Book Title: THE GOOD BOYCharacter Name: Rory, The Golden Retriever (currently accidentally human) How would you describe your family or your childhood?Well, I was a good-looking puppy, I know that much. I do remember there being a lot of us, and that mum was warm and kind. But then after that I went to live a not very nice man and that was bad but THEN I was rescued by Genie and she is my best friend and looks after me really well even though I do sometimes accidentally steal one of her shoes, chew and then bury it. Accidentally. What is your greatest talent?Scourge of Squirrels/Pigeons/Post People. Listen, the world is a very dangerous place. You’ve got squirrels, with their creepy little hands, always up to no good, and pigeons, just walking around like they own the place and then total random humans coming up to the house and put things in the letter box? I mean that could be anything! Best to tear it to shreds to be safe. I guard Genie against all of these threats all the time, also wind, passers-by, big clouds and bad singing. I also try and guard her from next door’s murder…

What is the title of your latest release?THE FELONS’ BALL What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?THE FELONS’ BALL is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where the Macready family has been producing illegal moonshine for generations. Now Trey Macready, the patriarch of the family, has become a legitimate businessman—or so everyone thinks, including his daughter Natalie. On the night of the family’s annual party, the Felons’ Ball, Trey’s business partner (and Natalie’s secret lover) is murdered. It seems now that the Macreadys past might be coming back to haunt them, and Natalie has to decide for herself just how far her family loyalty might lead her. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I grew up in the Blue Ridge and still live there, and I love writing about that area. It’s beautiful but a little mysterious too. You never know what might be happening in the backwoods. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?She’s a yoga teacher, so I’d definitely take a class from her! I’m not sure we’d be friends, though. She’s a bit younger than I am. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Loyal, adventurous,…

What happens when two small-town half-brothers find themselves entangled in a high-stakes web of suspicion, digital currency, and international crime? In ALL WE TRUST, bestselling author Gregory Galloway delivers a taut, character-driven noir that’s as emotionally layered as it is suspenseful. From the winding backroads of New England to the gritty underbelly of San Francisco and the sun-drenched terrain of Mexico, this riveting story explores fractured family bonds, shifting loyalties, and the fine line between justice and survival. In this exclusive Jen’s Jewels interview, Galloway opens up about crafting morally complex characters, subverting traditional noir tropes, and why he believes the genre is as timeless as ever. If you love your thrillers with philosophical depth and a fresh take on crime fiction, this one’s not to be missed. Jen: What first sparked the idea for these two small-town brothers who get in way over their heads?Gregory: I didn’t really have much idea of a plot when I started the novel (but then, I never do), but knew that the brothers were at odds, each thinking the other is turning against them (giving incriminating evidence to the district attorney on the one side, and stealing evidence/crypto on the other), and then…

What is the title of your latest release?DOWN ON THE SOUTH BEACH DRAG What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?It’s 1972 and eighteen-year-old Maeve O’Connor must win a photography contest to escape her suffocating, conservative family and attend her dream college in Manhattan. But where can she find arresting subjects? She sets her sights on Asbury Park, New Jersey, a once-thriving seaside resort where artists, musicians, side-show entertainers, carnies and alternative lifestyles thrive on the boardwalk in plain sight. After convincing her parents to let her go, Maeve falls in love with Georgie, a talented and androgynous young man, and connects with other artists. But as she embraces the bohemian lifestyle, Maeve must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to live her truth. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?DOWN ON THE SOUTH BEACH DRAG is set at the Jersey Shore in 1972. The early 70s were the most colorful period of my life. I always knew that I would want to revisit that kind of carnival life on the boardwalk. When I decided to write about marginalized people of that time and place, I thought, “Where better than down the shore?” Would you…

Merry Christmas in July! Once upon a time I was asked if I’d like to write a sweet Christmas story and could I include a dog. Since I was out of contract at the time, I, of course, said yes. As I hunted for inspiration for the story, I came across a photo of a Burnese Mountain dog next to a toppled Christmas tree and the idea for A Family Under the Christmas Tree was born.  My mother had just passed, and I wanted to write a story where I could name a character after her. The grandmother in A Family Under the Christmas Tree’s name is Louise, which is my mother’s middle name. Still feeling nostalgic, I named the hero David after one of my favorite great uncles, the boy’s name came from one of my maternal grandmother’s brother, and the last name Murphy was my paternal grandmother’s maiden name. This story is dear to my heart, and I hope you have a chance to enjoy the book. And watch the movie adaption! That’s right, the book was adapted into a Hallmark movie and retitled Picture a Perfect Christmas, starring Merrit Patterson and John Cor. I was blessed to…

