As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
When a struggling single mom and her adorable toddler get snowed in with a grumpy wolf shifter, Christmas magic starts working overtime.
Escape to Christmas Cove, a cozy small town where magic, shifters, and holiday romance collide.
After a painful breakup, Riley is ready for a fresh start in Christmas Cove. All she wants is a peaceful life for herself and her two-year-old daughter, Sabrina. Love isn’t on her holiday wish list. When she’s stuck in a blizzard, help arrives in the form of Alex Conors — a protective, brooding werewolf.
Snowed in with a grumpy shifter and a crackling fire, Riley begins to see the gentle heart behind Alex’s fierce exterior… and Alex finds himself falling for the brave single mom who awakens something he thought he lost long ago.
Hot cocoa and toddler giggles turn strangers into something more. But when Riley’s past resurfaces and threatens the safety she’s found, Alex will have to prove that loyalty, love — and pack — are forever.
A warm, emotional holiday romance filled with shifter charm, second chances, and the magic of Christmas. Ideal for fans of protective alphas, found family, and heartfelt happily-ever-afters.
🏠 Small-town charm & found family 🐺 Grumpy wolf + sunshine single mom 👩👧 Adorable toddler moments 🎁 Snowed-in & forced proximity 💕 Fated mates and holiday magic
Jessica Coulter Smith is an acclaimed romance writer with a passion for storytelling. Her works showcase the power of love and its ability to transcend boundaries, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide. With a unique writing style and perspective, Jessica continues to inspire and entertain readers from all walks of life.
Would you like a chance to win a$20 Amazon or PayPalGift Card?Follow the tour HERE for specialcontent and a giveaway!
My Holiday Playlist
There’s something about Christmas music that immediately puts me in the mood to write holiday romances — especially the kind filled with snow, twinkle lights, and a little bit of magic. Every December (and sometimes long before), I start building a playlist that keeps me in the spirit while I write.
Some of these songs are sweet and nostalgic, others tug at the heartstrings, and a few just make me smile. Together, they capture the emotions I love weaving into my stories — love, hope, second chances, and finding light in unexpected places.
So pour yourself a mug of cocoa (or maybe some spiked eggnog), settle in, and let me share a few of my favorite Christmas songs — the soundtrack behind Fur, Fangs, & Mistletoe and just about every cozy story I write this time of year.
Each of these songs carries a little spark of what I love most about Christmas: love, kindness, reflection, and that touch of wonder that seems to hang in the air all season long.
Music always finds its way into my writing — sometimes as inspiration for a scene, sometimes just as background noise while I sip cocoa and imagine snow falling outside my office window.
Whether you’re reading holiday romances, baking cookies, or curled up with your favorite blanket and pet (I usually have a cat in my lap), I hope you take a moment to enjoy your own soundtrack of the season.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
One man against the world
The Quest for Freedom
The Conquest Trilogy Book 1
by Matthew Devitt
Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Affer was once a peaceful planet, until a war broke out between its six inhabiting species. The humans, who were once the mightiest force on Affer, were massacred in droves, and the ones who survived the onslaught were reduced to mere slaves. The five other species divided the humans amongst themselves and returned to their respective kingdoms. The years passed, turning into decades and centuries, without any change. Eventually, the humans had accepted their fate as slaves. All except one. Four hundred and seventy-three years later, Fletcher Rush starts his journey to free his kind…and conquer the planet.
I’ve always had a love for fantasy, and to this day LOTR and The Inheritance Cycle remain some of my favorite books. There are limitless possibilities when you’re writing, but with fantasy, it’s different. You don’t have to adhere to rules or logic; you can create whatever type of world you want. Characters can live in a dystopian society, a grand futuristic city, a picture-perfect world, or a medieval wasteland. Time, technology, and magic are all there for the taking, and as a writer, you get to choose what defines your story.
Would you like a chance to win aprint copy of The Quest For Freedom (US only), or a $10 Amazon or PayPal gift card (WW) – 1 winner each! Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What can we expect from you in the future?
Currently, I’m working on the second book in the trilogy, then I’ll move on to the last book in the series. After that, you’ll have to wait and see!
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Not at the moment, but I have thought about it, and I do intend to add side stories/bonus stories once I finish the series.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Quest For Freedom?
I’ll be honest: there are too many characters to cover them all while also giving them the descriptions they deserve. But I’ll give a description of my two favorite characters. Fletcher Rush is the main character of Conquest and the leader of the rebellion. Like all humans, he starts as a slave. However, unlike others, he doesn’t plan to stay one. From the moment he was put to work, Fletcher vowed to change Affer forever. Training his body and mind, he prepares to escape enslavement until the day finally comes. After he becomes free, he quickly proves that he is a natural-born leader. He rallies his men behind him and strikes fear into all who face him. Even when the odds seem insurmountable, Fletcher still
charges headfirst into them. No battle is too large for him, and nothing will hold him back from freeing mankind.
