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Interview with Aly Martinez, Author of Release

What can you tell us about your new release, Release?

Release is an emotional new standalone about second chances and love that can stand the test of time. After after spending twelve years in prison for killing the boy who assaulted Thea, Ramsey is finally coming home. Bitter and angry, he’s cornered by Thea—the one woman he claims to hate, even though she’s never stopped loving him.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

After my twins were born, I discovered a newfound love for reading romance. I devoured as many books as I could get my hands on from authors like Kristen Ashley and JR Ward. It wasn’t long before characters of my own started chattering in my head, leaving me no choice but to bring them to life on paper. Now, finding the courage to publish took me a little while longer. But 20+ novels later, here we are.

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

Oh wow, this will be quite the eclectic list. Of course, I love Romance, so Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley, Look the Part by Jewel E Ann, Lover Awakened by JR Ward, and November 9 by Colleen Hoover are among my favorites, but I have to say, my favorite book of all time is A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius By Dave Eggers. In a lot of ways, the combination of humor and tragedy in that book molded my own take on what I like to call “catastrophic romance”.

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

Hands down, no questions asked, JR Ward would be my first guest. And I’d love to ask her how she is able to keep all of her many, many characters’ voices so distinct throughout the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Starting a new book, when the ideas are so fresh and new. It’s truly one of the biggest thrills. Also, typing the “The End” after months of hard work. It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to the characters, but that’s a high like no other.

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up at 5 AM and play mom, wrangling my four kids to school. By 8 AM, I’m thoroughly caffeinated and ready to roll. I’m not the fastest writer, so I work from 8-5 every day. My daily goal is 3,000 words and I’m very protective of my Monday-Friday workweek. But I don’t work weekends and I take a month off after every book so it all evens out.

What scene in Release was your favorite to write?

I loved writing the flashbacks to when they were kids. The love/hate relationship Ramsey and Thea had in the early years made me laugh so much.

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

For my author life, my motto is just sit down and write. The words might suck and it might feel like pulling teeth, but eventually, I always catch a flow. For my personal life, my motto is: Everything is better with wine. 🙂

Aly Martinez is the author of the new book Release.

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Interview with Melanie Summers, Author of The After Wife

What can you tell us about your new release, The After Wife?

The After Wife is a novel that took nearly four years to finish. It’s truly one of those ‘books of the heart’ that I’ve heard other writers talk about in the past. While I was writing the first draft back in 2016, I cried for six weeks straight. I wasn’t ready as a writer to tell this story yet, so it had to sit for a long time while I wrote several romantic comedies. Every year or so, I’d come back to it and rewrite the entire thing. This past fall, however, when I rewrote it, I knew I was ready because I finally understood what the book was about.

It’s a story of a young widow who’s been isolating herself in the year since her husband died. She thinks she’s grieving him—and she is—but underneath that, she’s grieving who she was when she met him. It’s a story about the importance of human connection, but it’s also about knowing yourself and believing you are worthy of love exactly the way you are.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’m someone who loves a challenge. I’m also a little bit crazy. One evening, almost seven years ago, a seemingly random thought popped into my mind: ‘I wonder if I could write an entire novel. Like start to finish. Is that something I’m capable of?’ Once I’d asked myself the question, I had to know the answer. And so, I started to write. Weird, right?

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

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – This book wrecked me, like it did millions of other people. For me, it wasn’t the ending, although that certainly packed a wallop. It was the chapter written from the perspective of Will Traynor’s mother that has stayed with me for years.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – There’s a reason this book sells over 200 000 copies even two-hundred years after it was first published. Ms. Austen’s tongue-in-cheek commentary of the times, families, and love cannot be outdone.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving — This is one of those ‘stay up all night no matter what you have to do tomorrow’ books. When you finish it, you cry for the characters, but also for the brilliance of how Mr. Irving weaved this tale. I didn’t see it coming, but when I got to the end, I sat up in bed for hours in absolute awe.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – Ms. Moriarty does an incredible job of starting the readers off on a journey that must be read at top speed. The set up, the dialogue, the humour of it–wow. Just wow.

Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler – Mr. Richler creates a rich world with so much history you believe it all happened. He manages to make you love this unlikable character who keeps screwing up, and you feel Barney’s regret in your bones. Not to mention a hell of a twist!

