As a romcom author, it goes without saying that there’s a fair bit of romance in my stories – like my next book, How to Hack a Heartbreak, which is all about the highs and lows of searching for love on the internet. In the story, the main character, Melanie Strickland, sets her sights on one guy in particular, Alex Hernandez. But her burgeoning love affair with Alex isn’t the only significant relationship in her life. Equally important (if not moreso) are the friendships Mel has with her three best girlfriends: Whitney, Dani, and Lia. As I was writing How to Hack a Heartbreak, I wanted to convey the power of women and the importance of female friendships. Because let’s face it, ladies: lovers often come and go, but your girlfriends will always be your true ride or dies. The girl gang in this book was partially inspired by my own best friends, who’ve been there for me through practically every momentous life event – from my high school graduation to my wedding day, from my son’s birth to my mother’s death. Sometimes I think they know me better than I know myself, and frankly, I’m not sure I’d be…

A SEAL Never Quits is all about having the heart of a warrior and never letting go of a mission, whether it be your assignment in the military, your dream future, or the love of your life. While researching Navy SEALs, I found endless inspiration from my own life experiences. Military Heroes date back in my family for hundreds of years. My father served in Vietnam as a private, and by the mid-seventies became a Captain in the Army Rangers. When I began writing A SEAL Never Quits, I knew it had to be about Special Ops since my dad shared that world with me from his time as a Ranger. His stories of the bond he formed with his unit shaped my view of a do-or-die brotherhood represented in the book. The Texas Navy SEALs series takes a group of rough and tough SEALs and puts them on an undercover assignment near the Texas/Mexico border to handle a rising terrorist issue coming from Mexico, Central, and South America. The unique aspect is that these SEALs go undercover on a working ranch and must stay on top of intel in a small town. Writing about a working ranch in south…

Starlight Harbor is my new home. Okay, no. I didn’t move. I’m still in my little apartment sitting out on my also little deck with my pup, drinking tea and writing. But if I could move to Starlight Harbor I’d have Jack the Pup packing his toys quicker than you can say “cupcake.” Not only is it on the coast of Maine which is absolutely stunning and has some of the most lovely, creative, strong but compassionate people I’ve met on my travels….Starlight Harbor is also on a mission. Starlight Harbor isn’t just your normal quirky small town. It’s turned love (and quirkiness) up to 11. Not only do they have a rich history of smuggling, piracy, and a collection of clans who escaped the Scottish Clearances…they also celebrate Christmas all year. Before you start picturing blowup Santas and fake snow, Lyra (our heroine) wants you to know… Don’t even go there. That’s what that uninformed, pushy, self-involved “journalist” did when he bad mouthed her town. Not that we’re judging him or anything. Instead, Starlight Harbor is a beautiful, seaside town that has a small celebration every few weeks. Picture a lovely Hallmark movie set instead of a Walmart holiday…

It’s winter here in Australia. Short days and long, cold nights. The perfect time to curl up in front of the fire with my dogs, and either a good book or the remote. There is such a lot of wonderful content out there, all hail the internet! it’s impossible to choose the top five. But today, I’d like to share my fav TV series, mainly because not only am I a binge reader but I’m also a TV series binge watcher! Call the Midwife I love period dramas and I also love anything set in England. This series has some wonderful characters and I loved the fashions of the time. What also interests me is learning about the breakthroughs in medical technology, the poverty of the time and that section of London and the hardships the people endured. An awesome series, with fabulous music, interesting storylines and of course, I usually bawl through every show. A great emotional show. Battlestar Galactica (2004 series) I have this series on DVD and I haven’t tired of watching it – so far (lol). Love humanity’s desperate fight for survival, the conflict amongst the characters – both humans and Cylons, the danger and the…

What I Write About: I love to write contemporary romance novels which are deliciously sweet with a sprinkling of sexy. I started out writing with my best friend under the pen name, Autumn Ruby and had tons of fun creating hot military alpahas who feature in our Hot Hero series. Sightseeing in Manhattan is my first official solo publication and I had the best time writing it as I’ve revisited all my of dancing days, which gives the story and characters authenticity and keeps them relatable. About Me: I live in England, UK and I’m basically a country girl trapped in a city life but I’m making it work. By day I’m busy working but luckily I drive a lot so get to sing along to all my favourite country songs which always inspires new stories. I have two daughters who I live for and a hubby who feeds me too much salted caramel and encourages my crazy ideas more than he should, but I love him for it. Fun fact, I have a serious addiction to flamingo’s and will buy pretty much anything if it has a flamingo on it. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match:…

