How would you describe your family or your childhood?I’ve been told by my new friends that they are my family now. I’m not sure why, the one I had before seemed perfectly adequate if a little sparse. I was brought up in a dance school, which for some reason, makes people laugh when I tell them. My greatest talent?Embroidery. My grandmother taught me. She said it would ‘fill a hole’. I’m not sure if she meant literally or metaphorically but she was correct in both aspects. Significant other?Bridie. Now and always. Biggest challenge in relationships?Usually other people. And unrealistic expectations. Where do you live?In a small cottage in a tiny village in the south of England. Not too near the coast to be bothered by tourists but with a thriving WI which Bridie love. Do you have any enemies?I would imagine that people would have to notice me first. How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?It’s messy and I don’t like mess. I find it hard to concentrate. Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?I had a cat once. Well,…

What is the title of your latest release?JESSICA, NOT HER REAL NAME What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Jessica Meeks has spent a decade hiding from the cartel and the memory of the man she loved. But when her cover’s blown and a violent storm traps her with a deputy U.S. Marshal with secrets of his own, she must decide who to trust—before the past catches up and buries her for good. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The story uses a hurricane as a major plot element, so I always envisioned a Gulf Coast setting. And because it’s told in two different parts, I wanted the other setting to really contrast the heat and humidity of a Floridian summer. So, I landed on Chicago, drawing on its darker, chillier vibe. I love how disparate the two settings feel. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Absolutely! Jessica and I are actually about the same age, but in my mind, she feels like the big sister I never had: street smart, a bit cynical and worn down by life and love, but also funnier and way cooler than me! What are three…

What is the title of your latest release?THE REDEMPTION OF THE DUKE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Faith is shocked when a Duke offers her a position as his aunt’s companion after her brother died in battle. He wants to make amends for a tragic mistake, but Faith is not interested in being rescued. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I like to choose different settings for my books, and it had been a while since I’d used London. Plus, it was easier for the Duke to keep annoying Faith until she said yes to his plans. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?I definitely would! I usually write characters I like, even if they have to learn a lesson or two as they become the people they were meant to be. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Faith is stubborn, independent, and intelligent. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That I would never want to be a lady’s companion—unless it would be with a woman as nice as the Duke’s aunt. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?When I begin writing…

What is the title of your latest release?THE MISSING PAGES What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Harry Widener, a young and ardent book collector boards the titanic taking with him a rare and precious book, decades later a young woman working at the Widener Library, that Harry’s mother built in memory, thinks the ghost of Harry Widener is trying to communicate the missing pages of his story. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?After hearing about the legend of Harry Widener during a college tour at Harvard University with my daughter. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! What are three words that describe your hero?Passionate, intelligent and sensitive. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That the rare book that Harry bought in London before he boarded the Titanic was so small it could fit into the palm of one’s hand. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I edit as I write. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?I eat ice cream nearly every day! Describe your writing space/office!My office is very cozy. I try to keep my desk without too much clutter, but I keep…

Pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere, but I’ve veered off course and jumped right into stocking my pantry with cocoa and reading Christmas romances. I found myself enchanted once again by an author I’ve somehow never read, even as countless readers have loved her for years. JINGLE BELL BEARD, by Julie Kriss, is delightful, especially since the author uses the most hackneyed set imaginable (a failing Christmas tree farm) and nevertheless produces magic. It doesn’t hurt that her male protagonist, Matt, is a hot, grumpy NHL player. He’s on the injured list, so he’s home to lick his wounds and give half-hearted support to his family. But he’s not into Christmas. As luck (and skillful plotting!) would have it, his high school girlfriend, Jasmine, who broke his heart long ago, is on hand to do PR for the failing business. Everything about this novel sits on the cusp of being silly, but the down-to-earth back stories, the witty banter, and the innate goodness of the main characters transform it into something truly special. Kind of like Christmas itself, right?! But good books aren’t all merry and bright. Gillian McAllister’s latest, FAMOUS LAST WORDS, kept my attention glued to the page with…

