Fans of cute and quirky romances are sure to fall hard for Tracy Brogan's Love Me Sweet. Just in time for Valentine's Day, we caught up with Brogan and chatted about what makes for a winning romance hero, being a proud Michigander, her ideal first date and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A reality TV show darling on the run from scandal joins forces with an adventure show cameraman on a road trip full of mishaps, honky-tonk musicians, Elvis impersonators and a whole lot of sweet romance.

Delaney Masterson is a bit of a wild celebutante—what do you love most about her?
I love that her goal is to become her most authentic self and bring a little light into the world. She’s not interested in fame in spite of being surrounded by it. She’s a bit of a late bloomer . . . she’s spent her life trying to please her spotlight-seeking family and now, because of a cringe-worthy scandal, she’s on her own and finally trying to figure out what she wants from her life and who she wants to be. At the beginning of the story she feels a little victimized, but by the end she has owned up to her own power and has decided to refocus her energies on things that matter.

What do you find most attractive in a romance hero?
Physically, I must admit, I like ’em tall, dark and handsome. A killer smile, some broad shoulders . . . le sigh. But what is most attractive in any hero (or heroine, for that matter) is a great sense of humor and a great sense of purpose. If a hero can make me laugh while he’s rescuing a puppy or saving the world, I’m all in.

How does your home state of Michigan inspire your writing?
Funny you should ask! Weather certainly played a role in Love Me Sweet! I knew I wanted to write a story about someone pretending to be someone else, and I knew I needed a reason for the hero and heroine to be in close proximity of each other. I happened to be drafting this book during the winter of the infamous Polar Vortex. It was the worst winter my city had seen in 50 years. So I made that part of this story. The funny thing is, my agent lives in Florida, and when she read the manuscript she said, “Wow. I can really feel how cold they are!”

My other Bell Harbor books are set in the summer and that also plays into my plotlines. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable so Michiganders know that if you have a beautiful day, you’d better go outside and make the most of it. And my characters know that, too.

Describe your ideal first date.
It’s been a while since I went on a date! My husband and I have fun going to Lowe’s so I don’t think that would work for a budding romance. But I think the ideal first date would be one where the couple is doing an activity they both enjoy so neither feels uncomfortable, and there should be lots and lots of talking, listening and laughing. Now if someone were to take me on a date, I think I’d want to go to a great museum. Then have dinner at an elegant seafood restaurant. And hold hands. And everything would feel sparkly and tingly.

What are you working on next?
My next project is a Christmas novella called Jingle Bell Harbor. It’s about a woman who works at the world’s largest Christmas store and has lost all sense of holiday magic until she comes home to Bell Harbor and gets reacquainted with an old flame. After that, I’m working on a World War II novel that will be quite a departure from my other stories. Then it’s back to romantic comedy! I’ve recently signed a contract for four more.

What would you like to ask the next “7 Questions” Romance participant?
If you had to spend the weekend with one of your heroes, who would you chose and why?

Fans of muscle-bound, tough-as-nails romance heroes are sure to find plenty to love in Lori Foster's Holding Strong, the newest installment in her Ultimate series, which takes place in the world of mixed martrial arts fighters. When Cherry Payton, a independent and charming daycare worker trying to put a painful past behind her, meets the ultimate alpha male, Denver Lewis, all bets on resisting their attraction are off. We caught up with Lori Foster and chatted about MMA, her ideal date night and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A hunky MMA fighter wants more than just one night with a woman fleeing her past and those who would hurt her.

What inspired you to pen a series based in the world of MMA fighters?
I’ve always been a fan of MMA. The sport has been refined over the years and now features some of the most elite athletes in the world—very ripped, alpha athletes. Any high-level sports competition would require an intense schedule, keen intelligence and a lot of motivation and dedication which helps create the perfect backdrop for romantic conflict, as well as the perfectly capable hero.

This is actually my second series of MMA fighters, and the first was very popular with readers. I’ve loosely tied the series together with cameos from the first set of male protagonists in this series.

What makes your two heroes, Denver and Cherry, such a great match?
Their personalities are like the ying and yang of relationships. Cherry is smart and independent, and so madly in love with Denver that, when he doesn’t immediately reciprocate, she tries to hide her feelings and of course, Denver misinterprets that.

Denver is big and macho, something of a nice chauvinist because while he trusts in Cherry’s intelligence, he enjoys the role of bigger, stronger protector.

