Your book DARK SUN involves the faery world. What is it about the fae that you find compelling as an author? I grew up on folklore, so I draw on that old lore of the faeries. The faeries have a removed world, but they visit ours, and they can be invisible to the eye at their will and whim. Iron is toxic. They offer bargains that seem like a good idea, but they’re always clever in ways we aren’t. Beautiful, dangerous, tempting, and ancient. Yes, please. And, as every tale goes, mortals arrogantly think we can successfully outwit them—in part because the faeries cannot lie. What’s not to love there? So many possibilities!   What would you say is the central conflict in DARK SUN? Would you say there is an equal mix of action and romance? The question of the book is coming to terms with who you are and what you seek in this life. In Katherine and Urian’s case, love changes everything for both of them. Romance? Definitely. Action? Yes. It’s also a story that draws us back toward the original characters. We see where our first WL protagonists are about five years after that series ended….

LADY ARMSTRONG’S SCANDALOUS AWAKENING is set in the Victorian era. What appeals to you about that time period as a setting? Is that your favorite period to set a story in? The Victorian period was a time of huge change in every way. The Industrial Revolution was really taking hold, railways and telegrams transformed communication and travel, and there was a move away from the countryside to city living. What fascinates me are the contrasts that all this change emphasized – between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots, and in particular, in the position of women, who were being forced by a society which was in many ways liberating men, into a much more domestic and constrained role. Ideals of femininity were disseminated through photography, and image took on a new importance. Women who did not conform had to be real rebels, incredibly strong and radical thinkers, and it’s coming up with this type of woman as a heroine that really appeals to me. As to whether this is my favorite period to write about – I’d say yes, at the moment, because it’s the period I’ve been immersed in for the last couple of years,…

Fresh Fiction: If you could only recommend one of your books to romance readers who are unfamiliar with your work, which would you recommend? And why? Mary Jo Putney: Hmm, tough question!  Maybe LOVING A LOST LORD. It’s the first book in my Lost Lords series, and it sets up the framework for the rest of the series. The heroes of all seven books attended the Westerfield Academy for boys of “good birth and bad behavior.”  The founder, Lady Agnes Westerfield, helps boys who are having trouble fitting into the niches they were born to.  She teaches them how to be themselves without losing their souls. The hero of this first book, Adam Lawford, the Duke of Ashton, is half Hindu and has to deal with resentment and prejudice.  Then a steamboat explosion leaves him half drowned and amnesiac in northern England, where he is found by a desperate young woman who needs a pretend husband for protection…. FF: Scotland is the setting for your regency romance ONCE A LAIRD. What do you like about this setting? And what is so captivating about a hot Scottish hero? MJP: This story was inspired by a wonderful visit to Orkney, one of the island groups north of mainland Scotland.  Both…

In HEART OF A TIGER, a child is in danger. What made you use this element in your story? Was that meant to increase the tension and engage the reader even more? The child in the story is because of the Earl of Soothcoor. He has been a “cast member” in three previous stories. I’ve become quite fond of him. He’s 40ish, never married, plain looking, and secretly heavy into philanthropy. I decided he was in a rut and needed something to push him out of his comfort zone. The child is his heir through his brother and his Indian wife.   I like a mystery series with a couple who solves mysteries together. Was it always the plan to have a mystery series with a married couple? Or did things change as you began writing the first book? Things changed after I wrote the first book, THE WAYLAID HEART. Readers requested I have them in a series. So, I did! I adore them. They are a loving couple, opposites that complement each other.   I love historical romances and historical mysteries, but I always wonder one thing. How much research went into a book like this? Are you a…

For readers who may be new to your Daniel Pitt series, how would you describe Daniel?   I would describe Daniel as coming from a happy childhood, but with a father who succeeded to a degree that obliges Daniel to strive constantly to be not only professionally successful, but to live up to the same moral standards… and incidentally a mother who is brave and individual, which means that Daniel himself can be happy only with a brave and individual kind of woman.   What made you decide to have a barrister as your main character in this series? I wanted him to detect, with urgency, high stakes to win or lose, but not to be another policeman, and I love courtroom scenes.  A barrister gives me the chance to have lots of them, quite legitimately.   How much research goes into your books? Are any of the characters in THREE DEBTS PAID inspired by actual people in history? The amount of research varies from book to book. A lot of it is constant throughout the series. Most of the change comes from being a slightly different time. Different things are happening. No. Real people now, possibly.   The early 1900s is…

