Redemption (noun): The action of saving or being saved from error or sin. We all make mistakes. It’s a human condition, part and parcel of being a fallible mortal creature. Fortunately, most of our errors can be rectified by a heartfelt apology. No big deal, right? Then there are the biggies. We commit missteps that can’t be fixed by a simple ‘I’m sorry’, a bouquet of roses, or even by prostrating oneself in debased shame before the offended party. I’m thinking of acts which have caused extreme loss or pain to someone—or perhaps multitudes. Grievous crimes against humanity, if you will. Imagine you’re the one who caused such devastation. You didn’t do so out of any malevolence. In fact, perhaps the fault occurred because you were trying to do the right thing. However, you made a mistake and the worst possible outcome happened. Can you ever be forgiven? Redeemed in the eyes of those you harmed? Could you find redemption for yourself? Because in the end, you have to face up to what you’ve done. You have to answer to your conscience. Let’s be honest here. In most cases, we are our own worst judges. We hold our actions to…

Chemistry. We know what that’s all about, right? We could be standing next to a guy (or a gal!) who would probably tick all the boxes off the list you have for yourself: Beautiful eyes. Intriguing (a.k.a. good-looking) face. Kind. Funny. Financially secure… whatever it might be for you. Yet despite all of these things being checked…things just kind of fizzle. You can’t even hold a real conversation with him or her—and it’s not because you’re too tongue-tied or nervous. No, it’s because there’s just something not really there. Well, this chemistry, or lack thereof, can be the same thing when it comes to the characters in a book. You set up the characters. The setting. The backstory. The plot. But then you get the two characters on set together and they just don’t talk. And you realize that maybe it’s not writer’s block that is stopping your from pushing forward, but maybe that you’ve cast the wrong hero for your heroine. In my newest release, HER SURPRISE ENGAGEMENT, this is exactly what happened when I tried to set Daisy up with the wrong guy. It fizzled. Three re-starts of the book later, I finally realize that this was just…

Summer has roared into the Midwest bringing with it sultry temperatures, thunderstorms, block buster films (Wonder Woman!!), and a plethora of new books. Summertime for me, traditionally, has always been about the great books on my TBR pile that I have to look forward to reading along with new releases. I’ll never forget my midnight purchase of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders eons ago. Lately, I’ve been a bit contemplative of the time that has passed in my life. Probably because I just entered a new decade and it’s caused me to be reflective of my past, including some of my all-time favorite books. As a writer, my first love was reading. I read shelf upon shelf of books. Binged my way through bookstores multiple times. Choosing a favorite book for those of us bibliophiles, is a lot like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I have whiled away countless hours reading while the temperatures skyrocket near a hundred with a frosty beverage and a good book. There’s nothing I enjoy more. Now with summer upon us, I thought it was only fitting, partly because I have four releases hitting shelves this summer that I…

Hi everyone – I’m excited to be visiting Fresh Fiction again to chat about my upcoming release, NEW MOON. This is the 8th and final book in the Moon Series, but it’s easy to jump in if you haven’t read the others first. (Although I secretly hope after you read it you’ll want to start from the beginning! LOL) I fell in LOVE with writing Shifters over the past few years. These loyal, protective, and occasionally hot-headed men always win my heart, but Sebastian isn’t part of the Wolf Pack. He’s been an enigma through the series, a jaguar shifter assassin who is sometimes an ally and often an adversary. Writing NEW MOON was an adventure because after 7 books, we finally got to go behind the walls of the nefarious Nero Organization, and see the world through Sebastian’s eyes. If you love a good redemption story, I think you’ll enjoy this book. For me, watching Sebastian finally choose a side in the battle brought out a part of him that I never expected. We met his heroine, Isabelle, in WOLF MOON, and she was a blast to write because she turned the fated mate trope around. In all my…

Don’t you love a good double meaning? I’ve always been a sucker for puns. The cheesier the better. But add some hidden sexual connotation and you’ve got me. Hook, line, and sinfully amused. In THE WRONG KIND OF COMPATIBLE, Cassie and Drew take sexual innuendo in a somewhat unusual direction. Both are brilliant, but socially awkward with it. She blurts out everything that comes into her head, and he is the strong, silent type who says the wrong thing when he tries too hard. Between the two of them, they get into a (hopefully) hilarious—at first inadvertent—back and forth of geeky sexual innuendo. For example: Cassie looked up at the ceiling, doing her level best to return to the sane, rational woman she usually was. “Actually, grab your laptop. You’ll want to take notes, and possibly work through a few things on your own.” “Will I need my dongle?” She froze in the middle of taking her seat and checked his expression. Had he meant the double entendre, or was her dirty mind taking her there on its own? “That’s…up to you,” she said slowly. Then bit her lip as the possible implications of her response sank in. I had…

