#authorinterview – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Deception Point Series by Candace Irving

Elise’s Descriptions and Thoughts

This is part II of the Candace Irving Q/A talking about the “Deception Point Series.” (https://store.candaceirving.com/)

In part I Candace talked about her “Hidden Valor Series.” (https://avonnalovesgenres.com/friday-feature-author-interview-with-elise-cooper-hidden-valor-military-veteran-k-9-series-by-candace-irving/)

There are similarities between both series in that each has great characters, very unlikeable antagonists, an intense plot, some romance, and a riveting story that readers will not want to put down. The author allows readers to connect emotionally with the characters. The differences are that the “Hidden Valor Series” takes place mainly in Arkansas, with the heroine, Kate, a retired CID officer, now working with the State law enforcement, while in the other series the heroines move around the globe and are active duty, having a partner both romantically and professionally: Kate with Arash, Regan with John, and Mira with Riyad.

With both series, books should be read in order. The Deception Point Series should be read in this order: Aimpoint, Blind Edge, Back Blast, and Chokepoint. These books involve an active-duty Army investigator, Regan, and an active-duty Navy investigator, Mira, both who are women. It is obvious that Irving has done her due diligence, with the research put in making the stories realistic and believable.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Which series came first?

Candace Irving: I wrote Blind Edge of the “Deception Point Series” before the Kate “Hidden Valor series.” Also plotted a few chapters to the next books in the Deception Point Series, Back Blast and Chokepoint. All these books were thought out. Then I was told that many people want plots set inside the US. As I was riding my bike in Arkansas and saw this seat deserted in a field, a brown bag filled with body parts popped into my head. I went home and The Garbage Man was born featuring Kate Holland. This was published first even though I wanted Blind Edge published before the pull out of Afghanistan.

Originally, I was going to write one book in this series and then another book in the other series, but it did not turn out that way. Those reading the Kate series realized that there is another series, “Deception Point,” and began to read it and love it.

EC: What is the big difference between the two series?

CI: Hidden Valor has an overriding arc about the characters’ backstory, but each book has a different plot. Deception Point has a continuing arc throughout the books that is the plot line. Both these series must be read in order.

EC: Do you agree that the similarity between each series refers to the characters’ backstory?

CI: Every character has a bad fathers and a Mother MIA.

EC: How would you classify the “Deception Point Series?”

CI: They involve the military but for me they are really crime thrillers. They are not like Tom Clancy’s books. Some people thought they are like the Jack Reacher series, but they are not. They are women and active duty.

EC: The Hidden Valor series has more PTSD references than the Deception Point Series?

CI: Yes, because Kate was very debilitated at the beginning of the series. She could no longer function in the military. Regan and John do not really have PTSD.

EC: Would you ever write a third series with just Mira, the featured character in Chokepoint?

CI: No, she will remain in the “Deception Point Series.” I consider this the active-duty series with Mira featured in a Navy plotline, any Army story will have Regan featured, and a veteran story will feature Kate from the “Hidden Valor Series.” I will give a heads up that there will be a crossover between Regan and Kate in the “Hidden Valor series.” Regan is undercover as herself and is investigating a case in Arkansas. Remember in the book, In the Name Of, there were a couple of phone calls between Regan and Kate. But in the crossover book, Regan and Kate will be together since Regan is Kate’s protege.

EC: Why did you have Regan get pregnant?

CI: At first, I was going back and forth if I should take it out. But then I decided to keep it. I know some people ask why she would have sex without protection, but she really thought she could never get pregnant.

EC: How would you compare your three female heroines: Kate, Regan, and Mira?

CI: Regan can mask her feelings: reading facial expressions, while only to a certain extent, Kate and Mira can, because they were taught that as part of their jobs. Regan can lie and people cannot tell, including pretending she likes someone when she really doesn’t, while Mira cannot quite mask her feelings.

Kate has more compassion because of what happened to her and is more forgiving of others’ mistakes than Mira and Regan. Mira has a chip on her shoulder because she was charged with a crime yet was innocent.

All of them feel guilt. Kate because her best friend was beheaded, and she is determined to prove to her father’s ghost that she is a good investigator. Regan because her dad was a dirty cop; and Mira feels guilty because she never had to deal with the emotional abuse inflicted on her brother by her dad.

