Prologue Ocean Boy glided through the day in gradients of gray and green; occasional glittering light broke through the liquid world when his two-foot dorsal fin, notched and battle-scarred, cut the surface for a quarter hour, unaware he was a two-thousand pound apex predator marvel. At gloaming, he rode the liquid slopes to deeper, deepest depths, specialized blood vessels keeping Ocean Boy’s body temperature higher than the cold water pressing his organs. The hunt was on. Night vision was activated. His black eyes rolled back to fibrous muscle as his jaws snapped the meaty squid, clamped rows of sharp teeth, his torpedo body impervious to struggling arms and suckers, to spilled ink blacking the already black depths. Sated, he headed northwest. Forty-three miles a day he averaged, intent on a destination his brain had mapped at birth, a magnetic and magnificent tug toward innate hunger for fatty seal and sea lion, for adding weight, for adding years, for adding fear. At purple dawn, Ocean Boy’s dorsal fin broke the southern sea surface. The scent of blood increased his speed. *** Chapter One Safe from the tempest, Alexa Glock dripped across the cement floor to the ticket counter. She scanned the…

One Before she did anything else today, Clemmie had to check up on her next door neighbor, Dom. Why Dom had moved to Sun City was not clear. He had never joined anything, attended anything, nor shown interest in anything. He just sat in his villa watching TV, playing video games, and smoking cigarettes. He owned the tiniest of the three attached villas, the one in the middle with no side windows and little sun. Clemmie lived on the left, and a couple she hardly ever saw owned the right-hand villa, using it as a hotel when they visited grandchildren in the area. When they arrived, which was infrequently, they used their automatic garage door opener, drove in, closed the garage door behind them, and that was that. Nobody ever spotted them again. Clemmie wasn’t sure she’d even recognize them. It was agreed that Clemmie had the least rewarding neighbors in Sun City. Luckily, in her pod—the slightly creepy collective noun Sun City used instead of neighborhood–the little villas were tucked close together in heavily landscaped culs-de-sac, so Clemmie knew all her other neighbors–wonderful friendly people who hosted outdoor barbecues and took her bowling and carpooled when everybody went to…

Welcome to the First Day of our Fall Recipe Potluck! We have an awesome lineup of authors telling about their new books coming out this fall and sharing delicious recipes–perfect for the cooler weather and cozy nights. Be sure to check back all week long for posts every morning. Also! Comment to enter to win a copy of the book featured each day. We hope you enjoy this potluck and find some new books and recipes to try. *** In my upcoming release, SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LANE, rising star reporter Dakota Jones is inadvertently caught up in an international scandal that derails her promising career. She returns to the small town of Holly Grove Island to lick her wounds and regroup after spending the better part of two decades in New York City. The island town no longer feels like home, or so she thinks. But Dakota quickly begins to discover all of the things she’s been missing during the five years that she’d been actively avoiding the island since the death of her mother. Dakota discovers a new appreciation for her family and friends; the beach; the townsfolk who will always consider her one of their own. And…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  HERE FOR YOU 2–What is it about?  A niece is a caregiver for her great aunt who is in the advanced stages of dementia. Months later, Rachel finds herself in need of a caregiver. It’s an emotional journey that tests the faith of family, friends, and even a man of God. I like the steadfastness of Nicholas’ love for Rachel through the uncertainty of her trial. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  One word–wholeness–physically, mentally, spiritually 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Besides his hot looks, Nicholas is a humble, committed man of God. When he falls for Rachel, his love is fierce, pure, and endearing. He is the epitome of a man who is concerned about his woman’s whole being. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Family and God. For Rachel, her two sisters and best friend; for Nicholas, his parents and brothers 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Nashville is more than the music capital of the USA, it’s filled with historical significance in American history from slavery, the Woolworths sit-ins to the civil rights era. It was fascinating uncovering such…

There’s a lot going on in our house, how about yours? My husband and I have two little girls, ages 7 and 11. They talk non-stop. He and I have to text one another if we have something to say, that’s how bad it is. When school started up again, we had the choice–to send them back full time with masks or to keep them home for distance learning. At the last second, fully intending to send them back, we decided to keep them home. So, my husband goes off to work in the morning and I am home, helping my 7-year-old with place value and my 6th grader with simplifying fractions. I have my own job, too, in the freelance writing world, writing blogs for clients numbering into the hundreds each month. Oh, and I dabble in fiction writing as an author as well. There are days when all goes well, and everyone gets everything done and we’re all happy. And then there are days when things go, well. . . not so well. You know what I mean. It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, you have great days and you have days where all you want…