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

Oh, you’re making me use my brain today. I’d love to sit down with John Irving and ask him to walk me through his entire process of writing Owen Meany.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Writing provides a unique opportunity to live another life and to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Each character I create teaches me about myself and about humans on a deeper level. We all have a story to tell, we all act in ways that make perfect sense in our own minds, and we all succumb to our personal flaws. Writing allows an exploration of the imperfections that make us human. (It’s also a job I can do in my flannel pajamas which is a pretty sweet perk.)

What is a typical day like for you?

I get our three kiddos off to school, then go down to my office (in our basement) with our two dogs in tow. Mornings are spent plotting like a villain, writing, revising, and/or editing while the puppies nap. My husband (who has the office next to mine) and I eat lunch together, then it’s back to work. In the afternoons, I often continue with the creative side of the job, or I switch gear to all the emails and marketing stuff that I’ve been ignoring while I play with my imaginary friends. I often dictate chapters while I walk the dogs (which really makes me look insane, but I couldn’t care less). When the kids get home, I hang out with them, cook, help with homework, and do all the other parenting-related things until they’re off to bed. Then my husband and I hang out and watch some shows/a movie together.

What scene in The After Wife was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene in the book when a key character, Olive, an eight-year-old girl, is sent home from school for punching another child. It’s completely out-of-character for her to be violent, and she’s absolutely devastated by her own behaviour. She’s so dramatic about the whole thing, you can’t help but pity her while you’re laughing. It’s a short scene, but it’s layered and so much is going on that I couldn’t help but find the entire thing deliciously fun to write.

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

Yes, I have a motto I got from my dad, who passed away recently. “Work hard. Dream Big.” I do both as fiercely as possible.

Melanie Summers is the author of the new book The After Wife.

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Interview with Lauren Blakely, author of Sex and Other Shiny Objects

When an editor of mine returned a recent book to me, she wrote a margin note along these lines. "When the hero flipped the heroine from her back to her hands and knees with the scarf still on her wrists, I had my husband test that on me. Just to make sure it worked. So make sure the scarf is loose enough on the heroine's wrists so you can pull it off."

That, in a nutshell, is the inspiration for my new romantic comedy Sex and Other Shiny Objects.

Do the sexy scenes in romance novels truly work? That's what the heroine does in my book -- tests them out. She takes on a project at the request of her book editor bestie to see if the sexy scenes in sexy books truly work. After all, how many times have you wondered if buttons truly fly when a heroine rips off the guy's shirt? Or if bathtub sex is as effective as the books make it seem?

Peyton sets out to learn the ins and outs of all those scenes in Sex And Other Shiny Objects! I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it! I mean, as Peyton had testing the scenes!

Lauren Blakely is the author of the new book Sex and Other Shiny Objects.

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Interview with Stephanie Fournet, author of Kind of Cursed

What can you tell us about your new release, Kind of Cursed?

Kind of Cursed is my first romantic comedy and my first multicultural romance. Most of my novels deal with some serious themes—and in that way, this one is no different—but even with those themes, there is so much laughter. I have to give Penny Reid credit for showing me how to blend comedy with heartbreak and loss. Millie Delacroix, my main character, is dealing with her own heartbreak and loss, but she is resilient, self-deprecating, and awkward at all the wrong moments. I laughed a lot while I wrote her story.

On top of the fact that she has recently lost her parents and is caring for her much younger siblings, Millie believes that she bears a family curse—one that will wreck her life if she sleeps with anyone, which means sex is out for the next ten years.

Millie thinks she can handle a decade of celibacy until Luc Valencia, the hot, compassionate, and virtuous Mexican-American contractor turns up in her life. With a kitchen remodel, a house full of kids, and whole lot of sexual tension, Millie is kind of cursed.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve wanted to write since I was seven. I’ve wanted to write romance since I was about twelve. But what really got me to finish my first novel, Fall Semester, was not getting a promotion I was gunning for at work. That disappointment became one of the best things that ever happened to me because I poured a ton of energy into my writing, and I haven’t stopped. Ironically, a few years later, I got that promotion. Timing is everything.

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

Hmmm. This is a tough question, and the answer is mutable. In no particular order, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Atonement by Ian McEwan, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I’m going to cheat and count the Outlander series as the last two.

