1–What is the title of your latest release? CHRISTMAS IN BLUE DOG VALLEY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? If you like small towns, very bad sheepdogs, and displaced city gals, then this is the book for you. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted to pick a place that is colder than Missouri, where I live, but I also wanted to pick a place I knew a bit about. Wisconsin it was! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Goldie is smart, hilarious, and an absolute mess. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Well, I kind of did that in the above question. Whoops! 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I used to think that my characters needed to have a “dark past” in order to be interesting, but I learned that isn’t necessarily true, and it’s important that the main character is someone that people can relate to and root for. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I used to wait until I was completely done, but I realized while writing this book that…

1–Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey: Okay, this movie absolutely had to be #1. It came out when I was 11-years-old, and it still stands as my favorite animal movie ever made. As a kid, I loved the movie because I thought Chance, the naughty and juvenile American Bulldog was hilarious. As an adult, I appreciate the way the character of Chance was portrayed—as a smart, goofy, lovable guy who needed to learn how to trust, and that they chose to make Chance an American Bulldog, which put the breed in a positive light. But the real kicker in this movie is the ending, when Shadow, the elderly Golden Retriever comes up over that hill, and his human, Billy, runs to him as Shadow says, “Oh, Peter! I worried about you so!” Oh my gosh, I cry every single time. Old dogs are the best, man. They’re the best. 2–All Dogs Go to Heaven: I’d just turned 8 when this movie came out in 1989, and my parents took me to the movie theater to see it for my birthday. This movie is actually pretty dark for a kid’s show, though. Dead dogs, orphaned girls, murderous casino owners, and the threat…

Every day from now through the end of the year, we’ll be sharing our reviewers’ favorite reads of 2018. A different genre will be featured every day! We’ll share why these books were some of our favorites and what made them so special. We hope you’ll share yours in the comments, too! Today, let’s chat about our favorite women’s fiction novels (that may or may not overlap into other categories… but what list is perfect, right? LOL) of this year. What do you think? BEYOND BEAUPORT by James Masciarelli Reviewer: Clare I love one woman’s journey for single life in a coastal town to adventure on the high seas as she seeks her pirate queen ancestor. Who wouldn’t want to ditch the humdrum life and explore? Suspense | Women’s Fiction Contemporary [Koehler Books, On Sale: July 24, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781633936553 / eISBN: 9781633936560] The lure of a pirate queen takes a lonely woman to sea Buy BEYOND BEAUPORT: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR *** THE GREAT ALONE…