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 Michelle Major! Writes: THE LAST MAN SHE EXPECTED: Falling for her arch-nemesis isn’t going to happen. Moving to Starlight was Mara Reed’s first step forward after her devastating divorce. But had she known she’d find Parker Johnson, her ex-husband’s ruthless divorce attorney, there, she might have gone in a different direction. Away from the big city, Mara is seeing Parker in a new light—but is it enough for her to set aside her anger? About:  Animal-loving, chocoholic, and outdoorsy author looking for readers who share a love of smart heroines, sexy heroes, and always a happily ever after. Laughter is a definite and please know that I love to share pics of my menagerie of dogs, cats, and a constant array of adorable foster kittens. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love second chances and starting over on the way to true love. Must appreciate the charm of small towns and all their quirky characters Must love…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Reckless Envy, which is book five in the Harlequin Desire continuity series, Dynasties: Seven Sins 2–What is it about?  Matt Velez has everything a man could want: money, success and his pick of gorgeous women. Well, almost everything. The affections of tantalizingly sexy good girl Emily Arnott remain strictly off-limits–because she’s engaged to Matt’s bitterest rival. Will jealousy consume him. . . or does Emily hold the secret key to set them both free? 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Emily is beautiful, but she’s also smart. And thanks to her parents, she’s also a little emotionally damaged and very self-sufficient–she’ll resolve her own problems, thank you very much. Her unwanted engagement is a huge obstacle to overcome. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Ah, Matt. . . well, he’s tough and strong and very alpha, but underneath his hard exterior is a man who has never known love and acceptance.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Matt has his personal assistant Vee, who is sassy and bossy. She has the disposition of a Victorian butler and the work ethic, and personality, of a fire-ant. Matt adores…

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 KATHLEEN AYERS! What I Write: Historical romance, primarily post-regency/early Victorian. My latest release is The Theory of Earls, the first in my new series. Wicked Again, book #7 in the Wickeds series will hit Amazon on October 29. About: Fifty-something romance author seeks readers for steamy, historical romance. Must be intrigued by handsome rakes who are prone to requesting young ladies play the piano for them in their underthings, especially when the gorgeous gentleman is assisting the young lady in her pursuit to marry one of his friends. .  .to avoid marriage to a pear-shaped son of an earl. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: -The perfect idea of a date would be sliding between the sheets with an e-reader or a paperback and sipping on a glass of wine. Ice cream might also be involved. -Fantasizes about what it would be like to be a duchess. Or a countess. Really, anyone with “Lady” before their name. -Likes history…

The shade of the trees made her feel better almost immediately, although the headache didn’t disappear–just receded a little bit, like a fighter taking two steps back before charging in again with a flurry of punches. Still, she thought she might be able to get to her bike and make it home without fainting, which was the key thing. Lauren had almost reached the ghost tree and her bike when she felt it–a strange sort of shifting, although the shifting wasn’t anything external that she could tell. The trees all stood in their usual places and the wind rustled their branches like always and her feet were firmly planted in the ground and her stomach wasn’t even queasy any longer. But still–there had been something. A feeling that made her skin prickle and her left eye twitch and cold sweat pool at the base of her spine. She shook her head even though it made her headache feel like it was knocking from side to side inside her skull. Those were all things that happened to other people when they walked in the woods that bordered Smiths Hollow. They got spooky feelings and broke out in a sweat and talked…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Something Worth Doing published by Revell. The title comes from a definition of hope by Vaclav Havel, a writer and first president of the Czech Republic.    2–What is it about?  On the surface, it’s about an early suffragist in the northwest named Abigail Scott Duniway and her passion for improving the lives of women in a time when women were to be seen and not heard (1850s-1890s). At another level, it’s about a woman wanting both a career as a novelist (she wrote 22!) and newspaper owner and to be a faithful wife and mother (they had six children!) while maintaining her reputation in a time of great cultural change and the challenges those two goals can have. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Resilient. 4–What makes your story relatable?  Many modern couples struggle with balancing family and callings, supporting each other while facing trials. Long-distance relationships are also prevalent now and Abigail often was away from her home for weeks at a time doing something worth doing. How that worked for them I think will be of interest to today’s readers. There’s also a bit of family tension as Abigail’s brother…