Ji is Fletcher’s first ally and his right hand. Having helped Fletcher escape from Titanan, he has been aiding him since the beginning. Ji might not be as strong as Tor, as smart as Crystal, or as capable a leader as Fletcher, but he learns quickly and is
always the undisputed voice of reason. As they conquer city after city, Ji becomes more resilient and a better leader, worthy of standing by Fletcher’s side. He still has a lot to learn, but he plays a crucial part in the human army.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Many of the names for the characters just came to me, but for some, I looked through a list of names and picked out one I liked. The names for the cities, creatures, and the unique names were harder. The way I did it was to pick a letter that I wanted it to start with and play around until I found something I liked.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Every time I write, I learn. I always strive to give everything my best, and with writing, I tend to get better and better with each story I finish.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
If you enjoy fantasy, I can guarantee you’ll love The Quest For Freedom.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I can’t say too much, otherwise I’ll spoil it. But, the fourth battle of the book is undoubtedly my favorite. It’s a massive part I build up to, and it came out even better than I had hoped for.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Now here’s a question I really like! Conquest was made to go against the grain. It encapsulates the brutality of war, which I feel is often overlooked in fantasy. The world and characters are both meant to feel as real and lifelike as possible, while still keeping that fantasy spark. From the Yoxtoll Forest with pale white trees towering into the sky, to the scorching Argon Desert, it feels like a place you could visit, and the characters are no different. Each person and each species has something unique about them, while also keeping to the traits of their species.
Conquest redefines what fantasy is capable of by going where others won’t.
What did you edit out of this book?
More than I even remember. I do have the unedited version saved, but I haven’t looked at it in ages. Some parts sounded great when I wrote them, but coming back with the final edit and reading over everything made me see them in a different light. The beginning had the most changes, but every part of the book was touched after I had “finished” it.
Safina Bello is a dark romance and thriller author who writes stories about obsession, betrayal, and dangerous love. Inspired by suspenseful plots and morally gray characters, she crafts tales where romance is as thrilling as it is risky. When she’s not writing, she’s connecting with readers, she is currently working on her new book “Dear Killer- The murder of Monica Hall”
Follow Safina on Instagram: @_Safinsb
When Obsession Turns Deadly: The Dark Truth Behind “Dear Killer”
I’ve always been drawn to the parts of life that most people are too scared to look at—the shadows, the secrets, the dangers hiding in plain sight. That’s what inspired me to write my upcoming thriller, Dear Killer: Murder of Monica Hall.
It’s not just a story. It’s a confession, a warning, and a nightmare all rolled into one.
“If you’re reading this; it means he killed me…”
Those are Monica Hall’s last words to the world, written like a diary and a death sentence all at once. For years, she lived in the shadow of a man whose love was nothing but a slow poison. He was patient. He was obsessed. And to him, Monica was his forever—even in death.
When her body is finally found, it looks like the tragic end of a life spent running from him. But nothing is ever that simple. Monica wasn’t just a victim. She was a master of lies, a manipulator, and a murderer. The further the investigation goes, the clearer it becomes that Monica’s death was not the end of her story… it was only the beginning of a new nightmare.
Writing Dear Killer forced me to confront a chilling truth:
People like Monica exist.
I’ve seen pieces of her in real life—the ones who hide behind charm, who destroy everything they touch, and who have families willing to cover their darkness just to protect a last name. That realization haunted me. It still does.
We often imagine monsters as strangers lurking in the dark. But the worst monsters? They’re the ones smiling in family photos.
Dear Killer is more than a thriller. It’s a look at love twisted into obsession, at secrets buried too deep to stay hidden, and at the terrifying ways the past always catches up to us.
This book scarred me as much as it thrilled me to write. But that’s the kind of story I live for—the kind that keeps you awake at night, staring into the dark, wondering how well you really know the people you love.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
A televised cooking competition puts Sherry, a successful cooking competitor, in the spotlight, especially when the final challenge calls for catching a killer.
A televised cooking competition puts Sherry in the spotlight, especially when the final challenge calls for catching a killer . . .
Despite being a seasoned competitor, nothing could have prepared Sherry Oliveri for the thrill of being chosen for a three-day cooking challenge on national television. She’s dying to tell her friends, but she and everyone else involved in the contest has been sworn to secrecy until it airs. Still, that’s not stopping someone from penning cryptic notes about the show for the whole town to read, which has the production crew on edge—right up until one of them is found dead.
Determined to root out the killer, Sherry suspects the truth lies with whoever’s behind the mysterious notes—which have now turned dark with menacing comments on the murder and suggestions of buried secrets. Trying to unravel it all while focusing on her recipes, Sherry’s stopped dead in her tracks when the cook-off host drops a bombshell. With no time to spare, she’ll have to unearth the one missing ingredient that will ensure the killer’s cooked . . .
Includes recipes from Sherry’s kitchen!
Praise for the Cook-Off Mysteries:
“The Cook-Off Mystery series by Devon Delaney is a very tasty treat!” —Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
“This is a very fun and rollicking mystery that stays light-hearted even as the case gets more complicated . . . Cooking, holiday celebrations, and moving family drama all make for the perfect escape.” —Kings River Life
“This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn’t feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!” – Netgalley Reviewer.
Devon Delaney is life-long resident of the Northeast and currently resides in coastal Connecticut. She is a wife, mother of three, grandmother of two and accomplished cooking contester. She taught computer education and Lego Robotics for over ten years prior to pursuing writing. Along the way Devon has been handsomely rewarded for her recipe innovation over the last twenty-plus years. Combining Devon’s beloved hobby of cooking contesting with her enthusiasm for writing was inevitable.
