I love dream casting my books, but I’ve discovered that the actors and actresses I picture are usually too old! I think of the ones that I’ve grown to love over the years, and they don’t work well for characters in their twenties and thirties. Maybe their parents. But BRATVA DARLING is easy for me to dream cast since Top Gun: Maverick just came out. A whole cast of hot young people to consider. Since Maksim Kutsenko is the oldest and the one who carries the heaviest burden of responsibility running the Ivankov bratva, I would pick Tom Hardy for that role. I think Tom would bring the right amount of grittiness while still being a loving partner to Laura Doyle. Aleksei, the second brother, is the hardest one to cast. He’s the quietest of the four brothers and four cousins. He’s observant and reserved, but he’s as fierce as the rest of them. I think I’d like Miles Teller to play him. There were moments in Top Gun: Maverick where I think he would get the nuances that Aleks’s character possesses. Nikolai, the third brother, is more outgoing than his older brothers since he doesn’t bear the same burden…

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 Victoria Schade!   Writes: Romance and women’s fiction for readers who appreciate happily ever afters that include four paws.   About: If you want to hang with me you’ve got to be Team Dog. (Although I’m also cat-curious, so you might say that I swing both ways.) You enjoy a little angst thrown in before you reach your happily ever after (think uncompromising heroines and family drama), and you aren’t afraid of a few f-bombs along the way.   My ideal reader match for DOG FRIENDLY appreciates: A heroine trying to find herself again A sunshine love interest who helps her see the bright side of life A foster dog that’s a sweetie in the sheets and a terror on the streets A peek at veterinary life, including the good, the bad and the messy A little sibling sparring A picture-perfect Nantucket setting A HEA that’ll hit you right in the feels   What to expect if we’re compatible: Visiting spots like the English…

1–What is the title of your latest release? COWBOY EVER AFTER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A romance writer travels to Montana to research life on a ranch and meets the real-life cowboy replica of the hero in her book. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love Montana. My husband and I moved to the small town of Ft. Benton right out of college when he took a job there as the lead river ranger, and we just fell in love with the town and the community. We only lived there about four years before coming back to Colorado, but Montana will always live in our hearts, and I love writing stories set in small towns like Ft. Benton that capture the spirit and community of that life. The town of Bartlett in Cowboy Ever After is inspired by Ft. Benton and is a combination of it and Washington, KS, the small town I grew up in. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Kaylee is timid, but she’s also a lot of fun and has a great sense of humor. We’re both writers, so I’m…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HER DARKEST SECRET 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a cold-case serial killer returns, FBI special agent Fiona Kelly has one last chance to stop him before he claims the prize he’s always wanted—her. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I chose to write about the South division of the Strange Crimes Unit first (a fictional unit within the FBI), and Memphis seemed like a good spot since I’m from this area and there’s a particular location I wanted to use for this specific story. It was fun using real places and even people. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? I would 100 % hang out with her. Yes, she’s got a lot of baggage (who doesn’t) and she’s obsessive about this killer but she’s a lot of fun and we like the same food and music. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Motivated. Strong. Snarky. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Nursery rhymes aren’t really for children. 😉 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I wait until…

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 Olivia Atwater! Writes: Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. HALF A SOUL ties together the best parts of Regency romance and faerie tale fantasy, with curmudgeonly magicians and clueless, subtly sinister faeries causing trouble in the London marriage mart. A young woman who’s lost half her soul and most of her emotions just wants to help her cousin find a husband—but between dark curses, deep injustices, and one handsome, miserably cynical magician, she’ll be drawn into dangers both social and otherworldly. About: I live in Montreal, Quebec with my fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and my two cats. I have been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson. I prefer Pathfinder to Dungeons & Dragons, and I always want to hear about your character. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves witty banter Enjoys traditional faerie folklore Wants to eat the rich Attracted to…

