Book Title: FIRE MOUNTAIN Character Name: Kit Garrido How would you describe your family or your childhood? It’s a bit of a hot mess, but my parents loved me in the best way they could. I thought our family was perfect when I was a kid. I didn’t realize my own ignorance until my father committed a felony when I was a young teen. He did a bad thing for a very good reason, but my mother could never forgive him. That rip in our family became impossible to mend after a while. What was your greatest talent? I’m a long haul trucker and I can drive an eighteen wheeler easy as anything. I know it sounds like boasting, but I can probably operate any motor vehicle. If it has wheels, I can drive it. Significant other? No. I was married briefly. It was sort of a crash and burn type scenario. Biggest challenge in relationships? I don’t want to be the person someone comes to rely on. That’s too much responsibility and I saw how my father collapsed under the weight of it. I keep to myself and that’s the way I like it. Where do you live? When…

It’s time, my friends. Beach Reading Season is officially here! It’s time to grab a book and huddle up in the shade, by the pool, or on the beach. It’s time to stay cool by reading a hot, hot book.  I LOVE this season. For today’s post, I’m going to talk about one of my favorite tropes…Trapped in Paradise. Okay, maybe it’s not your typical trope, but I am a sucker for a romance that features the hero and heroine trapped together far away from civilization. They can be strangers, they can be reunited lovers, they can have tension burning between them…and they can be far, far away from the rest of the world as they fall hopelessly in love. Let’s start this round-up by throwing back to a book that was on my keeper shelf for a very long time…IMAGINE By Jill Barnett. The hero of this romance did not want to be a savior (not even close!), but when he gets shipwrecked on an island with the heroine (and three orphaned kids), his whole world changes.   Fun fact…I love this trope so much that I actually wrote a book featuring the theme. True story, I created EX…

Hi fellow mystery lover! My name is Mary Kennedy, and I write the Talk Radio Mysteries for Penguin Random House. I’m excited to tell you about DEATH OF A SHADY SHRINK, book five in the series.  But first you need to know how the Talk Radio series came about. My agent sold it on the basis of five words; Frasier Meets Murder She Wrote. Why Frasier? Because Dr. Maggie Walsh is a radio talk show psychologist. Remember Frasier saying, “I’m listening,” as he took phone calls at the radio station in Seattle? Dr. Maggie does the same thing with the help of her trusty producer, Vera Mae.  Vera Mae screens the calls and produces the live radio show.  Why Murder She Wrote? Because just like Jessica Fletcher, she solves a murder in every book. Sometimes two! You might wonder why a Manhattan psychologist would close up her practice and move to sunny south Florida to become a radio talk show host. Here’s the Cliff notes version. Dr. Maggie was “sick of the cold, sick of the traffic and if truth be told, sick of listening to peoples’ problems all day long.” I know that might be shocking to hear, but…

This week’s Jen’s Jewels column takes us to the sun-soaked shores of Martha’s Vineyard with bestselling author Brooke Lea Foster. In OUR LAST VINEYARD SUMMER, Foster delivers a richly layered story of sisterhood, secrets, and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of a cherished family beach house. With dual timelines that span the transformative decades of the 1960s and 70s, this emotionally resonant novel invites readers to reflect on the ties that bind us—and the truths that shape who we become. Don’t miss my heartfelt conversation with Brooke as she shares the inspiration behind her latest summer must-read. Jen: Brooke, OUR LAST VINEYARD SUMMER is such a nostalgic and emotionally rich novel. What first drew you to tell a story set on Martha’s Vineyard, and why this particular era?Brooke: I was on vacation with my family on the island – we go every year – and I was up early walking the dog around historic Edgartown like I lived there. As I looked around at all the historic old homes, I began thinking about what it would be like to spend all your childhood summers in such a special place. I thought about what it was like at midcentury, and how…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GRAVE WORDS—I’m so excited to bring back Winter Snow in another adventure set in my hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Problems for obituary writer Winter Snow are mounting higher than the cliffs she can see from her house on Lake Mamanasco.   Her business is in a death draught; her best friend Scoop is a person of interest in a string of arsons and her name is listed as deceased in her client’s obituary. Add to that she has been asking too many questions about the murder of a local man experiencing homelessness.  If she doesn’t get some answers soon, the next obituary could be her own. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? That was easy.  My hometown is a picture-perfect Hallmark worthy small town and an ideal place to find murder and mayhem for a cozy mystery. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Of course, I would.  In fact, I hang out with her almost every day as I write her into mysteries.  That said, I’d like to teach her a thing or two because…