When Devon is not preparing for her next cook-off, she may be found pursuing her other hobbies, including playing competitive USTA league tennis, gardening, needlepointing, painting, jarring her produce, and hooking rugs. Her standard poodle, Rocket, is her pride and joy and keeps her on the path of sanity.
Would you like a chance to win a$10 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What is your writing process? For ex: do you outline first?
I have yet to develop a consistent writing process. A lot has to do with my life’s happenings at the time of writing. If I’m in a time crunch I outline with as much rigor as I can, but I have yet to adhere to the outline as I reach the halfway point of the book I’m working on. Outlines are very helpful to put one foot in front of the other without a misstep. Mapping out an outline I have every intention of sticking to is the best launching point for me. I plow ahead for at least two hours at a sitting most every day, putting words down to move the plot forward. As I move along in the process I predictably take a left turn from the outline. When I’m confident the outline has served its purpose I go rogue and transition over to notes I’ve taken from manuscript day one. One of my favorite steps in the writing process is re-write time. I begin my first re-write when I’m halfway done the manuscript. I recognize I’ve reached that point by the number of words I’ve written. By the end of my first re-write I have exercised my most powerful word-whacker tool repeatedly, cutting out multiple paragraphs of text. I have a tendency toward wordiness and a tap of the Delete key is my best defense against reader vertigo, a not-so-rare condition brought on by a dizzying excess of words on the page. I read and reread my words not for grammatical errors, which abound, but for inconsistencies, both in the character’s development and the storyline. I search for confusing passages and unnecessary detail of any variety. Clarity is king and not easy to achieve. After midway re-writes I move ahead to finish the story, before starting the re-write over again from word one. I’m confident at this point I am headed in the right direction. I know how I want the book to end, how I want to tie up loose ends and which characters I want to let remain standing by the last word. I’m pretty sure I re-read my books between twenty to thirty times. I think about the characters and plot day and night until I finally send the manuscript off to my publisher.
Do you see writing as a career?
I would love that.
Fun facts/tidbits/did you know? – type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process-
Fun facts:
I am the oldest person on my USTA tennis team.
I have tried out for Chopped three times and gotten to the final interview stage each time before not being chosen. I will keep trying.
I began watercolor painting this year.
I won the very first recipe contest I entered.
I got a publishing contract in one month after my agent began the search.
Writing process tidbit: Writing a winning recipe is a lot like writing a good mystery. Begin with a catchy title. Cozy mystery readers love puns in their titles. For a recipe contest you must know your audience. Some research on past winning recipes can offer a clue as to the naming convention the contest leans toward, the contest may lean toward a long descriptive name or , on the flip side, a short direct attention grabber. Draw the reader into the book or recipe from word one. If the ingredient list is too long the home cook turns the page to an easier version of a similar recipe. Along the same vein, if there are too many characters in the plot the story is diluted, and the reader closes the book. The meat of the recipe, which is the recipe preparation, must contain a unique twist that makes both appealing and outstanding. A twist or two within a mystery is mandatory for the book to be successful. The recipe must wrap up with a wonderful outcome that draws the diner in, to the point he or she can’t wait for the first bite. Likewise, the book’s plot must wrap up loose ends and leave the reader satiated and yearning for more from the author.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Magic is feared. The truth is forgotten. But the silence – it still remembers.
A divine war once shattered the world. Now, it begins anew—unnoticed, and bathed in blood.
Tommy is the son of a fisherman in a quiet lakeside village, where nothing truly dangerous has happened in generations. But when monstrous warriors descend from the woods, slaughtering everything he’s ever known, Tommy is thrown into a world of violence, prophecy, and secrets his father spent a lifetime hiding.
Fleeing across the inland sea, the survivors carry more than trauma—some carry buried power. Among them, an elven woman with a hidden past, a dwarf whose grief burns hotter than his forge, and a boy who isn’t just a boy – he’s something more. As rumors of more attacks spread and refugees flock to safe havens, it becomes clear the ondilaan are not just raiding.
They’re hunting.
But why?
As Tommy struggles to survive, love, and grow into the man the world might need, forces far older than any kingdom turn their gaze toward him. And the hidden power is watching.
Resthavenis the first entry in The Chronicles of the Troop, an epic fantasy saga that blends brutal war, divine judgment, and philosophical weight with real human stakes.
A note to readers: Violence through fantasy combat, Minor swearing, Adult themes, No sex.
The troop survived Resthaven. But survival was just the beginning.
Donnor leads his ragtag force of villagers, conscripts, and outsiders deeper into the southern reaches of the Serensea. Their mission: find and defend the last remaining settlements from the ondilaan. But the enemy has changed—and so has the troop.
As Tommy comes into his own as both a mage and a chronicler, he wrestles with the burden of power, the scars of war, and the discovery of a lineage that shakes his identity. Beside him, Arisaylia’s magic deepens beyond her control, while Donnor is haunted by a loss he cannot afford to repeat.
In the villages, foothills, and the ruined fields of the south, the troop finds not only battles—but betrayals, hard choices, and the truths that threaten everything they thought they understood.
Silverlake is the second book in The Chronicles of the Troop, a philosophical epic fantasy saga blending tactical war, elven lore, deep character bonds, and the high stakes of ancient memory … for readers who crave stories where victory costs something real.