All are confident and self-assured. Mira has a temper, especially when people get in her face she gets right back in that person’s face. All are gutsy, if knocked down they all will get back up. They are all loners but are not lonely because they have friends and good support systems.

EC: Why was Kate retired and Mira/Regan active duty?

CI: I took some real elements that are common to those who served and combined them together so a lot of veterans can relate to part of her having PTSD. Because she had so much trauma, she knew she could no longer serve. I also want to differentiate between each series, so she is not active-duty, and the others are. Regan has her arm problems that when stressed she does not have a lot of control over, but it would not force her out of the Army. She did have to learn how to make her left hand her dominant hand.

EC: How would you compare your three male heroes: Arash, John, and Riyad?

CI: I wanted them all to be different although parts of Arash and John are my husband. Many readers think Riyad is a jerk, but it is because of his background. He takes no prisoners and makes no excuses. John is willing to own up to his mistakes. Riyad and John are active-duty Special Forces where they know how to be confrontational, while Arash was in military intelligence, knowing how to get what he wants without getting in someone’s face. Riyad does not consider any other opinions and expects people to do it his way, the SEAL mentality. To a certain extent Riyad has tunnel vision because of what happened to him when he was a SEAL commander. In their own way each are stubborn, sarcastic, but stoic.

EC: How would you compare all three relationships: Kate/Arash, Regan/John, and Mira/Riyad?

CI: Each hero gets under the heroines’ skin. Kate and to some degree Regan will cut Arash and John slack, while there is no way Mira allows Riyad any slack. Riyad would get in Mira’s face and say no and John would do the same things with Regan. Arash is clever on how he approaches his disagreements with Kate. All are driven. John and Riyad blame first and then questioned later regarding Regan and Mira, although John is willing to realize he was wrong, and say he is sorry, for his assumptions. Riyad gets upset with himself for calling Mira ‘woman’ because he cares for her, while she is starting to understand him after knowing his background. All the heroes are chauvinistic. All the heroes and heroines are caring, intense, compassionate, persistent, and protective.

John/Regan and Arash/Kate feel secure in their relationships. I would say that John is on one end of the spectrum of their feelings and reactions, Arash is in the middle, and Riyad is on the other end.

EC: Next Book(s)?

CI: With both series I know what will happen in the current book I am writing, maybe with the next book, but not with other books in the future. I am a linear writer in that I start at the beginning and plot every single chapter in succession. In the next Regan book, Pitch Black, which will come out in January 2026, Mira will be kidnapped after she and Riyad travel to Saudi Arabia for an investigation. Mira and John end up in Yemen with Regan and Riyad working together to find them.

The next Kate book, Blood on the Wire, will be published in August of this year. The relationship with Arash will progress. Also, her former partner Seth’s story will be a part of this story. The case involves a psychologist at a Little Rock VA hospital who was found brutally stabbed to death. In the victim’s house, Kate is stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Plus, the psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago in an active war zone. Bodies have begun to multiply.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Arctic Pursuit by Anna J. Stewart

Book Description

FBI special agent Ty Savakis keeps his promises. That’s why he’s asked Wren McKenna to join him in an isolated Alaskan town: he wants her help safeguarding a witness he swore to protect. To find the assailant who tried to kill her, Ty and Wren go undercover as a married couple. These partners have always been a perfect team, but sharing an apartment makes it impossible to resist the attraction they’ve both fought to deny. Will the violent criminal they’re tracking give them a chance to imagine a future together?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Arctic Pursuit by Anna J. Stewart is a suspenseful story. The plot has FBI Agent Ty Savakis deciding to go ‘off the books’ to help a witness, Alice, he worked with years ago. She is targeted by those she will be testifying against and is now in a coma. He asks his FBI partner Wren McKenna for her help. Not hesitating at all, she goes to Alaska to help safeguard the witness and find those responsible for trying to kill Alice. They go undercover as a married couple and decide to share an apartment. Besides searching for the violent criminal, they now give into their desires of attraction.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Is this a new series?

Anna J. Stewart: This is a new series called the McKenna Code. This is the first book of four. Aiden was in the last Honor Bound Series. He will pop up in all the books. There will be a lot of quirky characters.

