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What can you tell us about your new release, Two to Tangle?

Two to Tangle is a sexy, seasoned interracial romance with family drama. Delilah and Griffin’s story began in a holiday novella, Christmas for Two, that I wrote for an author anthology. I’d given the hero, Griffin, a deep back story that needed to play out. I won’t give all the details, but Griffin’s college sweetheart ended up marrying his father. Once I’d written that detail, I knew there was more drama to mine, so I started plotting a full-fledged book with those characters. Even though I introduce the pair in a novella, the novel can be read as a stand-alone.

Delilah is the forty-something heroine who used to work as an executive assistant for thirty-something Griffin. She leaves the company and starts her own business. A few months later, Griffin reaches out to get her help for one of his projects, and they end up connecting—in more ways than one—over the holidays. A family emergency pulls Griffin away and kicks off complications that threaten to keep them apart. They have to deal with the secrets and hurts of the past to find their way to each other.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always loved reading, and as a child, that love of reading sparked the desire to create my own stories. I wrote my first complete story in the fifth grade about how the old Chicago Bear Refrigerator Perry got so fat. That was circa 1985. I’ve been writing ever since.

I write romance because I loved reading romance. I used to read all my mother’s Harlequin cast-offs and her collection of Danielle Steele novels. Reading those books helped me fall in love with books about people falling in love.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

This is an impossible question, but I’ll go with five books I love and could re-read over and over in no particular order:

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Destiny's Surrender by Beverly Jenkins
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask

Since this is fantasy, I’m going to assume I can have a guest living or dead, and I’d go with Toni Morrison. I’d ask her if there any stories she left untold when she die.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love the endless possibilities of a story. I love getting a spark of a premise or a character and exploring what the story is going to be—the ups and downs, the banter, and the surprises. I also love getting to the end of a story and seeing how the characters have transformed. Everything in between alternately thrills me and yet gives me a headache.

What is a typical day like for you?

When I’m in drafting mode, I write best first thing in the morning. I might roll over and grab my phone to dictate a scene or my computer and start typing away. On my best days, I’ll finish a chapter before I even get out of bed. Once the day gets going, I have less freshness for the creative aspects of writing. I work from home as a freelancer, so I’ll turn to my other writing projects later in the day. I’m lucky to be able to work from home and control my calendar based on what I have to get done, so my schedule varies from day to day.

What scene from Two to Tangle was your favorite to write?

I have a love scene that centers around a Kenny G song that was popular in the ‘80s. You might have to be a person of a certain age to appreciate it, but I can re-read that scene over and over, and it makes me laugh. I like having humor in a love scene.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” I believe that’s George Bernard Shaw. I like the idea that our future isn’t a puzzle with one answer or a single, set outcome. There’s not only one way to live. At any moment, we can choose differently and re-invent ourselves.

Kris Jayne is the author of the new book Two to Tangle.

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What can you tell us about your new release, Tangles of the Heart?

My two youngest children and my husband helped me plot out the story as we were waiting for fireworks to start on the fourth of July. It centers around Darlene Britain, who has to choose between two men-- one who is safe and her best friend and the other who is a race car driver, takes risks, and committed to his passion. The beginning of the story takes place in Island Park, Idaho, which was my family's favorite place to go on the weekends. My mom said Island Park would stay in my heart when I grow up, and she was right.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

After You by JoJo Moyes, Creation of Eve by Lynee Cullen, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and A Lamp in the Darkness by Jack Kornfield.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

You are loved and enjoy your freedom.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

Reading a good novel.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

I really love hanging out with my two youngest girls. They make me laugh. They are very loving to me, and we have a great time being creative and doing projects together.

What scene in Tangles of the Heart was your favorite to write?

Wow. That is hard. Probably the race car scenes. I worked side-by-side with my husband creating those scenes. He used to be a racer so he advised me to make those scenes true to real life.

Anastasia Alexander is the author of the new book Tangles of the Heart. 

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