Living on the farm as he was, he’d become privy to her schedule, which was rising before dawn to help feed the animals, making sure they were all taken care of, making sure everything was cleaned up and looking good for the people who would pay to come in, and so much more. In his greatest imagination, he couldn’t have managed a day in her life. “You’re not okay.” “No. I’m stressed.” She put a hand to her chest. “I need to alleviate some of it.” He raised a brow as she rifled through a laundry basket on top of her dryer, producing a pair of sweats, which she pulled on. Then she reached into the dryer and threw something at him. One of his shirts. He’d sorta hoped this would be going the other way. “What are we doing?” he asked. “I know the perfect thing for stress.” “So . . . my night’s about to get better then?” “Follow me, funny guy.” He’d probably follow her right off a cliff, which wasn’t as shocking as it should’ve been. He was somehow getting used to the fact that he was incredibly attracted to her, enough to allow himself to…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Jill Shalvis!   Writes: New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy romance, romcoms, and women’s fiction (LITE!) and all the combos thereof. She’s sold 20 million worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental).   About: Jill loves writing fast paced, funny, sexy, warm romance/romcoms like her latest THE SWEETHEART LIST (When Harper’s life falls apart, she decides to start over and sets off for the last place that sparked any joy for her — Lake Tahoe, where she will meet a man, a dog, and a runaway, all of whom will forever change her life.)   My idea reader match for my latest book THE SWEETHEART LIST must crave: Wounded, reluctant heroes Feisty heroines with sass who know what they want Funny, sexy banter Swoony connections and chemistry abounds Guaranteed HEA Bromances too! Found family, community   What…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BACKUP PLAN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? N/A 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m currently writing in the Sunrise Cove series (all standalones, I swear!), set at Lake Tahoe. Which happens to be where I live. Gorgeous lake. Stunning mountain. Skiing, boating … it was a no brainer. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes! Alice is incredible. She’s fiercely loyal, tough as nails but with a soft, shy heart, AND she can build stuff and fix her own car. She’d be a great BFF. If you can get past her walls, that is. The woman does have a fortress around her heart… 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Smart, funny, sexy! 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That I can indeed eat a whole box of cookies while stressing over a first draft. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I race through a first draft, then add in the heart and soul, the sexy, the funny, all in subsequent drafts. Everyone has their own way…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new, summertime release, THE FRIENDSHIP PACT? Jill Shalvis: I’ve always wanted to write a story about a teenage girl who found her The One (lol, I’m such a sap) and then blew it … and then runs into that The One (sexy Riggs!) years later. Would she take the second chance? And just like that, Tae and Riggs were practically writing their own story. As for April (Tae’s mom), I loved that she’d had Tae as a teen herself because that made the mom/daughter relationship deliciously complicated. I also love complicated.   Jen: How would you describe April and Tae Holmes’s mother-daughter relationship? Jill: Complicated! April was 15 when she had Tae, so to say they raised each other isn’t far off the mark. Although Tae would tell you SHE raised her mom, and not the other way around.   Jen: What’s going on in Tae’s personal and professional lives? Jill: Tae is the middle of opening her own event planning service. She’s scrappy and determined, always has been, but she knows she needs this to succeed. Growing up dirt poor had hammered the point home that she doesn’t ever want to be scared and…

When I first started reading contemporary romances, I noticed the different philosophies the various authors had running through their series. One of the things I’d notice was whether an author tended to “Pollyanna” the ending (have everything resolved, all conflict go poof like it never was, all the characters blissfully getting along with people who had wronged them, etc.), or whether the author had an ending that reflected how complicated life is and how complex the characters are. One thing I always liked about Jill Shalvis’ books was that she usually went with the latter. In THE FRIENDSHIP PACT, Tae goes through some real struggles. How would you describe her journey in this story? Jill Shalvis: Tae’s journey is complicated, both personally and professionally. She’s in the middle of opening her own event planning service. She’s scrappy and determined, always has been, but she knows she needs this to succeed. Growing up dirt poor had hammered the point home that she doesn’t ever want to be scared and destitute again. She takes some of that attitude into her personal relationships, which means she tends to scare people away. Luckily, Riggs doesn’t scare easily. So basically, her journey is to love…