EC: Why Alaska?

AJS: I watched a news show story on Whittier Alaska, which has a self-contained building with all the businesses in one building along with all the residences. I based the town in my story on this town. It is a small, enclosed town that lends itself to a mystery. No one will be able to disappear in a small town like this. One of my best friends lived in Alaska for several years and her parents visited there a few times. I was able to get insight in how the town operates. I also have been to Alaska. I was able to draw upon the town, the people, and the lifestyle. Alaska has a particular feel that I hoped I captured.

EC: How would you describe Wren, the female hero?

AJS: She is confident, has a slight temper, tenacious, tough, cautious, defiant, and determined. All the McKenna’s have a family code, an unwavering loyalty.

EC: How would you describe Ty, the male hero?

AJS: He can be stubborn, patient, and composed. He is struggling with being out of control. He is doubting himself and questions himself because the woman he asked to testify is in a coma. Ty has a lot of ghosts that haunt him. He is wondering if he will leave the FBI, trying to rediscover himself and figuring where he wants to go from here.

EC: What about the relationship between the two?

AJS: Wren is a good foil for him because she will slap him out of his guilt feelings. This is based on trust, he things she is amazing, and both follow each other everywhere. They are best friends to lovers. There is already an established relationship, the core of their relationship.

EC: What role does their being partners play?

AJS: Neither was willing to act on their attraction because they were partners and were involved with others. Now they are willing to talk openly about things. Being partners is the main conflict between them. I did do research, and FBI Agents can be married to each other. They will pop up in the fourth book. They might each work in a different section of the FBI.

EC: What was the role of Alice, the witness willing to testify?

AJS: Ty had anger, frustration, and blames himself for Alice getting hurt. He feels responsible for keeping her safe. There is a loyalty aspect. He questions his choices. Wren acts as a check and balance for him.

EC: What about the role of the McKenna family?

AJS: They are tight-knit, supportive, loving, and welcoming. I pitched it to my editor as “FBI” meets “Blue Bloods” because I am a big fan of CBS law enforcement drama. Instead of a weekly dinner I made it a monthly family dinner, set in Boston. Family is everything to them.

EC: Next books:

AJS: The second book in this series will be out in December 2025. There will be two other Harlequin Heartwarming books that take place in Hawaii coming out this year as well. I am currently writing book 3 in the “Circle of the Red Lily series” hopefully coming out in early June. It will feature a forensic specialist who never leaves her apartment.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato

Book Description

Accidents happen, no matter how careful or well-intentioned you are. Psychiatrist Eve Thayer frequently reassures her patients of that fact. There are even times when accidents have good consequences—like when Eve met her now-husband, Nathan, at his collision shop after another car ran her off the road.

After a whirlwind courtship, Nathan and Eve have settled into domestic life. They have a lovely home on a quiet street, a beautiful baby girl, and even the perfect babysitter to care for her. And yet, something isn’t quite right.

The stress in Eva’s life is mounting, both professionally and personally. Though the clinic where she works has been remodeled since its notorious days as an institution for the criminally insane, she feels increasingly uneasy there. And in her own neighborhood, a break-in at a nearby empty house hasn’t helped, either.

Detective Rita Myers hasn’t yet figured out whether Eve is a target or a suspect, but every disturbing discovery in this usually peaceful neighborhood seems to revolve around her. Only as a deadly ice storm crashes through does it become clear just how far from perfect Eve and Nathan’s lives really are. And as the cracks in the surface come to light, so do the sinister secrets that lie beneath.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato intertwines suspense, romance, retribution, and redemption in a compelling measure. It realistically shows how young couples handle stress and trying to make ends meet, which can affect their relationship. The main characters’ professions and personal lives play a significant role in the unfolding of the plot.

The two main characters, Nathan Liddle and Eve Thayer, have settled into domestic life after a whirlwind romance. Shortly thereafter they become the parents of a baby girl, Rosewyn. Due to the stresses of her job, they do not have much time together for their marriage with Nathan spending a lot of time taking care of the baby. As a psychiatrist, Eve Thayer has been tapped to lead the medical staff at a new psychiatric center in the Boston suburb of Graybridge, leaving her little time to help her husband with their infant daughter. He decides to seek companionship elsewhere by having an extramarital affair. The cracks in their relationship become huge after their baby girl is kidnapped from the babysitter’s home and their secrets are revealed. There is a multitude of suspects including Eve, her best friend Rachel, some of Eve’s psychiatric patients, and the babysitter. The detective on the case, Rita Myers, must unravel the secrets and find out who is responsible.

