Please join me in welcoming author Margot Johnson. Look no further for your next sweet, contemporary romance than Some Other Way.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Some Other Way
Author: Margot Johnson
Genre: Contemporary Romance (sweet)
BLURB:
Maybe what she wants is not what she needs.
Jayne Jones is not as plain as her mother makes her feel. Her life is full as surrogate aunt to her birth daughter, given up in open adoption five years ago, and as leader of the Adopt-a-Dog service.
More than anything, Jayne wants to expand the overcrowded dog shelter on a coveted piece of adjacent land. When Dr. Evan Scott, her high school crush, returns to his hometown to enlarge the local medical clinic on the very same property, he complicates everything.
Now her formidable opponent, Evan is ready to forget past hurts and embrace a fresh start with the cute girl—now attractive woman—he remembers. But should Jayne bare her heart to the good-looking newcomer? And will her secret change his mind?
AUTHOR BIO:
Margot grew up in a family of writers and has always loved books and writing
Creating stories people love has been her lifelong dream. Now she’s the author of the romances Love Takes Flight, Love Leads the Way, and her new release, Some Other Way. She has also authored the Merilee Tours novella series, Let it Snowball, Let it Melt, and Let it Simmer.
Before turning her focus to the fun writing life, Margot held leadership roles in human resources and communications. When not writing, she loves to connect with family and friends, volunteer with SK Writers’ Guild, and walk at least 10,000 steps a day (except when it’s minus 40 outside!) She lives in the Canadian prairies with her husband.
Title: The Bootlegger’s Legacy (Moonshine Madness Book 3)
Author: Denise Devine
Genre: A Sweet Historical Roaring Twenties Novel / Sweet Romance
BLURB:
It’s June 1926 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Charlotte LeDoux is determined to reinvent herself.
Her late husband, a notorious bootlegger, left her a Summit Avenue mansion, a secret room filled with cash, and a reputation riddled with bullet holes. Char is desperate to rebuild her identity as an honest entrepreneur, but her plans falter when she repeatedly encounters unfair bias. Then she learns that one foolish mistake with her beau has left her in the family way–the final blow to not only her character but her aspirations as well. She realizes it’s time to marry the man she loves and turn her life in a new direction. That is, until she learns he has betrayed her trust. Her belief in Will and in true love is shattered.
Will Van Elsberg is a tough private investigator, but he’s no match for his headstrong gal.
He’s so madly in love with Char, however, that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. When he learns she’s pregnant, he’s anxious to tie the knot. Instead, their engagement is doomed after Char discovers he’s withheld crucial information from her. He’s determined to tell her everything to win back her trust but the situation changes when Char suddenly goes missing and he finds a ransom note in her car. Facing an unknown enemy who holds all the cards, Will is thrust into the greatest crisis of his life–to rescue a woman carrying his child who means more to him than life itself.
REVIEW:
Due to time constraints, I’ve been limited in writing reviews. However, after learning that Book 3 in the Moonshine Madness Series was available, I couldn’t wait to find out where life took Charlotte LeDoux. Stepping back into the Roaring Twenties with Charlotte, Will, and a delightful cast of characters was a more than welcome visit to one of my favorite fictional worlds.
This story showcases Charlotte’s entrepreneurial spirit as she manages existing businesses inherited from her late bootlegging husband while launching new ventures of her own. The highs and lows of her relationship with Will, unexpected events, and her kidnapping had me turning the pages long after I’d promised myself “just one more chapter.” My favorite part of the story was a note at the end announcing the next installment with Book 4 in the series.
Author Mary Cope is joining us today for an interview. Her latest novel, Beautiful One is a fantastic pick for young adults and all readers looking for a sweet romance.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Beautiful One
Author: Mary Cope
Genre: Young Adult / Sweet Romance
BLURB:
Transformation, empowerment, love and music come together in the book, Beautiful One.
Elizabeth Ryan is a beautiful, shy, naïve high school senior. Having never dated she meets the boy of her dreams, Aidan Mitchell. Despite his history of womanizing Liz is drawn to him. Soon Liz becomes the envy of all the girls on campus, when they become a couple, and her dream boyfriend sweeps her off her feet and into the dating world that is all too new and strange for her. When other guys start to take notice of Liz, Aidan is troubled with fits of jealousy.
