As May brings the perfume of spring flowers, hinting of the warmth of summer to come, thoughts turn to vacation, rest and renewal.  What better way than to be an armchair traveler than to delve into historical fiction that explores the exotic worlds of the Far East? We begin in India with John Shor’s BENEATH A MARBLE SKY.  A cultural icon, the Taj Mahal is instantly recognizable.  Shorr’s novel gives us the story behind the building of this remarkable memorial by the emperor of Hindustan, Shah Jahan, in honor of his beloved wife Mumatz Mahal. Told through the eyes of the couple’s eldest daughter, Princess Jahanara, we are transported to a vast empire constantly rent by rebellion and religious strife, a place of fabulous wealth and dire poverty.  Trained in the techniques of strategy and influenced by her mother, the emperor’s favorite wife and confident, Jahanara takes over from that lady, advising her father, trying to protect her brother Dara, the rightful heir, from the machinations of his ambitious brother Aurangzeb, supervising the construction of her mother’s memorial—and falling in love with its architect, a man she can never marry.  Shorr’s novel reveals the richness of the princess’s world, full…

By May McGoldrick (aka Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick) When we set out to write the Royal Highlander series (Highland Crown, Highland Jewel, Highland Sword), our goal was to weave the lives of three extraordinary women into the fabric of a revolutionary, but largely forgotten series of historical events called the Radical War of 1820. From that mindset, the characters of Isabella, a university-trained physician; Maisie, an early activist for suffrage; and Morrigan, a militant revolutionary, formed in our imagination. Our research directed us to real historical figures of the Georgian and Regency Era who served as models for our heroines. Women like Dorothea Erxleben, physician; Mary Fildes, political activist and an early suffragette; ‘William’ Brown (birth name unknown), an African woman serving in the Royal Navy); and María Antonia Santos Plata, a rebel guerrilla leader in South America. Since Highland Crown deals with a neglected chapter in Scotland’s struggle against the English Crown, we thought we’d cast a little light on five real-life kick-ass heroines from the past. These are rebellious and radical women who would never be talked about, if some people had their way.   Abigail Adams (1744-1818). Her husband might have been the second president of the United States,…

At the KissCon Weekend Affaire last month, there was an entire panel devoted to romantic comedies, or rom-coms, delightfully called “To All the Books I’ve Loved Before,” a nod to the very successful Netflix movie based on the YA novel To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Tessa Bailey, Alyssa Cole, Tracey Livesay, Mia Sosa, and Sally Thorne all sat and chatted about their favorite romantic comedies – both books and movies – and what made them so special. From When Harry Met Sally to Boomerang to Bridget Jones’ Diary, these contemporary romance authors told us what makes rom-coms so enjoyable, as well as what they are looking for in new rom-coms. Rom-coms have the perfect balance of comedy, drama, and of course, a loveable love story. If the lead characters start out hating each other or know from the time they’re in preschool it’s meant to be, rom-coms have a way of making us all smile. Some of my all-time favorite books are romantic comedies, and this spring and summer we are lucky to have a bounty of rom-coms hitting bookshelves, all that I think feel like the blueprints for movies or TV adaptations! Rebekah Weatherspoon – Rafe (October…

Thanks so much for chatting with us today! Can you tell us a bit about your new novel, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors?      Thanks so much for having me! Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is a gender swapped reimagining of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, where she’s the Mr. Darcy and he’s the Lizzie Bennet. It launches a new series about the Rajes, an Indian American family descended from royalty (think the Indian Kennedys) who have built their lives in San Francisco. It’s the story of two strangers from completely different worlds that explores cultural assimilation, identity, and the meaning of the word home. Dr. Trisha Raje is an accomplished brain surgeon, working on the forefront of cutting edge medicine in her field, and yet, her family’s perception of her is still her biggest weakness. How did Trisha’s need for her family’s acceptance change throughout the novel? I believe that for all of us, our need to be accepted by those who make up our world follows our journey of self acceptance. How much you care about what those around you think of you is directly proportional to how much you accept yourself for who you are….