The narrative is told in multiple points of view of Eve, Nathan, and Rita. This helps to make the plot fast paced and intense as well as weaving together the family’s turmoil, the detective’s ability to connect the clues, and the hunt for the culprit.

This plot will have readers guessing all the way through. The prologue starts the story out with a bang, and it does not let up from there. The author writes very multidimensional characters, and the effective red herrings add to the twisty plotline.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Terri Parlato: I often start out with writing the characters. I thought of my children and the young adults who seem to be working very hard with long hours. They have a hard time balancing home, career, and family. This gave me the idea for Eve and Nathan. Because I write thrillers, I had terrible things happen beyond the difficulties of life. The villain is out for vengeance.

EC: How would you describe Eve?

TP: She is a psychiatrist who feels overwhelmed. She is steely, workaholic, quiet, introspective, and wants to control her emotions and keeps them in check. Growing up she did not get a lot of warmth and nurturing, especially with her father cheating.

EC: How would you describe Nathan?

TP: Protective, attentive, down to earth, personable, and puts his child ahead of his own desires.

EC: Do you think the relationship between Eve and Nathan has gone downhill?

TP: After Eve finds out Nathan cheated on her she becomes very distant, and he takes to drinking and smoking. He feels very guilty, and she withdraws, becoming angry. Nathan was seeking companionship because he felt so ignored by Eve. I wanted readers to think about this moral dilemma. Both had a responsibility to talk it out but neither did, but because of having parents MIA, communicating was harder for them. Being from the social media generation they were not good communicators.

EC: What kind of parents are they to their young daughter, especially after the child went missing?

TP: Nathan is very indulgent. For Eve, she loves her daughter but is not sure how to be a mother. She struggles with ‘Am I doing this correctly?’ Then when the child goes missing both worry that the kidnapper has evil intentions. Once the child went missing it magnified the type of parents they had become. Plus, having a child kidnapped is one of the worst things a parent can go through. It brings out their doubts as a parent and tests them to their limits.

EC: What about Eve’s best friend Rachel?

TP: I wanted her to exemplify how the relationship shifted between Rachel who was single and Eve who is now married. Eve is not as dependent on her. Relationships are difficult and tricky. They used to have good old times as single women.

EC: Was Rita, the police detective, also in other books?

TP: She is in all three books set in this fictional town. Rita is the common thread with her own narrative arc. She is growing as a character and has her own demons that shows from book 1 to this book, 3. In this novel, Rita’s drawing plays a role in solving the crime. The first book explained why she draws. In elementary school, the teacher had her draw something to distract her. This really worked and helped her to handle her life. Being the youngest of nine children she lost her brother to leukemia and an older brother to the Vietnam War. Drawing taught her to deal with her feelings. Now it works with her profession because as a detective she can see clues visually. It is a coping mechanism that turned into a tool for her detective work.

EC: Is Rita a lot like Eve?

TP: Yes. Both are lonely, workaholics, and tenacious. I wanted Eve to be a different female lead than in the first two books. She parallels Rita’s personality in that both have demons and are not sure how to handle them.

EC: Next book?
TP: It will be out March 2026 and is a domestic thriller. Rita will not be in it. There will be family drama with a villain who will be causing havoc as well as a murder.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 Series by Candace Irving

Book Series Description and Elise’s Thoughts

The “Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 Series” by Candace Irving is one of the best series to come along in quite a while. Each book combines a mystery, thriller, and police procedural. While the suspense is off the charts, there is also a very heart wrenching and heartwarming backstory of the characters that remind readers of the sacrifices made by those who serve to keep Americans safe.

