Who doesn’t love maps? Sure, they can be confusing, puzzling, and downright impossible to fold, but the adventures they hold are amazing. When I saw the latest release by Peng Shephard, THE CARTOGRAPHERS, I had to check it out. It’s a little bit adventure, a little bit mystery, and a whole lot of intrigue and fun. Peng is definitely a writer you want to keep on your list of go-to of authors, so of course I had to invite her to sit down with us at the Cozy Corner and find out how her heroine, Nell Young, came to life.   Kym:  Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Peng! Peng: Thrilled to be here!   Kym: Maps, I love maps! The art of map reading has been lost on the youth of today thanks to GPS giving them directions and that’s why I loved the premise of your latest release, THE CARTOGRAPHERS. How good of a map reader/folder, are you? Peng: Pretty good, although I definitely got a lot better during the writing of this novel! I spent a lot of time looking at one map in particular, the map which the book is based on—by the time I finished writing the manuscript, I knew the…

Your novel, THE BUCHAREST DOSSIER, takes place in 1989 in Romania. Why choose that time and place for your story? What’s your inspiration? By December of 1989, the satellite countries of the Soviet Union had transitioned to democracy through their own versions of a “velvet,” peaceful revolution. All except one: Romania. Its leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, was a Stalinist tyrant who held the country in a tight grip through the use of his dreaded secret police, the Securitate. Romania would become the only former Soviet satellite to have a violent revolution, resulting in over 1,200 deaths, though exact numbers are still not available. And to this day, the people of Romania are still asking whether it was truly a popular revolution, or a coup directed by outside forces. Having been born in Romania, that period of history intrigued me. I have visited Romania many times, both during the communist years and afterward. I believe I can provide an accurate depiction of life under a totalitarian regime both from personal experience and through the eyes of relatives and friends who still live there. I think that in today’s world, it would be enlightening for the public to see what a totalitarian regime…

In MOUNTAIN MURDER INVESTIGATION, your hero is an academic and your heroine is a cop. Was that an interesting dynamic to write? A lot of times, in stories with a cop hero, he tries (with good intentions but also often annoying) to direct the heroine he wants to protect. Does Aiden find it difficult taking his lead from Raven when it comes to his protection? Or do they more so work together? Great question! Going into the story, I didn’t anticipate any issues. I quickly realized it was going to be a challenge to find balance in their relationship. I’m used to writing take-charge heroes, and I didn’t want to portray Aiden as weak. On the flip side, I couldn’t discount that Raven is the professional. Because Aiden respects her position and experience, he follows her guidance. He’s very protective of her, however—she is the love of his life, the one he walked away from in order to keep safe. He is more concerned with her wellbeing than his own. I hope readers come away satisfied with Aiden and Raven’s journey back to each other and the love they thought lost forever.     Based on the book description for…

The heroes in your romantic suspense novels seem to be former military, alpha types. What inspires you about these types of heroes? I’ve always been attracted to a man in uniform. There’s just something about them that seems to scream integrity and heroic. Now, I know that’s not always true, but it makes for a great romance! I also married my own man in military (Mr. Stoker was in the Army for 21 years!)   Since so many of your heroes are uber-tough, are there certain qualities you try and incorporate into all your heroines? I happen to think all of us are way tougher than we give ourselves credit for. The things life throws at us can be horrific, sad, scary, and all sorts of other emotions. I write stories where the heroines act in ways I’d LIKE to act if I was ever in one of the situations, I put them though (But I have a feeling I would fall way short!). I’d love for all my readers to see their inner strength in themselves through my characters.   What is your favorite aspect of a novel to write – action scenes, relationship/romance, descriptive, or dialogue? As a…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ALWAYS ON MY MIND 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The nerdy science professor and the social butterfly… The darling of the Bishop family is back in Magnolia Sound. But not by choice. When her homecoming doesn’t go quiet as planned, Parker goes on the hunt for a place to stay – and spots a flier with a familiar name. Meanwhile, Professor Ethan Harlow simply wanted a roommate to help with expenses. What he got was the girl with the big personality that he remembered from school who was turning his quiet world upside down. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since this is book ten in my Magnolia Sound series, that was the easy part! Lol! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I think I would. Parker’s everybody’s friend and super easy to chat with. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Quiet, brilliant, thorough 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned about the day spa business and the importance of wall colors! It was kind of fascinating 7–Do you edit as you draft or…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SUMMER AT STALLION RIDGE. Harlequin HQN, comes out March 29th. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Can two old friends rekindle the spark that brought them together even though their pasts are littered with land mines? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted a small fictional Texas town similar to the one where I grew up so I created Last Ride, Texas, a ranching town filled with colorful characters and hot cowboys. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes, I would. Emory designs and makes wedding dresses, and she has a lot of interesting clients. Added to that, she has a great sense of humor. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Hot, tough, loyal 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about making wedding dresses and just how much work goes into them. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I usually wait until I’m done to edit. I’m a plotter so I plow through the first draft and then do a major polish. 8–What’s your…