Once they do finally get together, Cherry wants to insulate their new relationship from all the ugliness of her past, but Denver badly wants to eradicate the ugliness for her.

Finally they have to work together and protect each other.

What does your ideal date night look like?
My husband and I have been together almost 37 years, and we’re very much in sync. We both love dinner out at a casual restaurant—steak for him, grilled chicken for me—and then an early movie, usually an action or horror flick. (He doesn’t mind “chick flicks” but I’m not a fan.) Then it's back home to relax together on the couch watching the news or one of our select TV series. We’re both very much homebodies, totally casual, and if we’re in crowds, we prefer them to be crowds of family and our menagerie of pets.

As an avid movie-lover, what’s your favorite book to film adaptation?
Now I feel terrible, but I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that was made into a movie. The books I LOVE (romance novels) haven’t been made into movies, and the movies I love were not, to my knowledge, ever books. If they were, I didn’t read them.

I remember a wonderful Linda Howard book that was made into a TV movie, and if I hadn’t been told it was based on the book, I’d never have recognized it, so I can’t say it was a fave. The book, YES, the movie, definitely not. I’ve never read Fifty Shades, but I might eventually see the movie . . . maybe when it’s available in the privacy of my own home. 😉 Some of my favorite movies are A History of Violence, Perfect Get Away, John Wick and Equalizer. They may have been books, but I have no idea.

If you had to spend the weekend with one of your heroes, who would you choose and why?
Hmm . . . well, it’d be one of the guys on a lake, like one of the Buckhorn brothers, or Dare or Jackson from the Men of Honor series, or maybe even Joe Winston from the Visitation series. I’m going to say . . . Gabe, from the Buckhorn brothers, because the other guys I mentioned would intimidate me for sure, but Gabe is pretty laid-back and relaxed. I think we could just do a few boat rides and swim. 

What would you like to ask the next “7 Questions” Romance participant?
What’s their favorite character who was easier to write or a plot that kept him / her engaged. As an author, I know some are just plain harder than others. 🙂 The ones that practically write themselves make it all worthwhile!

When Kitty Grant returns to her hometown of Cailkirn, Alaska, after a painful divorce, Tack MacKinnon isn't exactly the first person she wants to see. But there's no way to avoid him for long, and soon they find themselves in a friends-with-benefits situation. True feelings start to surface, but can they overcome their fears and painful pasts in order to make it as a couple? 

We caught up with Lucy Monroe and chatted about Alaska's natural beauty, the importance of imperfect characters and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
Wild Heat is a wild emotional ride about best friends who prove that second chances aren’t just worth taking, they’re worth fighting for and steamy sex isn’t just about two bodies coming together but two hearts colliding.

What inspired you to set your new Northern Fire series in a small Alaskan town?
I went to Alaska and I fell in love: with the small towns we visited, the often quirky people we met, the landscape, the whole experience. Stories started rolling through my head like movies from the first step onto Alaskan soil and they didn’t stop once I got home. Creating a series to tell those stories seemed like a natural step to take. Finding a publisher and the time to write the stories . . . now that was something else entirely.

Have you ever traveled to Alaska?
Yes. And I’m eager to go back. Our next trip will be longer and will probably be limited to the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, but life is fluid, so I’m so not writing that in stone.

What do you love most about Kitty Grant and Tack MacKinnon?
They love each other in a way few people do and when you add the way they are in love with each other on top of that, they have such a special bond. And still they manage to screw it up. That gives us hope. Because, come on, if they can screw something so amazing up and then turn around and somehow fix it—even after all the pain, the rest of us have a chance to make life work too. I love that Tack is such a protector and Kitty is too. In their own ways, they care so very deeply about their families and the people that they love. It’s admitting they love each other that’s hard. And honestly, I find that that endearing. I like imperfect people because I am one.

What does your ideal date night look like?
My ideal date night starts with the ideal partner and that’s my husband. He’s amazing. [Happy sigh.] A gorgeous, romantic guy who is not perfect, but is absolutely the guy for me. The “ideal” date would be a warm evening. We’d start with dinner at an outdoor café—not too crowded, the food is good, the service friendly but not unctuous—and it’s followed by some form of live entertainment (a play in the park, music at the Schnitz, a ballet); we stop for dessert and decaf espressos at The Heathman’s Library bar and go home to make love. In fact, I think that sounds like a night that needs to happen sometime very soon.