A note to readers: Violence through fantasy combat, minor swearing, adult themes.
The enemy grows bolder. Allies grow silent. And the gods remain lost.
The troop is scattered, wounded, and shaken by betrayal from within and without. What began as a mission to protect the southern villages of the Serensea now threatens to unravel the fragile balance between kingdoms, clans, and divine history.
As Tommy’s power blooms into something ancient—and dangerous—Arisaylia confronts truths about the elves that could fracture her people forever. Donnor, haunted by war and his family’s fate, must hold together what remains of their fragile alliance before the flames of conflict spread beyond control.
Meanwhile, far from the troop’s journey, in the Endless Plains power stirs. Civilizations long dormant move once more, as kingdoms make secret pacts and old races return to claim what was once theirs.
Windyspring is the third volume of The Chronicles of the Troop, a sweeping epic of war, memory, and magic—where loyalty is tested, identities unravel, and the true cost of power begins to reveal itself.
A note to readers: Violence through fantasy combat, minor swearing, adult themes.
The dead have been buried. Silence is broken. And secrets refuse to stay where they lay.
As the troop pushes east toward Harper’s Creek, the weight of their survival in Windyspring lingers—along with a growing fear of what lies ahead. Tommy’s power evolves beyond even the elves’ understanding, and Arisaylia begins to question whether the path she and her son will walk was ever theirs to choose.
Back in Redtail Hold, Sella finds herself drawn into a role far greater—and more dangerous—than her songs alone. Her rising influence in the eyes of the elves threatens the balance of the Hold, and the line between duty and desire grows thinner and thinner.
But war isn’t fought only with weapons. As old alliances fray and ancient eyes turn towards the Serensea, both soldier and singer must decide who and what they are—before the tide of history swallows them before their new fate is born.
Harper’s Creek is Book Four of The Chronicles of the Troop, where fantasy meets philosophy, and where battles of the heart are as perilous to everyone involved as those of sword and hidden sorcery.
A note to readers: Fantasy combat, minor swearing, adult themes.
In a world where gods are silent and magic is feared, Colin Darney writes stories about people who still fight forward. A veteran, trauma nurse, and lifelong student of human resilience, Colin’s fantasy series—The Chronicles of the Troop and the follow-up The Book of Ghaan—explore what it means to survive, to love, and to hold on to hope when the world says you shouldn’t.
Known for gritty realism, emotionally layered characters, and the kind of dialogue you’d actually hear in a bar full of off-duty soldiers, Colin blends classic epic fantasy with raw, lived experience. His readers often say the world feels real, the characters feel familiar—and that once they start reading, they can’t put it down.
The Book of Ghaan, Part Two is currently in editing, with release planned for summer 2025.
Would you like a chance to win a$30 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Author Q&A
What genre or type of story inspires you most when reading or writing?
Fantasy stories inspire me most when writing. Believable characters, “real” situations in a fantastical world, etc. Story’s about people who “win”, improving themselves/finding love/finding sucess/what have you, those are the one’s that grip me. Especially when they get those things against all odds or struggling uphill to get them.
Are there any real-life experiences that directly influenced Resthaven, Silverlake, or The Book of Ghaan?
A lot of the interpersonal relationships I’ve either experienced myself or witnessed. The humor and joking around comes from my time in the army and friends. Bar and tavern scenes come from places I’ve drank in and experienced first hand. The trauma and aftermath comes from my time in a level 1 ER/Trauma center.
What are you most proud of as an author so far?
Actually doing it. Writing stories that other people read and are interested in. Having people interact with me, tell me my fantasy’s are great or touched them some how. Hearing people say they couldn’t put it down. It’s uplifting.
What do readers most often tell you about your work (e.g., “I loved the world,” “The characters felt real,” etc.)?
That the world comes to life for them. Some people are just enthralled by the characters, others by the story itself, but the most common is how much people enjoyed the detailed plot and realism they experience as they read the series.
If someone bumped into you at a fantasy convention, what kind of impression would you want to leave?
Just a normal guy. I don’t put on airs, I drive a normal car, live a normal life, have the same concerns everyone else has. I’m friendly, approachable, and have no problems answering questions and talking to anybody.
Is there any quirky or unexpected detail about you people are surprised by?
MY favorite ‘hobby’ is taking hikes int he wilderness, exploring places I’ve never been before, being ‘one’ with nature – all of which leads me to convey the ‘experience’ when I write. I used to be into horseback riding which taught me sometimes you just have to go with the flow and stay on. Downhill skiing was full of excitement, wind blasting in your face as you figuratively race. Blacksmithing taught me you can turn a lump of something ugly into an object of beauty. Camping taught me to accept what is and drive on. Online gaming taught me you can be whatever you want in whatever realm you find yourself in.
Would you prefer to gently mention your books or boldly champion them in your bio?
A mix between the two. I definitely want attention for my story, but I don’t want to come across as a used car salesman
What’s the current status of The Book of Ghaan, Part Two — are you mid-edit, drafting, or preparing for release?
Part two is mid-edit with its planned release this summer. I’m about half way through, then it will be off to professional readers.
Do you want your author brand to feel more wise veteran fantasy crafter, more passionate newcomer with surprising talent, or something else?
