First of all, I’m so happy to be here today! PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING is the third book in my Magnolia Brides series, and it’s one I’m super excited about. I love Tansy and Beck and have been rooting for them, hoping they’d get their second chance at love. Describe PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING in 6 words. One mistake doesn’t have to change everything. (I know. That’s seven words. I have never, ever claimed that math is my strong suit!) What is your favorite thing to munch on while you write? Oh, that’s easy. Cheetos and Peppermint Patties—but not at the same time! Okay, hardly ever at the same time. J What actor do you picture as the MC in PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING? Kiefer Sutherland. That voice! Don’t you just love it? And, of course, now he’s our President. Y’all have seen Designated Survivor, right? The top 5 things that will make a picture perfect wedding are… First and foremost, the right bride and groom. If you get this right, the rest almost doesn’t matter. Friends and family—yes, even the eccentric aunt! The flowers. Gardenias, roses, orchids, peonies, and wildflowers—I love them all! Bouquets and boutonnieres, centerpieces, aisle markers, hanging from the…

Writes: Contemporary romantic suspense merges my love of both the romance and the suspense/thriller genre. RS enables me to present protagonists pursuing justice amid life’s scarily dark side while daring to embrace their own happily ever after. My latest romantic suspense, THE DOLLMAKER, is out 11/15/16 from Montlake. About: Writer and wrangler of three miniature dachshunds seeks readers who share her love of page-turning romantic suspense, are ready to tackle a medical examiner heroine full of hope and determined to win back a hardened homicide cop hero, and to follow the pair as they pursue a very scary villain with a passion for ink. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Not afraid to stay up past bedtime Likes fast-paced page-turning suspense Likes a hero with a few rough edges Prepared to pull out the tissues when emotional heartstrings are pulled Loves to match wits with the detective and killer to see whodunit Enjoys a HEA with a touch of justice What to expect if we’re compatible: More books to come in The Forgotten Files series A backlist to suit any binge reader Giveaways on Facebook and a newsletter with news, promotions and Killer Recipes About Mary Burton…

I belong to several online readers groups, and that question has been coming up frequently, lately. I’m glad to see it being discussed. For me – no. I DON’T read crime fiction for entertainment. When I pick up a crime novel as a reader, I want to see intelligent treatment of societal evils that focuses on bringing awareness to problems and proposing activist solutions. That’s my goal as an author, too. My Huntress Moon series is intense, page-turning psychological and procedural suspense. I worked as a Hollywood screenwriter for ten years before I wrote my first novel, and I’m well aware that I need to deliver a satisfying genre experience to my readers. If they’re not biting their nails and staying up way past their bedtimes, I’m not doing my job. But within the context of a ripping thriller, I am writing about issues I care passionately about and want to eradicate for good – meaning the good of everyone on the planet. Violence against women. Child sexual abuse. Human trafficking. After this stunning, horrific election, more than ever these are evils I am committed to fighting against. The last thing I want to do is show these scenes in…

When I first started writing the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, our current feline companions happened to be orange tabby brothers. Not that the hubby and I hadn’t been caretakers to black cats before; we just seemed to have settled on tiger cats for the duration. But after spending so much time with my fictional black cat, Hamlet, I couldn’t help but feel that something was amiss in Cat Land. One thing I love about our orange tabby boys is that they’re mellow guys without the “bite” of the ornery Hammy. That said, I wondered if maybe I needed a junior Hamlet of my own to help jumpstart my writing when I hit a tough spot. Sweet purring cats do not equal compelling plot points! And so, after much consideration, we adopted a brother and sister pair of sleek black felines whom we named Brandon Bobtail (he has but half a tail) and Ophelia. But after barely a month of living with the new kitty duo, I was amused to remember something I’d forgotten over the years—that having a black cat in the house is like living with a shadow. Or, in our case, a pair…

A cold case. Just that term makes my spine tingle and the hair prickles on the back of my neck. A mystery that remains unsolved for years due to lack of evidence or witnesses or an obvious motive always grabs me by my curiosity and just won’t let go. When plotting BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, I knew I wanted to challenge my amateur sleuth Lindsey Norris with a cold case. Why? Well, in a small New England town like Briar Creek, a cold case would resonate for years in such a close-knit community. People would have their suspicions, families would be torn apart, and as the mystery remained unsolved so the lives of those impacted by the murder would also remain disrupted and out of order. Lindsey being a librarian with a librarian’s rage for order would definitely feel compelled to find the truth. For me personally, the motivation to write a cold case was much like my reasoning for writing in the mystery genre to begin with — to have good triumph over evil. You don’t really get happy-ever-afters in mysteries, but in a world that is full of anger and violence, writing mysteries helps ease my outrage when…

