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.

Alisha Rai’s Hate to Want You was easily the most sought-after galley at this year’s RT Booklovers Convention. Rai’s reputation for absorbing interpersonal drama coupled with unforgettably hot love scenes (and that stunning cover!) guaranteed intense interest, and the word-of-mouth buzz has been growing for months. Now that her first book with romance giant Avon has finally been released to glowing reviews, we talked to Rai about her biggest Twitter pet peeve, how she wove family issues and mental health into Hate to Want You’s love story and her past as a romance novel-obsessed teenager.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
It's grown-up Romeo and Juliet plus mature adult communication minus the sad ending stuff plus secret annual hookups.

I’ve seen a lot of comments online comparing this book to Romeo and Juliet. Did you have that play in mind while writing, or was it only after the book was finished that you saw the similarities?
When I first got the idea for the book, I jotted down "their only love sprang from their only hate," so yes! But ultimately, I think the Romeo and Juliet comparison is only really applicable in that the two main characters have a bit of a family feud to contend with.

I was riveted by how realistically Nicolas and Livvy’s internal issues and traumas complicate the relationship between them, and also their relationships with other characters. How did you develop such emotionally nuanced conflict in Hate to Want You?
I think a lot of developing nuanced characters is being utterly charmed by how messy humans are. People are complex, imperfect, convoluted creatures. Love (any kind of love) is funny, because it's often like working through a grab bag of puzzle pieces from a million different puzzles that don't and shouldn't really go together. Getting those pieces together in a way where the end result makes the characters happier together than without each other is difficult without conflict.

Sometimes that conflict feels like it's insurmountable, but I think maturity and communication can alter perspectives and help ease those puzzle pieces into place. People can fit, even if it seems like their issues might keep them apart.

You’ve loved romance since sneaking a romance novel out of the library when you were a teenager. Do you remember which book it was? What sort of books introduced you to romance?
Yes! It was a Shirley Busbee, though I don't remember the actual book. The cover caught my attention, because I was thirteen, and almost naked people were what I was really into at the time (this was pre-Tumblr).

After that, I read every single romance that the library had in it. Historicals at first, because they were the easiest to identify, but romance is vast, so I quickly graduated to suspense and contemporaries and paranormals and sci-fi. Nothing was safe from me.

What is your biggest Twitter pet peeve?
That the gif function doesn't have every single gif of Jason Momoa as Aquaman yet.

Did Livvy or Nicholas change a lot throughout the writing process? Or were their personalities fairly clear to you from the beginning?
My heroines are almost always very clear to me from the beginning, and Livvy was a smart, sassy, wild-haired artist from the first page.

Nicholas took a lot more work. In fact, in early drafts, I struggled a lot with the opening, and I finally realized it was because it started in Nicholas's point of view. A hero not given to emotional displays of emotion is a difficult place to start a romance. He finally gelled for me, but he was a tough nut to crack.

Both characters come to epiphanies about their relationships with their parents that drastically change their view of them. How did you approach writing the early scenes between Livvy and her mother, and Nicholas and his father? Did you want to imply the emotional truth of those relationships early on, or have readers go on a journey alongside the characters?
Definitely the latter. Relationships with parents are ongoing, never-ending journeys that rarely have perfect tidy endings. Nicholas and Livvy's relationships with all of their family members will continue to evolve past the end of this book (and will be explored in the other books in the series as well).

One of the most moving aspects of this book for me was your insight into Livvy’s mental health and the mindfulness techniques she relies on. Have you found these helpful in your own life? Or did they come from research you did into coping strategies?
A little bit of both. I think there's some coping mechanisms that are pretty widespread because they're almost instinctive. Specific techniques mostly came from research and consultants (@TGStoneButch on Twitter has many invaluable resources on coping with trauma and anxiety, for example).

What’s next for you?
Nicholas and Livvy each have a sibling and I can't leave them hanging! Wrong to Need You will be out in November, and Hurts to Love You will be out in the spring of 2018.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Hate to Want You.

It takes a lot to stand out in the annual deluge of holiday-themed romance novels. Kieran Kramer's Christmas at Two Love Lane—with its charming (and only mildly cold) Charleston setting, matchmaker heroine and perfect blend of sweetness and sass—did just that. We talked to Kramer about Christmas in the South, how she decides if the humor in her books is working and what she thinks is the least romantic holiday activity.

