In this time of #stayhome, even introverts like me are starting to go a little stir crazy. I love writing, of course, and reading, but I’ve needed something else to fill my days. So let’s talk hobbies! In my recent release, HONOR AVENGED, my hero Marcus loves to surf and watch movies. (He has an encyclopedic knowledge of movie quotes that he uses regularly throughout the series.) Now, I can barely walk across my house without tripping over my own feet, and I live in the cool and rainy Pacific Northwest, so surfing is no for me. And while I love movies, I don’t have Marcus’s memory for snappy quotes. So what’s a bored writer to do during quarantine? At first, I tried to keep busy with stuff that needed done around the house. I painted my bathroom. Power washed the front sidewalk. Ignored the pile of laundry sitting on my office chair. I filled my Amazon cart with all the stuff I want, then emptied it again when I saw the total. I tried working out, got through a full week of BeachBody On Demand, then got lazy for a week, then tried again. I walked the dogs. Cleaned…

“I’M CURIOUS,” JINX SAID, her voice sounding strange even to her. “How did you get that scar?” She watched Angus swallow, then seem to relax, his blue eyes bright with humor. “Well, it’s kind of an amusing story.” He smiled. “I got pushed out of a barn loft when I was eleven.” “That’s awful.” He sat up straighter until they were eye to eye. “It was my fault. I asked for it.” “You asked to be pushed out of a barn loft?” “I was teasing her. She warned me that if I didn’t stop she would knock me into tomorrow.” “She?” Jinx felt goose bumps break out over her skin and for a moment she could smell the fresh hay in the barn, feel the breeze on her face, remember that cute cowboy who’d taunted her. Her heart began to pound. His smile broadened. “She was a spitfire, as fiery as her hair back then.” Jinx felt heat rush to her cheeks. “Tell me her name wasn’t JoRay McCallahan.” “Sorry, I’m afraid so,” he said and laughed. “I wondered if you would remember.” “When I saw you, I thought I’d met you before, but I couldn’t think of when that…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Nichole Severn! Writes: Books like MIDNIGHT ABDUCTION, which is mind-twisting suspense mixed with bullet-proof romance set in Tennessee and features a heroine and hero who will stop at nothing to bring home a missing child. About: 30-something romantic suspense author seeks a reader who enjoys: edge-of-your-seat danger, strong heroines and the heroes who dare challenge them, and unforgettable romance. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Wants to experience the thrill of solving a missing persons case Cheers for out-of-the-box happy-ever-afters Appreciates an ensemble cast of FBI experts, including a quirky six-year-old obsessed with mystery novels Equally enjoys danger and passion, frequently in the same scene What to expect if we’re compatible: Thrilling romantic suspense you won’t want to put down Paranoia and suspicion of every weird sound in your house and the people around you Memorable romance and tension-breaking inside jokes A hazardous dependence on romantic suspense when you join the Addicted to Danger FB group Exclusive content,…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Layla Reyne! Writes: In Variable Onset, a prickly FBI instructor meets his match—and undercover husband—in the brash, flirtatious former student who made his professor life hell… and who has always had the hots for teacher. With their cold case suddenly heating up, will things get too hot to handle, in their fake relationship and in their investigation? About: Author of adrenaline-fueled romance, Layla Reyne will keep you on your toes with plots and characters that surprise, romance that builds slow and burns bright, enough food mentions to make you hungry, and page-turning series that will satisfy your binge-read cravings. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves “Criminal Minds” and true crime podcasts. Fan of UST who collects “Now Kiss” GIFs. Appreciates quirky small towns and a good homemade biscuit. Doesn’t mind a sleepless night, as long as there’s coffee in the AM What to expect if we’re compatible: Action-packed romantic suspense. Twisty plots, layered characters, slow-burn attraction, life…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Elizabeth Heiter! Writes: I write suspense with strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists, and a little bit (or a lot!) of romance. My new release, SECRET INVESTIGATION, is a romantic suspense about an undercover agent searching for justice for his murdered friend. In the process, he falls for the CEO of the company to blame. But if he wants the truth, she may pay the ultimate price. About: Caffeine and chocolate-fueled author who often writes with a parrot on my shoulder. I have a penchant for going down the rabbit hole with research (luckily, I’ve had enough security clearances for my various law enforcement research visits that when my bizarre internet history is inevitably discovered, it will be clear that it’s all for fictional crimes!). When I have time in between writing books, I love to read them, spend time with family and friends, and downhill ski. One of these days, I’ll get back to playing my violin. What I’m looking for…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Carla Cassidy!  Writes: Books like 48 Hour Lockdown, the first novel in the Tactical Crime Division series. It’s a fast-paced, high drama read highlighting some of the people in this unique division of crime-fighters. About: Extroverted author seeks readers who love murder and mayhem. I also love to hang out with people who have a sense of humor and like to laugh. I’ll supply coffee and ice cream (my secret weakness) for an evening of laughing and talking about all the ways to kill a character! What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love characters that are strong as they protect and serve. Must love reading at a breath-taking pace, complete with lots of action scenes. Must love suspenseful moments that take your breath away. Must enjoy moments of heartrending emotion that makes you want to cry and scream at the same time. Must love the ultimate battles between good and evil. What to expect if we’re compatible: Romantic…