Definitely a passionate newcomer, not too high on himself, with surprising talent
I am happy to one of the many hosts sharing information about Colin Darney’s RESTHAVEN novel.
AUTHOR MEET & GREET | BOOK SIGNING| & AUTHOR DISCUSSIONS Saturday, June 21st from 2:00 – 4:00 PM Blue Apple Books (14 Main Street, Suite B, Madison, AL)
calling all writers… Join me for ‘Plot it, plan it, crush it’ where I talk about how to get organized, stay on track, and finally finish your novel!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As Wellington’s premier, and possibly only, animal detective, Nicolette mostly investigates missing pets and cases of animal cruelty. So when her latest client asks her to investigate a case of a poisoned cat, it seems right up her alley. Until a body shows up, then another, and suddenly despite her resolve to not get involved, Nicolette is right in the middle two murder investigations. Or is it just one killer?
When someone breaks into her house and one of her dogs is injured, Nicolette’s reluctance turns to determination to not only solve this thing before the police, but show up her stubborn police detective brother in the process.
Along the way she has to navigate a daughter about to turn 15, a dwindling bank account, and a dysfunctional family that seems determined to fix her. Not to mention a killer who’s turned their sights her way.
No wonder she doesn’t do humans.
Three Dogs, Two Murders, and a Cat is the first book in the clean, cozy mystery series. Gilmore Girls meets Nancy Drew, with a touch of dysfunctional families, a touch of humour, and a touch of caring.
Rodney Strong quit a 9-5 job in 2016 to finally pursue his life long dream of becoming a writer (he still has the very first play he wrote at age 6). He lives in Porirua, New Zealand, with his wife, two children, and two cats. When he’s not writing he attempts to stay away from chocolate, runs (sometimes), reads, and enjoys spending time with his young children (who contribute a lot to the running and craving for chocolate).
He always has a couple of projects on the go, but for now is focusing on his series of cozy mysteries.
One of his cats likes to help with the process by sitting on the laptop, while the other likes nesting on his shoulders (which was cute when he was a kitten, but now the cat is 11 years old, is less so).
Would you like a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I think I was destined to become an author from the moment I learned to write. When I first started school I would write short plays for my classmates to put on, and the ideas kept coming from then onwards.
Over the years life got in the way and I drifted away from the dream, but the ideas were still there. One day when my kids were young I was telling them the could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up, and it struck me that I wasn’t being truthful to myself, because if that was true for them then it should be true for me. So I quit my job and dedicated myself to writing entertaining stories.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
I’m not a plotter, so I tend to write and see what happens. Although I know who the main characters are going to be, writing this way means there are sometimes surprises when characters pop up from nowhere as the story develops.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
As I said above I tend to write as I go rather than plotting, which means limited research before the story begins. Once I know what route the book is taking, that’s when research kicks in, usually around poisons, etc.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
Can I cheat and say all of them? Because I’ve written stage plays before, and naturally include a lot of dialogue in my books, I can imagine all of them becoming movies, or TV series. However if I had to pick one in particular, it would be Three Dogs, Two Murders, and a Cat. The main character and her daughter were inspired by the Gilmore Girls television show, and features a lot of snappy, witty dialogue between them, and I think that, coupled with the mystery, would make for a great TV movie.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Three Dogs, Two Murders, and a Cat?
The main character is Nicolette Briggs, and in her own words, she doesn’t do humans. She’s a private investigator specializing in cases involving animals. She also has a very complicated family situation. She’s a solo mother to a teenage daughter. Her step brother is a police detective who is constantly telling her to butt out of investigations, and her mother has been disappointed in her for most of her life. The inspiration for Nicolette came from a friend, but the family dynamics came from watching Gilmore Girls when I was younger.
Nicolette has three rescue dogs at home, Teddy, Nero, and Fig, the titular Three Dogs.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
Believe it or not, the title was very tricky. I brain stormed and threw out many different ideas before finally deciding to keep it simple and use three main plot points to title the book.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
My characters definitely hijack the story, or at the very least are constantly trying to. Especially Nicolette. Because she’s not a police officer she can get away with more things, but it’s important she doesn’t cross too many lines while trying to act on behalf of animals that are abused, or stolen. I sometimes have to remember she has a teenage daughter at home and while she would never do anything intentionally to put herself in harms way, Nicolette is quite good at getting there unintentionally.
What did you edit out of this book?
Spoilers! No, but seriously, there is a minor mystery in the book that I edited out the ending too. It doesn’t impact the overall story, but is just a teaser for an ongoing mystery that will bubble away under surface in the next book.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
I have an office set up at home, but I find I’m more productive in café’s. I mostly write at the one around the corner from where I live, and even though it can get quite noisy sometimes, I can actually get more done. I can sometimes knock off 1,000 words in an hour.
Home has too many distractions, like housework, and cats.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Absolutely. There are days that I have to struggle and curse and shake my fist at the screen just to get a hundred words out. Luckily I haven’t had too many days in a row like that. I usually try and have a couple of writing projects on the go at a time, so if I’m really struggling on one, I switch to the other to see if that will shake anything loose. Sometimes it works, and other days I just have to accept that no writing is going to be done, and go and cuddle a cat.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
I’ve always had a love for animals. When I was nineteen I left New Zealand and travelled to the other side of the world to work in the Regent’s Park Zoo in London, England. It was amazing getting to work with a whole range of animals, in particular three baby chimpanzees who would surprise me by hiding when I walked into the room, and jumping on me. And seeing a baby giraffe only an hour after it was born.
