I never, ever start a book without creating a playlist first. Even if it’s only a few songs and I add more as I explore the story, I need to have some songs to set the mood and get me inspired. Here are a few songs from the playlist of WRITING MR. RIGHT! Pretty Woman (Shankar Ehsaan Loy, from the Kal Ho Na Ho OST) One thing about me is that I love being multicultural. Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho has a perfect soundtrack, and no song from it fits Writing Mr. Right better than Pretty Woman. A remake of Roy Orbison’s 1964 “Oh, Pretty Woman,” it perfectly captures how Aashiq, the love interest, tries to get Ziya, the main lead, into appreciating herself and her own life. It’s also a song that encompasses his feelings toward her, and in my opinion, is a way you can tell he becomes enamoured with her pretty quickly. If Writing Mr. Right was a musical, Aashiq would sing this song to Ziya while he inspires the whole neighborhood to join him, just like in the movie. Also, if you’ve seen the movie, let me tell you: Aashiq is sooooo Aman Mathur coded…

In late August 1967 I gazed from the back seat of a Chrysler Saratoga as we exited a farmyard full of cultivation equipment and assorted outbuildings. Against a far granary was parked the 1942 Chevrolet pick-up truck that had been my personal vehicle the summer of work I did on that spread. I had been taught to drive it at age thirteen. On my fourteenth birthday I spent the afternoon piloting an eight-thousand-pound diesel tractor towing a rod weeder on forty acres of gently sloping Saskatchewan wheat field. Kids, I learned, learned heavy machinery at a young age in that part of the country. But now as I left the dry land, headed for a train back to Port Alberni in time for school, I wondered what it might be like to drive that antique all the way to the coast. Decades of school and work at various places later, I got to examine this eternal transit feeling in Amaranthine Chevrolet, a novelized distillation of that odd prairie-to-Pacific urge. It is primarily an indulgence in the linear joy of the road story. Over a literary career spanning half a century my books have garnered flattering notices. There were laudatory accreditations…

1–What is the title of your latest release? AS YOU WISH 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Three young American women become au pairs in Seoul and make a wish on an enchanted waterfall on a moonlit night. One wants to be more special, one wants to never fall in love again, one wants to find her birth mother. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love writing love letters to cities! I wrote one to Paris in my third novel, Half-Blown Rose, and my fifth novel, AS YOU WISH, is my love letter to Seoul. I fell in love with Kpop and Kdramas about five years ago and took Korean lessons, traveled to South Korea, just kept surrounding myself with the things I love so much. There’s a certain level of “obsession” I have to have and maintain in order to want to spend years and years working on a book, so I have to make sure the well is deep enough to keep dipping into. My love for Kpop and Kdramas proved deep enough, yes, so I loved setting As You Wish in Seoul because there is so much to…

Hi, everyone! My name is Harper St. George and I’m here to tell you about my new book, ELIZA AND THE DUKE. This is the second book in my The Doves of New York series about illegitimate American heiresses who must find aristocratic husbands to collect their inheritances. Eliza is a brash and intelligent youngest sister who wanted far more for herself than to be the wife of some stuffy aristocrat. She’s grudgingly accepted her fate but isn’t opposed to a little fun before saying “I do.” Enter Simon Cavell, mild-mannered manager of Montague Club. When Eliza accidentally discovers his secret identity as a prizefighter, she wastes no time in using the knowledge as leverage—if he takes her on one glorious evening adventure to the darker parts of London, she’ll keep his secret. Little do they suspect that one night is just the beginning. E is for Eliza Dove. She is the youngest of three sisters from New York who have come to England to find husbands. L is for London. Eliza and her sisters take up residence in London to attend all the balls of the Season on their quest to find husbands. I is for Impulsive. Eliza’s biggest…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A ray of sunshine, Calamity Jane heroine meets a grumpy, reclusive Mr. Rochester type hero (without a crazy wife locked in the attic!) and turns his ordered world completely upside down. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I live next to the River Thames, and I spend a lot of time gazing across it to the county of Kent, so I thought it would be fun to finally set a book there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I absolutely would! Lottie Travers is a heroine who likes to seize the day and take the risk, so she really ever looks before she leaps—and neither do I. I think we’d have a lot of fun and get into a lot of trouble together. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Tomboy, feisty and fun-loving! 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I had to research how to train an Arabian horse even though I’ve never ridden a horse in my life! 7–Do you edit as you draft or…