The main character is Kate Holland, a former US Army detective that spent eleven hours as a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. She received a Silver Star after killing her captives and escaping. Fast forward to the present where she is a civilian investigator in her hometown of Arkansas. Because she has demons, she is contemplating suicide but discards those thoughts after saving a German Shepherd puppy, Ruger, shot by a hunter. Throughout the series both Kate and Ruger realize they are each other’s support. There is also a budding romance between Kate and another detective, Arash Kharoti, who is part of the plot mysteries and character world. Some of the other supporting characters are Sherriff Lou Simms, and Deputy Seth Armstrong.

There are five books in the series that should be read in order. The first one is a novella, titled Invisible Wounds followed by The Garbage Man, In the Name Of, Beneath the Bones, and Last Dog Out. In each book readers find a plot involving veterans that is very riveting along with more of a backstory on Kate, Ruger, and Arash.

These book plots are gritty, complex, intense, and have edge of the seat scenes. Anyone who has not read this series might want to start and those that are readers will look forward to the next book in the series.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did your being in the military help influence your writing?

Candace Irving: I am former Army, but it was brief. I did end up in the Navy. I was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy but ended my career as a Navy Lt. I was sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships and was also a damage control officer. Being a part of both branches enables me to write the lingo, plus I married an Army guy. My husband is a former combat engineer sapper who helps me with the explosive’s storyline. Regardless of which branch of the military, the mindset and how things work is the same. I know the correct questions to ask. For instance, in the Navy we do this so what is the Army or Air Force method?

EC: Why did you decide to write the Kate Holland series?

CI: I am writing for all readers but also am writing for all veterans. I hope this is my gift to them. If someone is a vet, they realize the thoughts and feelings of the characters are what they and I experienced. I want the stories to be realistic, not like a book I read that I threw at the wall. It seemed that author got everything wrong and angered me as a woman and a veteran. This is after 9/11, and our soldiers were coming back with serious scars. This author made it seem that the vet who had a scar was nonchalant about it instead of realizing that some veterans have painful memories. This is why I decided to write the Kate series. I wanted to write Kate as a veteran who had to overcome her scars emotionally as well as living with the physical scars on her cheek.

EC: Why the setting of Arkansas?

CI: I lived there for ten years. I thought how not many settings take place there. Fort Roots is an actual base so the place in my story is a wink and a nod. I changed the real place of Mayflower to Braxton because I did not want to be nailed to a specific town. Usually, she is in the small town with interconnected characters.

EC: Most of the books in this series involve murderers centered around veterans. Do you agree?

CI: I am a detective writer at heart so there must be a dead body. Suddenly these bodies were popping up all over the place in this small town that previously had three murders in ten years. I knew I had to change Kate from being a Sherriff’s deputy to working for the state police with Ruger as her K-9 partner that involved veteran cases. The plots involve a very intense mystery that put the heroes and heroines in a dark and nasty place which they must overcome.

EC: Do you own a dog since Ruger is one of the featured characters?

CI: Yes. The inspiration for Ruger is my fifty-pound standard poodle. Some of the weird things my dog does makes me laugh and I say to myself, ‘that is totally going into the book.’ Dog behavior is pretty much consistent.

EC: How would you describe Kate?

CI: She is not Superwoman but does have skills, such as the way she handles knives. She is determined, smart, funny, strong-willed, stubborn, a survivor, guilt ridden, at times feels depressed, doubts herself, and feels shame.

EC: How about Ruger?

CI: He keeps Kate calm, has a sense of purpose, loyal, a guard dog, a service support animal, as well as a canine partner to Kate. He and Kate rescued each other.

EC: You also have Kate with PTSD issues?

CI: Yes. She has nightmares, flashbacks, hallucinations, and sleepwalks. Most of the time whether in a movie, TV show, or book there is this horrible thing that has happened to someone in the military and the rest of the plot it does not affect them. I wanted to write a series where Kate must grow from her experiences. Below is the actual checklist that is in the therapist’s manual, and I had Kate fill it out. There is a specific form of treatment by Dr. Resick and she even wrote a self-directed manual (https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Unstuck-PTSD-Cognitive-Processing/dp/1462549837/ref=asc_df_1462549837?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852162946901&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451682302499&psc=1) Dr. Resick created CPT in the eighties. Veterans can go on my website and find resources.

EC: What do you want readers to understand about how Kate’s wounds affected her?

