The date is indelible in my memory: February 20, 1995. I was a sophomore marine biology student, about to embark on SEAmester: a nine-week semester on board a schooner, traveling from the Caribbean up the Eastern Seaboard to Long Island, NY, learning about not only the flora and fauna we’d encounter along the way, but also the ancient art of navigation and seamanship. I remember that day so vividly, even after all these years: bidding my parents a teary farewell at JFK and flying to St. Maarten. I remember the conflicting emotions I experienced on that flight: excitement, anticipation, apprehension, and fear. I remember my first sight of the Harvey Gamage as we approached in the ship’s tender, her masts stretching into the sky, her hull gleaming white, her sails tightly furled. We set sail the next day. I can still hear the chink-chink-chink of the anchor chain as it slowly coiled around the windlass, lifting the iron weight off the bottom; the rush of awe I felt watching the sails unfurl like the wings of a giant swan, slowly climbing the masts, billowing out as they caught the wind. I remember the taste of salt spray on my tongue,…

Like most authors, when I’m not writing or reading, I am refilling my tanks with the juicy, creative mojo that is television. I am about as picky about my shows I am about my books, and here are my top five favorite TV shows. American Housewife. American Housewife is a hilarious and seriously en-pointe look at the middle class, American wife and mother. Her struggles are my struggles, but she does it with a lot more humor than I do. She’s chubby, hates to socialize, can’t stand her own kids, and is just as tired, annoyed, fed up, and sweatpantsy as I am. I love Katie, I love her insight, I love how she says what other American moms are thinking and feeling. This show is a breath of fresh air. Into the Badlands. This show has everything my cheesy Kung Fu movie loving inner child longs for. It’s over the top, bloody, fun, and the story just pulls you in. It would be easy to just let the action and blood turn the show into a campy trash dump, where all good plots go to die, but it is a fabulously wonderful show that keeps me on my toes….

Bad boys are one thing, but blue-blooded mafia princes? They’re a whole other breed of trouble. ROYALLY BAD is the first in a series that focuses on the Badd Family. Kain Badd is the youngest son of the bunch. His father–heir to the throne–fled his home country long ago for unknown reasons. Now, Kain and his brothers rule the city streets of Rhode Island, here in the states. He’s used to money, power, and getting his way. Women never turn him down, so when Sammy Sage–the wedding dress maker for his sister’s wedding–tells him to back off, he’s intrigued. But can she really resist him? There are plenty of good reasons to date a guy like Kain… but there are a LOT more reasons not to! So with that in mind: Here are the Top 5 Reasons that dating a royal is bad news! Number one: He’s used to getting his way. I mean, think about it– this guy is rich and hot as heck, his family has provided for him, and the world is his oyster. That’s probably why he expects Sammy to give into him when he corners her in his kitchen… Number two: He’s crazy rich. Sure,…

Exclusive Excerpt – This Time Around by Tawna Fenske They’d taken three steps toward the buffet table when a trio of women approached. The instant they spotted Jack, the one dressed in a silver-sequined gown let out a soft gasp and put her hand over her heart. The other two tilted their heads to the side and gave identical sympathetic headshakes, looking like well-coiffed parrots. One wore a bright-red gown and the other a strappy little number in purple chiffon. One of the two—whose face seemed frozen by astonishment or Botox—marched forward with such purpose that Allie had to step out of the way to avoid being trampled under the strappy, bloodred Jimmy Choos that matched her dress. “Jack Carpenter,” she said in a voice that reminded Allie of an audition for the dramatic lead in a high school play. “We were wondering if you’d be here. How are you, honey?” The woman in purple chiffon was still doing the sympathetic headshake, but Silver Sequins dropped her hand from her heart and put it on Jack’s arm. “We were so sorry to hear about Caroline. How awful that must have been for you.” “And you have a little girl, too,”…

Confession: I love antlers. I love claws and teeth. Growls that can be mistaken for either love growls or the kind that say, ‘I’m going to eat you.’ I love these elements all the more when they inhabit human-ish characters engaged in extreme acts of violence while falling in love. In fact, I think it’s the supernatural elements of the characters that make the danger and chemistry between characters work so well. Danger is hot. Antlers are kind of amazing. And falling in love is an extreme act. Isn’t it true that the first blushes of love can feel so very violent? (Remember what it felt like to screw up your courage and call up that boy for the first time?). Danger can lead to love. Danger is a form of chaos that breaks down the barriers people build to shield their hearts from one another. It razes the reasons we build up to keep us from acting on our desires. Think about THE HUNGER GAMES’ Peeta and Katniss. It takes a deadly game where their doom is all but assured to bring Peeta to act on his attraction to Katniss. It takes near death experiences to get Katniss to…

