I am often asked who my favorite authors are, but I don’t know that anyone has asked me what my favorite books are and how they may have shaped who I am as an author. I’d like to talk about three books that have contributed to who I am today. THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, C.S. Lewis To be fair, I loved all of the Chronicles of Narnia, but this first book in the series really set me on the path to exploring my own imagination. A secret world only accessible by magic? Children heroes? Animals that can talk? Yes, it is fair to say, I loved Narnia from the get-go. I think what really set it apart from the fairy tales and children books I had previous read, was that it wasn’t always so “happily ever after”. Real problems were presented to the characters in the story. Characters died, got lost, and went over to the “dark side”. Despite a clearly fantastical setting, these stories felt more real to me. I was able to really immerse myself in the stories and by the end of the book, I felt as if the characters were my friends. I…

To anyone who has read, would like to read, or has never heard of THE LAST WOLF, I will make this fast. Promise. My debut, THE LAST WOLF, introduced a pack of what would typically be called werewolves, though they would never say that about themselves. Pack, yes. Wolves, yes. Werewolves, no. These are not men who fight to keep their beast subdued. Their truest form is wolf. Their human form is used to protect this sacred wild. Silver Nilsdottir, the heroine and narrator of THE LAST WOLF is utterly untamed and unabashedly inhuman. She makes no secret of the fact that she is completely baffled by the world away from Homelands, the Great North’s territory in the Adirondacks. Or that she failed Introduction to Human Behaviors four times. Elijah Sorensson, the hero and narrator of A WOLF APART, is Silver’s opposite in most ways. Where she is at the bottom of the pack hierarchy, he is at the top. He is the Alpha of his age group but he is also an Offlander, a wolf who spends most of his time away from Homelands. He is a partner in the successful law firm established with money from the Great…

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Blood Bond by Shannon K. Butcher Justice has never known freedom. She woke up ten years ago, naked and alone with no memory of who or what she was. Since then, she’s been a prisoner, compelled by powers she doesn’t understand. She’s roamed the country, doing whatever the fates demanded of her, good or bad. Completely alone. Until now. Ronan is starving to death. Like all the Sanguinar, his survival depends on finding the dwindling traces of blood left behind by an ancient, magical race. Weeks ago, Justice saved his life and since then, it’s been her blood he craves, her face he dreams about. As evil closes in on all sides, threatening the only stronghold the Sentinels have to protect them, Ronan must find a way to gain Justice’s trust and free her from the dark powers that control her. Because if he can’t, the next person she is compelled to kill may be him. Order BLOOD BOND: Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR Sentinel Wars They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity…

Long before dukes and earls rode in fancy carriages through London’s Hyde Park, and long before the Norman-French claimed victory at Hastings, Romans established the city of Londinium. Julius Caesar first visited Britain in 55 B.C., but it wasn’t until A.D. 43 that Emperor Claudius decided the Thames was a favorable shipping route from the North Sea and established a town in the area just east of present day Westminster. The area extends roughly from east of Waterloo Bridge to Tower Bridge and north from the Thames toward the Museum of London.  If walking, there are stone Dragon monuments that mark the boundaries of the Old City. Of course, local Celtic tribes did not welcome the Roman invasion any more than Native Americans did white settlers.  Inceni Queen Boudicca of East Anglia led a revolt against the Romans and destroyed their cities of Camulodunum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Londinium. Perhaps she was the first, true Women’s Libber!  In any case, she was indeed a Warrior Woman whom men followed into war.  A statue of her driving her chariot stands at the corner of today’s Westminster Bridge and Victoria’s Embankment, right across from Parliament. The Romans, however, were not known…

Have you ever been to Vegas? Have you walked along The Strip and felt the excitement? Vegas has its own unique sound. When you go in the casinos there’s a hum, a ringing of all the slot machines and games, for those that have been you know what I mean. But there’s more to Vegas than just gambling, there’s the shows, the food, the sightseeing, golf, shopping, and more. It’s almost an assault on your senses and you really can’t do it all in one trip. I’ve been three times, and each time realize just how much I’ve missed, which, means I only have to go back and see more! And flying in a night, well it’s breathtaking to see the lights of The Strip spread out before you from the air. I always try and spot the hotels, like the Luxor with its distinctive shape and beacon of light that shoots into the sky. All the hotels have their own unique feature. Like Paris, with a replica of the Eiffel Tower on the exterior and the interior. The volcano at The Mirage hotel that belches out ‘lava’ during the show. The gondola ride along the canal inside the Venetian,…