Out of all the characters in your novels, who is your favorite character to write?
The easy answer would be one of the characters I’m working on right now, but would that be the truth? Honestly, I think my favorite character to ever write might well have been Kitty from Wild Heat because in so many ways, she reminds me of my baby sister and I adore her. But then so does Jillian from The Real Deal (for very different reasons), so honestly, I don’t know. Every character crawls inside my heart and digs their own little home there. Some make me laugh, some make me cry and some make me so mad I want to spank them.

What would you like to ask the next “7 Questions” Romance participant?
If you could go back and change something about one of your already published books, would you and what would it be?

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing J.R. Ward (onstage, no less) about her latest novel, The Bourbon Kings, during her Salon@615 appearance in Nashville. Ward is well known for her best-selling paranormal Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but with The Bourbon Kings, which was selected as our August Romance Top Pick, she steps into the contemporary, drama-filled world of Kentucky high society.

The hilarious Ward began the interview promising “No f-bombs, no cursing.” She made it seven minutes before breaking that promise.  

Tell us a bit about your new series.
I’m from Boston and New York, and I married a Southern gentleman. The textbook way of dealing with a marriage is you actually have to live with the guy that you walk down the aisle with. So when he turned to me and said, “I no longer know what I’m doing in New England,” I said, “I am not moving to Kentucky.” And we all know how that went, because if I hadn’t have moved down here I wouldn’t have written The Bourbon Kings.

They have this adage for authors that you should write what you know, and that actually didn’t work with the vampire series, because I haven’t met any vampires. But it did work very well with The Bourbon Kings. I think that one of the things that makes books interesting, aside from good conflict, is a regional vocabulary and world-building that is at once unique and captivating, something that’s sort of out of the ordinary. And I think that Southern culture and the Southern lifestyle is a very specific regional character in and of itself. I feel like the South is its own character; it’s not like any other place in the United States. 

When I first pitched the idea about five years ago, my publisher said that people love the South. They’re fascinated by it. I think there are more expectations for behavior down here; it’s not the Regency ton, but there are certain expectations that can create conflict between characters. So between me moving down here and spending 10 years in the South—really immersing myself in that culture because that’s where I live now—and recognizing that it offers some really interesting territory to explore as an author, that’s where I really came to the character of the book itself.

As an expat Yankee, did you experience any culture shock when you moved down here?
(Facial expressions galore.) No not at all. [It was a] seamless transition that made me realize that I have always been Southern my entire life. I’m a born and bred Bostonian-New Yorker. And I think my heart's always going to be up there, my hard-wiring is always going to be up there. I’m one of those annoying little people that’s always working, and I can remember dating my husband, and he’d sort of stroll down the street and I’d be power-walking. But he slowed me down, and I love living down here. I love college basketball, I love being able to have a great yard for my dog and my kid, and frankly I love the weather. I can remember moving down here and the tornado sirens going off in September, and we’re in the basement for the third night in a row. I look at my husband, and I’m like, “I’m from Boston, I don’t do this!” But now, 10 years on, I love big storms. I love that there are four seasons—Winter doesn’t last from October to May. I get back to New York for work a lot, but I love the South now.

After writing paranormal romance for so long, what inspired this new series to be in a contemporary setting?
My mentor is [best-selling mystery author] Sue Grafton, and she—Oh! I can actually curse! And it’s legal because she said it! So she said, "If you’re not scaring the shit out of yourself, you’re not working hard enough." The lawyer in me is thrilled that I found a loophole.

I love writing the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And as long as they keep talking to me, God willing, I am still going to write them. I have six books planned out at this point. But I think that it’s important that you keep challenging yourself and scaring yourself. It’s really important that you don’t go stale. And I love “Dynasty.” In case you haven’t noticed, I kind of want to be Alexis Carrington Colby?

So I love watching “Dynasty,” but I also watch the market very carefully. And it’s not that I write to the market, but I want to know what people want to read. This is a job for me. I love what I do, but I also want to publish at a really high level. So the question is, with the stuff that spits out of my brain, what are the nexuses, what are the connections, to popular culture. What are you watching on TV, what are you reading about in books and magazines—besides the freakin’ Kardashians, who I am so tired of.

