Admit it, you’re humming the old Bette Midler song. You’ve got to have friends, the feeling’s oh so strong. You’ve got to have friends, to make the day last long. Those lyrics were definitely running through my mind as I wrote BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED, my first book for Entangled’s Indulgence line. Writing can be a pretty solitary profession, and finding your tribe is essential to maintaining your sanity. I’m lucky to have found a great group of writer friends in the MTBs, my plot group. (No, I’m not telling what that stands for LOL.) They’re the ones who cheer my successes and buck me up when I’m struggling. Brooke Worthington, the heroine in BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED, is lucky, too. She’s found her tribe in the other residents of Candy Court, the chocolate-factory-turned-apartment-building where she lives. There’s the Feinbergs, the elderly couple who lives on the first floor; partners David and Chris, a concert pianist and a ballet dancer; and single mom Charise and her infant son. And when hero Eli Ward shows up, he’s warmly welcomed into the fold. But what they don’t know about Eli may come back to hurt them . . . Some of my…

RUNNING INTO LOVE is my newest romantic comedy which features an over the top alpha (Levi) and a sweet heroine (Fawn). Levi and Fawn literally run into each other in Central Park one day. Levi who is new to New York has no Idea that the woman who just drove him to madness in the park is actually his new next door neighbor. Even after getting to know each other Fawn doesn’t believe that Levi actually wants her he thinks that he wants to be her friend even when he goes out of his way to show her that he wants more. Eventually they get it together and from that comes a beautiful love story. But before she can get to her happy-ever-after with Levi, Fawn has had her share of bad dates (which is definitely part of dating in the Big Apple). Here is a list of her top 5 dating deal breakers: Your date asks to use your make up durning dinner because the lighting in the restaurant is making him look shiny. (No, Levi would never even think about wearing makeup.) Your date asks you to pay for the meal. (Thankfully Levi is the kind of guy…

HER LAST GOODBYE by Melinda Leigh Morgan Dane #2 Young mother Chelsea Clark leaves the house for a girls’ night out…and vanishes. Her family knows she would never voluntarily leave her two small children. Her desperate husband—also the prime suspect—hires Morgan to find his wife and prove his innocence. As a single mother, Morgan sympathizes with Chelsea’s family and is determined to find her. She teams up with private investigator Lance Kruger. But the deeper they dig, the deadlier their investigation gets. When Morgan is stalked by a violent predator, everything—and everyone—she holds dear is in grave danger. Now, Morgan must track down a deranged criminal to protect her own family…but she won’t need to leave home to find him. She’s his next target. Romance Suspense | Thriller [Montlake Romance, On Sale: September 26, 2017, Trade Size / e-Book Kindle, ISBN: 9781542047968 / ] Buy HER LAST GOODBYE: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR Lance skimmed through the remaining documents in Chelsea’s file. Nothing jumped out at him. He closed the file on the card table in his office…

Stories are funny things. Some start with a character. Some with a plot. In the case of ANIMAL ATTRACTION, one of my Hot in Hollywood novellas, the book was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest. It depicted a Found flier with a picture of a cat and a guy wearing a ski mask. The caption read, “Have you seen your cat? He’s mine now. I love him.” It cracked me up so much, I got to thinking about what kind of man would not only steal a cat, but mock the original cat owner with a flier? And Levi was born. Every author has heroes who are close to their heart, and Levi Turnbull is one of those for me. He’s so unapologetic about what he likes and comfortable in his own skin. There’s no angst. No deep-seated issues. He’s a man who’s worked hard to get where he is, and he might be a little arrogant, but no one holds it against him too much since he’s so damn lovable. But every person has their hot button issues, and Levi’s love for animals means seeing one mistreated brings out the worst in him. So after his neighbor’s…

My favorite scene…hummm….I think in HIGHLAND FLAME, I really enjoyed the moments right before Diocail and Jane get married. She tried to leave and was caught by the villagers and he’s brought her back, only the villagers are demanding to know why she tried to leave. In this era, a noble wife was selected largely for her education. Meaning, she knew how to run a large household. Think back to the first time you had to manage a holiday dinner by yourself…I know I was using a set of my mothers recipes and even though I’d made them countless times, being the one in charge had me flustered big time! In this scene, Diocail’s men see Jane as a solution to the disarray the kitchens are in and winter will be very long without someone there to straighten things out. They embark on attempting to soften Jane up with drinking, while some of them are working on Diocail because he isn’t too interested in having a wife who doesn’t want him. Jane and Diocail don’t bend easily, both trying to escape the men surrounding them, only to end up facing one another. I hope you enjoy it as much as…

