Today, I’m sitting down with the heroine of The Profiler series, Evelyn Baine, to find out more about how she balances her job with the FBI and the rest of her life: So, Evelyn, what exactly do you do for the FBI? “I’m a criminal investigative analyst – what you might call a profiler – for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. If you’ve got a crime where everything you’ve tried has failed to find you the perpetrator, you call my unit. We don’t need forensics or obvious suspects. What we do is look at the crime scene and read the psychology behind it. What caused the perpetrator to do this? What kind of person is he? How do you find him?” That sounds really complicated. How did you get into this line of work? “Sometimes it is complicated. I don’t really like to talk about my personal life, but I learned about profilers when I was twelve years old. My best friend disappeared and an FBI profiler came to town to find her. He never did, so it became my life’s mission to join the FBI, learn how to profile cases myself and one day figure out what happened to her.”…

Anyone who is familiar with my books knows I love writing paranormal stories. I’ve written all kinds of shifters—lions and tigers and bears, oh my, and some dragons, too. But my Salvation Pack series is all about werewolves. What is it about wolf shifters that we all love so much? Whatever the mythology a writer chooses to use in a series, a werewolf is generally stronger than a human male. They are tough and it takes a lot to kill one. And they heal fast from any wound they might sustain. My werewolves are strong, fast, and all incredibly stubborn, which can be a good thing at times, but frustrating as a writer when they insist on having their own way. Werewolves have a culture of their own. They’re outside the norms of society, even if they sometimes live alongside humans. Their world can be violent and primal. My Salvation Pack wolves are all strong, alpha males, any of whom could be leader of his own pack. Instead, they’ve banded together to protect those they love. There is no in-fighting as there is among other packs. They shift into wolves. I mean, it doesn’t get much cooler than that. There…

I was recently reviewing lists of potential interview questions for my upcoming blog tour for my debut, NO COWBOY REQUIRED, which released on May 14th (woohoo!). One of the questions was: what do you do when you get stuck writing? That got me thinking. I don’t really have something I “do” when I get stuck, except, I guess, stop writing until I feel like it again (thank goodness this isn’t my full-time job…yet!). But I do have something I do when I get overly stressed in general, whether about my writing or my day job or my kids or when my mother-in-law is coming to visit and the house is a wreck… you know, those every-day sort of stressors. What do I do? I cocoon and watch a romance movie in my bedroom. I invite my daughter to watch with me, and she used to agree—until, over time, we’d watched my selections each twice and she realized the selection list was finite and very small. Because, you see, I can’t watch just any romance movie. I have my go-to list; those movies I can watch over and over without getting bored – and without the urge to recite the lines…

In the nine months or so since I’ve become a published author, I’ve quickly narrowed down my favorite ways to connect with readers. By far, book clubs are at the top of the list. Truly, what could be more fun than sitting with a group and delving into a shared story? Book clubs are made up of enthusiastic readers who seem to have tons of questions. Many times, in visiting with these groups, my book has taken on new meaning, even for me. Often when I’m asked to recommend a book for a club, I’ve suggested a time-slip novel. There’s just something about a story with both a contemporary and a historical storyline, with a connecting point throughout, that I love. Here are three reasons to consider a time-slip novel for your next book club pick. One Book . . . but Also Two! Okay, time-slip books are really just one story. But in many ways, they are two! Just think . . . two stories to ponder in one month, the characters of two stories to dwell on, a chance to consider how they all fit together and why the author chose to tell them like this in the…

Do you remember the old television show, “Quantum Leap”? Sam would leap into other people’s bodies in history, and Al was able to help him figure how to fix things with his not so trusty computer, Ziggy. I loved that show! But what bothered me was that Sam never had control over where he went, and Al was only a holographic image. So when I decided to write a time travel romance, I knew I wanted two things to be true. First, the traveler would be able to “leap” anywhere in history she wanted, as well as back to her own time. Second, whoever helped her would actually be there with her when he popped in to talk to her, and so that’s what happens in ON HIGHLAND TIME. Diana’s job as a Time Weaver, Inc. agent is to go back in time and fix what the Disruptors have changed. While she’s there, the only way to communicate with the agency is through Go-Lucky, her rather short, designer-wearing handler and the only male with the ability to time travel. He provides Diana with up-to-date information on the changes in the Timestream. He also provides her with support. TWI doesn’t have…

