Did vampires help us win the American Revolution? That was the question that popped into my mind when I was brainstorming ideas for my first paranormal, SEX & THE SINGLE VAMP while I strolled the streets of Colonial Williamsburg with my family. Not the path of inquiry I would normally take when planning a sexy, dark romance between two vampires but it sparked an idea that just wouldn’t let me go. In my story, Deacon and Cici have known each other for over 200 years and they have quite a colorful past together and apart. They met in Williamsburg , VA in 1774, when what was to become the United States was on the brink of war for its independence. As I vacationed that week and heard tale after tale of how the Revolutionaries formed secret groups and spy rings to carry the word of rebellion I wondered how many people assisted in the cause—people who risked it all for the idea of freedom but are omitted from the history books. It was a time of bravery, fear, and high emotion that sent many a young couple into the path of passion as they grasped life with both hands when…

Years ago, I saw a standup comedian on cable wondering how the author of Deliverance, James Dickey, came up with his idea of a male friends’ weekend in the wilds of Georgia. For those who’ve read the book or seen the movie, you know that not everyone on that trip had a pig-squealing good time. In fact, their bro-bonding weekend turned into an absolute nightmare. But how did Dickey get there? It was, as the comedian pointed out, not your everyday way to go when you put a bunch of dudes in a bad situation. Now, at some point over the years, Dickey may have explained his thought process in an interview or at a speaking engagement, but I know nothing about the man. But it doesn’t matter because for every author out there I’m sure there’s a different answer for how authors get from an idea to a fleshed-out book. Some authors get stuff from headlines (which is one I’ve used), some write from personal experiences (my life is way too boring to even consider this as a viable option), some have “muses” (my personal neurosis won’t let me have a muse. It’s too close to a mild form…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, just about everyone loves holidays and just about everyone loves love. It’s why grocery stores have started putting up tents in their parking lot once a year. They make it easy to drive through on February 14, pay triple what we’d normally pay for a bouquet of flowers—and somehow feel good about it. When I started thinking of new story ideas at the end of last year, every plot that came to mind seemed to revolve around a holiday. And that’s how my new series, Holiday Hearts, was born. It became a game to me to match fun characters and happily-ever-after plots to some of my own favorite holidays. In fact, before I knew it, I was up to a release schedule of six Holiday Hearts stories this year! New Year’s Eve Holiday Hearts #1.0 February 2014 The Cupid Caper Holiday Hearts #2.0 March 2014 I know as a reader I love holiday stories. I think it’s because there’s a universality there. We all have our own holiday connections and experiences and it draws us into the world of the characters as they celebrate as well. Creating the Holiday Hearts series…

There comes a point in most every movie when a scene flashes across the wall before me, and I know. I know that this is the scene people will remember. The one they’ll talk about and tell their friends they have to see. I had that feeling while watching the latest Disney Pixar film Frozen. If you’ve seen it, I bet you know exactly what scene I’m going to say. That’s right. It’s the scene in which Elsa lets loose. When she’s left the castle and the fear and censure behind, and creates her beautiful ice palace. In case you haven’t seen the film, here’s the clip Everything went right in that scene. The music, of course. Idina Menzel singing the Oscar winning Let It Go is already enough to make that scene better than any movie you’ll see this year. But the renderings by the artists are also perfection. The way Elsa moves. How she transforms and comes alive. The viewer feels everything Elsa is feeling. That streak of rebelliousness mixed with the joy of independence and embracing who and what she is. Perfection. And I would wager that the artists knew the moment the scene was finished (if…

Let’s talk movies. I have yet to run across someone who doesn’t like them. Personally, they’re one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoy a variety of genres, though Chick Flicks, Dramas and Sci-Fi are my top three. They need to have a believable happy-ever-after though. Real life has enough tragedy. A get-away to the mountains for a weekend to watch movies and eat delicious things is definitely on my to-do list. As a writer, movies can inspire a story for me, as was the case with my debut, HER MAN FROM SHILO. I watched a rerun of The Thorn Birds and it left me wanting a hero and heroine who had known each other since they were young but ended up enjoying a happy marriage rather than the emotional trauma that was the story of Megan and Ralph’s lives. A movie sparked an idea for the story I’m working on right now as well. However, HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR came to life after I read a book. I decided I wanted to write something that had the Hero and Heroine running from a common enemy. As I was pondering different scenarios for this, trying to find something I felt…

