I can’t exactly remember when and where my fascination with dogs started–but it wasn’t because I grew up with dogs. My mother’s dad raised Border Collies that he trained to herd sheep–they weren’t pets, and she had no desire to have the stinky dirty beasts in the house. And then my little brother developed allergies to dogs (and cats, and chocolate, and just about everything else you can imagine), so the first pet I was allowed to own was a turtle that I named Paddlefoot. My love of dogs must have started with books and movies. The first dog I remember knowing about was Lassie, the transgender wonder dog (you might remember that Lassie was always played by a male dog. Anybody know why?). But she/he was a little too perfect to be my first dog crush. That flowing coat, though. She/he was totally the Fabio of dogs, wasn’t she/he? I really fell in love with dogs from reading The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. Yes, it was an actual book before ‘ol Walt made it into a movie. I read and re-read the book almost as often as I read Charlotte’s Web (but I didn’t cry since…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Prosper’s Demon 2–What is it about?  A man called Prosper and his demon. 3–What words best describe your protagonists?  The protagonists are (a) the hero (b) Prosper of Schanz (Leonardo da Vinci thinly disguised as a fictional character) (c) a demon. The hero; the last, best hope of the human race, but not very nice (b) Prosper; an idiot (c) the demon; hard done by 4–What side character steals every scene he or she is in?  There are no side characters. The book is practically spherical. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Using the notation above; (a) nobody (b) his own ego (c) the Lord of the Flies 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s warm and sort of Austrian, and if you leave the book by way of the top of the spine and turn left, there’s a really nice pavement café where you can get excellent strudel 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Pantster. Pantster till I die. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?   It starts around…

“I may look like a monster, but I’m not going to hurt you.” Her reluctance offended him more than he cared to admit. His reputation painted him in a grim light–and for good reason–and he knew that side of his face was hideous, deformed, but he’d just risked his life for her, saved her. . . and with them alone in his room like this, the thought of when he’d kissed her inside that godforsaken closet haunted him. He’d kissed her so thoroughly that the feel of her against him was forever seared into him. And then he’d told her it meant nothing to him. What a load of horseshit. “It’s not that. I was afraid I’ll hurt you.” She reached for him again. This time, she didn’t shy away. With gentle movements, she cupped his cheek and used a handkerchief to wipe away the fresh blood. Her touch was gentle, tender. Some of the nerve endings on that side were damaged, making it less sensitive, yet he was aware of her every movement. Rogue could count the number of times someone had touched him there on less than one hand. The stroking movements of her palm and handkerchief as…

(1) I enjoy following characters over time. I’ve always loved reading series and writing series because I get to see what happens to the people in the future. (Conversely, with HER SCANDALOUS PURSUIT, it was fun figuring out what happened in the past!) (2) I’m able to develop my characters in fuller detail. Over the course of writing a book, I come to understand my characters more. As I write dialogue and have them interact, I get a better ‘feel’ for what they would do or say. This process works even better when they appear in several books. With the twins’ stories, HIS SINFUL TOUCH and HIS WICKED CHARM, I saw them grow up throughout the four books, and they became the most ‘real’ and beloved characters to me. (3) I find other characters in the series that I want to write about. People pop up that I hadn’t planned on or a side character develops in a way that makes me really interested in him or her. I had intended the Mad Morelands series to be only the original four books. But I loved the twins so much (and fortunately, so did readers) that I had to write stories…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE’S SECRET 2–What is it about? An outlaw with a large bounty on his head becomes sole guardian of twin nephews and a niece. He quickly sends for a mail order bride to help with the kids only she’s come looking to find his loot and facilitate his arrest. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Desperate 4–What makes your hero irresistible? The love he shows these kids who have no one else. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Friends in the outlaw town of Hope’s Crossing. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It’s wild and desolate—the perfect place for outlaws 7–Are you a plotter or a pantster? I’m a true panster. I don’t outline at all and want my story to unfold through the characters as I go and not through any preconceived plan. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? An ideal day is when the story flows through my fingertips and I can easily get 5k words. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or have the TV on? I need total…