There are so many reasons to love reading, but one of my favorites is the element we bring to each book we devour by using our imaginations. Sometimes we imagine ourselves as the heroine, other times we picture our favorite actress, and still more we conquer someone we’ve never even seen before. As for the hero, he could be our significant other, a hottie from Hollywood, the guy on the cover, or a unique compilation of all three. We pair the author’s descriptions with our own imagination and create something completely new, and with each page we turn, a movie plays out in our minds. As an author, it’s the same thing. Sure, I start out every book I write with a ‘dream cast’ in mind. Photos of celebrities or models that represent the characters I’m forming in my mind. But, as I write the book and flesh out the characters through their individual journeys, the result is often an altogether new creation. With THE NANNY ARRANGEMENT, I set out with my dream cast as usual…but things changed during the writing process. For Deacon, my country music fiddle player, Chase Rice was the perfect choice while plotting. He was born…

We love our pets. We share our food, sofas, maybe even our beds. It’s a tight bond. But professional K-9 partners are on a different level. Before starting the K-9 Rescue Series, I talked directly with experts. In each series book, including my latest, PHYSICAL FORCES, I highlight aspects of this special connection. The Top Five Traits of Successful K-9 teams Character. Good K-9 teams share these qualities: stamina, confidence, the ability to think independently, self-discipline, and a strong work ethic. Law enforcement and military K-9s must have a strong “drive.” An FBI explosives K-9 handler told me a story last year that best demonstrates “drive.” The final day of testing, I was a little worried. My German shepherd had been a handful during training and we’d almost flunked out. We were directed to enter a gym and locate a scent item. He located it easily, tucked into the top of a cargo climbing net twelve feet above our heads. Without prompting, my dog climbed the net and retrieved it! I later learned the other K9s had ‘signed’ by sitting beneath it, or pawing the net a few times and barking.* Needless to say, his dog won the drive award….

As the author of over thirty romance novels, I’ve written a lot of heroes. Jocks, rockstars, lifeguards, popular guys, alpha males. But I’ve always wanted to write an unconventional hero. The guy who isn’t usually the focal point of the story. The sidekick. The friend. The brother. The one who is normally found on the sidelines. And I wanted to write about a girl who isn’t looking for the guy in the spotlight. A girl who is simply looking for a guy she can connect with. A guy who makes her feel like she’s special. I’ve used the popular/unpopular trope a lot. Mostly because I love it. But with this book I wanted it to be a fun romance about two “regular” kids. I’m the mom of two teenagers and I never want them to think they have to be the most popular, the most famous or the best at something to be considered “special” or to have an exciting, fulfilling life. And that’s where the idea for I’M NOT IN THE BAND came from. Ross Devlin is a famous popstar. He’s hot, charming and can get any girl he wants. But this isn’t his story. It’s his twin brother…

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer, but I’ve always been a daydreamer. While the world churned on around me, I would be building characters, worlds and scenarios in my head. Of course, as a child I would always be the strong heroine, fighting to save the day with an equally strong hero modeled after the hunk of the day. Adulthood opened a door in my mind vault of stories and writing gave me the outlet for which I’d spent my youth preparing. My daydreams have turned into sensual, passionate, adventurous stories with strong women and men. Heroines and heroes who are willing to fight not only the bad guys but often their own flaws, egos and past in order to have the happily-ever-after they deserve. They are individuals who are fully capable on their own who eventually realize they are so much stronger as a couple. Together they are an unstoppable team. That brings me to my latest release, TO DIE FOR, and the story of how Zoe White and Frank Ludwig went from good friends to ‘I can’t live without you’ lovers. Zoe’s beautiful voice—soft, calm, reassuring—gave a police officer the strength to hang on until…

I feel there’s a temptress in every woman that fantasizes of doing a striptease for her man. Do you dare to set that temptress free or does the thought alone give you the jitters? Maybe these tips will help you to step over that threshold. A striptease takes some preparation. It speaks for itself that clothes are important. You need layers you can strip off, and of course you tease as you do so. It’s about the way you move, saucy and cheeky glances, fluttering eye-lashes, and blowing him the occasional kiss. You move slow and sensuous and give him sneak peeks of your body. You could turn your back to him and cast him a sexy look as you bare your shoulder, then cover it again. Lower your gaze, look up through your lashes as you suggestively circle your hips. Lift the hem of your skirt and reveal your thigh. A sexy garter belt and stockings will certainly blow his mind. Tease him! Show him bits of the garments you wear underneath, and of your beautiful body, but don’t reveal too much. Not yet! You have to build it up. You tease, slowly strip off a layer, tease, strip…