Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, SOMEBODY’S HOME? Kaira Rouda: Actually, although it doesn’t mention the pandemic, the idea was inspired by those lockdown times early in the pandemic where home felt like the only safe place to be. And then I thought, but what if it isn’t. Let’s talk about Julie Jones. What’s happening in her life that sparks a new beginning? Julie realizes her daughter, Jess, is about to leave home for college and she is running out of time to find a real connection between them. Her marriage is a sham, and she is longing for a more genuine life. It’s time for a fresh start: A new home for herself and her daughter. Who is Tom Dean, and what’s his connection to the house Julie and her daughter desire to call home? Tom Dean is a lost twenty-something. He and his father, Doug, are estranged, his father’s wife, his stepmom Sandi, has tried to reach him without success. When Sandi and Doug sell the family home, Tom feels the last connection to his real mom slip away. Tom decides he won’t move from the carriage house in the back, despite the fact the new owners…

Another family dinner. This one on a random Thursday evening in mid-September. Same kitchen. Same table with the wobbly leg. Same people. One husband. One seven-year-old boy who hated anything that wasn’t a chicken nugget. One brother-in-law who might be a killer. Not a that was a horrible accident type of killer either. No. A person who killed over and over, targeting and wiping out the women closest to him. Elisa Wright looked across the table, over the pile of mashed potatoes and stack of homemade dinner rolls, at Josh. She couldn’t shake the now familiar anxious churning. With every forkful of food, every joke, every smile he gifted them, the word murderer flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes but the bright kitchen lights wouldn’t blink out. The truth gnawed and pricked at her. Exploded in her head and shot through her while she assessed and dissected every word he said, looking for clues. The big problem? She was the only one who questioned him. Everyone loved Josh. He was attractive, but not too much. Successful, but not too much. With brown eyes and brown hair that curled at the ends, he looked like an older version of…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to write THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR? Tara Laskowski: I’ve been in several mom groups on Facebook or other places, and I’ve seen so much inner sniping and judging in those groups—along with a fierce protectiveness and defending as well. That, coupled with the strong community that forms with the parents in various schools, really got me thinking about how competitive and cliquish parents can be, especially when it comes to their kids. I think that was maybe the kernel of the story, and the rest of it fell out from there. Let’s talk about Theresa Pressley. How does she feel about moving to the idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive? She thinks it’s a dream come true for her. I used to love driving by people’s houses at night and catching glimpses of families inside and wondering what their lives were like. When I was in grad school, I used to drive past this one house in my apartment’s neighborhood, and I loved that house. I always thought it would be a great house to live in. This is how Theresa feels. She used to look at Ivy Woods as the place that she’d live…

I tell Eric I’m reorganizing the closet in the spare bedroom, which has the desired effect of getting rid of him. As soon as he’s gone to his “office,” the alcove downstairs where he keeps his computer, I start tearing through photo albums. I’m not looking for memories. I already have those. I recognize faces in the pictures, remember where and when most of them were taken. Prom, Senior Skip Day, the first years of college, before we stopped printing out snapshots. A few from our courthouse wedding. But those memories feel as though they belong to someone else. What I’m searching for is some emotional connection to the life I find myself living. But even with my entire history laid out in front of me, I’m unable to feel that it’s mine. I have the bed covered with memorabilia, photos and old birthday cards and handouts from college we kept for some reason, when Eric opens the door. I jump, my hands twitching with the compulsion to push everything into a single pile to hide what I’ve been doing. “I see you’ve made a lot of progress,” he says dryly. I laugh, the sound high-pitched and unnatural. “I got…

What inspired you to write THE RECEPTIONIST? I started writing THE RECEPTIONIST while on maternity leave. It was an interesting time because I was busy with a newborn, of course, but it was a different type of busy than I’d experienced in my working life. Parenthood seemed gentler on the mind than my job as a television producer. I compared who I’d been just a few months prior – a little harder, maybe a little more cynical – with motherhood, which demanded more softness from me. It got me thinking about the role of vulnerability in women’s lives. This led to the first version of Chloe, the title character of THE RECEPTIONIST. I’d initially conceived of her as being a bit like Cinderella – a fair maiden type from a fairytale. I pictured her embodying all these antiquated feminine ideals of humility and meekness, waiting for someone to notice her innate goodness. What would happen if you plopped someone with zero savvy into 21st century Los Angeles? I figured it wouldn’t end well for her. Chloe changed quite a bit from this initial concept. I had to make her less passive as the plot picked up, but the first seeds…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PERFECT RUIN 2–What is it about? It’s about a woman named Ivy Hill who finds out the name of the woman who destroyed her childhood – Lola Maxwell. Lola is a wealthy, well-known woman who is loved by many and Ivy sets out on destroying/ruining Lola’s life as payback. It’s a very twisty and suspenseful read with a revenge plot and a domestic thriller vibe. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that it’s set near a beach. It’s mostly set in Miami, Florida and I love that you sort of get a visual of the beach weather and the summer activities. And given that this is a summer release makes it all the more exciting! 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  My main character Ivy was way more calculating and manipulative than I thought she would be. She knew how to truly fake it in order to make it and to get what she wanted. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Well, one reason I loved writing this book is that it touches on the effects of trauma and how some people can…