Do you like reality shows? What about watching people fall in love? I’ve got a book release today that I’m excited about because it has both. It not only features a hero that is melt-your-heart, smoldering-hot delicious and a really fun and relatable heroine that you want to be best friends with, but it also features a couple that is in the midst of – yes! – a reality show, which made this book so fresh, fun and realistic. Luke and Nell are both needing, and hoping, to win a million dollars when they walk into the casting of MILLION DOLLAR MARRIAGE. Neither of them has a clear idea of what the show is about, but what the hell, right? Surprised when they both make the cut, they’re even more shocked to realize each of the contestants will be married to someone for the duration of the show—and that she and Luke, will be married to each other. Together, they need to face obstacles, physical and mental, as they race to the finish line with the same goal as all the other show couples: winning. Nell figures that even if she is absolutely not compatible with Luke, they could still…

This is a dangerous topic for me. Because if you’re going to make me name my must-have writing snacks then I’m going to have to think about them. And if I think about them, I’m going to want them. And if I start to want them and deny myself, I’m going to crave them. And if I crave them, I know I’ll end up going to the store to get them. And if I go to the store I’m probably going to peruse the book section. And if I peruse the book section I’m going to end up buying quite a few. And if I buy quite a few then I’m going to feel guilty for adding to my already overflowing TBR pile. And if I start to feel guilty then I’ll have to set aside time to read them. And if I set aside time to read them then I won’t be writing. And if I’m not writing then I won’t even need my snacks after all, right? My logic may be slightly flawed, but thanks for going along with my rambling journey. At the risk of never writing another word, here are my 5 must-have writing snacks. I’ve…

Hello dear readers and thank you for joining me on Fresh Fiction. Today I’d like to introduce you to the five siblings at Calhouns Customs Garage. Nurturing this family to life on the page has been an exciting and frustrating journey. They’re a sexy, moody, complicated and daring bunch. Poor dad, Marty, had his hands full raising them. But here they are, all grown up. He has one last parental responsibility as Parkinson’s Disease begins to steal his independence. Ex-Nascar race king, Marty Calhoun, has built a legacy for his family, and now it’s time to round them up and bring them home to claim it.  Each of his five children have hearts in need of overhauling. They all have hard lessons to learn. The one thing Marty wants most is to see his children find happiness and love at Calhoun Customs Garage. Chase Chase stars in book 1, Overdrive. He’s the eldest. This hero had to grow up fast. With five kids under ten and having lost his wife in childbirth, Marty needed help. Chase stepped up to the plate, earning himself the nickname of ‘Mother’. He cares for his siblings, watches over them, and runs the family garage…

I’ve been published for fourteen years and put out a lot of books – over 70 at last count. Across those 70 books I’ve written the odd pet or two but it seems, in the last few years in particular, I’ve written a lot of pets that have tended to take over the story. In No More Mr. Nice Guy there’s a cockatoo called Shakespeare with a very loud mouth and very poor timing. In Playing With Forever, a tear away Great Dane called Tiny takes centre stage. My first Credence, Colorado book – Nothing But Trouble – showcases Wilburta, a cute little piglet and in the second book which is out in October – The Trouble With Christmas – a turtle called Zoom steals the show. I’ve also written several different pet dogs of varying ages and degrees of…shall we say, attractiveness? As well as fornicating goldfish and even an alpaca. Pets aren’t only cute and fun to write but they deliver the awww factor. They also give we, the readers, insights into the characters because how people treat animals is a true litmus test for the kind of person they are and this is as true in fiction…

While I was writing my first book, I started running around the lake five minutes away from my home to expel energy. The lake is my ‘happy place’—the place I go to unwind and relax, to rejuvenate and to generate ideas. Sometimes, when I wasn’t running, I would sit and watch the hub of activity occurring around me. Birds swept the sky and huddled together on the water. People drifted idly in canoes and kayaks, families picnicked on the lawn, kids played at the playground. It always stirred such intense emotion within me—I wanted to write about it. Before starting my second book, FLEETING MOMENTS, the only idea I had was to write about a woman whose boyfriend had left her, but that was it. While running around the lake one afternoon, the sun beating against my face, I saw a personal trainer taking a group class on the lawn not far from the water. Looking at him, an idea floated past me. What if my main character, Maya, met a personal trainer at the lake? As I continued to run, more ideas flashed through my mind. There were lovers seated on the bench seat by the pier, water birds…