Mari Mancusi’s Scorched Trilogy is on sale for a limited time!  Get Scorched, Shattered, and Smoked for only $2.99 each until November 14th on ALL e-book platforms in the US and Canada! Save the dragon, save the world. Become a part of Team Dragon today! Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iTunes Google Play

Lilith adored walking about the city, rubbing elbows with its inhabitants. The rush of the metropolis exhilarated her. She delighted in mounting the top of the omnibus and gazing up at the buildings as the cumbersome vehicle lumbered through the streets. However, George wheeled about London in a lonely bubble of glass and luxury. Being inside it made her feel even sadder, as if she had been plucked from her colorful life and put in a sealed, hermetic bottle. As she gazed out the window, her eyes burning and head aching from lack of sleep, her thoughts tangled up. Her own life fused with Colette’s. The sultan, having finally captured Colette, bound her with silken sashes. She was his slave to do with as he pleased. “You shall eat proper meals,” he growled in menacing tones. His brows drew down in a hawkish manner. “You’ll receive plenty of sleep each night and do calisthenics each morning.” A shiver ran down Colette’s back at his unsavory demands. He may be the master of her body now, but her spirit would soar free from its bodily cage. “Are you even paying attention?” the sultan demanded. Colette answered in a broken whisper, “Ahhbuhh,”…

Hi! I’m Marie Harte, a book lover, romance novelist, mother to two boys, caretaker of a puppy and cat (who rules the house), and was lucky enough to hit the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in my career. Oh, and I’m a coffee addict. I thought I’d share some of my recent favorite things, a Top Ten Marie Harte Like List, if you will. Do any of these float your boat? Strange, the movie. LOVED IT! Amazing movie even if you’d never read the comics or heard of this character. And the movie stars Benedict Cumberbatch. So there’s that. Coffee. Coffee. Chocolate, but of course. Not the cheap crap either, but a nice, flavorful truffle. Milk chocolate, preferably. Movie trailers. I could watch them all day. I absolutely love getting a sneak peak at what’s coming. Same for book blurbs. My new DVR. Yes, I went for years without one. Now I’m not glued to my TV. I love that I can fast forward through commercials too. Nothing better than taking a walk through red and yellow leaves fluttering past on the sidewalk. Or seeing snowcapped mountains in the distance, hearing the crackle the fire in the…

I really enjoy cooking, but I enjoy eating so much more! I’ve got two boys (11 and 14) and these days, the older one can eat two Chipotle burritos in one sitting, so when I’m cooking dinner, it had better be lots of food! Since two burritos per kid can break the bank, I try to duplicate it at home. Turns out, it’s not that hard, and my 11 year old (the picky one) agrees! So how do I make the restaurant burritos at home? Crockpot and/or Pressure Cooker Tex-Mex meat (yes, it’s a vague title!) Pick a meat- Chicken or Pork Place it in the crockpot or pressure cooker. Add adobo chiles—they’re in the Mexican section right next to the canned sliced jalapenos—from the can, depending on how much meat. I usually use about 2-3 pounds, so I add half a can. Add water to cover the bottom. Cook all day (crockpot) or about 30 minutes (pressure cooker). Pull the meat into shreds. That’s it! My 11 year old calls it Chipotle chicken (even if it’s pork) because he thinks it tastes the same. I sauté peppers and onions and make white rice and chop in some cilantro. Fill…

When I set out to write the second installment of my Taste of Texas Mystery Series, I jumped at the chance to highlight one of my all-time favorite foods. Guacamole. If you’re anything like my family you can’t get enough of this scrumptious spread. And we’re not the only ones. Americans consume approximately 1.2 billion pounds of avocados every year. On two special days those numbers soar into the stratosphere. Can you name them? If you said Cinco de Mayo, you’re right. Now think tailgate parties, football…got it yet? If you said the Super Bowl, you’re an expert. Approximately 12 million avocados will be turned into dip on Super Bowl Sunday this year. Guacamole, or ahuaca-mulli, and the Aztecs who created it were discovered by the Spaniards in Central Mexico in the 1500s. In fact, those explorers loved it so much they tried to recreate the dish when they returned to Spain. Alas, these delicious fruits grow best in the climate of South-Central Mexico. The healthy avocado is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and good fats. And there’s enough fiber in this savory berry–yes, berry–to fight off hunger for up to three hours after eating only half of one for lunch….