CI: While Kate was serving in Afghanistan she was ambushed and then raped. She suffered injuries of a broken collarbone, a broken shoulder, and burns. She saw her best friend, Max, beheaded by the Islamists. She wears his watch and when she gets anxious turns it until her skin is raw. I wanted to make it realistic, so I took on all her emotions. Kate started to get CPT treatment with the trauma focused sessions centering around pains that interfere with the normal recovery process and have her identify problem patterns.

EC: is Kate’s therapist, Dr Manning, based on Dr. Resick?

CI: Yes. From book 2 going forward she became Kate’s therapist. She took the situation I created for Kate and said this is what would occur with her. She reads the book and is Dr. Manning. She makes suggestions for Kate as Dr. Manning, like having her wrap her wrist so when she feels the need to turn the watch her skin will not be raw.

EC: What about her boss, Lou?

CI: He is like an uncle to her. He can read her, is helpful, and caring. Because he knew her father was heartless and someone who constantly put her down, Lou tried to be the opposite to her. He and his wife felt like Kate was the child they could not have. He is based on a neighbor I had in Arkansas, someone compassionate, grounded, figured out what make people tick, and had a lot of common sense.

EC: How would you describe Detective Arash?

CI: He is caring, understands her, trusting, encouraging, and protective. He and Kate share a deep connection.

EC: What about the relationship between Kate and Arash?

CI: I thought hard what kind of man Kate should end up with. It must be someone who does not care about her scars but embraces them. He realizes she is strong. In a way her scars are a badge of honor. Kate is afraid she will lose Arash because of her scars and baggage. She also has issues with showing off her body to the man she wants to look perfect too, Arash.

EC: You have another series, “Deception Point” besides the Kate “Hidden Valor” Series. Can you talk about them?

CI: Both series have investigations and detective stories, but “Deception Point” has a global setting while “Hidden Valor” takes place in Arkansas. The main character of the “Deception Point Series” is Special Agent Regan Chase, an active-duty CID, while Kate is a retired CID. I used my Damage Control Officer experiences to write the book, Blind Edge, of the “Deception Point” series.

EC: Will the “Hidden Valor” series be made into a TV show?

CI: I did option the rights for this series with a potential TV series.

EC: Next book?

CI: Kate will have her last therapy session in the next book, Blood on The Wire that comes out in August of next year. But readers should not worry, Dr. Manning will not be written out of the series. It will be a process for Kate to get over all her scars on her body and face. The relationship with Arash will progress. Also, her former partner Seth’s story will be a part of this story. The case involves a psychologist at a Little Rock VA hospital who was found brutally stabbed to death. In the victim’s house, Kate is stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Plus, the psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago in an active war zone. Bodies have begun to multiply.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Cowboy Santa by Melinda Curtis

Book Description

Can they help each other…

Make the season bright?

A small-town Oklahoma Christmas would be charming if single dad Chandler Cochran wasn’t being called into the principal’s office to deal with his son’s antics. The instigator behind young Sam’s misbehavior? Little Della-Mae, Izzy Adams’s daughter. The same Izzy who has just taken a job decorating Chandler’s family ranch for the holidays! And even though she and Chandler are pulled together to deal with their children’s misadventures, the bubbly mom and her sweet daughter are adding light and warmth to the stoic cowboy’s world.

Will trouble turn into an unexpected gift this Christmas?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Cowboy Santa by Melinda Curtis, set in an Oklahoma small town around Christmas, is a good holiday read. The male lead is single dad Chandler Cochran who is basically raising his second-grade son, Sam on his own. It seems Sam is prodded to do certain things by the female lead, Izzy’s daughter, Little Della-Mae. Izzy and Chandler are pulled together to deal with their children’s misadventures. Chandler Cochran is a no-nonsense single father who is the manager at the Done Roamin’ Ranch, and his little boy Sam is a precocious and mischievous. When Chandler meets single mom, Izzy Adams, in the principal’s office at the school, he isn’t surprised that her daughter Mae is in trouble, too, and Chandler blames Mae, because after all, Sam wouldn’t get into trouble without encouragement. Chandler wants everything to stay just as it always has while Izzy wants him to be willing to try new things.

