Hi, and thank you so much for inviting me to visit. It’s lovely to be here! In your latest book, CLAIMING HIS VIRGIN PRINCESS, your hero Noah Carson is a billionaire. This is a common thing for a romance hero. What makes a billionaire hero so attractive? What is your favorite type of hero to write? It’s interesting how many heroes are rich, isn’t it? One thing I particularly enjoyed about Noah was his perspective on wealth and power. He doesn’t come from money but from very humble origins and worked hard to build his commercial success. I think there are a couple of reasons why billionaire heroes are popular. At the most obvious level a rich hero can do things that are poor hero can’t, like whisk the heroine away on a luxurious yachting trip, as Noah does. But for me, the real appeal lies deeper. That wealth is a sign of the hero’s success. One of the things most people find attractive is competence – whether it be a man who can fix things with his hands, or solve a problem, or just be very, very good at whatever it is he does. If he’s a businessman his…

As a reader, I was never really interested in reading YA stories until a few years ago. I find them very compelling since the main characters are usually dealing with transition and emotional upheaval. What inspires you to write YA fiction? To me, they’re compelling because there’s so much our characters to deal with in such a short time and they’re not always ready for them. I love putting myself in the shoes of my heroines and seeing how they act/react. Life is suddenly very complicated. You’ve got your first love, first heartbreak, school, family, friends, the pressure cooker that is social media. When you’re a teenager, everything feels like a life-or-death situation. At least, that’s how I saw things back then! On top of all that, there’s the bewildering physical changes. And that’s just contemporary YA. Imagine what happens when you’ve got vampires, witches, ghosts, and/or aliens lurking around. Imagine if *you* are a teen witch and struggling to find your place in the world. It’s funny—I started writing YA fiction when I was about 13-15 and literally haven’t stopped. Like a lot of kids, I went through a turbulent time back then. The library was like a safe…

What can you tell me about your new historical mystery THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE? THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE is the first book in a new mystery series that stars Lady Juliette Thorndike, an aristocrat, and Mr. Daniel Swann, a Bow Street Magistrate’s Court detective. Lady Juliette, newly returned from finishing school is eager to be reunited with her parents and begin her debut season in London Society, but upon her arrival finds her parents are missing. Lady Juliette uncovers the truth about her parents, a family secret they’ve been hiding for generations, and she determines to carry on their legacy. In addition to her parents going missing, artwork and valuables are also disappearing from the homes of the Beau Monde. As Juliette embarks on her new life, she must keep her secrets from the dashing Detective Swann, who is growing ever closer to discovering who is stealing the artwork, and who the Thorndike family really is. From the book’s description, it seems like there might be a hint of romance in this book. Do you try and have a balance of mystery and romance? In THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE, there is more mystery than romance, as the characters from this book will feature…

You’re coming out with your fourteenth and fifteenth book in the “Wilde Ways” series. When you came out with the first book, did you ever think you would continue this far with it? No, I absolutely did not think I would be on book 15! I’m super surprised, truth be told. The first book was PROTECTING PIPER, and actually, when I began it, I didn’t have a series in mind at all.  But as the story developed, there were so many secondary characters who pulled at me, so I thought—you know what? Let’s do a bit more. And that more kept going… The wonderful thing (for me) about the Wilde series—well, it’s that I can develop so many different story ideas that all fall under the Wilde umbrella (so to speak!). Because Wilde is an elite security and protection firm, the characters have assorted backgrounds, and their pasts often pull them into different directions.  I’ve been able to write stories about spies, celebrities, SEALs—each book focuses on different characters, so I have been able to explore and just have fun with the stories. Authors usually say that their favorite characters are the ones they are currently writing about. Who have…

I’ve only read your paranormal romance. Tell me about this suspense anthology you’ve done with Lisa Jackson and Lisa Childs. How did this collaboration come about? It was a suggestion from my editor at Kensington. Lisa Jackson wrote the first story and created the St. Cecilia’s School for Girls in Salzburg, Austria. The school is the connecting point for the three stories. I wrote the second story and then Lisa Childs did the third.   How does this work differ from writing your other types of stories? This one is more of a thriller. My full-length stories are romantic suspense that are heavy on the mystery. A shorter format makes it hard to do a mystery.   Do you enjoy doing an anthology? It was so much fun. Usually, writers work in solitude so when I get a chance to collaborate, I’m always excited. The short format is a challenge, but it’s always a creative way to write a story I’ve wanted to do, but didn’t feel as if it had enough to become a full-length novel.   It seems like each story has the past haunting the present. What do you find compelling about that theme? You’re right! I…

