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…

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…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Lindsay Marcott! Writes:  Modern Gothic suspense books. My latest novel, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost, has just hit the stands. About: My first success as a writer was my sixth grade Thanksgiving play about a plucky Pilgrim girl and her wise-cracking pet turkey. After graduating from Smith and stints as a cat sitter, rock star assistant, and waitress in a TriBeCa grunge club, I began writing for magazines, then took a detour to Hollywood to write a few screenplays. I finally found my passion in writing novels: with Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost, eleven so far, and a new one in the works. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: •  You love getting goosebumps when things get spooky. •  Your mouth waters at the promise of a juicy story with twists that leave you gasping. •  You can imagine having your head turned by a brilliant but mysterious man. •  You see beauty in a misted redwood forest and excitement in the crashing of surf….

Jen: What was your inspiration behind Girls of Brackenhill? Kate: When I was a kid, we didn’t take big fancy vacations. Our only trip to Disney World lasted two days: we drove down in a rented car and stayed an hour away with my great grandparents in July. Instead of hotels and airplane trips, we went camping. Up and down the East Coast, to whatever state park was drivable. When I was about fourteen, we camped in the Catskills and drove through a town called Roscoe NY. My dad parked the car and led us up a steep incline to Dundas Castle. At the time, it was marked as private property, but it was abandoned and not monitored in any way. The doors were all unlocked and we spent (to my memory) hours there, exploring every square inch of this abandoned castle. Memory is a fickle thing but I do remember the basement being a series of very small rooms. I remember this day with more clarity and fondness than either of the two days I spent at Disney World. When I had to plan my next book, I really wanted to write a ghost-like story. The memory of the…