Linda Conrad, proud mama of a new Bichon Frise puppy, joined us over the phone last night for our book club chat. She is currently living in the Florida Keys, but spent most of her adult life in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and was first published in 2002. The inspiration for creating the Night Guardians series (readers often call it the Shadow series because of the titles) was from research Linda did for Between Strangers (Silhouette Desire). She does not have any Navajo ancestry. The hero in Between Strangers, Lance White Eagle Steele, is half Navajo. During her research, she visited the four corners Navajo reservation and learned about the Skinwalker legend. The four corners area is very rural, but she said it has some of the most fabulous natural wonders. The Night Guardians books can each standalone, but there is a thread running through all of them. Her heroes, the Brotherhood, learn a little bit more about the Skinwalkers in each book. The upcoming sixth book, Shadow Whispers, will end the series. We also asked about the possibility of a future standalone title for this series, but she says there are no real plans for one. On…

Man, how I love reading good books! And geez, how I hate finishing one! If it’s a really good book that hooks me into the characters’ lives, then I want to know more! What happens next? I want to know whether the best friend finds her own true love. I want to know if the brother will ever change his ways and find a woman who can tame him. I just want to know more! I guess that’s why I almost always write linked books and make up my own mini-series. Some readers tell me they feel the same way I do, that they love books in series. Others seem to feel somehow cheated that they must find and buy more books to satisfy their curiosity. I make sure each book tells its own story, but I guess I can’t help hinting that there might be more to it. And I suppose therein lies the problem. Sigh. Which brings me around to my newest series of books, the Night Guardians, and the reason I’m so looking forward to talking with the bookclub! The Night Guardians is a series of six books I’ve written for Silhouette Intimate Moments (now called Silhouette…