Describe your latest book in a sentence.
Christmas at Two Love Lane is the first in a fun romantic series about three matchmakers finding their own paths to love in Charleston, South Carolina.

It was so fun to read a Christmas-themed novel set in the South! What was your inspiration for the setting, and what attracted you to Charleston in particular?
I grew up here in the Lowcountry, on a rural sea island called Johns Island, and consider Charleston my home. Christmas in the South is great. Charlestonians love their parties year-round, so around the holidays they go all out. Count on copious amounts of spiked eggnog and bourbon flowing at every event. The front doors downtown are always gorgeous, but around the holidays, the wreaths and trimmings are spectacular. I also love the nighttime boat parade in the harbor. And have you ever seen a palmetto tree swathed in lights? It's beautiful—and very merry!

Do people ever ask you to serve as a matchmaker or give them relationship advice because of your books? Do you think you'd be a good matchmaker?
This question makes me laugh because I can't tell you the number of taxi drivers in New York or strangers on a plane I've given romantic counsel to. Deep, meaningful chats that go to the heart of the matter are sometimes more possible with strangers, you know? And everyone seems to want love advice these days!

As for my friends and family, I secretly think I should have been a matchmaker in another life! I love getting people together. Have I had a lot of success with it? I think so. I've never seen anyone marry as a result of my date-strategizing on their behalf, but I've at least provided opportunities for people to get together. As Macy Frost says in the book, a matchmaker can only take a couple so far. They have to fall in love on their own.

You have a real knack for snappy dialogue and funny situations. How do you know when the humor in your book is working?
Thanks. The more I write, the more I realize I would have had a lot of fun trying to write for TV sitcoms because dialogue is my thing. I'd especially love to write for Tina Fey.

I know when the humor is working in my books when I'm not forcing it. It flows. And it makes me laugh out loud. I always feel sassy and powerful when I write funny. It's a great feeling.

Honestly, I'd like to go even further with my humor, which includes a love of the "out there," the absurd. I'm a huge fan of George Saunders and Aimee Bender. I'm working on some short stories right now in my MFA program. It's very freeing to explore my limits.

What was the most challenging part of writing Christmas at Two Love Lane?
I was writing this book over the holiday season in 2016 when I was living alone for the first time in my life, so that was very challenging. It gave me a new appreciation for people who don't have a solid network at the holidays. In late 2016, everyone left home all at once: My Navy husband deployed to Afghanistan for a year, our youngest child started college, and our two older children moved to England and Spain to study and couldn't come home for Christmas. So Christmas morning, my youngest and I made breakfast for the residents of Charleston's Ronald McDonald House. It was a great experience. And it fueled my references in the book about how good it feels to help other people during the holidays. It's the best gift you can give yourself, honestly.

When you worked as an English teacher, what was your favorite book to teach and why?
Great question! I could talk all day about books. I'd have to say The Pearl was a great novella to read in a classroom of kids who are intimidated by reading. It's shorter, it's got a fascinating setting, and it breaks your heart. Middle school and high school kids love to feel emotion. They're so sincere and wise. We don't give them enough credit.

You're a huge fan of Oscar Wilde. If you could magically transport him to the present day, what do you think he'd most enjoy about the 21st century?
First of all, he'd love to go to the great new bar named after him and totally devoted to celebrating him at 45 W. 27th Street in Manhattan. I was there last week, and it rocked! I so wish I could transport him to the present day. . . . I really would love for him to be my best friend. The closest I could get to that was hugging the bronze statue of him at the bar.

Oscar Wilde was wickedly intelligent and fun. He was fully alive. You know when you meet people like that—you want to be around them. Everyone wanted to hang out with Oscar back in the day. The thing he'd enjoy most about the 21st century would be the freedom he'd have to be totally himself without being thrown in jail (at least in most countries). He could go to Pride parades—he'd lead them! He'd love the computer age, I think. He'd be on his smartphone all the time, being snarky. He'd have a couple million followers on Twitter. I think he'd appreciate freedom of expression, above all.

