A smart, sexy, and well-regarded billionaire is a rare being. Even more so, when that billionaire is—wait for it—a female! A tech mogul, who founded a billion-dollar technology empire and retained the respect of her peers as well as all who work for her. In my debut novel, RULE BREAKER, that is exactly what you get. Arya Rey is a brilliant software developer, whose dedication and attention to detail give her the ability to control every aspect of her technology domain. She is a badass heroine, always in control. With one exception, when she’s behind closed doors and in the presence of her dominate ex-lover Maxwell Dane. He is the only man with the ability to call to a desire no one dare know about: the need for submission, the need for domination. In Max’s arms, Arya can relinquish all power and gain the freedom she craves. Max wants one thing, to have the woman he loves back in his life, not only as his submissive but also as his equal, his wife. Nevertheless, she refuses, and so if domination is what she wants, domination is what he’ll give her. Maybe one day, she’ll recognize that what they share is…

Writes: I write Celtic fantasy romance, contemporary romance and romantic comedy. WHAT YOU DO TO ME, out November 1, 2016 is a flirty, fun, humorous contemporary romance/romantic comedy. About: I live in Minnesota, where the winters are long, brutally cold and dark—the perfect environment for writing if one does not enjoy outdoor winter sports. I transitioned from a twenty-year teaching career into full time writing in October, 2015, and now I get to make stuff up all day long. I love my job! What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal reader will enjoy more than one genre written by the same author My ideal reader will have a great sense of humor. My ideal reader loves to read books that make them tear up as well as laugh. My ideal reader is a happily-ever-after junkie. My ideal reader is a “glass half full” kind of person. My ideal reader doesn’t mind missing sleep when swept away by a good story. My ideal reader loves heartwarming, tug-at-your-heartstrings books. What to expect if we’re compatible: My readers can expect to experience a wide range of emotions while reading my books. My readers can expect to feel satisfied and…

In my new Rock ’n’ Ink series the primary theme of opposites attracting is played out against a backgound of the Portland music scene. But the stories, at their core, are about characters from different backgrounds and social groups — opposing archetypes — finding themselves attracted to one another and eventually falling in love. In my debut BEAUTIFUL CRAZY a very alpha business mogul goes toe-to-toe with a free spirited rockabilly rebel. Not only are they both shocked at meeting their match, but they both learn a lesson on not judging a book by the cover. Disclaimer: this is not the case for BEAUTIFUL CRAZY as the gorgeous cover for my book is a spot on representation of the story. I think most romance fans will agree that Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE holds a special place in our hearts for a number of reasons. For me it’s the opposing archetypes trying to stay true to themselves and yet, despite their own personal history and the rules of the society they live in, they’re driven to love the things they intitial disliked about each other. I’ve thrown together a top 10 list of some of my favorite movies that explore…

Welcome, readers! We’re here to day with Jackson St. James, to find out a little bit about his recent travels and new love interest. For those unfamiliar with him, Jackson is the middle child of the St. James family, sandwiched between his older brother, David, and his baby sister, Cat. He’s been on the sidelines for each of their love affairs, and is now at the start of his own. Jackson, before we get around to hearing about your love interest, please briefly tell us what took you to Vermont. My life took a bunch of wrong turns after I lost some things that can’t be replaced. I thought I was handling everything just fine, but my brother and sister staged an intervention at the end of the summer. I hit the pause button on my life and came to Vermont for several weeks to prove I can stay sober, and to rethink my priorities. Thanks for being so candid. We wish you well. Why’d you pick Vermont instead of a rehab program? I don’t need rehab. Give me Mother Nature and a little counseling and I can do the heavy lifting myself. Like I told David and Cat, I’m…

I didn’t start gobbling up thrillers until after my son was born and I needed books that would keep my attention through the fog of sleepiness and hormones. I fell in love with the genre, and wanted to write a psychological thriller myself. I already liked to put some kind of thrilling suspense in all my books. (In my series The Frost Chronicles, the frozen world is populated with unseen monsters that only come out under the cover of darkness. In my fantasy novel A Gift of Poison, robed mind-readers called Seekers stalk my main character through a wilderness because of her gift of controlling dragons.) But I wanted to write a straight thriller. Here’s my process from idea to finished novel. Step one – come up with a premise or scene that grabs you. For me, that scene ended up being when the main character, Victoria, is kidnapped from her parents’ cabin. Writing the scene made my heart pound. Step two – figure out a twist, or three. To me, this is essential for a good thriller. I figured out the twist at the end of my book while driving, and I had to hold my idea in my…