Christmas Eve had the nerve to show up just like it did every year: way too quickly and with ridiculous fanfare. The nerve. Rory Andrews stood in the courtyard of the Pacific Pier Building in San Francisco, surrounded by sparkly holiday lights and enough garlands to give the place its own ozone, and told herself things could be worse. She just wasn’t sure how. It was the unknown, she decided. Because this year, unlike the past six, she’d be spending Christmas with her family, a thought that caused a swarm of butterflies to take flight in her belly. Not an uncommon feeling since she’d turned twenty-three a few months back and decided it was time to become a person she could be proud of if it killed her. And given the guy leaning against one of the lamp poles clearly waiting for her, arms crossed, frown in place, it just might. Max Stranton. At his side sat Carl, his huge, eternally hungry, adorable Doberman. “No,” she said, not to Carl but to Carl’s owner. Who was not lovable. “No way.” As always when their gazes locked, Max’s was a disconcerting mix of heat and . . . something else that…

I was grocery shopping and trying to figure out what I wanted to write next when I ran into a guy in Army gear in the cookie aisle.  Be still my heart.  He had dark sunglasses on, absolutely no smile, and testosterone was pouring off him. He ultimately choose two packages of granola bars instead of cookies, which nearly killed the fantasy but I recovered.  By the time I’d gotten to my car, I’d concocted a whole back story for him.  And just like that, ANIMAL MAGNETISM (2/1) was born. Brady Miller doesn’t smile much because he hasn’t had anything to smile about in a very long time. He’s an ex Army ranger, now a pilot for hire for organizations like Doctors Without Borders, back in the states at the request of his foster brothers.  They run a large animal center in the middle of Nowhere, Idaho, and need his help. He agrees to stick around for unusually complicated reasons, even though he’s lived his life as purposely uncomplicated as possible.  Fact is, he’s not much of a family guy.  He’s always been a wanderer, no roots, no home base. Maybe even a guy who can’t be saved. It takes…

February 2011 On Sale: February 1, 2011 Featuring: Lilah Young; Brady Miller 304 pages ISBN: 0425239810 EAN: 9780425239810 Mass Market Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com Puppy love Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis Co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more. SMALL TOWN ROMANCE WITH ADORABLE ANIMALS AND THE WOMAN WHO LOVES THEM Excerpt Excerpt #1 “Legend says that if you take a moonlight dip, you’ll supposedly find your one true love.” “Of course.” He nodded. “It’s always midnight. So, do you swim often?” “Never at midnight.” He couldn’t help it, he laughed. With a slow shake of her head and a smile curving her mouth, she reached out and touched a finger to his curved lips. “You’re a cynic,” she chided. It’d been a long time since someone had touched him, unexpected or otherwise. A very long time, and he wrapped…

Lucky Harbor #1 October 2010 On Sale: October 1, 2010 Featuring: Chloe; Tara; Maddie 400 pages ISBN: 044657161X EAN: 9780446571616 Mass Market Paperback $6.99 Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com A 2010 Fresh Fiction Favorite Book! “characters are as charming as the town itself” OMG does Jax wear a tool belt oh so well… Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover. In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career- if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too. The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to…

Dear Reader: I love writing romances. And for me, it’s always about the hero. It doesn’t matter what he looks like, or what he does for a living, or even who his family and friends are— it’s about his heart. So it’s funny to me that my new contemporary romance series centers around three sisters—three disenchanted, estranged sisters who don’t know each other and aren’t even sure that they want to. And just for fun, I had them inherit a dilapidated beach inn that they’re forced by circumstances to run. Together. A difficult concept for them to say the least. The first book is Simply Irresistible (out now) tells the story of the middle sister, Maddie “The Mouse,” who decides she’s done being mousey, thank you very much. She’s tired of being too accommodating and too trusting. Her transformation begins when she takes a stand with her sisters Tara and Chloe and hires a contractor to help renovate the inn. Enter hot and handsome Jax Cullen, whose laid-back, easy-going personality matches the ways of the sleepy Washington beach town of Lucky Harbor. Only he’s not nearly as harmless as he seems, but much more like a very sexy sheep in…