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

I’ve been asked this question before, and my answers are the same. I’d invite Penny Reid, and I’d ask her if we could be friends.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Falling in love along with my characters is absolutely the best thing about writing.

What is a typical day like for you?

My day starts way too early: 4:15 a.m. I meditate, go for a run or work out with the best girlfriends in the whole world (shoutout to my Vault Vixens!). Then I go to work at a high school where I am Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling. I love my students and faculty dearly. Go, Blue Gators! After work, I come home where Gladys and Mabel, my two dogs, greet me at the door and beg for snacks and dinner and more snacks. Then it’s a a quick yoga session and a dog walk around the block before sitting down to write as much as I can before it’s time to make dinner with my husband. This is usually enhanced by some piano jazz and the occasional glass of wine. If I’m still awake at nine p.m., it’s a miracle.

What scene in Kind of Cursed was your favorite to write?

That would have to be the Cha-Cha-Moo-Moo soccer game scenes in Chapters Fourteen and Fifteen. Writing eight-year-old Emmett was a lot of fun, but I also really loved writing the texting scene between Millie and Luc as they watch—or fail to watch—the soccer game.

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

There are absolutely no exceptions and no excuses. I’d literally have to be unconscious to miss a day of writing.

Stephanie Fournet is the author of the new book Kind of Cursed.

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Interview with Riley McKissack, Author of Deadly Autumn Winds

Riley McKissack is an award-winning journalist. Cornered gunmen, cop killers, a bomb going off in a domestic terrorism incident - Riley’s covered them all. Riley spent years chasing stories involving every type of bad guy and cop imaginable, including FBI, Homeland Security, homicide detectives and arson investigators.

Riley sponged up the drama, tension and danger on SWAT operations, hostage negotiations, drug busts and countless other dangerous situations.

That passion and drama spills out onto the pages of Riley’s novels, along with the personal stories behind the men and women who stand between danger and the people they love.

Riley has spent a lot of time in small Georgia towns and communities, including mountain communities, and enjoys writing about them.

About Deadly Autumn Winds

Deadly Autumn Winds blow through the mountain community of Hawk's Peak. Have they returned for Maddie? Is someone targeting those close to her? Is she next?

Women are going missing in the North Georgia Mountain community of Hawk’s Peak. Dispatch operator Maddie Quinn receives the desperate calls for help. The pattern is similar to killings that took place in other places she’s lived. Is the killer purposefully targeting those close to her? Is she the ultimate target?

Detective Sam Morris is determined to help her find the killer before he can kill again.

I worked in news, surrounded by cops, firefighters and even 911 operators. I’ve visited many dispatch centers. The idea of a call coming into a 911 center has long intrigued me with story ideas. Deadly Autumn Winds is the product of that mulling. In small communities, the chance that you will know the caller is high. But, to have a desperate friend calling is a very emotional scenario. In a 911 center, the operators are flying somewhat blind. Mostly, they operate on what they hear through the phone, with the additional input of phone locators or video cameras. In this instance, there is no video or cameras to add information.

I’ve always been a big reader, since childhood. I wrote little stories as a child. My favorite to write were mysterious, spooky stories. One day, I just got the idea to start writing as an adult.

I like to read suspense novels and so, it was natural to start writing that genre. My life experience provided lots of material about cop stories. I love going back after the first draft and layering in atmosphere and emotion. I usually start out and keep writing until the first draft is finished, then going back and making it more enjoyable for the reader.

Riley McKissack is the author of the new book Deadly Autumn Winds.

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Interview with Mae Adams, Author of Coin for a Dream

What can you tell us about your new release, Coin for a Dream?

It is a storybook of this world, the afterworld, traditional tales, and mythology my elders told me while I grew up in Korea. You will meet monks with flapping minds, tofu peddlers, evil spirits, wrestling goblins, deadly dancing shamans, singing lepers of Sorok Island, and many others.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

When I was nine years old, I read the "War and Peace" by Tolstoy in Japanese translation.

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

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Sometimes, the story writes by itself.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don’t have typical days.

What scene in Coin for a Dream was your favorite to write?

I threw my valuable coin in the river so that my dream would come true.

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

Live each day to its fullest.

Mae Adams is the author of the new book Coin for a Dream.

