Jennifer Vido: What’s the inspiration behind your latest release, BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS? Kate White: I get germs for book ideas from all sorts of places – news headlines, snippets of overheard conversation, memories, and so forth. But with BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS, the germ originated from a really crazy experience I had. After my mother died, the brother of mine who was her executor learned from the bank that a fairly substantial check from her small estate was sent to a woman whose name we didn’t recognize. My brothers and I were stunned. Who was this person? Did our mother have a secret we never knew about? After a family discussion, one of my other brothers recalled that the last name of this woman was the former married name of a much-married relative of ours. When approached, she admitted she’d received the check and had assumed my mother simply wanted to leave her something, which was a stretch for sure. Further exploration revealed that the whole thing was a terrible bank error. A new check was issued to my brothers and me, and though the bank had the right to ask for the money back from this woman, they never did….

Jennifer Vido: What’s the inspiration behind THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA, the second book in the Royal Street series? Karen White:  I am currently contracted for a total of four books in the Royal Street series, so I knew while writing the first book, THE SHOP ON ROYAL STREET, that I needed to make sure there were lots of opportunities for growth not just for the main protagonist, Nola Trenholm, but also in terms of storylines.  THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA starts right where the first one ended (and it’s written so that if you haven’t read the first you won’t be lost).  Nola has already come through her first crisis (although it won’t be her last!), and both she and the reader believe she’s primed and ready to begin her new life in New Orleans.  Except, well, forces beyond her control are just as prepared to stop her.   Jen: Let’s talk about Nola. My, how she has grown! For readers unfamiliar with this series, please give us a snapshot of this character, including her highs and lows. Karen:  We first meet Nola as a thirteen-year-old in the Tradd Street series where she shows up unannounced on her biological father’s doorstep…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL? Renée Rosen: After completing The Social Graces, I mentioned to a friend that I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write about next. She had just finished working on a documentary involving one of Estée Lauder’s sons and suggested I take a look at Estée’s life. Well, after just one google search, I was hooked. Estée Lauder came out of nowhere to claim her crown as the queen of the cosmetic industry. She started out as a true underdog, and I’m always inspired by strong women who beat the odds. But beyond her sheer drive and determination, I discovered a fascinating story filled with unexpected twists and turns, both in her professional and personal life. I couldn’t believe no one else had already written a novel based on her life.   Jen: Who is Gloria Downing, and what’s happening in her life? Renée: Gloria Downing is the (fictional) narrator of the story. She meets Estée at a pivotal time in her life. Gloria’s father has just been convicted of a scandal that makes front page news and in the name of self-preservation, Gloria must reinvent herself….

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, BLUE BLOOD MEETS BLUE COLLAR? Cynthia St. Aubin: When writing Bad Boy with Benefits, the third book in the Kane Heirs series, I quickly realized that Law Renaud’s older brother Remy had his own story to tell. I found myself really curious about what kind of heroine could stand up to the sarcastic, sometimes surly single dad with a chip on his shoulder and a distillery to run. I loved the idea of pitting Remy against Cosima Lowell, a smart-mouthed Los Angeles-based reality TV producer with a New England pedigree and a secret agenda. Basically, Blue Blood Meets Blue Collar was a shamelessly perfect opportunity to combine several of my great loves: whisky, docudramas, and second chance romances.   Jen: How did Cosima Lowell and Remy Renaud meet? Cynthia: I thought long and hard about what circumstances would have landed these two characters from such different backgrounds in the same place at the same time. At a smoky little biker bar outside of Memphis, their shared love of motorcycles and mischief sets them on a fast ride to a one-night stand that winds up having consequences that stretch into the decade that passes…

Jennifer Vido: What is the inspiration behind your new release, THE AUDREY HEPBURN ESTATE? Brenda Janowitz: After writing The Grace Kelly Dress and The Liz Taylor Ring, I knew I had to write a book to honor my other favorite Hollywood starlet, Audrey Hepburn. When I began researching her life, I discovered so many things that I never knew. Once I learned that Audrey was a homebody who loved nothing more than cooking at her house, I knew I had the start of my new novel.   Jen: What draws Emma Jansen back to Long Island? Brenda: Emma learns that the home where she grew up is going to be demolished, and she decides that she needs to see it one more time.   Jen: How does Emma feel about being reunited with Leo and Henry? Brenda: I don’t think Emma is too happy about it at first! Going back to the estate where she grew up brings these two men from her childhood back into her life. It forces her to reconsider her past and how it relates to her future.   Jen: Who is your favorite character in the book? Why? Brenda: Oh, that is such a hard…