What is the title of your latest release?PLEASE DON’T LIE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?PLEASE DON’T LIE is a twisty, stylish thriller set in the rugged and beautiful Adirondack Mountains. The novel follows Hayley Stone, a young woman hoping to rebuild her life after a series of devastating losses. Newly married, she moves with her husband to a remote mountain town where she’s determined to leave her past behind. But as secrets begin to surface—hers, her husband’s, and those of her new community—Hayley discovers that starting over isn’t as simple as she hoped. A taut exploration of betrayal and survival, PLEASE DON’T LIE unravels the devastating truths we hide from others—and ourselves—when everything is at stake. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?We were looking for a setting that felt rich with atmosphere. Anne has lived in the Berkshires, Christina has a home in Maine, and we’ve both spent a lot of time in upstate New York. So when we imagined Crystal River, the fictional town at the center of Please Don’t Lie, we were able to draw on real places while inventing freely. It’s a town simmering with secrets and claustrophobic…

What is the title of your latest release?OVERDUE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?While on a break with her longtime boyfriend, a librarian realizes their relationship isn’t the only thing in her life that needs to change. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?My novel takes place in a library and an independent bookstore that are located in a small city in the mountains of North Carolina. I’ve worked as a librarian and a bookseller, and I live in a small city in the mountains of North Carolina. Writing this story was a homecoming. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Absolutely. What are three words that describe your love interest?Prickly. Solitary. Patient. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned so much about hot-air balloon navigation that I’ve tricked several people close to me into believing I’ve actually taken flight in one. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I revise as I draft. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Fancy, mail-order, dairy-free cheeses. The stuff sold in most grocery stores is pretty bad! Describe your writing space/office:My office is a bold color that would make…

Making the Bed – Olivia Rodrigo“Sometimes I feel like I don’t wanna be where I am. Countin’ all of the beautiful things I regret. But it’s me who’s been making the bed.”In Revolve, Sierra’s story takes place after a fall on the ice shatters everything she’s worked for. One second, she and her partner are chasing Olympic gold. The next, she’s disqualified, injured, and forced off the ice. In the skating world, being gone for a year feels like a lifetime, and for Sierra, it’s almost like a death sentence. This song captures the raw, messy part of her after the accident. The version of her that’s drowning in anxiety, bitterness, and fear. Most of all, she hates that she feels like a victim, and that others see her that way now. It begins her anger with feeling stuck in her head and trapped in a body that gave up on her.We learn that these wounds are carried over from before the accident. Sierra has tried everything to keep up her image as the golden skater everyone expects her to be while losing her passion for her sport. As a solo competitor, she felt like she was just pretending, hiding…

Leo Answers:How would you describe your family or your childhood?Hellaciously complicated. it can be a challenge growing up with a name that opens some doors and slams others shut. As a Grimm, my childhood was wealth wrapped in rot — privilege laced with poison … and I learned pretty damn early that family can cut deeper than any enemy. What was your greatest talent?Seeing people. Not just what they want to show, but what they’re hiding. Their weaknesses. Their desires. That’s my second greatest talent. My first is knowing how to use that information. Significant other?There’s only one woman who ever truly mattered to me, and I pushed her away with both hands. She hates me now. But she’s still mine. She always will be. I just need to make sure she knows that, too. Biggest challenge in relationships?Trust. You grow up in my family, you learn trust is just another weapon. Where do you live?I keep an apartment in Grimm Tower. Beyond that, I spend a lot of time in safehouses. Do you have any enemies?Plenty. Some are family. Some…are closer than that. All need to stay on their guard. How do you feel about the place where you…

What is the title of your latest release?THE OTHELLO CLUB What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Six strangers at a divorce therapy group plan to get payback on their cheating exes, but one of them takes it too far. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Divorce, heartbreak, jealousy and revenge are universal, transcending culture and geography. I could have set this story anywhere, but I chose London. It’s a city I’ve worked in for two decades, and its cultural and economic diversity mirrors my characters’ disparate, and desperate lives. A melting pot on the verge of boiling over. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I’d love to hang out with Emily. Though only if it doesn’t involve a competitive activity. Like her, I’m a terrible loser. What are three words that describe your hero?Tenacious. Resourceful. Uncompromising. What’s something you learned while writing this book?Having interviewed many divorcees during my research, I learned the only (healthy) way to move past a traumatic breakup is through acceptance and forgiveness. Sadly, not everyone is capable of that. Especially the characters in The Othello Club, who instead choose anger and revenge. Ultimately, a path of…