This might be a strange confession coming from a woman who just finished the third book in a series featuring emergency responders, but I am useless in an emergency, (unless you need someone to freak out, pass out, or possibly both—then I’m your girl). I’m even useless in fake emergencies. A while back some friends booked an escape room adventure called “Cold War Bunker” where we got locked in a room and had to solve a bunch of puzzles in order to stop the countdown clock on a nuclear bomb, and free ourselves. Oh, my God, you guys…I couldn’t even figure out how to turn on the stupid lights. Granted, I’d had four margaritas, but still. That countdown clock worked my nerves. By the halfway point, I was pounding on the door and begging to be sprung. (Fun fact that might have been good to know before I imbibed four margos—no potty in the Cold War Bunker). I think this personal failing on my part accounts for why I love a hero who can keep his head together under pressure. The kind of guy that hears, “Houston, we have a problem,” and calmly replies, “Let’s work the problem.” That’s Shane…

Pets have always been a popular feature in romance and women’s fiction—dogs in particular—but it’s much less common to have wild animals be a part of these books. In BAY SONG, my heroine, Holly, is a recluse who lives completely alone on the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She has a big wooded property, and her only companions are the wild animals who live on her land, so the animals end up being a big part of the book. A couple of years ago, I moved to a small town in the country. It’s in the mountains, surrounded by woods, so wild animals are really part of this town. Deer come by at night and eat the apples that fall off my tree. Rabbits, birds, squirrels, and chipmunks hang out on my patio. And I go by the pond a few time a week to feed the ducks and geese that live there. There are mallards, Canadian geese, and the occasional wood duck—plus the domesticated geese and ducks who call the pond home, including one adorably ugly Muscovy duck who begs for food just like a dog. I wrote BAY SONG shortly after I moved to this…

When I told people I wanted to be an author, it wasn’t as though I had told them I wanted to be the next big movie star and they’d say, “Good luck with that.” No, they’d smile and say, “I want a copy of your first book,” even if they’d never read anything I’d written. That’s the thing about writing…people see it as an attainable goal, because you can do it anywhere. You don’t have to move to Hollywood or New York City, you can do it from the comfort of your own home no matter what city you live in. However, just like with any calling or dream, you have to work at it. When I got to the age where I could really dive into my writing, I didn’t know where to start. So the following are things to do if you’re just beginning your writing journey. Read I’ll admit that sometimes when I read books by my favorite authors, I feel pangs of jealousy because I think I’ll never be as good of a writer as they are. However, by reading their books, I get great ideas and it pushes me to become a better writer. Practice…

We are passing on this AutoCrit excellent blog, with permission from Jocelyn, for your perusal. Ever watched a movie that was so packed full of non-stop action it left you feeling breathless? Exhilarated, maybe… but disconnected from the characters – unable to learn much about them amidst the constant stream of explosions, car chases and death-defying peril? Or have you ever read a story where the author droned on for so long about their characters’ thoughts, feelings, family history, and childhood until you thought please… please just let something – anything – happen? If so, you’ve more than likely encountered a problem with pacing. Read the rest…

Sex! Now that I have your attention, I’d like to talk about my aspirations and inspirations in the world of romance. Please bear with me. I promise my lurid tactic isn’t entirely deceptive. In talking about my experience in the world of romantic lore, sexuality is a big part of it. With that in mind, I hope I still have your attention. My name is Jack Fisher. I’m an aspiring writer with a passion for intimate romance. I hope to turn that passion into a tangible product with my first book for Totally Bound, “Passion Relapse.” Before I go about celebrating those passions though, I’d like to provide some context. I’ve been an avid writer for over half my life now. I basically started writing as a hobby when I was 15-years-old and I’ve been writing every day, in some form or another. In fact, I often build my schedule around the times I work on my writing. Considering my early life, that’s actually a pretty dramatic shift. Growing up in the Washington DC area, I wasn’t initially fond of writing or reading, for that matter. In school, I dreaded any homework assignment that involved a lot of reading and…