The following year I traveled to Kenya and did a safari, sleeping in tents amongst the animals. That was incredible, although also a little nervewracking, when we camped by a lakeside and they said sometimes hippos would wander through and because they have poor eyesight they would trample tents. I’m almost convinced they were joking.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
A story of friendship and forgiveness in a world that knows neither.
Roman Koa knows that to survive, he must be ruthless.
The Slums beneath the floating city of Icaria were never meant to thrive—but they did. A gritty junkyard city of thieves and robot fighters, it’s everything Icaria isn’t. Roman has grown greedy after clawing his way to the top of the robot fighting hierarchy with his powerful electromagnet robot, taking from anyone who crosses his path. When Icarians come to the Slums for a night of risky entertainment, Roman takes twice as much.
But when he’s offered the chance to steal advanced tech from Icaria, the job is too tempting to resist—even with Oliver Flint offering it, his former best friend who sold their robotics code for a new life in Icaria. Without Roman.
The job is simple: Roman helps Oliver save Icaria’s failing gravity beams, and Roman gains access to technology to build powerful robots to secure his position as King of Ring and King of the Slums. Roman’s hatred for Icaria is hard to ignore, though and he is tempted to let the city Oliver betrayed him for crash back to Earth, but dooming Icaria means dooming everyone.
As Icaria’s gravity—and Roman’s fragile bond with Oliver—fails, Roman must choose: will he let Icaria crash, or is there a chance for forgiveness, for both his friend and the city?
Failing Gravity is a high-octane, cyberpunk-inspired adventure about friendship, betrayal, and the fight for forgiveness.
Jordan S. Keller is the author of the Ashes Over Avalon superhero trilogy and Failing Gravity. She is a type-one diabetic, a serial dog walker, and is impatiently waiting for her favorite bands to visit. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and their critters. You can visit her online at JordanSKellerAuthor.com
Jordan is one of the hosts for the Everyday Writing podcast and founder of the Queen City Fiction Writers Workshop.
Would you like a chance to win aSigned copy of Failing Gravity or a $10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What inspired you to write this book?
Failing Gravity was inspired by the Bad Omens’ album THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND. I became obsessed with the album, and every time I listened to it I could picture Roman, the main character, in the world of Icaria. I couldn’t get it out of my head so I started writing it all down. It felt like a fever dream, the writing happened so fast.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I can’t share too much, but there is another book coming soon. It’s a story of friendship and bravery and set in one of my favorite places. I’m really excited to share this upcoming book with the world.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Failing Gravity?
Roman Koa is the main character of Failing Gravity and he’s a bit of a mean guy. His world has shaped him into this rough-around-the-edges fighter who refuses to get close to anyone. He’s the meanest character I’ve ever written and it wasn’t until the book released that I realized why. While writing this book, my father passed away in a car accident and I shut down. Writing Failing Gravity I, through Roman, learned how to love and get close to people again.
Oliver Flint is the ex-best friend to Roman and he is everything that Roman isn’t: kind, compassionate, and willing to see the good in everyone. There’s a seen in the book where Roman looks at Oliver the same way he looks at the sun. I won’t spoil the ending, but these moments became some of my favorites in Failing Gravity.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Writing Failing Gravity let me find hope. It let me remember the goodness of the world, and that loving your friends and family is worth it even if they could be taken from you. I hope readers can find that light in Failing Gravity and if they are struggling with their own darkness then they can recapture hope.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
I had a pretty strong grip on the story while writing it. It felt like my characters and I were on the same page throughout the plot with the same end goal…. All except for a certain girl who had a crush on a certain boy. She highjacked a chapter so fast I didn’t realize what was happening until they both ended up at a cyberpunk coffee shop for a terrible awkward first date. The scene remained in the final draft. It became a pivotal moment so I’m greatful for the detour.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Failing Gravity is a high-octane, cyberpunk adventure that will leave you breathless.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have written so many books that will never see the light of day. Some are full manuscripts and others are half drafts that feel like more ideas than actual books. Every book has taught me something though so I am glad I wrote them all. I follow my writing muse wherever it wants to go—it’s always a good time.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
I feel like the easy answer is trash since part of the world is a junk town, but that would make a terrible candle. One of the characters is related to daffodils so I would like to say that. Daffodils and motor oil.
What did you edit out of this book?
I’m an underwriter so I never have to worry about cutting things, only expanding. Failing Gravity is a short book, probably too short, but it told the story that needed to be told and I didn’t want to jeopardize the story for added fluff.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Becket Weston meets his match when he tries his bad boy skills on the wrong woman.
Cowboy Becket Weston likes women, plural, and has a reputation for breaking hearts. His bad-boy behavior masks a deeper need to atone for past mistakes. His side-hustle—using a pseudonym and posting comic drawings of ranch life on social media—lets him explore life, love, and grief without being exposed. He even has a following! But no amount of introspection can explain his fascination with Eleanor Campbell—Main Street, Marietta’s newest shopkeeper. She’s definitely not his type, so why does she keep turning up in his drawings?
