With equal parts humor, heart, and Southern sass, Grace Helena Walz’s GOOD HAIR DAYS is a love letter to sisterhood, resilience, and the power of community. Set in the small town of Whitetail, this charming novel invites readers inside June’s Beauty Shop, where laughter, tears, and gossip flow as freely as the sweet tea. In this week’s Jen’s Jewels, Grace shares the inspiration behind her unforgettable characters, the magic of small-town life, and how she strikes the perfect balance between heartache and hope. Jen: GOOD HAIR DAYS captures the humor, heart, and chaos of Southern family life so beautifully. What first inspired you to write this story, and did the idea of the family salon come first, or the women who run it?Grace: The idea of the family salon actually came first. I was sitting in the hair chair at a place run by two friends, and they spoke so much like sisters that I got to thinking how fun it would be to write about two sisters and a family run beauty shop. I knew fairly quickly that I wanted Georgia to embody many of the typical older sister traits. She’s responsible and serves the role of “fixer” in…

Disclaimer: Since I was the one who organized this series, I picked the primary trope of each book. So if it sounds like I picked a lot of my favorites, that’s why. TROPE: Grumpy sunshineI particularly love the grumpy sunshine trope because I love two moments in particular: the moment she makes him smile, and the moment she gets him to crack. That austere shell needs to be poked and prodded, needled with a smile, until finally he snaps. And grabs her. And takes her. And…well, you’ll need to read the book for all that.Curves for the Grumpy Duke by Eliana Piers TROPE: Reformed RakeThere’s something about that man who can charm all the women but then falls for one. The one.What’s different about her? Why does he fall so hard? I mean, he’s been with a LOT of women, and no one thinks he’s slowing down. Least of all, himself. I have written a TON of reformed rakes. To name a few:● The Rake and the Writer● The One With the Redeemed Duke● The Duke’s Goddess Honestly, if brother’s best friend or friends to lovers weren’t my go-to tropes, reformed rakes probably would be. Sometimes the rake can pinpoint…

What is the title of your latest release?THE SECOND STORY BOOKSHOP What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A woman inherits her grandma’s charming small-town bookshop. But the gift comes with some unexpected problems—including the man who broke her heart years ago. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I wanted to set the story in a quaint southern lake town. While researching, I discovered the town of Davidson, North Carolina on Lake Norman. When my husband and I visited, we fell in love with the touristy little town—and with Main Street Books, the friendly neighborhood bookstore. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! We’d chat books and family over coffee and croissants at my local bakery, and I’d definitely tell her Gray Briggs deserves a second chance. What are three words that describe your hero?Steadfast, stoic, swoonworthy What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a bookstore. The manager of Main Street Books was kind enough to sit down with me and answer all my burning questions. I couldn’t have written The Second Story Bookshop without her help! Do you edit as…

What is the title of your latest release?LUCKY GIRL What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A popstar plucks young, precocious dancer Lucy to star in her music video, alienating Lucy from her family and setting her on a journey through kaleidoscopic Hollywood to discover who she wants to become before her fifteen minutes of fame is up. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I knew Hollywood would be the main setting of the book in the second half; it made sense for Lucy to start in Massachusetts, where I grew up. I chose Leominster, Massachusetts specifically for her hometown because it has a perfect mix of rural woods and middle-class Olive Gardens, contrasting to the steely richness of LA. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! I would love to have a deep talk with Lucy and help reframe some of her experiences. If she was one of my high school students—and that’s kind of how I imagine her, because for much of the novel, she’s the same age as my students—I would guide her through a personal narrative or autofiction assignment to help her sort her feelings out and think…

All my novels have a soundtrack that evolves organically. The playlist comes together when I’m writing, while I imagine how scenes look, feel, and sound. My latest novel, Always and Forever, takes place in contemporary New York City, but the characters’ current lives have been impacted by the past. The book’s playlist is therefore eclectic, containing music from various eras and genres. Many songs were inspirational to me while writing, and some of them are mentioned in the story, including: “Wild Horses” by The SundaysThe protagonist of Always and Forever, Suzanne Starek, craves more than friendship from Jay Darnell. She and Jay grew up together, and they’ve helped each other through tough times. During a scene in which they’re having a conversation inside his car, “Wild Horses” plays on the radio, and the song’s lyrics are symbolic of Suzanne and Jay’s dedication to each other. “I’m Not in Love” by 10ccThis ethereal, romantic song from the 1970s appears in the story when Suzanne finds an old cassette tape belonging to her uncle, Grant Carlisle. She reads what one of Grant’s girlfriends wrote on the tape, and it provides insight into his young-adult existence. “Rock the Boat” by The Hues CorporationAnother…

