Alice’s Theme by Danny ElfmanNo shocker here! With HOUSE OF HEARTS being so heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland, it would be borderline illegal for me not to include at least one Alice song in my playlist! This song is truly perfect—it’s haunting and whimsical, and I love the way the intensity builds throughout the piece’s progression. Without getting into spoiler territory, I can tell you that it was heavy in my soundtrack rotation for Act Three! Symphony No.6, op.74, TH 30, B minor (Pathétique)Calvin actually plays this in the book! It’s one of the first instances where Violet glimpses the real him. In many ways, Calvin tries to control his “persona” and keep his more vulnerable self at bay, but he’s an open book when he’s behind the keys: The overall composition has “Calvin” written all over it. Dramatic, consuming, maudlin. (…) His fingers fly across the keys in a Dionysian riot and the music produced is equal measures haunting and romantic. (…) Somewhere within the third movement the melody falls off. The piece collapses in on itself like a house of cards and Calvin pushes away from the keys with a snarl. “Pathetic is right,” he mutters beneath…

Book Title: LOVE BITESCharacter Name: Hanna Harvey How would you describe your family or your childhood?Do I have to?? Kidding! Mostly. Seeing as my dad was tragically un-alived in a super-sus car accident before I’d even hit puberty and my mother is probably mentioned in least five chapters of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, my Oma—grandma, if you don’t sprechen Deutsche, was my whole world. If only I hadn’t been so blinded by her exceptional potato salad that I failed to realize she kept a rolling pin by the kitchen door for more than just fending off her many would-be suitors. What was your greatest talent?Emotional support snack acquisition, without question. Significant other?Define significant. If we’re talking significant as in: I significantly want to launch myself at my annoyingly attractive, infuriatingly secretive, potentially non-human boss like a Velcro koala, then…yes? Biggest challenge in relationships?You mean other than the tendency to launch myself at probably paranormal paramours like a Velcro koala? Where do you live?In a perpetual state of regret about my late-night cupboard raids, mostly. Do you have any enemies?Overhead lighting, non-elastic waistbands, and at least one slightly unhinged entity harboring stalking tendencies and blood grudge. How…

What is the title of your latest release?WICKED BELIEVER What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Neftlix’s Lucifer meets 50 Shades of Gray in this scorching hot sequel to ORIGINAL SINNER, where the devil and his newly immortal fiancée must navigate the underhanded celestial politics of a God-abandoned NYC. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I chose to set ORIGINAL SINNER in NYC because it was the perfect location for a mix of celestial and celebrity drama set to a high-fashion background. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets Lucifer and BDSM—so keeping the sequel, WICKED BELIEVER, set in the city was the natural choice. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Absolutely. Though I have a feeling Lucifer and I would butt heads. But Charlotte would easily be my bestie. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Three words that describe Charlotte are: resilient, resourceful, and driven. Three words that describe Lucifer are: strategic, overconfident, and sexy. What’s something you learned while writing this book?My life’s journey has really paralleled Charlotte’s in many ways, so I’d say I learned to that I can be stronger than I thought I could be. Do you…

The scent of new notebooks, the creak of classroom doors, and the whispered promises of hidden secrets means it’s September, and there’s no better time to dive into academy romances in paranormal fiction. These stories blend the thrill of discovering magical worlds with the intensity of school life, where relationships ignite, rivalries simmer, and danger lurks just outside the dormitory walls. Whether it’s spellbinding academies or institutions teeming with supernatural intrigue, the settings make the perfect backdrop for slow-burn romance, forbidden love, and characters who are finding themselves amid the chaos. Academy settings let us relive the highs and lows of school through a fantastical lens, throwing in the drama of paranormal creatures, secret societies, and life-or-death stakes. These books remind us that self-discovery often takes center stage during those school years, even in a world filled with vampires, witches, and demigods. Let’s head back to class with some of the best academy romances in the genre, perfect for your fall reading list. CRAVE Step into Katmere Academy, a gothic castle in the Alaskan wilderness where danger, and desire, waits around every corner. When Grace, a mortal, is thrown into this supernatural world of vampires, witches, and shapeshifters, she quickly…

Eight Authors, Eight Heroines, One Unforgettable Club The Busty Bodice Club Eight sisters. Eight curves of fate. And one father’s final wish: live boldly, love recklessly, and never hide the curves of your lives—or your bodies. Raised under the strict rules of an overprotective parent, the Harrington sisters were taught to stay quiet, proper, and out of trouble. But with their father’s last letters, everything changes. Each voluptuous beauty is handed a task designed to push her beyond society’s rigid corsets and into passion, scandal, and adventure. From scandalous portraits and secret wagers…to daring rescues and forbidden kisses…the Busty Bodice Club isn’t just about finding love. It’s about embracing every lush curve, every wild desire, and every reckless chance at happiness. The series is also about eight writers, each with her own voice and vision, drawing together in a collaboration that challenges each to bring their best to the keyboard. No, we haven’t worked together before and it is refreshing to be bouncing story ideas off of such fabulous professionals. Eliana Piers is the Canadian who developed the series. Eliana is known for a fast pace read featuring fun banter. She is also the most organized writer I have ever…

