Book Title: HATE AND OTHER ACTS OF FICTION
Character Name: Sadie Marie Stockton
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
Good… Fine… I mean, sure my parents argued a lot because my dad was a serial cheater, but it is what it is. On the nights my parents’ arguments would wake me up, I’d use the opportunity to read my favorite books by Hazel Wilmont which led to my career as a tour guide in her former home. So it all worked out, right?
What was your greatest talent?
I can recite any of Hazel Wilmont’s book line by line. And I’m pretty good at my job as a tour guide. I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’m pretty sure I know more about Hazel’s life than anyone else who works here.
Significant other?
Nope. Don’t want one. Enough said.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Sometime I wonder if I mean to my friends what they mean to me. Would they just forget about me if I wasn’t in their everyday lives?
Where do you live?
Sutton Island, Georgia. It’s a coastal city with a vibrant downtown full of bars and restaurants and historical sites, which, combined with its proximity to numerous beaches, makes it a prime tourist destination. It’s full of old oak trees and designed in squares similar to those found in Savannah.
Do you have any enemies?
Ryan Pearson. And the people who claim Hazel Wilmont poisoned her husbands, which is just pure fiction.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I moved to this town because it was my happy place growing up. My mom would often bring me to the city to visit Hazel Wilmont’s home and then buy me her books at the giftshop afterwards. Those were my happiest moments from my childhood, so it only made sense to move here and become a tour guide in her former home.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
No children or pets but I’d really like to have a golden retriever one day.
What do you do for a living? I’m a historical tour guide at the former home of world-famous children’s author Hazel Wilmont.
Greatest disappointment?
Probably when I let Ryan Pearson into my life back in college. I should have known better. It ended exactly as I expected it would.
Greatest source of joy?
My standing Monday night dinners with my mom.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I hang out with my friend Eric and his girlfriend or get lost in a book. My life is pretty quiet but that’s the way I like it.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Oof. Again, letting Ryan Pearson into my life back in college. It was the one time I let my guard down and I ended up getting burned.
What keeps you awake at night?
Feeling like I’m replaceable to the people I care about most. I worry if I mess up or let anyone down in any way, they won’t want to be in my life anymore.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
My boss just told me that they want to take advantage of the rumors Hazel Wilmont poisoned her husbands (false!) by creating an overnight murder mystery tour at the mansion. Wait…it gets worse. I’m supposed to oversee this disgrace of a tour AND guess who they brought in as a “consultant” to create a cocktail lounge in the mansion…Ryan Pearson! Now I’m going to have to work with my personal regret and professional rival every single day to make this tour a success.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I really want to be named director of the Wilmont House. My boss is retiring, so I should be next in line.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
In order to prove myself worthy of being the next director, I need to make sure this murder mystery tour ends up being a success. So, whether I want to or not, I’m going to have to bite my tongue and work alongside Ryan Pearson to make sure these tours go off without a hitch.
HATE AND OTHER ACTS OF FICTION by Megan Oliver
Former lovers turned rival tour guides must join forces to overcome scandal—in this steamy second‑chance romance from the author of Secret Nights and Northern Lights.
Sadie Stockton has the almost‑perfect job leading tours through the former home of her favorite author, the enigmatic recluse Hazel Wilmont. But when the owners of the Wilmont House announce plans to increase the estate’s revenue by hosting an overnight murder mystery set in a cocktail lounge, Sadie is less than thrilled. Yet again, Hazel’s legacy is being tarnished by the fictitious, decades‑old rumors she poisoned her husband(s).
Worse? The new tour will mean working with none other than Ryan Pearson—local mixologist, owner of Pearson’s Pub Crawls, and Sadie’s long‑standing professional rival and personal regret. She can’t stand him. Or his smug grin. Or his boastful T‑shirt declaring his pub crawl the city’s number‑one rated tour. And no, she doesn’t still think about their short‑lived, meaningless college fling. Ever.
With a potential promotion on the line, Sadie must play nice with Ryan in order to make the “Mixtures & Murder” tour a success. But over late nights and cocktail tastings, all clues indicate a reigniting attraction between the two. And as new discoveries at the mansion unfold, Sadie is forced to confront her own narratives about Ryan, about Hazel, and about the past she’s tried for years to bury.Read Less
Romance Contemporary [ Berkley, On Sale: November 10, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593952429 / eISBN: 9780593952436 ]
Buy HATE AND OTHER ACTS OF FICTION: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Libro.fm | Audible | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Megan Oliver
Megan Oliver is a writer, an avid romance reader, and a travel enthusiast whose vacation mishaps provide plenty of inspiration for her characters on page. She lives with her husband, two dogs who refuse to cuddle as much as she’d prefer, and a cat who barely tolerates the presence of any and all above.
No Comments
Comments are closed.