But anyway, I did think it was important to try and do something else, to do something different. So when the Fallen Angels series came to its conclusion, I went to my publisher and I said I had this idea: It’s “Dynasty,” it’s “Dallas” and “Knots Landing,” it’s "Downton Abbey" in the New South—and she said, “Don’t use the word family saga or no one will ever buy it.” But she said, “Write the outline, show me what you got.” And I wrote it and she said it was really good, and I thought, “Thank God.” They bought three books, and you’ll notice the connections between it and the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Both of them have core groups of people instead of just one couple or even just one family. I love exploring an entire community, and I love exploring different dynamics in a community, people’s lives and how they interact.

So I wanted to be Alexis and this is as close as I can get.

                               

What do you think will appeal most to Black Dagger Brotherhood series readers about The Bourbon Kings?
There is banging. There might be some. 

I think what you’re also going to find is really good conflict. Aside from the fact that there are romantic elements, the single thing I love best about the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is the “what’s next” factor. And I think The Bourbon Kings has that as well. I think real life is a lot like that. You always want to know what’s going to happen next.  Hopefully, that—well I don’t want to say addicting quality because that makes me sound like a crack dealer—but I mean that people will be invested enough in your stories to come back for more.

With all the luxurious details about the palatial family estate of Easterly, the beautiful gowns, and the upstairs/downstairs dynamic, this novel almost feels historical, like "Downton Abbey." Just like with a historical novel, I felt that you must have been doing some digging into Southern culture. What sort of research did you do for The Bourbon Kings?
I didn’t do a lot of research. My husband comes from a very old Southern family. And the South is full of characters. The difference between the South and the North is that Southern people actually like eccentric folk, and Northerners want to sort of iron us all out and make us all smooth and put us in boxes. And Southerners are like, “Oh they’re crazy! Fantastic!” So people have been really kind to me. Because I’m nuts.

There’s one thing that was very different [about writing The Bourbon Kings]. [With] the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, all those people were in my head, fully formed from the beginning. No people in real life influenced them at all. But I found that with The Bourbon Kings, there are some Southern characters that I have met that are such caricatures of themselves, that they’re in The Bourbon Kings. Lizzie and Greta are both based on two of my really good friends; Samuel T. Lodge is based on one of my husband’s hunting buddies; one of my poker player friends is the Master Distiller, just because they’re such evocative people. And that’s a departure for me. They’re not exact, they’re sort of broadly representative of these people, because they’re just so fascinating, just wonderful characters. So I didn’t do a lot of research; I just lived here for 10 years.

I was struck by the world-building of the estate of Easterly—and Easterly is another world. You’re known for your detailed world-building in paranormal romances, and I was wondering how the writing process differed for The Bourbon Kings?
It really didn’t. Other than being at a cocktail party and being like, “You’re going in the book.” There are some grand Southern estates that still exist, that have [a huge] number of people working in them. And you’re right, it is almost historical. You go into these homes and see the lifestyles. There almost isn’t a place in modern life for it anymore. The idea that your needs are so completely catered to by other people, and that you’re experiencing your own home as a hotel that has waves of gardeners and rules for what door [workers] can go out. It’s so captivating because you think to yourself, “This can’t exist anymore.” I find it charming, I find it slightly frightening and naïve, but most of all I find it captivating. The idea that modern life has very few rules anymore in terms of who you can marry, who you can be with, who you can associate with, what you wear—and there’s a certain stratosphere that those rules that existed a hundred years ago are still in place. And God save you if you violate them. So I kind of wanted to bring that forward.

Without spoiling any plot elements, I can say that there are some elements of mystery in this series, which is new for you.  What was it like building in an overarching mystery?
Have you ever been in an out of control car? I have, not once but several times, and I drive the way I write, which is not good. I have no control over anything. What happens is, when I start to write, the pictures in my head start going, and if I try to tweak them in any way, they stop. And I am a bona-fide blonde. I’m not that bright. I am not capable of thinking these stories up, so I step back and let them do what they’re going to do. And my job is to record what I’m seeing on the page. I go with what I’m shown. I don’t have any conscious thought of introducing anything into the series. When I outline the book, I need to know where I’m going. A lot of thought goes into the outlining process, but it’s just a function of putting into some chronology that is logical that which I’m being shown in my head.

I love bourbon, so I have to ask. Do you have a favorite bourbon drink?
I don’t drink alcohol. And isn’t that a relief—can you imagine this shit drunk?