My husband and I are currently planning the biggest trip of our lives – China! And I have to admit, I’m a basket case. What if I forget something vital? What if I get lost in the Hong Kong airport? What if I accidentally order fish-head soup and we run out of Immodium? The heroine of my latest book, THE CHOCOLATE COMEBACK, the spoiled fashion model DeeDee Cash, gets her comfort zone expanded dramatically when she takes a job caring for Mark, a young man with Down syndrome. DeeDee rises to the challenge famously – but not without butting heads with Mark’s handsome and overprotective brother, Isaac, of course. THE CHOCOLATE COMEBACK, released April 6, is part of the Love at the Chocolate Shop multi-author series by Tule Publishing and readers are eating it up! 😊 Here’s a teaser for you: DeeDee wasn’t what Isaac was looking for. Well, Isaac Litton wasn’t what she was looking for, either. She wanted something that would pay off her credit card bills and keep her occupied when she wasn’t working her other job. She did not want to deal with a sternly rumpled big brother in faded jeans that rode his hips like…

“Write what you know.” The sentiment is probably as old as writing itself. Yet how does it translate into a futuristic romance filled with aliens? Sometimes I find myself writing about things I know little about. Take the fifth book in my Clans of Kalquor series, ALIEN SLAVE. The initial inspiration for that book had absolutely nothing to do with any personal knowledge of mine. Alien sex slave auctions have no bearing whatsoever with my real life. No, really. Never been near one. At any rate, the auction scene did not make it into ALIEN SLAVE. But it did lead to the setting of a brothel, along with a sex worker named Dani Watson. Again, a situation I have no direct experience with. I promise. My closest encounter with a brothel was watching the old movie, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Yet I always base a part of my heroines on some piece of myself. Sometimes it’s a not-so-good part of me, a little nugget o’ Tracy I’m not terribly proud of. Dani’s impulsiveness was based on my own, an impulsiveness that led her to the terrible decision to sign on as a brothel worker on an alien planet….

Today we’ll be chatting with Ryan Taggert, the handsome hero from MY KIND OF YOU, the first book in my new Trillium Bay series. Ryan has traveled to Trillium Bay to help his father finish up a work project that should have been finished weeks ago. Something has been slowing his progress, and that something turns out to be a woman. Ryan’s goal is to get his dad re-focused on the job so they can get it finished and return to Sacramento. However, Ryan encounters a woman of his own… Q: What kind of job do you have? A: My two brothers and I all work at our father’s company, Taggert Property Management. We consult for high-end hotels who want an overview of their business practices. We help with everything from remodeling the physical structures, integrating the latest technologies in reservation systems, rebranding, and even investigating locations to see if the area can support a hotel. Most of our clients are pretty high rollers, which is why I’m so confused about my Dad wanting to work with this tiny motel on Wenniway Island. This project will not make us any money but he just won’t turn it down. I think…

I love to write—and read—about characters who steal into my heart and linger long after the last page is turned. Cody McCall and Hannah Prescott, the hero and heroine, in THE COWBOY’S REBELLIOUS BRIDE do just that. Sexy, cowboy Cody is the life of the party wherever he goes. People are drawn to his fun-loving nature, undying loyalty to his family and their ranch, and his fierce pride in his small hometown of Honor, Texas. Hannah’s a feisty, strong, independent stock contractor in a man’s world. She’s tough and tender and all woman. Cody brings out her playful, daring side and they’re a hit on every honkytonk dance floor in the state of Texas and beyond. Most important of all, Cody believes in her and has her back. There’s no man better than her best friend Cody in Hannah’s mind. Maybe that’s why she’s always relied on him being there for her; he’s never let her down. Years ago, they made a pact—best friends for life. Only now that they’re grown, their close friendship is under inspection. Together they are the couple all their friends want to be. Family wish they were a pair. After stealing kisses from Hannah’s sweet…

There are so many components that go into writing a mystery. Fun characters, sneaky red herrings, a plethora of guilty-looking suspects . . . all of these have to be dumped together, shaken up, and poured out into a cohesive story. When I was writing the initial draft of A FRYING SHAME, I needed to come up with a street name. The street itself wasn’t important—simply a quick reference by the police detective as to why she was late for her meeting with Talia Marby, my main character. Normally I’d stare out the window to dream up a name, or I’d think of a street name from my childhood. I still can’t recall how I came up with “Oriole Road” that day, but it found its way into the story. A few months after I turned in the manuscript to my publisher, my husband broke his hip. During the early stages of his post-surgery rehab, we decided the time was right for us to move to a place where he’d no longer have to climb stairs. I found a promising apartment complex nearby, and decided to check it out. A newly renovated unit had just become available, with full bath…