What is the title of your latest release?NOT YOU AGAIN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A bi-sexual funeral director and an aspiring screenwriter have to team up in order to stop the Groundhog’s Day time loop they’ve been trapped in. It’s Palm Springs meets Six Feet Under. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I did a lot of research around supernatural hotspots in California, and eventually landed on Julian, which is a small town and one of the few places that’s considered a Dark Sky Community in the United States. That means the air quality is preserved through lack of harsh lights at night—perfect place to tell a story involving a time loop happening during a total eclipse. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely. She loves movies, cheese, and chases her dreams — she’s a badass. What are three words that describe your hero?Selfless, empathetic, loyal What’s something you learned while writing this book?This book dives into processing grief, and the idea of needing your own time to work through it. So as I was writing this, I think it helped me better process some of the grief I’ve…

Excerpt from TURNS OF FATE by Anne Bishop: Lucas Frost completed his patrol of the part of Destiny Park visitors found interesting—or to be precise, didn’t find too strange and unnerving. There was more to the park if you knew how to find it—or were destined to find it—but no one had bought a ticket for any of the trains, no one had bought a ticket for the bus that traveled to the “neighborhoods” on the island. Since no one had come to the pavilion to report someone missing, that meant no one had been foolish enough to go through a moon gate without fully understanding what would happen, depending on the gate’s intention at that moment. Most of the moon gates within reach of determined visitors were transportation. They took a person from the park to the station where a ticket could be purchased for passage on a bus, train, or ship. Sometimes one of those gates took a person far beyond the park—and usually beyond any hope of returning unless you were one of the Arcana. Some of the gates had multiple possibilities—like transformation. A kind of alchemy, changing one thing to another. Changing a person into something…

Book Title: FORBIDDEN SECRETS, Payback Mountain, Book 5Character Name: Gage Landry How would you describe your family or your childhood?My family was great… until it wasn’t. My dad was killed by a drunk driver when I was seven, and overnight I felt like it was my job to take care of my mom and little sister. Then Janie got sick – cancer – when she was twelve. High school for me was a blur of doctor’s appointments, working whatever jobs I could, and trying to keep my grades up. Looking back, I guess you could say I didn’t really have much of a childhood. What was your greatest talent?Recognizing bullshit. Part of that comes from training, the rest from experience. After years as a special agent with the FBI, you learn to see through people fast. Not much gets by me. Significant other?No. People close to me have a tendency to die, and I’ve had my fill of heartbreak. Better to live alone than risk losing someone else. Biggest challenge in relationships?I’ve been told I’m reserved – aloof, even – and that I keep myself safe by not letting anyone get too close. But my best friend and his crew…

A disabled writer’s unforgettable journey into Wyoming’s lost mountain town. High in Wyoming’s Absaroka Mountains lies Kirwin, one of the most haunted and untouched ghost towns in the American West. Tucked away at 9,200 feet, this abandoned mining town has endured avalanches, gold rush dreams, and even a visit from Amelia Earhart. Its silence hums with history. I had dreamed of seeing a real ghost town for years—one untouched by modern life. In 2021, that dream seemed within reach, as we went on our big go west trip, but our first searches ended in disappointment. Every “ghost town” Google led us to either had people living there or no trace of old structures left. On our last attempt, we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, stranded on an empty stretch of road, rescued only by a miner in the one vehicle heading home and then by a kind sheriff’s deputy. That night, safe in our RV again, we decided no more ghost towns, for now. The experience taught me something: don’t rely on GPS or Google searches. Real research—old maps, local museums, and historical societies—is what leads you to the real thing. A Personal Mission By 2023,…

What is the title of your latest release?NEXT TIME WILL BE OUR TURN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Nerdy Chinese-Indonesian girl moves to LA and falls in love, but make it ghey and with a LOT of yearning. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?This is a book that draws on a lot of my own experience, so I basically just drew from my own life. Magnolia attends Pasadena Community College, so did I. Magnolia goes to UC Berkeley, so did I. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes, without a doubt! What are three words that describe your hero?Resilient, Rule-breaker, Pioneer What’s something you learned while writing this book?That I can make myself cry through my own writing. That’s so weird! It’s like finding out that you can tickle yourself? Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I wait until I’m totally done. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Any type of noods. Describe your writing space/office!I write at my dining table because my dining room is the room that gets the most natural light in the house and I just love it so much. So…