In your humble opinion, what is the least romantic Christmas activity? And what is the most romantic?
The least romantic Christmas activity is standing in line at Target waiting to pay for Christmas gifts when you're both hungry and you can smell the Target popcorn in their cafe, but the line over there is too long to wait for popcorn (and a hot dog with relish for him), so you load up your stuff in the car trunk and tell yourselves you'll go home for a late lunch, but then you remember you forgot funny paper cocktail napkins for the office party, and you get boring ones because that's all they have left, and back at the car, you see the traffic leaving the shopping center is so backed up, you open the bag of candy you were saving for the stockings—and between you, you eat eight Reese's Christmas trees.

The most romantic Christmas activity is getting home after that hellish shopping trip, throwing yourselves on the couch, ordering pizza, skipping that night's party and watching Elf.

What's next for you?
Thanks for asking! Wedding at Two Love Lane is coming out in January 2018. That's Greer's book. And then Ella's book is Second Chance at Two Love Lane. That will be out later in August 2018.

I'll finish up my second year of grad school this coming May—I'll miss being on campus, walking around with my backpack with the other students, 99 percent of whom are half my age. I'll be very proud to graduate with an MFA in Creative Writing. I went back to school simply to blow my mind, kind of how Thoreau went to that pond to get away from the busyness of life. We all have our heads down, don't we? I decided to put the brakes on routine and re-examine who I am and who I want to be.

As for my writing life after grad school, I'm going to continue to explore the short form to keep me on my toes. But my main love is novel writing, especially books for women, so my plan is to get back to doing that full time (I've had to slow down a bit with classes and term papers, etc.).

Starting this May, the sky's the limit. It feels bigger to me now, wider. I'm very excited.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Christmas at Two Love Lane.

Jodi Thomas’ Mornings on Main is a sweet, contemplative romance between two lonely souls who connect in a small Texas town. Already a favorite among romance fans for her Ransom Canyon series, which takes place in a similar setting, Thomas’ newest book combines a contemporary romance with a coming-of-age story, as well as a tender portrait of a close-knit family. We talked to Thomas about her love of small towns and why habits were made to be broken.

Describe your latest novel in a sentence.
Mornings on Main weaves the stories of three women—one who is beginning to collect memories, one who is always leaving the past behind and one who is losing a lifetime.

Before you became a novelist full time, you were a family counselor. Did you bring your expertise to bear in this book?
I think everything I’ve done or studied in my life has become research for my writing.

You’re known for setting your books in small towns in Texas. Why does that particular type of place inspire you so much?
It’s partly because I’ve always lived in small towns and love and understand the people, the way their lives blend and influence one another’s. Also, every summer when I was a kid I used to visit a small town (4,000 people) where I had five sets of aunts and uncle plus dozens of cousins. My uncle always left a horse saddled for me in the backyard so I could go anywhere. I felt free and safe. Maybe in my small town stories, I’m going back to that place.

Why do you think Jillian has never deviated from the way of life she learned from her father?
I think most of us fall into patterns in our lives. Habit outweighs adventure until someone comes along and wakes us up. That’s what happened to Jillian.

Are you a crafter or quilter yourself? If you were to make a quilt with Eugenia, what would you make?
I have a quilt room in my house that has quilts from my grandmothers [going] back three generations. My mother quilted, both my sisters quilt and I do not quilt. When my mother read my first book she said, “Jodi, you quilt with words.”

Sunnie is a great example of a believable teen character—blossoming into her own independence and intelligence, but still prickly and immature at times. How did you thread that needle from a writing standpoint?
Sunnie was a hard character to write. Maybe those years of teaching high school helped me out. I loved that age.

When I first read the premise of Mornings on Main, I expected a lot of angst between Connor and Jillian, but instead, they both try their best to accept that her stay is temporary, no matter how strong their feelings towards each other are. Why did you choose to have your characters react in that way?
Connor is a good man who has always accepted his role in life. He’s settled, sometimes helping others at the cost of his own happiness. But he loves deeply with Jillian. To keep her, he’ll have to fight.

What do you like to read when you’re not reading romance?
Across the board. Reading one kind of romance would be like eating at the same restaurant every night. I love it when I find a book that I can’t put down. The whole world stops for a few hours and I step into the story.

What’s next for you?
I just finished the seventh book in the Ransom Canyon series, which will be out in September. And I’ve spent the last few weeks out in my little hideout we call the bunkhouse. A new story is taking shape on the whiteboards. I’m going back to Laurel Springs—back to Main—only this time I’m opening a tea shop. Hope my readers will drop in next spring.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Mornings on Main.