What inspired you to write HARMONY OF FIRE? Brian: I should have a simple answer, but I do not. In part, I created Harmony of Fire out of my love of artists and musicians and the struggles they go through to be who they are. I also have a great passion for music and love the way it bonds us and connects us to our past. Music is magic, and I wanted to write about it.   Since this is listed as the “Alice & Owen” series, I assume these two characters are the focus of each book in the series. What made you decide to go that route versus having each book focus on a new set of characters? Brian: Yes, Alice and Owen are the two main characters. I didn’t know I would write them as a series until I wrote the last word. When that moment happened, and I knew in my soul who these characters were, it became crystal clear that Alice and Owen needed to stay in the spotlight because they had so much more to give. As a reader, I believe their story, and stories to come, will help give us strength as they…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LIKE SILK BREATHING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Do you like the sound of a queer, character-driven, romantic, 1900s fairytale about a selkie and some witches? This one’s for you! It’s sensual, subtle, and a delight. Think along the lines of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust or Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The characters said it should be Cromer. I lived in Norfolk for years and dearly miss it, so I said, “Yep.” 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, yeah! Thing is, I’d hang out with any of the characters. I think Theo would be the most relaxed and urbane, so I’d gravitate toward him. We’d probably have to ditch David at some point because he’s kind of fussy. I have a theory David is often hangry and doesn’t realize it. Maybe I could bring some snacks for him, and he’d be less stroppy. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Theo (selkie) – shrewd, protean, and peaceable. Tom (not a selkie, but a witch) – loyal, imaginative, and rebellious. And just…

1–What is the title of your latest release? STEALING INFINITY   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  A teen girl with an unusual gift gets kicked out of school and winds up at a secret academy for time travelers where she must unravel an elaborate puzzle of history and time—one where she just might be one of the missing pieces. It’s the Da Vinci Code meets Riverdale.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I could see the location so clearly in my head—a remote island surrounded by churning seas, that plays host to a hidden academy where art is revered, luxury abounds, and time travel is part of the curriculum. Since such a place didn’t exist, I created the fictional Gray Wolf Academy.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  In a lot of ways, she is me at that age, so yes!   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Strong, intuitive, resourceful   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned a lot about art, numerology, tarot cards, Versailles, and the physics of time travel.   7–Do you edit as you draft…

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 Kait Ballenger!   Writes: Kait Ballenger writes award-winning paranormal romance series, where she weaves captivating tales filled with dark, sexy alpha heroes and the independent women who bring them to their knees. Lose yourself in smoking hot stories that are equal parts love and heat, whether you prefer the sexy cowboy wolves in her Seven Range Shifter series or the badass human hunters who fight to protect humanity in her forthcoming Rogue Brotherhood books. Her latest release is COWBOY WOLF OUTLAW, the sixth and final book in her Seven Range Shifter series.   About: Outgoing author seeks readers who love “intense and riveting” paranormal plots and “high-voltage” love scenes that make even seasoned romance readers blush. Kait can usually be found spending time with her family or with her nose buried in a good book. She lives in Florida with her husband and two young sons. Aside from paranormal romance author, other titles include wife, mom, creative writing professor, media junkie, world traveler, Roy Kent fangirl, transplanted Michigander,…

With the re-issue of Julia London’s bestselling historical regency romance series, The Desperate Debutantes, we wanted to revisit the women of the Fairchild family before the release of THE PERILS OF PURSUING A PRINCE (6/28). When the young ladies of the Fairchild family learn their stepfather has absconded with their late mother’s money, instead of letting fate come to them, they take matters into their own hands.   Which Fairchild is most likely to dance until dawn? Ava! (The Hazards of Hunting a Duke, available now). Ava always knew the key to maintaining her standard of living was to seduce men on a dance floor at a fancy ball with the whole ton watching.   Most likely to bail on a social engagement? Phoebe (The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount, 11/29) Phoebe is painfully shy and would rather fade into the woodwork. Better yet, she would rather come up with a vague conflict at the last possible minute.   Most likely to gain an offer of marriage? Ava (Hazards). In fact, she gained several before she found out she was broke. In hindsight, she recognizes it might have been easier to have taken one she had in hand, but live…