1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SLEEPING BEAUTIES 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Sleeping Beauties is a historical thriller with a dark fairy-tale at its heart, as well as a moving story about women’s lives during World War Two. When two strangers meet on a train at the end of the war, Rosamund returning the last evacuees to London from her countryside manor, and Briar on her way to rehearsals for The Sleeping Beauty, their lives quickly become dangerously entangled. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was inspired by the tours and performances of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet company (now the Royal Ballet) during the war. And so the novel follows the company to Paris, Holland, London and Cambridge. The scenes in the English countryside are inspired by the beautiful moorland and forests near where my parents live in Devon. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! I’d love to go backstage at the Royal Opera House with Briar Woods. We’d take ballet class together, followed by a night out in London. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Briar Woods…

ECHO ROAD was inspired by a real case and a longtime friendship. We’ve been close friends for over a dozen years, thanks to beginning our careers at the same time with the same publisher. We’ve traveled together and spent time with each other’s families. Our kids are approximately the same age. We’ve supported each other through personal challenges that come with life. And, between the two of us, we have penned 73 stories and sold 25 million copies of our works. So, how did two busy writers juggling their own deadlines decide to also start writing collaborations? It all began with our editor at our publishing company, Montlake, who suggested we do a joint project of some sort for cross-marketing purposes. We brainstormed for a few days at a hotel in Seattle, where we’d traveled to meet with our publishing team. At the time, Kendra was living in the Pacific northwest, and Melinda was on the East coast. Given the distance, the most practical concept we could come up with was a novella series, where we would write alternating titles, each with its own mystery plot, but the series would have an overarching storyline as well. The project was so…

1–What is the title of your latest release? STUART WOODS’ SMOLDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Stone Barrington faces a new threat to a legacy dear to him, from an old vindictive enemy. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? To me, it’s important to use locations that feel organic to whatever story I’m writing, and such was the case with Smolder. Given the rich history of the Stone Barrington series, I had many excellent choices that not only seamlessly serve the story, but also are familiar to series fans. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Who wouldn’t? Stone Barrington is a multi-millionaire, with homes in New York City, Maine, Los Angeles, and Europe. He is friends with interesting people, and if I were ever to get into trouble, he would be an excellent person to have my back. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, confident, and compassionate. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? How humbled and honored I feel to have been given the task of continuing Stuart Woods’ legacy. It’s hard not to think about that when I’m working with his…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FOLLOW HER DOWN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Decades of doubt, fear, and suspicion won’t let a woman overcome her past when she returns to the hometown where her teenage sister was killed. A killer finally confessed, but the truth isn’t done with her yet. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I needed to isolate my character (this is always good, mean fun) but I also needed her near Silicon Valley for the plot. In the past few years, I’ve taken a few trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains, and I love the drive to Lake Tahoe, so I created a fictional highway and plopped the story right in the middle of the forest. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Elise might intimidate me a bit, but I love her scrappy, damaged heart. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Bold, independent, and vulnerable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I read a few research books about conspiracy theories, because a conspiracy is at the heart of this story. I learned that certain conspiracies always…

Once upon a time, I used to present a writing workshop on “Crafting Killers” to new writers.  Why did I focus my talk on killers? It’s because I think the villains in books are just as important as the protagonists.  A “good” villain can make or break a book. After all, a “good” villain will stay with you long after a story has ended. (Looking at you, Hannibal Lecter!) For today’s post, I thought I’d hit on a few key points when it comes to crafting a powerful villain. I have two main guidelines for villains: Good villains must command attention. A good villain will shock, surprise, and keep a reader on the edge of his/her seat. I believe that every character has a backstory. When a writer starts to create the villain, the villain’s origin has to be understood. Is the villain bad because of nature or nurture? Or a combination of both elements? I encourage authors to ask these questions about their villains: How did your villain come to be so wicked? What turned her/him into this being? Is your villain’s “wickedness” due to nature or nurture? What is the level of evil for this character? After all,…