We asked the authors of the 425 Madison Ave series about their favorite parts of the 425 Madison world. Join the group during each release about the best parts of the series! My next release is a sweet but emotional best friends to lovers! Here’s a little to expect from Must Love Forever: An Irish hottie – CHECK New York – CHECK Lover of all things pink – CHECK Suspense – CHECK Crazy funny side characters – CHECK Bianca and Mick will grab your hearts with both the history they share and the love they build! My favorite 425 Madison neighbor is: I love Mallory Greer. She is seen in both Must Love Coffee as Gwen’s close friend and as a true confidant to Bianca Rodriquez. The 425 Madison favorite mode of transport: I love the subway. There are so many cool things about the subway, but the coolest is to be able to people watch. And Bianca loves to take it because it means she’s not walking around in her pink heels. My Must see NYC landmark: I personally love Central Park because there are so many fun things to do there. In Must Love Coffee, they go to…

Even poodles didn’t have an endless enthusiasm for dog parks. Now on their fifth stop of the day, Caleb and Riley sank onto a dog bone shaped bench in Hollywood, Florida’s recently renovated Hollywoof park and surveyed the weaving poles, the separate sections for large and small dogs, and the mushroom like platforms at different heights for what Caleb could only guess was for doggy step classes. LouLou didn’t stray too far from them, exhausted from a frenzy of running at Snyder Park when she’d spotted turtles in the lake. She hadn’t gone in after them, but she’d run the shore in anxious back-and-forths until Riley’d finally scooped her up and hosed her off. He’d watched as Riley added hoses to her dog park wish list. He noticed that she didn’t add lake or turtles. She’d been awfully worried that LouLou would catch a turtle, even though the poodle was never closer to one than ten feet. “What would you even do with a turtle, LouLou?” she’d asked while hosing mud out of her curly coat. LouLou’s response had been enthusiastic tail whumping and a roll in the soft grass as soon as Riley loosened her hold on the dog….

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Adriana! Please tell us about your new series, Survival Instincts, and the first book, WHITEOUT. Thank you so much for having me! It’s a pleasure, as always! My new Romantic Suspense series, Survival Instincts, pits my heroines and heroes against nature and a group of big baddies who want to change the face of the planet. I’m calling the subgenre Survival Romance, because each book follows a specific couple into extreme run or die situations. WHITEOUT, the first in the series takes us to Antarctica, at the cusp of the long, dark winter.  Angel Smith is a chef at a research facility in Antarctica – and she has her own reasons for finding a job at the edge of the world – but aside from dealing with the cold temps, she doesn’t think her job will be all that difficult. . .  until she finds herself on the run across the frozen landscape from a killer. Tell us more about Angel’s character development, and how she deals with this intense situation! From the start, Angel is a strong person, both mentally and physically–she’s a woman who climbed the ladder and held her own as a chef in…

Kym: I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming back one of my favorite mystery writers. Darcie Wilde has written under several names and several genres, but her Rosalind Thorne Mysteries are as delightful as they are intriguing. Welcome back to the Cozy Corner, Darcie! Darcie: So nice to be back with you and your readers! I was thrilled to see your Rosalind Thorne Mysteries continue! Congratulations on your continued success with this lovely series. Has the experience of changing publishing houses effected Rosalind’s direction for the future?  Actually, there’s been very little change in direction.  Since I changed publishers, I am once again working with the series’s original editor, the fabulous Wendy McCurdy.  Wendy was the one who had the idea to create a mystery series for Rosalind rather than just a straight set of romances. Go Wendy! In your latest Rosalind Thorne Mystery, And Dangerous to Know, you open each chapter with a small clip of written correspondences that tell a large part of the story all by themselves. Did you write the clips first, last, or did they develop with each chapter? I keep a running list of possibilities as I research, and I’m generally researching and rewriting…

I don’t know about you, but I love a good book series. When I began writing my debut novel, Inherent Truth, I didn’t originally plan for it to become a series. However, as things progressed and the characters revealed themselves, it became clear–this book was meant to be the kick-starter for a far more complex story than could be told within the confines of one novel. And so, Blood Secrets was born. I’ve thought about that a lot as I’ve navigated this journey, and after talking with some friends I’ve come up with what I consider the top five reasons why we love book series so much. I can’t wait to see if you agree. Reason #1: Characters become friends. Come on, don’t act like you’ve never closed a book and felt like you suddenly lost your best friend. We’ve all been there, and series have a way of roping us in, wrapping us up in these fictional lives so that we begin to feel like family. Most series provide a diverse cast of characters so that almost any reader can find a favorite, providing enough common ground that each turn of the page feels like a chat with a…