One wouldn’t think books and whiskey easily blend. But they do. In ways, I surely never imagined when I started researching whiskey for my Lucky Whiskey series. The first book, A SHOT OF MURDER: A Lucky Whiskey Mystery, drops on June 8th. So raise a glass and read on. Both whiskey and books start with humble beginnings – Whiskey starts its life as beer and books start, at least for me, as half-form, often unpalatable ideas, that, like beer are foul and need to be changed into something infinitely better.   Both whiskey (Irish spelling) or whisky (Scottish/Canadian spelling) are grammatically correct, though the whiskey should be used as whisky looks like the writer is just drunk, much like the ridiculous use of gray (American spelling) when it should clearly be grey (British spelling). I mean, just look at it! Both whiskey and words must watch out for sneaky thieves – With whiskey, nearly 2% of a barrel is stolen by angels each year in what is referred to as The Angel’s Share, which is about the same amount of books stolen from libraries a year. Oddly, the most pilfered book is the Guinness Book of World Records. Both whiskey and books…

Lexy (spelled Leagsaidh in Scots Gaelic, but she’s given up) lives in the fictional town of Cuento, CA, smack-dab between Sacramento, San Francisco and Napa. She loves California! She loves the insane friendliness, the endless sunshine, the street trees that drop grapefruit on her head . . .  and she especially loves going out to eat. Here are Lexy’s top five local(ish) foodie hotspots, imagined as a single day-long blow-out to end all blow-outs. Benedict for Breakfast at Katie’s Place, Carmel Carmel is picture-postcard-perfect California, with its gingerbread cottages, huge sweep of white beach, and rail-thin millionaire ladies. Katie’s Place is a kind of miracle. It’s where people go to eat carbs. Yes, carbs. The breakfast menu is (literally) to die for: waffles, pancakes, hash browns, biscuits . . . but it’s hard to see past the benedicts. A split muffin, three-count-them-three perfectly poached eggs, a zingy but comforting blanket of hollandaise and a middle layer of . . . you name it. Smoked salmon (Nova Scotia Benedict), shrimp (Cajun Benedict), steak (New York Benedict), or Lexy’s favourite: Irish Benedict with a high heap of home-made corn beef hash. Fish for lunch at Sailor Jack’s, Benicia A drivable distance up…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Patricia Bradley! Writes: When people ask what I do, I’ve been known to tell them I kill people…but I do it nicely. Then I’m quick to tell them that I write romantic suspense. I also write romance occasionally without the murders, but that’s not my favorite thing to do. It’s much easier to kill off characters than to get the hero and heroine together, but somehow I always manage. I think one reason it’s hard is because my heroines, while not perfect, are strong women who are accustomed to handling situations on their own. And that means, my heroes, while flawed, are comfortable in their own skin and not intimidated by a capable woman. About Author: I live in a small town in Northeast Mississippi, two hours from Oxford (in the South we measure distance by time) where William Faulkner, Willie Morris and John Grisham held court. I’m a sucker for rescue kitties, and one of them now helps me write…at least…

Two of my favorite tropes are friends to lovers and enemies lovers. I always find it funny because they’re pretty much on the opposite sides of the spectrum, but I think the dynamics of both are super fun. I figured today I’d talk about my top favorite parts of enemies to lovers books, along with the allure of opposites attract, since my new book, The Wedding Deal, has both. Here’s a short synopsis of the book: After a former quarterback inherits the NFL’s most losing team and fires the majority of the staff, he has to work with the feisty, rule-following HR manager to put a new coaching team together before draft day–all while attending his brother’s destination wedding. Charlotte, the human resources manager, is all about the rules. She likes her I’s dotted and her T’s crossed. So when her brash new boss fires half the staff without doing all the due diligence first, she’s furious. Especially since it means she now has to work tirelessly to help him build a new team. But angry sparks can turn into hot ones, which brings me to what’s so fun about that dynamic. The fights. Having characters start out as so-called…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Tally Adams! Writes: Romance (Paranormal). Her most recent release is Shadow Pact, released February 12, 2019 by Brown Books Publishing Group! This is book one of the Immortal Romance Series. About: Thirty-something paranormal romance author seeking readers for steamy, action-packed romance full of adventure. This offer features a strong, intelligent heroine and a dark, gorgeous immortal who both have secrets of their own. What I’m Looking For In My Ideal Reader Match: A good sense of humor The ability to recognize family isn’t always about blood (No pun intended…?) An appreciation for occasional passion scenes that make mere mortal men pale in comparison A love of unexpected adventure What To Expect If We’re Compatible At least one book every year until the series is complete (if it ever is) Lots of features and opportunity to talk to the author A whole host of books that remind us all that the only limitations we have are those we give ourselves *** Tally Adams…