This month, I’m talking to bestselling novelist Katherine Reay. Her just-released novel, THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE, takes readers behind the scenes of the art world in glamorous, 1970’s London. The story centers on Lily Summer, a young, recently-promoted assistant and her boss, Diana Gilden, the polished and highly respected keeper of the prestigious Tate Gallery’s Modern collection, whose Picasso Commemorative exhibition is meant to be the capstone of her already glittering career. At the exhibition opening, Lily does the unthinkable, stepping forward and to declare one of the Picasso paintings to be a forgery. It’s a shocking assertion that not only puts her own career at risk, but Diana’s too, the mentor she has idolized for so long. With the clock ticking and forces aligned against her, Lily must uncover the truth behind the Picasso before she loses her career, and her freedom. Q: Welcome, Katherine! And thanks for joining us today. I’m eager to introduce readers to more your wonderful, page-turning new novel. Tell us, what inspired you to write THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE, and how did you create your characters Lily and Diana? A: While I was inspired by the 1999 Thomas Crown Affair and the classic Hepburn movie, How…

The month’s not over, so I have some overlooked gems to recommend. SWEETER THAN HONEY, Fangs and Feuds series, book 2, by Remi Lebeau A Sapphic Vampire CEO Romance! GHOST, Fire Lake series, book 9, by M. Tasia The Fire Lake series is full of hot men in uniform and this action-adventure mm romance is full of excitement and heat! BOYS OF BURLESQUE, Burlesque River series, by Kitty Bardot Burlesque is hot, and Kitty Bardot’s story of male dancers is even hotter! MELDING SOULS, Brides of Prophecy series, Book 6, by Brooklyn Ann My MM romance between a sorcerer and a rockstar features jumps between two worlds, taking you on a heavy metal tour doubling as recruiting for an interdimensional war, and then to a kingdom of knights, jousts, and battles! EDGE by Susan Mac Nicol A charming MM romance between a rockstar and a small-town movie theater owner! CAMERON UNSCRIPTED – Durango Street Theater, book 6, by Emily Mims The love of theater shines through in Mim’s series, and this one with a bad boy hero and his longtime crush is full of feels and found family goodness. LEAVING THE SHADOWS, Brides of Prophecy, book 6 by Brooklyn Ann…

Don’t tell my son, Colin, but I didn’t want to do this hike. I’m only here because it means so much to him. He was supposed to walk the trail with his dad, but that didn’t work out. Next week, I’ll be leaving Colin at the university in Glasgow and flying home alone to Portland, which I’m dreading. So, I’m walking 96 miles with my boy and making memories together, even if it kills me. Today is day four of seven, and I’m feeling familiar enough with the trail to tell you about it. By the way, my name is Keaka Denney. Unlike my son and former husband, I’ve never been to Scotland before. I really didn’t want to like it – it was something that Colin and his dad shared – but I must admit, it’s growing on me despite the blisters, aching feet, and midge bites. The West Highland Way is Scotland’s most popular long-distance hiking trail. People come from all over the world to walk its entirety or sections. We’re doing the whole thing, from the Glasgow suburb of Milngavie – they tell me it’s pronounced “mull-guy” – to Fort William in the Highlands. Some people carry…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GLASS GIRLS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Alice Haserot is a former child medium who has been free of her abusive family for 16 years—until her sister tracks her down in a grocery store and threatens her with an ultimatum: come back to Ohio and perform a seance on my daughter—or I will tell our abusive mother where you are. Alice is forced to confront the past she thought she buried and the betrayal she committed, the secrets she thought she left behind. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always wanted to set a story in Kirtland, Ohio. I spent about 5 of my very early years living there, and I knew pretty much immediately that this book was the place to do that. The Midwest is a truly haunting spooky place that truly does not get enough representation in fiction. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I think Alice and I would drive each other crazy in real life. She’s such a deeply internal person, processes things in quiet safety, copes with trauma by avoiding it as…

Book Title: HEARTSTRINGS AND HELMETS (Book 1 Hearts in Hawthorne) Character Name: West Sutherland How would you describe your family or your childhood? Best childhood ever! I grew up in Hawthorne, a small-town northwest of Ft. Worth. I was a big brother to my twin sisters, Summer and Autumn, who were two years behind me in school. Education was sacred in my family, with Mom being Hawthorne’s city librarian and Dad serving as the superintendent of the public schools. Chance Blackstone, my best friend since pre-school, was my brother from another mother, and I spent some great times at the Blackstone Ranch, learning how to ride horses. Chance and I kept our grades up, but we had more than our share of fun, being the two coolest (and hottest!) guys in our graduation class. What was your greatest talent? My athleticism. I’m 6’2” and have a lean, athletic build. I’m also lightning fast on the football field. I was the golden boy in football, breaking school records as a wide receiver. I earned a scholarship to Texas A&M and after playing four years for the Aggies, I was drafted by my dream team—the Dallas Cowboys. While I would’ve have played…