Elizabeth then meets the ruggedly handsome, Spencer Hayes and they quickly bond over their passion for music. Liz begins to struggle with the feelings that spark between them.
In the end Elizabeth finds herself torn between helping Aidan overcome his jealousy and anger and giving into what her heart truly wants.
INTERVIEW:
Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your novel.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
The inspiration for Beautiful One came to me when I was dropping off my daughter in high school. As my daughter was gathering her things to exit the car, an overweight teenage girl walked by. My daughter glanced at her, looked at me and said, “Kids are so mean, it must be really hard to be overweight in high school.”
That was the day the character, Elizabeth, was born and the idea for Beautiful One began.
Do ideas for plot or characters appear first?
For me, the plot comes first and then the characters filter in. Never having had a professional writing background, I would consider myself an organic writer. I think about my story, and when I begin, I already have an idea for the ending. My goal is to write towards to the end.
Have you ever traveled when researching information for a book?
I didn’t have to travel in researching my book. In my early twenties I lived in the location Beautiful One was set in. Beautiful One takes place in the beach community of Dana Point. All the places mentioned throughout the pages I have either been to or worked at. The stairs Lizzy runs, I have run and the dog, Maggie, was my dog. My sweet Maggie has since passed, but she will live on in the pages of Beautiful One forever.
When did you begin writing?
I began my writing career in my late 40s. Having always been an avid reader, I was reading a best-selling novel, and to be honest, I could not get through it. As much as I tried, I just found the storyline ridiculous. That was the day I put the book down and thought to myself, “If this is a best-selling novel, I might as well give writing a try.”
So, I did.
Funny, sidenote… I happen to be friends with the author who inadvertently inspired me. Of course, she has no idea the way she inspired me, but I think it’s funny we’re now friends.
How many hours do you dedicate each day towards writing?
I don’t have a set amount of hours I write. I write until my mind drifts, or the ideas stop. When that happens, I will usually take a break, grab my dog and go for a walk. Walking clears my head and gives me the ability to refocus back on the chapter I am working to complete.
What does literary success mean to you?
Literary success means I become a New York Times best-selling author, what else?
AUTHOR BIO:
Mary Cope is a passionate romance writer known for her ability to craft characters that feel undeniably real. Drawing inspiration from both her personal experience and vivid imagination, Mary’s words resonate with readers. A romantic at heart, Mary believes true intimacy is what love is all about.
Author Valeriya Goffe is joining us today for an interview. Her latest novel, Secrets We Keep, is sure to appeal to women’s fiction readers
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Secrets We Keep
Author: Valeriya Goffe
Genre: Women’s Fiction
BLURB:
A rising star that fell…
Anna Levenko was set to become the next “it girl” in tennis. The first Ukrainian prophesied to win a Grand Slam… And then everything changed. Years later, with a business degree behind her, an unpaid job keeping her busy, and a family that means well, Anna can’t help but dream of something bigger. What’s one little white lie in the grand scheme of things?
But her dream job isn’t just sunshine and roses. Her first project takes her to Tanzania, and everything that could go wrong, does. Not to mention her woeful love life. Will she ever reach the life she’s worked so hard for? Or is success just not in the cards for Anna?
INTERVIEW:
Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your latest release.
Do ideas for plot or characters appear first?
Usually I start with a very broad plot, then I try to develop various scenes, and finally I start developing the characters. Developing characters takes the most of the time for me. In some cases, I have some sort of a “prototype” for the character, in others, I need to combine several people into one, and this takes more time. However, as the book progresses, some of the characters turn out quite different from the way I imagined them in the beginning. They take a life of their own.
Have you ever traveled when researching information for a book?
My debut novel is solely based on my travels. All the scenes in this book take place in locations which are very dear to my heart, for one reason or the other. I enjoy writing about the places I had visited in the past as this helps me relive the happy memories, as well as share them with the readers. May be one day they’d want to visit them too!
The majority of scenes are set in Kyiv, my beloved home town where I was born and raised, and Washington DC, where I had lived for almost 20 years (until starting a posting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last summer).