She runs to the car. When she reaches Josh, she grabs his elbow, startling him. He takes a swing at her. The back of his hand connects with her cheekbone. She rears back, palm cupped over her cheek. “Ow.” She rubs the burn from her face. “What was that for?”  Josh points at the car. “Go.”  “I’m not leaving you.” He’s scared and confused, she won’t walk away from him.  “Go.” He reaches for the passenger door, and she realizes he’s telling her he wants them to leave.  “All right, we’ll go.” He opens the door again and drops into the passenger seat.  She starts to close his door and stops. “That man in the picture, you sure you’ve seen him before?” she asks with trepidation, hoping she’s wrong. That he’s wrong, and he’s mistaking Dwight for someone else. Josh nods. “He’s my dad, your grandfather.”  A tear rolls down his face. “I know.”  Olivia feels a sting in her eyes. It hurts to breathe, like she’s cracked a rib. “When did you meet him?”  “Before.” He touches the spot on his hat that covers his scar.  Before his head injury.  Olivia glances away. Oh. God. She takes a breath….

1–What’s the name of your latest release? GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL 2–What is it about? A newlywed couple named Sam and Annie move from New York City to Sam’s sleepy home town. Sam, a therapist, opens a home office, unaware that his sessions with patients can be overheard from a room upstairs. Listening ensues, an alluring patient transpires, Sam disappears, and all hell breaks loose. (I would like to add that Sam’s disappearance is very much related to him participating in an eerily similar 20 Questions column for a local newspaper, so I’m suspicious of this already.) 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Sam: sensitive hunk Annie: clever 4–What makes your story relatable?  The story is premised on a person discovering a chance to eavesdrop on therapy sessions, forcing you, as the reader to question if, in that position, you would choose to listen. (Which, of course you would.) But what I find more compelling is that underneath the plot is an exploration of the lasting impact of a father’s influence on his son–and in particular, when a father teaches his son a toxic idea of masculinity. I think toxic masculinity is something we all can relate to at this particular…

I’m Gina LaManna, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to my new novel, THREE SINGLE WIVES, on-sale on September 1. Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect! When Eliza, Anne, and Penny arrive at book club bearing bottles of wine, none of them anticipate the night will end in murder. But when the subject of a philandering husband arises, revenge is in the air. By the end of the night, someone is dead. What actually happened that night? And is the truth stranger than fiction? T – T is for Three. Three women are featured at the heart of this story. Follow Penny, Eliza, and Anne through this winding tale to find out who is innocent. . .  and who is guilty. H – H is for Heart. Several of these women follow their hearts. Sometimes it gets them in trouble. R – R is for Revenge. Did one of these women go to great lengths for justice? E – E is for Entrepreneurial. When one of the women sets out to start her own business, the cost of it backfires in a way she didn’t see coming. E – E is for Everything. Will one woman give up everything…

Content Warning: detailed depiction of physical abuse/assault.  *** Prologue Caroline Martin stared up at the ceiling tiles, small and square with tiny black holes that evoked an image of pepper jack cheese. Some were stained from leaky pipes that created ghostly formations of gray outlined in black above her head. The room was cold, and she began to shiver. One of the OR nurses noticed and covered her with another preheated hospital blanket, tucking it in under her chin and over her shoulders. “Thank you,” Caroline said through clenched teeth. She couldn’t move because they had already strapped her down to the operating table at her arms and just below her breasts. They left her legs free, covered with socks and leg warmers, as they would soon be placing her calves in stirrups. At least they had the decency to wait until she was completely under first. But after that, she was certain there would be no concern for her modesty. The pill they had given her fifteen minutes earlier began to take effect. Background noises blended together in a smothered cacophony, and only when someone got up close in her face was she able to focus. Even so, it…