We thought it would be fun to give our 20 Questions interview to the incomparable writing team of LINDA HOWARD and LINDA JONES and see their separate responses. Enjoy! LINDA JONES: 1–What’s the name of your latest release?  After Sundown 2–What is it about?  When a natural disaster hits, taking down the grid and bringing the world to a standstill, the community of Wears Valley comes together to survive. Sela and Ben are reluctant leaders who do what they can to in order to make it through the aftermath of a catastrophic solar storm. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Introverted. Maybe cautious is a better word for her. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  The shallow woman in me says, “His arms.” My more introspective self admires the way he gives in to his instinct to protect, even if he does so reluctantly. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Ben turns to no one, at least in the beginning. Sela has friends and family to turn to, most specifically her Aunt Carol and her fifteen-year-old cousin, Olivia. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’ve been in love with Wears…

My upcoming release, PIVOT, began with a novella I wrote sometime back, a Romantic Suspense titled Against the Heart.  Ian Brodie is the owner of the BOSS Inc. security firm, a tall, good-looking man, one of the Brodie cousins. In PIVOT, the adventure continues with novellas by bestselling Romantic Suspense authors, Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti.  Alexandra and Rebecca tell the stories of teenage girls who became friends during their tough years in foster care. Now as women, they’re fighting for their lives again. When Meriwether Jones and her young daughter run from trouble, that trouble follows.  Her prayers are answered when ex-cop Ian Brodie hires her to help his aging father.  But Meri is keeping dangerous secrets–and Ian is in danger of losing his heart. Melanie Cassidy finds trouble when she tries to save a young boy from being kidnapped.  Working the case, former love-of-her-life, Detective Gray Hawkins, appears and rescues them both.  But her good-Samaritan efforts pull her and Gray into a world of drug dealers and dirty cops–and forces them to examine the relationship they’d abandoned. Michelle Peach is one of Meri’s closet friends.  Trouble arrives when two rough men in search of Meri break into her…

Aubrey leaned back against the side of the boat, working to loosen her hands while her captor steered the boat through the narrow inlet. Her head pounded, and she’d sliced her leg on something, but at least she was still alive. She couldn’t say that about Papps. If his family hadn’t found him by now, she knew he would have already bled out. A sick feeling snaked through her as her mind continued to replay what had happened and what she could have done differently. But they’d been ambushed by a sniper. She’d done what she’d been trained to do—­try and neutralize the threat. Having failed that, the only thing she could do now was pray that Papps’s sons had heard her scream. But her captor had timed his dirty deed well. Duck hunting wasn’t like deer hunting, which was more of a solitary pursuit. And for the McKenna family, it had always been a social event. It had been the same every year for as long as she could remember. She knew exactly what had been going on at the blind. Until the birds landed, there would be no shortage of conversation. They’d watch the sunrise break through the…

St. Patrick’s Day is nearly upon us, and it seems only fitting to draw on some Irish inspiration to celebrate that fair isle. I mean come on, is green beer the best we can do? 🙂 I’ve been lucky enough to visit Ireland on two occasions (but am anxiously awaiting a return trip in the near future), once with my mother and once for school and research as I was writing Inherent Lies, Blood Secrets Book 2. So in honor of tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day release, I’d love to share a few of the moments and people who wiggled their way into Inherent Lies. Inspiring Moment #1: Setting The opening image of Inherent Lies was inspired by my first night in Ireland. My travel companion and I were determined to find the famed Johnny Fox’s Pub, whose claim to fame is being the “highest” pub in all of Ireland. It sits on a hill just outside Dublin City, yet our taxi driver had to stop and ask directions (a story in itself) twice along the way. By the time we arrived, it was well worth the long and winding should’ve-taken-Dramamine trip. Not only was Johnny Fox’s all it was touted…