What is the title of your latest release?AN APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?When an ambitious judge and a plaintiff’s attorney collide in a high-stakes case, an earthquake, online attacks, and strict ethical lines force them to decide whether protecting their careers means sacrificing the love neither of them expected. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I practiced law for over a decade in downtown Los Angeles, and it is my adopted hometown. I wanted the book to capture the sights, sounds, and flavor of practicing there. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?This is a tough question. At the start of the book, Judge Mahalia Jackson is aloof and career driven. I think I would be intimidated by her. By the end, she has changed. After career and personal setbacks, her faith has grown. She is still complex and brilliant, but much more approachable. What are three words that describe your hero?Chivalrous, driven, and compassionate. What’s something you learned while writing this book?Writing is a team effort. The various rounds of editing and polishing only make it better. Do you edit as you draft or wait…

What is the title of your latest release?THE HIGHLANDER’S LADY OF LOCH AND SEA What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A night of carnal adventure with a mysterious siren leads Cyrus Mackinnon to wake, tied to his bed, with a blade to his throat… How will he forge peace on Skye if he’s a dead man? A 16th century Scottish historical romance set on the Isle of Skye. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I absolutely love the Isle of Skye, the breezes off the water, the green hills and moors, the ancient ruins. I even named my first born after the isle. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes! Laria is clever and brave and not afraid to work in the dirt for the right cause. What are three words that describe your hero?Hot, Honorable, Determined What’s something you learned while writing this book?That the Eurasian Otter is native to and thriving on the Isle of Skye. And they are so darn cute! But if frightened they can release a musk as a defense mechanism, like a skunk. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally…

What is the title of your latest release?SUNK IN LOVE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A marriage in crisis romance about a couple on the brink of divorce who pretend to still be together for one last family vacation aboard a Hawaiian cruise. But when the lines between real and pretend start to blur, they have to decide whether it’s sink or swim for their marriage. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I always knew it would take place on a tropical cruise, but in the first version it was set in the Caribbean. However, I’ve never been there, so I changed it to Hawaii, somewhere I’ve been many times. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes!! I think Roslyn and I would totally be friends. What are three words that describe your hero?Anxious, overthinker, emotional What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned quite a bit about the process of becoming a doctor! I knew it was a long process, but I had no idea what all the steps were. Shoutout to my friend and fellow author, Noreen Nanja, who helped me with these details. Do you edit…

What is the title of your latest release?MAKE IT OUT ALIVE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?After the FBI Mobile Response Team arrests a suspected serial killer, Matt and Kara take a weekend to relax. When they don’t show up for work on Monday, the rest of the team realizes their suspect has a partner … and the partner has Matt and Kara. Or, shorter: Matt & Kara find themselves in a deadly escape building. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I knew the team was investigating the murders of newlyweds, so wanted a small, exclusive resort feeling. I researched places in Florida and created a fictional resort north of Daytona Beach and south of Jacksonville. As far as the rest … no spoilers! Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes, but she doesn’t really “hang out.” Kara doesn’t relax easily. What are three words that describe your hero?Charismatic. Principled. Loyal. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I definitely needed my husband to help with the deadly escape details. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I edit as I go, then do a…

Excerpt from SUCH A PERFECT FAMILY by Nalini Singh: My knees hit the earth. Hard. Pain was a starburst in those knees, vibrating up my thighs, but I still had Diya in my arms. I didn’t care about anything else. Rising with a grunt, I began to run again. Sirens wailed in the distance as the neighbor scrambled up and ran ahead. He was yelling at his wife and kid about a possible survivor. The woman pelted toward me at that, and I suddenly remembered what Diya had mentioned the other day. A nurse—the woman was a senior nurse. Worked in the same hospital at which Diya’s parents were consultants. “It’s too close!” I yelled to her when she made a motion for me to put Diya down so she could examine her. Staring behind me at the fireball of the house, she nodded, and the two of us made our way to the manicured grass on one side of the drive, across from where I’d parked the Alfa Romeo. “She’s hurt,” I said as I put my wife down with care. “There’s blood.” I couldn’t make the word “stabbed” come out of my mouth again. If I didn’t say…