I don’t know how to talk to people if it’s not about dead bodies, murder, and alibis. I just don’t. I don’t pretend otherwise. That’s why Aiden and I get along. After years in law enforcement, he’s like me. Translation: he has no social skills. Date night to us is takeout and a murder file. In other words, why, why, why did I agree to attend a party of any kind, let alone in another city that ensures I’ll have to travel with a friend I haven’t seen in years? My resistance and second thoughts are so extreme that I don’t start packing until thirty minutes before Lana will be at my house. At present, I’m staring into my closet, wondering which of my numerous dresses fit and don’t fit since I’ve worn none of them in far too long. The idea of dressing up is not such a bad thing. I like dresses. I like being a woman. And truth be told, it’s been a long time since I was a woman, not just an FBI agent. And I’m certainly not worried the dresses will soften me up and hurt my job or backbone. There’s no reason I can’t…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHEN SHE LEFT   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A young couple fleeing a criminal family is chased by an assassin / realtor in this heart-pounding thriller. And, yes, that’s “assassin / realtor.”   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My books almost always take place in the region I live, and I’ve lived at the intersection of DC, Maryland, and Virginia for the past few decades.   4–What are three words that describe your main character? I have three protagonists, but Lucky Wilson is the assassin / realtor, so he’s the one people want to know about. I’d say family, violent, and Christmas.   5–Which side character stole your attention the most from the main storyline? One of the characters in the young couple, Jake Smith, has a troublesome mother named Ruby. I liked writing her, but I’ve been surprised at how much early readers have vibed with her.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? This book was less violent than my other books and, while violence has always been important for me to capture in crime fiction, it…

1–What is the title of your latest release? RADIANT HEAT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After a woman narrowly survives a massive wildfire, she discovers the body of a stranger in her driveway. The dead woman has her name and address but they’ve never met before. Using the tropes and tricks of a classic thriller, Radiant Heat delves into the epidemic of violence against women in Australia, and the ways grief, place and circumstance inform and shape us all. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The setting is a character in this book, so I had a very clear idea of that even before I knew what I was doing in a lot of other respects. Set in a part of Australia that has been devastated by bushfire, but also a region I got to know while working as a journalist in Melbourne, I could never have set it anywhere else. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? For sure! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Stubborn, Strong, Self-destructive 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That no matter how much you think you know…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BLUE RIDGE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? What would you do if you were planning to kill your brother—but someone beat you to it? After former Olympic contender turned burn-out horse trainer Cillian Clarke is framed for the murder of his identical twin Christopher, a rising-star Virginia politician, Cillian is forced to go on the lam. But when someone from Christopher’s past emerges and offers Cillian the chance to clear his name, Cillian is plunged headfirst into a sinister conspiracy that not only threatens the sanctity of democracy, but also promises to expose the devastating secret intertwining the brothers forever—the truth behind the death of a woman they both loved.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was born and raised in Northern Virginia, just a short drive away from the mystical, mysterious magic that is the Blue Ridge Mountains. The haunting yet gorgeous scenery of that landscape has always held a special place in my heart. So, naturally, when I decided to write my debut novel, it was only appropriate that I set it there!   4–Would you hang out…

Book Title: WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODS Character Name: Esmé Foster   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Complicated. My mom and dad were complete opposites. My dad was a solid, hard-working man, while Mom was something of a glamor girl who seemed stuck in our rural community on the edge of suburbia. When I was little, I didn’t see that they were completely incompatible. Dad worshiped Mom and tried to make her happy, but she always seemed to be looking elsewhere for fulfillment. She loved me and my brother in her own way, and eventually I became the center of her world, or so I thought.   What was your greatest talent? Without a doubt, dance. When Mom enrolled me in ballet lessons, I found my passion and I excelled. And Mom was thrilled too.   Significant other? In high school, I had a close group of friends but not a serious boyfriend. When I moved away to pursue my dance career, I started seeing Kevin and eventually moved in with him.   Biggest challenge in relationship? At first, things were great with Kevin. My career was going well, and I LOVED his family. They took…