Your book SERENDIPITY BY THE SEA is the first book in your new “Gull Island” series. What can you tell readers about this series? The inspiration behind the Gull Island series came from a family vacation to Fripp Island, South Carolina. As a frequent visitor to coastal Carolina, I adore the Lowcountry, especially the people who call it home. Fripp Island is a small barrier island, rich with natural beauty and history—the perfect backdrop for my fictional town, Gull Island. The importance of community is the common thread weaving the Gull Island stories together. Serendipity by the Sea, Serenity by the Sea, and Simplicity by the Sea are the first three books in the series. Each of these standalone titles highlights a strong woman at a crossroads. I hope readers fall in love with Gull Island as I did! This story is a second-chance romance. What appeals to you about this classic romance trope? Any other favorites? One of the best parts of being a romance writer is being able to explore different tropes. A story about a second-chance romance like Serendipity by the Sea appeals to me because relationships are messy and complicated, especially those with a potential for…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, THE HALF OF IT? Juliette Fay: During the pandemic I was intrigued by how many people seemed to be taking the pause in social contact to look inward and do a sort of self review. Basically they were asking themselves, “Is this where I’m supposed to be, doing what I should be doing, with the person I’m supposed to be with?” For a striking number of them, the answer was no. I imagined what it would be like for someone my age (58 at the time) to come to that same conclusion. It would be so tough to have to admit to yourself that you’ve been veering off course for years, and that the time you have left to fix things is limited. I asked myself: What makes you end up in the wrong place, with the wrong person, doing work that doesn’t really suit them? Where did that first step in the wrong direction begin? And how do you make a course correction now to try and improve the situation? (For the record, I am very happily married, love my work, and adore my community!)   Jen: Let’s talk about Helen Spencer….

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise? Colleen Oakley: Two things: it’s part homage to my favorite feminist duo of the big screen: Thelma & Louise and part homage to my grandmother, an incredible woman who died a few years ago at the age of 92 and inspired the sharply quick-witted and pragmatic character of Louise.   Jen: Let’s dive right in. Who is Tanner, and what’s happening in her world? Colleen: She’s a 21-year-old college dropout whose life took a series of unexpected bad turns—the latest of which has landed her as the live-in driver/caretaker for an 84-year-old woman that she would very much rather not live with or take care of.   Jen: What’s going through Tanner’s mind the first few days living in Louise’s home? Colleen: Tanner is content to just get by—do the bare minimum of what’s required of her in her new position, and in her free time, get lost in her video games and ignore Louise. That is, until she starts to notice a few strange things about the house she’s living in and her new roommate Louise—whose life may not be as boring or uninteresting…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new standalone novel, The White Lady? Jacqueline Winspear:  I wanted to explore the life of a female character who had served in two wars, from girlhood to womanhood – and who is then faced with a skirmish in a third war, that of the fight against organized crime in post-war 1947 London. Her background was never going to be passive – she was trained in the art of killing in the Great War and is called upon to do the same in the Second World War. Writing this novel gave me leave to explore how people endure war and the scars that remain, even though, for most, those scars are hidden in the quest to just get on with life after peace has been declared.  As one of the characters said in my novel, Birds of a Feather, “War is never over when it’s over – it lives on inside the living.”    Jen: Who is Elinor White, and what has brought her to the English village of Shacklehurst? Jacqueline:  Elinor is the woman who has served in two wars in undercover resistance roles. She lives in a “grace and favor” house on the outskirts…

Q: What can you tell readers about your new book, SMOLDER? Will we see the wedding? For me, I’m less anxious about Anita’s wedding and more so about some character going all Maleficent and being miffed on an epic scale about not being invited or jockeying for position over table placement! A: No, the wedding has to wait. First, we need to deal with Anita’s family who hate that she’s marrying a vampire, a new hate group that is killing vampires across the country, and vampire politics that threaten everything that Jean-Claude, Anita, and everyone they love have built. I really want the wedding to go over well, so trying to clear out all the things that might disrupt it first.   Q: I’m always super excited for a new Anita book. Without giving too much away, Richard makes an appearance in SMOLDER. I realize how polarizing a character Richard is. My husband is, I think, in the minority because Richard was always one of his favorite characters. I think it’s because he loves relationships with a little angst, and he likes flawed characters who are often their own worst enemy. I never connected as well with Richard but found…