I understand the Fresh Fiction readers love lists. Well, have I got a list for you! All of my books in the same Boston paranormal world. STRANGE NEIGHBORS THE WEREWOLF UPSTAIRS THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON HOW TO DATE A DRAGON KISSING WITH FANGS I DREAM OF DRAGONS MY WILD IRISH DRAGON NEVER DARE A DRAGON HOOKED ON A PHOENIX (just released!) You know you’ve created a successful world when your editor asks for more books set in that world. My new series (Phoenix Brothers—Book 1, HOOKED ON A PHOENIX (March 6th) is a spin-off of book 2 in the Boston Dragons series. Oh! And the Boston Dragons series is a spin-off of book 2 in the Flirting with Fangs series! And, oh yeah, the Flirting with Fangs series is a spin-off of book 2 in the Strange Neighbors series! Yeah…always book 2. Weird coincidence? Or numbers? Knowing that publishers are keeping track of things like sales, I can pretty much guess it has to do with numbers. I’m not a math person or a business person. I’m a creative person—not that those things are mutually exclusive! More and more authors are becoming business savvy. I’m…

I am so excited to be given this opportunity. Swoon Worthy and Alpha Male are two phrases that are guaranteed to bring giddiness to romance readers, and a frenzy of one-clicks on the eBook sites. For an author in the genre, we must give our Alphas the traits that will require a fainting couch and a cold shower. Here are a few of mine. A strong heroine. I love to read about an Alpha who wants to keep his woman safe, but knows that she is strong enough to take care of herself. He will save the day, and fight off any and all enemies, but does not expect her to sit on the sidelines and watch all of this happen. Oh no. A capable heroine has the ability to vanquish any sort of enemy (werewolves or vampires, medieval feudal lords or crooked Old West lawmen), but she also feels a certain amount of satisfaction knowing that her man has her back. I’m going to borrow a member of one of Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed for this trait. There was a scene in Kiss of Crimson where Tess (the heroine) was at an art gallery and Dante walked in. He…

Thank you for joining me today! I also want to thank Fresh Fiction for inviting me to be on their blog. I’m excited talk about the release of HOW TO TEMPT AN EARL, the first book in my Raven Club series. Who doesn’t love an accidental marriage theme in a romance? I know I do and that’s what I chose to write for my historical romance, HOW TO TEMPT AN EARL. My hero, Ian Swift, had been at odds with his family and left to open a notorious gambling club in London. For ten years, he’s lived life on his own terms. But when his older brother dies, Ian unexpectedly inherits the earldom. Ian hasn’t associated with the beau monde, other than the aristocrats who visit his casino and lose money at his gambling tables, in many years. He needs a mentor. Then Miss Grace Ashton walks into his club one night. Grace is the daughter of a baron who is a reckless gambler. In exchange for her father’s debts, Ian strikes a deal with Grace. If she agrees to give him gentlemanly lessons in the evenings, he will forgive the five-thousand-pound debt her father owes to him. What begins…

My newest erotic romance—LAYING PIPE—releases May 21st from Entangled Publishing. Because of that, I’ve got sex on the mind. Who am I kidding, I always have sex on my mind. That’s because my writing celebrates women’s sensuality, sexual exploration and, of course, true love. It’s all in good—if not clean—fun, and my smutty stories can take it to the extreme. If it’s about an architect, expect some kinky architectural maneuvers. My mechanic does the dirty in, and on, fancy hot rods. (Both stories come out later this year.) As for Laying Pipe, my lonely librarian meets a hunky plumber who’s tool inventive. Ever hear of a drilldo? (Google it, but I warn you, what is once seen, can’t be unseen.) It must be clear by now that I take this sex stuff lightheartedly. I also take it uber seriously, considering it one of God’s greatest gifts and worth sharing… However, for something so essential to our human existence, it can also be remarkably hard at times. For comparison, there’s eating—something equally essential to our existence. Do we have trouble enjoying it? Talking about it? Finding yummy flavors? Instead, we celebrate eating, both the preparation and the participation, and find it…

Welcome Home Katie Gallagher, by Seana Kelly: This is one of those books that will make you smile long after you’ve finished reading it. Katie Gallagher is a woman who’s determined to leave her bad ex behind and start fresh in the small town where she grew up. She doesn’t expect to run into Aiden Cavanaugh, the boy from her childhood who’s all grown up, and she especially doesn’t expect him to be the sexy hot police chief who’s arresting her on her first day back. The witty banter between these two characters is so fresh and funny, I dare you not to laugh out loud! The Perfect Match, by Kristan Higgins: This is the story that got me hooked on Kristan’s books. I remember staying up really late one night to read it and I laughed so hard, at one point I woke my husband up and he thought I was crying. The Perfect Match is about Honor Holland, a woman who’s trying to get over being rejected by her lifelong crush. She agrees to enter into a marriage of convenience with a sexy British professor who needs a green card. Hilarity ensues. For Better or Worse, Lauren Layne…