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Interview with M.D. Massey, author of Blood Bound

What can you tell us about your new release, Blood Bound?

Blood Bound is the fifth volume in a short story series that is supplemental to my main series, the Colin McCool Junkyard Druid urban fantasy novels. Most of those stories feature the main character, druid apprentice Colin McCool, but several of the stories spotlight supporting characters, such as Belladonna, Crowley, Hemi, and more recently, Larry the Chupacabra in Blood Bound.

Blood Bound contains three short stories. One features Colin, another Crowley the dark wizard, and a third pairs Colin and Larry in a hilarious caper involving a zombie corgi with an axe to grind. All three stories are zany, silly, paranormal fun, written with the intent to reward long-time readers with tales that don't necessarily fit in the narrative of the main novels.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Currently, I'm reading the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry for the third time. Maberry just released another book in that series, so I decided to reread them to refresh my memory before I dig into the new novel. I've also been reading Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. I try to read at least one book on craft a month.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

"Start writing now." For years I had the urge to write, but I failed to act on that urge because I felt inadequate for the task. And, it's a shame because I would be much higher on the learning curve by now, had I started writing fiction when I was a teen.

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

Today? Sleeping. Twenty years ago? I'd probably have spent that time practicing martial arts.

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

As I've grown more mature, I’ve discovered that I have a very deeply ingrained need to exercise my creative muscles. On any given day, that might involve expressing myself physically through martial arts practice or expressing my intellect and emotions via writing, graphic design, and web design. When I ignore that need to create, I get restless, and when I ignore it for too long, it brings me down emotionally. So, I try to express that need every single day, and I'm definitely much happier now that I am a full-time indie author.

What scene in Blood Bound was your favorite to write?

Without a doubt, the final fight scene in Breaking Up Is Hard To Do was the most fun to write, simply because I allowed myself to go utterly gonzo with the characters, dialogue, and events in that story. However, I also really enjoyed writing Crowley's story. He's both funny and tragic at the same time, and his acerbic wit and cynical outlook offer a lot of opportunity for dark humor and snappy one-liners. Pro tip for all the aspiring fiction authors out there—writing fictional characters is a lot more fun when you make them say things you wish you could say to people in real life.

M.D. Massey is the author of the new book Blood Bound.

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The Story Behind Accidental Shield by Nicole Snow

By Nicole Snow

Paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be in Accidental Shield, my latest Marriage Mistake standalone novel.

Waking up in freaking Hawaii hitched to a growly military man sporting sea glass eyes and a hearty-stabby smile should be every girl's dream. Only, Valerie Gerard can't remember anything, much less how she fell in love with her suspiciously perfect new hubby.

Former SEAL Flint Calum had a helpless woman carried into his house. His best friend, Cash, saw the ugly truth about her accident and the brutal men after her – and he also had the nerve to tell Val she's Flint's wife.

Rocky start? Oh, yes. And it just gets crazier from there as an overprotective single dad puts it all on the line to protect a total stranger who thinks they're married, and Valerie comes to terms with the dark truth about her past and her own tattered heart.

So, yes, Accidental Shield touches the amnesia trope that's been a favorite in romance forever, but it's never been done like this! I wanted a story of true self-discovery and all the feels. I wanted deep scars, emotional and literal, that could only be healed by two hearts coming together against the odds. And I wanted some comic relief amid all the tension.

I'm a believer in the power of laughter, even in the darkness. That's why Val also wakes up with her trusty sidekick, a very illegal Savannah cat named Savanny, and sea turtles play an important role in this story.

I know. But it'd be downright criminal to set a book in a place as magical as Oahu without drawing on the local atmosphere.

Nicole Snow is the author of the new book Accidental Shield.

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | January 14

Hold on to the edge of your seat as we hunt for clues and solve the case with these exciting new mystery and thriller books for the week! There are so many bestselling authors with new novels for you to dive into this week including R.C. Blackburne, James Patterson, Diane Chamberlain, Charlaine Harris, Kendra Elliot, and many more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!

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New Romance Books to Read | January 14

Looking to fall in love with some new romance reads? You’ll adore these exciting new novels! This week you can get your hands on books by bestselling authors Aly Martinez, Nicole Snow, Stephanie Fournet, Riley McKissack, Lauren Blakely, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!