What is the title of your latest release?A RATHER PECULIAR POISONING What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?It’s Bridgerton meets Knives Out. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I set it in a sprawling English manor that was big enough to hide plenty of secrets. The estate also rests between a forest (for hunting parties) and a lake (for boat parties). Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Yes, I’d love to explore a city with Della, cook alongside Sadie, or fall in love with the lake with Eloise. What are three words that describe your protagonist?I have four main characters: Della, Sadie, Eloise, and Violet. Can I pick one word for each instead? Della is smart. Sadie is sweet. Eloise is clever. Violet is ambitious. What’s something you learned while writing this book?When the word “cologne” was first used and if I could use it in 1910. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I know everyone says you shouldn’t, but I 100% edit as I draft. I’m trying not to for my current work in progress to see if it helps me draft faster though….

Most people have heard of the Grand Canyon and have also heard of Yellowstone National Park. Both draw thousands of people to visit during the warm seasons. But have you heard of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, WY? This was one of my top five favorite places to visit in Yellowstone on our 109-day go west trip. It also has one of the top three things I look for when we travel – a waterfall! I love watching them and listening to them. There you can find the upper falls and lower falls of the Yellowstone River. With two rims to visit, multiple viewpoints, and several hiking trails, there is a lot to do here. We drove to each overlook and then hiked up to the best viewpoints. I believe Lookout Point at the North Rim is the most visited. This is one I would not want to miss. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is located south of Canyon Village and is accessible by car via the North Rim Drive, South Rim Drive, and Brink of the Upper Falls Drive. There is also a hiking trail from the Canyon Lodge area out to the North Rim. If you…

What is the title of your latest release?GIRL NEXT DOOR What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A twenty-something freelance writer discovers that her childhood next-door neighbor is the anonymous author behind a wildly successful queer romance based on their senior year of high school—except they were never actually together in real life. It’s sort of my love letter to the rom-com genre. I’m also secretly hoping it’s a rom-com for rom-com skeptics. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I wanted to write a setting that I knew, so I “invented” a suburban Long Island town similar to the one where I grew up—though there are notable differences. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Definitely. We would have so many embarrassing stories to tell each other. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Clumsy, funny, kind. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That the Bosphorus is a strait, not a river. GIRL NEXT DOOR has a running joke about the Byzantine Empire in it, which is just as weird as it sounds. Don’t worry, it’s an extremely small element of the plot. But thank you to my copy editor for pointing…

Toxicity — System Of A DownAt the beginning of MIST AND DIVIDE, we are thrown into a world that is full of disorder, while Evella, the FMC, tries to keep her life (and family’s) in order. It’s a world ravaged by frequent quakes, which is problematic enough, but Evella has to navigate the toxicity people direct at her due to a decision in her past. This song also connects her world to our current one—when someone is so powerful, creating disorder, how do they not let it slip away from them? Inevitably, through the nature of disorder, one can’t ‘own’ it. Eventually they must also suffer the consequences. Cheated Hearts — Yeah Yeah YeahsI like to see this song as an interpretation of Evella’s relationship with Reil. When we meet Evella, it’s been one year since losing the love of her life, Reil. This was the man she grew up with, hunted with, and then one day, was gone. The lyrics, in this case, reflect how death has cheated her out of love, and all thoughts of finding it again are safely kept away. Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World — U2This is one of my favorite songs,…

“Quando m’en vo” from La bohème by Giacomo PucciniI’ve been in love with this opera since seeing it for the first time at age twelve, so it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise that I ended up writing a book about artsy people living in garrets in a cold European winter! I played this aria in particular a lot – the bantering voices and the flirtation were a big inspiration for the first half of the book. “The London Suite Pt. 2 – Chelsea” by Fats WallerThis piece is winter in London to me. It has all the warmth and coziness of a crackling old record, and it just makes me want to go for a long evening walk, looking up at all the windows lit golden, and then go home and curl up under a blanket with a book and some hot chocolate. I also love that it’s an American’s impression of the city – Waller wrote and recorded it while he was touring here. “Turtle Blues” by Big Brother & The Holding CompanyI think this is the most underrated Janis Joplin song, and it doubles as a theme song for my female main character Mari. It’s…