I’ve always had a fascination with the 1940’s. Whether it’s related to glamorous fashion, big band music, fabulous films, or a generation that rolled up their sleeves to fight an extremely important war, this era never fails to tug at my heart. In fact, my very first books (The Allison O’Brian Chronicles) were set in post World War II forties. At the time my research relied on memories of family members who’d lived through those years. And I must admit it was fun and educational to ‘interview’ my mom and relatives—many who are gone now. Nearly twenty years would pass before I wrote about the 1940’s again. That came in the form of The Mulligan Sisters (an adult series about a large Irish family living in San Francisco during WW 2). This time, my research was much easier. With access to the internet, all this historical information was instantly available at my fingertips. I’m so grateful for those who took the time to tell their stories and record their experiences. Especially considering how so many of those heroes (from the battlefront as well as the home-front) have passed on. I felt like a treasure-hunter as I unearthed all sorts of…

Anna Bradley debuted her new Sutherlands series with LADY ELEANOR’S SEVENTH SUITOR on September 5th. She stopped by Fresh Fiction to talk with Miranda Owen about the new book, starting a fresh series, and what to expect from her next. In LADY ELEANOR’S SEVENTH SUITOR, Lady Eleanor and Camden have a somewhat adversarial relationship for much of the story. Normally I prefer the hero and heroine to be on the same side, facing an outside threat. What makes this romance work for me, is that the reader is able to get inside their heads and see what they’re feeling and thinking. Which type of romance do you find easier or more enjoyable to write – one in which the hero and heroine start out with a prickly relationship, or one in which they like each other right away? I admit to being a big fan of the “enemies to lovers” trope, so when my stories open, the characters do tend to be at odds with each other. That’s not to say I don’t like a story where the hero and heroine are on the same page, but I’ve always been drawn (as a reader and a writer) to the kind…

Exclusive Excerpt: Fool Me Once by Catherine Bybee “You’re American, right?” The married and engaged party of four was from Sicily. All of them spoke English. “Oh my God, Shannon, I almost forgot. We were supposed to meet those French guys on the main pool deck when we pulled out of port.” Shannon caught on quickly. “Oh, that’s right.” She put her arm through Trina’s and turned her away from the Italians. “Lovely meeting you. I’m sure we’ll see you again.” Lori held back to sign for the bar tab. One of the Italians muttered something about the French before they took their drinks to another part of the lounge. By now, the barkeep was elbow deep with orders. With tractor-beam eyes, she watched the man in hopes of gaining his attention. “The death stare usually works faster.” Lori felt her lips peeling back in a smile before pivoting her head toward the amused male voice. She took him in from the ground up. Slacks, not jeans or shorts like many of the men milling about on deck. Trim waist that bloomed into thick shoulders covered by a pullover, three-button shirt. Arms that spent some time holding something other than…

What can make you great can often be said to also be among your greatest flaws. And that is certainly true for many of those who dedicate their lives to catching killers. In THE LAST MOVE, FBI Agent Kate Hayden was seventeen the night her father was murdered. That same night she decided to go into law enforcement. Armed with innate talent and her hard-earned PhD in forensic linguistics, she’s among the best in her field, able to read the writings and communications of the most heinous killers to reveal the clues hidden within. Here’s what I think are the top five skills that make her and others in law enforcement so good at their jobs. Dedication: It takes long hours of hard work and unremitting focus to catch a killer. Kate has dedicated herself to tracking down violent offenders, sacrificing her personal life and, oftentimes, sleep so that she can give every waking minute to her job. That commitment also makes her come across to others as cold and unfeeling. Emotional Distance: Catching a killer is among the most emotionally taxing work I can think of. A good detective has to put empathy for the victim aside so emotion…

DUKE OF DESIRE Long Excerpt Iris tasted of red wine—the red wine she must have drunk at dinner—and all the reasons he shouldn’t do this fled his mind. A vital chain broke in his psyche and everything he’d held back, everything he’d restrained with all his might, was suddenly set free. He surged into her mouth, desperate for the feel, for the taste of her, his wife, his duchess, his Iris. She was soft and sweet and warm and he wanted to devour her. To seize her and hold her and never let her go. The deep unfathomable well of his urges toward her frightened him, and he knew that if she became aware of them, they would frighten her as well. But that was the thing—she wasn’t aware of them. She thought she was simply consummating their marriage or some such rot, God help them both. She gripped his naked arms and the beast within him shuddered and stretched, claws scraping against the ground. Dear God, he wanted this woman. But he had to remember—to keep that human part of his mind awake and alive—that he mustn’t seed her. Must never do as his cursed father had done. He…