I also write about Tanzania, an incredible African country which I had fallen in love with. I had been there many times for work and I got to know a lot of wonderful people there. It was only natural for me to pick Tanzania as the setting for my novel.
Jekyll Island, another important location for my debut novel, is where I’ve been vacationing with my family for many years. It’s a gorgeous island off the coast of Georgia where one can enjoy the beach and various outdoor activities and also learn a lot about history. Back in the late 1800s James Hill, George Baker, William Rockefeller, William Vanderbilt, and some of their powerful contemporaries selected Jekyll Island as a perfect place to spend their winters. The exquisite Jekyll Island Club was constructed there. Its clientele controlled an enormous one-sixth of the world’s worth! Given my fascination with this island, it was impossible for me not to include it in my first book.
When did you begin writing?
I started writing when I was in middle school. Back then, I was writing in Russian and Ukrainian. I had always enjoyed writing and illustrating all kinds of stories and articles. I also had an older cousin who shared my passion for writing. We co-authored quite a few children’s’ books, but never published them unfortunately. All these books are lost forever, as none of them were typed on a computer, and I have no idea what happened to them after all these years. Later, my life got consumed by university studies and eventually work. I focused on writing academic articles and reports in economics and finance. Then one day I thought it was time to start writing fiction again. This time, I decided that I will write in English and get my novel published. I’m glad it’s finally happening.
How many hours do you dedicate each day towards writing?
Generally speaking, with my full-time day job, I cannot devote too much time to writing. My goal is to write one page a day, which doesn’t take very long, but helps me to move in the right direction. However, on some days, I will deviate from the goal. Sometimes, I might get a lot of inspiration (no idea where it comes from!) and will write 10 pages or so. On other days, I will just put a few paragraphs down, and this will be it.
I try to make sure not to push myself too much and have fun with the writing. If I have ideas, I will try to put them down immediately. If no great ideas come to mind, I don’t stress out. It’s better to take a break that day and wait for another.
What does literary success mean to you?
Many different things! Thousands of readers excited about my books…Writing as a full-time career…A Hollywood movie based on my book…No sure if they are achievable, but I think every writer dreams about them. Never hurts to dream!
What project are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the sequel to the Secrets We Keep. From the start, I envisioned to write a trilogy about a Ukrainian family, so my hope is to publish two more books in order to finish the story.
The idea of the trilogy came from reading Kevin Kwan’s books. I am a big fan of Crazy Rich Asians. At one point, I thought that it would be really cool to have a trilogy about Ukraine similar to the way Kwan wrote about Singapore and China. Naturally, my characters are very different from Kwan’s characters, and they face a very different kind of problems (nobody is crazy rich, that’s for sure). But I hope the readers will also fall in love with the Ukrainian family I portray in my books.
The plot of my second book greatly evolved from what I originally planned to write it about. It sort of got overtaken by events.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, I knew that I needed to stage my second book in Ukraine during the war. There was no other way. I had so much pain in my heart that I needed a way to let it out, and writing was a perfect opportunity for me. I started writing the sequel last year, and I already have it almost finished. It was not an easy book to write, given the real emotions involved. Some scenes were heartbreaking for me as I knew that this was not fiction and my friends and relatives were experiencing similar moments in real life. Luckily, I am already editing the book now, and I know that most of my characters have survived, and they finally see the light in the end of the tunnel.
AUTHOR BIO:
Valeriya Goffe was born and raised in Ukraine and spent most of her adult life in the USA. She works for a large international organization leading developmental projects in various countries. During her career, she has traveled extensively in Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Asia. She hold a PhD degree in finance from the Kyiv National University of Economics in Ukraine and an MBA degree from Kogod School of Business, American University in Washington DC. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder. Valeriya is trilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and also speaks French and Spanish.
Please join me in welcoming author Josie Riviera. If you enjoy holiday romance in December, look no further that Cocoa’s Christmas Love for your next read.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Cocoa’s Christmas Love
Author: Josie Riviera
Genre: Sweet and wholesome holiday romance
BLURB:
A florist’s Wishing Blooms rekindles the faded Christmas spirit of a disillusioned hometown photographer, but can her cheer, a rescued pup, and the magic of the season revive his holiday hope and love?
AUTHOR BIO:
Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable shih tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovations.
Jill Piscitello 