Deadlines seem far enough away in theory, but in the end, there never seems to be enough time. Days before I have to hit ‘send’ for the next finished book or the latest edits, you’ll find me invisibly tied to a chair in front of my computer. But food can’t come in second or third place behind coffee or the next full can of my favorite energy drink. Here are a few of my favorite go-to foods that keep me from face planting into my keyboard. Pancakes In college, my friends and I would wake up late after a night out and make pancakes. The fluffier the better, and they had to be round or one of my friends wouldn’t eat them. Hey, she was a loveable culinary major with perfectionist issues, but the habit stuck along with enjoying pancakes at any time of the day. One of my favorite Fluffy Pancake recipes can be found at the Taste of Home website. Buddha Bowl I ordered this salad at a local restaurant. I loved it so much, I started making it at home. It’s so easy. Roasted garbanzo beans, hummus, grape or cherry tomatoes, quinoa or couscous with pine nuts,…

Hello Fresh Fiction fans! I’m thrilled to be here today celebrating my latest release The Nanny Rules! Tropes come and go, but there are a few favorites that are timeless. Who doesn’t love a hot and steamy forbidden romance? In one way or another, aren’t we all guilty of wanting what we can’t have? This makes our characters relatable and real, and readers desperately hungry to turn the next page. Romance feeds our soul and the forbidden sparks that secret desire inside of us to be just a little bit naughty. Rules. . . We all live by them–societal and self-imposed. But sometimes we’re the greatest obstacle standing in the way of our happiness? Screw the rules. . .  The Nanny Rules delves into the challenges of wanting what we can’t have while letting go of the past and learning to love again. This was one of my bucket-list books and I’m so excited to finally see it come to fruition. I’m an avid reader of category romance and over the years I’ve read and enjoyed many Brazen titles. I was super excited when my agent contacted me about an opportunity to write a book for the Brazen line. I…

I grew up reading romances. In fact, the first adult novels I remember reading were Victoria Holt’s gothic romances. Full of windswept moors, isolated castles, danger, mystery, suspense, and of course, heart-thumping romances, these books seeped into my bloodstream and I’ve been hooked ever since. My newest book, How to Blackmail a Highlander, book 3 in my MacGregor Lairds series, combines quite a few of my favorite romance-book elements to create a funny, thrilling, and utterly romantic romp through the highlands. These are ten things (in no particular order) that I love in a romance: 1. A good believable conflict – there is always a reason the main couple can’t get together right away, but it drives me nuts if the reason is a simple misunderstanding that a two-second conversation would clear up (though even these can work if done well). I prefer a good, solid “someone will die if we get together” or an “I love you but I’m supposed to hate you” type conflict. A reason to stay apart that has some teeth to it 🙂 2. A flawed heroine – I really love a girl that has some weird quirk…maybe she’s klutzy, or always has her nose…

I’m so excited to be starting 2019 with the first book in my new series Jokers Wild.  ONE NIGHT GAMBLE is a sexy, emotional story that proves that we make our own luck. I love setting books in Las Vegas because I like playing around the idea of illusion that what you see isn’t what’s really on the inside.  And no city typifies that for me more than Sin City! My hero and heroine both grew up in Las Vegas and have seen the seamier side of the city. Their childhoods were very different and yet they both were shaped by them into the person we see today.   Casey took a gamble on himself when he left the group home he was living in and struck out on his own.  He was determined that with his belief in himself and the luck he made he could make a fortune using only his skills with cards and his ability to read people.  He’s done it. He’s made more money than anyone ever expected him to and he’s one of the top poker players in the world. When he meets Talia he takes another risk.  She’s different, she works for him,…

Music is a big part of my writing experience, along with dancing, whenever the mood strikes. My playlists are an eclectic mix of genres. Hip-hop, pop, rap, reggaeton, jazz, country, classical—they’re all part of my music selections. The perfect song can put me in the right headspace and drown out any competing thoughts that get in the way of my productivity. I become lost in the music as well as the story while I’m writing. From a practical standpoint, it also blocks out my upstairs neighbors when they get too loud. A killer playlist becomes the soundtrack for my story and often reflects the attitudes of my characters, along with the ups and downs they face. For instance, in THE FIRST RULE OF HOOK-UPS, as I thought about Alexa and her friends at the Breakup Bash—a party held at Club Escapade to help women get over one man and move onto a better one—a few of Beyoncé’s songs about women and empowerment came to mind. And in the book, when the DJ cues up a line dance song and Alexa joins in, the “Cupid Shuffle” was playing through my headphones. Music also helped in imagining Raphael, a retired male dancer…