1–What is the title of your latest release? CHEATER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Detective Kit McKittrick and police psychologist Sam Reeves join forces once again to take down the killer of former homicide lieutenant Frankie Flynn, who was murdered in his retirement home.  More victims fall as Kit and Sam race to solve the case—and Kit tries to protect her heart. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The city of San Diego is beautiful and offers so many different environments for murder—the beach, the desert, the mountains, the ocean.  I chose a continuing care facility after visiting one with a friend who was looking for a good place for her mother.  I loved how it was its own little mini city, allowing the residents independence while ensuring they received quality care.  Of course, a killer in their midst upsets this balance and Kit must put things back to rights. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, yes.  Kit is prickly but her heart is a giant marshmallow.  I also have fallen in love with her family—Harlan, Betsy, and Akiko.  I’d love to hang out with all…

Book Title:  BENEATH DARK WATERS Character Name:  Val Sorensen   How would you describe your family or your childhood? We were happy once.  Our parents were forgetful and were busy working to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, but if we needed them, they were there.  Then, anyway.  Now, not so much.  Back when we were kids, my twin brother Ivan and I would do all the normal kid things, and I was a tomboy for sure.  We climbed trees and played football.  We lived in Minnesota until I was ten, when my father got a job teaching university in New Orleans.  It was quite a culture shock!  But we were still happy.  Ivan and I would babysit our little sister Sylvi until our parents got home from work and sometimes even afterward.  I complained sometimes, but it wasn’t really a burden.  I loved Sylvi then.  I kind of raised her.  So does that make her problems—and her crimes—my fault?   What was your greatest talent? I play the piano and sing—when I’m not playing roller derby with the New Orleans QuarterMasters.  My derby name is Val-killer-rie.   Significant other?  A few in the past. …

C is for the CAT-BIRD figurine which heroine Kit carries in her pocket O is for the OLIVES grown on the McKittrick’s family farm L is for the LIAR, whose actions kick off the whole plot D is for the DEAD, victims of a serial killer   B is for the BIRDS Harlan McKittrick carves for Kit and Baz every year L is for the LOVE ever-present in the McKittrick household O is for San Diego’s view of the Pacific OCEAN O is for the OBNOXIOUS reporter who follows Kit around D is for DECEPTION, the art of the cold-blooded liar E is for the EVIDENCE which both Kit and Sam collect D is for the state of DECOMPOSITION in which many of the victims are found   L is for the LUMINOL that the forensics team sprayed all over Sam’s bathroom I is for Kit’s INVESTIGATIONS which take killers off the street and that gain justice for their victims A is for AKIKO, Kit’s sister and best friend R is for the killer’s RITUAL     Karen Rose is the #1 International Bestseller of romantic thrillers.  COLD BLOODED LIAR is the first book in her new San Diego Case…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Gabe Hebert’s homicide-detective father’s “suicide” was really murder—he’d gotten too close to a case someone powerful wanted covered up.  Gabe hires Molly Sutton of Broussard Investigations to find his father’s killer, but they must first find his father’s secret witness. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I set each series in a different city.  Most of my books are set in the northeast or Midwest (Chicago, Philly, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Cincinnati).  I’d just finished a series set in Sacramento, CA, and thought “I want to go back to the South.”  I do have a few books set in the south – NC and a fictional town in GA, near Atlanta, but I wrote those more than 10 years ago, so it was time for a return.  I was in New Orleans for BookLovers Convention in 2019 (we had SUCH a great time!) and I thought, “This city would be perfect for my next book!”  Plus, we were looking forward to research trips, mainly to sample the food, LOL.  The trips didn’t happen because covid hit, but…

We are pleased to share this interview between bestselling author KAREN ROSE and Fresh Fiction reviewer Pat Pascale. Karen’s new book, SAY YOU’RE SORRY, is in stores now. If you’re in the Houston area, Karen Rose and Lisa Gardner will be at Murder by the Book this Wednesday, February 20, for a fun event. You can find out more here: https://www.murderbooks.com/event/lisa-gardner-karen-rose. Now, on with the interview! I’ve been a fan of the bestselling and award-winning author Karen Rose since she published DON’T TELL in 2004. SAY YOU’RE SORRY is among my best reads of the year so far. It’s over 600 pages of pure terror, excitement with a touch of sweet romance kept me glued until the end. The serial killer in this novel is a monster who must be stopped before he mutilates, assaults, and kills another victim. He has a strange “code of ethics” behind how he chooses victims. Please tell us more about him, and how this character formed in your mind while writing SAY YOU’RE SORRY. I wanted to write a killer whose fury might be understandable to readers, even when his actions were totally wrong. SAY YOU’RE SORRY’s killer tells himself he’s taking out this fury…

It’s June and the Texas heat has settled in for the summer. If I’m not out the door by 6:45am, we skip the trip to the dog park because it’s just too hot. So, fun means indoor and air-conditioned activities. Movies, television, shopping, and going to the gym are all on the list. Of course, my favorite activity is curling-up in bed with a good book. Now that I have a new mattress (what took me so long?), napping and reading are my two favorite ways to relax. This month, there are some great choices in romantic suspense to keep you entertained while you stay cool. FADE TO MIDNIGHT McCloud Shannon McKenna Kensington; $20.95 I can’t wait to read McKenna’s latest addition to the McCloud series which answers the question—What happened to Kevin? Davy, Connor, and Sean mourned the loss of their brother, Kevin, in Edge of Midnight, Out of Control, and Standing in the Shadows. When the McCloud brothers discover Kev is alive, they won’t rest until they find him. Beaten and tortured almost to death, Kev Larsen was found eighteen years earlier in a warehouse alley. He survived his brutal ordeal, but his memories before that night were…