In your “Travel P.I.” mystery series, your female protagonist Angel Doyle is described as a “semi-reformed thief and accidental P.I.” What made you decide to create that type of character? In my two previous cozy mystery series, my sleuths are from fairly conventional backgrounds. In the Movie Club Mysteries, Maggie is an ex-cop who moves to Ireland and sets up her own P.I. agency. Dee in the Time-Slip Mysteries is a journalist and amateur sleuth. I wanted Angel’s story arc to be different. She comes from a family of career criminals and wants a fresh start on the right side of the law. Yet there’s no denying that specific skills she’s picked up over the years come in handy for her detective work. At the start of KNIFED IN NICE, Angel is on the cusp of significant life changes, and the story pushes her in another direction. She had no ambition to become a detective, but she’s thrust into a situation where she must figure out what’s going on or risk being killed. She’s also a loner, and the story forces her to work with a partner to solve the mystery. What all my sleuths have in common is a…

Hi, Sharon! Tell us about BUSINESS NOT AS USUAL. Hi there! Thanks for this opportunity! My latest book, BUSINESS NOT AS USUAL, is my debut romcom, and it was a fun project to create. The story is about Dreamy Daniels, a financially challenged, quirky, and fun-loving woman who loves life but has had a hard time at it. On top of that, she was recently publicly dumped by her attorney boyfriend who claimed she wasn’t cultured or sophisticated enough for him. His words crush her, and Dreamy decides to take a break from men and work on herself. That includes rebuilding her confidence and focusing on some of her personal goals like finishing her degree in Public Administration and starting her nonprofit. Oh, and she’s determined to finally win the lottery since it’s at an all-time high. Lol. Who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery? In the meantime, Dreamy catches the eye of a venture capitalist, who also happens to be the son of a famous movie star. She is shocked by his advances. She thinks – What does a guy like him want with someone like her when he can have any woman in the world? He’s the total…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to write THE WEDDING VEIL? Kristy Woodson Harvey: I was putting a veil on my cousin’s head—the veil that I had worn, many members of my husband’s family had worn, and several friends had worn as well—before her wedding, and it occurred to me how the veil connected the many women who had worn it. As I so often do, I thought, That’s a book! And here we are!   Jen: What was the most fascinating bit of history you discovered about the Biltmore during the writing process? Kristy: Well, honestly, that first spark of inspiration might have been my favorite! I was considering writing about a real, historical wedding veil, and, after a recent trip to Biltmore, I was very interested in Edith Vanderbilt and all the amazing things she did with her life. A quick Google search showed that the wedding veil she had worn, her mother and sisters had worn and her daughter Cornelia worn had disappeared. I knew immediately that was the framework for my story.   Jen: What does the wedding veil represent to Julia Baxter and her family? Kristy: For Julia’s family the veil is a symbol of long,…

Your new historical novel, GIRLS OF FLIGHT CITY, is set in the 1940s. What inspired you to write a story set in this time and this particular place? My mom grew up outside of London when the bombs were falling. Listening to her tales growing up, I’ve always been fascinated by this time period. When I read an article about a woman tending to the British cemetery in Terrell, TX – the town where my dad graduated from high school – I became intrigued by the history of British pilots coming to Terrell to learn how to fly. It was one of 6 schools across the south that trained pilots for Britain. When I discovered women played a large role in training the pilots, I saw the potential for sharing this remarkable part of our history.   How much research went into this book? Extensive research went into writing this book. In addition to brushing up on my WWII history, I read books about the history of the schools and how the U.S. got involved in training British pilots. I researched the history of women pilots and the bias they faced. Then I needed a general understanding of aircraft used…

In TO MARRY A HIGHLANDER, the hero and heroine are made to marry after being found in a somewhat compromising situation. As a romance fan, I like that trope because it’s a quick way of getting two people together who otherwise might not. As a writer, what do you like about using that trope? I like using that trope because sometimes the characters do want to be together, but there is something holding them back. In To Marry a Highlander, that’s what the situation is. Maura has always had a fancy for Conall, but he has such a reputation with the lasses, that she fears if they ever married, he would break her heart.   Your hero’s reputation with women precedes him in this book, and cause trouble in one way or another. How would you describe him to readers? As the younger brother of the Laird of Sutherland, and right hand man to the laird, Conall holds a prominent place in the Clan. He is tall, slender, but all muscle. His long brown hair is tied back with a strip of leather. He uses his deep blue eyes, mesmerizing smile, good looks, and charm to pursue the lasses, who…