RELATED CONTENT: Read our review of The Bourbon Kings.

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This interview has been edited for length and content. 
(Author photo by Andrew Hyslop)

There’s no better time for romance than the holidays! Celebrate the season with A Knights Bridge Christmas by Carla Neggers, the story of a harried doctor and the woman who helps him slow down and enjoy life—and decorate his grandmother's home for Christmas. In a 7 Questions interview, we asked Neggers about libraries, small towns and her own holiday traditions. 

Describe your book in one sentence.
In A Knights Bridge Christmas, a busy ER doctor enlists a young widow to help him decorate his grandmother’s house for Christmas in her small New England hometown, and the hope, love and memories they discover are more than either ever imagined.

How do you toggle between writing the charming romances of your Swift River Valley series and your romantic suspense novels?
I love writing these two series! I hear from readers who enjoy diving into both worlds, and I feel the same as a writer. The small town of Knights Bridge in the Swift River Valley series and the small FBI unit and community in the Sharpe and Donovan series feature characters tested in different ways, but the issues of trust, love, family and hope they face aren’t all that different. I often think of beloved author Mary Stewart, who reportedly eschewed labels for her writing and once said, “'Storyteller' is an old and honorable title, and I’d like to lay claim to it.”

How did you settle on the career of librarian for Clare Morgan, the heroine of A Knights Bridge Christmas?
Knights Bridge needed a new librarian after Phoebe O’Dunn, who grew up in town, resigned when she became engaged to Noah Kendrick, a Southern California billionaire. As much as she loved her job, she’s embracing a new life. Clare was perfect for the job! She wanted a fresh start for herself and her young son, and the people of Knights Bridge have welcomed her, giving her space but also keeping a protective eye on her.

What’s your favorite thing about the relationship between Clare and ER doctor Logan?
The chemistry between Clare and Logan! It’s unmistakable from the start, but the spirit of the Christmas season, the small-town traditions of Knights Bridge and the old house Clare and Logan are decorating—filled with reminders of his grandparents’ long marriage—all play into their relationship. Logan is the type to move fast and push hard, but his grandparents’ hometown and its new librarian force him to slow down and take care of what truly matters.

You grew up in rural Massachusetts. Do you draw from your own experiences when writing about the small New England town of Knights Bridge?
Oh, yes. Knights Bridge is fictional, but the area where it’s located is real. Our family homestead is on the edge of Quabbin Reservoir, a huge pre-World War II project that changed this part of New England forever. As a kid, I’d climb a tree with pad and pen and look out at the Quabbin “accidental wilderness,” as I wrote, imagining the lives of the people who’d lived in the small towns razed to create the reservoir. I also spent countless hours in my hometown library, which is the inspiration for the Knights Bridge library—including the rumors that it’s haunted.

What’s your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Christmas carols! I’m especially fond of the traditional carols like “Joy to the World,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Every Christmas Eve, we listen to “Nine Lessons and Carols” from England on the radio. For me, the Christmas season connects the joys of the past and the hope of the future through our traditions and celebrations. Carols are one of those traditions. Not that I can sing, mind you.

Do you have any holiday traditions you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to our annual Christmas Eve tea. It’s a tradition that started out of necessity given varying family schedules. This year, we’re adjusting the menu because our 6-year-old grandson has been diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that means he can’t consume any gluten. I am learning how to make creme brule, which is naturally gluten-free. A new twist on our Christmas tea tradition!

Author photo by Julie Ireland

Emily March's charming story of second chance love, Reunion Pass, is our Romance Top Pick for April. We asked the New York Times bestselling author about the Colorado Rockies and her ideal desert-island hero—and even wheedled out a cherished recipe.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
Reunion Pass is the romance that Eternity Springs readers have been asking for since the first book in the series, and it explores whether or not young love can truly stand the tests of time—when aided by dogs, family, friends and maybe an angel.

What inspired you to set your Eternity Springs series in the Colorado Rockies?
My family has Colorado roots, and I spent every summer in the Colorado Rockies when I was growing up. It's such a beautiful place, and when I decided to create a world that may or may not be populated by an angel, I couldn't think of a more heavenly and appropriate spot. 

What’s your favorite thing about the series (and town!) Eternity Springs?
My favorite thing about Eternity Springs is that I regularly get emails from readers who say they want to live in Eternity Springs. That’s how I know I’ve done a good job.