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 Dacia M Arnold!  Writes: Dystopian Mom Fiction. In Apparent Power, Sparks fly in a mother’s journey to pick up the pieces after devastation. Because saving the world without a kid on your leg is just child’s play. Does she save her family? Or humanity? Thirty-something contemporary science fiction author seeks closet readers of YA dystopian who enjoy the high-action and high-stakes of titles like Divergent and Hunger Games, but desperately want a heroine who understands the struggles of motherhood. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Their idea of a perfect date includes an overnight babysitter (they exist), and silence found in a nice hotel with a Jacuzzi tub, paperback or e-reader, candles, and wine. Did I mention silence? Loves to read strong, relatable female characters with morals and reverence for marriage Likes action-packed adventures of a mother doing everything she can to keep her family safe Has parental guilt every single time they leave their children for any reason,…

Becoming Us is the 101st book by bestselling, Christy award-winning author Robin Jones Gunn. Her repertoire includes picture books, non-fiction, gift books, anthologies, a memoir, devotionals, co-authored works, and 48 novels. You’ll find an exclusive list of all her novels below. Robin and her husband live in Hawaii where she is currently writing the next book in the Haven Makers Series. Dear Beautiful Readers, I’d like to tell you a story. My birthday was a few weeks ago and two of my friends took me to get pedicures. As we were selecting our nail color, a woman came over and asked, “Are you Robin? The writer?” I nodded and she said, “You have to meet my mother.” I shook hands with a lovely woman who looked a bit older than me. The daughter explained to her that I was the author of the book, Finding Father Christmas, which was made into a Hallmark movie by the same title. She kept my hand in hers and started tearing up as she said, “Your movie changed my life.” I admit that I love Hallmark movies as much as anyone but I wasn’t sure how a heartwarming Hallmark Christmas movie could change her…

He was a Dragon King. No one should have been able to get to him through magic. No one. But they did. With tragic results. If he’d kept a hold of his sword, he could have checked on the dragons several times. And called them home. V looked up and found himself standing in front of the medical clinic. Sophie, who was mated to another King, Darius, ran it. Many of the Kings hadn’t been sure how Sophie could continue to work as a doctor and keep the secrets of Dreagan, but so far, she’d done admirably. She wouldn’t be able to do that forever, though. As a mate, she was given the gift of immortality. Sophie had a few more years before others started to notice that she didn’t age. Then, she would have to close the practice for a few generations before she could open it up once more. V’s gaze swung to the parking lot as he heard the squeal of tires and a white Mini with black racing stripes pulled to a stop. He sidestepped to conceal himself behind a tree and watched as Claire got out of her car. V couldn’t understand how she drove…

My name is Sophie Whynot. I’m thirty-two years old, and the last one of my immediate friends group that’s still single. And recently, I ran away from home. I can’t lie—it was much easier when I was seven. Then I just got pissed at my mom, threw my favorite stuffed animals in a bag, and hid out at my aunt’s house until Mom came to collect me. Running away as an adult is much more involved. First I had a nervous breakdown at my best friend’s baby shower. That led to a lot of people unfriending me on social media, but whatever. Then I had to quit my job, break the lease on my apartment, and sell all my stuff. Now I’m at my Gran’s house in Summerland, Tennessee, starting over. It’s totally freeing being back at square one. No one in Summerland knows me. I can be anyone I want to be. Right now, I want to get my sex toy review blog off the ground. It’s more than just the top ten best vibrators (the research was pretty fun, except for that cheap one that short-circuited, but you’ll have to check out my blog for the details.). I…

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 CLARE O’DONOHUE! Writes: Spy novels and mysteries, with my latest, BREAKING THE DANCE, the 2nd in my World of Spies series hitting the shelves May 8th, 2019. About: Mystery writer and avid traveler seeks readers for adventures in Ireland (BEYOND THE PALE) and South America. BREAKING THE DANCE is Nick & Nora meets James Bond when a husband & wife team of accidental spies try to help an art thief stay alive while on the trail of a notorious Argentinian killer. Laughs, thrills and a few tips on how to dance the tango all included. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader: A detective who follows the clues no matter where they go A traveler (real & armchair both welcome!) A lover of smart, strong characters living out real relationships amidst sometimes surreal circumstances An adventurer who doesn’t mind hanging out with art thieves, spies, and killers Someone who enjoys classics like Mrs. Polifax, and Lord Peter Whimsey & Harriet Vane…

Your book has been described as Mad Men meets Devil Wears Prada – a very enticing combination! What sort of research did you do for this novel, and what was the most surprising thing you learned? I was lucky with this book because there were several excellent biographies on Helen Gurley Brown, as well as all the books she wrote herself. Naturally, the place for me to start was HGB’s scandalous bestseller, Sex and the Single Girl. It was published in 1962 and sold two million copies the first month it was out. It was basically a guide on how to find men and what to do with them once you’ve found them. It was truly groundbreaking material because, at that time, no one else was speaking to single women in that way. Sex and the Single Girl gave me a good feel for Helen Gurley Brown’s philosophy and her views on men, dating and of course, sex. The blueprint for her future makeover of Cosmopolitan can be easily found in the pages of her book. I also watched the Sex and the Single Girl movie and lots interviews with HGB—there’s a slew of them on YouTube. (Also I was fortunate to have met…