In FLYING THROUGH FIRE, book 6 in my Dark Desires series, we have the whole cast of the series appearing at some point or other. I thought it would be nice to get inside a few of their heads, see how they were doing, what they were thinking… However, my editor believed that these scenes detracted from the two main characters and were a little jarring, and so the scenes were removed. This one was from Saffira’s (the heroine of book 4, TEMPORAL SHIFT) point of view. The door slid shut behind her. Saffira leaned against the wall of the corridor and tried to slow her breathing. Sweat pricked her forehead, heat from the vision. Thorne had burned because of her. She’d been powerless to help him, to save him. It’s not real. Not all her visions came true. Maybe this was a warning of what might be. And she’d already lost Thorne. He’d closed himself off. He’d given ten thousand years to his people. Now they were dead. Perhaps he was right, and that meant he was free. They were both free. She pushed herself up, hating the weakness that made her stumble. The visions drained her strength, but…

We’ve all been there. Deadlines are looming for our blog or our novels. A tingling in the pit of your stomach borders on nausea. We settle into our favorite chair and turn on our computer. Pull up our WIP. Position our fingers on the keyboard. And nothing. We read the pages we wrote the day before. We dive into our favorite source of caffeine. We read the blogs on how to get past writer’s block. One writer jogs three miles. Another pulls weeds. Read a few excerpts from a bestseller. Watch a movie. For some writers those ideas might not work. A twinge of fear sets it, and you search frantically for words that are chained deep inside your mind. The time has come to look deeper and discover your own ways to spark your creativity. Take a look at seven out-of-the-box ways to break out of writer’s block. Play with kids under the age of six. These little people have imaginations that soar into places we adults are afraid to go. A boy crouches on the sofa in the Spider Man position. A girl closes her eyes and sings from the movie Pose a story line and let them…

This time of year always reminds me of my childhood hometown. I grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the city of Sonora, California, the county seat of Tuolumne. A beautiful place with tree covered hills all around, lakes and rivers for fishing and swimming within a short drive. There are hiking trails through towering pines and camping sites beneath starry skies. Brick buildings amid a park like setting downtown with cute shops and quaint restaurants. Parts of the Back to the Future movies and Little House on the Prairie television show were filmed in our county. I remember once nearly running into Michael Landon walking down the sidewalk. Sonora resides in the ‘heart of gold country’ and is also known as the ‘Queen of the Southern Mines’, named after the miners of Sonora Mexico who settled in the area in mid-1800’s. The success of California’s “Mother Lode” can still be seen today, as Sonora remains the center of commerce for the region. There’s even a replica gold rush town, Columbia, on the outskirts of the city, complete with wooden sidewalks, gold panning and stagecoach rides. Columbia was one of my favorite places to hangout when…

We live in an era of strong women. When I was born, the second wave of feminism was just taking hold in the United States and Europe. While the first wave concentrated on women’s right to vote, the second focused on more self-determination through workplace, family, and sexual roles. Despite heavy resistance, women demanded equality in all parts of their lives. Yet even as women like my mother burned their bras, they read their daughters fairytales. Filled with damsels in distress, the heroines were saved at the last possible moment by their Prince Charmings. While still a tiny tot, I dreamed that a bold man would come along, sweep me off my feet, and carry me to his palace to live happily ever after. In later years, when my parents divorced and assorted caregivers succumbed to mental illness and addiction, my fantasies of rescue grew stronger. I wished for a hero, but like most of you, I had to save myself. Life made me tough. Fighting for my fair share put me arm-in-arm with my equality-demanding sisters. Yet my childhood fantasies lived on. It was a given that both elements would show up in my books. ALIEN RULE, the second…

Researching the Columbian Exposition for The Gilded Cage, I was fascinated by the history behind George Washington Ferris’ gigantic, people-carrying wheel. I took copious notes. In 1889, the city of Paris erected the Eiffel Tower, an iron structure that stood 300 meters (well over 900 feet) tall and cast its magic over the city. In 1890 in Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, planning the Columbian Exposition, knew he needed a spectacular attraction, something that would outshine the Eiffel Tower. Engineers tried, suggesting crude toboggan schemes and all sorts of things. Eiffel offered to build a taller tower. None of it appealed until a young engineer sketched out a huge wheel with cars to hold people while they leisurely enjoyed a birds’ eye view of the city on their circular trip. At first, Burnham rejected the wheel as too fragile, and Ferris spent his own money on safety studies. He hired engineers and recruited investors. Then he submitted the plans to Burnham again. His plan was chosen. The first wheel had more than 100,000 parts, including the almost 90,000-lb. axle required to turn the wheel. Thirty-six passenger cars held 40 revolving seats plus a small serving area which offered champagne and light…