If you had to be trapped on a desert island with one fictional character, who would it be?
Initially, I thought of Roarke [from J.D. Robb’s In Death series], but he is so happily married that choosing him doesn’t seem right.  So, I’m going with Harry Dresden [from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher].

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Long, hot, candlelit, scented baths with a glass or two of nice red wine and a historical romance novel.

Last year you went on a cruise to Lisbon, Portugal, with fellow romance author Christina Dodd! What was your favorite moment from the trip?
Had to have been the night we joined the captain for dinner and plotted murder at sea with fellow diners—a hostage negotiator, a British magazine publisher with strong opinions about “puerile” fiction, an American ex-pat paper artist and a South African lawyer. Guess who I wanted to push overboard.

Your author site mentions a legendary jalapeño relish . . . Dare we ask for the recipe?
Well . . . since you asked nicely:

Emily March’s Jalapeño Relish for Tailgate Fame 

Ingredients:

6 jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
4 small yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup of carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Cooking Instructions:

In a saucepan, add apple cider vinegar and sugar over low heat. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
Add jalapeño peppers, onion, and carrots.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add mustard and dill.
Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Great with brats or hamburgers or brisket. Mix it into cream cheese for a wonderful dip. Is it football season yet?

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Author photo by Kelly Williams Photography.

There’s a reason Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been crowned the Queen of Romantic Comedy. Since publishing her first romance novel in 1983, Phillips has become known for her signature sense of humor and her relatable, flawed and lovable heroines. Not only that, Phillips created the genre of sports romance, has hit the New York Times bestseller list multiple times and was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 2001.

Phillips’ latest novel, First Star I See Tonight, is the eighth in her popular Chicago Stars series and our September Romance Top Pick. Heroine Piper Dove is trying to get her fledgling detective agency off the ground. Her first assignment is to follow recently retired Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham—and she’s failing miserably. But luckily for Piper, Cooper is in need of someone to keep an eye on the employees at his new nightclub, and he hires the headstrong Piper. The pair grate on each other’s last nerve, but they can’t deny a certain spark when they’re together. Nor can they deny that someone has it out for Cooper, and Piper may be the only one who can protect him.  

“We have these two extremely determined people, both of them highly competitive, going head to head,” Phillips says. With most romances, the attraction between the hero and heroine is instant and all consuming. But Phillips prefers to make things a bit more difficult for her characters. “There is an instant animosity. . . . I like this active dislike and how they work through that, and watching that whole journey—that is just my favorite sort of story to tell.” 

A return to the ever-popular Chicago Stars football team wasn’t initially in her plans. In fact, Phillips thought she had closed the series in 2001 with This Heart of Mine. “I really felt at that point that I couldn’t bring anything fresh to the whole series, to that story of the football player,” she says. But after a few years, she felt the pull of Chicago again, and if she’s thinking about setting a novel in Chicago, the Stars inevitably creep into her thoughts, along with fresh takes on the Stars’ many players, agents and the women who love them. “My husband says the Chicago Stars have had more retired quarterbacks than any team in the NFL.” 

One refrain in First Star I See Tonight is Piper’s struggle with sexism. Overt femininity doesn’t come naturally to Piper. She’s trained in offensive and defensive driving, can take down a man twice her size and is most comfortable in a sweatshirt. Yet she struggles to be taken seriously by men. Phillips doesn’t shy away from tackling the issue of sexism. “I think when you’re writing about women, this is something you have to think about. . . . When you’ve got a heroine in a very masculine world, this is something she’s going to have to deal with.” 

Phillips came of age in the 1960s and ’70s, a time when many things we think of as routine today, like a married woman getting a credit card under her own name, were impossible. It was also a time when women’s issues were making their way onto the national stage. “So many young women today don’t know about [how things were then]. So when I hear women say, oh, I’m not a feminist, I just roll my eyes. I think, Honey, if you’d been there when I was there, you would be.” When I ask Phillips, who was involved in the childbirth movement in the 1970s, if she would call herself a feminist, she doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely! I think almost every romance writer I know would consider herself a feminist. We write about strong women.” 