Welcome to Mayhem, Minnesota where the cats wear sweaters, the local priest dispenses love advice and you can find your fortune in the bottom of a pie plate. Sounds like a pretty strange place, right? Yeah, well that’s what I was going for when I created the backdrop for my series of sweet, small town romances called The Whiskey Sisters. Said sisters have inherited their father’s pub and are each named after a different liquor—Hennessy, Jameson, Walker and Bailey. I wanted these young women to be strong and independent but also fun and funny. And I needed to give them a hometown so unique that they’d never want to leave. And so was established Mayhem, Minnesota—a tiny hamlet in the region known as the Iron Range—where it gets mighty snowy, and mighty cold. When the town folk collectively adopt a group of cats rescued from a storm-ravaged region in the south, the find out pretty fast that the poor kitties are freezing their furry little butts off. Enter The Knitty Kitty. This business, owned by a very talented knitter by the name of Julie Freddino, caters to the feline population of Mayhem by outfitting them with stylish and functional apparel….

My newest release, #MOONSTRUCK, which goes on sale July 17, is the second in my #Lovestruck series for Montlake about “hometown” girls who fall in love with celebrities, with the help of social media. In #MOONSTRUCK, Maisy Harrison is a hairdresser and lead singer in the fledging rock band Yesterday. She and her three brothers play in a local bar once a week—and dream of making the big time. It’s actually her friend Angie’s obsession with international pop singer Ryan de Luna, though, that puts Maisy and Ryan together when he comes to town to perform in concert. And the obvious question I get asked a lot is, am I—or was I—ever a fangirl of celebrities? The answer is, YES! And I kind of still am. I make a daily stop at eonline.com to catch up on entertainment news. I’m glad that I had no Internet or social media growing up, because I can see how that might have gotten me in trouble. I might have cyberstalked some celebrities back then! I’ve never had a backstage pass to a concert, as Angie and Maisy do in #MOONSTRUCK. When I was a teenager, going to concerts wasn’t something my parents could…

I absolutely love romantic comedies, and one of my fave tropes is friends-to-lovers. Sometimes a slow-burn romance, when the hero and heroine are trying so hard not to overstep that line, is just perfect. In my latest release, ONCE UPON A PLAYER, both Lucas and Violet fall for each other as soon as they see each other, but decide not to cross the friend line, because Violet’s vowed to never trust another player. And although Lucas knows he should walk away, he can’t. It’s better to be friends than nothing at all, right? Famous last words…😊 So, in no particular order, I thought I’d share three of my favorite friends-to-lovers romcom movies! Just Friends Well first of all, what’s not to love about Ryan Reynolds? He’s adorable, and not just in his movies! Nerdy Chris returns home for his ten-year school reunion and meets up with the girl he crushed on in high school. They were best friends back then, and when his grand plans to impress her come crashing down, it looks like friends is all they’ll ever be! Leap Year It’s so much fun watching Anna, who’s come to Ireland in order to propose to her boyfriend on…

Thank you so much for hosting me today to talk about my latest release in The Men of At-Ease Ranch Series. My original contract with Entangled was only for three books, but thanks to the fans that wrote to my publisher, I was contracted to write books for the remaining two Rangers. My new release: THE ARMY RANGER’S SURPRISE is the fifth book, and I’m so honored and excited to finally give my readers the story they’ve been waiting for, as well as my hero his well-deserved HEA. Why is it well-deserved? Because Leo is the reason At-Ease ranch was created. He represents the real-life service members who have a hard time adjusting to civilian life when they come home. Leo’s struggle has unfolded throughout the series, and thanks to his book, I got to dig in and help him find some happiness. But don’t worry. His story is not too dark. Like the rest of the books in this series, this one is a romantic comedy, too. And yes, everyone’s favorite character—Lula Belle the lovesick cow—makes an unforgettable appearance. A super big thank you to the fans for their overwhelming support of The Men of At-Ease Ranch! ♥ This…