You never forget your first. Cats in mystery novels, that is. I met Clea Simon’s cat detective, Mr. Grey, in her Dulcie Schwartz series, SHADES OF GREY and was enchanted. Every amateur sleuth needs a sidekick, and Dulcie Schwartz is fortunate to have Mr. Grey at her side. Mr. Grey is quick-witted, resourceful and endlessly devoted. He has finely tuned instincts and a nose for ferreting out the truth. Oh yes, and he happens to be a cat. Mr. Grey is more than a garden variety house cat; he’s the ghost of Dulcie’s beloved pet feline, and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s more of a spirit guide” than a woo-woo presence in the book. Dulcie, still mourning the loss of her pet, feels an immediate affinity with him when he crosses her path. Is he really an incarnation of Mr. Grey? Could it be possible? He has “long silver fur and a face more Siamese than Persian, the slanted eyes giving him an intelligent and inquisitive look.” And he’s not only a gorgeous feline, but a talkative one. When Dulcie walks right into a crime scene, he gently chides her, “Dulcie, please go back outside. Go outside and dial…

As a reader, I think there is so much the description on the back of a book doesn’t convey about a story. Can you briefly explain to readers, especially readers who might not have read any of your previous books, what the heart or focus of SIMPLICITY BY THE SEA is?SIMPLICITY BY THE SEA is the third and final book in the Gull Island trilogy. It’s the story of Delaney and Luke, two thirty-somethings who are questioning the life they’ve built and what’s next. Delaney is a marketing executive who works in Virginia’s wine country. She returns home to Gull Island for her best friend’s wedding, where she meets Luke Sullivan, a charter captain and single dad, who is struggling to balance his professional and personal lives. When sparks fly, both must decide whether love means abandoning their carefully laid plans or finally building the life they’ve been afraid to want. I confess that I’m a sucker for witty banter and fab dialogue between characters in a novel. What would you say was your favorite element of writing SIMPLICITY BY THE SEA? The settings, the dialogue, the character development, or something else?This is an easy question to answer – it’s…

Each Monday the Smashwords store lists the top ten most highly anticipated indie fiction ebooks based on the previous week’s preorder accumulations. Each title on the list is scheduled to release within the next week. To help the talented authors on this list accumulate even more preorders, click the title of the book. The hyperlink will bring you to a Books2Read page where you can order from your preferred ebook retailer. If the preorder is part of a series, click the hyperlinked series title to learn about the other books in the series. Be sure to check back Friday for a list of the Top 25 Bestselling Indie Ebooks.

With our country preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary, I couldn’t think of a better book to feature than THE BELLE OF CHATHAM by Laura Frantz. History lovers, prepare to be swept into the heart of the American Revolution, where loyalty is tested, espionage lurks around every corner, and love rises amid the turmoil. Richly researched and deeply emotional, this novel is a timely tribute to the Patriots who shaped our nation and the personal sacrifices behind their courage. LIGHTNING ROUND THE DEEP DIVE THE PERSONAL TOUCH LOOKING AHEAD BONUS: The Author’s Playlist Optional but fun: Share 3-5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that you listened to while writing. I’ll include them in the post! Music sure sets the stage for writing and reading! Spotify has playlists for many of my novels, including THE BELLE OF CHATHAM. Here’s the link if you’d like to listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3oLuR9mTZsG51lr3Za4Rkr?si=ecEXYfnlSAmNZ9RDwFPndQ&pi=VjdWJ8JDQ7yr6 Thank you so much for sharing your insights and creativity. I can’t wait for readers to discover your new release. Happy writing! Love written interviews and so appreciate your insightful, fresh questions! Thank you! THE BELLE OF CHATHAM by Laura Frantz Narrator: Pilar Witherspoon A Colonial-Era Historical Romance Set During the American Revolution…

I don’t listen to music while I write, but I do create a playlist for each of my books and listen to it on the go. Each song reflects the theme or mood of the story. In listening to these songs throughout my day, I find myself ruminating on the story and approaching my writing time with excitement. Below are five songs on the playlist for my novel On Living Stone. Song 1: “Heaven’s Eyes” by Jillian EdwardsThis sweet and poignant song beautifully encapsulates my heroine’s journey. Because of her unusual eye color, quick tongue, and wild temperament, Salome is often mocked and labeled as “the girl with no future.” She pushes against this label even as she wrestles with how others view her. With a tendency to prove herself and silence her critics, Salome must eventually learn to view herself “through Heaven’s eyes.” She has nothing to prove and everything to receive. She is fully seen while also fully loved by her Maker. His words of approval over her are louder, stronger, and definitive, silencing all other voices. Song 2: “Wait For You” by Myles SmithAfter the birth of their second son, Salome slips into depression. In ancient times,…