My latest release, COLTON’S SECRET BODYGUARD , is a romantic suspense, and writing in that genre is a unique balance between the love story and the thriller. It’s great to have this opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences about what makes a good romantic suspense. For me it’s all about tension. I suppose, before I started writing romantic suspense, I had a vague idea that it was a romance with a mystery thrown in. I couldn’t have been more wrong. A real romantic suspense is a blend of the two. There must be a developing relationship between the hero and heroine, but there must also be a powerful thriller. Unusually for a romance, the outside tension is just as important as the emotional and sexual tension. As an author, the challenge is to ensure that both are carefully crafted and equally balanced. The mystery and its conclusion must be as visible, believable, and important as the romance. It is not the story of two lovers who happen to be in danger. The mystery impacts on their romance and shapes them as a couple until they emerge changed, by their emotional journey and the danger to which they have been…

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” That’s my favorite Mae West quote. But while Ms. West’s independent spirit is an inspiration to all of us, she doesn’t tell us how to live right, nor does she tell us what to do if we feel like we’re living all wrong. For me, as for a lot of women, the answer was to run away from home and build a new and better life in the West. Packing only what matters most, we find our way to Montana, Wyoming, or maybe Texas, leaving our troubles and our timid old selves behind. I call us Red Boot Women because nothing hollers independence like a pair of red cowboy boots. We buy them first with our scraped-up savings because they help us find our swagger and stomp up some confidence. In Cowboy Trouble, Libby Brown doesn’t have time to buy those boots. She’s too busy ditching her cheating fiancé, quitting her job, and moving 1500 miles from home with only what fits in the bed of a cherry-red pickup. Acting on a long-held dream, she buys a tumbledown ranch with a big red barn, takes a job…

I like to read the dedications in novels. It feels like the author is sharing a tiny personal connection. I dedicated Saving the Scot to all the men, women, and animals who risk their lives to save others. I hope people will read it and remember all the unsung heroes and heroines who put on gear and walk in when others run away. I was delighted when one lovely reader made mention of the dedication in her review. So, I thought I’d talk a little bit about why I chose the dedication, pose some ways we can actively recognize their courage, and hopefully generate more ideas from you. Last October, Hurricane Michael caused death and destruction in the Florida Panhandle like the US has never seen. One of my writer friends, April Moran, had just released her second Regency novel when the hurricane destroyed her house and leveled all the trees in her yard. Nearly six months later, she and her husband are still living in a trailer while they rebuild. But rather than post about her new novel or her losses, she posted about the EMTs, the overworked powerline repair guys, the neighbors helping neighbors, the people rescuing animals,…

Everyone has someone they aspire to be when they grow up, but when exactly is a person grown-up? I know I have much growth still waiting for me, even if the wrinkles on my face say otherwise! And maybe that’s where the fountain of youth can actually be found—in one’s desire to continue to be more. Ann B. Ross introduced readers to such a woman in her Miss Julia mystery series. A woman set in her ways, until life threw her a whopper of a curve and made her look at herself in a much different light—a bright, glaring light that showed dust-bunnies and cobwebs no gently-bred Southern woman wants to be exposed! The way Miss Julia deals with her exposure is something to see—or read, and I had to interview the woman behind the brilliance. I hope you to will enjoy Miss Ann B. Ross unplugged;) Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner Ann! Ann: Thank you for having me, Kym. Kym: Your latest novel, MISS JULIA TAKES THE WHEEL releases April 2nd and is your twentieth Miss Julia novel. What do you think makes Miss Julia so popular with the readers? Ann: It’s still amazing to me that she…

Writing had never been a linear process for me. My stories haunt me while writing them. Some of my favorite lines pop into my head at the worst possible times. If I ignore them, I have learned to my detriment, they will be lost to me forever. Therefore, I try as hard as possible to capture the words when they tap me on the shoulder. Here are some of the strangest places I write. I have a dictaphone for walks. I can dictate hundreds of words in a short amount of time while strolling down country roads with my dog Scout. I drive with lots of napkins in my car and if an idea comes to me, I pull over and write as much as I can fit onto the napkin. Sitting in the back of a homeowners association meeting, the notes on my laptop are more likely for my book than notes of the meeting. In spin class, I have a pen nearby and when I have an idea, I write it on my wrist until the class is over and I can get home to add it to the appropriate scene. The weirdest place a character ever spoke…