(Author photo © Portraits by Tracy.)

There are challenging premises for a romance novel (like a less-than-popular time period), and there are premises that can derail the entire book if not handled well (say, a character recovering from abuse). And then there is Roni Loren’s latest series, The Ones Who Got Away, where the central characters are the adult survivors of a school shooting. In the hands of a less talented author, this could have superficial at best, exploitative at worst. But the first book in the series was a critically acclaimed success. And Loren’s detailed, multifaceted depictions of trauma, as well as her empathy for even minor and antagonistic characters, are on full display in its sequel, The One You Can’t Forget. We talked to Loren about what prompted her to take on such a heavy topic in a romance, how she writes emotionally raw conversations and more.

I have to say, I was dubious about this series at first, given its subject matter, but you completely won me over. What made you decide to write a romance with such an emotionally tricky, potentially alienating premise?
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear it won you over. I knew when I got the initial series idea that it could be a hard sell. Not just for readers but for a publishing house. I had to find an editor who believed that this premise could work in a romance. But the idea came to me with such strength that I couldn’t let it go. I needed to tell these stories. When we see tragedies like this happen in the news, we see the victims for a few moments on the screen and then we move on. However, those victims have to go on with their lives, carrying the weight of that grief and trauma with them. I wanted to draw attention to that, how these things have long-term ripple effects on all involved. I chose to tell the stories in a romance because I wanted to give people who have been through so much their happy endings.

The gun violence debate in this country is extremely prominent at the moment, but we’ve been here many times before without much significant change. Do you think this time is any different? Do you see any change in policy or outlook coming?
I want to say yes, that I always have hope, but honestly, it’s hard to come by lately. I was in college when Columbine happened, and I remember how horrified and shocked I was. I had never once walked into my high school wondering if someone would bring a gun to school and hurt me. Now we have school shootings happening every few weeks and kids have this new terrifying reality to face. Things need to change. That much is obvious. But will they? I don’t know. I won’t give up hope. I’ll send my money to the organizations that are working to make things better and will vote for the people who I think can make changes, but it’s going to be a long haul journey.

What about Rebecca made you want to write her love story? Did you always know she would have a book of her own, or did you come to that decision while writing her in The Ones Who Got Away?
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to tell each of the four women’s stories. I didn’t, however, know whose story should be next. I don’t plot ahead, so I leave myself open to see which characters will step forward while I’m writing. Originally, I thought it would be a different character, but Rebecca kept nudging her way into scenes and making me want to know more about her. (I know that sounds weird since I created her, but uncovering a character is like uncovering a fossil. I only get little glimpses at first.) I needed to know why Rebecca was such a workaholic and why she avoided getting emotionally involved with others. What was she running from? She was a hopeless romantic as a kid and now was an unsentimental divorce attorney. So many questions meant she had a big story to tell.

Something I really loved about The One You Can’t Forget was its wealth of compelling side characters. How did you make figures like Rebecca’s father, Wes’ brother Marco and Rebecca’s client Anthony pop off the page?
Thank you! I’m a character-driven writer, so creating side characters is a lot of fun for me. Everyone has a story even if they’re only on the page for a few moments, so I try to think about that when creating a side character. What’s their history? Why are they how they are? (This may come from the fact that I was a therapist in my former career. I need to know everyone’s secrets.) This also gets me in trouble because if a side character gets too interesting for me then I want to write them a book! I may already have plans for Marco. But I also want to make sure no one is a caricature. Like Rebecca’s father was at risk for that. Even though he’s an antagonist, I didn’t want him to be a “bad guy” because he’s not. He thinks differently from his daughter and goes about things in ways that he shouldn’t, but he absolutely loves her.

Since you used to be a therapist, what advice would you give Wes and Rebecca if they were your patients?
Depends on if they were in my office at the beginning of the book or at the end, lol. I’d have a lot of advice for them at the beginning. They are both white-knuckling their lives at the start of the book and not working through a lot of things they need to face.