Ellie Campbell isn’t one for staying long in any one place, but when she inherits money from her grandmother and decides to open a yarn store in small-town Marietta, it feels like she’s putting down roots. She’s not looking for a relationship after one too many hard knocks, literally, but Becket Weston gets under her skin like no other, igniting passion that’s impossible to ignore.
He’s a bad boy playboy and everyone knows it, but there’s something about him that just doesn’t add up. Does Ellie have the courage to stick around and find a way into his heart?
Widowed rancher Hayden Weston knows what it means to be responsible for his siblings, his eight-year-old son, and the running of the huge family cattle ranch. Some even call him a stern and grumpy taskmaster and they’re not exactly wrong. So when Hayden discovers his son reading a storybook instead of doing chores, he calls on Luke’s teacher to talk about priorities.
School teacher Laura Anderson is new to Marietta, Montana, and has never—until now—been reprimanded for encouraging a child to read. It doesn’t help that sweet Luke’s father is the handsome cowboy with the amber eyes that she met in Grey’s Saloon, or that she’s wildly attracted to him.
Sparks keep flying as their paths keep crossing, but Hayden is determined not to give in to his incomprehensible need to have, hold, and protect Laura from any type of harm. He’s the one who’ll hurt her if he lets her stray too close. He’s not ready to admit his feelings or commit to sharing his life with her.
I have been reading love stories for as long as I can remember and when I ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James The Brontë sisters, etc. during my Honours studies, I was hooked for life. I married my college boyfriend and soul mate and after 47 years, 3 interesting and wonderful children and 4 beautiful grandchildren, he still makes me weak in the knees. We are fortunate to live in the picturesque little seaside village of Betty’s Bay, South Africa with the ocean a block away and a beautiful mountain right behind us. And although life so far has not always been an easy ride, it has always been an exciting and interesting one! I like the heroines in my stories to be beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong. And the heroes must be strong but possess a generous amount of sensitivity. They are of course, also gorgeous! My stories typically incorporate the family background of the characters to better understand where they come from and who they are when we meet them in the story.
Would you like a chance to win a$10 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I did a teaching diploma after school, stayed at home for ten years while our kids were small before going back to work. While I was working as an administrator in the English Department of a nearby university, I was inspired to study again. I was forty. I got an Honors degree in English and also did a MPhil in Document Analyses and Design, thinking that it was something I could do when I retire. But then I entered a magazine competition looking for romance authors way back in 2008 and was fortunate enough to be the winner. The prize was the publication of my first book – I was hooked. Growing up, my mother was an avid romance reader and there were always stacks of love stories in the house, particularly stacks of Mills & Boons. I literally read thousands of them.
I met Jane Porter from Tule Publishing when she visited ROSA (The Romance Writers Organization of South Africa) in 2016. Afterwards I sent her a manuscript, she liked it and since then I’ve published seven books with Tule – an extraordinary team of women. I count myself extremely fortunate to be able work with them.
I’m married to my college boyfriend who is also my best friend and my soulmate. We have three grown-up kids who have long since left the house and are each doing their bit to make this world a better place. We are so proud of them and are blessed with four grandkids who are just growing up way too fast.
I mostly write in Afrikaans and have around seventy books published by various publishers in South Africa. I have also written two children’s stories.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’m an introvert, something I’ve only discovered when I was much older. I like people and I’m blessed with a a circle of close friends, but I need to be alone to re-charge. I can’t do late nights, for instance, by ten my battery is flat!
I’m no chef but I love to cook for the people I love and nothing gives me more pleasure than to have our whole family around a table.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in a small town called Upington in South Africa. As kids we swam in the Orange River and went camping in the Kalahari Desert.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
With my husband, our children and grandchildren, of course. Around a table, eating and telling stories.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
I’ll put women in charge of education, hospitals and the police. Start from the ground up, teach children respect before anything else and let kids play. A lot.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I read, go for long walks, knit or crochet. I’m fortunate enough to have a very special group of women I can call friends. Visiting them always makes my heart sing. We’ve known each other for such a long time. We have a Whatsapp group and during tough times, we rely on each other to help us carry whatever burden we have. During Covid, especially, it was a kind of lifeline. We shared recipes for bread, for food, books we’ve read and sometimes just something silly that has happened. It was a wonderful way to keep our spirits up,
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Disciplined, dedicated, passionate, impatient, a sucker for a story or movie with a happy ending.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After about twenty books J
Do you have a favorite movie?
Pretty woman
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
A family with the cowboy! Liam Hemsworth would make a very sexy Hayden Weston and Brie Larson would make a lovely Laura.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A leopard. They are solitary animals and like to walk alone. As hopeless introvert, I can relate.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Exiled alien prince Jarren Graf has never encountered a scent like Lissa Reyes.
Exiled alien prince Jarren Graf has never encountered a scent like Lissa Reyes’.
Abducted from Earth by Jarren, high-achiever Lissa Reyes discovered something hunted her scent. Both their scents, that is. As the key to reclaiming his throne and ending generations of galactic subjugation, Lissa knew Jarren could not let her go. But as a prince from a world built on olfactory power, Jarren’s passions flared with her close. Every whiff grew their desire. Every touch increased their hunger for each other. By fate or chance, their love would change his civilization.
