City reached into his briefcase and brought out two bags of chips and three candy bars. “I came bearing gifts. Thought you might be hungry. Do you prefer”—he glanced at the bags—”prawn or salt-and-vinegar crisps? Or if you don’t fancy crisps, I also have these.” He fanned the candy bars out on one broad palm. “I don’t know what you like yet,” he explained, his tone apologetic. Cath cast her eyes heavenward in an attempt to keep up a good front, but really, how was she supposed to resist a man who came courting with junk food? Resist the man. You can have the junk food. She grabbed the prawn crisps and a Wispa bar. “This is a very classy spread. Are you always so charming?” “Only when I want something very badly.” He smiled. She tried to let that slide, but it slid down between her breasts, wriggled over her belly, and warmed up the junction of her thighs. She didn’t have a lot of experience being wanted—or courted, for that matter. It was making her woozy. City took off his tie in that way real men did, arching his head back as he pulled at the knot and…

Or why reading and writing are vitamins for the brain I remember reading book from the earliest age. Books were a staple in our household. My mother and my sister read constantly. Mostly mysteries, I think. My first books were things like THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER and THE JUNGLE BOOK. Books that took me to faraway and mysterious places. Books that stirred my imagination and made me create my own stories. As I grew into my teen years my reading expanded. In high school I read a YA romance called SEVENTEENTH SUMMER that to this day still stays with me. It was such a beautiful story of teenage love and what happens when summer is over. How we grow from such a relationship. Older still I began to read the mysteries my family loved and as I read them I found myself getting lost in the wonderful stories. These were classic mysteries, like Ellery Queen and Nero Wolf and all the books by the master of suspense, Agatha Christie. From there it was a short step to the queens of romantic suspense, Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. Their books are such classic that they are now being reissued both…

Yep. I’m an author. Yep. I have a novel coming out on June 12th. Yep. It’s a dystopian. Yep. Yet, another dystopian novel. Groan? Much like the plethora of vampire novels that appeared on the shelves after the wildly successful Twilight series, the publishing world is pushing out dystopian novel after dystopian novel Why are dystopian novels so popular right now? It would be easy to point to The Hunger Games as the reason behind such a flooded market, but I believe there is more to it than this. If one looks at the cycles of popular literature throughout history, certain patterns emerge. For example, the study of the history of the novel itself is rich in its statements on class strife and gender roles. It is no secret that our country is struggling. And during times of unrest, it is natural for citizens to question their government: how much power should government have? How has my government failed me? How can my government help me? How can I help my government? These aren’t new questions, but they are the ones haunting us now. And like all good art, literature reflects life…whether it’s a conscious choice of the author or…

Imagine you have everything you ever wanted. In twenty-four hours, the man of your dreams will make you his wife. Life is good. Then, in an instant, it’s all gone. You’re mowed down and your life is cut short thanks to a drunk driver. And your best friend was the one behind the wheel. Could you forgive her? What if after you died, your friend married the man you thought you would spend the rest of your life with? Could you forgive either of them? LIFE AFTER is the story of Kalyste Spradlin and Jude Whitten. Kalyste had it all. By the time she was thirty, her women’s magazine was about to go international. She had money, beauty, youth, happiness, and about to marry the love of her life, Ryan Sloan. The night before her wedding, she is killed by a drunk driver, her best friend Chantal. When she wakes up in Haven, (not heaven) and told what happened, she is hell-bent on revenge. Especially when she goes back to the human realm to check on Ryan and watches him marry the woman responsible for her death Jude has been a counselor in Haven for the past thirty-two years when…

Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about my favorite romantic heroes. I read my first romance novel when I was ten years old. I was a very precocious reader, blasting through everything of interest in my library’s children’s section in record time. After finishing Little House, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden series, I took a 90′ turn into the adult stacks, and never looked back. (There was no such thing as YA back in the day!) Over six thousand books later, over half of them romance novels, there are some romantic heroes that have a permanent place in my mind and heart. Though I won’t even TRY to select a favorite Argeneau, Troubleshooter, Carpathian, Bridgerton, Rohan, or Black Dagger Brother, following are some of my all-time favorite romance heroes. In no particular order (until we reach the Top 3): Morgan Trayhern (Return of a Hero by Lindsay McKenna) — McKenna excels at writing military heroes, and in this, the final book of her late ‘80’s Silhouette Special Edition “Love and Glory” series, self-sacrificing Marine captain Morgan Trayhern is one of her most riveting. Dmitri (Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh) — In this, the fifth book…