However, this wasn’t always the case in the romance novel world. When the genre first burst onto the publishing scene in the 1970s and early ’80s, there was one disturbingly popular trope: rape. As a modern romance reader, this trend from the past has always baffled me. According to Phillips, I’m not alone. “Those books don’t necessarily stand the test of time very well. Younger readers do not get those books.” But Phillips has a fascinating theory as to why such a violent act was portrayed as an act of passion instead of a crime. “We grew up having to be good girls. And that meant no sex out of marriage. So the only way you could have great sex outside of marriage was if it wasn’t your fault. That’s where it all came from. And did any of us who were reading that want to be raped? Absolutely not! It was a total fantasy, and it was a reaction to the way we had been brought up.”

Romance writing has changed a lot since then, and Phillips has been there at every turn. “I pretty much got to see it all,” she says. When Phillips started her career, the publishing industry had been working the same way for 50 years. “Then, through the course of my career, I watched the rise of social media, the complete change in the way readers and writers now interact and, of course, the whole eBook phenomenon.” Phillips, who wrote her first few books on a typewriter, says that watching these changes has been exciting. As for her next move? “You know, I’m just exploring,” she says. “So we’re just gonna see where things go.” Let’s hope that exploration leads to a new novel in the near future.  

Author photo by Peter Irman.

We sat down with Jennifer Ryan more than two years ago at the 2014 RWA Conference in San Antonio, back when she was looking forward to her print debut, and this month, her latest novel, Her Renegade Rancher, is our Romance Top Pick. In this interview, we talk to Ryan about what's changed in the years since our first chat, why she prefers cowboys and more. 

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
A sexy Montana rancher rekindles a once-thought forbidden romance and puts his life on the line to be her renegade rancher.

When we met up with you in 2014, you were looking forward to your debut print novel. What’s changed in your romance world since then?
So many wonderful things have happened. Since my debut Saved by the Rancher came out, I’ve become a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and published The Hunted, McBride and Montana Men series for a total of 17 novels and novellas once His Cowboy Heart comes out in February 2017. I’ve met so many of my goals and written the books that excited and challenged me. I love what I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else. Which is why I’m always dreaming up new ideas for the next series. The success I’ve achieved has proven to me—and been a great example for my kids—that if you work hard, stick with it through the ups and downs and learn all you can about what you want to do, you will achieve what you set your mind to do.

A cowboy, a billionaire businessman and a pirate walk into a bar. Who do you choose?
Hands down, I’ll take the cowboy! Any guy who works hard, plays harder, loves their woman and thinks that home and family is everything is the one for me.

Your series is called Montana Men. Have you ever travelled to Montana?
No. Believe it or not, I live in Northern California where we have a lot of farming and ranching. As a young girl, I got to go to my friend’s small ranch and ride horses. I loved it. A lot of people who hear the word “cowboy” don’t think of California, so I set the series in the one place that I would love to visit. I love the great outdoors, and you can’t beat the Montana landscape. Big Sky country is an amazing backdrop for romance—and a little suspense.

What’s your favorite thing about your heroine, Luna Hill?
Her heart. She’s dedicated to her friends and preserving the legacy she unexpectedly inherits and loves with her whole heart. She’s got an inner strength that shines through and helps her cope when times are tough—two things Colt loves about her.

If you were to write a historical romance novel, what time period would it be set in and why?
I have a serious addiction to reading historical novels. I love getting lost in another time and place. Scottish laird books are my favorite, so if I ever wrote a historical, it would probably be a big, strapping laird—they’re kind of like Scottish cowboys, right?

What’s next for you?
After Her Renegade Rancher, I’ve got the last two Montana Men books. Luna’s sexy lawyer gets an unexpected surprise in Snowbound at Christmas, and Colt’s brother Ford gets a second chance at love when Jamie returns from the military to claim His Cowboy Heart.

Debbie Macomber is a many-times-over New York Times bestselling author known for her compelling and multifaceted contemporary romances and her annual Christmas novels. Her holiday offering this year, Twelve Days of Christmas, is our Top Pick in Romance for December. We asked Macomber a few questions about the idyllic town in Washington where she lives, her favorite holiday traditions and more. 

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
Twelve Days of Christmas is a story about a woman’s experiment of killing someone with kindness and learning that she is the one who is affected most. 

How long have you been writing your annual Christmas romances, and what sparked the idea?
I believe I started writing a Christmas story as early as the mid-1990s. In other words, a long time. 

As for what sparked the idea for Twelve Days of Christmas . . . It came about from an incident I had while Christmas shopping. A woman stole my parking spot just as I was about to park. I didn’t exactly have Christian thoughts at the time, and wished I’d handled the situation differently. 