Jennifer Vido: How did your admiration for The Great Gatsby inspire your new release, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS?    Jillian Cantor: I’ve long been a fan of The Great Gatsby as a reader, but I’ve also always felt there was more to the women’s stories beneath the surface. Daisy says in the original that the best thing a girl can be is “a beautiful little fool.” But I always felt certain she was so much more than that! My novel explores Daisy’s story, as well as Jordan’s, Myrtle’s, and Myrtle’s sister, Catherine’s. What happens during the investigation of Jay Gatsby’s death that sends the police in a tailspin? In the original novel, Jay Gatsby is murdered, and George Wilson is found shot dead nearby, and the police wrap up the case as a murder-suicide. In my novel, one detective finds a diamond hairpin in the bushes by Jay Gatsby’s pool, and that leads him to start looking closer at the women in Gatsby’s orbit. Let’s talk about the three suspects, starting with Daisy Buchanan. How is she connected to the murder victim? Well, as we know from the original novel, Daisy and Jay met and dated in 1917 in Louisville, where…

One of my favorite authors – Marie Harte – gave us an interview talking about her new super spicy paranormal romance series. What can you tell me about your new “Between the Shadows” series? I know the most recent installment – Book 2 in the series – came out December 14th. I know it’s about vampires, and that the first two books got sexy facelifts with awesome new covers. What else? I’m so in love with Between the Shadows! It’s a blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The center of this series is the Night Bloode—a clan of murderous vampires who would normally kill each other, but they’re under a spell to become kin (family). Think snarky, vampire band-of-brothers who meet their match in the women they come to love. The Night Bloode clan has been tapped to work for the goddess, Hecate. (Oh, and they hate gods too. Vampires are really arrogant.) She’s gathered them to fight a coming darkness that has the potential to end everything. Hecate has a plan. Force these vampires to find love and they’ll fight heaven and earth to protect it. Each book is a standalone, yet they build up to an ending…

Your book ALONG CAME A PRINCE comes out February 15th. What can you tell us about it? ALONG CAME A PRINCE rounds out my Regency novella trilogy called Regency Bon Bons. The heroine, Sonia, is the stepdaughter of the heroine in book 2 (A Kiss for Luck). There, Sonia was a debutante—this story starts a few years after her come-out. Sonia’s most steadfast suitor during this time (she has turned down several proposals of marriage), is Mr. Townsend, who is very quiet and quite dull. He never ventures an opinion or a compliment and rarely talks about anything but the weather. He is proper and polite to the point of tedium. All that changes when Mr. Townsend suddenly kisses Sonia in a garden at a soiree. The kiss is passionate, and she sees a man of deep feeling and many secrets behind the mask. After that, Mr. Townsend decides he should cease calling on Sonia, fearing to embroil her in his truly dangerous life. Sonia, not liking that he now avoids her, delves into his past, and learns, to her astonishment, that he is a prince in disguise. Not only that, but danger follows him, and he could be taken…

As an avid romance reader, I see these “Colton” books advertised everywhere, and I know they’re not all written by the same author. What’s the deal? Do the same group of characters show up in each book? Does each work as a standalone? The Colton books are known as continuities, usually a series of about six to twelve books. Each continuity features a family branch of Coltons and each book is written by a different author. We are given guidelines to write the book. Usually characters from previous books do make appearances in the subsequent books. For example, Colton 911: Chicago, Under Suspicion, is my book. It’s Book 12 in the continuity. Sean from Book 1 is friends with Harry, the hero of my book. Sean and his wife January make a few guest appearances in Under Suspicion. I do know my book can be read as a standalone, but it’s more fulfilling to read the previous 11 books in that particular continuity. How would you describe your latest book in the series, Colton 911: Under Suspicion? Would you say there is an equal amount of action, mystery, and romance – or does one dominate more than the other? In…

As I write this blog my flower beds are in bloom. My irises are gorgeous, my daisies are abundant, and my carnations are fragrant. It’s too bad something dark and sinister is creeping into the shadows. That’s right, a murderer is on the loose in my garden and an APB won’t do my beauties any good. Because tonight they will face one of the worst killers known to their kind—Jack Frost. Their death by his hand (or heroic saving by mine) might lead to some nail-biting moments on my part, but I have a feeling I’m the only one who’s truly invested or interested in their next chapter. I mean it’s not like the New York Times will write about their premature death or my valiant attempt to save their lives. But I have dug up some truly newsworthy mysteries Jack Frost can’t touch. The covers caught my eye like the blossoms in my yard, the plots are much better formed than my best buds and the characters charmed me with their style and wit. Yes, the mysteries are in bloom, and all we have to do to catch the culprits is keep turning the page. Wicked Honeymoon  An Ivy…