Hi, I’m Jamie Adams, and if you’ve been following along, you already know I love a good mystery. Whether it’s a twisty whodunit, a classic cozy, or a suspenseful thriller, I’m always intrigued by what keeps a sleuth going—and who’s by their side. One of the most delightful parts of a great mystery isn’t just the main character—it’s the sidekick. These loyal companions come in all shapes and sizes: some walk on two legs, some on four, but they all help add depth, humor, and heart to a story. Today, I’m diving into one of the most fun questions in the cozy mystery world: Favorite sleuth sidekick: Cat, Dog, or Best Friend? The Clever Cat From aloof observers to uncanny clue-finders, cats are a popular pick in the cozy mystery genre. They seem to always be in the right place at the right time—often finding things their human companions overlook. Whether they’re knocking something off a shelf that turns out to be a clue or curling up next to the prime suspect, cats bring just the right amount of mischief and mystery. Why we love them: I you love feline detective stories, don’t miss the A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery…

When I sit down with Kathryn Hu over boba—“the best drink for any occasion,” she says—she’s dressed in comfy casual with her long black hair up in a messy bun. This makes sense for the self-deprecating chemist who is currently dealing with life handing her the bad end of the stick—which, Kathryn tells me, is an idiom originating from the 1400s in reference to walking sticks. Which is a fun transition into my first question for her: What are some of your talents? Kathryn: Well, I’m great at turning others off by telling them the origins of idioms they don’t care about. And if that doesn’t get you, then my terrible chemistry puns will—though I don’t know why, I’m totally in my element with those. Oh, and I’m also great at having Abbott and Costello moments when I introduce myself to others thanks to my last name, Hu, pronounced who. Seriously, though? I’m supposed to be good at chemistry, the thing I’ve dedicated my life to, but most days I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. And now it’s gotten me into some serious trouble, though maybe it can also help get me out of it? We’ll see….

Detectives, danger, and a disappearing heirloom ring – Nik Stevens’ bachelor party in Atlantic City is not going according to plan. Cue the drama, the mystery, and the Greek mama panic. This playlist hits all the right notes—from party chaos to emotional stakes—and pairs perfectly with your beach read vibes or late-night sleuthing sessions. Featuring: Will Nik make it home with the ring and his sanity intact? Or will the past crash the wedding? Stream this soundtrack while you find out. Tag your book bestie & share your favorite track from the list! #CozyMysteryVibes #BookPlaylist #BachelorBadgesAndBadLuck #MysteryWithHeart #GreekWeddingDrama #NikAndKalliForever “Viva Las Vegas” – Elvis Presley Why it fits: Okay, technically it’s Atlantic City, not Vegas—but the wild, chaotic energy of this song matches the “what could possibly go wrong?” vibe of the bachelor party. It captures Boomer’s enthusiasm and the festive mood… right before everything takes a nosedive into chaos. “Bad Luck” – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Why it fits: The literal anthem of this trip. From the string of unfortunate events to the missing heirloom ring, this funky, soulful track encapsulates the escalating sense of doom that plagues the detectives. Mitch would probably hum this under his…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Divorcétante 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When scandal shatters her picture-perfect life, an elite event planner trades perfection for reinvention as The Divorcétante. With a high-profile wedding on the line and a charming architect in her way, she must choose between guarding her image or risking it all for a second chance at love. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted this high-society upper-crust town to have that Southern charm, and Georgia felt like the perfect place to encapsulate a mid-sized town with big drama and even bigger personalities. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! I’m basically an honorary divatante. Ebony’s social circle is fun, fashionable, fabulous, and for the girls. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Passionate, empowered, phenomenal. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’m in my dram-rom era. The Divorcétante isn’t a rom-com. It’s drama plus a sexy, scandalous, second chance romantic escape. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Guilty! I edit as I draft. I constantly go back, layering in more…

Some books seem to come to me with a built-in playlist, and FINDERS KEEPERS was definitely one of them. “505” – Arctic Monkeys This is what I consider the theme song for the whole book. The returning to a place, to a person, and hoping to find them open to receiving you, but also worried about screwing things up again feels especially Quentin-coded, but it applies to Nina as well. “The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start” is so apropos that I actually suggested it to my editor as a potential tagline. “Summer” – Steady Holiday and Jim James This song really captures the nostalgia of long summer days and nights and mixes it perfectly with the push-pull that Nina and Quentin feel when they reunite in their hometown after seventeen years of estrangement. It even asks “What did you expect?” and answers with “Not silence.” And then it goes on to push them to consider if being together maybe isn’t as complicated as they’ve tried to make it. “Sofa King” – Royel Otis I like to imagine this one from Quentin’s perspective. He’s never felt quite good enough for Nina to choose him, and he’s not…