Wes and Rebecca are both dealing with difficult emotional issues and the fallout from their respective pasts. How did you approach writing the conversations where they try to unpack those experiences together?
I try to write those heavy conversations in a way that shows the growth in the relationship. Both Wes and Rebecca tend to isolate themselves instead of opening up to anyone. Wes can be broody and pushes people away when they try to dig into emotional stuff (like when his brother pushes him on a few things). Rebecca can be the grin-and-bear-it type who doesn’t let anyone see her flinch. So when Wes and Rebecca open up to each other about their pasts and what they’re going through, it shows that their connection is becoming something special and different from the other relationships in their lives. That’s a big part of what falling in love is—showing the other person the ugly stuff and being accepted as you are. So when I’m writing these conversations, I do it in doses depending on where they are at in their relationship development.

I may or may not have stalked your website to prep for this interview, and was delighted by your fantastic book recommendations! What books are currently at the top of your TBR?
Yay, thanks! I love telling everyone what to read, lol. Right now, I’m reading Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover and listening to the audiobook of The Art of Screen Time by Anya Kamenetz. Next, I’ll probably be picking from The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean or The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfred. I’m such a mood reader, though, so it will depend how I’m feeling when I finish reading the current book. My TBR pile has hundreds of books in it.

In honor of Wes’ profession and the many moments of food porn in The One You Can’t Forget, what is the most romantic meal someone could make for you?
I’m originally from New Orleans, so food from home would be a special treat since it’s harder to find here in Dallas. Boiled crabs. A shrimp po’boy. A really great gumbo. But really, just having a meal made for me would be a romantic gesture, since I’m the cook in the house, lol.

What’s next for you?
Next up is Taryn’s book, The One You Fight For, which will come out in January. Her story was a big challenge to write because of who her hero is. I can’t say more than that yet, but details should be available soon. And I’ll be starting Kincaid’s book in the next month or so to wrap up the series.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of The One You Can’t Forget.

Author photo by Charm Me Photography.

Donna Kauffman’s Blue Hollow Falls series takes the small-town genre and gives it a creative twist—the titular village is an artists and musicians’ enclave, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the second book in the series, Bluestone & Vine, Blue Hollow Falls is the perfect place for Irish folk singer Pippa MacMillan to recover from a vocal chord surgery. She’s not nearly as famous in America as she is in the U.K., and the creative atmosphere could inspire her next album. Except for the fact that Pippa hasn’t sung so much as a note since her surgery because she’s so overcome with fear that her voice is forever lost or damaged. Enter a supportive community and a very handsome, ex-military vintner. We talked to Kauffman about whirlwind romances, the inherent risk of creation and what she thinks is the most underrated TV show.

I really loved Pippa—her ease with herself and self-deprecating humor were so refreshing. Where did your inspiration for her character come from?
Thank you! I grew up in a family filled with that exact same kind of life attitude. Pippa is sort of an amalgamation of me and my sisters. (Except we’re all very tall and Pippa is, well . . . not.)

Pippa and Seth definitely have a whirlwind romance. What do you think needs to happen for real love to develop in such a short time?
I think being put in close quarters like that, with heightened circumstances, does bring two people together far more quickly. Initially finding themselves stuck under one roof together definitely amplified Pippa and Seth’s reactions and feelings, but it was when they both had to deal with the outside crisis of Seth’s neighbor that they were really pushed forward more rapidly. It’s true in real life that when you have to work together with someone during a crisis, or in a situation where teamwork is required under intense pressure, whatever the ultimate goal might be, a unique bond is forged. If there also happens to be a strong attraction between the two people involved, well . . . anything can happen!

One of my favorite aspects of Bluestone & Vine is how the usual gender roles in romance were somewhat reversed—the hero was hesitant about getting into a relationship, and the heroine was far more open about her desires and emotions. Was that a conscious decision on your part, or did that facet of their personalities just emerge as you developed them?
It was a combination of both. I love to flip gender norms as well as societal norms. The characters definitely direct the course of the story, but any time we can take a look at something we all experience in a new way, from a totally different vantage point, I’m all for it. I think it makes for an interesting read as well as a fun way to explore the myriad reasons that might cause two people to take that leap of faith and let go of their fears. Falling in love is never boring and it never happens exactly the same way twice!

Why do you think small-town romances have such a steady appeal for readers?
I can’t speak for all readers, but for me, I love the cozy feeling I get when I’m reading a story set in a small town—tucked away in a picturesque place, with a group of people who all know each other, folks who I’d like to know and call friends. It’s so comforting. I especially like it when the location adds a distinct flavor, a specific character to the story. Best of all, the setting puts the main protagonists inescapably in each other’s orbit and their burgeoning relationship under the microscope as the whole town weighs in on what is happening right under everyone’s noses. The focus is on the blossoming romance, but the everybody-knows-everybody set up provides plenty of fodder for interesting secondary storylines as well.