As with all the author’s cowboy books readers will enjoy the journey of Izzy and Chandler on how they realize there is a definite attraction. Of course, they are pushed along by their two children who decide to play cupid. People will enjoy the interactions between the children as well as the input of strong-hearted and loving Mary, Chandler’s mom who is recovering from cancer.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Melinda Curtis: I wanted to do an enemy to lovers’ book. Then it evolved that the children were in league with each other.

EC: How would you describe the female character, Izzy?

MC: Bubbly, a rule follower, resilient, reliable, courageous, and in somewhat of a shell. This was her coming of age book where she came into her own.

EC: How would you describe Chandler?

MC: Grounded, pragmatic, obstinate, stoic, someone who likes predictability and the word ‘always.’ The past seems to be holding him back and at times he is vulnerable. He was the older brother type to his foster brother cowboys. I enjoyed going into his character in more depth.

EC: What about Chandler’s son Sam?

MC: He is a charmer, a talker, spunky, and can be sassy.

EC: What about Izzy’s daughter Mae?

MC: Delicate, she can be the mastermind in her and Sam’s endeavors. Together they work in cahoots. Both she and Sam come from divorce parents. They get into mischievous at times. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with and are smarter than the average 2^nd grader.

EC: What was the role of divorce in the story?

MC: One the divorcees wanted to put their career over raising a child, while the other tried to buy his child’s love and had all his priorities wrong. The original marriages were not the right person for Chandler and Izzy. Neither was helpful in the raising of the children.

EC: What about the relationship between Izzy and Chandler?

MC: They both try to ignore their feelings. They change the conversation when they do not like where it is going. They appear confused and in a funk. She takes him outside his comfort zone. They thought they were fine without romance until they realized that finding the right person is special.

EC: What about getting a dog?

MC: I wanted to have something a little bit playful. As a parent and grandma, I know there are times that the children trap someone into getting them things. I wanted this to be a sweet piece that is true to life. Every child should have a dog.

EC: Mary, the beloved foster mom, has cancer. Please explain

MC: It has been an ongoing thread. Even though I was asked not to write any dreaded diseases, but it is realistic. I understand how grief can get in the way of romance, but it does happen in life and does affect someone’s everyday life. Everyone tends to rally around the person and remember how important life is, something we tend to forget when our noses are in our phones all the time. I wanted to write a healthy powerful way that the characters must deal with the experience.

EC: Next books?

MC: There are six more cowboy books in this series. In spring The Cowboy Wedding Proposal will be published. And another one out in the summer.

There will be another round in the Kentucky Blackwell series.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Description

In this collection of four heartfelt novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness–and love–remain elusive.

In An Apology in Bloom, wedding florist Jaime Harper is on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, will she stay or head back to her hometown?

In A Bouquet of Dreams, Claire Murphy has always dreamed of owning a flower shop, and when her employers hint at retirement, she believes her moment has arrived. But first she must confront her past–and the man who caused her to flee her hometown years ago.

In A Field of Beauty, Tessa Anderson has found an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. She’s grateful for the help of two men–her boyfriend, Tyler, and a quiet soil specialist named Dawson. But as the farm finally starts to bloom, Tessa will discover something that challenges everything she’s built.

In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations they just may find their way to forgiveness.

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a heartwarming read. In this collection of four novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness and love remain elusive. The novellas follow the three former friends, Jaime, Claire, and Tess as they take a journey from leaving their sanctuary of Rose’s Flower Shop in Sunrise, North Carolina, as teenagers, to returning years later. Each story explores their reflections on the past of what happened that fateful day that chose them to leave, and why they are returning.

The first novella, An Apology in Bloom, has wedding florist Jaime Harper on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, she decides to head back to her mentor’s flower shop.

The second novella, A Bouquet of Dreams, has Claire Murphy confronting her past, needing to start over, and realizing the best place to do it is to return to the flower shop she worked in as a teen.

The third novella, A Field of Beauty, has Tessa Anderson buying an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. There is a bit of a love triangle between Tyler, her boyfriend, and Dawson, her business partner.

In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations, they just may find their way to forgiveness. This final story ties everything together, revealing Rose’s mentorship and the events that drove the friends away.

