughter Winnie my main character. I could imagine a lot of action and knew it would be fun to write about this “other” Nantucket, the one not on land, especially centered on women in the mid-1800s. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes! What are three words that describe your hero?Winnie is stubborn, free-spirited, and brave. Maybe a little conniving too. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned that I…

From MIRIAM IN THE SHADOWS by John Winn Miller, published by June 2026 by Bancroft Press. Reprinted by permission: Ten minutes. That was all the time Miriam had to make it from the office to inside her first target, the gallery with the trapped liquid oxygen canisters marked A-Stoff. It was dark inside, so she clicked on her flashlight and strolled in, inspecting the ceiling and walls as she had done dozens of times throughout the mine. She shivered at the thought of being buried there under the fallen roof. But she had to press on. Several canisters had been dug out by the prisoners and were still intact. Setting down her purse and clicking off the flashlight, Miriam expertly cut off a chunk of the plastic explosives with Vogel’s dagger, stuck it to the back of a canister, and fished out two pencil timers from two different tin cans. She tugged out the safety pins and plunged them deeply into the plastic explosives. Standing, she clicked on her flashlight to check her watch: 10:45 p.m. Right on schedule. When she stepped out of the gallery into the tunnel bustling with prisoners and civilians lugging equipment and canisters, she caught…

What is the title of your latest release?A SHOP GIRL’S GUIDE TO WOOING A LORD, first in the Heiress Hunters series What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A down-on-her-luck shop girl and the son of an earl find they have more in common than they thought, including their passion for each other. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?In the case of Shop Girl, my choice of heroine really decided that the book would be set in London (during the Regency period). Tamsin works in a coffee shop and is trying to save money to buy back her little brother and sister from indentured servitude to a chimney sweep. That’s a very London story. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely. Tamsin takes a lot more risks than I’m comfortable with, but that’s also what makes her fun. She can be pretty intense, but I like people who embrace their passions. What are three words that describe your hero?idealistic, outgoing, compassionate What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned about automatons in the early 1800s. I learned a bit about how they were made, especially the work of Henri Maillardet,…

Book Title: STRANGERS BEHIND CLOSED DOORSCharacter Names: Redding Stark and Giovanni Mason Interviewer: How did you meet?Giovanni Mason: A misunderstanding. I had a… disagreement with an old friend when I checked her into her room.Redding Stark (fidgets with her microphone): That’s how you’re gonna phrase it? A “disagreement”?Giovanni: It was –Redding: You slapped Natalie in front of a restaurant full of people. She went missing a few hours later along with her boyfriend. The hotel room was a mess. Me and my partner, French, were called in to investigate. You were the last to see Natalie. That’s how we met.Giovanni: The last few hours are… a little hazy, but I know who I am. I know what I did. Or didn’t do, in this case. Interviewer: I… uh, that’s quite the introduction. Let’s try something simpler. How would you describe your family or your childhood?Redding: Southside, Wild 100s. Dad raised me. It was nice.Giovanni (leans back into her chair, crossing her arms): Really, Red? That’s how you’re gonna phrase it?Redding (clenches her jaw): That’s all I need to share for now. She’s still got a million questions left, Gio.Giovanni (cuts her eyes at Redding, then takes a deep breath): Call…

“Why Don’t We Fall in Love” by AmerieThis song always makes me think of the first day of summer. It probably has to do with the music video, where Amerie can be seen walking through the streets of New York City on a hot summer day. In the song, she sings about all the joy that can come when falling in love, and that makes me think of Noelle and Jeremiah and how they meet at the beginning of summer and how their possibilities for falling in love are endless. “Angel of Mine” by MonicaIn this song, Monica sings about how her life changed for the better once she met her soulmate, and that’s how I imagine that Noelle and Jeremiah feel about each other. At the beginning of the novel, they are both in tough positions. Noelle wants to go back to college, and she feels guilty over the reason that she dropped out years ago. Jeremiah feels guilty over how his last conversation went with his grandfather before he died. Noelle and Jeremiah each encourage each other to forgive themselves and move forward in positive ways. “Cool” by Dua LipaIn this song, Dua Lipa sings about how she’s…