What is the title of your latest release?THESE BLUE MOUNTAINS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?North Carolina’s mountains hide the secrets of a war long past and a young love cut short in this atmospheric tale of unexpected hope. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?My research often decides where my books take place. I find an intriguing tidbit and follow to see where it takes me! While researching the flood of 1916 in western North Carolina for another novel—These Tangled Threads—I came across information about a German POW camp in Hot Springs, NC. German sailors who were in US waters when war was declared were sent to North Carolina for the duration of the war. While there, they built an amazing Bavarian village almost entirely from flood debris. While digging into the history of that camp, I discovered a story about a German woman whose brother was taken prisoner and then disappeared and was presumed dead. Fifteen years later she saw his name on a cross in a photograph of a monument to German sailors who died at the camp in Hot Springs. Finally, she learned what happened to her brother. That…

What is the title of your latest release?WHEN FORTY BLOOMS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?WHEN FORTY BLOOMS is about a woman on the brink of turning 40 who has to decide what happiness really looks like for her—and whether it includes a husband she thought she’d outgrown. It’s real, it’s messy, and it’s full of love. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Deciding the book would take place in Atlanta was super easy. I’ve been living in the city and covering Atlanta culture for a long time. Writing about this town–especially the sides of the city that you don’t see on reality TV or hear about in Lil Baby albums (no diss) is actually pretty important to me. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Yup. Simone is the homie. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Quirky. Kind-hearted. Introspective. What’s something you learned while writing this book?Writing this book made me think about areas in my own life where I may’ve overcorrected in reacting to things I went through growing up. I also learned about succulents. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I…

Taking a break from my usual listicles to talk about tropes. They are so prominent in the romance genre that one cannot escape them in one way or another. But I say this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Tropes are like ice cream flavors, and I don’t know about you, but I’ll often buy books because I’m craving a certain trope. Sometimes that backfires miserably. And sometimes I’ll read a book that features a trope I usually loathe, but this time I enjoy it. It all depends on how the trope is handled. So here’s my first trope I want to discuss: the guardian and ward romance. It’s usually found in historical romance, though sometimes it’s in paranormal and fantasy books. What is appealing about this trope? The aspect of the forbidden: The hero is responsible for the heroine’s well-being and often it’s his job to ensure she has a successful marriage…to anyone but him. Delicious!The characters often get more “screen time” alone together and have the opportunity for more intimacy…and hilarious hijinks. Some readers like older men. (I think that’s part of why I like vampires.) When this trope goes wrong:• When the hero was the heroine’s guardian for…

What is the title of your latest release?ONE YELLOW EYE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?After a viral apocalypse, one scientist will risk everything to save the life of the only zombie remaining: her husband. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The book is about one woman’s increasingly unhinged fight to bring her husband back from the undead, and it’s set in London, UK. It was inspired by my experiences of caring for my dad when he was terminally ill with a rare type of blood cancer. We had to keep venturing out across London during the Covid lockdown for his chemotherapy appointments, just the two of us driving through the empty city together, trying to make light of an unbearably grim situation. I spent over twenty years living in London. It’s a city I love for all its faults. It’s still home even though I moved away four years ago. I love the chaos there, the energy, that juxtaposition of the historic and the contemporary. It’s a city full of stories, full of secrets, ever-changing. It made sense to base One Yellow Eye there because for a first novel, I found it…

Book Title: A WITCH’S GUIDE MAGICAL INNKEEPINGCharacter Name: Sera Swan Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Sera. You didn’t give me much of a choice. Right. Shall we just jump right in then? What was it like being the most powerful witch of your generation? Well, for a start, I wasn’t. I mean, I was, but only in Britain. The rest of the world exists too. Have you noticed the Guild always seems to forget that? They’d like to pretend we have the best and brightest, but I have no doubt there are other witches in other places who are just as powerful as I was. Sorry, what was the question again? Oh, right. What was it like? I’m not sure how to answer that, to be honest. Having all that magical power was incredible. It was everything to me. Having it came with challenges, though. When you have so much magic, that’s all people see. They don’t see you. And what are you up to these days? Did Albert Grey tell you to ask me that? I’m not up to anything. I’m definitely not trying to get my magic back. Er, okay. I meant more like what’s your life…