It happens in way too many books, movies, and television shows to count: guy walks into a room/down the hall/into a classroom. His gaze meets with the girl’s. Despite her thinking, “He looks like trouble,” she’s immediately drawn to something in that smolder. It’s love at first sight. Don’t get me wrong; media is full of tropes and I love so many of them. Love (or even just lust) at first sight is one that can be done really well and leave me as a reader going, “Oh, I totally feel you” because if I’m instantly in love with a character, I can get why their presumably soon-to-be love interest is, too. But, personally, I’ve long been a fan of the slow burn romance. Not just in my own writings, but in the media I consume, too. I love couples that don’t realize they would be amazing together until I’ve realized it. Until I want to shake the book and yell at them to kiss already. (Considering I’m bisexual and therefore want everything I read/watch to reflect a wide range of sexualities, I often end up disappointed because…well, heterosexual romances still top the charts. Everywhere. Always. But that’s another post…

I recently spoke to a group of fourth graders. I know, a romance author talking to kids about books, how dare she? I spoke about the joys of being an author, making sure to leave out the bits about the crippling self-doubt that keeps us up at night and also failing to mention anything about coffee and sometimes booze being part of our main food group. I promise I was well-behaved and didn’t disclose the subject matter of my books. Instead, I took a different approach. I explained just how many people it actually takes to create a single book. The look on their young faces was priceless. As they passed around a few paperbacks I had brought for them, I heard whispers of how cool this was. After I went into detail about the work it takes to make what they held in their tiny hands, I got to thinking about how lucky I am to be doing what it is that I do and how cool it is to be a part of the fantastic book world. These children listened intently as I spoke passionately about the reasons behind my literary journey. They asked really excellent questions about…

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for inviting me back to talk about THE LILAC BOUQUET. This is my 84th published book but it was the first book that I ever wrote. When my third child was born in 1973 and refused to sleep at night, I picked up a pencil and a spiral back notebook and began to write a novel that my husband and I’d talked about for years and years. I’d written Seth Thomas as a young man and if there was something that could be wrong with a book, I managed to find it. Of course, it didn’t sell but the core story stayed on my mind and through the years I’d drag it out and revise it but it wasn’t until this year that it all came together. I really think it was Emmy Jo who finally brought that story to life and I’d like to introduce you to her today. She’s a young lady from Hickory, Texas who has agreed to answer a few questions for us today. From day one she stole my heart but I shouldn’t tell you everything I know. We’ve got a few questions worked up and she’s willing to…

In my latest release, MEANT FOR YOU, Jenny Castelli is a single mom, raising her son, trying to get a new business started and caring for her aging mother. Jenny is opening a garden center and although parts of her life are chaotic, making living things grow always makes her feel centered. Since spring is finally here, I’m also planning what I’m going to plant this year. I definitely don’t have Jenny’s talent, but I still love choosing flowers and vegetables for the garden and my potted plants. There’s something about the scent of the earth and getting your hands dirty that is inherently satisfying. Going to a garden center and choosing just the right mix of flowers or the perfect tiny tomato stalk is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Working outside is good for your body and your spirit, although not everyone has time for a big garden. I used to be more of a gardener but the past few years I’ve limited myself to a couple of pots of flowers and tomato and basil plants. Even that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. It’s a great excuse to get outside on warm mornings and…

That’s right, I’m the little blond lady who’s scrunched in the corner of the coffee shop. I’m watching you carefully and jotting notes. I see what you’re wearing – I like that paisley scarf, by the way – and I’m scrutinizing the way you sip your coffee and nibble your scone. No, I don’t work for the CIA, FBI, or IRS. I’m an author who writes three different mystery series and I get ideas for my characters by watching all the fascinating real-life characters around me. From the folks who cross my path at the driver’s license bureau to the ones who are picking through bins of organic oranges at the grocery store or kicking tires at the local garage. You all fascinate me and give me such wonderful ideas because you’re all real, highly individual, and (this is a good thing) a little bit quirky. You see, creating literary characters is a tricky thing for an author. You want them to be loved, reviled, understood, amusing, or even feared. But characters also need to be larger than life. They need to transcend the pages, worm their way into your hearts and memories, and stick like a proverbial burr. That…