Each novella is rich with details about flowers and floral competitions. But the real theme of the books is its focus on friendship that has fragility, heartbreak, and repair. Romantic relationships are present, but friendships take center stage, showing how misunderstandings can break people apart with hope and forgiveness bringing them back together. Each story was compelling, and all were tied together in the fourth novella by an underlying mystery which would only be solved when the women returned to the North Carolina flower shop to meet up with Ruth again.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Suzanne Woods Fisher: It is a collection of a four-part novella centering around flowers. Each novella was released separately over a course of the year with the fourth one part of this collection. I wanted to show how flowers have a universal appeal where everyone loves them. I even put this quote in at the beginning of the book, “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”

EC: Novellas versus novels. In the “Ice Cream” themed books, it did not take center stage like in these flower books. Why?

SWF: The flowers are the theme that kept the girls connected even though their lives took them in three different directions. Flowers was still the focus of their lives. With the ice cream books the characters had other things going on.

EC: How would you describe Liam, the featured male in novella one?

SWF: He is a planner, creative, kind, accessible, optimistic, humorous, a good listener, and romantic. Plus, he has a Scottish accent.

EC: What about Jamie?

SWF: She wants to be validated, southern, sweet, easily intimidated, nervous, guilt-ridden, and obsessed with Liam. She lacks a great deal of confidence and does not realize how talented she is.

EC: What about the second novella’s female lead, Claire?

SWF: Restless, capable, vulnerable, sarcastic, direct, opinionated, has a temper, lonely, and has trust issues. She felt rejected, hurt, and rebuffed by Chris Reid.

EC: Why the symbolism for different flowers, is it true?

SWF: Yes. Yellow roses mean that someone wants you as a friend. Yellow carnations mean rejection, red roses romance, two-tier carnations mean parting… This comes from the Victorian Age in England. It is subtle way of sending a message to someone. Now there is not that much attention paid to the language of flowers. I put in this quote, “Flowers are not merely tokens of beauty. They have meaning and purpose. Things are not what they seem.” We still hold on to some of the language because most people see red roses as love.

EC: How would describe the second novella’s male lead, Chris Reid?

SWF: Stubborn, charming, angry at times, grief stricken, admirable, and spiritual. A reformed juvenile delinquent.

EC: How would you describe the third novella ‘s female lead, Tessa?

SWF: Determined, a hard worker, jealous, can be aloof, and was naïve. There is one scene where she is out in the dirt with dirty overalls and fingernails. Her gorgeous looks got her into trouble, yet here she feels beautiful. Beauty is not something that is looked at, but something that is felt.

EC: What about her soon to be fiancé Tyler?

SWF: He is a chauvinist, takes advantage of her, self- absorbed, articulate, well groomed, politician personality with a silver spoon upbringing. He wants Tessa to be a trophy wife. I intentionally attributed the same quote to him that her neighbor told her.

EC: How about her partner in the flower business, Dawson?

SWF: Hard worker, helpful, knowledgeable, and uses compost. It is a huge part of farming where the waste breaks down into the soil. He and Tessa seem to ignore their feelings or do not realize their feelings. Unlike, Tyler she feels she can always be herself with him. He does not seem dazzled by her and is at first just a friend.

EC: How would you relate the three women?

SWF: Jamie was the artistic one, Claire the managing type, and Tessa was the supplier. They worked in harmony and inspired each other.

EC: The florist who owned the shop, Rose Reid, what was her role?

SWF: She was the mentor of the three. She really invested in them to bring out the best in them. She saw something in them that they did not even see in themselves. She was very hurt when they left her. She was a more of an aunt to them.

EC: Next books?

SWF: Capture the Moment is contemporary fiction, the first in a series, set in the national parks, coming out in early May. I young woman Kate Cunningham, a zoo photographer was given an offer by a National Geographic editor, to take a unique picture of a Grizzly Bear in the wild. There is a poacher in the park that is after the same bear. Both Kate and the poacher want to shoot it.

In October the second of the Amish doctor books will be published. These are hybrid Amish because there are a lot of non-Amish characters. It is titled A Hidden Hope. “Dok’s” practice has been everywhere since the local news wrote a story on her. To help, her husband gets the idea to send in an application to a program that will send two medical school graduates. She must mentor two residents with all book knowledge and no people knowledge.

THANK YOU!!

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