When we meet Cain, he’s quite the rude Scrooge. Were there any challenges to writing such an initially unlikable hero?
My heroine’s dislike of Cain is initially sparked by another incident that happened to me. Wayne and I lived in a condo and someone took our newspaper. Again, the Christian side of me was absent that day. It was interesting to explore why someone might lift another person’s newspaper and why they would be grumpy in the morning, aside from not being a morning person.

Christmas doesn’t mean much to Cain, but to me, it means a great deal. I find it valuable to write characters that aren’t like me because they help me to understand another person’s point of view or motivation.

What turned out to be your favorite trait of Cain’s?
I needed something that would show his tender side, and that became apparent in the way he cared for his grandfather. No one is all good or all bad. There needs to be a balance. 

Tell us about your two businesses in Port Orchard, Washington, a place that has inspired many of your romance novels.
The Grey House Café has recently been renovated with new carpeting, tables and chairs, and a fresh coat of paint inside and out. They also carry my books and many are autographed, plus we’re fortunate to have a Hallmark store within that features gift and tea items. The café still serves the same great menu with a few new items to stimulate the appetite.

My yarn store, A Good Yarn Shop, closed in November after eight wonderful years of friendship and community. I hope to encourage knitters and crocheters to continue with community and a sense of giving by contributing to Knit One, Bless Two or World Vision’s Knit for Kids. 

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Oh my, that’s difficult to answer because I enjoy them all. I look forward to baking cookies with the grandkids, shopping with them for other children who are less fortunate, family Bingo. I love our family buffet feast on Christmas Day, lighting the candles on the Advent wreath and hosting Christmas Teas for my author, knitting and swimming friends. Christmas Eve church service is so meaningful to me. All those add up to a beautiful holiday season.

What’s next for you?
My husband and I are taking an extended cruise in which I plan to empty my mind and gather new ideas for more books to come. Publishing wise, my next book is titled If Not For You, which is a story of healing and hope. 

(Author photo by Deborah Feingold.)

We talk to Catherine Anderson about her new novel, Mulberry Moon, her great love of animals and her [avoidance of] New Year's resolutions.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence. 
Mulberry Moon features people at their best and worst, their triumphs over the hard knocks of life and the beautiful transformation that love can bring about, both between a man and a woman and an estranged mother and daughter.

Ben is a big animal lover. Is this a trait you share? 
I love all kinds of animals, large or small. I adore my son’s horses, our dogs, our cats, the deer and elk on our field and my appreciation extends to fowl, wild or domestic. I do prefer to admire bears, cougars and moose from a safe distance though . . . We have a great horned owl on our new land in Montana. He has decided that the peaks of our new home, which are higher than all the trees on our land, are a far better roost than the old snag he always used. And tonight, to my delight, I discovered that he has a mate. I am looking forward to spring and great horned owl babies! So, yes, I am definitely an animal enthusiast, and that comes across in my work.

Sissy has had a difficult life. What do you admire most about her? 
I admire Sissy’s determination and success at being a woman who can stand on her own two feet without needing a male counterpart. Though she may yearn for a relationship with a good man, she is committed to her independence, which, in the end, allows her to fall in love without any actual need, but rather a realization that Ben can enrich her life, and vice versa, in ways she never contemplated. She grows as the book unfolds and comes to understand that loving someone doesn’t mean she is a possession or a person who can’t survive alone. I think this is an empowering message to all women, including me.

Does your 160-acre home in the Central Oregon forest inspire your work? 
Oh, yes. Cinnamon Ridge is incredibly beautiful. But I recently moved to Montana and now enjoy vistas that are equally, if not more, inspiring.  I’m having a huge adventure here and coming to love this awesome state.

What does a romantic evening for you look like? 
For me, a romantic evening isn’t necessarily about the stage props. The setting itself isn’t as important to me as the person I’m with. An evening walk almost anywhere can be romantic. Eating take-out pizza can be romantic with the right man. Meaningful conversation, holding hands and kissing beneath a night sky is enough for me to set the mood.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? 
I tend to avoid making resolutions on New Year’s. I’ve learned that doing so sets me up for failure. I prefer to really think about making a challenging change at some other time of the year when I’m focused on the realities that I will face. Then I plan my battle strategy. 

What’s next for you? 
Right now, I’m writing a Christmas love story. The working title is The Christmas Room.