At one point in the book, Pippa and Seth have a very lovely and honest conversation about how the creation of art is inherently risky. What was the riskiest thing about this book for you?
The risk is the same with all books I write. Everyone who reads one of my books (or any book, for that matter) brings their own life experience and point of view to the story. Of course, I want them to love it exactly how I love it, feel what I feel, laugh when I laugh, cry when I cry . . . but their own experiences might cause them to have a completely different reaction to this or that story element. The possible points of view are so vast and varied, there is no one-size-fits-all story. And that’s okay! I always write the story that I most want to read, then hope like crazy that enough readers feel the same way I do, love the things I do, to make the book a success. I love getting notes from readers who had strong reactions to elements that, to me, weren’t focal to the story, but to them, meant everything. On the flip side of that, there are readers who are turned off by things that I dearly love, because of their own experiences. As much as I want everyone to love everything I write, I’m also fascinated by all reactions, good and bad, because that informs me. Not so much as a writer, in that I will continue to write the stories I most want to read, but about the human condition, about why people react as they do to this thing or that. I study human nature by default, so the more I know, the more nuanced and interesting my future characters will become.

Every cabin and home in Bluestone & Vine was lovingly described and expressed its owner’s personality so well. What would someone learn about you based on your writing space?
That I love being a hermit. Ha. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, tucked away from the madding crowd, with a bounty of nature as my backdrop. My coworkers are the many types of birds who visit my feeders and deck garden, the deer, rabbits and raccoons who feast in my woods, and the occasional bear who drops by for a visit, often with youngsters in tow. Don’t get me wrong, I love people! I just like that I can venture out and be part of the crowd, observe the ebb and flow of humanity, then come home and be in peace and tranquility while I dream up my next fictional adventure.

You’re a TV critic in addition to writing romance. What would you say is the most underrated TV show? And what is your all-time favorite TV ship?
Hmm . . . hard to say. I think the most wonderful thing about the advent of the internet is that everyone can find folks who love the shows they love. My biggest critique is that, quite often now, new shows aren’t given the chance to develop a following before they are unceremoniously yanked from the lineup. (And, conversely, that some real head-scratchers are still out there banging away at it.) My all-time TV ship? Also a toughie. I have such a broad range of programming that I watch, I can’t pick just one. I’ve been doing play-by-play recaps of NCIS now for a few seasons for USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog, and I have to say it’s impressive that they’ve managed to avoid the pitfalls that so many other long-running shows do, where they write themselves into a corner and can’t develop the storyline beyond a certain point. NCIS has admirably managed to balance the murder-of-the-week storyline with the personal narrative stories of their main cast of characters. A far trickier balance than it would seem. So my kudos go to them.

You’re from the same area that the Blue Hollow Falls series is set. What’s a must-do for a first-time visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains?
It’s impossible to pick just one. Do it all! Last year I drove the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds along the mountain ridges, traveling close to 400 miles through my state, Virginia, on down into North Carolina and ending just at the Tennessee border where the Great Smoky Mountain National Park begins. I expected it to be a lovely, scenic drive, with some fun hiking and camping along the way. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular adventures of my life. On par with any other national park I’ve seen, or any exploration I’ve undertaken anywhere in the world (and there have been many of those.) So, if you ever get the chance, make that drive. I did mine in the fall and saw everything from stunning foliage to sparkling ice forests. I plan to do it again in the spring and take in the wild colors of the blooming rhododendron, hike more trails, take in more exhibits. It would never be the same trip twice. You won’t regret it!

What’s next for you?
I’m excited to be continuing this series with a holiday novella coming this October. Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls (with Seth and Pippa’s wedding as the backdrop!) features Seth’s sister Moira and will be part of Fern Michaels’ annual Christmas anthology, A Season to Celebrate. Then readers won’t have long to wait for the next full-length Blue Hollow Falls book. Will McCall gets his forever love story in January’s Lavender Blue. And I’m thrilled to announce I’ve signed on with Kensington to continue the series into next year and beyond. I hope you’ll stop by for a visit and fall in love!

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Bluestone & Vine.

Author photo by Spencer Kauffman.