Howdy Folks, Let’s kick this cowboy hunting party off with a bang! I just can’t believe I finally get to share sassy, pistol-packing deputy sheriff Laney Briggs and tight-jeans wearing Texas Ranger Gunner Wilson with y’all. It has been a long road, but well worth it. I mean, I would be crazy to say I didn’t enjoy writing about sexy, tight-assed jean wearing cowboys. And to throw in a sassy, pistol-packing deputy into the bunch…well yeah, I’m in total bliss. Okay, I know why y’all are really here… did I hear someone say, “COWBOYS!” I’m sorry, I can’t hear ya? Tell me. How many of you enjoy a good-timing cowboy or two? I know I do. Maybe it’s the narrow-hip swagger. Nah? It has to be the drawl. Although that deep, southern twang can be deadly to quite a few ladies’ panties. Just the thought of that smooth, velvety voice whispering in your ear can make you go weak at the knees. Good grief, we got off track real fast. Fan me please. Okay, some of y’all might’ve heard about a new cowboy strutting into town, and yeah the rumors are true…he’s lethal. Ready to kick up your boots, grab…

Okay. Here’s a question for you. It’s one women ask each other all the time, but I’m not sure how often the answers we give can be taken at face value. Maybe that’s because it’s a very personal question, and we reserve the right to keep the whole truth to ourselves. (So don’t answer unless you really want to.) Or maybe it’s because our thoughts and feelings on subjects as tricky as this one are more complicated than we realize sometimes, even in the privacy of our own minds. But here it is: what is most important to you in a relationship? If you had to choose between two extremes, would you go with unflagging trust and reliability, or—I’m gonna say it—really great, commitment-free sex? Josie, the main character of my novel IN THE DARK, starts the story thinking that is roughly the question facing her. Of course there’s a lot more to each of the guys in question than a short phrase can capture—we’re all more complicated than that. But those are their most salient characteristics in Josie’s eyes, and in their interactions with her. So which way does she lean? At first, she tries really hard not to…

I started writing in 2005 when the Lord called me to do so, even though I’d never had a prior desire to write. My first two books were published in 2007, then four books in the Love Finds You line, then my current, three-book historical romance series, Love Blossoms in Oregon, with David C Cook. Recently God gave me a new idea, and that idea is carrying me into new and exciting territory. Last fall I spoke to my current publisher about writing two novellas that would fill in the time gap between my trade novels. BLOWING ON DANDELIONS released last June, WISHING ON BUTTERCUPS this February, and Dreaming on Daisies Oct. 1. All take place in Baker City, Oregon, with the same cast of characters, and I found readers becoming impatient at the distance between books. Cook was willing to print the novella in eBook only, but I wanted print books for my readers who don’t own tablets, so with Cook’s blessing, I moved forward alone. In early March, FORGET ME NOT, a 160 page novella, was finished and ready to present to Amazon. It can be read at any point in the series, but fits perfectly between book…

Thank you for having me here today! I am excited to tell Fresh Fiction about my upcoming paranormal release TURNED. TURNED is the first book in my new series The Belladonna Agency. The Belladonna Agency is a black ops intelligence agency that hunts paranormal criminals. My vampire hero Ty is out to enlist my heroine Ana’s help in taking down some bad guys. I hope you enjoy the teaser below and enter to win an ARC of TURNED. About TURNED Welcome to a mesmerizing world where vampires hide among humans. This centuries-old species has its own rules, code of conduct, and taboos. Only the FBI knows that vampires exist—and although the Bureau agrees to keep their secret, it also plots to give humans the upper hand. Turning mortals into vampires is forbidden. But there are creatures who refuse to play by the rules. Ever since he was turned, FBI special agent Ty Duncan has had one mission: bring rogue vampires to justice. As a recruiter for Belladonna, a shadow agency formed to keep vampires in check, Ty must tap Ana Martin, a troubled ex-gang member and one of the few mortals who can infiltrate places that his kind and the…

Like many of you out there, I made new years resolutions, some of which I’ve kept into February and others I ruined by the first week of January. (Damn you chocolate!) Of course, my goals were to improve my health, increase my completed published works catalogue, and bring about world peace…okay maybe not that last one. Maybe more getting all my laundry done on the same day, but it’s a goal. Now it’s March. I don’t know about you, but there are days where I don’t want to keep my resolutions anymore. It’s not that I like the piles of clean laundry on my couch or the fact the kids keep having sandwiches for dinner, but geez, this keeping the resolutions list going can be exhausting some days. In my first book, WEIGHTING FOR MR. RIGHT, the heroine Megan Sayla starts her year off by hiding out in the men’s bathroom of a carwash after running away from her own wedding. With no real plan, all she knows is her life can’t keep going on they way she’s allowed it. Change must occur, otherwise she’ll make the worst mistake of her life and spend the rest of her days trying…