I love my job. Writing is a pleasure. Signing books and meeting readers is a rush. But the best part of writing contemporary Western romance is the research. Last summer, preparing to write COWBOY CRAZY took me behind the chutes at Cheyenne Frontier Days to watch cowboys in action, riding some of the rip-snortingest broncs and bulls in rodeo. Donning my Western shirt, boots and cowboy hat—requirements for everyone with a press pass—I looked forward to a lot of joking, a little joshing, and a fair amount of cussing. But what I got was real insight into the true nature of my favorite sport. In romance novels, cowboys usually symbolize freedom. They’re the epitome of wild, unrestrained energy and devil-may-care attitude. But in reality, the bronc rider, bull rider, or roper is as well-trained and disciplined as any other athlete. If you think the cowboy just gets on the horse and hangs on, think again. For starters, it takes a half-dozen cowboys to get each rider mounted. They cluster around the chute, calming the horse, offering advice, and helping the rider get situated in the saddle. The contestant spends a fair amount of time adjusting his position, adjusting his hold…

When I was a child, “home for the summer” meant that respite from school – June right on through to the week after Labor Day, that golden time of endless fun in the sun. Summer meant later lights out at night, reading in the shade of the back yard trees, and chasing fireflies at night with my friends in the neighborhood. There were the annual trips to visit my mother’s aunt in North Weymouth, Massachusetts, where a year’s worth of paper dolls awaited, saved for me by Great–Aunt Bess from the Boston Globe. There were long hot days at the New Jersey shore – running on sizzling feet into the cold water of the ocean – trips to amusement parks where I’d watch my older brother test his skill shooting with an air gun at moving targets, visits from relatives, and lazy days when there was nothing more to do than watch the clouds go by. When I was in college, “home for the summer” meant catching up with my friends from high school, revisiting old hangouts and renewing old friendships. There were summer jobs and trips to the beach, and reading something other than textbooks. For the characters in…

I’ve always been a rabid reader. One of my fondest memories is the anticipation of every other Tuesday when our city’s Bookmobile would park up the street so I could pick out all the books I could carry. What did I read?  Everything. Usually things not age appropriate. I devoured anything with words: The good, the bad, and the sometimes really bad. When I opened to page one, I felt compelled to read all the way through to the end, even if it was a struggle. It was a book, after all, the story had to be in there someplace, and it was up to me to find it. It wasn’t until I started to BUY books, that I became a more discerning reader.  I remember picking up a highly hyped historical (back when they were 600 pages!) and slogging through it . . . waiting for it to get good. Just one more chapter.  Maybe the next one. I read the last page and set it down in amazement. It never got any better. I felt cheated, not just out of my money, but more importantly, out of my time.  I’d put real effort into that book with no…

I don’t know about you, but I love a good book with a single dad for the hero. What is it about single dads that we love so much? I’ve got a couple of theories I’d like to share. The clueless dad—this dad is often new to parenthood and has no idea what he’s doing. We think he’s cute because he means well but will try to feed a toddler baby formula, or can’t figure out how to handle his teenage daughter. True inspiration from my husband: when my daughter was an infant, he tried to put the jumper on the inside of her shirt. The good dad—this dad is pretty close to perfect. He monitors homework, cooks, even makes sure his kids have a family dog. We adore him because what’s not to like about a dad who puts his kid’s needs over his? One of my favorite memories of my dad (not a single dad) was when I was about 10. I was sick and my mom was gone and he could’ve left me indoors to watch tv, but instead, he stayed with me and played board games and THEN he stayed up into the middle of the…

One of the best things about writing a long-running series is that, as the writer, I get to know my characters very, very well. I know exactly what Drew Kincaid, charmer extraordinaire, for example, will do to make up with his mate after a fight. Forget about flowers or chocolates. No, this is Drew. Strong, intelligent, witty…and just a little bit devious. Hence the gift Indigo receives from him in TANGLE OF NEED, and one that I think will melt even the hardest heart. I’d tell you what it was, but I’m taking my cue from Drew and being just a little bit devious and whetting your appetite for that scene – it’ll sneak up on you when you least expect it. I also know the personalities of each of the lieutenants. I know for example that Tomás likes to dice with his life by jerking the chain of the other lieutenants—and that he’d lay down that life and bleed for them without a thought. Just because he’s a smartass doesn’t mean he’s not also fiercely loyal. In many cases, characters reappear across a number of books. I think this does a great deal to create the sense of family…