Zara West

Please welcome Mary Ann Jacobs. She is here to tell us about her cozy mystery series and Book 3, which will be releasing soon. If you love twists, turns, and fascinating characters, you will love this series. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I was a teacher of Language Arts in all grades. When I retired, I finally had time to write Poetry and essays. During COVID, I decided to write a cozy…

Susan Harris Howell is here today to tell us about her newest cozy mystery and where she got the idea. Welcome, Susan, Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I have recently retired from university teaching to write. I am currently working on the sequel to The Spirit of Vanderlaan. In addition to writing, I love reading, jigsaw puzzles, and travel. What event or experience in your life…

Please welcome Jacquie Bosmer. She has a new romance novel set in 1890s New York for you to discover. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m going to answer this “two truths and a lie” style. See if you can guess which one’s which! 1. Growing up, I had a bird (a little green budgie) named Pickles. 2. I’m a former Disney princess at Walt Disney World. 3. I lived in London for a little while,…

Planning a trip? Love little notebooks? While I am a big fan of technology (I am currently writing a novel in Notion), there is something magical about capturing one’s thoughts with only pen and paper. In fact, I firmly believe that my ideas flow better when handwritten. The research study “The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing—Who Wins the Battle?” supports this belief. They…

Please welcome Susie Black. She writes highly enjoyable, laugh-out-loud cozy mysteries. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I have leveraged a successful career as a ladies’ apparel exec into a writing gig. I live in Southern California, am married, and have one adult son. What event or experience in your life affected you as a writer? I kept a daily journal throughout my apparel career,…

Romance author Jana Richards is here today to share her WW2 Time Travel romances. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’ve been writing seriously for over thirty years. This year, 2026, marks my 20th year as a published writer. Since I retired as a bookkeeper about four years ago, writing has become my full-time occupation. But my most important roles are as a wife, mother, and grandmother to…

Please welcome YA author Susan Dalessandro. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’ve been writing for about fourteen years, although I’ve always had stories in my head that I didn’t put on paper. I am a math nerd and have made a career in Psychometrics. I’ve been a runner since high school (an experience that factored into my writing this book) and have run five marathons. Running is where I…

Welcome Carol, What event or experience in your life affected you as a writer? My love of writing started when I was a young girl who fell in love with reading. Belonging to a book club of various genre growing up, then frequenting the library to get my hands on the latest Nancy Drew, Dana Girls, and Trixie Belden. Later, I discovered Agatha Christy, and while working at Cornell University’s…

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m a novelist, former political consultant, and lifelong storyteller who found her way back to writing after surviving a stroke. Before that turning point, I worked on both Republican and Democratic campaigns, ran a nonprofit organization for sixteen years, and was honored with several awards for community service and civic leadership, including the…

Please welcome paranormal romance author Lori Matsourani. She has a great ghost story for you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m a coastal person at heart. Currently, I live an hour away from the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, but I grew up in Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay and two hours away from the Atlantic Ocean. When stress threatens to take over my sanity, I stop and imagine myself…

Thank you for visiting with us. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? While trained as an anthropologist, I have become an internationally respected expert regarding information security. I am a poet, amateur historian, and I know entirely too much about unicorns. What event or experience in your life affected you as a writer? When I read Nabokov’s Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle. This work…

A short story or a novel is built from a series of scenes linked together. Each scene acts as the heartbeat of your narrative—a distinct unit: where an event or action unfolds within a unified setting and timeframe. Whether you’re crafting dialogue scenes, action-packed moments, or reflective sequels where your character weighs their choices, every scene must deliver certain elements to truly…

Welcome Heather, We can’t wait to hear about you and your new rock star romance. What are some of your favorite things? Coffee and mugs. I’m a mug nut; books and mugs are in every corner of the house. I enjoy collecting books I read as a child. I’ve been looking for Beverley Cleary first editions of Romona Quimby books lately. Just holding them in my hands brings back wonderful memories of…

Christine Columbus has a new romance full of river sunsets, romantic campfires, and summer love just for you. How did you become a romance author? Eighteen years ago, while living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I published children’s stories, creative non-fiction, poetry, and flash fiction, then stumbled into romance, writing several short stories and a novel with The Wild Rose Press. Then I took…