Would you like a chance to win a$20 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors? Right now- N.K Jemison, Octavia Butler, Sheryl Kaleo, Jon Scalzi, Christopher Pike, Louise Penny, Anne McCaffrey, Arkady Martine, Stephen King, Virginia Henley
How long have you been writing? I have been writing for more than forty years.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? The main characters are in my head from inception. As I write, other characters pop up.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? I do a lot of location research before I write. I look at pictures of places or of worlds. The beauty of writing science fiction is that I can make up worlds based on what I understand is common assumptions of the fantastical. The rest of my research pops up when something in the story happens and I don’t know enough about it to write it. I have bookshelves of reference books. Mostly on fantasy creatures like fairies or dragons but a few on trees in North America or dictionaries on flora growth. Even books on clothing in different centuries.
Do you see writing as a career? Yes. It is my career. I may not always or regularly make a lot of money at it, but I am blessed to be able to write full time for the moment. IF I need to work for cash, I will still continue to write books for publication. Career or not, writers write. It’s what we do.
What do you think about the current publishing market? The current publishing market is like the record store and music industry market of the early I pod era. And possibly as painful. I have been traditionally and self-published. Trad publishers built companies around a service that could produce high-quality emotional stories. This is their bread and butter. They make profit from that business model. But if an individual has enough talent and resources, they can produce their own phenomenal book without giving a cut to the trad publishers. It is more work and higher costs, but you retain creative power and you keep your profit. It isn’t easy, but it is freeing to be able to create something readers will enjoy without trad publishers trying to reshape and constrain it as they see fit. Self-published succeed or fail on their own recognizance.
Some publishing companies have gotten on board with self-publishing to continue profiting from their established publishing structures, like IngramSpark. Others traditional publishers are just now trying to shift into that now-crowded market. And even still, there are a few holding tight to the old way of profiting. My only gripe is with organizations that restrict their writing contests to exclude self-published authors. Both my editors also work(ed) for the Big Five. My books benefitted from the same editorial talent as the Big Five. I just had to pay out of pocket. My books are of the same caliber of writing quality as traditionally published works. Dear contest runners: don’t exclude good stories from your pools. Let the words speak for themselves. I am sure the Big Five, and their resources, can handle the competition.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? Yes. I read mostly self-published fantasy. Right now, I’m reading J.R Geraci’s Creator of the Stones. I have found that self-published authors are willing to take risks with their stories so those stories tend to be more interesting to me. I also read some sci-fi romance (of course- Thanks Veronica Scott) and I love erotic fiction. Try Sadie Waters and her reverse harem erotic fantasy, Chosen By the Princess.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? Silence. I am easily distracted.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? Because I write in several age groups which require different processes for publication, I write up to three books at once. I just finished the second children’s book of a trilogy. It’s with the illustrator. I am finishing up my new YA fantasy- back from the editor. And I am working through the second of an erotic fantasy- it’s slow-going because it is a lower priority as a second book with no publication date as of yet.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose? My respect for the lived experiences of authors which inform their stories requires me to say I would only want to author my own books. Of my books, I would choose the first of my Guardians series. I traveled to Ethiopia to research the location.
Pen or type writer or computer? Pen or computer. I no longer have a type-writer, although I know what it is.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book. Akasha from Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned is incredibly multi-dimensional. In romance, I’ve loved Nellie Grayson from Jude Deveraux’s Wishes and Eleanor from Virginia Henley’s The Dragon and the Jewel.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? The thing that gives me purpose is writing stories that help to shape others as books I’ve read shaped me. It is the right decision because I am doing something I love and doing my very small part in guiding our species to greater understanding and kindness.
A day in the life of the author? I get up around 8 am and get my kid and myself dressed. Downstairs for a quick breakfast and getting lunch ready and we are off to the bus stop. After a chat with the other parents and seeing the kid off, I walk back to my house and begin my writing for the day, my admin for the day or my social posts. I am usually interrupted by something- my mother, my kid’s school, my mother in law. SOMETHING. And so I go off and handle that. When I am done I continue writing or thinking (writing for me is more thought and less typing). On some days, I go to the gym. Gotta keep the mind prime. Exercise helps. Then I clean and cook and throw in a load of laundry downstairs. The alarm goes off and I head back to the bus stop for pick-up. And my writing is done for the day.
My kid gets home and wants to watch TV, so we battle about doing her homework and studying her French spelling words. That done, I send her for a snack as I review her homework. Then we do a spelling test and, if I am working on a kid’s book, I will have her look at the illustrations or promotions. We watch a bit of PBS kids and I cook dinner or the partner comes home and cooks dinner. He actually enjoys cooking. I do not. After dinner, the kid gets music videos and I or my partner put her to bed then we get to watch our adult TV. If he puts the kid to bed, I may do more admin or writing while he’s upstairs. As of this writing, we are finishing up the Residence (exceptional!) and starting on Andor and The Last of Us. Then I pack the kid’s lunch for the next day and we are off to get ready for bed.
Advice they would give new authors? Every person has at least one story to tell. It belongs only to that person. Don’t let any nay-sayer question your right to write your story. Also expect to have to work all the time. A writing career is a ton of work. Most of us can’t be Nora Roberts or Stephen King. We are just doing our best with the reward of doing what we truly love as our career. When the world knocks you down, remember why you are writing, then get back up and keep going.
Nina Soden 