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 Debbie Johnson! Writes: I write books about the kinds of women you’d want to be friends with – the apparently ordinary ones who are actually incredibly special! We all know women like that, right? In fact maybe you even are one! I’m always fascinated by the ups and downs of life, how we overcome adversity, by our resilience, by the strength we find even when we think we’re running on empty. Broadly speaking, you could say I write love stories – but not just love stories in the traditional sense, I have a lot of fun exploring female friendships, the ways we find our own communities, the families we were born with and the families we build for ourselves. About: I’m a mother of three kids, one of whom is technically an adult, and the dog-mama of my two best friends (they have four legs and are covered in fur). I am both outgoing and quiet, depending on my mood – life and soul…

What inspired you to write this story? It kind of hit me in one of those “bolt of lightning” moments. I realized I probably had more in common with Mary Bennet than Lizzy. Not super into formal balls? Yup. Awkward about new people? Definitely. Once I started looking closer at Mary, I saw someone who was desperately trying to figure out her place and just totally unsure of how to go about that. I mean, same, girl. My Mary – Marnie Barnes – came sidling into my brain fully formed, and I had to write her story.   Is it difficult to balance making a character realistically flawed while still making them the hero of their own story? I’ve read books or watched films in which the writer clearly wanted to make the main character very “real”, but never let them catch a break. For a lot of people life is a series of minor tragedies and victories. Ha! Yes, it is! The fact is, I was starting with who Mary was in P&P as my jumping off point. She couldn’t be too charming or confident or warm at the beginning or she wouldn’t be Mary. Marnie makes a ton…

Your new book, ENSNARED BY THE ALIEN MEDIC, is the third book in your Ragrim Conflict sci-fi romance series. Can it be read as a standalone? Yes, it does require the reader to have a basic familiarity with the Mars Needs Women/Bride Program tropes, but that’s about it. Mars Needs Women is at its core, where an alien species needs women to repopulate. The Bride Program trope kind of branches off MNW in that it has an actual set up program to get human women for the aliens and they aren’t just being kidnapped.     I love alien romance stories and I have oodles of questions. For readers, like me, new to the series – what are the basics of your Ragrim Conflict world? I’m trying to avoid spoilers for the first two books, but humans have pretty much tanked Earth’s biosphere and climate. The weather is strong and unpredictable, food security is a thing of the past, and while humans are trying to turn things around, it’s a slow slog. Then the Ralothians came. The gold-skinned alien pirates started plucking human women off Earth, and the only thing protecting Earth from a full invasion was the fact that…

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 Jasmine Mas.   Writes: Jasmine Mas writes spicy RH paranormal romances. Enjoy possessive alpha males and the powerful women who bring them to their knees. Her stories are darker with tortured backstories, unexpected twists and turns, powerful romances, and lots of action. If you like enemies-to-lovers romances with exciting characters and women with attitude, then my book Psycho Shifters is for you. About: I love exciting plots with 6’5 Alpha men and rebellious women. Training and fighting together is a must. I live in Miami Florida with my fluffy cat and husband. I’m also a lawyer (boring), caffeine addict, and love to go for long runs and overpay for cycling classes. My ideal match for Psycho Shifters and the Cruel Shifterverse Series must love… Multiple 6’5 Alpha men and sassy-strong heroine Unique Shifters like – hint – a saber-toothed tiger shifter Dark humor and unhealthy coping mechanisms Fae and other monsters Unique Omegaverse stories Heroines with secrets and men who are going to be – devastated – and have to…